Weekly Digest From Chrome Unboxed

View this email in your browser You can now try Google's AI note-taking app, NotebookLM Google’s latest AI-powered innovation, NotebookLM, is moving out of the waitlist phase and is now ready for you to try it out. In a post on the Keyword Blog, Google says that Notebook LM is now widely available in the United States, with new features like a noteboard space and suggested actions that can magically […] Read More Chromebooks getting a new 'Focus Mode' that is mostly working in Canary Thanks to a bit of digging and testing by our friend @cr_c2cv over on X, we’ve been made aware of a new feature currently in testing for Chromebooks in the latest Canary Channel build of ChromeOS 122 simply called Focus Mode. As the name implies, it seems the feature is here to help ChromeOS users […] Read More ASUS ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus: the new King of Chromebooks? Out of nowhere, ASUS has announced and soft-launched a new Chromebook Plus model that is unequivocally the best device in this new class of Chromebooks. Well, in the group of branded Chromebook Plus models, I mean. If we add in all the certified Chromebook Plus models, we have to include the current King of Chromebooks: […] Read More The larger HP 15.6-inch Chromebook Plus is down to just $299 With only a couple weeks left in the year, the crazy buying season is quickly coming to an end. But in the world of Chromebooks, that doesn’t mean too much. Most of 2023 was littered with great Chromebook deals left and right, and that’s a big reason we created the post that highlights the best […] Read More The best Chromebook deals today: December 15th Edition For at least the foreseeable future, there are going to be great Chromebook deals available. But those deals shift, move and change frequently. In response to this, we try our best to highlight individual deals that are not just a great savings, but a great value as well. But our posts for those deals are […] Read More PSA: Get your final Stadia controller updates before December 31st Not long ago, we posted about the looming deadline for converting your Stadia controller over to Bluetooth-only mode. At the end of the year, the tool for changing your controller over will expire, and so will your opportunity to keep your awesome Stadia controller around as a fantastic accessory. Nothing has changed on that front […] Read More Google Assistant Quick Phrases are super helpful and arriving on Pixel Buds Pro In the event that you didn’t already know this was a thing, you can do a few Google Assistant actions on your Pixel phone without the need of uttering “Hey Google” beforehand. Pixel phones are able to answer, silence, or fully decline incoming calls with just the vocal command – “answer”, “decline” or “silence” – […] Read More The ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 is finally on sale again Of all the Chromebook Plus models that arrived in October, one of the more-elusive models is the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 that is exclusive to Target. While it has been available and in stock most of the time since launch, it hasn’t been discounted nearly as often as its counterparts. But today, only a week […] Read More The 10 Best Chromebooks in 2023 [VIDEO] As we come to the end of 2023, it’s been a pretty wild ride in the world of Chromebooks. We began the year with the introduction of quite possibly the best overall Chromebook ever made in the HP Dragonfly Pro and finished with the introduction of a new class of Chromebook in Chromebook Plus. In […] Read More Google TV spreads holiday cheer with performance updates and new features It’s been a good year for Google TV, highlighted by new features, design tweaks, free channels, and performance upgrades. As 2023 draws to a close, Google is spreading some holiday cheer with improvements to enhance your Google TV experience, including updates to the Live tab and more free channels. One of the improvements that you […] Read More Chromebook Plus and GeForce NOW shock gamers in new ad spot During the Game Awards that aired on YouTube (and tons of other streaming platforms) on December 7th, there was an ad that ran towards the latter half of the program that was pretty eye-opening and featured Chromebook Plus and GeForce NOW in a very interesting setting. With no prior knowledge, actual gamers were brought into […] Read More Why you should buy the Acer Chromebook 516 GE at it's lowest-ever price ($419) I’ve made no bones about it: the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is my absolute go-to device when I need a Chromebook I can really rely on. In so many circumstances it has been the best choice for me to keep around in my book bag, and I can think of no device that makes me […] Read More I just got the Pixel Video Boost feature today, and it is a true test in patience Early this morning, I opened my camera on the Pixel 8 Pro to scan a QR code and the notification I’ve been waiting on since the October hardware event showed up, signifying that it was finally my turn to try out the new Video Boost feature Google showed off with the launch of the Pixel […] Read More Google Messages account login is great, but it still requires a connected phone Not long ago, Google began testing the waters with account-based logins for Google Messages. I even wrote an entire post about how important this change is and why it is a necessary step for Google to take with their primary messaging platform. And while I still absolutely stand by those thoughts, I’m a little bummed […] Read More Lenovo Flex 5i is the best Chromebook Plus value at an all-time-low price Chromebook Plus devices – specifically the newer, branded ones – are an easy answer to the common question: which Chromebook should I buy? They were built with this exact question in mind, giving us a nice starting group of solid Chromebooks that offer a bit of everything across the board. We have larger Chromebook Plus […] Read More Our favorite gear that we actually used in 2023 It’s the time of the year once again where we take a look at some of our favorite gear that we here at Chrome Unboxed have been not only enjoying this year, but using as well. Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for that tech-minded person on your list or want to treat yourself, […] Read More Best Chromebook Android Apps of 2023, according to Google Play Although they aren’t required, Android apps on your Chromebook can certainly enhance the experience, giving you access to the same apps on your phone and allowing you to play some of your favorite games. And so with 2023 winding down, the team over at Google Play has posted a round-up of the best apps, games, […] Read More Finally, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 gets ChromeOS 119 As an ongoing update fiasco, there have been few in the Chromebook world that have been this difficult to solve for the ChromeOS team. I noticed some abnormalities back at the end of October, and things just continued to get worse for the Duet 5 until the team figured out what was actually going on. […] Read More Don't miss another NFL minute with Sunday Ticket for just $79 Though the 2023 NFL season is rapidly charging towards its end, this time of year can be a bit deceiving. Sure, the Superbowl isn’t that far away, but when you step back and look at things, we still have a solid 6 weeks of regular season action, and that’s still a long time. And perhaps, […] Read More I just used my Pixel 8 Pro as my Chromebook webcam and it's awesome A feature we’ve been expecting for quite some time has arrived in the latest December Pixel Feature Drop. Along with the revved-up GPU that makes the Tensor SoC a bit better at gaming, this new feature set brought the long-awaited phone-as-webcam feature to Pixel phones as well. And even though we’ve all known this was […] Read More Save 40% on new Pixel hardware through Play Points Are you a loyal Google Play Points member? If so, you’re in for a real treat! Google has rolled out a fantastic offer exclusively for its Gold, Platinum, and Diamond tier members in the United States that will save you some big money. Now until the end of the year, you can snag a whopping […] Read More For the first time, I played Fortnite on a Pixel and it didn't suck That’s right! Though playing Fortnite on any Pixel phone in the past has been pretty much garbage, the latest, feature-packed December Pixel Feature Drop included a quiet-yet-beneficial update to the Tensor GPU driver. Seeing it in action on Twitter late last week was encouraging, but getting the update over the weekend and actually playing a […] Read More It's been a good ride but YouTube Premium legacy plans are getting a price hike If you’ve been watching uninterrupted YouTube videos for a while, it can be jarring to watch YouTube with ads. I know this is the case for me whenever I open YouTube with one of my other accounts that doesn’t have YouTube Premium. You get used to the ad-free experience and if you watch a lot […] Read More Yes, you will be able to buy the Lenovo Chromebox that fits in your pocket Lenovo recently unveiled their latest innovation in the world of ChromeOS: the Lenovo Chromebox Micro. This tiny powerhouse is aimed at enterprise customers who want to deploy a small but mighty ChromeOS device but I was wondering: what about consumers? I would personally love to have a compact Chromebox like this for my home setup […] Read More USI 1.0 versus USI 2.0: understanding the difference [VIDEO] We get asked quite often about which pen works with which Chromebook when it comes to USI. And in some ways, that’s a bit of a bummer. When USI first emerged and started showing up for Chromebooks, I was so relieved that the days of searching for the “right pen” for any given device were […] Read More Why Beeper Mini's iMessage-on-Android conquest is doomed Too good to be true? Perhaps. After just having Beeper Mini installed, up and running on my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, I saw news last night that things were going south quickly and woke up this morning to notifications on my phone that my phone number had be de-registered and that there was an “outage” […] Read More The Discover Samsung Winter Event is packed with tablet deals If you’ve been around here for any amount of time, you know that I don’t particularly love tablets. I like the idea of tablets, but I tend to find that my smaller-screen usage is better served with my phone and my large-screen tasks usually demand a big screen, keyboard and mouse input. That means I’m […] Read More How to reduce broadcast delay on YouTube TV to stop live spoilers There are times when you are watching something take place that is important and truly live, and the last thing you want is to get a text or be on a phone call and have a big moment completely spoiled. This is likely only an issue with live sports, but I suppose any live event […] Read More How to use a Windows keyboard with a Chromebook One way to get the most out of your Chromebook is to have some sort of desktop setup. I love the portability of my Chromebook, but when I want to get some work done I head to my desk, where I have an external monitor, a laptop stand on the side of that monitor, a […] Read More Possible gaming improvement for Pixel 8 Pro has me considering going back to it As many of you know, I’ve been back and forth with Pixel phones since the Pixel 6 Pro. For general users, I think Pixels are 100% the Android phone they should buy and for myself, 80% of me is always happy to return to the comfy, colorful, animated world of Pixel. I love these phones […] Read More Join our Patreon community and get access to things like behind-the-scenes footage, early access to videos, private Discord server access, an ad-free experience on the mobile and desktop versions of the website, your name listed on all our YouTube videos, and monthly live stream Q&A. CLICK HERE to be a part of our community.  Copyright © 2023 Unboxed Media, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Unboxed Media 111 W Dixie Ave Ste 200 Elizabethtown, KY 42701-1410 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.