Category Archives: Chrome OS

Chrome Address Bar Gets Smarter Autocomplete

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Google is rolling out a series of updates to the address bar (or Omnibox) in Chrome that improvises the accuracy of autocomplete across the desktop and mobile browser, 9to5Google reported.

Instead of an autocomplete only working if you typed the beginning of a URL correctly, the Chrome address bar on desktop will complete “based on any word you’ve previously used to search for a website.”

For example, “flights” would autocomplete to google.com/travel/flights instead of you needing to first enter google.com.

Misspelled URL names will now be detected and return suggestions based on previously visited websites on Chrome for Android, iOS, and desktop.

Google provided more information on The Keyword blog, titled: “5 Chrome address bar updates to speed up your search”. It was posted by Jesse Lee, Product Manager, Chrome.

Chrome can help you quickly find the website you’re looking for, even if you made typos, can’t remember the URL, or need suggestions.

As the days get shorter this fall, you might be looking for ways to maximize your time. Luckily, five improvements are coming to Chrome’s address bar to help you browse even faster.

1 Smarter autocompletion

Previously, Chrome would only autocomplete URL’s in the address bar if you typed the beginning of one correctly. So you had to know, for instance that the Google Flights site started with google.com. Starting in Chrome on desktop, the address bar will now autocomplete URL’s based on any word you’ve previously used to search for a website. So now, if you simply type “flights,” Chrome will autocomplete to “https:/.www.google.com/travel/flights.”

2 Automatic typo corrections

If you misspell a URL name in the address bar, Chrome can now detect those typos and immediately show you suggestions based on your previously visited websites. This new feature is available today for Chrome on desktop, Android and iOS.

3 Searches within bookmark folders

You can now search within your bookmark folders right from the Chrome address bar on desktop and mobile. Just include the folder name in your search, and you’ll see suggestions from that collection.

4 Suggestions for popular sites

It can be hard to remember the name of a website your friend recommended. Starting today on desktop and mobile, Chrome will suggest popular sites even if you’ve never visited them or mistyped the URL. So, say your friend mentioned checking out Google Earth to scout the difficulty of a hiking trail, but it’s your first time visiting the site. As you begin to type “Google Earth” in Chrome’s address bar, Chrome will suggest the Google Earth website in the drop-down.

5 Faster, easier-to-read results

Thanks to an improved visual layout, the Chrome desktop address bar is now easier to read. It’s also more responsive, so you’ll get even faster results as soon as you start typing.

TechCrunch reported that the address bar will now suggest popular sites even if you haven’t visited them before, or if you have mistyped the URL. Now, when you start typing the name of a popular website, the address bar will show you the website’s URL in the list of suggestions. From there, you can select it to go there directly without having to first search the name and then click on the search results.

Personally, the only thing I use Chrome for is to see maps and character sheets online when playing TTRPG games with my friends. As a Mac user, I would prefer not to have to use Chrome, but there often is no better alternative for TTRPG online gaming.

Chrome OS makes first-ever change in its schedule

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Google’s Chrome OS has been around over a decade, The operating system was announced in 2009 and a laptop appeared in 2011. However, popularity really began in 2013 when Google released their “own” model, the HP Chromebook 11 G1. 

Schools began adopting and that’s when people saw the usefulness and it started to spread among the general public. 

Since those early days one thing has remained constant – the release schedule. You’ve been able to count on the every six weeks like clockwork. The new timeframe announced has shrunk the wait time to every four weeks. 

The move does come with a bit of confusion – you’ll be missing a version of the OS. According to the Chromium Blog Post, the Chrome OS release schedule will shift to a 4-week rollout beginning in Q3 with version 94 of the operating system. 

The company states “To bridge the gap between M94 when Chrome moves to a four week release and M96, Chrome OS will skip M95 (see the updated Chrome schedule page for milestone-specific details) 

Most people likely pay little attention to the update or it release date and number. It simply updates when it reboots and there’s no announcement.  

How to disable and re-enble some Chromebook Touchpads

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Do you have a Chromebook? They’ve beccome popular, especially in schools and businesses. The simplicity and pricing make them appealing. They do work a bit differently, though. There are some tricks to get used to and we have one for you today,

On a Windows computer there’s frequently a button that turns the trouchpad off and on. Quite often it’s an F Key in conjunction with ALT. However, Chromebooks can be unique in this case as they work in different ways.

Why would you want to do this? Personally, I did it because my wrists brushed the pad while typing and the cursor would jump into places that were done. I’d find myself typing a sentence in the middle of a previous one.

One common method for disabling the touchpad is by use of a software-hardware combo. Start via software  you”ll need to First, you need to enable an experimental flag named “Debugging keyboard shortcuts” at chrome://flags/#ash-debug-shortcuts.

Now we’ll move onto hardware. This is also a quick and easy step. Simply hold down Shift+Search+P and the touchpad will go off. Reverse the key press to turn it back on. It’s a simple process once the flag is done, and that’s a one-time deal the first time.

It’s that simple and you’re on your way to working on $150 laptop. Talk about saving some money.

Turn Nearly Any Display into a Computer with the Google Chromebit

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ChromebitGoogle has been busy expanding its Chrome-branded line of products with the latest item being its new Chromebit. The Chromebit is somewhat similar to the Chromecast, Google’s low-cost video streaming stick. Both devices are about the size of a candy bar, both devices connect directly to a TV or digital display thru an HDMI port. But the Chromebit is more than a simple video-consumption device.

Pair a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse with the Chromebit and you’ve got an instant computer. Check e-mail, surf the web, stream YouTube videos and more. The Chromebit is in contention for the world’s lowest-cost computer. The stick is set to retail for $85.00 (this of course doesn’t cover the cost of mouse, keyboard, display, and Internet connection).

The Chromebit is powered by a Rockchip processor and comes with 2GB RAM, and it relies on Google’s Chrome OS. It’s hardly a powerhouse computing system, and it probably won’t replace your trusty desktop, laptop, or tablet computers. But it’s still an impressive achievement in small-form factor computing and could be incredibly useful to institutions that need to quickly fill a computer lab on a budget. Also, Chromebit could be useful when traveling, due to its compact nature and the fact that it’ll work with any HDMI-enabled display.

The Chromebit is not currently available for purchase. It’s unclear as to when the device will officially be on the market.

Lantronix Prints From Android and Chrome at CES

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Lantronix LogoThere are times when only hard copy will do but anyone who has tried to print from a tablet will know that it’s not always easy. The main ecosystems from Apple and Google have their own printer strategies with AirPrint and Cloud Print respectively but support is spotty at best. Several printer manufacturers have gone so far as to create their own printer app which really is a pretty poor state of affairs.

Into this gap steps Lantronix with their xPrintServer Cloud Print Edition, the first Google-certified Cloud Print server which lets Android and ChromeOS devices print wirelessly to network and USB printers. Sweet.

xPrintServer

The unit is about the size of a smartphone and requires no additional software downloads or printer drivers. It’s simply a case of connecting the device to the network and it automatically finds the printers on the network, making them available to users. The xPrintServer Cloud Print Edition supports any device running Google’s Chrome browser, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, PC or laptop. Apparently there are over 310 million active users of Chrome, so that’s quite a few people who might want to print. Business users of Google Apps are supported too. Details of the printers supported are available from Lantronix’s website.

This new xPrintServer joins the existing Home and Office Editions which provide print services for iOS devices such as the iPhone and iPad.

The Cloud Print Edition sells for an MSRP of US$149.95 and will ship at the end of February 2014. Pre-orders are being taken now and potential customers can sign up at lantronix.com for more information and availability. Of course, if you are at CES, you can pop round to their stand for a quick demo.

Philips Hue Chrome App

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Hue Personal Wireless LightingWhile researching the Philips Hue Android apps, I discovered that currently there is a single Hue app for Chrome. It’s called Hueful and while it’s fairly basic, it deserves a mention as (a) it’s the only app on Chrome but (b) it shows that Chrome can support this kind of hardware-oriented app. Previously I would have discounted Chrome from being an option but Hueful works fine on my Chromebook.

Hueful isn’t a very advanced Hue app, being limited to setting colours of selected lamps and colour cycling. Sometimes lamps need to be told twice to take on a setting but they usually get there in the end.

Hueful

 

Hueful is free from the Chrome store.

Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 Review

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Wireless mice are commonplace these days but many only work with their own brand wireless transceiver, which restricts their use to devices equipped with USB ports. Less common are Bluetooth-based mice which have the potential to work with any Bluetooth-equipped unit, including Android and iOS tablets, potentially making them much more useful. On review here is one such mouse, the Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000. Snappy name, but let’s take a look.

The 5000 is fairly typical of notebook mice being smaller than a typical desktop mouse at only 9 cm long and about 5.5 cm wide. People with large hands may find the mouse is too small but for occasional use with a tablet or notebook, it’s fine. I certainly wouldn’t want it as my main mouse as I can’t really rest my hand on it, but this is all subjective and some people may find it perfect.

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Looks-wise, it’s not a Microsoft Arc or a Logitech Ultrathin, but it’s not entirely unattractive. This is the version with silvery-white buttons and dark gray body; there is a version with these colours reversed too. The silver matched my Samsung Chromebook rather nicely but the colour does vary with the light.

Two Duracell AA batteries power the 5000, which are supplied in the packaging and Duracell’s make a welcome change from the generic AAs that usually accompany remote controls and other battery-powered accessories. There’s an on/off switch on the bottom to conserve power when not in use. I’ve been using the mouse for about a week and I’ve yet to replace the batteries.

To pair the mouse, there’s a second button on the underside that needs to be pressed for a few seconds to put the mouse into a pairing mode. After that, the mouse should appear in the device list of whatever computer is to connect to the mouse. I successfully paired with an Android tablet, a Windows 8 tablet and a Chromebook. I imagine that it will work with iPads and other iOS devices but I didn’t have one at hand to test.

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In use, the 5000 works pretty much like any mouse. It’s an optical mouse with a laser motion tracker so resistance will depend entirely on the surface in use. There are four buttons: left, right, middle and “back”, which is next to the main left button and can pressed by your thumb to take your web browser back a page – you can see it in the top picture. Great if you are right-handed, but a waste of time if you are left-handed. The scroll wheel has a bit of stiffness to it but I like that as it prevents accidental scrolling.

Overall, the Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 is a good mouse but not a great mouse. It’s nothing special but there’s nothing wrong with it either (except for the back button only being useful to right-handed users) . The 5000 is available from all good retailers for around £25.

Disclaimer: this was a personal purchase.