Latest stable version of Chrome OS brings lots of goodies
Most Chrome OS users on the stable channel have probably gotten upgraded to version 35 by now, but not all of the changes under the hood are always very apparent to the end user. Luckily, there are lots of nifty new features hidden all over the OS this time around. Let’s dive in.
First, one of my favorite features from beta and dev is finally available for everyone: the ability to create folders in the apps launcher. Better yet, the folders that you create are synced to the cloud, so they’ll be the same across your Chrome OS devices, and they’ll reappear on your Chromebook after a powerwash.
Next, the minimize window has returned. This was something that disappeared a few releases ago, but which users demanded to have back. It’s good to see that Google is listening.
Additionally, the “OK Google” hotword detection can now be enabled in the app launcher and the New Tab page. This means that a voice search can be triggered from almost anywhere throughout Chrome OS, and you can even launch an application by speaking its name.
Finally, Chrome OS now can recognize when you sign on to an open WiFi network that needs additional authentication. (Hotels are terrible with this, but this is also common in coffee shops, airports, and universities.)
Overall, this is a great update – and I can’t wait to see what else Google has up its sleeves.
[OMG! Chrome!]
