Weekly Issue: 2024-50

Google’s Tensor chips have come a long way since their debut, but early iterations faced criticism for their Samsung-sourced modems. These modems struggled with overheating and inconsistent signal strength, casting a shadow on the otherwise promising Tensor platform.

Remember when Google promised us an AI revolution? Well, hold onto your hats, because Gemini 2.0 just landed, and it’s bringing a whole new level of “wow” to the table.

Chrome OS previously lacked a dark mode feature, but Google eventually introduced it, rolling it out from the beta to the stable channel until it became available for all users in the settings. Here’s a straightforward guide to turning on dark mode, which can be easier on your eyes.

With new web capabilities like cross-document View Transitions—novel, app-like, seamless navigation is just a few lines of CSS away. Build delightful immersive sites that feel more connected than ever before. Resources: Read Chrome’s 2024 recap for devs → https://goo.gle/3VDKNaC Explore CSS Wrapped 2024 → https://goo.

One of the features we highlight on the site are scroll-driven animations which allow you to control through scroll. As you scroll up and down, the animation linked to it moves forwards or backwards in direct response.

ChromeOS 131 began rolling out a couple days ago, and like I assumed at the beginning, it’s not really bringing along too many big changes under the hood this time around.

NotebookLM, Google’s AI-powered research assistant, just got a major upgrade. With millions of users worldwide already leveraging its capabilities for learning, research, and informed decision-making, Google is pushing the envelope further with the introduction of Gemini 2.0 Flash and a host of other enhancements.

For the past few years, the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 series has been a pillar of quality.

A new LTS-126  version 126.0.6478.260 (Platform Version: 15886.85.0), is being rolled out for most ChromeOS devices. This version includes selected security fixes including:373263969  High CVE-2024-11110 Inappropriate implementation in Blink361461526  High CVE-2024-8636  Heap buffer overflow in SkiaRelease notes for LTS-126 can be found here Want to know more about Long-term Support?

Chromebooks offer robust performance for web browsing and basic tasks, often on par with Windows and Mac devices, and are generally more affordable.  However, if a Chromebook encounters recurring issues or is changing ownership, a factory reset may be necessary.

When it comes to AI, large language models (LLMs) and machine learning (ML) are taking entire industries to the next level. But with larger models and datasets, developers need distributed environments that span multiple AI accelerators (e.g. GPUs and TPUs) across multiple compute hosts to train their models efficiently.

Search is at the heart of how we interact with the digital ecosystem, from online shopping to finding critical information. Enter generative AI, and user expectations are higher than ever.

For enterprises, brilliance isn’t just about individual genius – it’s about the collective intelligence within an organization. But this brilliance is often hidden in silos, inaccessible to those who need it most, when they need it most.

Google has unveiled an AI agent builder tool designed to  automate repititive tasks and help workers find information held across their organization faster.  AI agents have become a major focus for software vendors in recent months, including Atlassian, Microsoft, Salesforce, and numerous others.

Interpolate-size allows for smooth transitions between length and intrinsic sizes. Learn more at goo.gle/animate-height-auto Subscribe to Chrome for Developers → https://goo.gle/ChromeDevs #ChromeForDevelopers #Chrome Products Mentioned: CSS

For all the ways travel’s evolved over the years, one thing has remained maddeningly steadfast: Moving from one place to another is almost always a hassle. There’s endless room for inconvenience and error, and a journey rarely goes according to plan.

Chromebooks are an often affordable and easy way to access digital technology. However, the scope of their abilities is often misunderstood or mischaracterized. While they may lack the computing power of a high-end desktop setup, they are very capable of providing work functionality while also facilitating relaxation.

Written by: Muhammad Umair Here at Mandiant FLARE, malware reverse engineering is a regular part of our day jobs. At times we are required to perform basic triages on binaries, where every hour saved is critical to incident response timelines.

Voice artificial intelligence agent startup Vapi announced today that it has raised $20 million in new funding to expand its engineering team and its infrastructure and reach new enterprise customers. Founded in 2023 as Superpowered Labs Inc., Vapi offers a developer platform for deploying AI-powered voice agents.

Move over screenshots and say hello to annotations! Learn how to record a performance trace and export it so you can share it with others. Watch more DevTools Tips → https://goo.gle/DevToolsTips Subscribe to Chrome for Developers → https://goo.gle/ChromeDevs #DevToolTips #ChromeForDevelopers #Chrome Products Mentioned: Chrome DevTools

Remember back when Android was just for phones? That’s definitely not the case any longer. Over the years, we’ve seen it expand to tablets, watches, TVs, vehicles, potentially Chromebooks; and now, Google is taking Android to a whole new dimension: extended reality (XR).

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s happening again, folks. Just like clockwork, YouTube TV is getting another price increase. Starting January 13, 2025, you’ll be shelling out $10 more per month for the base plan, bringing the total to a hefty $82.99.  Ouch.

Hi everyone! We’ve just released Chrome Dev 133 (133.0.6889.2) for Android. It’s now available on Google Play.You can see a partial list of the changes in the Git log. For details on new features, check out the Chromium blog, and for details on web platform updates, check here.

The Dev channel has been updated to 133.0.6888.2 for Windows, Mac and Linux.A partial list of changes is available in the Git log. Interested in switching release channels? Find out how. If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing a bug.

Time to say goodbye to clicking through folders.

Google’s December Pixel Drop quiet delivered users a significant, albeit unadvertised, improvement to battery management: “bypass charging.” This feature, coupled with the new ability to limit battery charging to 80%, offers Pixel users a powerful combination for preserving battery health and optimizing power consumption.

When Chromebook users experience slow performance, we suggest they update Chrome OS to the newest version. Google often releases patches that improve performance and add features, making it essential to stay current.  Avoid delaying updates for long, as these updates also protect your Chromebook.

This has been a year of major advancements for Chrome Enterprise, as we’ve focused on empowering organizations with an even more secure and productive browsing experience.

We’ve been talking for a bit about the arrival of Gemini’s conversational abilities finally coming to the Google Assistant on smart speakers, and that roll-out looks to be happening now.

Let’s goooo~ Explore the latest DevTools features in Chrome 130-132! Join Jecelyn, Oliver, and Matthias as they dive deep into the updates and show you how to use them.

Ford Pro Intelligence is a cloud-based platform that is used for managing and supporting fleet operations of its commercial customers.

For developers and businesses that run applications on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), scaling deployments down to zero when they are idle can offer significant financial savings.

Discover how you can unlock new capabilities with Chrome’s built-in-AI APIs, powered by Gemini Nano. Learn more at goo.gle/built-in-ai Subscribe to Chrome for Developers → https://goo.gle/ChromeDevs #ChromeForDevelopers #Chrome Products Mentioned: Gemini, Gemini Nano

Learn about the 17 new improvements to CSS and UI improvements to hit the web platform in Chrome in 2024. Products Mentioned: CSS

Google Chrome is still very much in control in the land of web browsers, and much of that is thanks in no small part to the early adoption of browser extensions, that allow users to tailor their browser to their specific needs and preferences.