Author: Clinton

As you have probably seen or read by now, there is a beta app of the Google Pixel Launcher that is expected to be a part of the upcoming Google Pixel phones.  You may recall earlier this Summer there was a Nexus Launcher that was running around in beta.  This is the exact same thing, renamed and updated a bit.  If you want to try out the new launcher, you can download both the launcher APK and the new wallpaper pack APK in one zip file after the break.

First, a few of housekeeping items before you download these files.

1. This is a beta app and is not officially supported.  There is no tech support for it so if you aren’t comfortable with that, don’t install it.  Wait until it becomes official.
2. No, I’m not tech support.
3. No warranty is expressed or implied.  ClintonFitch.com is not responsible for any damages to your phone, data, pictures, files, etc. on your phone.  Load at your own risk.
4. In order to install the APKs, you will need to allow for apps to be installed from unknown sources.  You can find this setting at Settings>Security>Unknown Sources.
5. You will need to install both APKs for everything to work properly.  I recommend installing the wallpaper pack first.

Today’s Deal is on the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and it is a good one.  Right now over at eBay you can pick up the unlocked version of the phone with 32GB of built-in storage for $184.99 while supplies last.  It is available in black only and it is a manufacture reconditioned unit but for what this phone offers, at this price it is a great deal.  In case you don’t remember all of the specs on this 5.7″ phablet, here is a quick run down.  The 5.7″ display renders at 1440 x 2560 so you get about 518 ppi.  It is powered by the Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor running at 2.7GHz, has 3GB of RAM and built-in 32GB of storage.  You can expand that storage up to an additional 256GB with the MicroSD slot.

I will start this post by being transparent:  I am a big fan of Chrome OS.  I more-or-less made the move to Chrome OS about this time last year and frankly, I haven’t looked back.  Yes I still have my corporate laptop that I use on occasion but the reality is, everything I need to do in my work life and my personal life I can do on Chrome.  So with that clear, I still stand by the title of this article:  The future is very bright from Chrome OS.

I believe this for several different reasons and all of them are intertwined to paint this bright future picture.  First is the rapidly maturing Operating System itself.  The Chrome OS of today, Build 53, is far superior in every way to the Chrome OS I started on last year, Chrome 48.  Second, is the era in which we live in.  We are, finally, approaching the post-PC world that Apple and others have been talking about since 2008.  But eight years on, we are actually there or darn close.  Third is adoption of Chrome OS as a platform in businesses and in education, the later of which was dominated by PCs, then by Apple and now nearly by Chrome OS.  Finally, there is the clear direction in which Google and the Chromium team within it are going to take the devices and platform in the future.  The Chromebook I’m tying this article on today (a HP Chromebook 11 G4) will be vastly overshadowed by what a device will look like this time next year or in 2018.  All of these things add up to a future that sees Chrome OS not only as a part of but a dominant player.  And the cool thing is, everyone reading this is on the cusp of it all.  We get to see it all unfold and that, speaking from experience as a Microsoftie during the Windows XP days, is a very cool thing to see.

For those of you who play Pokemon Go, be on the look out for a sizable update coming to the game.  The update is a combination of new features and refinements to improve the game play and performance of the popular game.  The most notable new feature is the Buddy Pokemon addition.  Here you will be able to choose a Pokemon that you have captured as your buddy.  They will walk with you and be a part of your game avatar and you can earn Candy with your Buddy Pokemon by walking with them.  Not only does it add a new element of game play but it brings a bit more personalization as you can have your favorite Pokemon as part of your avatar in the game.

Chrome OS has been updated today to build level 53 for a wide range of devices.  The new build is version 53.0.2785.103 (Platform version: 8530.81.0) for those keeping score at home and it is already available to download to your Chromebook or Chromebox.  The update is for the vast majority of devices out there with the notable exception of the Google Chromebook Pixel (2015), Acer Chromebook R11, ASUS Chromebook Flip C100PA, HP Chromebox CB1, and Acer C7 Chromebook.  Those devices, as you probably already know, are running a built that includes Android apps.  This new build for the rest of the devices out there does not contain the ability to add Android apps to your Chrome device.

Paranoid Android, the name of the team and AOSP-based ROM for a number of Android devices, has announced that they have setup a partnership with Nextbit and have released a ROM for the device.

The device lineup has been updated to include yet another device – The Nextbit Robin. Huge thanks to Nextbit for hooking us up with devices and believing in the open source project. This release is only for the Robin & the OnePlus 3.

The news is exciting for those who like what is arguably one of the cleanest and more robust ROMs available for Android devices.  Having the addition of the Nextbit Robin and the OnePlus3 will give those tech savvy users an option over the stock Android builds from each manufacture.