Category: Chromebook

A commit that was discovered by the Chrome Story team suggest that Chrome OS could have the ability for administrators to sideload Android apps on devices.  Currently the only way you can sideload an APK to a Chromebook is if the device is in Developer Mode.  That mode essentially bypasses all of the Google security measures like boot loader verification.

If this Commit makes it through the gauntlet and arrives on Chrome OS, there would be a mechanism by which administrators could load apps that are not in the Google Play Store, currently the only way to install apps outside of the afore mentioned Developer Mode.  For now, it appears that this would only be an Enterprise level administrator feature in the platform.

With all of the concerns floating about around Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities in Intel processors, Google has been reasonably proactive in letting know users know if their Chromebook or Chromebox is going to be protected.  In that same list, there was another useful bit of information that may have been overlooked:  When devices will stop receiving automatic updates to the next version of Chrome OS.

The column in question can be found on the Meltdown vulnerability list and is marked Auto update ends (*=official).  There you will find the date for everyone Chromebook, Chromebase, Chromebox and Chromebit out there on when it will officially stop getting automatic updates.

The Chromium team within Google has publicly published a detailed list of every Chrome OS device and its status on being protected against the Meltdown vulnerability.  The list can be found here and I strongly encourage readers to visit the link and bookmark it.

The list is broken down into seven columns that provide details for each device.  The columns are:

• Public codename for the device
• Marketing name of the device
• Kernel version
• Architecture (x86, ARM, aarch64)
• Date of when automatic updates end for the device
• If Meltdown protection has come to the Kernel Page Table Isolation (KPTI) in Chrome 63 for that device
• Kernel Page Table Isolation (KPTI) will eventually be updated

The last two columns in this table are the key ones to pay attention to as you review it.  This tells you if your device is protected, will be protect, or at EoL (End of Life) and will not be updated.

The Chromium team has updated the list of Chromebooks that can run Android apps either in the Chrome OS beta or stable channels.  In all, 10 devices are able to run Android apps now, bringing the total number up to 67 different Chromebooks and Chromeboxes that can run Android apps.

When it comes to pure new additions to the list, there are eight new devices that moved into the beta channel.  That includes the likes of the Toshiba Chromebook 2 (2015), the Haier Chromebook 11 C, and the Viglen Chromebook 360.  Two devices, the Acer Chromebook 11 (C740) and the Dell Chromebook 13 (7310) moved from the Beta channel to the Stable channel, meaning they are fully supported by those devices.

For the first time in many years, Google will be at CES in Las Vegas this coming week.  It is the first time the company has had any real presence at the massive electronics show since 2015 but it has been a lot longer than that since they have had a booth.  Not only will they have a booth, a massive one in the Central Plaza, but it looks like they are going to be heavily focusing on Google Assistant during the show.

The company made a blog post yesterday, highlighting the growth of Google Assistant and Google home over the course of 2017.  Assistant is now available on 400 million devices and in a doze different countries.  But the takeaway from the post was the last paragraph.

No matter where you are, the Google Assistant is here to help you make the most of 2018. And next week, we have even more things in store for the Assistant at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. If you’re at CES, stop by the Google Assistant Playground (Central Plaza-21) to check out some of our new integrations, devices, and the newest ways you can use your Assistant

It would appear that next week, we are going to see some announcements about Assistant and, potentially, some new hardware.

Today’s Deal is for those of you who have been looking for a Chrome OS dedicated keyboard to setup in your office or work space.  The Dell Wired Keyboard KB69211 is specifically laid out with Chrome OS users in mind.  It is also at a great price.  Right now it is $12.99 on Amazon and includes free shipping.

The Dell Wired Keyboard is a traditional QWERTY keyboard with a built-in number pad to the right.  But where you would normally find the function keys on other keyboards, on this one you will find Chrome OS specific functions suck as the refresh key, the multi-window key, volume and brightness controls.  There is even a lock key that allows you to lock your Chromebook with one long press of the key.