G Suite Adds 25 to Their SAML App Catalog to Expand Single Sign-On

The G Suite team has announced that 25 new pre-integrated apps have been added to their SAML Single Sign-on (SSO) support in the platform.  SAML is one of two SSO standards that are supported by G Suite and additional apps being supported means that it is easier for Admins to get their users enabled across various services used by their organization.

For those who may not be familiar with Single Sign-On, the hint is somewhat in the name.  SSO allows a domain user to use their network username & password to sign into other services that their organization uses.  It cuts down on users having to remember several passwords but also gives admins greater control and recover tools for those additional services.

The additional apps will be hitting on domains over the course of the next two weeks and Admins are encouraged to review their configurations in order to enable the new apps.

New Android-Like Power Menu in The Chrome OS Canary Channel

The touch enablement of Chrome OS continues, as well as the merging of look-and-feel elements between it and Android.  The latest example is in the Chrome OS Canary Channel, the pre-alpha builds of the platform, where you will now find the Power menu to look strikingly similar to its Android counterpart.

The new came from long time Chrome OS evangelist François Beaufort who posted about the find on Google+.  If you are a fan of Chrome OS, Francois is one you need to follow as he is great at finding these little nuggets, especially in the Canary Channel.

Android Oreo Now Rolling Out to The Asus ZenFone 4 Pro

Asus continues its slow but steady rollout of Android Oreo to their devices.  The latest to get the Oreo 8.0 treatment is the Asus ZenFone 4 Pro.  The 5.5″ displayed phone running the Snapdragon 835 SoC is receiving firmware update V15.0410.1802.34.  The update is for the unlocked ZS551KL variant of the the phone.  That is the model that was sold here in the US via Asus’ Amazon store front.

According to the release notes, you have all of the benefits of Oreo coming to the phone but also improved power consumption through software optimization and Oreo itself.  There is also a new “Long Screenshot” function for taking screenshots of an entire scrolling screen on your phone.

Ability to Send Funds Comes to Google Contacts – For Some Of Us

Google has rolled out a new cloud-side update to Google Contacts that links it with Google Pay Send, allowing you to send funds to a contact directly from within the app.  The feature appears to have a limited rollout at this point so don’t be too surprised if you don’t see the link yet.

If you do have it, you will know when you go to Google Contacts and open up a contact’s information page.  There on the menu bar just below their picture, you will find a “$” icon with “Send” under it.  Tapping it will prompt you for the email address to send the fund to then finally a Google Pay Send page to input the amount.

Google Allo for Web Set to Become Smartphone Independent

Google Allo is set to have a big change on the web version of the chat app that should make it far more useful going forward.  In a Tweet last week, Google Principle Engineer for Google Allo, Justin Uberti said that device independence for the web version is on its way.

What this would mean is that you could use Allo on your laptop without having to have it connected to Allo on your phone.

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