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It is update time for Chrome OS users.  The Chromium team in Google has just announced the release of build 49.0.2623.95 (Platform version: 7834.60.0) for all devices.  As usual, the update is full of bug and security fixes that we expect each month with a release but there are also several new features that are coming along with this build.  Perhaps the most notable is a new Material Design look for the Media Players on the platform. This certainly will give it a more modern look and feel over the more plain Chrome look of the past.

If you navigate with Google Maps today, you may notice a small but handy change that has come to the app:  Navigation bubbles.  Now when you are in navigation mode, you will see a small bubble with street names of where your next turn is as you go to your destination.  It is a visual cue to back up the audio cue you receive as you navigate and is particularly handy if you don’t use the audio turn-by-turn navigation.  The nice thing is that this new feature is already built into the most current version of Google Maps so no new app update is required.  This all happened on the backend at Google.

Editor’s Note:  This post is concerning a feature in Android N.  As this new version of Android is still in development, the features described in this post could change between the time of the writing and when it is released to the public in the summer of 2016.

There was a time, in the not-to-distant-past, where being visually impaired made using a smartphone or even a PC challenging.  While huge strides have been made on the PC front, the accessibility changes needed on smartphones to help those with vision challenges have been slow to come.  It has improved significantly as both Google and Apple focus on this with their platforms, but there is always room for improvement.  As I dig into Android N further, it looks like those improvements are coming to the next generation of Android in a positive way.

While it is expect that we will see a new Nexus tablet at some point this Spring or Summer, you can still pick up the late-2014, HTC built Nexus 9 tablet and at a great price.  Over on Amazon you can pick up the 32GB, Wi-Fi model for $299.99.  Originally this model sold for $479.99 so you are saving $180.  Keep in mind too that the Nexus 9 has already been upgraded to Android Marshmallow (and you get the updates fast since this is a Nexus device) and it is eligible to be upgraded to Android N when it is released so you are somewhat future proof for the next year on this tablet.