ClintonFitch.com

If you own a Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X or Nexus 9, the latest update to Google Camera is for you.  Google has released an update to the app, bringing it to version 4.0 for those keeping score at home, and it is squarely aimed at Nexus owners as the updates all have to do with the user experience and features for those devices.  That is not to say non-Nexus owners won’t get this update but the benefits of the new features are only going to be seen on Nexus devices.

Depending on the device you have will depend on the features you get or see.  For Nexus 5, Nexus 6, and Nexus 9 owners, you will now have the new user interface that was part of the release for the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P.  That user interface is cleaner and features a fast switching ability to go from photo to video with just a swipe across your device’s screen.  All owners of these devices will benefit from improved startup times of the app as well as easier access to photo modes through a top-left menu (Lens Blur, Panorama, Photo Sphere, etc).  It is a far easier and intuitive interface compared to the old one in the app and after updating last night and playing with it, I like it a lot more than the old user interface.

Google Camera – Free – Download Now

For those of you who have purchased a Chromebook in recent months, don’t forget that you have 12 free vouchers to use on GoGo Inflight while you travel domestically here in the United States.  The vouchers work on any airline and aircraft that is equipped with GoGo services but you have to make sure that you have claimed them to get them.  As a frequent traveler, I utilize GoGo almost every flight I’m on and while the service isn’t exactly outstanding from a speed perspective, it does keep you connected for things like email, web surfing and the like.

To make sure you have these vouchers, go to the Chromebook Goodies site at https://www.google.com/chrome/devices/goodies.html.  Then scroll down to the bottom of the page and you will see the section for GoGo and a button to bookmark the page.  Once you are on a flight, you will need to log into the service from your Chromebook – it will not work from your Android phone, tablet or a PC or Mac.  You will be prompted to confirm a passphrase and you will be online.  It’s a simple as that and the page will tell you how many of these vouchers you have remaining.

After using an invitation system on all three of their devices, OnePlus has announced that starting Saturday, December 5th, an invite will no longer be required to purchase a OnePlus 2, the companies 2016 flagship device.  The news came via the OnePlus forums and it certainly welcome news.  As I put in my article on why the OnePlus 2 needed to be successful for the company, I pointed out that the invite system had to go smoother than it did with the OnePlus One. It didn’t really and in fact many people found it quite frustration.  I get it though as it was a great way for the company to determine their production needs.  That, unfortunately and by their own admission, messed up (again) and that has not helped the nearly 2 year old startup phone company.

The OnePlus 2 has had good reviews and most users seem to be very pleased with the device.  For a 3GB RAM/64GB Storage device at only $389, it is a great value and should make everyone’s short list of device to consider for the holidays.  One key feature to be aware of however is the lack of NFC, something the still invite-only OnePlus X does have built in.

After seeing the announcements for Chrome for Android and desktop, it’s no surprise then that we see an update for Chrome OS today.  The latest update brings it up the version 47 release (version 47.0.2526.74 (Platform version: 7520.55.0) for those keeping score at home) and brings with it a number of new features and enhancements, particularly for touchscreen devices.  This new build has been released by Google and it is for all devices.  That means over the course of the next couple of days you should see this update hit your Chromebook, Chromestick or Chromebox.  If you want to force the issue, go to Settings>About Chrome OS and manually check for an update.  Sometimes it will take a few tries to get it but eventually you will – or you can just wait for the OTA.

As with any update to Chrome OS, there are security and performance improvements in this build.  Google does not specifically call out what fixes were provided in the update but likely are tied to many of the security fixes that were found in the Chrome browser update earlier this week.  One performance update that was mentioned was the improved YouTube CPU useage on the latest generation of Intel devices with a specific note of noticeable gains in 60fps videos.