Category: Chrome OS

The third Chrome 68-based build in as many weeks has landed in the Chrome OS Beta Channel.  Build 68.0.3440.40 (Platform version: 10718.34.0) is the updated version for those keeping score at home and should be available to the majority of devices that are in the channel.

As always, for those who have a device registered in the Beta Channel, you can just type chrome://help in the browser ominbar which will bring you to the build information on your Chromebook.  There you will see a Check for Update button which will download the latest build to your device.

The second Chrome 69-based build for the Chrome OS Dev Channel has arrived today.  Build 69.0.3473.0 (Platform version: 10820.0.0) is making its way out now to devices registered in the channel but you can manually check for the update by typing chrome://help in the browser bar and then tapping the Check for Update button.

As you would expect with a build in the Dev Channel, which is essentially the alpha build channel for the Chrome OS platform, this release has a significant number of bug, performance, and security fixes in it.  Google did not release a log of all the changes which isn’t uncommon in these early builds, especially in the Dev Channel.

A third Chrome 67 update has come to the Chrome OS Stable Channel today, bringing further security fixes to the platform as well as a clarification on a security patch.  The update is build 67.0.3396.99 or 67.0.3396.101 (Platform version: 10575.58.0) depending on your device.  It comes two weeks after the second update was released back on June 13.

If your Chromebook is in the Stable Channel, you can check for the update by typing chrome://help in the browser bar and then clicking the Check for update button next to your current build information.  The release of this update happened last yesterday so it could still take a while for everyone to see the update as being available.

Regardless of which Operating System you use, the majority of power users are always looking for ways to gain efficiency to their day-to-day activities.  Chrome OS users are no different.  As one who uses a Google Pixelbook for my daily driver, any time I can find a shortcut that makes things faster for me, I leverage it as much as I can.

The challenge with Chrome OS is not that these shortcuts are not there.  It is that the platform is still relatively new in the grand scheme of things and they are simply not well known.  Consider that Chrome OS is just shy of being 7 years old while Windows in some shape or form has been around for 33 years.  Even MacOS has been around for 17 years now.  The benefit of having that much time in development is all the little tricks to get to things or improve efficiency are documented.  Chrome OS?  Not so much.

That’s the point of this article.  I’m going to outline three trackpad tricks you have in Chrome OS that will hopefully make you a little bit more efficient.  All three of these tips are accessed by using three fingers on the trackpad and performing an action.

As expected, the Chrome OS Dev Channel has now been updated to its first Chrome 69 based build today.  The update was expected given that Chrome 67 is now in the Stable Channel and the Beta Channel was updated yesterday to Chrome 68.  The new build in the Dev Channel is 69.0.3464.0 (Platform version: 10798.0.0).

As a reminder to those who are new to Chrome OS, the Chrome OS Dev Channel is considered the alpha build channel for the platform.  Builds here often contain many bugs and odd performance issues and it is recommended only for developers to use to get a preview of what is coming in the platform.

After being delayed following the update of the Chrome OS Stable Channel to Chrome 67, The Chrome OS Beta Channel has now received its first Chrome 68-based build.  The channel is now running build 68.0.3440.25 (Platform version: 10718.22.0) and it is available for the majority of devices in the channel starting today.

For those that may be new to Chrome OS, the Beta Channel is the last channel prior to a build being released to the general public in the Stable Channel.  You can always change your channel on your Chromebook by typing Chrome://help and then clicking on the Build Information section of the page.  Keep in mind that the hint is in the name:  The Beta Channel is still not ready for prime time so you could run into bugs or other issues that impact your daily workflow.