As PC brands such as Acer witness growth in the Chromebook market, Google has moved to improve the Chrome OS with the rollout of a new version this week.
The latest Chrome OS 74 updates include better integration of Google Assistant, device searching, and improved web searching which will go well with educational institutions where the Chrome OS is proving popular. In the USA 82% of schools now prefer Chrome over Windows and Mac OS.
Google announced the release of Chrome OS 74 on Wednesday, May 1, via a post on its Chrome Releases blog.
Chromebook users can expect to have their devices updated with the latest build “over the next several days.”
Chrome OS users can now search their device, search for apps and search the web all just by using the search box.
Additionally, the search box also allows users to view and edit their search histories just by tapping the box.
Google Assistant has also been incorporated into the search utility for Chrome OS.
The announcement also mentioned a number of other new features now implemented in this latest build.
Some of these new features include document annotation in Chrome PDF Viewer, USB camera support for the Android Camera app, and the fact that Linux app now has the ability to output audio.
9to5Google says Chrome PDF Viewer’s document annotation feature also has the following annotation tools: Multi-colored pens and highlighters, an eraser, and undo/redo buttons. Android Camera’s new support for USB cameras is expected to support devices like webcams and USB microscopes.
A few minor system-related features have also been added to Chrome OS in its latest build, including a new “My Files” root that expands users’ ability to save and create new files. Google’s Chrome OS 74 release announcement also mentioned that users would also now have the ability to “send system performance profiling data along with feedback reports.”
There was also one notable security feature added to Chrome OS, a feature called SafeSetID LSM. As noted in Google’s blog post, the feature is expected to let “system services to safely manage the users under which their programs run without requiring powerful system privileges.” The feature is intended to improve “security in the event there is a vulnerability in the system service that can be exploited.”
