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Google has brought ChromeOS M137 to the stable channel, and it includes a few focused updates for users and IT admins. A key change is a new policy for managing big groups of Chromebooks. The face control accessibility tool, which Google also updated back in ChromeOS M135, now gets a vital control for managers. A new policy called FaceGazeEnabled lets them switch the feature on or off across a whole school or company. The update also brings a new audio feature called crosstalk cancellation. It aims to create a better sound experience using just the Chromebook's built-in speakers. The software processes audio to make it seem like it is surrounding your head, not just coming from two small points. This tries to copy the feel of a surround sound system or good headphones. Any audio gets a boost, but you will notice it most when watching movies or playing games with directional sound. More accessibility tools have arrived, too. ChromeVox now has a direct keyboard shortcut, Search + O + C, that displays spoken text as braille captions on a connected display. For the poor souls in IT, troubleshooting got a little less painful as well. A new event-based log collection system, when enabled by an admin, will automatically upload relevant logs when something specific fails, like an OS crash or a botched update. Instead of digging through mountains of data, administrators get targeted reports sent straight to them. Here's how to enable it: Turn on the Device system log upload setting. Turn on OS update status reporting—For the Report device OS information setting, select OS update status. Turn on device telemetry reporting on crash information—For the Report device telemetry setting, select Crash information. Google also keeps things sane by limiting these targeted uploads to just twice a day per device. As usual, the update is rolling out slowly. If you do not see ChromeOS M137 for your machine yet, just be patient. This phased release lets Google find and address any issues before the update gets to everyone. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of May): 2,377 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Google's Chrome OS Flex enters general availability to revive old hardware. Google Chrome OS Flex. Google Google today announced in a blog post that ChromeOS Flex, a version of its Chromebook operating system suitable for most hardware, has moved from early access to general availability. It also said it certified "over 400" devices, including systems from Apple, Dell, and HP, to run the OS smoothly and stably. Google announced ChromeOS Flex in February, building upon its 2020 acquisition of CloudReady (CloudReady becomes ChromeOS Flex now that the latter is stable). Cloud OS Flex is downloadable to a USB drive for free, allowing you to install it on a Mac or Windows PC. The most obvious use for ChromeOS Flex is to bring new life to a dated machine that may be too old to get software updates for its native OS. Our ChromeOS Flex beta review found the OS to be an interesting alternative for people content with doing most of their computing in a browser and for getting a budget-level Chromebook experience from an 8-to 9-year-old system. In his blog post today, Thomas Riedl, director of Product, Enterprise and Education at Google, also highlighted enterprise potential for ChromeOS Flex, detailing 200 Nordic Choice hotels that reportedly used ChromeOS Flex to restore 2,000 computers in about two days after a ransomware attack. In his blog, Riedl claimed that Google used ChromeOS Flex's early access period to resolve "over 600 issues" and that the company will continue to certify more devices to run the OS. He said the hundreds devices already certified—including the Apple Mac Mini 7,1; Apple MacBook 7,1; Apple MacBook Air 5,1; and 1st Gen Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon—will provide a "consistent and high-quality experience" while running ChromeOS Flex. You can still install ChromeOS Flex on a device Google hasn't certified, assuming it meets the minimum requirements (Arm chips, for example, aren't supported), but, according to Google, the machine has to be certified for the following functions to be Google-guaranteed: System UI and graphics Installation Wi-Fi Ethernet Internal display (if applicable) At least one method each of audio input and output Sleep and resume Touchpad Keyboard USB Non-infrared (IR) webcam (if applicable) Even with ChromeOS Flex certification, however, there are some functions that Google says it tested but are "not necessarily guaranteed to work on every certified model." They are: Bluetooth Touchscreen Automatic screen rotation Keyboard shortcuts and function keys SD card slots And there are numerous features and ports that Google says aren't tested or supported on ChromeOS Flex at all, including fingerprint readers, optical drivers, IR webcams, proprietary connectors, stylus input, and Thunderbolt functionality. In general, a non-Chromebook running ChromeOS Flex may not have lesser performance, including boot speed, battery life, and power savings, as a machine running ChromeOS, according to Google. ChromeOS Flex's certified devices list shows a broad range, but for those used to a different operating system, the transition won't necessarily be seamless. Still, it remains a viable option for those who would rather have a low-power, makeshift Chromebook than more e-waste. Google says you can now turn these 400 Macs, PCs into reliable Chromebooks