Latest Chrome OS update adds a few visual tweaks and squashes bugs

By Brad Jones Published October 27, 2016

Yesterday, the Google Chrome team announced that a new update to Chrome OS was being distributed. The stable channel of the operating system has now been updated to version 54.0.2840.79, with compatible systems set to receive the upgrade over the next several days.

The new build contains feature enhancements as well as bug fixes and security updates. Three Chrome OS devices will not receive this build for the time being, according to the blog post announcing the new version. These systems are the HP Chromebook 13 G1, the Acer Chromebook 14 for Work, and the Thinkpad 13 Chromebook.

Recommended Videos

The update bring various tweaks to the user interface. Alt-tabbing between different windows now has a different visual appearance, and the interface for removing users from the start screen has been improved upon.

The new build also allows users add an Input Method menu to their Shelf, the Chrome OS equivalent to the Windows taskbar. This functionality will be particularly useful for anyone who switches between using their mouse and keyboard and touch input on a regular basis — users can opt in via the Settings menu.

The Files app has also received a new Quick View feature that allows users to preview files without opening another piece of software. There’s also a new read-only policy for USB drives and SD cards, which should help prevent malicious content being transferred to users’ systems via external storage.

This update is being distributed via the stable channel, which means it will go out to the majority of Chrome OS users. Anyone interested in testing out new features before they’re ready for the masses can instead sign up for either the beta channel or the dev channel — head to the Settings page and find a button labelled “more info” on the About Chrome OS section to do so.

Former Contributor

Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…

Topics

Computing

Update Chrome now to avoid this major zero-day exploit

Google Chrome open with several tabs.

The Google Chrome browser has been hit by its first zero-day attack of 2023, and Google has begun rolling out an emergency update as of today to address the exploit.

Google detailed on its Chrome Release blog that it is aware that an exploit for CVE-2023-2033 exists in the wild. It has likely been circulating since the beginning of the year, according to Bleeping Computer.

Computing

Google Chrome’s latest update solves the browser’s biggest problem

Google Chrome icon in mac dock.

Google Chrome is one of the best browsers around, but it's always had a big problem with memory usage. It's finally addressing the issue in a new Chrome 110 update that promises to reduce RAM usage by up to 30% and make the browser for efficient.

Chrome has a reputation for its speed, security, and feature drops, as well as a penchant for hanging on to your precious RAM like an episode of Hoarders. Granted, Google has made strides in improving Chrome's memory efficiency by hibernating tabs in the background, but it still struggles with it compared to Microsoft Edge or Mozilla Firefox.

Computing

Why I converted my Windows laptop into a Chromebook, and why you should too

Chrome OS Flex on a ASUS laptop.

You've probably not heard of ChromeOS Flex. It's Google's program for turning crusty computers into Chromebooks -- which sounds like a neat idea as a concept. But it's primarily been marketed toward businesses and classrooms.

I wanted to give it a shot, though. I have an older Windows laptop that was dying to be converted into a fresh, snappy Chromebook. As someone who's been primarily using Chromebooks for almost half a decade, I was ready to take on the challenge to see if ChromeOS Flex might be a serviceable way to bring old laptops back to life. Despite some limitations in the end product, it's a pretty intuitive way to breathe some fresh air into an otherwise unused laptop.
Chrome OS Flex is all Chrome, all the time