Chromebooks, ChromeOS and Google Chrome browser news
Do your Bluetooth voice calls over the web on a Chromebook sound like an old telephone call? That’s going to change with the addition of wireless wideband audio support, just added to Chrome OS 76.
Have you experienced system slowness or an app crash when using Hangouts video chat on your Chromebook? A bug report shows a possible issue that’s being researched for a Chrome OS 74 fix.
A pair of new Acer Chromebase devices with up to an 8th-gen Intel Core i7 are arriving this summer. These are ideal for group video, kiosks or business workstations in the enterprise although I know more than a few consumers that want a Chrome OS desktop.
Sound support is still in the works for Linux apps on Chromebooks, but the first function will simply be that: Sound playback. Audio recording is slated to follow and camera access — needed for Skype video — isn’t even on the roadmap yet.
Annoyed by hearing yourself echo on a voice or video chat with a Chromebook? That may be a non-issue going forward thanks to AEC support for Atlas and Nocturne.
The 4K detachable screen of the unannounced Atlas Chromebook might wow your eyes but the 1080p-capabled IMX208 camera sensor should wow folks you video chat with.
Have you ever been in a Google Hangout video call on a Chromebook and watch the battery life quickly drop while the device gets really hot? That may change with hardware accelerated VP8 video encoding on Chromebooks with Intel Kaby Lake processors.
