ChromeOS 117: Material You Design, Adaptive Charging, and More
Google has rolled out ChromeOS 117 to eligible Chromebook devices, bringing with it a slew of new features and improvements. This latest update focuses on enhancing user experience with a Material You Design makeover, improved battery management, and a host of other quality-of-life enhancements that make using a Chromebook even more enjoyable. Let’s dive into the key features of this exciting update.
A Material You Makeover
ChromeOS 117 brings the popular Material You design language to the Chromebook experience. This means a more consistent and visually appealing interface across the operating system. Users will enjoy a refreshed look with rounded corners, dynamic color theming, and subtle animations.
Quick Settings:
A notable change is the redesigned Quick Settings panel. The previously circular icons for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Nearby Share, Cast Screen, VPN, Screen Capture, and Do Not Disturb have been replaced with rectangular buttons neatly arranged in a grid layout. This makes it easier to navigate and find the setting you need quickly.
Notifications:
ChromeOS 117 features a new notification panel on the bottom right of the screen. This unified location for notifications allows users to easily access new messages, emails, and other alerts from apps. The notification panel provides a cleaner experience compared to the previous system of multiple notifications popping up across the screen.
Calendar Improvements:
Google enhanced the Calendar app in ChromeOS 117 with the ability to directly join meetings with a single button. This streamline the process of joining video conferences and ensures users don’t miss important meetings.
Dynamic Color Theming:
One of the most eye-catching changes is the addition of dynamic color theming. Users can right-click on the desktop and select "Wallpaper and style" to access the theming options. Based on the chosen wallpaper, ChromeOS 117 will automatically adapt accent colors to complement the image, ensuring a visually cohesive and aesthetically pleasing experience. This dynamic theming works across light and dark modes, making your Chromebook look even better.
Beyond Cosmetic Changes: Power Management and Productivity Boosted
While ChromeOS 117 offers a visually enhanced experience, it also goes beyond aesthetics with updates designed to improve productivity and battery life.
Adaptive Charging:
One of the key additions is Adaptive Charging, a feature that aims to extend battery life and improve the overall health of your Chromebook’s battery. Users can enable this feature by navigating to Settings > Device > Power. Once enabled, Adaptive Charging slows down the charging rate when your battery reaches 80 percent capacity. It will then slowly charge the battery to 100 percent. Adaptive Charging allows for a more gradual charging process, thus reducing stress on the battery and potentially prolonging its lifespan.
Find Your Chromebook’s Specs:
ChromeOS 117 makes accessing your Chromebook’s specifications easier. Now you can simply search within Launcher to quickly find information like your Chromebook’s CPU and RAM. This makes it convenient to check specifications without needing to delve into multiple menus.
Microphone Privacy Indicator:
ChromeOS 117 provides a microphone privacy indicator located in the bottom right status area. This indicator clearly informs users when apps are using the microphone or camera on your device. This subtle but significant addition enhances privacy and awareness, giving you greater peace of mind about the use of your devices.
Multi-Audio Output:
ChromeOS 117 allows users to listen to audio from both an Android app and a web page simultaneously without pausing the other. This is particularly useful for web conferences where you may also want to listen to music or audio from another source.
Additional Enhancements
Beyond these headline features, ChromeOS 117 includes various smaller improvements and bug fixes. Some notable inclusions are:
- GIF Support in Emoji Picker: Make your conversations more expressive with the new GIF integration in the emoji picker.
- Time-Lapse Video Recording: The Camera app now supports time-lapse video recording, allowing you to create engaging videos that capture the passage of time.
- Improved Vietnamese Input: Users employing the Vietnamese Telex and VNI input methods will benefit from enhanced accuracy and speed.
Availability and Update Process
This update should be automatically available for all eligible Chromebooks through an Over-the-Air (OTA) update. However, users can manually check for the update by navigating to Settings > About ChromeOS > Check for Updates.
ChromeOS 117: A Sign of Things to Come
ChromeOS 117 marks a significant step in Google’s continuous effort to refine the Chromebook experience. The focus on improving user experience, security, and productivity reaffirms its commitment to providing a robust and reliable platform. As Google continues to invest heavily in AI, expect future ChromeOS updates to leverage these advancements even further. The combination of a polished interface, enhanced battery management, and other helpful features makes ChromeOS 117 an update that users will appreciate, solidifying Chromebooks as a powerful and versatile computing solution.
