Google has announced a new selection of Chromebook Plus devices that boast some new AI features and a free subscription to Gemini Advanced.
Google launched its Chromebook Plus initiative in October 2023 with a more premium brand of Chromebooks, and now Google is answering the recent push into AI by Microsoft with its own. Copilot+ PCs looks great, but Google says that AI should not be for just those who have over $1,000 to spend on a laptop. Chromebook Plus laptops start at $349 and range up to $649, but often come with better performance and features.
A number of new AI features are launching within the next week. There’s nothing mind-blowing here, just small touches of AI that remind you that Google owns Gemini. First off, Gemini as a chat window will be pinned to the shelf on all Chromebook Plus devices. Then there’s “Help me write,” which will write for you, rewrite things, or correct your writing. Because it’s built into the operating system, you can access it across all apps and in the Chrome browser. In practice, it’s not dissimilar to what you can currently do with Copilot in Edge by right-clicking.
There’s also a couple of smaller updates, such as being able to generate AI imagery for your desktop wallpaper or videoconferencing background. This works across Google Meet, but also in Teams or Zoom.
Lastly, Magic Editor is being brought to Google Photos on Chromebooks. This is the popular feature that was introduced to Pixel phones and lets you easily remove background from images.
Apart from AI, Google also announced some new gaming features. Google claims that one in four people game on their Chromebooks, and that there’s been a 40% increase in gaming on Chromebooks — no doubt due to the proliferation of cloud gaming. To support this trend, Google announced Game Dashboard and Game Controls. Game Dashboard is a new “one-stop shop” to collect your games, change settings, and integrate social stats. You can also do Game Recording to record your webcam content and gameplay seamlessly and access it right from your device.
Game Controls is the most exciting, though. The feature lets you remap controls that previously required controllers to certain keys or mouse buttons.
Google says these new features work across all games, including both Android or cloud-based.
Some other non-AI related features that are soon launching in ChromeOS include a built-in GIF recorder, an enhanced launcher search, and Google Tasks integration into the shelf calendar.
Of all these new features, though, a year of free access to Gemini Advanced might be the biggest inclusion in these new devices — especially since some Chromebook Plus laptops start as low as $349. Gemini Advanced gets you access to the latest Gemini model and all the AI features built into the Google Worksuite applications.
Of course, alongside these new features is a group of new Chromebooks. Google highlighted the new Acer Chromebook 516 GE, a $699 “gaming laptop” with a high refresh rate display, RGB keyboard, and an Intel Raptor Lake processor. There’s also the new Acer Spin 714, which also comes in at $699 and has an Intel Meteor Lake CPU, a 1440p webcam, and a touchscreen display. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Google showed off the Asus CM30, which costs just $299, and the HP Chromebook x360, which comes in both Chromebook and Chromebook Plus options depending on the configuration.
All these new Chromebooks are available starting today. Google has also announced a series of new AI features that haven’t yet come out, but are currently in the works.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.