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Chromebooks could soon come with Google’s best AI notetaker

Google Chromebooks could soon come with NotebookLM installed by default, introducing the tool to a wider range of users.

The Google Chromebook is a slim, barebones machine that relies on Google’s suite of tools to handle most tasks, but it’s perfect for on-the-go work that doesn’t need a powerhouse behind it. Now, these lightweight laptops are about to get a lot better with the addition of NotebookLM. This tool uses Google Gemini to help users take notes, and it’s about to start coming on all Chromebooks by default.

This update was spotted by Mishaal Rahman at Android Authority from a change added to the Chromium Gerrit. It suggests — but doesn’t yet confirm — that NotebookLM will be included in the list of preinstalled apps on all Chromebooks. If Google goes through with this change, the often-overlooked AI tool would be immediately available to a wider number of users.

NotebookLM is one of Gemini’s most praised features. It can quickly analyze everything from long word documents to videos and then answer questions about the content of those videos. If you are a student or just someone that has to peruse large amounts of data on a regular basis, NotebookLM can save you a lot of time and brainpower.

The biggest issue with NotebookLM is that it just isn’t widely advertised. You can access it now if you’re interested; just navigate to notebooklm.google.com in your browser.

The tool has always been useful, but Google has added even more utility to it with the addition of Mind Maps to help users better organize their thoughts and research. Since Chromebooks are primarily aimed at students, the inclusion of NotebookLM seems like a no-brainer. With any luck, Google will implement the change soon — but until then, don’t sleep on using the tool for yourself.

The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.

The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.

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.