Chromebooks might have better battery life, security, and performance when compared to MacBooks and Windows PCs, but video editing has always been their weakness. That might soon change, though, as Google recently teased a true video editor for Chrome OS during the annual I/O developer conference.
As mentioned at around the 18-minute mark in a “what’s new in Chrome OS” video, Google says it is planning to bring LumaFusion to Chromebooks. This video editor is already quite popular on iOS, yet Google says it has worked closely with the developer of the app to create a “powerful multi-track video editing experience on Android optimized for large screens” on Chrome OS.
“With LumaFusion, Chrome OS users will be able to process multiple 4K media tracks and access a range of audio and video effects such as scaling, rotation, scaling keys, transparency, and more,” said Google in the video.
Google went on in this video to showcase LumaFusion in action. We can see that an individual is using an HP Chromebook, and drags stock media into a timeline in LumaFusion using their fingers. The person then goes on to add a background effect, a title, transitions, and other video effects, too. All of this happens with almost no lag throughout the short segment, though we can’t tell if it has been edited to cut out wait times.
As pointed out by Chrome Unboxed, this is one of the many featured apps that Google is highlighting for Chrome OS this year. However, Google did not provide a solid release date for LumaFusion on Chromebooks, just indicating that it is “coming soon.”
LumaFusion coming to Chromebooks helps bridge the gap that many might experience when jumping into the ecosystem for the first time. Google already partnered to bring Steam to Chrome OS, and by bringing a true video editor over to the platform, it can now dip into the creator market that is usually dominated by much higher-end Windows and Mac systems.
Google also announced some other software updates for Chrome OS later this year. Those updates aim to bring Android and Chromebooks closer together with the ability to share photos, stream communication apps, and fast pair accessories between devices.
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.