Chrome OS 74 combines Google Assistant with device and web searching

By Anita George Published June 22, 2019

Photo of Chromebook laptop — Anete Lūsiņa/Unsplash

Google rolled out the latest version of Chrome OS this week, and one more notable update involves what the tech giant has always been known for: search.

Chrome OS 74 now offers a search experience that combines Google Assistant, device searching, and web searching. Chrome OS users can now search their device, search for apps and search the web all just by using the search box, according to a report on 9to5Google. Additionally, the search box also allows users to view and edit their search histories just by tapping the box. Google Assistant was also incorporated into the search utility for Chrome OS.

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Google announced the release of Chrome OS 74 on Wednesday, May 1, via a post on its Chrome Releases blog. The announcement also mentioned a number of other new features now implemented in this latest build.

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Some of these new features include document annotation in Chrome PDF Viewer, USB camera support for the Android Camera app, and the fact that Linux app now has the ability to output audio.

9to5Google says Chrome PDF Viewer’s document annotation feature also has the following annotation tools: Multi-colored pens and highlighters, an eraser, and undo/redo buttons. Android Camera’s new support for USB cameras is expected to support devices like webcams and USB microscopes.

A few minor system-related features have also been added to Chrome OS in its latest build, including a new “My Files” root that expands users’ ability to save and create new files. Google’s Chrome OS 74 release announcement also mentioned that users would also now have the ability to “send system performance profiling data along with feedback reports.”

There was also one notable security feature added to Chrome OS, a feature called SafeSetID LSM. As noted in Google’s blog post, the feature is expected to let “system services to safely manage the users under which their programs run without requiring powerful system privileges.” The feature is intended to improve “security in the event there is a vulnerability in the system service that can be exploited.”

Chrome OS 74’s release began this week and according to Google’s official announcement, Chromebook users can expect to have their devices updated with the latest build “over the next several days.”

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