Google, together with Samsung and Lenovo, introduced new Chromebooks, and the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus model received a new shortcut key. Owners of existing devices running ChromeOS will also have access to the new features.
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The Quick Paste key, which also acts as Caps Lock, opens a menu with access to the Gemini AI-powered Help me write tool, emoji and GIF search, browsing history for quickly copying links, Google Drive search , as well as tools for quick calculations, adding dates, or converting units. The Quick Paste key is only present on the new Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, but in the future it will appear on other Chromebook Plus devices – on other existing computers, the new menu can be called up with the Launcher Key + F key combination.
Another new AI-based feature is the Help me read tool, which is launched by right-clicking and generates text summaries of PDF files, articles or websites. You can ask clarifying questions to the system. Chromebook Plus now comes with direct translation functionality that supports more than a hundred languages, providing subtitles during a Zoom video call, watching YouTube streams, or playing local video files. AI is used to improve audio quality in video calls – reducing noise and reducing the effect of reverberation (echo). A voice recorder with speaker recognition and speech-to-text conversion has migrated from Pixel devices to Chromebooks.
All Chromebooks are now just one click away from launching Gemini without having to open a browser. Another new useful feature is the global Welcome recaps history with a visual overview of the resources that were opened by the user on all his devices. The same function will remind you to connect to a video conference and show a shortcut to the recently opened file. Customizable Focus modes have appeared – turning on the Do Not Disturb mode for a selected period of time. Chrome OS now has the ability to pin files to a shelf so they can be opened online or offline. The Goodnotes note-taking app has also been optimized for Chromebooks, with support for stylus input.
All Classic Chromebook customers now get three months of free access to Google One AI Premium Plan with Gemini Advanced, as well as Gemini in Office apps; Buyers of Chromebook Plus computers receive a one-year subscription.