Category: Chromebooks

Samsung Launches New Galaxy Chromebook Go in the UK

Here at Coolsmartphone towers, we love our Chromebooks and quite a high number of posts are pen’d on such devices. So recently we were contacted by Samsung to say that the companies new Galaxy Chromebook Go is coming here to the UK. Specs:-  Dimensions 327.1 x 225.6 x …

Neverware and CloudReady – Now part of Google

Some of you may remember my love for the ChromeReady Operating System. After working with Windows Server and Windows Desktop machines for some 20+ years, I like to come home to a laptop which I can just open and use quickly without worrying about viruses, updates and intrusive …

My Google “Pixelbook” .. for less than half the money

I’ve gotta admit, I’d love a Google Pixelbook. It’s got an Intel Core i7, either 8GB or 16GB of RAM (depending on the model), a big hard drive and a 12.3″ 2400×1600 (235ppi) panel. Trouble is, despite all my saving, I’m not getting close to affording one. Even …

Chrome OS to get Android 10 Gestures.

Lots of us here at Coolsmartphone use Chromebooks as our primary computing device, and now we’re hearing from the folks over at Android Police that they can be used in “tablet mode” with a gesture input. This is very similar to the one you’ll use in Android 10. …

Chromebooks – Now showing Bluetooth device battery level

Here at Coolsmartphone towers, a number of writers use Chromebooks as our primary devices. But one thing thing I find annoying when using my Chromebook is guessing at the battery level of my headphones, keyboard and mouse, but a few months back, it was discovered that Google was …

Anker Powerport+ Atom III anounced

Anker has for a long time been working to make charging our devices easier and faster. They have also been striving to make their chargers more universal by utilising their IQ technology in the universal chargers that they make. For someone like myself who is always on the …

Dell Chromebook 11″ 2-in-1 – Review

I have always liked Chromebooks, as they offer a lot of computing power and bang for your cash. Dell has been making these laptops for while, and in this latest iteration of the Chromebook 11″ they have taken the skills they have learned from the enterprise range and …

Dell Chromebook 11 2 in 1 – First impressions

Today I received a new toy to play with in the form of the “Dell Chromebook 11 3189 2 in 1”. Apart from having a ridiculously long name, this Chromebook has some other very cool features onboard. Now as far as Chromebooks go, this is pretty much what …

HP X2, 2 in 1 Chromebook – Review

A number of writers here at Coolsmartphone Towers predominantly use a Chromebook as our main devices. I have been using an Asus Chromebook flip since its release a number of years ago, and it still runs as fast today as it did the day I bought it. This …

Google Pixelbook gets £200 off at Currys

When the Google Pixelbook originally came out, for some of us, it was an immediate object of desire. Sure, it was an Oxymoron, but it was the most wonderful type of machine – over specced and way overpowered, but the absolute pinnacle of what a Chromebook could be. …

Google Pixelbook Review

The Introduction I must admit, I wasn’t planning to get hands-on with a Pixelbook. That was mainly due to the price of the thing. However, when I dropped the Pixel Buds back to Google UK, I was excited to find that they would loan me a Pixelbook. This …

MadeByGoogle event is streaming now.

If you want to get the latest info on what Google have in store for us then you can now tune into their live stream below. We will be keeping our eyes peeled to see what they have instore and we will report back to you once we …

New Chromebook by Google leaked – The Pixelbook

Google have an event planned for October 4th this year. It’s believed that the next Flagship phone is due to be announced along with a number of other devices. One of those is a new high-end Chromebook. Well, as is now the norm, nothing is kept a secret …

Chromebook ‘Eve’ likely to be uncovered at Pixel Event, Oct 5.

OK, those of us at Coolsmartphone towers have an unreasonable level of fascination with Chromebooks. Yes, they’re a browser wrapped around a Linux based OS. But paradoxically, they’re also so much more than they should be, to the level where both Garry and Leigh use them as daily …

New Chromebooks are close

We here at Coolsmartphone love Chromebooks. There’s at least 3 of us using them as our main devices, and there’s no risk of any ransomware popping up any time soon. They’re a great tool for browsing the web and for quickly producing content for this very site. Leigh, …

New Chromebooks released – for the education market.

Yeah, Yeah. A couple of Chromebooks, but who cares, they’re for the education market. Why is this a thing? You’re probably right in your thinking. If you were going to get a Chromebook and money was no object, you might decide to grab the Chromebook Pixel, or even …

What’s the point of a Chromebook? Chromebook myths explored.

Look, I’ll be the first to admit it. A Chromebook can be a weird thing to a techhead. They’re underpowered. They have like this huuuuge dependency on being online. And when all the other arguments have been discussed, they aren’t anything more than a browser. Then again, they’re …

ASUS Chromebook Flip 2 announced

CES. We wish we were there. Lots of announcements are being communicated to the world from Las Vegas, and ASUS just made the ASUS Chromebook Flip 2 official. The ASUS Chromebook Flip 2 (model number C302) is a follow up to the popular ASUS Chromebook Flip, as the …

Microsoft Office on your Chromebook? Get ready to pay.

As more and more Chromebooks are being granted access to the Google Play Store and the millions of apps within, people are trying to activate their copy of Microsoft Office for Android. Unfortunately, they’re finding out that a subscription to Microsoft Office 365 is required, especially if your …

Samsung Chromebook Pro kind-of announced

So, Samsung did something I’m pleasantly surprised at, and launched a new Chromebook, nattily named the Chromebook Pro. It’s a pretty smart piece of kit. I’ve been looking for a replacement Chromebook for a while after my old one went to a fabulous person who needed it more …

Skype on a Chromebook – Almost there

You may remember how I created a way to get the Android version of Skype working on a Chromebook. It’s 10 steps, but to be honest it should be a lot easier. Thankfully, since I wrote that, things have progressed somewhat. Firstly we Android apps coming to Chromebooks …

HP 11 Chromebook – now with Touch

Those of you that are regular readers of this fantastic site, know that a number of the staff use Chromebooks, including my own self. I am currently using the Asus Chromebook Flip, which now allows me to use Play Store Apps natively, which I can only describe as …

Waiting for the Google Play store on your Chromebook?

Good news, at least, if you’ve got the Asus Chromebook Flip and you’re using the developer channel. A quick update will deliver the Google Play Store to your device, making compatible Android apps downloadable and useable. Developer channel 53 is the one to watch for, so if you’ve …

Android Apps coming to a Chromebook near you soon!

You know that we love our Chromebooks. Leigh uses one as his one and only computer. I have recently joined the Chromebook fray and, while I enjoy the near instant-on capability of it, one thing has always bugged me. The Chromebook apps are well, to be blunt, rubbish. Well, …

Chromebooks now outsell Macs

Here at Coolsmartphone a number of writers use a Chromebook as their primary device. I’m one of them (I’m writing this very article on the fantastic Asus Chromebook Flip). Despite being cracking devices Chromebooks have never really hit the limelight… until now. It appears that the Google low-cost …

Android apps finally heading to Chrome OS?

When we cover live events you’ll usually find that a Chromebook is involved. We do pretty much everything on the web now, and the little Samsung we tend to take has a battery life which will see us through even really long launches. Getting Android apps to work …

Pixel C – was it meant to be a Chromebook?

There are some stories doing the rounds at the moment about the Pixel C. They aren’t just reviews and first impressions, but about the origins of the tablet. Let me explain. We know that the Pixel line has long been attributed to Google’s own high-end Chromebook range, and …

Chromebook Pixel and Pixel C now available

I use a Chromebook. It’s a Samsung Chromebook which is quite highly spec’d but, when it went on sale, it was priced too highly and didn’t sell that well. I gave it a few years, and after swearing at my Windows laptop for the six millionth time, I …

Windows 10? How about turning an old laptop into a Chromebook

I’ve worked, and still do, with Windows as an OS for years. I’m familiar with Windows 2008, Windows 7 and every other version from Windows 95 onwards. After years of patching, upgrades, reinstalls, trojans, hot-fixes and drivers I’d simply had enough. Not only that, but I realised that …

Chromebook Pixel (2015) available in the UK from April 21st

Remember that new Chromebook Pixel we talked about recently? The one with the updated processor and also 2 x USB C ports? Well if the techlust takes ahold of you and you decide you can’t live without having that 3:2 ratio, 12.85” screen, 2560 x 1700 pixel at …

2015 Chromebook Pixel Announced.

A number of us here at CoolSmartPhone towers use Chromebooks. I for one am currently writing this post from my HP 11 Chromebook which I absolutely love. Chromebooks are usually inexpensive, with a good battery life, but not that highly specced in terms of RAM or onboard storage, …

More Google Chromecast offers

After my rather long bike ride yesterday morning I suddenly felt the need for a bit of a chill-out in the afternoon. Luckily, after a quick check on the Chomecast app on the phone, I found that yet another free movie is available. This time they’re giving away …

Skype on a Chromebook in minutes

Gah. The amount of emails I’m getting about this is insane. I updated my instructions on how to get Skype working on a Chromebook earlier this week and I’ve already got people saying that I’ve hacked my Chromebook or done some other weirdness. Others have stated that this …

Skype on a Chromebook in 10 easy steps

A few months ago I posted a method of getting Skype on a Chromebook. Recently I found that this older method didn’t actually work any more, so here’s a new way of doing it which does. Before I start, please do follow us on Twitter and I can …

Skype on a Chromebook. Things have changed

Update – We’ve now got a fix, click here to read the update! I added a post back in October which detailed how to get Skype working on your Chromebook. It got a few hits, as did the video demo, which was recorded on the floor in my …

Getting a Chromebook? How does 1TB of Google Drive space sound?

A couple of us writers here in Coolsmartphone towers use Chromebooks. I for one love my HP11. In the past, when you purchased a new Chromebook, Google would give you 100GB of Google Drive storage free. This would last for two years and would act as a little …

Skype on a Chromebook – Here, fixed that for you.

NOTE – This method no longer works, please see the new article here. Some people have avoided getting a Chromebook purely because Skype isn’t available. However, there is a way to get this working, and when you’ve completed one of these three steps the end product is very …

Samsung to stop selling Chromebooks in Europe.

Reports are hitting the internet quoting a Samsung spokesperson saying the company plans to stop selling its laptops, including Chromebooks in European markets. We quickly adapt to market needs and demands. In Europe, we will be discontinuing sales of laptops including Chromebooks for now. This is specific to the …

Android apps running on ChromeOS from today

Well it’s started. Google has today begun rolling out Android applications that can be run directly from your Chrome OS browser. Initially there are four apps available –  Evernote, Vine, Duolingo and the children’s app Sight Words but there will undoubtedly be a deluge of apps that follow in quick succession. Chrome OS …

cloudHQ – synchronize your online life

“Everything’s online these days” is a common refrain and becoming more relevant to our lives. Most major tech companies provide some kind of free ‘cloud storage’ (Microsoft, Google, Dropbox, Box) and even note-taking services like Evernote and OneNote need to store those notes somewhere. This is also a …