Articles by Ara Wagoner

While Chromebooks still have an image problem, they’re now capable of being your one and only computer.

Last week was Chrome OS’s tenth birthday, and while the new features like Phone Hub and Nearby Share announced then were welcome additions, the biggest news of the day was just how well Chromebooks are now selling. The Google Team kicked off last week’s press event by saying that Chromebooks now account for 1 out of every 10 desktop computer purchases globally — and 1 in 5 in the United States.

While, yes, a good portion of those sales are still education and enterprise, regular users are also realizing that Chromebooks are easy to own and can do everything they need without requiring the same upkeep or higher-priced hardware as Windows or Mac laptops. Between Google’s optimizations and improvements to the core Chrome OS system as well as the addition of Linux, Chromebooks are no longer “just browsers”; they’re computers that millions can work full-time from, whether you’re usi…

Given the limits of Wear OS, Fossil does its best with the Gen 5E.

When looking for the best Android smartwatches, you’ll likely notice that much of the list actually doesn’t run Android; it runs Samsung’s Tizen or Fitbit’s OS or whatever Garmin uses. If you want an Android watch that’s running Wear OS — the version of Android Google develops for your wrist — you’ll see that Mobvoi’s TicWatch series and Fossil have run the table for a couple of years now.

Fossil’s smartwatches, in particular, have everything you’d want in a watch (smart or not). They’re distinctive, stylish, and available in a variety of designs that can appeal to a wide array of buyers. This is especially true of its newest watch, the Fossil Gen 5E, which has a style for everyone and price tags that see sales as frequently as an outlet mall. That’s a good thing, too, because while our Fossil Gen 5E review found it to be a solid watch, it doesn’t quite have what it takes to compete in the $250-$300 space with S…

“Ooooh! I love this song! Oh, it’s called … Hey, Google, what’s this song called again?”

Google Assistant can answer questions, help find directions, set reminders, but do you know how to use Google Assistant to identify songs? From the best Android phones to the best smart speaker, the Google Assistant is seemingly everywhere — and so is music.

Trying to identify a song that pops up in a crowded mall, a TV show scene, or drifting up the street from a block party can be hard for even the most discerning ears, but that’s why we’ve got Google Assistant. In fact, to get started, all you really need is your Android phone, and a cool song.

How to use Google Assistant to identify songs

With your phone in hand, activate Google Assitant by saying ” OK, Google” or by swiping in from the lower right or left corner of the screen.
Google will listen through your phone’s microphone and if music is playing, you should see a button appear to tap that says “What’s this song?” If not, ask,…

From pink and magenta to green and blue, there’s plenty of cursor color to choose from.

When it comes to theming your Chromebook, we tend to focus more on the Chrome Browser theme and the wallpaper, but you can also extend your sense of style to one other aspect of the Chrome OS system: your mouse cursor. We might not have as many cursor options as Windows 10, but you can change your cursor to one of seven colors if you’re as tired of basic black as I am.

If you change the color of the cursor, it’ll apply to most of the cursor tools as well, including the zoom cursor, the text cursor, and the move and reposition symbols. You can’t set any hex-code color you want for your cursor (yet), but the eight options for cursor color allow you to pick a style that’ll be easiest for you to see on whichever of the best Chromebooks you own. After all, Google added colored cursor options in the first place to help those with vision difficulties, so that the cursor would be easier for them to se…

Crisp and compact

Lenovo Chromebook Duet

$231 at Amazon (64GB)
$249 at Best Buy (128GB)
$249 at Walmart (64GB)

Pros

Higher quality screen
More storage
Detachable keyboard

Cons

Smaller screen
Quiet speakers

With the keyboard and kickstand included in-box, the Duet is great whether you’re lounging on the couch to read comics or typing emails while you’re at the corner cafe. The keyboard is a tiny bit cramped, but it’s easy to adapt to so long as your hands are slender.

Streamlined for students

Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (3H)

$320 at Walmart (64GB)
$300 at Target (32GB)

Pros

Slightly larger screen
Highly portable
2-in-1 laptop format

Cons

Limited ports
Limited storage
Lower quality screen

Acer cut every bit of fat and excess from previous generations to get the price for the latest 311 down to its lowest yet. If you need a Chromebook that’s more suited to being used in your lap or in cramped quarters, the Spin 311 can fit the bill so long as you don’t ne…

Happy birthday, Chrome OS!

What you need to know

Chrome OS is now 10 years old and sporting a significant section of the desktop ecosystem.
1 in 10 new computers bought today run Chrome OS, and the number doubles in the United States to 1 in 5.
Chrome OS 89 is also packing plenty of new goodies from the long-awaited Phone Hub to Nearby Share support and native screen recording.

Whether you’ve been rocking a Chromebook from the CR-48 days or just picked up a great Chromebook last week, there’s never been a better time to be a Chrome OS user, and the Chromebook club seems to be growing every day as Google announced on Chrome OS’s 10th birthday that Chromebook now make up 10% of new desktop-class computer purchases globally — and 20% in the United States. Between Chromebooks now having 8-9 years of updates from launch to support for Linux, Android, and even Windows support via Parallels, it’s little surprise that Enterprise Chromebooks saw 60% growth year-over-year during last ye…

Good flash drives last for years and years and years. I still have working USB-A flash drives from high school kicking around in my drawers, but updating to one of the best USB-C thumb drives is highly recommended these days. USB-C, aside from being compact, also has the benefit of being compatible with everything from the best cheap Android phone to the expensive Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 without needing to pull out any OTG adapters. All you do is just plug it in and move photos or files to the drive with a file explorer app. With that in mind, here are the best USB-C thumb drives to get you started.

Slide and save

SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive

Staff Pick

This compact flash drive uses a clever, locking slide mechanism that gives you the choice of using USB-C or USB-A to transfer your data. It utilizes USB 3.1 for transfer speeds up to 150 MB/s, which means you can get your info quickly from your devices that still use older USB-A ports over to your modernized USB-C Android phone in a…

Music is one of the most-used functions of Android phones, so use a music service that fits your music and your life.

Music is the heartbeat of our lives. It amps us up before a big test or a cardio workout. It soothes us through grief and loss. It lulls us to sleep at night, and it wakes us back up in the morning. Music is fundamental, and it is still one of the core functions of our phones, our smart speakers like Google Home, and our computers. And because we expect our music to follow us from device to device, from home to car to work to cafe, having a music streaming service that fits your life and your lifestyle is important.

We’re here to help you make sure that the music service you give your money to is the best one for you.

There are several music streaming services out there, but we’re going to focus on the five music streaming services that are available to much of the world. Because YouTube Music has replaced Google Play Music, it has been included so that we can me…

App icons are different shapes, sizes, and color schemes and follow different design guidelines. Samsung’s icons look different than Google’s icons, look different from Microsoft’s icons, look different from every other developer’s icons. Thankfully, icon packs are here to pick up the slack and make your theming adventure a smooth one. Icon packs are plentiful, colorful, and they come in every style under the sun.

BYOP: Build your own pack

Icon Pack Studio

Staff pick

We’re about to cover a lot of great icon packs, but I love Icon Pack Studio the best because it lets me make custom icon packs perfectly color-matched to my wallpaper or theme. Change the shapes, add textures, and then export and enjoy.

Free at w/ IAP Google Play

Color on the lines

Outline Icons

Outline goes beyond the monotone of simple white to bring bright, bold colors to its neon-reminiscent icons. Being a technicolor pack, this pack is a gem that shines against dark wallpapers, but can get lost in vibr…

The Chromecast with Google TV is a great little streaming device, but not every Android TV app is accessible on it. Even Google-owned services like Stadia aren’t available on Google TV yet, but because Android is an open platform, you can install apps from outside the Google Play Store. You’ll have to dig into the system settings a little bit to enable installation of unknown apps — Google has it disabled until you turn on Developer mode. But with these easy steps, you’ll be streaming with all of your favorite apps to your heart’s content in no time. Here’s our guide on how to sideload apps on Google TV.

Products used in this guide

Google’s latest streamer: Google Chromecast with Google TV ($50 at Best Buy)
Add all the ports: AUKEY Link PD Pro ($40 at Amazon)
Slide and save: SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive (From $9 at Amazon)
For local and cloud files: Solid Explorer (Free at Google Play)

How to enable the installation of outside apps

Press the Home button on your Chromecast with G…