Articles by Ara Wagoner

Android Central’s top-ranking Chromebook reviews ranked

The best Chromebooks of 2020 can provide a top-notch computing experience, perfect for students, grandparents and anyone looking for a trouble-free laptop with long battery life. We’ve reviewed and rated the absolute best Chromebooks so that you can find the best value at any budget. Our buyer’s guide will help you find the perfect Chrome OS laptop or tablet.

Best overall

Lenovo Chromebook C340 (11.6″)

$260 at Walmart
$287 at Amazon
$309 at CDW
$320 at Lenovo

The best Chromebook just got better.

With double the USB ports and 8GB models on the horizon, Lenovo’s aluminum-lidded laptop is more than a pretty face.

Lenovo Chromebook C340 (11.6″) Features

11.6-inch 10-point IPS touchscreen
Aluminum lid, plastic body
Intel Celeron N4000
4-8GB RAM, 32-64GB storage
Up to 10-hour battery life
Pretty pink or silver color options

While last year’s C330 skimped on ports, the Lenovo Chromebook C340 (also known as the C340-11) f…

After years of half-hearted attempts, we’ve finally got a Chrome OS tablet that can go all the way.

Chrome OS has had a tablet mode for a really, really long time, but dedicated Chrome OS tablets have been few and far between. There have been some ugly, low-spec Chromebook tablets for the classroom, and then we had the HP X2 and the Google Pixel Slate. The X2 was a detachable, but it worked well, and while the Slate is powerful and (these days at least) stable, it was expensive, even more so once you added the kickstand case and keyboard you need to actually get work done at a reasonable speed.

This might be why when the Lenovo Chromebook Duet debuted at CES at the beginning of this year — I know, January feels like a century ago — it drew a lot of attention because it seemed like someone finally got it right and gave us the Chromebook tablet we deserved. It didn’t skimp on the storage like the education-oriented models. It came with a keyboard and kickstand in the box.

Best…

Having to plug in your phone every time to sit down to work, every time you head off to sleep, or every time that low battery warning chimes is as annoying as it is outdated. Ditch your cables and quit wearing out your phone’s charging port by getting yourself a handy wireless charger. It’s easier than ever now that more wireless chargers are switching to USB-C so you can stick to one cable.

Cool and compact

Anker PowerWave 15 Pad

Staff pick

$40 at Amazon
$40 at Google Shopping

This Qi charger can output 15W for the few devices that support it right now, plus 10W/7.5W/5W for everyone else as supported. It’s a sleek look and powered by USB-C rather than Micro-USB.

Best for Galaxy

Samsung Wireless Charger Duo Pad

$50 at Amazon
$80 at Samsung

This is the perfect charger for those invested who have a Galaxy smartwatch. The pad will also support 7.5W for iPhones and standard 5W charging on top of 10W charging for Galaxy phones.

Affordably futureproof

Yootech 15W Metal F…

No more nickel-and-diming based on just how many cameras are in your home.

What you need to know

The new pricing structure announced at the “Made By Google” event in October are rolling out.
This means that all of your Nest devices will be covered under a single Nest Aware subscription, but you might lose some third-party app integration if you migrate to the new plan.
You’ll now have to choose for the whole house whether you want 30-Day or 60-Day access to recordings and whether you need continuous recordings, which now require Nest Aware Plus.

Nest has long had a slight disadvantage compared to its competitors when it comes to its cloud security subscription. While most cost the same whether you had 1 camera or 10, Nest made you pay for Nest Aware for each camera separately. At the Made By Google event last fall, Google announced it was revising this strategy to instead have Nest Aware cover all the devices in your home — because after all, why punish the people who are alre…

Best answer: Google Meet is compatible with most desktop systems, Windows, Mac, Chrome OS, and even some Linux systems like Ubuntu. There are also apps available for Android, iOS, and iPad OS.

Stay Connected: Google Meet (Free at Google Play)

Easy to use on desktop or mobile

Google Meet was originally developed as part of the G Suite, and as such, it was made with as few barriers to use as possible. Beyond the normal Mac and Windows compatibility we expect to see for a video conferencing service, Google Meet is also compatible with Google’s Chrome OS, as well as several versions of Linux that are based on Debian, the most popular being Ubuntu.

Google Meet does not require a desktop client or a browser extension to be installed, you only need to visit meet.google.com from one of the following browsers:

Google Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Mozilla Firefox
Apple Safari

In order to get HD video on your call, you’ll need at least broadband speeds and a computer with at least a 2nd-gen I…

Android Central’s top-ranking Chromebook reviews ranked

The best Chromebooks of 2020 can provide a top-notch computing experience, perfect for students, grandparents and anyone looking for a trouble-free laptop with long battery life. We’ve reviewed and rated the absolute best Chromebooks so that you can find the best value at any budget. Our buyer’s guide will help you find the perfect Chrome OS laptop or tablet.

Best overall

Lenovo Chromebook C340 (11.6″)

$300 at Walmart
$309 at Lenovo
$309 at CDW
$320 at Amazon

The best Chromebook just got better.

With double the USB ports and 8GB models on the horizon, Lenovo’s aluminum-lidded laptop is more than a pretty face.

Lenovo Chromebook C340 (11.6″) Features

11.6-inch 10-point IPS touchscreen
Aluminum lid, plastic body
Intel Celeron N4000
4-8GB RAM, 32-64GB storage
Up to 10-hour battery life
Pretty pink or silver color options

While last year’s C330 skimped on ports, the Lenovo Chromebook C340 (also known as the C340-11) f…

Skip the Zoom drama and Meet a better way to video chat.

Living alone, the only way I see my friends and family right now is video chatting apps, and there certainly are plenty to choose from these days. Zoom has been the in-vogue video app of the last several weeks, but since that Google Meet is free for everyone this summer, you should absolutely move your chats over to Meet instead.

While Google Meet was built for enterprise as a way to host weekly staff meetings and host company-wide briefings, it has several advantages for the everyday chat with your parents or that weekly coffee gossip your mom has with her friends.

No plugins or desktop apps required

The first and biggest reason to jump over to Meet is that Zoom requires you to install either an app or a browser extension (depending on your device), and even then, Zoom can still get wonky unless you turn off your pop-up blocker, which most browsers leave on by default these days because pop-ups are the absolute worst.

G…

May the Fourth be with you, and with Waititi as he prepares to bring us a new story from a galaxy far, far away.

What you need to know

Disney and Lucasfilm are confirming that Taika Waititi, who directed an episode of The Mandalorian as well as voicing droid IG-11 in the series, will direct and co-write a new theatrical Star Wars film.
Waititi previously directed Thor Ragnarok — in which he also voiced rocky comedic sidekick Korg in the film — and World War II satire JoJo Rabbit.
Also confirmed by Disney, Leslye Headland is also developing a Star Wars series for Disney+, though the series does not have a title or a current timeline for release.

Today’s a day full of Star Wars fanfare and fan tears — that final scene with the lightsaber and the helmet, man! — and it’s also a day of Star Wars news: Disney is now confirming two recent rumors about upcoming Star Wars projects, the most noteworth being that Taika Waititi will direct a Star Wars film that will be coming to the…

Yes, the Samsung Galaxy S10e doesn’t have that fancy new ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, but that means that screen protectors aren’t a special brand of confusing. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor on the S10e adds a different challenge — and to be sure, there are far fewer cases around for the S10e right now than the larger models — but that doesn’t mean we don’t have some top-notch cases to protect the S10e’s hole-punch screen.

Clear as crystal

Spigen Liquid Crystal Air

Staff pick

The Liquid Crystal line is my favorite clear case around — well, except for the sparkly Liquid Crystal Glitter variant — because it’s thin, grippy, and doesn’t get in the way. Perfect port cutouts and easy application make a good case great.

$12 at Amazon

Unique hybrid

Ringke Fusion-X

The Ringke Fusion-X is a unique hybrid case we can’t get enough of. The clear back allows your S10e to shine through, and at the same time, there’s a rugged bumper that offers reliable shock absorption a…

With that fun new Soli sensor, a 90Hz screen, and the latest and greatest goodies from Google, the Pixel 4 XL is a tall drink of awesome. It’s also made entirely of glass and metal and needs to be protected at all costs. We’ve spent hours scouring the internet for the best cases to get for your new Pixel 4 XL, and these are the best ones

Classic heavy duty

Tudia Merge Series

Staff pick

Tudia’s hybrid case grips your Pixel 4 XL snugly with a TPU sleeve and adds sturdiness with a colorful polycarbonate shell. There are four colors here, but the best of them are the bright blue and warm Rose Gold.

$10 at Amazon

Feels so good

Google Fabric Case

Google’s done fabric cases for three years now, and they always feel and look amazing. This year, Google’s widened the weave and the colors are absolutely on point. Just look at that Blue-ish! Look at it!!

$34 at Amazon

Protect and showcase

Ringke Fusion-X

I love the Fusion-X because it showcases the phone’s natural beauty while …