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ChromeOS 130: Recorder app rolls out to all Chromebooks and Android 15 introduces weather to home controls screensaver

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Android 15 Easter Egg

ChromeOS and Android are both getting exciting updates that make user experience better and more functional. ChromeOS is introducing a new Recorder app, while Android 15 is enhancing its Home Controls screensaver with a weather feature. Let’s explore these updates in detail.

ChromeOS 130: The New Recorder App

ChromeOS 130, which is scheduled to launch later this month, will include a new Recorder app designed to improve audio recording and transcription features across all Chromebooks. Previously, some of these advanced features were limited to Chromebook Plus devices, but with the latest update, even standard Chromebooks will benefit from the new Recorder capabilities.

Key Features of the Recorder App:

  1. Offline and Real-Time Speech-to-Text: One of the main highlights of this update is the offline, real-time transcription feature. After downloading a 100MB model, users can transcribe audio without needing an internet connection, a great advantage for those who work on the go or in areas with limited connectivity.
  2. Dual-Column Layout: The app has a user-friendly interface, featuring a dual-column design inspired by the Pixel Recorder app. The layout is fully resizable and incorporates Google’s Material You design language, making it visually consistent with other Google apps.
  3. Device Audio Recording: Chromebook users will now be able to record audio directly from their devices, offering flexibility for content creators, educators, and everyday users.
  4. Searchable Transcripts and Export Options: Users can easily search through transcripts to find specific parts of their recordings. The playback speed can also be adjusted, making the app convenient for note-taking or reviewing important points. Additionally, audio and transcripts can be exported to other applications for further use.

Exclusive AI Features for Chromebook Plus:

For those using Chromebook Plus devices, the Recorder app comes with extra AI-powered features. The app will offer AI-generated summaries of the recordings, providing concise three-point summaries of long audio files. Users will also get title suggestions based on the content of the recording. However, this feature requires a larger 2GB model download.

Beyond the Recorder app, the ChromeOS 130 update for Chromebook Plus devices will introduce new tools for enhancing video calls, such as studio-style microphones and appearance effects that adjust lighting and brightness. Additionally, a new “Help me read” feature will be added to assist users in reading and understanding content more easily.

Android 15 Home Controls Screensaver Adds Weather Information

Meanwhile, Android 15 is making its Home Controls screensaver more functional by adding weather details. This update was introduced with Android 15 Beta 3 and is now rolling out to users as part of a server-side change, following a “Dreams” update for Pixel devices.

Home Controls Overview:

The Home Controls feature, accessible from the Quick Settings (QS) Tile or the lock screen, allows users to manage various smart home devices directly from their screensaver. It organizes smart devices into categories like Cameras, Climate, Lighting, and Wi-Fi, with quick access to favorite devices.

New Weather Information Display:

In addition to displaying the time in the upper-right corner of the screen, Android 15 now shows the current temperature and weather conditions. This feature is especially useful for users of the Pixel Tablet when it’s in Hub Mode with the Charging Speaker Dock. While primarily designed for tablets, this feature is also available on phones, although there are slight design differences. For instance, the weather icon on the Pixel Tablet appears flatter, while on the Pixel 9 Pro, it has a more detailed look.

This enhancement brings more convenience to Android 15 users, as they can now quickly check the weather without needing to unlock their devices or open an app.

Conclusion

Both ChromeOS and Android 15 are gearing up for updates that promise to enhance user productivity and convenience. The new Recorder app in ChromeOS 130 brings powerful transcription and recording features to all Chromebooks, with additional AI tools for Chromebook Plus users. On the Android front, the Home Controls screensaver now includes weather information, making it more useful for managing smart home devices and staying updated on current conditions.

These updates reflect Google’s ongoing commitment to improving user experience across their platforms, offering more practical and user-friendly tools for everyday use. Whether you’re a Chromebook user or an Android enthusiast, these changes are sure to enhance your daily workflow.

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Android

Android might soon alert you when your time zone changes

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Android 16

Traveling with an Android phone can be confusing when it comes to keeping track of time, especially on long trips. Your device automatically adjusts to different time zones, which is handy but can sometimes leave you unsure about the actual time. Imagine being on an airplane, where the time might switch several times due to the flight’s Wi-Fi, making it difficult to know how long you’ve been in the air.

To solve this, Google seems to be working on a new feature for Android. According to Android Authority, who took a peek at the Android 16 Beta 1, there’s a new setting in the works. This setting would allow you to get a notification every time your device changes its time zone automatically.

You’ll find this new option under the “Settings” menu, specifically in “System” and then “Date & time.” By turning this on, you’d get a little alert on your phone saying, “Hey, you’ve just entered a new time zone!” This would help you keep better track of time without any surprises.

There isn’t a confirmed release date yet for this feature, but it looks like it might make its way into Android 16. This update could make traveling a bit less confusing when it comes to managing your schedule across different parts of the world.

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Android 16 might alert you when your time zone shifts

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Android 16

One of the key roles of your smartphone is to keep track of time, and they do this job pretty well. By using information from your phone’s network, Wi-Fi, or GPS, your device can automatically adjust its time when you move to a different time zone. However, sometimes you might want to know right away when this happens, which is why Google is working on a new alert feature for Android 16.

While exploring the first beta version of Android 16, I stumbled upon some lines of code for a new “time zone change” option in the settings under System > Date & time. This feature is designed to notify you when your phone’s time zone gets updated automatically.

I managed to activate this setting in the beta. Here’s what it looks like:
I couldn’t show you the actual notification since I haven’t traveled out of my current time zone, but I know what it will look like. The notification will simply state that “your time zone changed” followed by details of your new time zone.

This is a simple yet useful addition because knowing when and how your time zone has changed can help you schedule meetings or make plans. It also saves you from having to check the settings manually when you need to adjust the time for apps like Outlook.

Handling time zones is not easy, but thanks to Google Play System Updates, Android phones can quickly adapt to new time zone data from the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). With the various ways Android devices locate themselves, they are among the best for keeping the right time.

Though I found this feature in the Android 16 Beta 1, it’s not certain if it will make it into the final version. Features can appear in early builds but not in the official release. Given that Android 16 is expected to roll out in the second quarter of this year, we’ll know soon if this time zone notification feature will be part of it.

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Android

New Feature: See through Live Captions on Android

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Google

Since the introduction of Expressive Captions last December, Android’s Live Caption feature now includes an option to adjust the background transparency on Pixel devices.

Before this update, captions appeared on a solid light or dark gray background, which could sometimes block parts of the screen. Now, with the new transparency setting, you can see what’s happening behind the captions. This makes the captions less intrusive and more user-friendly, allowing you to keep them on all the time if you wish. Some users even prefer having no background at all, just the text floating over the video.

How to Use Background Transparency

To turn on this feature, simply tap on the Live Caption panel to bring up the options menu. Look for the three dots on the right side, tap on them, and go to “Customization.” There, you’ll see the “Background transparency” switch alongside other settings like “Translate captions” and “Live Caption.”

This update was noticed today with the release of version V.16 of Android System Intelligence for Pixel devices. Check the Google Play Store to see if an update is available for your device. However, this feature isn’t available yet for Android 14 on non-Google devices.

This follows the earlier update in December that brought Expressive Captions to life, adding more emotion through uppercase letters for emphasis, sounds like sighs or gasps, and background noises like applause. This is currently available for US English on Android 14 and newer versions.

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