Google unveiled recently the launch of the new version of Chrome OS 128 which introduces new features to the system, as well as privacy improvements, bug fixes and more.
Chrome OS 128 fixes 10 vulnerabilities, 5 of them classified as dangerous, such as a buffer overflow in the Skia library, the V8 JavaScript engine, and issues in the font rendering engine. The rewards for discovering these vulnerabilities are reported to have reached $50.000.
Main new features of Chrome OS 128
In this new version of Chrome OS 128 it is presents the introduction of Snap Groups, a function that Allows you to group windows when they are set in split screen modeThese groups can be restored, resized, or moved as a single block, making it easier to manage multiple windows.
Another of the new features that the new version presents is the optical character recognition (OCR). The application of Camera now includes OCR technology which allows to extract text from images. This system supports 77 languages, supports text in both landscape and portrait orientation, and allows you to copy it to the clipboard, perform searches, create PDF files or play it back with voice synthesis. OCR is disabled by default and is activated in “Settings > Text detection”.
In addition, Chrome OS 128 features automatic gain control (AGC) enabled by default. This is used for microphone sensitivity, automatically adjusting levels to optimize recording quality. To disable this feature and manually adjust the volume, users can go to “Settings > Device > Audio” and uncheck “Allow apps to automatically adjust microphone volume.”
On the part of the privacy enhancements in the “Settings > Privacy & security > Privacy controls” section, Specific options have been added to manage location access, allowing you to block access to all applications or leave it only for system services.
Now, when changing the permissions of an individual application in the configuration, the system provides additional notifications which warn about the need to enable access to the microphone or camera, in case they are blocked at the system level.
Also, on devices with cellular connectivity, ChromeOS has simplified the display, administration and addition of Access Point Names (APN). Users can now manage their hotspots more intuitively and quickly. In addition, error handling and messaging during the registration process on cellular networks has been improved.
Of the other changes that stand out of the new version:
- Data on Android application performance and crashes is stored for one year to assess performance.
- New data processor mode features and associated terms for ChromeOS are now available throughout the European Union through the Google Admin console.
- Site search shortcuts allow you to use the address bar (Omnibox) as a search box for specific sites, similar to how it is used to perform general searches on Google. Administrators can now create site shortcuts on behalf of their managed users. This feature can be controlled using the SiteSearchSettings policy.
- A clear visual distinction has been implemented between pinned and regular notifications, making it easier to identify individual events and ongoing processes.
Finally, if you are interested in learn more about it, You can consult the details of this new version of the system by contacting to the following link.
Download Chrome OS 128
The new build now available for most Chromebooks current, and for those interested in learning about the system's capabilities on normal computers, they should know that for use on normal computers, the Chrome OS Flex edition is offered.
Last but not least, if you are a Raspberry user you should know that you can also install Chrome OS on your device, only that the version you can find is not the most current, in addition to the fact that you still have the problem with video acceleration by hardware.