GoKawiil
Tech News
Developers have created an open-source installer that allows users of Apple Silicon Macs to run Google's experimental desktop operating system within a virtual environment. This tool provides a way to test Googlebook OS without official support from Google or Apple.
Dell has announced that its first Googlebook will start at $999, which is $200 less than the originally disclosed price of $1,199. The device features a Snapdragon X Elite chip, with configurations including 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, or 32GB RAM and 1TB storage, and sports a 2.5K touch display. It is available for purchase now and ships from October 21.
Flexibits' Fantastical, a scheduling app that began on Apple platforms 15 years ago and later expanded to Windows, is now launching a native version for Googlebooks (Chromebooks) rather than for Android phones and tablets. The app retains its existing pricing structure, with a free tier and paid individual, family, and team plans starting at $4.75 a month.
Google published a support document confirming that its new Googlebook laptops will support unlockable bootloaders through a process similar to Pixel phones, involving Developer Options and recovery mode. Magisk creator John Wu, who works at Google, separately announced on X that Magisk support for Googlebooks is in development, with new code and instructions coming soon.
As Googlebook laptops go on sale, Google has added new support documentation explaining features unique to the Android-based devices. The pages detail the RGB Glowbar strip's various lighting states—covering usage, charging, battery level, and Gemini interactions—as well as Game Controls, which lets users map physical keys to on-screen touchscreen controls for Android games.
Google has published a Viewer app on the Play Store built for its upcoming Googlebook laptops, offering combined viewing and editing of images, videos, audio and PDFs. Android Authority tested the app on an Android tablet, finding tools such as annotate, text, resize, crop and rotate for images, plus text, annotation and signature features for PDFs. The Googlebooks themselves went up for pre-order last month and are set to begin shipping soon.
Google published a support document stating that all ChromeOS devices will stop receiving updates and security patches by mid-2034, regardless of purchase date. This means Chromebooks bought now, which Google previously promised 10 years of updates, will fall short of that commitment if sold close to 2034. Google says some newer commercial Chromebooks may be eligible to migrate to its new Googlebook OS platform.
Google announced a partnership with actor Henry Cavill, who has been using one of the company's new Googlebook laptops for personal projects ahead of their public launch. Starting this November, Google says it will work with Cavill to develop a video game built using the device, and has set up a landing page for updates on the project.
Google is partnering with actor Henry Cavill to create a video game showcasing its new Googlebook laptops, which run Android rather than ChromeOS. The companies are targeting a November release, though Google has not disclosed the game's genre or other creative partners involved.
Google confirmed that existing Chromebooks will keep receiving regular updates and security patches under its Auto Update policy through mid-2034. After that, newer commercial Chromebook models with 10-year update support extending past 2034 will be eligible to switch to the newly announced Googlebook OS, though Google says more migration details are coming soon.
Google's support documentation for its new Googlebook lineup reveals that Chromebooks purchased today will stop receiving updates in 2034, two years short of the ten-year support commitment Google has advertised. Google says it will help eligible Chromebooks migrate to the new Googlebook OS, but details on which devices qualify and how migration will work have not yet been released.
Google and five hardware partners launched Googlebook, an Android-based laptop line priced from $899 to $1,299, positioned as a premium alternative to Chrome OS devices. The machines run Android apps, Chrome, a Linux terminal, and Gemini, but early reactions from readers and Reddit users have been largely critical since launch.