GoKawiil
Tech News
Google says it will keep issuing ChromeOS updates and security patches through mid-2034 for enterprise and education users, according to a company support page. The disclosure comes as Google prepares to launch Googlebooks, laptops running an Android-based Googlebook OS, with devices arriving October 4.
Google has officially confirmed it will phase out ChromeOS updates in mid-2034, a date previously revealed in court records. In a support document for IT administrators, Google said many newer Chromebooks will be eligible to migrate to its new Googlebook OS, though it did not specify which models or how the transition process will work. Management tools for Googlebooks in enterprise settings won't arrive until the second half of 2027, and licensing terms for the new OS have not yet been announced.
Google confirmed via a Help Center post that many of its newest Chromebook models will be eligible to transition to Googlebook OS, the new Android-based laptop operating system unveiled this month. The company hasn't specified which devices qualify or when the switch will be possible, saying details on migration paths and eligibility will come later. Existing Chromebooks will keep receiving updates through their normal support window, and the first Googlebooks are set to go on sale next week.
Lenovo has launched the Googlebook 15, its first laptop in Google's new Googlebook line, at a starting price of $1,099.99 when it goes on sale October 4. That's $200 less than the $1,299 price Google had announced for the device last week. The laptop features a 15.3-inch 2.8K OLED touchscreen, an Intel Core Ultra 5 325 chip, 16GB or 32GB of RAM, and 256GB or 512GB of storage.
Google's Alexander Kuscher revealed in an Android Faithful interview that Googlebook laptops contain a hidden app called Glowbar Disco, which syncs the lid's light strip to music. Google previously showed the effect but hadn't disclosed it was a dedicated app, and Kuscher didn't say where on the device it's located.
Google's Alexander Kuscher explained on the Android Faithful podcast how Magic Pointer, a Gemini-powered cursor feature for Googlebook laptops, processes screen content. Identifying interactive elements like emails or images happens locally on the device, while content is only sent to Google's cloud once a user selects it and asks Gemini to act on it.
Google's Alexander Kuscher confirmed on the Android Faithful podcast that Magic Pointer and Rambler, two signature AI features on the new Googlebook laptops, will keep working without a Google AI Pro subscription. Googlebooks ship with a free 12-month AI Pro trial, but Kuscher said this sits on top of the base experience rather than gating these core tools.
Google has published a Play Store listing for its Create My Widget app, first teased at I/O 2026, showing how it will work on Android phones and Googlebook laptops. The app lets users generate custom widgets using natural-language prompts processed by Gemini, with preset categories like combo widgets, weather alerts and daily briefs as starting points.
Leaker Evan Blass posted new high-resolution images of an unreleased Lenovo Googlebook 2-in-1, showing a tablet-style design with a kickstand, detachable slim keyboard, a Bluetooth toggle switch, and a rear camera with the lineup's signature glow-bar. This device was reportedly among several Lenovo Googlebook models planned but not included when Google launched five Googlebook laptops earlier in the week.
Just days after pre-orders opened on September 21, Google's US online store has run out of stock for its Acer, Dell XPS, and Lenovo Googlebook models, according to reports from Reddit users who checked the store multiple times. The laptops, which start at $899, remain available to pre-order at Best Buy ahead of an October 4 release date.
A Google employee, Dieter Bohn, posted a video on X and LinkedIn demonstrating windowing and trackpad gestures on the new Googlebook OS, which runs on Android but visually resembles ChromeOS. The demo shows a three- or four-finger swipe up to reveal an overview of open apps, plus drag-to-side and drag-to-top window snapping and full-screen gestures, alongside support for multiple desktops.
Best Buy is offering a free pair of Pixel Buds 2A in hazel to customers who preorder any qualifying Googlebook laptop through October 25th, 2026. Models from Acer, Lenovo, Asus, HP, and Dell are eligible, with some units shipping as early as October 5th, 2026. The cheapest option, the Acer Googlebook 14, starts at $899 with an Intel Core 5 Ultra chip, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage.