( WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY )

4 hidden settings to make Chrome for Android even better Credit:TECHSLORD Google's Chrome for Android provides a commendable browsing experience out of the box -- but if you know where to look, you can unlock extra features that'll make it even more effective. Your mobile browser is your gateway to the web, after all -- and whether you're doing important work-related research or, ahem, important work-related procrastination, you want to be as efficient as possible. These four settings are all about enhancing your productivity and eliminating annoyances that slow you down. So what are you waiting for? Let's do this: 1. Give your address bar a time-saving trick You probably already know you can use Chrome for Android's address bar to get instant answers on all sorts of things, ranging from equations to general knowledge. (If you didn't already know that, try it out: Type "34*67" or "What is the capital of Canada" into the bar at the to...

A San Francisco-based start-up is creating a line of Linux-based laptops and mobile devices designed with hardware and software to safeguard user privacy. Purism this week announced general availability of its 13-in. and 15-in. Librem laptops, which it says can protect users against the types of cyberattacks that led to the recent Intel AMT exploits and WannaCry ransomware attacks.

Google's Chrome OS is one of the world's most misunderstood computing platforms. Chromebooks are foundationally different from traditional PCs, after all -- and consequently, there are a lot of misconceptions about how they work and what they can and cannot do. Since people are always asking me whether a Chromebook might be right for their needs, I thought I'd put together a quick guide to help any such wonderers figure it out. Whether it's you or someone you know who's curious, the following three questions should help shed some light on what the platform's all about and for whom it makes sense. 1. Do you spend most of your time using the web and web-centric services? Think carefully here, as the answer might surprise you: What do you do most often on a computer? If the majority of your time is spent in a web browser -- whether it's reading news stories, surfing social media, or using web-centric services like Gmail and Google Docs -- then Chrome OS wo...

Google appears to be bringing some big new features to Chromebooks, starting with a still-in-development model codenamed “Eve.” The two biggest additions are support for a fingerprint sensor and the Google Assistant. But the device is also expected to have improved trackpad tech and one of Intel’s Kaby Lake processors. The details come from the site Chrome Unboxed, which has been closely tracking Eve’s progress through public comments left by Chrome OS developers. The site first discovered evidence of Eve last October. Since then, it’s found a wealth of details, including evidence that the device will be a convertible with a 2400 x 1600 touchscreen display at a 3:2 aspect ratio, a backlit keyboard, and stylus support. THE LAST FLAGSHIP CHROMEBOOK WITH AN INTEL PROCESSOR HAD MAJOR FLAWS It’s still not clear which company is actually making this Chromebook, nor when it’ll be released. Details were similarly leaked by Google last year about a Chromebook that went under the codename “K...