Google's new hardware revealed and Lacros on ChromeOS Flex

The Chrome Cast

This week, we begin the conversation around Google’s upcoming hardware event slated for October 4th. We’re just a few weeks away, and now that Google has made all the new stuff we already expected official, we can begin looking forward to the event and seeing how the new Pixel phones and the new Pixel Watch 2 fit into Google’s larger vision for what they’d like to do on mobile for the next year.

For the second half, we begin by talking about a recent experiment where we tested out the decoupled Lacros Chrome browser on a Windows laptop running ChromeOS Flex, but we quickly diverge into a longer chat about the need for Google to address the rising e-waste problem coming from education-focused Chromebooks. While ChromeOS Flex would seem to offer the clearest path forward there, it doesn’t look to be on Google’s roadmap, and I’m beyond confused as to why that is.

Links

• Google finally gives us a look at the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Watch 2 on purpose
• The latest Pixel 8 Pro “leak” doesn’t feel like an accident this time around
• An updated Chromecast with Google TV may be on the way: here’s what I’d love to see
• Yes, I have iMessage working on a Chromebook with Beeper for Android [VIDEO]
• Testing the new Lacros browser on ChromeOS Flex: it works! [VIDEO]

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