We’re back with another episode of The Chrome Cast podcast and this week we dive into upcoming hardware, our thoughts on the Chromebook market, and how new ARM processors might impact things moving forward. But the bulk of our discussion revolves around Robby’s discovery of a Chromebook Plus branded version of the Acer Chromebook 516 GE. If you’ve listened to the podcast before, you’ve probably heard Robby talk about the 516 GE and his love for this device, so we take some time in this...

This week on The Chrome Cast podcast, we have a little hardware and a little software. For the first half of the show, we focus on a few new Chromebook releases: the kind of different but kind of the same Acer Chromebook Plus 514 and the Lenovo Chromebook Slim 3i that you should not buy. We wrap up our hardware segment with a discussion of a 4K Chromecast with Google TV that is rumored to be on the way and what we hope Google brings to their next-gen streaming dongle. In the second half of...

This week on The Chrome Cast podcast, we dive into a big update on the website, publishing our last YouTube video for a bit, and a mounting problem that has us frustrated with Google. The first half of the show is all about the return of the comments section on the website. After working through what turned into a complicated issue with Disqus, we are thrilled to have comments back on the site! It’s taken some time to get everything set up correctly, but we hope our improved comments section...

On this week’s episode of The Chrome Cast podcast, we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming with a discussion about wrapping up our Chromebook Plus reviews and an exciting exclusive demo of the upcoming Chromebook Plus AI features. We appreciate everyone tuning in last week as we explained why we’re taking a quick break from YouTube, but it was fun to get back to news coverage this week. For the first half of the show, we dive into our Chromebook Plus review process and the...

This week on The Chrome Cast podcast, we took a break from our normal news roundup and decided to explain some of how we got here, where we're heading, and why we've decided to take a few weeks off from publishing on YouTube. And no, Chrome Unboxed isn't going anywhere and we aren't quitting YouTube. We do talk through why this is probably happening on YouTube, but we are as focused and clear-headed about Chrome Unboxed as ever. We just need some time to focus on the launch of something...

We're back with another episode of The Chrome Cast podcast and on this week's show, we discuss some new, interesting hardware we've been testing. If you've been listening to the show or reading the site lately, you know that we have been working hard to get through our reviews of the Chromebook Plus models announced in October. So it was a nice change of pace when the Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk and Lenovo Chromebox Micro arrived at our office this week. We've been anxiously waiting for the...

We’re back with another episode of The Chrome Cast podcast and this week we tackle a few software updates that are coming soon to your Chromebook, the 2024 Google I/O announcement, and why we can’t wait for an exciting new accessory to show up. The first part of the show is dedicated to – you guessed it – Lacros. We’ve been talking about this de-coupled Chrome browser on Chromebooks for a while now but it looks like we could be nearing the finish line soon – maybe in ChromeOS 124! And...

This week on The Chrome Cast podcast, we focus most of our discussion around two main topics: the full review of the HP 15.6" Chromebook Plus and the new Casa Pop-Up Desk that includes a wireless trackpad that works with ChromeOS. The HP 15.6" review is the second to last review of Chromebook Plus models that were launched back in October, so we also talked through that process and why the Lenovo Slim 3i is still Robby's favorite. The second half of the conversation is all about the new...

This week on The Chrome Cast, we generally stick to a single topic: using the venerable Pixelbook in 2024. Originally released in the fall of 2017, the Pixelbook still largely stands alone in the world of laptops and Chromebooks when we talk about sheer ingenuity, aesthetics, and build quality. There’s simply never been anything like it before or since. But the larger conversation around this Chromebook circles back to the reasons Google is no longer actively developing any in-house...

This week on The Chrome Cast podcast, we’re diving deep into the potential of a new device from Samsung and why we think it’s the perfect time for a Galaxy Chromebook Plus. In case you’ve missed it, we’ve been reporting on the development of a new board in the repositories called “Xol” that we think could be a new Galaxy Chromebook Plus and so this took up much of our discussion this week but for good reason, it’s super exciting! We believe it’s time for Google and Samsung to work closely...

This week on the The Chrome Cast podcast, it's all about hardware! We are working our way through the Chromebook Plus reviews and have two new videos that we discuss. The first is our favorite of the bunch, the Lenovo Slim 3i Chromebook Plus. We dive into why Robby absolutely loves this Chromebook, from the excellent build quality and rigidity to the punchy screen and great keyboard. There's a lot to like with this one and it highlights the best of Chromebook Plus in all the right ways. In...

This week on The Chrome Cast, we stick to two major themes: the evolution and growth of NVIDIA GeForce NOW as it turns 4 years old and our review of the Acer Chromebook Plus 515. With GeForce NOW, there’s so much that has changed in their four years of existence, and nearly all of it has been for the better. For the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review, we chose to go a bit of a different route this time around, streamlining things to publish one of the shortest reviews we’ve ever made. And...

This week on The Chrome Cast, we take a look at CES 2024 and explain a bit about why we weren’t in attendance, why not many Chromebook announcements were made there, and what about the show stood out this week as coverage from other outlets flooded our news feeds. It’s a fun show that gives us a chance to spend a lot of our time talking about the new Chromebooks from ASUS and a bit about some fun tech that showed up in Las Vegas this year. Links Unboxing the new ASUS Chromebook CM30...

This week on The Chrome Cast, we take a look back at the tentpole moments of 2023 and how things changed over the last 365 days not just for us here at Chrome Unboxed, but for ChromeOS, Chromebooks and Google, too. From Chromebook Plus to the Dragonfly Pro to AI and more, we spend a good bit of time unpacking all the stuff that made 2023 the year that it was. Links 2023 Chrome Unboxed Year in Review Introducing Chromebook Plus: the new standard for fast, capable, fun-to-use devices...

On this episode of The Chrome Cast, we begin by talking about the amazing deals out there right now for Chromebooks under $300, and the conversation simply took off from that point. We’re in a stage in the Chromebook story where Chromebook Plus is a relevant player in the overall narrative that is driving prices for great Chromebooks down to pretty remarkable places. Just a few years ago, I loathed talking too much about affordable Chromebooks because most of them were flat-out bad and not...

On this episode of The Chrome Cast, we really did attempt to continue with our one-subject-per-podcast format this week, but in talking about ASUS' newly-launched ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus, our conversation diverged to include not just ASUS' new, top-dog Chromebook, but Chromebook Plus, the HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, Intel Core i3 performance, and Intel's new Core Ultra-branded chips for laptops across the board. Obviously, the main focus of our discussion is all about this...

For this episode of The Chrome Cast, we're sticking with our new format of sticking to a single topic. And this time around, we've decided to work through our "Best Chromebooks" list for the end of the year live on the podcast. There was no planning for this and you can listen as we talk through and create the list that will likely become what we're thinking will be our first-ever "12 Chromebooks of Christmas". How's that for a bit of multitasking? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

For this episode of The Chrome Cast, we’re trying something a bit different. Instead of trying to cover a week’s worth of stuff in a single, 90-minute show, we’re going to break our episodes into topic-specific segments and publish more often. This way, you don’t have to give over an hour to listen and we have the flexibility to jump in and produce a new episode with a bit more ease. It’s a win-win! For this episode, our discussion topic circles around the issues with ChromeOS 119 and the...

This week on The Chrome Cast, our discussion is largely dominated by the naming mess that Chromebook Plus is facing right now. Sure, there are 8 “new” Chromebook Plus devices that were launched with the announcement, but as of mid-October, a bunch of other existing devices also got the full Chromebook Plus upgrade. The issue? If you don’t know better and walk into a store or are browsing online, looking for Chromebook Plus (as the marketing is pushing consumers to do), you may pass on many...

This week on The Chrome Cast, loosely everything we discuss circles around one, large topic: Chromebook Plus. From the myriad of deals on Chromebook Plus devices to discussing the prowess of Chromebook Plus processors and the possibility of new Chromebook Plus tablets, this week’s show largely stays focused on Chromebook Plus. We also discuss the curious case of the Pixel Tablet as well: a device still stuck in limbo, trying to figure out what its purpose truly is. With the Google Assistant...

This week on The Chrome Cast, we begin by talking about our latest giveaway: 3 Lenovo Chromebook Slim 3i Chromebooks! While these devices don’t have Chromebook Plus on the lid, they are Chromebook Plus through-and-through. As my favorite Chromebook Plus model thus far (and the first I plan to review), I’m beyond excited to be able to give away three of these excellent Chromebooks courtesy of Lenovo. From there, we move on to talk about the fact that there are no real differences in devices...

This week on The Chrome Cast, we discuss the potential for a new Chromebook Plus model that could be on the way from Samsung. From the heights of the Samsung Chromebook Plus/Pro and Galaxy Chromebook to the oddly-named and poorly-executed devices like the Galaxy Chromebook Go and Galaxy Chromebook 2 360, Samsung has been on a rough path in the ChromeOS space for years at this point. But their comeback could be solidified with a well-thought-out Chromebook Plus model that looks to be in the...

Today on The Chrome Cast podcast, we get into all of the hardware and software details from the Chromebook Plus announcement that we didn’t have time to cover in our episode last week. If you listened to that episode, you know that the Chromebook Plus certification represents the biggest change to Chromebooks we’ve seen since we started our coverage in 2015 and so there was a lot to talk about from a big picture perspective. But from a consumer standpoint, the hardware requirements and...

For this episode of The Chrome Cast, we dive into all the announcements from Google’s 10/4 hardware event. From a keynote that announced everything from the Pixel 8 Pro to the Pixel Watch 2 and generative AI everywhere, there’s clearly a lot to talk about. Show Links New Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones are here: what you need to know Google unveils the Pixel Watch 2, complete with a stress detector, temperature sensor, and more Why the Fitbit Charge 6 is on my wrist instead of the Pixel...