Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 5 2023 i Windows User

Step 1 ❱ Say ‘Hey Google, open settings’. Providing you’ve got the Chromebook plugged into a power source, the Google Assistant will open the Settings Page. Step 2 ❱ Click on the power, Wifi and time icon in the bottom-right of the desktop. When the information menu opens, look to the cog icon in the top row, and click it. The Settings page will open. Step 3 ❱ Either method will take you to the Settings page. In here are all manner of tweaks, adjustments and alterations you can do the core of Chrome OS and your experience when using it. Use it with caution, though. While nothing too bad can come from most of these settings, some could cause you problems, and others will wipe your account off the…

Step 1 ❱ You’ll find the Screensaver option under Wallpaper, the last of the first batch of three options within the Personalisation page. Step 2 ❱ The screensaver in Chrome OS is disabled by default, so to enable it you’ll need to click the slider that’s currently labelled ‘Off’ to the ‘On’ position. Step 3 ❱ To change the images displayed while the screensaver is on, click on one of the two options: Google Photos, or, Art Gallery. If you’re new to a Google account, then you’re not likely to have many, if any at all, Google Photos. For now, click the Art Gallery option. Step 4 ❱ Tick which of the image sets you want displayed on the screensaver, then click the left-pointing arrow above to return to the…

Step 1 ❱ There are only two options available within the Apps category of the Personalisation section: Manage Your Apps, and, Google Play Store. Start by clicking on the first option – Manage Your Apps. Step 2 ❱ The Manage Your Apps section will list all the currently installed Chrome OS apps on the system. You can click each of the apps in turn to delve deeper into how they interact with the system, or to Pin them to the Shelf. Options within here include whether to enable permissions to access the webcam, microphone and geo location. Step 3 ❱ One of the best advances in Chrome OS is the ability to install and use Google Play Store apps. Although some are designed specifically for tablets or phones, most will…

Step 1 ❱ Printers! Yes, despite the best efforts of everyone trying to become more paperless, we still use a considerable amount of paper. Printing is essential, though, so Chrome OS wouldn’t be much use without the ability to connect to a printer. Click the Printers option to start connecting to your local network printer. Step 2 ❱ Print Jobs opens a new window that details the current prints in the printer queue. You can delete jobs, clear the printer job history and push one or other jobs above the others in priority. The Scan option, locates any available scanners, as well as scan documents and images directly to the Chromebook. Step 3 ❱ The Files section is an interesting addition. There are two options available here: Disconnect Google Drive…

Step 1 ❱ The Powerwash feature isn’t to be taken lightly. As we’ve already mentioned, it can completely wipe all content from the Chromebook and reset it back to the basic, default setup. Only use this if something has gone wrong, and the Chromebook is near unusable. Step 2 ❱ To start, click on the Reset button in the Powerwash option. You’ll be asked to restart the Chromebook prior to accepting the Powerwash. Step 3 ❱ After clicking the Restart button, the Chromebook will reboot itself, but as the sign-in page appears, another window will pop up asking you for confirmation to proceed with the Powerwash. Click the Powerwash button to continue. Step 4 ❱ It’s worth reiterating that going ahead with a Powerwash will destroy all the files on…

Step 1 ❱ Start by opening your main Google Accounts page, this can be accessed by entering https://myaccount.google.com into a browser. From the main account home page, you’re able to check on the current levels of privacy, your information and security. Step 2 ❱ The Take the Privacy Check-Up box, located in the lower right of the four available boxes, is a good place to start. Simply click on the Get Started link, at the bottom of the box, to initiate a step-by-step guide on helping you choose the right privacy settings. Step 3 ❱ The Privacy Check-Up section is broken down into several subcategories, offering you the chance to review the key settings that determine how Google controls its activity toward you, what ads are displayed, how others will…

Setting Up Alerts Step 1 ❱ To get started setting up an alert, navigate to www.google.co.uk/alerts. Enter your query just as if you were doing a normal Google search. You can use the various Google search options, including quotes, minus sign, to exclude words and the site prefix to find specific types of website. Step 2 ❱ Using the Show options menu, you can choose to tell Google to only provide content of a specific type (videos, for example) or you can request that every type of result is sent to you. Everything alerts include results from Google Web Search, Google Blog Search and Google News. Step 3 ❱ The next step is to choose a delivery rate. The default is once a day: Google Alerts checks for new results…

Chrome Themes Chrome Extensions are web-based programmes that are designed to be used entirely within the browser. Using apps, you can do things like create documents, edit photos and listen to music, without having to install complicated third-party software on your computer. Themes on the other hand are purely aesthetic as they change the look of the Chrome browser and do not add any further functionality. Think of Themes as a way of injecting a little extra bit of your personality into your web browser. Step 1 ❱ You can access the Web Store easily by clicking on the Apps Icon in the top left area of the page when you start Chrome. The Apps page will slide into view, displaying any apps you currently have installed (Gmail and YouTube…

Chrome-Casting Your Screen ❱ Have you ever been browsing online and stumbled upon a video, or photograph, that you want to share with those around you on the big screen of your family TV? With the additional purchase of a Google Chromecast you will be able to do just that, by casting content from your Chrome browser, on your desktop or mobile devices, to your TV. The quickest way to do this, on your desktop device, is by right-clicking on the Chrome window and then clicking on “Cast”. On a mobile, tap the Three dot icon, top right of the Chrome app, and tap “Cast”. Incognito Window ❱ There are several ways to open a new incognito window for Chrome. If you have a Chrome shortcut pinned to the task…

Step 1 ❱ The quickest way to create a new Desk is to simply locate, and press the Show Windows key on your Chromebook (the one that looks like:). This will display all the currently open desktops and windows. Step 2 ❱ Look to the top of the screen, you’ll see a button labelled ‘Desk 1’ and a plus icon to the right of it. Click on the plus icon, and this will create a brand-new Desk. You’ll be given the option to name the new Desk, so call it whatever you want; we’ve called ours ‘Coding’ for this example. Step 3 ❱ When you want to switch to an already created Desk, hit the Show Windows key, and click on the Desk you want. You can rename Desks by…

A Chromebook is capable and versatile, but there are plenty of things it can’t do. As mentioned earlier, it can’t run specialist software that’s only available on Macs or PCs. If you’re an engineer that needs to run AutoCAD, a novelist or playwright who works in Scrivener or a graphic designer who can’t do without Photoshop and InDesign, a Chromebook is not for you. Serious photo and video editing is beyond a low-cost Chromebook too; it simply doesn’t have the processing power needed for the job. But could you work away from home taking your shots and footage, review them on site using your Chrome OS notebook and bring them back home for processing? It might be an option. As discussed earlier, the Chromebook is not a great gaming platform.…

Step 1 ❱ The first step is to click the top option within the Personalisation page: Change Device Account Image. This will change the display of the main panel. Step 2 ❱ As you’ll see from the new display, there’s a lot you can opt for in terms of having a new account image. You can choose anything from a cartoon graphic of an animal, through to your own unique image. Step 3 ❱ You can click any of the default images, which will change the main, large image that’s displayed next to them. However, if you want something more personal, click the Camera icon. This activates the Chromebook webcam, and you can take a picture of yourself. Step 4 ❱ Alternatively, you can click the Folder icon (next to…

Step 1 ❱ There are only two options in the Search and Assistant category within the Personalisation page. The first details changing the default search engine from Google to either Bing, or Yahoo! Click on the Configure button to make the choice. Step 2 ❱ Clicking the Google Assistant option will open up a varied set of new options. You opt to use the Google Assistant, provide related info on the screen when dealing with your query, and whether ‘OK Google’ is active only when the Chromebook is plugged in to save on power. Step 3 ❱ The Retrain option is always worth exploring if you find that the Google Assistant is beginning to ignore you, or picking up someone else instead of you. Simply click the Retrain button, then…

Some of the features within the Advanced section are still only in their Beta stages. This example applies to the Linux feature. Linux, as we’ve discussed previously, is what Chrome OS is built on top of; the Linux Kernel to be exact. With this feature enabled, you can access the core Linux components, as well as a Linux command line, and install Integrated Developer Environments. The Linux environment is really designed for developers, and those who want to write code for the Linux Kernel. It is possible to install more Linux tools on top of the Chrome OS Linux developer environment, but this is something that we won’t be looking at in this instance. In short, there’s a lot you can do and customise, expand and include when you dive…

Step 1 ❱ Access to Linux is turned off by default, so you’ll need to click on the Turn On button. More information can be found, prior to turning on Linux Developer Mode, by clicking the Learn More hyperlink. Step 2 ❱ The Linux Developer environment is currently (at the time of writing) still in its Beta stage, so you may come across some issues when using it. If you’re ready to start experimenting with Linux on Chrome OS, click the Next button to continue. Step 3 ❱ The next step asks you to setup the Linux Developer environment, using your Chrome OS username. This you can change, as well as the amount of disk space the environment will be using. However, if you’re not sure what to opt for,…

Online Passwords If you are anything like us, the number of passwords that you need to remember grows on an almost daily basis and because of this, it can be tempting to use the same or similar passwords for several different websites. This is a bad idea, particularly if your chosen password is something easy to guess such as your name or date of birth. Here are a few tips to consider when creating passwords. Keep them Unique ❱ Having a unique password for each website you are required to log in to is a very good idea, particularly for things like email and online banking. Although security on a banking website is likely to be very good, if you use the same password on a website with less stringent…

• Make sure that your child doesn’t publish personal information like their location, email address, phone number or date of birth. • Make sure they are very careful about what images and messages they post, even among trusted friends: once they are online they can be shared widely and are extremely difficult to get removed. • Encourage your child to talk to you if they come across anything they find offensive or upsetting. Keep a record of anything abusive or offensive they’ve received and report any trouble to the site management: most sites have a simple reporting procedure, normally activated by clicking on a link on the page. • If your child makes an online friend and wants to meet up with them in real life, you should go along…

Google Search Searching with Google is easy! You simply enter your search term, e.g. “cupcake recipes”, on the Google page for your country and click the search button. Google will then display the results of the search in order of relevance. There are, however, several ways to refine and target your search for even better results. Understanding Google Search Results When you perform a search on Google the results are split into two categories: Paid and Organic results. Paid results can be thought of more like adverts, with their position on the results page determined by how much the advertiser has paid. The organic results are those which are most relevant, respected or popular for your search term. 1 Search Options 2 Paid Results 3 Organic Results The Knowledge Graph…

Step 1 ❱ Navigate to the Google trends website trends.google.com to be presented with this home page. This is a far complex application so be advised to take a few moments to get used to the layout and the control options you will find here. Step 2 ❱ Scrolling down through the home page you will find the various options including latest stories, insights and updates, historical data and recently trending search results. We will look at all of these but to start let’s focus on the main search bar. Step 3 ❱ In the search bar, enter your term and click on the magnifying glass to activate your search. Some will bring a variety of different searches or similar terms, if this is the case a drop down menu…

Changing the Theme Step 1 ❱ Open Chrome on your computer and click on the Chrome Menu button in the top right corner. Look for the Chrome options link, click this and select Settings and this window will open. Step 2 ❱ From the Settings screen click on Themes from the Appearance options. This will take you to the Chrome Web Store, which shows web apps and extensions. To view the available themes, scroll down to the left-hand menu and click the Themes link. A selection of themes will now be displayed on screen. Step 3 ❱ To select and activate a theme, simply roll over the thumbnail and click the Add to Chrome button. Your chosen theme is automatically downloaded, installed and activated in a few seconds (depending on…

Installing Plug-ins Step 1 ❱ Assuming that you allow websites to use plug-ins, if Google Chrome detects that you’re missing a particular plug-in for a page you are trying to view, you will see a prompt to install the plug-in at the top of the web page. Step 2 ❱ Click Install plug-in in the message dialog. Some plug-ins begin the installation process by downloading a setup file to your computer. For those plug-ins, make sure that you confirm the download by clicking Save in the downloads bar that appears. Step 3 ❱ Once the download has finished, restart Google Chrome by closing all open windows to complete the installation process. This is an important step as Chrome needs to be restarted or it will continue to look for the…

Step 1 ❱ The only problem with install apps on a Chromebook is that you’re spoiled for choice. Unless you specially know what app you want to install, you can find yourself dredging through the millions available. Start by locating the Google Play Store app on the Shelf. Step 2 ❱ Let’s install a game for our first example. In the Search bar in the Google Play Store open window, enter: Infinitode 2. Infinitode 2 is a great, new tower defence game from developer Prineside. Click on the first result in the search. Step 3 ❱ When you click on a result, such as we’ve done in Step 2, information regarding the app will be displayed, including screenshots, reviews, and details on the title itself. For now, though, we just…

The disadvantage is the Chromebook’s lack of raw processing power. Take a Windows laptop, for example, even one of the mid-range varieties, and they will wipe the floor with a Chromebook when it comes to the speed of the process, capabilities of graphics, size and speed of memory and the amount of storage available. This level of processing power is what will drive most power users to stay with their tried and tested, traditional laptops – be they Windows 10 or MacBook. Versatility vs Power ❱ A Chromebook’s advantage lies in its versatility. There’s something for everyone here, from the standard Word and Microsoft Office user, through to the digital editor, avid gamer, and even developers. However, what the Chromebook may lack in oomph, it certainly makes up for with…

A tablet is a near-perfect platform on which to express your artistic tendencies. Its large display and professional-quality surface and capabilities make for an excellent drawing pad. The smartphone, on the other hand, is a little more difficult. But with the release of Procreate Pocket, artists can now unleash their talents on the smaller screen. Don’t be fooled into thinking the iPhone version of Procreate is a cut-down release; it’s not. In fact, it’s matched with the iPad in terms of features, technicalities and abilities. There are hundreds of handmade brushes available, alongside a suite of tools and the new Valkyrie Graphics Engine – the latest, and fastest, 64-bit painting engine. Highlights include UHD canvases, up to 16k x 4k, a Dark Mode interface, a QuickShape feature for creating perfect…

In order to get the best understanding of the Chromebook, we’re going to need to master the ins and outs of Chrome OS. This is best done by customising, and personalising, and spending some time investigating its settings and seeing how things work. In this section, Our team of experts make Chrome OS Their own, and delve into its core to further understand operating systems before making their decision on the Google Chromebook. Remember all the apps discussed here can be downloaded on to your Windows devices too! So why not give them a try for yourself?…

Step 1 ❱ The next option beneath the Change Device Account Image is Wallpaper. As you would expect, click this to proceed. Step 2 ❱ This option opens slightly differently to many of the other Personalisation and indeed the Settings pages. It’s a separate app, so the main Settings page will drop into the background, and the new Wallpaper app will launch. Step 3 ❱ There are possibly hundreds of pre-installed desktop backgrounds to choose from by looking through the list of categories on the left of the pane. The first image of each category has a Daily Refresh, which will cycle through the available image within that category. Step 4 ❱ If you want to add your own image, such as a wallpaper downloaded from the internet, then ensure…

Step 1 ❱ The first option here is configuring the Chrome OS Lock Screen and Sign-In. Click the link, and you’ll be asked to enter your Google Account password to continue. When you have, you’ll be able to activate the Lock Screen when waking from Sleep Mode, and choose whether to unlock the Chromebook with the password, or a combination password and PIN. Step 2 ❱ Manage Other People is an option that allows you to enable or disable the Guest account, display Chrome OS usernames and Account Images at the sign-in screen, and the ability to restrict sign-in to Chrome OS to certain users. Step 3 ❱ The next two options in the Security and Privacy category detail the use of Chrome OS to send diagnostic and usage data…

Step 1 ❱ Time Zone is the first option here, and clicking it will enable you to specify how the Chromebook will get the correct time and date. By default, the IP address of the Chromebook will determine its location, and therefore current time and date, but you can specify your own. The second option is whether you want to use the 24-hour clock format, or not. Step 2 ❱ Languages and Inputs enable you to change the device’s language, or change the available Web Content Languages. This means any websites that support multiple languages will always default to the first supported language in the available list. You can add more languages, and have Translations. Step 3 ❱ Inputs allows you to specify different language and keyboard inputs, for example,…

Step 1 ❱ Two options are available in the Accessibility category: Always show accessibility options in the system menu, and Manage accessibility features. The first permanently displays the accessibility options available, and should be enabled if you, or someone else who uses the Chromebook requires these features. Step 2 ❱ The second option, Manage accessibility features, delves into more depth. Click it, and you can enable the Text-to-Speech, ChromeVox assistant, and configure its setup and use. Step 3 ❱ Further down the list, you can personalise the display settings with High Contrast mode, a full-screen magnifier, and to adjust the text size. Step 4 ❱ There’s a lot to configure in here, and it caters for every possible accessibility need there is. You can adjust the keyboard captions, use a…

Cookies (or HTML Cookies) are small files used by websites to recognise individual users (or rather, recognise their computer). When you visit a website, a cookie is stored in a temporary folder on your computer. When you next visit that site, the cookie will be checked for. Different sites use cookies to store different information but a good example is information in a form being automatically filled when visiting a site you have used recently to order something. Almost all modern browsers, including Internet Explorer, Chrome and Safari, allow you to block cookies from being downloaded. However, it is worth remembering that many websites now need cookies to work properly, and so blocking them could mean your browsing experience is a frustrating one. Cookies are nothing to be afraid of,…

Shopping Search This feature allows you to search only shopping results for any term you enter into the search box on Google. Step 1 ❱ You can open the Shopping search screen by typing www.google.co.uk/shopping into your browser address field. Your browser should automatically detect your location and filter any results to your own currency. Step 2 ❱ You will see that the shopping search screen is very different from a standard Google search screen, with products shown in sections such as electronics, clothing and even as specific as Nexus 6. What is shown depends on your search history in Google. Step 3 ❱ Clicking on one of the product sections will display a list of results for that type of product. Alternatively, you can type a search term into…

1 Tabs ❱ Just like almost all other browsers, Chrome lets you open multiple web pages at once and display them in tabs. Simply click on any tab to display the page. To add a new tab, click on the small tab to the right of the last one. To remove a tab, click the small X on the right of the tab you want to close. You can also manage tabs from the Chrome options menu. 2 Navigation Controls ❱ From left to right, the main buttons you use when navigating web pages using Chrome are: Back, Forward, Refresh and Home. Click and hold on both the Back and Forward buttons to see your recent navigation history. The Home button may not be displayed here on a brand new install of…

Signing in to Chrome Before you can sync your Chrome settings, you will need to sign in using a common Google account. Step 1 ❱ Open Chrome on your computer and click on the Chrome User button in the top right corner. Now follow the on-screen instructions and sign into your account. Click this and a new window will open. Step 2 ❱ You will now need to sign in using the Google account that you use on your other devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.). You probably only have one account but if you have more than one, make sure you check this. Step 3 ❱ A Sync Settings windows should now open but if not, go to Chrome Menu > Settings > Advanced Sync Settings. Here you can select what…

Step 1 ❱ The first time you fill out a form, Google Chrome automatically saves the contact information that you enter, like your name, address, phone number or email address, as an Autofill entry. You can store multiple addresses as separate entries. Step 2 ❱ Chrome can also save your credit card information, with your permission. When you do this on a form, Chrome asks you at the top of the page whether you’d like to save the information. Step 3 ❱ If your Chrome Autofill information is correct, you don’t need to do anything more. If you have changed address recently, or some of the other information has changed, it can be frustrating for Chrome to keep suggesting the wrong info. Step 4 ❱ To manage your Autofill entries,…

Step 1 ❱ One of the easiest ways to remove an existing app that’s currently located on the Shelf, is to simply two-finger tap and hold, then from the context menu that pops up select Uninstall. This is unobtrusively remove the app from your Chromebook. Step 2 ❱ If, however, the app you want to remove isn’t located on the Shelf. Click on the Launcher in the bottom-left of the desktop, followed by the up-pointing arrow to bring up the full-screen list of all the available apps installed on the Chromebook. Step 3 ❱ From the list of apps, locate the one you want to remove. Then, as with Step 1, two-finger tap and hold to bring up the context menu, and from the list select Uninstall. This will, as…

Well, in terms of a Chromebook, maybe not better, but perhaps just as well. It’s worth breaking down some of the more popular aspects of modern computing, and seeing how a Chromebook would fare next to something like a Windows 10/11 laptop. Your uses may differ, but there’s always some basic crossover involved. For example, someone who spends all day writing documents for work may not want to do any gaming on their computer in their free time, but they may like watching the latest movies on one. Likewise, an avid gamer may not have any need to do any coding or development work, but a recently released game could enable modifications through some low-level code, which may mean they’ll dip their toes into the world of programming. Either way, here’s…

The GorillaPod range of camera and mobile phone tripods is among the most versatile and comprehensive mounts around, and now there’s one for the latest, MagSafe smartphones. The lower half of the device is business as usual; a regular GorillaPod tripod which you can bend and mould into almost any shape. Need a shorter leg to compensate for an uneven platform? You’ve got it. Want to mount your phone at a lower height without sacrificing stability? Not a problem. You can even hold the legs together and use it as a (short) selfie stick, or bend them around a tree branch or metal pole to hold your phone in positions that just wouldn’t be possible with a traditional tripod. Click and stick The upper part of the device, which holds…

This is the perfect editor for anyone wanting to put together videos quickly and easily. It takes literally just a few minutes to get the hang of using it, and you’ll be putting together your own videos in next to no time. Ease of use is everything in an app like this, and Splice manages to be flexible enough to create good, professional-looking videos while keeping everything so simple you can’t go wrong. You can add videos and static pictures as well as title pages. Choose from a variety of fades to move from one to the next. You can add music tracks from iTunes, record a voiceover or use the sound from the videos themselves. Adding and removing sections is easily accomplished with a couple of button presses. Click…

Ridley Scott’s original Aliens from 1979 was a ground-breaking piece of cinema. Set within the claustrophobic confines of a spaceship, the crew are hunted by an alien creature of immense death-dealing impressiveness. It was tense, scary as hell and the feeling of absolute terror seeped through the screen as the protagonist, Ripley, tries to flush the beast into the depths of space. Sadly, that sense of terror had never really been conveyed through gaming. True, there have been several Aliens-based games in the past, for all manner of systems (one of our favourites was a Doom Aliens mod, from 1994), and we did have space-based horror in the form of System Shock and Dead Space, but the Alien franchise always felt a little flat. However, 2014’s Alien: Isolation from SEGA…

Part game, part interactive movie, when Another World was first released for the Amiga it was more than just another game. It was a real interactive experience. Rather than falling into one of the established genres of the time, Another World was neither a puzzle game, a shoot-’em-up nor a platformer, but it was all of these and more. Playing it now it’s easy to forget how revolutionary it was at the time. The spookily realistic sprite animation still looks very nice, but it was gob-smacking in 1991. The game begins with a scientific experiment gone wrong, which transports the main character to a strange, dream-like world and so begins the adventure where you take on challenge after challenge as you try to stay alive and figure out a way…