On Monday, Google announces Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14The company’s latest AI-focused chromebook device. It especially comes with Chromebook a MediaTek Kompanio Ultra processor, an NPU, with 50 tops (trillions of operations per second), and a battery life of up to 17 hours.
But the announcement is not only about Google’s latest Chromebook Plus device: the company is also rolling new AI features for all its Chromebook Plus devices. Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 (and fully on-device) has exclusive two new features, and an additional four that will work on your current Chromebook Plus device.
Smart Grouping (Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 only)
Credit: Google
Google’s latest Chromebook “logical groups” can organize both open tabs and documents that you are currently on your Chromebook. In theory, the feature should help sort your different windows into organized classes, so that the appropriate tabs and doors are those where they should be. In practice, however, I can imagine that it is a bit of a disaster. What if AI does not fully understand my workflow, and decides that the relevant tabs for my work are not really relevant? I will put a thumb through my disturbance of the tab instead of trying to decod the interpretation of AI of my work.
Aye Emage Editing in Gallery (Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 only)
Google says that Lenovo can also edit images directly in the gallery app using Chromebook Plus 14AI. Although it may include several editing features, the company sheds light on two examples: removing the background with AI, and generating stickers from images. (I will argue that there is no second example In fact Count as image Editingbut I digress.)
Select to search with lenses
Google is bringing its “circle to search” facility in Chromebooks. The company is calling it “select to search with the lens”, allowing you to expose a section of your screen to start an AI-based web search. For example, if someone sends you a picture of sneakers, and you want to know where you can buy them, you can press the launcher for a long time, highlight the image of the sneaker, and let go, and a new web search will appear in a pop-up.
Text capture
Credit: Google
The “text capture” is one that paste the Google Optical Character Recognition (OCR), or the ability of the program to understand and copy text in any image. When you highlight an image that has a text, you will see that these OCR options appear, and when you can click on the “Copy” button to paste the text elsewhere, you may also have other options. If you highlight an invitation, for example, then you may see the option to add details to a new calendar entry.
What do you think so far?
Create pictures with AI quickly
Google has a new “Quick Insert” key to add images, photos or emoji to documents without leaving the first app. When you can use existing images and emoji here, the hook has the ability to generate images with AI, and insert them directly into the document.
“Help me read” simplifies the text
Credit: Google
Google’s current “Help Me Reid” feature is getting a new feature. In addition to summarizing a web page or answering questions about a document, “help me read” can now simplify the lesson. According to Google, this feature “takes the complex language and makes it more understandable, turning the dense text into an easy reading.”
This can certainly be helpful, but I cannot help, but wonder what we really want we experience on our equipment. If you are running late and whatever you are reading, require the sparknotes version of it? Sure. If you really want to understand a subject that is beyond your expertise? Ok. But I am worried that this “simplified” can reach the point where we do not need Thinking Now through complex subjects.
