Google Says “No Plan to Phase Out Chrome OS”

Amidst growing rumors and speculation based off a report from The Wall Street Journal, which stated that “Alphabet Inc.’s Google plans to fold its Chrome operating system for personal computers into its Android mobile operating system, according to people familiar with the matter.”

Google took to it’s blog to inform us of its plans (or lack thereof) for the forseeable future. In the blog post, SVP of Android, Chrome OS and Chromecast, Hiroshi Lockheimer cleared the air regarding the future of Chrome OS.

While we’ve been working on ways to bring together the best of both operating systems, there’s no plan to phase out Chrome OS.

The blog post further goes on to list the success of Chrome OS since its launch six years ago, from its wide adoption in US classrooms to its ease of management for IT administrators. There’s also the fact that Chromebooks continue on increasing in popularity, with more and more manufacturers adopting this web based solution. As a result, we are slated to see even more devices in 2016 on this OS.

The post also mentions on the future plans for Chrome OS. In the works is a new media player, a visual refresh based on Material Design, along with the usual promise of under-the-hood improvements and security updates. Chromebooks are guaranteed auto-updates for five years, making their future look all but questionable.

With the ability to run Android apps on Chrome already existing, the report from WSJ held ample weight when it mentioned that Chrome OS could fold. The dream of running true Android in a desktop environment enticed many of us to hope that the merge would be for the best. Afterall, it seemed like a logical step, a natural progression, for Android to move forth from its mobile success to a much more tasking but comparatively resource independent format.

What are your views on the independance of Chrome OS and Android? Would you have liked Chrome OS to fold into Android? Let is know your thoughts in the comments below!

Read on for related content:

• Report Suggests that Google Will Fold Chrome OS into Android
• Google Executive Says They Are “Very Committed to Chrome OS”
• Sunday Debate: How Can Android Tablets Rise Again?

Cover Image: Redmond Pie

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Android 6.0 OmniROM Available for the OnePlus One

A mixture of Marshmallow and Bacon can be very delicious. XDA Recognized Developer herna has published an early version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow for the OnePlus One. OmniROM still has a couple of issues to work on, but it’s just a matter of time to get them fixed. Head over to the thread to learn more.

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Amazon.com Discounts the 2nd Gen Moto X to $199.99

For today only, you can pick up the 2014 Moto X directly from Amazon with a very hefty discount. The device has a retail listing of $499.99 but you can pick it up today for only $199.99. It is currently available in Black Leather, Black Soft Touch and White/Bambo until supplies last.

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Iven News Reader, a Lightweight Feed Reader

We’re always on the lookout for apps made by active XDA community members! If you’ve made such an app, let us know by contacting any portal writer.

When Google brought down the axe on Google Reader, a lot of people had to look for alternatives for RSS news aggregators to get their daily dose of information. Over time, more and more good alternatives started flowing in, filling in the void that once was.

Iven News Reader is one of those alternatives, focusing on a lightweight approach in delivering RSS feeds. Developed by XDA Senior Member ivn888 and his teammate EnricoD, Iven News Reader allows you to navigate various feeds in a quick, easy and hassle free manner.

The app supports various Material Design elements such as navigation views and responsive toolbars on even pre-ICS devices. There are also options to choose a dark theme, enable navbar tint as well as immersive mode (Kitkat and above). One can also enable webview usage in the app, which adds the ability to open webpages from within the app. This helps as you no longer need to leave the app for an external browser when you intend to read the full article. To add cherry on top of the proverbial cake, the app is 100% free and is released as open source under the GPL, allowing anyone to view the source code and make modifications according to their needs.

In my usage of the app, I personally liked the hassle-free approach used by the developer, as the news are presented right after the splash screen, even upon first boot of the app. However, a slightly glaring shortcoming is that I could not find any way to add or remove feeds. This essentially restricts your field of interests and choice of feeds to the developers wishes. Although, being open source, adding a feed or removing one is easy, this factor still limits the recommendability of the app to a person who is not keen on meddling with code and compiling apk’s.

With all being said and done, the app is very impressive for being a day old app from a hobbyist. There’s plenty of room for improvement, and the developer knows that. We hope the app continues to move along forward and works towards fulfilling its potential.

Check out Iven News Reader in its forum thread or on the Play Store, try it out and be sure to leave some constructive feedback.

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Premium Feel, Quick Updates: Media & Critics Shape our Phones, For Better or Worse

Huawei Teases the Mate 8 for a November 26th Launch

Huawei is getting ready to launch the upcoming Mate 8 phablet as the company has just released a teaser that includes the launch date of November 26th. Rumors suggest the device will launch with their own SoC, the Kirin 950, a 6-inch Quad HD display and a 16MP rear-facing camera.

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Joshua Topolsky Interviews Matias Duarte

On Joshua Topolsky’s Tomorrow Podcast, Matias Duarte talks about how he is no longer working on Android and instead has taken to focus on Material Design for all of Google’s products and services. We also learn about Matias’s thought process when it comes to design, the evolution of the smartphone and many other facets of his work.

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