Chromebooks, as they are usually cheap, durable and safe, are popular laptops in schools. Google wants to make them even more student-friendly and is announcing a set of new features today, along with a series of updates for its education-oriented products. In addition to promising 40 new Chrome devices, the company is also bringing accessibility improvements and a screen recorder integrated into the operating system.
The screen recorder will arrive in the latest Chromebook update in March, which should make it easier for users to teach others to do things. Although Google does not share details about what its 40 new devices are, he said they include convertibles and offer things like touch screens, stylus support, dual cameras and LTE connectivity. Since there will be so many Chromebooks to choose from, the company has also launched a new guide to choosing the right one for you.
As for accessibility improvements, Google says its ChromeVox screen reader for the operating system has new features “including improved tutorials, the ability to search ChromeVox menus and smooth voice change that automatically changes the screen reader’s voice based on language of the text. “
The company is also allowing parents to add their children’s school accounts (through the institution’s Workspace for Education) to their children’s personal accounts managed with Family Link. That way, students can log into their school accounts at home and use the apps and websites they need, while their parents can still set permissions for using devices and apps.