Google has now unveiled two new features for Chromebooks outside of the standard update cycle, including Ambient EQ and Netflix Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode. The former feature is going to be hardware related and limited to devices that are beginning to launch this year. But the other should be available to any user as of this writing. Namely, that’s Netflix PiP mode.
As its name implies, PiP mode for Netflix applies solely to that streaming service and enables a scaled-down window for that service to be overlaid on the screen. Summarily, that means users will be able to watch a Netflix show or movie while continuing to use their device.
For clarity, something like PiP mode could already have been accomplished via Netflix’s web interface. Users would simply need to put the service in its own window and resize that down. The new feature will work automatically and via the app, offering a more Android-like intuitive experience.
There’s no setup required for that feature to work either. No settings need to be adjusted. Users will need to ensure they have the latest version of the app from the Chromebook variant of the Google Play Store. Then, selecting another window or app will automatically scale down the app window to PiP mode.
Ambient EQ is the bigger feature here, despite its limited reach
Ambient EQ is arriving later this year for select Chromebooks but it will be the bigger feature as it becomes more commonly implemented. That’s because the feature works similarly to Android’s automatic brightness features. That is to say, it adapts the display to better suit the user’s environment.
Where Ambient EQ rises well beyond its mobile counterpart is in the breadth of what’s adjusted, likely enhanced by its premiere device’s AMOLED display. First set to appear on the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook, Ambient EQ adjusts more than screen brightness.
Google says the feature „naturally adjusts the white balance and color temperature of your Chromebook’s screen.” That’s not just based on room brightness. Google also engineered it to adapt based on the user’s „surroundings.”
In theory, that should equate to more in-depth adaptations than auto-brightness. But Google does provide an example shot showing „Night” and „Day” modes. So it won’t be too dissimilar to that either.
The search giant says that the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook will arrive in early April. That will be the first gadget to receive Ambient EQ features. Other Chromebooks will follow over the ensuing months and going forward.
Out of cycle updates are out of the norm for Chrome OS
Now, out of cycle updates for Google’s own hardware or for Android aren’t necessarily uncommon. But it is out of the norm for Ambient EQ and Netflix PiP to arrive on Chromebooks outside of the Chrome OS update cycle. But that doesn’t mean they both will and while PiP for Netflix is new, it’s arriving via an app update.
Chrome OS 81 isn’t slated to arrive until March 24. So Ambient EQ is likely to be added at that time.
So the key difference here is that no hardware will support Ambient EQ until the arrival of Samsung’s Galaxy-branded Chrome OS 2-in-1.
Picture-in-Picture mode is finally arriving for the Netflix app on Chrome OS
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Source: ndroidheadlines.com