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Google's Chrome Remote Desktop has been refreshed and is still free

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Chrome Remote Desktop has been around for years and has always been a free and reliable alternative to products like TeamViewer, GoToMyPC, and many more. 

Not only was (and is) it a free service but even the most non-technical user could get it setup and running in a matter of minutes: download the Chrome extension, install a mini app, set up a local password and voila. 

Long live Progressive Web Apps

I will write about Progressive Web Apps in a future article but I am in love with them. PWAs are magical web "apps" that work online, offline and on all device types.

Google has redesigned its Remote Desktop access site (which had not been updated in years) to act like a PWA ( https://remotedesktop.google.com )

Using this website, you can now access a Google Remote Desktop simply and efficiently using any mobile browser. This new approach no longer requires extensions (to access remote desktops). 

A new feature is the ability to connect to a Chromebook remotely. This only makes sense when using it for remote support. 

To request support, you visit the site, install the mini app and click on Request Support. Your support person visits the site, uses the code and within seconds is helping you solve your issue. 

Official information from Google is scarce, and there aren't any support write-ups about this new refreshed version. Obviously, this was updated to support their effort to kill all Chrome apps. Consider this service beta and expect it to have a few hiccups, but it is a wonderfully promising start. 

ChromeOS 62 rolling out now with Krack patch

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Google started rolling out Chrome 62 to Windows and Mac clients about a week ago and now most Chromebook users should have received the update. For those that haven't realized it, Chromebook updates typically lag behind their Windows/Mac counterpart by about a week.

What does ChromeOS 62 bring?

ChromeOS 62 brings an improved file manager, improved OS notifications, and most importantly vulnerability fixes (including the famous KRACK vulnerability).

Pressing and holding a file in the file manager now allows you to select a file (or more) instead of bringing up the right-click menu.

Google updated the system notification to look more like Android notifications (they use to look more like Chrome for Windows notifications in the past). This more Androidesque style brings material design with large icons. 

If you take a screenshot, you are now presented with a thumbnail of the notification (similar to Android). 

You now have better captive portal detection  ( that interstitial webpage in a coffee shop that asks you for your email address before giving you web access).

The most important update for me (a security guy) is the remediation of the WPA2 KRACK vulnerability.