Using a Chromebook and having problems? You aren't the only one. In the middle of typing, your cursor can jump to the center of another sentence or jumble all of your words. It's not only annoying, it can get confusing to fix. What you need to do is disable the touchpad.

On some Windows PCs there's a simple solution that involves pressing a key at the top. That isn't the case with Chrome OS. It can be done, it just takes a bit more work to accomplish the goal.

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If there's one thing that the release of a new version of Android highlights, it's Android's fragmentation problem. While iPhone users can be sure of receiving iOS upgrades for a number of years, it's more of a gamble when it comes to Google's mobile operating system.

The number of handsets that will receive an Oreo upgrade is relatively small, so the chances are that the answer to the question posed in the headline is "no". That said, there are many phones that will get the update to Android 8.0 -- so here's the list.

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Android may be a Linux-based operating system, but the Linux roots are something that few people pay much mind. Regardless of whether it is known or acknowledged by many people, the fact remains that Android is rooted in software regarded as horrendously difficult to use and most-readily associated with the geekier computer users, but also renowned for its security.

As is easy to tell by comparing versions of Android from different handset manufacturers, developers are -- broadly speaking -- free to do whatever they want with Android, but with Oreo, one aspect of this is changing. Google is introducing a new requirement that OEMs must meet certain requirements when choosing the Linux kernel they use.

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Google Play Protect is the company's latest attempt to prevent Android users from being tricked into installing malware or insecure apps. As an extension of this, Google is introducing a branding program that will see the Google Play Protect logo added to certified Android devices.

The certification of Android phones and tablets is not a new concept -- it's something that Google has been doing for a while. But the new branding on packaging will help buyers identify devices that Google has approved, and it should also encourage more manufacturers to submit their hardware for certification.

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Redesigns are tricky beasts, almost inevitably dividing opinion and leading to questions about why things couldn't have just been left alone. Running the risk of a double whammy of complaints, YouTube has rolled out not only a redesign of its sites, but also a brand new logo.

Both the desktop and mobile versions of YouTube have been treated to a new look. It's the redesign that has been beta tested on users for a few months, and with a few extra tweaks, the company is ready to give everyone access to it. While a fresh lick of paint for the site and apps was expected, the new logo is rather more of a surprise.

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When you head away on your travels, we always recommend hiring a car to find the best locations and get away from the tourists. But, hiring a car and driving around a new city can be time-consuming and stressful when you look for a location to park your car.

We’re not sure about everyone else, but we have a tendency to over-rely on the fantastic Google Maps and/or Waze when travelling as both apps will direct you to your destination, usually offering the quickest method available, whilst you focus on your driving.

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Hurricane Harvey has proven to be quite the devastating storm for Texas. The flooding and high winds have damaged property, but even worse, it has caused injuries and fatalities too. Yes, people actually died as a result of Harvey -- heartbreaking. Remember, folks, you can replace belongings, but not your life. Here at BetaNews, our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the deceased.

Thankfully, many people and organizations are donating both money and resources to help those affected by the hurricane. One of those businesses, Google (which has 450 employees in Texas), is stepping up in a big way. The company is donating $250,000 plus matching employee donations up to the same amount. When the company's donations are added to its employee donations, it could potentially be more than $750,000 when all is said and done. Money aside, the search giant is leveraging its technologies to spread information and assist where needed, such as with its SOS Alerts on search results and a specialized "Harvey Crisis Map."

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Google recently extended its Google Lunar X-Prize deadline to March 31, 2018, apparently giving the five remaining teams a little longer to vie for the $20 million top prize. But there’s a mystery here that suggests two vying reasons for the change -- one sincere and the other cynical. The final answer may turn out to be a combination of both.

The Google Lunar X-Prize was announced in 2007, giving teams five years to put their landers on the Moon and drive around, sending back live HD video of the action. Though 30 teams eventually signed-up, none of them made it to the Moon by 2012. Or 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, or so far in 2017.

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Through the use of an advertising software development kit contained in 500 apps on the Google Play Store, cybercriminals were able to spy on users and even infect their mobile devices with malware.

That's according to security firm Lookout, which discovered that the Android apps in question all had the lgexin ad SDK built into them which gave unauthorized third parties access to user devices.

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To make it quicker to perform searches using Google Maps, you might want to consider adding the site as a search engine in Chrome. This will save you having to manually visit the site before you start a search, and it's a pretty neat option.

In fact, we’re going to show you how to add Google Maps to Chrome as a search engine in a couple of ways. The first is a simple option to look for a place on Google Maps. The second enables you to search for directions from your home address to your desired destination. Here's what you need to do.

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With the Pixel and Pixel XL on the market for nearly a year and Android 8.0 Oreo launched this week, it will not be long until Google takes the wraps off the second-generation Pixel smartphones. Question is, when can we expect the big announcement to be made?

Considering that Android 8.0 Oreo arrived one year after its predecessor, it is likely that Google will wait until early-October to unveil the Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2. Last year, that's when it announced the first-generation. And a tweet from famous leaker Evan Blass lends credence to this theory.

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In an effort to better compete against Amazon and Microsoft in the cloud computing space, Google will this week reveal the technical details of its new Titan computer chip designed to protected the data centers powering its cloud services.

Apparently the chip is the size of a small stud earring and the search company has already installed it in many of the servers and network cards that comprise its own massive data centers. Titan scans network hardware to detect if any unauthorized changes have been made and if so the chip will prevent it from booting up.

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Chromebooks are gaining traction because they are simple, easy to use and offer great value. For consumers, they can be fantastic options. For enterprises, however, Chrome OS needs to go the extra mile in order to become more attractive.

Google is well aware of the longer list of needs that enterprises have, as compared to consumers, which is why it has introduced a new plan, called Chrome Enterprise, that adds a whole host of new features designed specifically with business customers in mind.

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When you install Google Chrome Beta or Dev versions on your Windows computer, it overwrites and replaces the stable version. This keeps things fairly simple and neat, as home users won't have multiple versions of Chrome on their PC. The problem with that, however, is the Beta and Dev versions really aren't intended for home users -- even though some still use them. Those unstable versions are intended for testing, meaning having them run side-by-side, like with the Canary builds, would actually be preferable.

Thankfully, Google has now decided to change the default behavior on Windows so that Google Chrome stable can run side-by-side with both the Beta and Dev variants. This means a web developer, for instance, can easily test their page with all three builds at the same time. When you include Canary, that means you could have, in theory, four variants of Chrome at different development stages running at once. Unfortunately, macOS users are excluded from this side-by-side fun -- for now at least.

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Yesterday Google finally revealed Android 8.0, also known as Oreo. Aside from the name, release date and the question of whether individual handsets will be treated to an upgrade, the query on most Android users' lips is "what's new?".

Google says that one of the primary aims with Oreo was to create "fluid experiences," as well as improving speed and efficiency. The company says that it is "smarter, faster, more powerful and sweeter than ever" -- but what does this actually mean in terms of new features?

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