ADVANCEDPROJECTS
128 OCTOBER 2019|COMPUTERSHOPPER|ISSUE 380
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MASTER IFTTT
If This Then That is an invaluable tool
forlinking up tech and online services.
We show you how to get the best results
window,which is shorn of the usual web
browser buttons. It’s essentially an app,even
though it’s really apared-back website.
While Chrome RemoteDesktop (toallow
another computer to control your DIY
Chromebook) is present in the WebStore,
Linux apps aren’t, and neither are Android
apps. As Android apps tend to require a
touchscreen, and the chances are you’re
using an old laptop,the latter probably isn’t
toomuch of adisappointment.
The final ‘stock’ app to install is amedia
player.Ifyou’re planning on watching lots of
video or listening to loads of music, it would
be worth installing the media plug-ins not
installed by default. Click on the Chromebook
Status lozenge (bottom-right, definitely not
the System Tray), then Settings (the cog
icon) and then click to install Flash and the
proprietary media plug-ins (an MP4 and MP4
codec, among other common plug-ins).
You’ll need to agree to the terms, and then
reboot your system to finish the install.
There aren’t many video playback apps
in the WebStore,soyour choice is pretty
much limited to VLC. However,this isn’t the
VLC you’re used to seeing on Windows,
macOS and Linux: it’s aported version that
doesn’t have the best reliability or codec
support. If you
want to watch
video offline
on your DIY
Chromebook, test
your files before
leaving home.
As formusic, there’s Spotify or the curiously
named EnjoyMusic Player to choose from.
Other useful apps include Polarr Photo
Editor and the Paint-like Sketchpad. If Docs is
abit toobusy,try Calmly Writer.Use Kami to
read and annotatePDFs, and LastPass to
securely manage your passwords.
⬆Avoid the PlayStore app in the WebStore,and
instead head to Google’s atplay.google.com
⬆The ever-present VLC is your best bet foran
offline video player,but it’s not without its flaws
on Chrome OS or CloudReady
⬅You can make
your own ‘apps’ by
creating shortcuts
to websites that
launch as awindow
