Google has announced today that Chromebooks and Chromeboxes will be getting access to not only Google Now, but also it will be possible to play movies on your device while offline.
Google Docs have been available offline for some time now, but the announcement that Play movies would also be able to be viewed offline is a somewhat interesting development. Google says it's for when you're deep underground, or in the air.
Part of the big criticism of Google Chromebooks and Boxes has always been their inability to work offline. If you're in a 3G area, and have either a dongle or a 3G hotspot then you're fine, but if you're out of reach, or in a different country, your Chromebook would be less useful.
Of course many Chromebooks are a little bit lacking in internal storage, so this isn't a complete solution by any means, but there are always options for increasing storage on your device if you find yourself running low.
Google Now and Google Play will be arriving on the ChromeOS within the next few weeks. No mention was made of UK support, but given Now and Play are both available in the UK, we see no major problems.