Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Google teases the Pixel 3a on Flipkart with hints at Night Sight support

We’re much closer to the launch of Google Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL than ever. After a year of speculation, a galore of insightful leaks, and hints from Google itself, the two lite versions of Pixel 3/3XL could finally be revealed at the Google I/O conference, next week. Ahead of the suspected launch, Indian e-commerce platform, Flipkart, has started teasing the arrival of “Something Big” into the Pixel universe and we have all too many reasons to expect that this teaser could be referring to the Google Pixel 3a series.

The choice of words in the latest teaser coincides with Google’s previous promo on Google Store which suggested that a “new hero” may be coming on May 7, which is when Google I/O begins. The storefront in India suggests May 8 as the arrival date, which is most likely due to more than 12 hours of the time difference between PDT and IST.

Two of the foremost (inter-related) ingredients of this and the earlier teasers are – first, the reference to Marvel Cinematic “Universe” and second, the use of a purple luminescence. In tandem, these two might be referencing to the Purple color variant of the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL, which was leaked recently in form of digital renders and may share some connection with Thanos’ purple skin.

google pixel 3a flipkart google pixel 3a flipkart

Besides this, the poster leading to the main teaser talks about the problem of poor lighting in images after twilight and this is sufficient to tell us that the Pixel 3a/3a XL shall come with support for Night Sight. Previous leaks also suggest that the two smartphones could support Google’s Pixel Visual Core chip for remarkable improvements over standard image processing.

As for the specifications, the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL are likely to be powered by Snapdragon 670 and Snapdragon 710, respectively, along with 4GB of RAM on each. We have also witnessed references of Full HD+ OLED displays on the Pixel 3a duo, alongside a headphone jack but no wireless charging.

The latest teaser has got us really excited for the two smartphones and we shall have more concrete details as we approach the prospective launch at Google I/O next week.

Thanks to Twitter user Pratyush Sharma for the tip. 

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Kernel sources for the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro, Moto G6 Play and Moto Z3 Play Android Pie updates are available

OEMs have been rolling out Android Pie updates for their devices, and the pace has naturally picked up over the last few months. With the release of a new Android version, OEMs also have to release kernel sources for the corresponding update, delivering updated files to users interested in taking a look. Now, kernel sources for the Android Pie updates for the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro, Motorola Moto G6 Play, and Motorola Moto Z3 Play have become available.

Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro

The Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro (sakura) had received a closed Android Pie beta, and a stable release of MIUI 10 with Android Pie was pushed out in the form of MIUI V10.3.1.0.PDICNXM update for the Chinese region a few days ago. While the rest of the world still waits for a stable Pie release (to the best of our knowledge), Xiaomi has released the kernel sources for the Pie update for the Redmi 6 Pro.

Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro Kernel Source Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro XDA Forum

Moto Z3 Play

The Moto Z3 Play’s Android Pie update went live in the beginning of this month in the US and Canada. Kernel sources for this release are now available.

Motorola Moto Z3 Play Kernel Source Motorola Moto Z3 Play XDA Forum

Moto G6 Play

Moto G6 Play’s Android Pie update was released in February 2019, and Motorola has finally gotten around to releasing updated kernel sources.

Motorola Moto G6 Play Kernel Source Motorola Moto G6 Play XDA Forum

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How to re-purpose your old Android phone into a high-res dash cam

While there are often trade-in offers and venues where you can sell your old phone when you’re ready to upgrade, the notoriously rapid depreciation of smartphones might make it a better idea to simply keep your old handset. This is especially so when you can give it new life as a media player, digital picture frame or, in my case, a dash cam.

There are several pros and cons to repurposing an old phone into a dash cam as opposed to getting a dedicated dash cam. On the plus side, you’ll save some money, anywhere from $25–$200, depending on the quality of the dash cam. Also, most dedicated dash cams have small viewfinder displays and tiny controls (the latter can be difficult, even dangerous to operate while you’re on the road). Furthermore, smartphone cameras have improved markedly in recent years, meaning you can record videos and take still shots at higher resolutions than what many dash cam devices offer. Finally, you often have to buy a separate SD card to store the videos and photos.

On the other hand, dash cam smartphone apps often crash unexpectedly and you’re limited to only recording in one direction at a time (some dash cams offer you the option to record inside the car as well as outside simultaneously). Also, the higher-end dedicated dash cams have wide-angle lenses and better quality in low-light conditions.

If you want to go the repurposed smartphone route, here’s what you’ll need:

  • Your old phone, preferably with a rear camera capable of recording at least 720p video
  • A dashboard phone mount, preferably one that allows for landscape orientation
  • A car charger, preferably one with at least two charging ports if you want to use your current smartphone as a navigation display
  • A charging cable at least 4 feet long, preferably the one that came with your phone
  • A dash cam app from the Play Store

What I used:

  • A 128GB Pixel XL (refurbished model currently available for as low as $130 on Swappa)
  • A Mohr Auto Gear dashboard mount ($13-$20 depending on active promotions)
  • A dual-port car charger ($10. As an Uber driver I need to also have my current phone mounted on the dashboard to use the Uber app and for navigation purposes)
  • Original Pixel XL charging cable
  • Autoboy Pro dash cam app (though I wouldn’t recommend it – more on that later)

You can see my setup in the picture below:

Here are sample still shots at daytime and nighttime taken by the dash cam app I used:

Here is a daytime video I recorded using Autoboy Pro (you might need to manually set the playback quality to 1080p if you’re on a high-bandwidth connection):

Here is a nighttime video I recorded using the same app (you might need to manually set the playback quality to 1080p if you’re on a high-bandwidth connection):

The main problem I experienced with Autoboy is the frequent crashing, especially when running it in background mode, though this may be due to my Pixel XL running the Android Q preview. If you’re on Android Pie, I’d recommend Autoguard – I had started with this one, but when the second Android Q preview build rolled out I was no longer able to use the pro unlocker, whereas the pro unlocker for Autoboy still worked.

In my experience, using a dash cam app was a bit dodgy on Android Q. It’s worth a shot on Android Pie if you want to avoid any “your word against mine” scenarios. Personally, I find the large display and Android interface more comfortable than the tiny controls and display of a dedicated dash cam. Hopefully, dash cam app developers will find an easy way to run their apps in the background when Android Q reaches final release.

If like me, you just want a quick and easy way to preserve scenery while driving through it (like the photo above), using Google Camera on a repurposed Google Pixel phone beats a dedicated dash cam nearly every time.

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Get into Cloud Computing with this AWS Certification Training, Now $49

From Netflix to Adobe and Pinterest, millions of companies rely on the cloud to store data and deliver services. For obvious reasons, anyone with expertise in this area has a huge advantage in the job market. If you would like to boost your résumé, the AWS Solutions Architect Certification Bundle is a great place to start, with 32 hours of video tutorials working toward official Amazon exams. You can get the bundle now for $49 at the XDA Developers Depot.

Cloud computing is hot right now. As Internet connections get faster, it makes sense to host apps and data remotely. One of the most popular platforms is Amazon Web Services, or AWS. This bundle helps you become a certified AWS Solutions Architect, with no previous experience required.

Through concise video tutorials, you learn how to set up AWS environments that are secure and scalable. The training also looks at deploying apps with Docker, cloud storage, databases in AWS, and much more besides.

The tutorials are delivered by certified instructors with years of real-world experience, and you get full prep for the Solutions Architect and Cloud Practitioner exams. This includes exam tips, case studies and practice exams.

The training is worth $1,649, but you can get the bundle now for just $49.

 
AWS Solutions Architect Certification Bundle – $49

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The Facebook app is getting a new design while Messenger will get a desktop app

Facebook apps may not be the most popular in terms of likability, but they are used by millions of people every day. The company’s Android apps have been criticized for being poorly optimized and bloated in the past. Thankfully, Facebook Messenger recently received a big update and the company isn’t done yet.

During Facebook’s annual F8 developer conference, the company has announced a number of updates for the Facebook app, Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, and AR/VR experiences.

Facebook

The Facebook app will be getting a new design referred to as “FB5.”They claim it will be “simpler, faster, more immersive, and puts your communities at the center.” The new design is supposed to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. Groups will see a bigger focus in this new design. There will be a redesigned Groups tab that shows activity across all of your groups in a feed. They will also open up new features to more types of groups.

Facebook is making a bigger push into becoming a dating platform. The company is opening up Facebook Dating to more countries and they are adding Secret Crush, a feature very similar to Tinder. You can select up to 9 people from your extended circle of friends. If your “crush” selects you, you both get notified of a match. No one gets notified of anything if there isn’t a match.

Lastly, a new feature will make it easier to meet people from your community. Marketplace items will be able to be shipped anywhere in the continental US and people can pay directly on Facebook. These features will be rolling out over the next few months.

Facebook (Free+, Google Play) →

Messenger

Now that Messenger has been redesigned, Facebook says the next step rebuilding the architecture from the ground up. A faster, lighter e-engineered app will roll out this year.

Facebook is also testing a feature for watching videos together in Messenger. It will only work with videos from the Facebook app and you can invite others while chatting or video calling.

Messenger currently has a web version at messenger.com, but Facebook will also be rolling out a Windows/Mac app. The desktop app will be able to do everything you can do in the mobile app and it will be available later this year.

Messenger – Text and Video Chat for Free (Free+, Google Play) →

WhatsApp

The one announcement for WhatsApp is about connecting people with businesses. WhatsApp will be getting a business catalog within the app when chatting with a business. This allows users to see products within a conversation.

WhatsApp Messenger (Free, Google Play) →

Instagram

Instagram will soon get the ability to shop directly in the app. You can tap products from Instagram posts and make the purchase without leaving the app. Instagram is testing this with a small group of creators. Fundraisers are also coming to Instagram with donation stickers for Stories. Lastly, the camera is being improved and a new Create Mode will make it easier to create posts without photos or videos.

Instagram (Free, Google Play) →

AR/VR

Facebook is big into AR and VR, so naturally, they had a few announcements about that as well. The Portal smart displays are coming to Europe this Fall and they will be getting WhatsApp support. Portal will also get more features such as event information, smart home control, Facebook Live, and Amazon Prime Video. Portal will be able to show Instagram photos on the screen saver.

Lastly, Oculus’ new headsets, the Quest and Rift S, are now available for pre-order. They will begin shipping on May 21st. The Quest is a headset that doesn’t require a tethered PC.

Source: Facebook

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Samsung Galaxy A20, A50, and A70 may launch in North America

There’s been a lot of buzz about Samsung lately, what with the launch of the Galaxy S10 and the fiasco that was the Galaxy Fold. But Samsung is not just all about high-end phones. Their Galaxy A and Galaxy J series suit many consumers whose budget may not be as high. The mid-range Galaxy A series, for example, tends to be a good compromise between price and power.  Samsung continues to release various models of the Galaxy A series in India, and they are typically well-received. However, there have no been indications of a US release thus far.

That may be about to change for the Samsung Galaxy A20, Galaxy A50, and Galaxy A70, though. Recently, certifications for the SM-A205U and SM-A205W have shown up on the Wi-Fi Alliance’s certifications pages. SM-205 is the Galaxy A20, while the U means US model, and W means Canadian model. Samsung has firmware for all four US carriers – T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon – so the device should support everything. But this does not guarantee that all four carriers will sell the device.

Galaxy A50 XDA Forum

It’s a similar story for the Galaxy A70. The Wi-Fi Alliance certified SM-A505U and SM-A505W, where SM-A505 is the Galaxy A50, U means US model, and W means Canadian model. Things falter a little bit when we get to the A70, however. Only the SM-A705W has been certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, with no listing for the SM-A705U. This means that the Galaxy A70 may only launch in Canada, though it’s entirely possible that the Wi-Fi Alliance are just ironing out some kinks with the US version.

Galaxy A70 XDA Forum

We also checked for certifications for the Galaxy A10, Galaxy A30, Galaxy A40, Galaxy A60, Galaxy A80, and Galaxy A90, but were unable to find any for the US/Canada. The release of some of the Galaxy A series in the US/Canada market could be the breath of fresh air that Samsung needs to put thoughts of the Galaxy Fold out of consumers’ minds. At least, until they can fix its glaring issues.

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Mozilla outlines its plan to transition users from Firefox for Android to Fenix Browser

Google Chrome is the most popular browser on the planet for both desktop and mobile. That is especially the case on Android where Chrome dominates by a large margin. Firefox has been around on the platform for a while and Mozilla has overhauled it several times to try to stay relevant. The next big change comes in the form of a completely new browser called Fenix.

This news isn’t unexpected. Last Summer, Mozilla announced that Firefox for Android had entered the maintenance phase as the team began work on a new browser. That new browser is Fenix. A support document outlines Mozilla’s plans for Firefox and Fenix. Firefox for Android will continue to receive legacy updates until Fenix reaches “migration readiness status.”

After the release of version 68 (July 9, 2019), Firefox for Android will move to the Extended Support Release (ESR) branch, which will be the end of feature updates. Moving the browser to ESR will allow Mozilla to maintain it with minimal effort while they work on Fenix. There was no specific timeline given for the release of Fenix.

The document mentioned 2020 as the end of life for Firefox for Android. Fenix is currently in the alpha stages of testing and it recently got a dark theme. If you’re interested in trying out the latest version of the browser, download the Firefox Preview nightly builds here. In the meantime, Firefox will continue to get security updates and it will remain functional.

Via: ghacks Source: Support Doc

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Survey: 41% of users have privacy concerns with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and other voice assistants

For the past decade, touch interactions have dominated how we communicate with our mobile devices. But soon, voice searches will be dominating our interactions and are likely to grow at 40% annually. Since most of the voice interactions are expected to take place through AI virtual assistants like Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri, and timid Cortana, Microsoft asked some thousands of consumers about their perception of voice assistants and published its finding in a recent whitepaper. The results in this paper elucidate various trends about assistants and smart speakers as well as highlights users’ concerns about being snooped on continuously.

In its Voice Report for 2019, Microsoft evaluates the usage and users’ concerns about the adoption of smart voice assistants. This data is based on the online responses from around 2,000 consumers from countries such as the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, and India between March and June 2018. To refine these results and to understand trends related to shopping with the help of virtual assistants, Microsoft conducted another survey with 5,000 other consumers in the US in the month of February 2019.

microsoft voice report 2019 siri google assistant alexa cortana

Among the 5,000 respondents, 72% said that they have used voice assistants as a means to search for information based using spoken queries. More than half of these users said that they have used voice skills or performed actions using smart speakers. Although Amazon claimed 75% of the smart speaker market as of November last year with its Alexa-powered Echo lineup, Microsoft’s report shows that Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant dominate in terms of overall userbase because of their availability on iOS and Android devices apart from smart speakers. Both Siri and Google Assistant occupy 36% market shares each while Alexa was reported to be used by 25% of the people in the survey. Microsoft’s own assistant, Cortana, is used by 19% of the respondents while the remaining 1% use other virtual assistants.

The survey results also concluded that the ownership for smart speakers grew by 22% , with 45% of the respondents confirming that they own smart speakers in 2019, and one-third of these users owning more than one. An additional 30% of the users reacted by saying that they plan to buy purchase a smart speaker within this year. Further, 54% of the smart speaker users use them to automate and control elements in their smart home. The report also highlights Gartner’s prediction about 75% of the households owning smart speakers by 2020.

41% users concerned about privacy

In spite of the rising popularity of smart speakers, 41% of the participant in the survey raised concerns about privacy, with the lack of confidentiality of data and passive listening being their major concerns. More than one-third of the people said that they were not comfortable with their personal data being shared with internet companies. To “mitigate trust issue,” Microsoft suggests that users must be offered some special incentive and rewards.

microsoft voice report 2019 siri google assistant alexa cortana

The survey concludes that users are willing to exchange their non-PII (personally identifiable information) including age and gender for a discount. They may also be willing to share PII (personally identifiable information)  such as name, email, home address, phone number if there’s an additional value like an automated buying facility for frequently purchased items or faster shipping options.

microsoft voice report 2019 siri google assistant alexa cortana

Authenticity of information essential

Microsoft says that in order to gain the trust of the users, virtual assistants must provide authentic and contextual information, instead of just providing search results that help users purchase more products, especially when responding to queries on sensitive topics. Smart assistants must provide unbiased and verified results when distributing information besides offering tools that ensure a good balance of utility and productivity.

The report also predicts that 70% of the users believe that voice assistants will make purchases on their behalf over the next five years, and not just ease their experience with online shopping.

Via: Voicebot.ai

Source: Microsoft

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[Update: New video] Here’s what virtual desktops on Chromebooks may look like

Update (4/30/19 @ 9:20 AM ET): The Chromium team has posted a new video showing off their latest work on virtual desktops in Chrome OS (below).

Chrome OS has come a long way over the years, but it still lacks some features that hold it back from being a no-sacrifices desktop OS. One such feature that you’ll find on Windows, Linux, and Mac PCs is the ability to have multiple “virtual” desktops. This allows the user to organize their open windows and apps into separate workspaces. Google is finally getting around to adding this functionality to Chrome OS under the tentative name “Virtual Desks.”

Back in November, a Product Manager for Chrome OS confirmed the feature was “on the roadmap,” but didn’t give any specific details. Now, thanks to a commit posted to Chromium Gerrit, we can see the feature is in development. Titled “Virtual Desks 1: Initial scaffolding,” the commit mentions a “new desk” button and thumbnail previews that will be displayed in a navigation bar.

We can actually see the early work in action thanks to a video posted (above) to a Chromium bug. The current workspace (the Chrome window) shrinks and a bar comes down from the top of the screen with the “New Desk” button. The button doesn’t do anything yet but it shows their progress so far. The UI could look very different when it makes its way to the stable channel.

Chrome OS continues to mature as a full-fledged desktop OS. Virtual desktops is a feature that power users have come to rely on. Hopefully, Google’s implementation will improve multitasking and workflow. We still likely have a while to wait before the feature even hits the Canary channel.

Via: 9to5Google

Update: New video

This new video shows off the progress that has been made on virtual desktops in Chrome OS. As with the previous video, this is still not a finished products. The team notes that there is no desktop switch animation or mini view content yet. Check out the progress in action in the video below.

Source: About Chromebooks

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How to enable Chrome for Android’s dark mode

If you have been using Android since prior to the Android Lollipop release, you might remember the Holo UI which embraced a dark gray background and blue accents. With Lollipop, Google adopted Material Design, which swathed the entire UI with a thick, flat coat of white. Now, as OLED and AMOLED panels get cheaper and more widely accessible, Google will give users the opportunity to turn the lights off with the upcoming Android Q. While you will have to work your way through the Android Q Developer Preview in order to toggle the system-wide dark theme, Google is already experimenting with individual dark modes inside certain apps. One of these is Google Chrome, which received a dark mode on Android with version 74 and if you’re willing to try it out, there are some basic steps to follow.

First of all, ensure that you are using Chrome version 74, and then proceed with the following steps:

  1. Enter chrome://flags in the address bar. These flags can be used to toggle experimental features in Chrome.
  2. In the search bar for Chrome flags, search for “Android Chrome UI dark mode.” You should be able to see the flag without typing the entire phrase.
  3. Tap on “Default” and select “Enabled.”
  4. You would be prompted to relaunch Chrome so that the Setting can be applied. Tap on “Relaunch Now.”
  5. Now, go to Settings>Dark mode and toggle the switch to turn the dark mode on. (If you don’t see the setting, close Chrome once and relaunch. By now the option must be visible but if it isn’t, Force Stop Chrome and then launch it again).
  6. Now, the different elements of Chrome including the startup screen, 3-dot menu, Settings, etc. will be painted in a gray tint suitable to relieve your eyes and reduce battery consumption in the case of OLED/AMOLED displays on your Android device.

It must be noted that enabling the Dark mode using the method above will not have any effect on the contents of websites. In case, you wish to change that too, with the help of another Chrome flag. Just follow the steps below:

  1. Go to chrome://flags again and search for “Android web contents dark mode.”
  2. Enable the flag and relaunch Chrome just like above
  3. Please note that this feature is independent of the dark mode in Chrome and work irrespective of whether it is switched on or off.

This flag actually inverts the colors of the website and may have inconsistent or ambiguous results in terms of the colors of media. Further, some of the elements on websites may not visible due to incomplete darkening. Here is the side-by-side comparison with dark mode enabled for websites:

Lastly, irrespective of whether you use the Dark mode, the color or the theme of the keyboard does not change with it. But in most of the cases – including Gboard, Switftkey, etc, you can switch to a dark theme manually.

Google Chrome: Fast & Secure (Free, Google Play) →

Even though Chrome version 74 for Android was released on April 25, it might not be available to you via Google Play Store. If that’s the case, you can try the Dark mode with Chrome beta instead.

Chrome Beta (Free, Google Play) →

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TWRP adds support for the Exynos Samsung Galaxy S10+, Motorola Moto E5, Nokia 6.1, and Lenovo K4/K8 Note

TWRP has been around for many years now, growing to become the go-to solution for the community for installing any kind of after-market software solution. TWRP’s open source nature helped a lot in making it popular across a very wide range of devices, and the existence of features like full backup and restore, ADB sideloading and more helped the custom recovery cement its pole position. Now, TWRP is adding in support for a whole bunch of devices.

Samsung Galaxy S10+ (Exynos) [beyond2lte]

The Samsung Galaxy S10+ was launched in February 2019, bringing in the best consumer-ready technology that Samsung had for its customers with all sorts of big and small features. An unofficial version of TWRP had been made available for the S10+ earlier this month, but now the device has received official TWRP support. This means complete support from the TWRP team, complete feature parity and regular updates directly from the main team.

TWRP for the Samsung Galaxy S10+ Samsung Galaxy S10+ XDA Forum

Motorola Moto E5 [nora]

While the Samsung Galaxy S10+ represents the top end of the smartphone market, the Moto E5 represents the opposite side of the spectrum. Launched in April 2018, the Moto E5 is a humble device that aims to fulfill the needs of first time smartphone users, and then some.

TWRP for the Motorola Moto E5 Motorola Moto E5 XDA Forum

Nokia 6.1 [PL2]

The Nokia 6.1, launched in January 2018, forms part of HMD Global’s 2018’s mid-range lineup. With Android One and a launch price of $269 in the US, it presented itself as one of the safer purchase decisions for anyone looking for a decent mix of specifications and a clean Android experience.

TWRP for the Nokia 6.1 Nokia 6.1 XDA Forum

Lenovo K4 Note [k5fpr] and Lenovo K8 Note [manning]

The Lenovo K4 Note was launched back in January 2016 with a MT6753 SoC, while the Lenovo K8 Note was launched in August 2017 with a MediaTek Helio X23 SoC. Both the devices have now received official TWRP support.

TWRP for the Lenovo K4 Note Lenovo Vibe K4 Note XDA Forum

TWRP for the Lenovo K8 Note Lenovo K8 Note

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YouTube Music can now play locally stored music files

YouTube Music leverages YouTube’s gargantuan library of official music releases along with covers, renditions, mixes, and everything related to music. This, aside from Google’s AI prowess to search music based on loose descriptions, gives YouTube Music an edge over typical music streaming apps which only let you listen to only official versions of the songs. Now, as Google’s plans to replace Google Play Music with YouTube Music, the latter is adopting a key feature from the Play Music app and that is the support for your locally stored music files.

As expected, local music playback functionality will allow you to play music stored on their smartphones’ internal storage or SD card via YouTube Music. It should grace your library with some rare gems, or certain special versions, that may not be present on YouTube. You can find your music files under the Library tab where it is organized on the basis of Albums, Artists, Liked songs, Playlists, and Downloads (only for YouTube Premium users).

youtube music local mp3 playback

Based on the screenshot shared by MSPoweruser, we can see that the Artists page is split into two tabs, one for “YT Music” and the other for “Device Files.” Evidently, the locally stored music is available under the Device Files tab. Meanwhile, we can expect that YouTube Music would restrict playing these local files in the background to users with a YouTube Premium subscription.

Unlike Google Play Music which allowed you to upload music and listen to it on other devices, these local tracks cannot be added to existing YouTube Music playlists or cast other devices. Further, there is no way to sync your existing Google Play Music playlists with YouTube Music, indicating that Google is not yet ready to evict the former from Android in favor of the latter.

The local playback functionality appears to be a server-side switch and may not be available for many users yet (we weren’t able to use it either), even if you sideload the latest APK. We can’t say for sure but it could also be a region-wise roll-out but will update you when we get to try the feature ourselves.

YouTube Music - Stream Songs & Music Videos (Free, Google Play) →

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Samsung Galaxy A50 gets Bixby Routines and new camera features in the April update

After many years of dragging its heels to bring the latest version of Android to its smartphones, Samsung has finally undergone a change of heart. Apart from flagships, many of Samsung’s mid-rangers and entry-level devices are getting the latest One UI update based on Android 9.0 Pie. For the smartphones that were announced with One UI out-of-the-box, Samsung has been proactively upgrading the experience too. The Samsung Galaxy A50, which was launched recently as part of the reenergized Galaxy A series, is now getting fourth OTA update in less than two months since launch, and it brings the latest Google security patch along with improvements to the camera, the fingerprint scanner, Bixby, and more.

Samsung Galaxy A50 XDA Forums

The latest update to the Galaxy A50 weighs at almost 670MB and adds a 68-degree field of view to the selfie camera. The front camera also gets a bunch of live focus effects such as Spin, Zoom, and Color point to enhance the focus on foreground objects in portrait shots. Besides these, the beauty mode can now be activated while recording videos using both the front and the rear cameras.

samsung galaxy a50 update

Courtesy of Tizen Help

Apart from improvements to the camera, the Galaxy A50 update adds Bixby Routines that come in handy for setting up a sequence of automated tasks triggered by the time of the day or your location. So far, the feature has been limited to the Galaxy S10 series and the Galaxy A80. Additionally, the update brings Call & Message Continuity which allows users to attend calls and messages from another Samsung Galaxy devices as long as both – the Galaxy A50 and the other one – are connected to the internet. Notably, this feature is limited by carriers and is available only on Galaxy Tab S5e, Galaxy S10 series, and select new Samsung devices.

Furthermore, the update brings improvement to the in-display fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy A50 along with overall performance improvements. Lastly, it also brings the Google security patch from April 2019 to improve the security of the smartphone.

Via: Tizen Help Source: Samsung

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Monday, April 29, 2019

Get Fast Online Protection with an Ivacy VPN Lifetime Subscription, Now $39.99

For anyone who values privacy, using a VPN is pretty essential nowadays. Online protection is also important if you connect to public Wi-Fi networks, which are often insecure. While some services put you in the Internet slow lane, Ivacy VPN offers full protection at top speed. This award-winning provider has servers around the world, and it has great features for torrenting. Right now, you can pick up a lifetime subscription for only $39.99 via the XDA Developers Depot.

As an official partner of the National Cyber Security Alliance, Ivacy VPN is the gold standard of online security. This service can make you invisible online, with powerful 256-bit encryption applied to your web traffic.

Ivacy VPN has a network of over 1,000 servers spread throughout 100 countries. As a result, you can easily find a fast local connection or unlock geo-blocked content from around the world.

Ivacy VPN is available on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, streaming boxes, games consoles, and many other devices. The service is very easy to install, and you can protect five devices with one account. Ivacy VPN supports P2P file sharing with a strict no-logging policy, and there’s even a dedicated add-on for Kodi.

Order now for $39.99 to get lifetime protection, worth $1,194.

 
Ivacy VPN: Lifetime Subscription – $39.99

See Deal

Like this deal? Check out Vault — you’ll get four premium tools, including NordVPN and Dashlane, to supercharge your online security. Enter code VAULTONE to try it out for just $1!

For anyone who values privacy, using a VPN is pretty essential nowadays. Online protection is also important if you connect to public Wi-Fi networks, which are often insecure. While some services put you in the Internet slow lane, Ivacy VPN offers full protection at top speed. This award-winning provider has servers around the world, and it has great features for torrenting. Right now, you can pick up a lifetime subscription for only $39.99 via the XDA Developers Depot.

As an official partner of the National Cyber Security Alliance, Ivacy VPN is the gold standard of online security. This service can make you invisible online, with powerful 256-bit encryption applied to your web traffic.

Ivacy VPN has a network of over 1,000 servers spread throughout 100 countries. As a result, you can easily find a fast local connection or unlock geo-blocked content from around the world.

Ivacy VPN is available on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, streaming boxes, games consoles, and many other devices. The service is very easy to install, and you can protect five devices with one account. Ivacy VPN supports P2P file sharing with a strict no-logging policy, and there’s even a dedicated add-on for Kodi.

Order now for $39.99 to get lifetime protection, worth $1,194.

Like this deal? Check out Vault — you’ll get four premium tools, including NordVPN and Dashlane, to supercharge your online security. Enter code VAULTONE to try it out for just $1!​_

For anyone who values privacy, using a VPN is pretty essential nowadays. Online protection is also important if you connect to public Wi-Fi networks, which are often insecure. While some services put you in the Internet slow lane, Ivacy VPN offers full protection at top speed. This award-winning provider has servers around the world, and it has great features for torrenting. Right now, you can pick up a lifetime subscription for only $39.99 via the XDA Developers Depot.

As an official partner of the National Cyber Security Alliance, Ivacy VPN is the gold standard of online security. This service can make you invisible online, with powerful 256-bit encryption applied to your web traffic.

Ivacy VPN has a network of over 1,000 servers spread throughout 100 countries. As a result, you can easily find a fast local connection or unlock geo-blocked content from around the world.

Ivacy VPN is available on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, streaming boxes, games consoles, and many other devices. The service is very easy to install, and you can protect five devices with one account. Ivacy VPN supports P2P file sharing with a strict no-logging policy, and there’s even a dedicated add-on for Kodi.

Order now for $39.99 to get lifetime protection, worth $1,194.

Like this deal? Check out Vault — you’ll get four premium tools, including NordVPN and Dashlane, to supercharge your online security. Enter code VAULTONE to try it out for just $1!​_

For anyone who values privacy, using a VPN is pretty essential nowadays. Online protection is also important if you connect to public Wi-Fi networks, which are often insecure. While some services put you in the Internet slow lane, Ivacy VPN offers full protection at top speed. This award-winning provider has servers around the world, and it has great features for torrenting. Right now, you can pick up a lifetime subscription for only $39.99 via the XDA Developers Depot.

As an official partner of the National Cyber Security Alliance, Ivacy VPN is the gold standard of online security. This service can make you invisible online, with powerful 256-bit encryption applied to your web traffic.

Ivacy VPN has a network of over 1,000 servers spread throughout 100 countries. As a result, you can easily find a fast local connection or unlock geo-blocked content from around the world.

Ivacy VPN is available on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, streaming boxes, games consoles, and many other devices. The service is very easy to install, and you can protect five devices with one account. Ivacy VPN supports P2P file sharing with a strict no-logging policy, and there’s even a dedicated add-on for Kodi.

Order now for $39.99 to get lifetime protection, worth $1,194.

Like this deal? Check out Vault — you’ll get four premium tools, including NordVPN and Dashlane, to supercharge your online security. Enter code VAULTONE to try it out for just $1!​

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The post Get Fast Online Protection with an Ivacy VPN Lifetime Subscription, Now $39.99 appeared first on xda-developers.

OnePlus 7 Pro confirmed to have 3x zoom and pop-up camera, display receives A+ DisplayMate rating

The OnePlus 7 Pro is coming very soon and OnePlus is in full hype mode. The device is still a couple of weeks away from being announced, but we’ve already seen a number of features get officially confirmed and shown off. OnePlus isn’t done hyping the phone up, though. Today, we can see camera samples, DisplayMate rating, and a full-page New York Times ad.

OnePlus has already teased the triple rear cameras, so we’re expecting the camera to be a big focus. Wired was able to try out the OnePlus 7 Pro and they shared some camera samples. First of all, they confirmed the main camera has 3x zoom functionality. They did not share the full camera specs, but they did share some important details.

It has 0.3 seconds of shutter lag, Auto HDR, and a 20-frame limit for burst mode. 3x photos retain detail rather than trying to blur and remove noise. This is in contrast to the non-zoom camera, which uses pixel binning to create 12MP images. The result is heavy noise reduction which Wired says was “hammering far-away foliage into watercolour-like patterns.” Not good.

The camera app doesn’t have any gimmicky AI features present to the user, but they did say they are using Ai for things in the background. The main camera uses the 3x lens for depth assist in portrait mode, which helps it look more natural. The OnePlus 7 Pro has Nightscape mode like the OnePlus 6T, but now it’s called Night Mode. Wired says it’s still behind Google and Huawei’s versions.

Another thing that OnePlus is already boasting about is their display, which is apparently “significantly upgraded.” DisplayMate has already posted their review of the OnePlus 7 Pro’s OLED display and it scored an A+. The display received high marks across color accuracy, brightness, contrast accuracy, and pixel density. OnePlus also says the display received the “Safety for Eyes” certification for its ability to filter out blue light thanks to the upgraded eye protection features. DisplayMate’s full review will be posted on May 14th.

OnePlus 7 Pro XDA Forum

Lastly, OnePlus took out a full-page ad in The New York Times today. The ad reads “No bells & whistles. No bezel. No notch. No app lag. No bloatware. No 2000 price tag. No random music.” The other side of the ad reads “Just a better phone. OnePlus 7 Pro” and it lists the May 14th keynote. The ad has the same phone outline that we saw in the teaser video, which neatly shows off some of the internals. If you look closely you can see the pop-up camera.

Does all of this hype have you excited for the OnePlus 7 Pro? It may not be $2,000, but it will be the most expensive OnePlus device. Will it be worth it?

Source 1: Wired Source 2: DisplayMate

The post OnePlus 7 Pro confirmed to have 3x zoom and pop-up camera, display receives A+ DisplayMate rating appeared first on xda-developers.