Category: Android

Honor launched three new smartphones, adding to the Honor 9 line-up. The smartphones: 9C, 9A, and 9S are currently only available in Russia. All three devices are targeting the entry-level or budget smartphone market. They offer pretty decent specs. Let us have a look at them.

Honor 9C is the kind of this line-up

Honor 9C comes with a 6.39” (1560 x 720) IPS LCD, with a punch-hole. The device ships with Kirin 710A, along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The storage is expandable with the help of a MicroSD slot. The phone runs on Magic UI 3.1, skinned on to Android 10.

The primary rear camera is a 48MP shooter, along with an 8MP ultrawide and 2MP depth sensor. The front camera is an 8MP shooter and sits in the hole-punch at the top left of the screen. There is a rear-mounted traditional fingerprint scanner. The phone ships with a 4000 mAh battery and also support NFC. Available in blue and black colors, it costs around 175USD.

Honor 9A can get all the daily jobs done

The device comes with a 6.3”(1600 x 720) display that houses a waterdrop notch. Powered by MediaTek Helio P22 Soc, it comes with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable internal storage. The battery life here is higher than what it is with Honor 9C, owing to the 5000 mAh battery. We still have the NFC retained, and see a read mounted fingerprint scanner.

The primary camera is a 13MP shooter along with a 5MP secondary lens. The front camera measures at 8MP. The device is available for ore-orders in blue, green and black colors and costs around 150USD.

Honor 9S is the lowest priced smartphone of the line-up

The device costs around 100USD. At this price point, we get a 5.45”(1440 x 720) decent display. The rear camera is a single 8MP shooter and there is a 5MP front-facing camera. No fingerprint scanner in this device, but cannot complain at this price point.

The battery capacity is 3020 mAh, and the phone comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory. Sales of all these devices would start on 4^th May 2020.

One big problem with all these devices is that they do not come with Google Services. After a controversy, Google banned Huawei. Although the company is working hard and has developed an indigenous App Store called Huawei’s HMS suite, reading emails and watching content might be a problem.

According to the most recent updates from the google source. It’s confirmed that after trying to establish Chromecast and then Chromecast Ultra as flexible and affordable streaming devices. The Google corporation is now focused on bringing Android TV to more living rooms. According to 9to5Google, Google is currently working on a follow-up to Chromecast Ultra. But this time, Android TV will be the software that drives it. And like its main competitors, Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV, Google will now include a remote control with the device.

Instead of presenting customers with integrated streaming menus and apps (like Netflix) as Roku and Amazon do, Chromecast has always relied on consumers taking the step of streaming audio and video content from their mobile phones or computers to the dongle Google streaming.

Furthermore, the apps quickly additionally added to Chromecast support, so this strategy offered plenty of options, and some appreciated its simplicity. But there was a learning curve involved for those who were more used to traditional TV interfaces.

Switching to Android TV should not result in any lost functionality; You can stream content to Android TV devices in the same way as with a Chromecast. More importantly, the richer Android TV experience will allow Google to better integrate other services such as Google Assistant voice search to help people find something to watch. (That’s where the remote comes in.) These kinds of things are table bets for other streaming devices, but Chromecast has ignored it.

In addition to powering streaming players like the Nvidia Shield, Android TV is also integrated into many televisions from companies like Sony. Verizon, AT&T, and other TV service providers have also recently released set-top boxes running Android TV. Google says that more than 160 TV providers are now using Android TV in some way.

Backing up the 9to5 Google report is the fact that a remote control made by Google just went through the FCC. Thanks to Janko Roettgers from Protocol for watching. Late last year, Google announced its latest Android TV developer device, and it also comes with a remote control. And there have been rumors that the company produces a flagship consumer device. Don’t forget to comment below about your reviews and concerns about the new Google’s streaming player which will run on the Android TV and comes with remote control.

Google Pixel Launcher may not have as many functions as third-party alternatives such as Lawnchair, Nova Launcher or Action Launcher, but its simplicity and clean design have won many fans. The launcher comes pre-installed on Google Pixel devices and rarely receives updates. Usually, we see new features coming to the launcher when Google launches a new Pixel device or a major Android update.

While the first preview for Android 11 developers did not bring any new Pixel Launcher features. However, we know that Google has been working on the launcher since we saw clues about a new “active seat” feature. Now, XDA senior member paphonb, one of the Lawnchair team developers and a veteran Pixel Launcher modifier, has discovered several other new features that might be coming to the Google startup application.

In addition, the Paphonb modified the latest version of Pixel Launcher from Android 11 Developer Preview to show several features in development. These features include new actions in the overview of recent applications, the ability to hide suggestions from individual applications in the application drawer, and automatic naming of newly created folders.

New Actions in Recent Apps Overview

On Android 9 Pie, Google moved the code for the SystemUI recent application driver to Launcher3, which is the initiator of AOSP. In the process, Google also introduced higher quality recent application summary cards that were scrolling horizontally, a service that allows the user to select text and images from the summary cards (Pixel devices only) and a service that displays a row of Suggested applications below The summary card.

Now on Android 11, Google is trying to replace the application suggestion row in the overview of recent applications with a set of 3 actions. These actions include “select”, “screenshot” and “share”. The “select” button did not work for paphonb, but we can guess what it does.

It is likely to highlight all the text and images that can be selected on the summary card. As for the other two buttons, the screen capture button captures an image of the application that is in focus, while the share button captures a screen capture and then opens the share menu so you can quickly share it.

Hiding Individual App Suggestions

Paphonb modified the latest version of Pixel Launcher from Android 11 Developer Preview to show several features in development. These features include new actions in the overview of recent applications, the ability to hide suggestions from individual applications in the application drawer, and automatic naming of newly created folders.

The suggested row of Google applications is based on recent applications that you have opened most frequently. While it is possible to hide this row completely by going to the Suggestions submenu in the Pixel Launcher configuration, it is not possible to prevent certain applications from appearing in this row.

However, that could change soon. Paphonb shared a screenshot that shows a new “do not suggest application” action by long-pressing the icon of any application in the row of suggested applications. This action currently does not work, but it is clear what it would do.

Auto Name Folders

Pixel Launcher will soon be able to automatically provide a name for the newly created folders that you create by dragging and dropping the icon of one application over another. Currently, you can name folders manually by touching the “unnamed” text at the bottom of the folder, but Google can save you a little effort by detecting what type of applications you are grouping.

For example, in the following video, paphonb showed that Pixel Launcher automatically names a newly created “Communication” folder when grouping messages and Gmail. He also showed it by naming a newly created folder as “Social” when he joined Telegram and Facebook.

Google Play Store is every so often packed with malware-based applications and needs a lot of work to notice them. According to recent hearsays, a Chinese company, Shenzhen HAWK, is “secretly behind 24 popular applications that want dangerous permits.”

As of now, these applications are no longer in the Google Play Store, but before their expulsion, they already had 382 million downloads. “We take reports of security and privacy violations seriously,” Google told Forbes reporter Zak Doffman.

“If we find behavior that violates our policies, we take action.” And that is what has happened here. Before continuing with the report, the 24 applications are listed in the image below.

One of the applications, Hi Security, requests “too much” and strange permissions within its VPN applications. After a series of researches, it was discovered that this application had links with Shenzhen HAWK.

Shenzhen HAWK is a subsidiary of TCL Corporation, a huge and partially state-owned Chinese electronics corporation. This is not the first report of TCL participation in malicious applications. Last year, reports of its malicious weather forecast application came to the web. In 2017, the Indian government discovered that Virus Cleaner (another of Hi Security’s applications) hid “spyware or other malware.” Another two applications (Super Battery and Dig It) were still available for download. However, Google has not confirmed that all 24 applications no longer exist in the Google Play Store.

What sort of data do they collect through the app?

While six of the 24 apps need access to the user’s camera, two want to penetrate the phone. This means that they can make phone calls or send messages. From the list, 15 apps need GPS access (users location) and can read data on external storage. In addition, 14 of these apps can return details of a user’s phone and network. In fact, one of these can record audio on its server or on the device while another has access to your contact.

With all these permissions, these apps collectively have access to your entire device. They can also communicate with an external server controlled by their developers. Ever wonder why you get certain advert messages of things you shop for frequently? Once the app has location and user details, it can know your preferences and sell this information to advertisers who will then be able to personalize unwanted ads for you. This is probably the lowest risk associated with these apps.

Always make sure before installing any unknown sort of application on your device. The risk is for sure real.

Google launched Android 10 back in September last year and due to the fact then, a wide variety of producers have released Android 10 based software for their devices. These encompass Essential, OnePlus, Samsung, Nokia, LG, and more. LG first launched an Android 10 preview for the LG G8 ThingQ and V50 ThinQ back in November last year and it rolled out a stable replace for the LG G8 in December. The LG V50 ThinQ and G7 One also obtained the Android 10 replace final month, however, there was once one essential feature missing from the changelog.

Along with all the new points delivered in Android 10, LG’s UX 9.0 additionally blanketed a new desktop mode interface. This new interface works pretty a lot like Samsung’s DeX mode and can be accessed by using plugging your LG device to any monitor or TV the use of a USB Type-C to HDMI adapter. Once you plug in your device, you should get a new “screen sharing mode” notification that says “tap to change to computer mode.” This new desktop mode used to be introduced to our attention through Juan Carlos Bagnell on Twitter, who showed it off on his Twitch circulation.

The desktop mode on LG’s Android 10 update aims to provide strength users the alternative to utilize a higher display when needed. Max Weinbach from our crew was once additionally in a position to trigger this new desktop mode on the Android 10 release giving us a clearer look at the performance it offers.

The desktop mode in fact adjusts the UI for a larger screen, with the app drawer hidden in the backside left corner, while the notifications can be found in the backside right corner. You also get the alternative to vicinity your most frequently used apps on the home screen. The desktop mode additionally consists of guide for multi-window mode and PC peripherals.

What you need to know?

LG’s current Android 10 update has been rolling out lately and unveiled a desktop mode. The feature wasn’t noted in the changelog however was once lately shown off by way of Juan Carlos Bagnell on his Twitch stream.

It works very comparable to Samsung’s DeX and only requires a USB-C to HDMI adapter to use it with an exterior monitor. Generally, when you see articles about LG and updates, it is in reference to how sluggish the South Korean agency is at pushing them out and rightfully so.

If you are conscious of Samsung’s DeX mode, then you may find the new desktop mode to be very similar. As with DeX, all you need is a USB-C to HDMI adapter to connect your LG smartphone to a display. Once connected, you will be presented with a notification on the smartphone for display screen sharing mode. After you click on the notification, it will output full desktop surroundings on your display from your phone.

Are you looking to tighten up security? Well, Google is exploring including biometric scans for password and payments to its Android Autofill options.

This news, as following Android Central, will strive to address issues that Google’s password safety has frequently been less invulnerable than it should be. For example, when one makes use of Google Autofill, an instantaneous to fill in the saved password honestly seems beside any authentication that would just let the user log in.

This is in contrast to services like 1Password, which uses biometric exams before letting a consumer log in automatically.

Google Partnership with BiometricPrompt API for Autofills Service

Google is looking to get into partnership with its autofill service with BiometricPrompt API. That will have the effect of letting users verify their identity with a fingerprint, iris, or facial picture before allowing them to log in. This would enable the users to protect their data and private information from the second person or third party organization. This is definitely a big achievement for Google to announce such launches for the Google users.

A screenshot given by the Mishaal Rahman with XDA Developers shows that the announced service would provide users with the options of whether to use the biometrics. They would be capable of switching them on or off for each price information and credentials separately! This will be giving users the potential to personalize their privacy settings.

Password managers, which regularly let you retailer a password, so you don’t forget it, have tested safer than maintaining your passwords on a piece of paper in a drawer somewhere.

Last year, Microsoft announced Windows Hello, which will substitute passwords in prefer of biometric identification like facial recognition, a smartphone, or an exterior authenticator.

Who Launched This Service First?

Windows Hello was one of quite a few strikes toward a password-less future, with other browsers like Mozilla Firefox, as well as Opera, and Google Chrome adopting help for WebAuthn. This is all in all crucial popular for authentication allowing customers to make use of encryption to protect their information as inherently, a JavaScript code autofill used as a middleman between a user and a site.

But hence though the possibilities for biometric tech for Android Autofill are developing, AndroidCentral stated the information wasn’t validate upon on when, or if, it would be on hand to the public.

Thus, this news would hence definitely be a big surprise announcement for the users who are looking forward to secure their passwords and autofills all the time.  Till now no such further information has been given away in terms of how the service can be activated and used further.  We will keep on updating you with more information right here!

Stay tuned with us!