Archive

Taskbar 6.0 enables a Samsung DeX-like desktop mode experience on some Android 10+ devices

Taskbar 6.0 enables a Samsung DeX-like desktop mode experience on some Android 10+ devices

May 31, 2020
Android 10 has been out for nearly 9 months now, but one of its best features, desktop mode, is still widely unknown. That's because it's technically hidden in Android 10, requiring a development flag to be enabled as well as support built-in to the stock launcher app. Thankfully, the developer of Taskbar has figured out...
LineageOS 17.1 adds support for new OnePlus, Samsung, Xiaomi, and other devices following server hack

LineageOS 17.1 adds support for new OnePlus, Samsung, Xiaomi, and other devices following server hack

May 30, 2020
LineageOS is the most popular AOSP-based custom ROM out there. Its origin can be traced back to CyanogenMod, which was itself not only the most well-known custom ROM many years ago but also the reason the OnePlus One was so well-received by the community. Over the years, the team behind LineageOS has kept the project...
Night Vision uses the ToF camera on the Samsung Galaxy S20+, Note 10+, and S10 5G to let you see in the dark

Night Vision uses the ToF camera on the Samsung Galaxy S20+, Note 10+, and S10 5G to let you see in the dark

May 30, 2020
Hardware-backed facial recognition in the Android smartphone world often relies on Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors. Samsung, for example, utilizes the ToF module on the 5G variant of the Galaxy S10 to power their 3D face unlock mechanism. The ToF camera tracks the distance between two objects based on the constant speed of light. Developers have also...
[Update: Delayed] Google will launch the Android 11 Beta on June 3rd, releases Developer Preview 4 today

[Update: Delayed] Google will launch the Android 11 Beta on June 3rd, releases Developer Preview 4 today

May 30, 2020
Google announced the first Android 11 Developer Preview back in February. The first Developer Preview was released earlier than we expected because Google wanted to give developers more time to adapt to their apps to the new APIs and platform behaviors. Since DP 1, two more Developer Preview builds have been rolled out to the...
Samsung Access program quietly launches for the Galaxy S20 with Premium Care and Microsoft 365 included

Samsung Access program quietly launches for the Galaxy S20 with Premium Care and Microsoft 365 included

May 30, 2020
A few years ago, Apple launched its iPhone Upgrade Program. Apple's program offered a great deal where every year you could pay a low monthly fee to have the option to upgrade your iPhone while continuing those monthly payments. Carriers and other device makers emulated this idea but started to add their own offers to...
Realme 5 and Realme 5s start getting Android 10 with Realme UI

Realme 5 and Realme 5s start getting Android 10 with Realme UI

May 29, 2020
Launched back in August 2019, the Realme 5 was one of the first phones from the Chinese brand to feature the mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chip. The affordable quad-camera phone comes with a 12MP primary camera and runs ColorOS 6 on top of Android 9 Pie. Within a few months, Realme refreshed the device with...
The Samsung Galaxy A71s 5G UW may launch on Verizon with support for the carrier’s Ultrawide Band network

The Samsung Galaxy A71s 5G UW may launch on Verizon with support for the carrier’s Ultrawide Band network

May 29, 2020
Flagship smartphones have become really expensive this year, with many at or beyond the $1,000 mark. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 is apparently a really expensive chip because it doesn't come with a modem and also 5G is just really complex. Fortunately, there's the cheaper (but less powerful) Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 which includes an integrated 5G...
[Update: Accidental] OxygenOS 10.5.9 disables the OnePlus 8 Pro’s color filter camera, even on the global variant

[Update: Accidental] OxygenOS 10.5.9 disables the OnePlus 8 Pro’s color filter camera, even on the global variant

May 29, 2020
The OnePlus 8 Pro comes with a quad rear camera setup, with the 48MP Sony IMX689 taking much of the attention. But in recent days, the primary sensor falls behind the 5MP Color Filter camera in terms of media coverage in the last few days. While OnePlus advertised it for camera filters that can be...
[Update 2: Metro Games] Google Stadia adds Jotun and Sundered, announces Elder Scrolls Online launch date, and rolls out 1440p streaming

[Update 2: Metro Games] Google Stadia adds Jotun and Sundered, announces Elder Scrolls Online launch date, and rolls out 1440p streaming

May 29, 2020
It's increasingly looking like cloud game streaming services are here to stay. These services are useful ways to enjoy the latest games for those who don't have, can't buy, or won't buy gaming hardware, whether we're talking about consoles or high-end PCs. Google Stadia is one of the leading cloud gaming services, and Google seems...
OnePlus 8 series camera updates will bring color filters to portrait mode, improved white balance, and more

OnePlus 8 series camera updates will bring color filters to portrait mode, improved white balance, and more

May 29, 2020
The OnePlus 8 has been in the news recently for its camera, but not in the way you might expect. People discovered that the OnePlus 8 Pro's camera could use the Photochrom filter to see through certain things, including thin clothing. OnePlus made the decision to disable the feature and rework it. But that's just...
Samsung Galaxy Book S announced with Intel Lakefield chipset and LTE

Samsung Galaxy Book S announced with Intel Lakefield chipset and LTE

May 29, 2020
Last summer, Samsung launched the Galaxy Book S, its first laptop powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx processor. Samsung is back with the Galaxy Book S, only this time it's powered by the Intel Lakefield chipset. This is essentially the same laptop as before, but now it has the shiny "Intel Inside" sticker. The Galaxy...
Samsung’s Exynos 850 is an 8nm chip for budget Android smartphones

Samsung’s Exynos 850 is an 8nm chip for budget Android smartphones

May 29, 2020
Samsung has been designing its own Exynos chipsets for several years now. The Korean smartphone maker normally uses both Qualcomm Snapdragon and Exynos processors for their flagship and upper mid-range devices, but they usually use their own in-house Exynos chips for their budget smartphones. Samsung has recently (and quietly) published a product page for a...