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Factory images and kernel source code now available for the Razer Phone 2's Android Pie update
The factory images and kernel source code for the Razer Phone 2's Android Pie update are now available for download from the developer portal website.
Razer released their second gaming smartphone late last year. The phone came with numerous improvements over the first generation like the addition of wireless charging and RGB lighting. The Razer Phone 2 launched with Android 8.1 Oreo, but unlocked and Three carrier versions of the Razer Phone 2 have started receiving the Android 9 Pie update. The Android Pie update brought new software features like gesture navigation, 4K video recording at 60FPS, and Digital Wellbeing for the device. Now, the company has released the kernel source code along with the factory images for this new update.
Google Maps on the web is getting the Material Theme redesign
The Google Maps mobile app recieved the Material Design facelift last Summer. Now, the web version on desktop and mobile is getting some love.
We've watched as the Material Design guidelines have evolved over the years. When they were first introduced, Google went through a number of their apps and web services to give them a redesign that matched the new design style. Then, Material Theme came out as the next evolution of Material Design and this too was accompanied by multiple redesigns to both applications as well as web services. We've seen the redesign hit web services such as Gmail and Google Docs, and now it has made its way to Google Maps on the web.
The Nokia 5.1 is now getting the Android Pie update
We're getting really close to the deadline, but HMD Global came through for Nokia 5.1 owners as the Android Pie update is rolling out right now.
Many people think of HMD Global as a small company. The folks who are licensing the Nokia brand for Android smartphones are pumping out devices as quickly as some major OEMs out there. Some have felt that the company is biting off more than they can chew, but they seem to be able to keep up so far. A couple of months ago we got an official roadmap for HMD Global's Android Pie update schedule and the Nokia 5.1 was included in a batch of devices for Q1 2019. We're getting really close to the end of this first quarter of the year, but they came through for Nokia 5.1 owners as the Android Pie update is rolling out right now.
The Exynos Samsung Galaxy S10+ has been rooted with Magisk
Galaxy S10 owners have been waiting for a way to hack into the phone and this week the device has been officially rooted with Magisk.
The original Samsung Galaxy S smartphone was released back in June of 2010 with a 470p display, 512MB of RAM, and the Exynos 3 SoC. Over the last 9 years, Samsung has worked to improve various hardware components themselves (while also outsourcing other components). This has continued up until the release of the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10e, and the Galaxy S10+, with these three phones being a culmination of what the South Korean conglomerate is able to achieve. Enthusiasts who purchased the smartphone have been waiting for a way to hack into the phone and this week the Exynos model has been officially rooted.
Hidey Hole adjusts hole punch wallpapers to fit the Samsung Galaxy S10/S10e
A new app from ex-SuperSU developer Chainfire called Hidey Hole that helps you find and create Galaxy S10 cutout wallpapers.
We've been living with notches at the top of our smartphones for a couple of years now. There have been features embedded in the software to help reduce the user from noticing these notches, but it's clear they are there. Samsung, among other OEMs, has started to use a cutout hole for the camera and sensors instead of the notch. This has been a divisive strategy for the company, but it's something that has created a trend to include the camera cutout as part of the wallpaper itself. Now, there's a new application from ex-SuperSU developer Chainfire called Hidey Hole that helps you create these types of wallpapers.
TLS 1.3 support brings 40% faster secure connections to Android Q
Android Q includes support for TLS 1.3, which promises to increase security and help speed up these secure connections by up to 40%.
Securing data has become incredibly important over the years, but the initial implementation of protections usually comes at the cost of a performance hit. We saw this when Android began requiring OEMs to enable encryption and the same happened to SSL/TLS when it was first introduced. Over time though, the hardware was able to add features which reduced the negative impact it had on performance. So it makes sense that we have seen the same with newer versions of TLS. The downside to these new versions is the adoption rate, but Android Q will support TLS 1.3 to increase security and help speed up these secure connections by up to 40%.
Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Plus gets LineageOS 16 based on Android Pie
The latest to gain support for LineageOS 16 based on Andrid Pie is the WiFi and LTE model of the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Plus tablet.
The first builds of LineageOS 16 based on Android Pie were released just a couple of weeks ago. When the announcement was made there were a set number of devices that were supported, but since then the list has begun to grow. We expect this number to continue over the course of LineageOS 16's development cycle as well. The latest to receive official support isn't a smartphone at all. Some feel the tablet space is dying and while sales may be dwindling the market has a passionate following. The latest to join the club is the WiFi and LTE model of the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Plus.
Google Chrome's Data Saver mode can now show HTTPS webpages as Lite pages
Google is taking its Data Saver feature a step further by supporting HTTPS webpages with a new feature called Lite Pages.
There have been multiple studies done that show people will abandon a website if it takes too long to load. This makes perfect sense if a website is taking 10+ seconds to load (especially on mobile), but the data shows that a considerable percentage abandon a site if it even takes it a second or two longer than expected. Google has done a lot of work to improve website load speeds with the use of Data Saver on Chrome for Android as well as its own AMP results. However, the company is taking its Data Saver feature a step further by supporting HTTPS webpages with a new feature called Lite Pages.
[Update: US Unlocked] T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 9's One UI (Android Pie) update is rolling out
AT&T and Sprint started rolling out One UI (Android Pie) to the Galaxy Note 9 last month. Now, T-Mobile users can join in.
Samsung started off the new year with a bang when they began rolling out their One UI (Android Pie) update to the Galaxy Note 9. As usual, the South Korean conglomerate chose a specific country to begin rolling the update (which was Germany). Since then, these smartphone owners from all across the world began wondering when they would start to receive the update. It has begun to gain traction with OTA update notifications popping up in various markets around the world. The U.S. is known for their wireless providers taking their time to roll out updates, but T-Mobile has finally announced the update is now rolling out to their Galaxy Note 9 customers.
How to record audio in LG's built-in FM radio app
Some LG phones have a secret audio recording option that users can gain access to if they know what they are looking for.
There are so many features packed into the devices we buy today that some people may never learn them all before upgrading to a newer one. Most of the time this is from the user not going through the features that are made available to them. Sometimes, though, there are features built-in that aren't exposed to the user for one reason or another. Some LG devices have an FM radio application pre-installed while others can sideload the application to gain the same feature.
K-Lapse is a kernel module based on LineageOS' LiveDisplay that shifts the screen temperature
XDA Senior Member tanish2k09 has created a kernel module called K-Lapse that bring's LineageOS' LiveDisplay feature to ROMs.
Changing the color temperature of the display as it gets closer to sunset has become quite popular among people who use electronic displays for extended periods of time. There have been studies that show it helps to adjust your body and get it prepared for a good night's rest. We've seen this feature on Windows with f.lux (and Microsoft's built-in feature) and it's also made its way to many smartphones in recent years. For the popular custom ROM LineageOS, this feature is known as LiveDisplay.
[Update: Rolling out] ASUS opens an Android Pie beta for the ZenFone Max Pro M1
After announcing the roadmap for several ZenFone devices, ASUS has opened the beta for the Android Pie update for the ZenFone Max Pro M1.
Recently news has excited a lot of ASUS smartphone fans as the company announced their plan to upgrade devices to Android Pie. It was just this week when the company published a list of over a dozen different devices that they are currently planning to update. This seemed to be a long term plan as their announcement simply gave a vague date of 2019 for these updates. However, the company has gotten to the point where they are ready to announce the open beta Android Pie update for the ZenFone Max Pro M1.
Maru OS brings wireless desktop streaming via Chromecast to the Google Nexus 5X
Version 0.6 of Maru (dubbed Okinawa) adds a wireless desktop streaming feature to the Nexus 5X by using the Chromecast technology.
We've seen a number of teams work on taking the Android OS and making it usable on a desktop environment. There are even some big money OEMs that have devices which let people connect their smartphone to the PC and use the software as if it was their desktop. You're probably thinking of Samsung's DeX feature, but this capability has been around for years with the custom ROM Maru (on select devices). The folks behind this particular project have just announced version 0.6 of Maru (dubbed Okinawa) and it adds a wireless desktop streaming feature to the Nexus 5X by using the Chromecast technology.
Nokia 2 users can now upgrade to Android Oreo if they choose
The Nokia 2 is one of the more affordable options and now owners are able to update to Android Oreo (but only if they want to).
HMD Global is made up of a number of ex-Nokia employees who decided to form a new company once Microsoft ended up floundering in the smartphone market. They started to license the Nokia name so they could release smartphones under the well-known brand. Since then, they have released a range of devices that cover the majority of the Android market from affordable low-end smartphones to more expensive high-end devices. The Nokia 2 is one of the more affordable options and now owners are able to update to Android 8.1 Oreo, but only if they want to.
OPPO F11 Pro announced with pop-up camera and 48MP camera
The Oppo F11 Pro smartphone has been officially announced and it's already available for pre-order via Amazon India right now.
Back in January, we saw some photos of an upcoming OPPO smartphone with a pop-up camera. It was unclear what this device would be called, but rumors suggested it would either be the OPPO R19 or OPPO F11. We saw the phone was running Color OS 6 based on Android Pie with dual-SIM capabilities. A couple of weeks later, it was revealed that this was going to be the F11 Pro, it would be equipped with a 48MP camera, and it would be launching in India. Some more rumors were revealed about the device then but now the smartphone has been officially announced and it's available for pre-order via Amazon India right now.
Latest Tasker beta makes it easy to remap the Bixby button to anything
The developer of Tasker has made it even easier to remap the Bixby button to just about anything you could want in the latest beta.
The enthusiast community has had a love/hate relationship with the dedicated Bixby button on the recent Samsung devices. Some like it as Bixby can actually do things that Google Assistant cannot (since it's baked deeper into One UI) but there's been an issue for those who want to use the button for something else. Many chose to use apps including bxActions or Tasker to get the job done. But with the release of the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, and the Galaxy S10e they finally started to allow it. Sadly, it could not be remapped to the Google Assistant (or any other virtual assistant).
Settings Slices are showing up for some Google Pixel users running Android Pie
Pixel 3 and previous generation Google Pixel owners are starting to see the Slices feature show up in the Settings application.
One of the features that Google introduced with the announcement of Android Pie was something they were calling "Slices." The idea is to offer an API for developers that would let them surface content from within their app to the user when using the Google app. For example, if you have a hotel application installed and do a search for a particular city within the Google application, that hotel app can bring up some options directly in the Google Search results. The Slices API received an early access program toward the end of last year and now some Pixel 3 and previous generation Google Pixel owners are starting to see this feature in action for the Settings application.
Sony Xperia 10's launcher app gets ported to any Xperia phone running Android Pie
An XDA member has ported the launcher application from the Sony Xperia 10 to any other Xperia device that is running Android Pie.
It can be difficult to port apps from a device from one OEM to a device from a completely different one. This is mainly due to the fact that so many OEM ROM features are reliant on the framework that the company has built into its software. However, when an OEM doesn't create this massive framework that is tied to their OEM ROM, porting such applications can be much easier. That has helped a member of the community to port the launcher application from the Sony Xperia 10 to any other Xperia device that is running Android Pie.
Amazon Fire 7 (5th and 7th gen) can now be unlocked and rooted
Both the 5th generation and 7th generation of the Amazon Fire 7 tablets can now be unlocked and rooted, thanks to hard work from the community.
Unlike some OEMs out there, Amazon isn't a fan of letting their owners unlock the bootloader of their devices. Still, this limitation hasn't stopped the Amazon Fire tablet series from becoming huge sellers for the company. This also doesn't stop our enthusiast user base from hacking into these devices either. A couple of months ago the Amazon Fire HD 8 had been unlocked and rooted and now the same thing is possible on both the 5th generation and 7th generation of the Amazon Fire 7 tablets.
Kiwi Browser gets updated with a reachability button for better one-handed web browsing
The latest addition to the Kiwi Browser adds a reachability button which is great with the ever-increasing screen sizes that smartphones
Kiwi Browser has been a popular browser for many people for a while now. We've talked about it a few times here on the XDA Portal such as when it was first introduced in May of last year. It has grown since then with new features being added, including the recently added Edge History swipe gestures, and now the developer has a brand new update for fans of the web browser. The latest addition to the application adds a reachability button which is great with the ever-increasing screen sizes that smartphones are getting.