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mardi 21 janvier 2020

Knobby Volume Control turns your Android phone’s volume slider into a volume control knob

Do you find Android’s volume controls bland? Do you think that they could do with a little bit more flair and color? XDA Senior Member yogi.306‘s Knobby Volume Control has you covered if you want more than just a volume slider for controlling your audio levels. Knobby Volume Control Premium is free at the moment, so you can install the paid version to get all of its themes!

Knobby Knobby

Knobby’s strengths lie in its finer controls over audio on multiple levels from a simple swipe gesture. Ring, notifications, media, alarm, system, and call volume are all able to be controlled, and there are many colors and styles to choose from in the premium version of the app. The free version has two basic options with some customization, with the paid version offering more. The biggest strenght of Knobby is that you can have finer control over six different audio levels, without leaving the app that you’re in. If you’re playing a game, for example, you can easily and quickly increase the audio of notifications without leaving it. It will also be especially useful for devices that may not have physical volume buttons.

You can check out the full list of features in Kobby below.

  • Knob volume control with many themes
  • Volume control widgets
  • Volume control notification
  • Fully customizable widgets and notification, change background colors, and icon colors.
  • Gesture control to open volume slider quickly without leaving the current app or game.
  • Completely configurable gesture control, change position, size, thickness, transparency, color, etc.
  • Quickly change ringer modes: Silent, vibrate, normal.
  • Control volume levels: Ringer, notification, system, incall voice, media/music.
  • Battery friendly background services for gesture control.
  • Customizable volume slider, change position, animation, duration, colors etc.
  • No permission to accessibility service.
The app was not found in the store. 🙁

Knobby free - knob volume control - volume widget (Free, Google Play) →

Read more about Knobby Volume Control in the Apps and Games Forums

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All new Chromebooks will get eight years of software updates

In Western countries, Chrome OS occupies an interesting niche of the personal computing market: education. The popularity of Chromebooks varies regionally: over the past few years, they have become very popular in markets such as the US and Western Europe, whereas their popularity still remains low in markets such as India. In the US and Western Europe, however, Chromebooks have become increasingly indispensable for students and educators because of their simplicity of use, affordability, and the useful feature of automatic software updates. Forty million students and educators use Chromebooks as of now, according to Google. Now, at the BETT event in London, the company has made more education-focused announcements for Chromebooks. The company is now extending the length of time it plans to support new Chrome OS education devices with security and platform updates, as part of a chance to its Chrome OS Automatic Update (AUE) policy. Automatic updates on Chrome OS provide security fixes as well as new features.

Starting 2020, Google will support new Chromebooks and tablets with automatic software updates for eight years. The first new devices announced with this feature are the Lenovo 10e tablet and the ASUS Chromebook 712, and they will get automatic updates until June 2028. Google notes that in the beginning, Chromebooks used to get only three years of software support. In the years since, the company had increased this period to six years of support. (Users can check the end-of-life status of their Chromebooks in the settings app.) Many Chromebooks got an extension of software support last year.

Google has also increased the price of its Chrome Education Upgrade, which is a one-time license school boards can purchase to get additional support from Google. It was $30 per device; now, it has been increased to $38 per device. It should be noted, however, that all new devices will get eight years of support regardless of whether a school buys the Chrome Education Upgrade.

Google has also introduced new features to the Chromebook App Hub. They will make it easier for teachers to find specific programs, as the new filtering tools allow educators to do an app search by school subject, availability of Google service integrations, or whether they take advantage of specific hardware features. Teachers are now able to filter for apps on the basis of compatibility with privacy laws such as COPPA and GDPR.

The company has also started to roll out originality reports. Beta testing for this feature began in summer 2019. Originality reports were designed to help students and teachers identify plagiarism. Students will be able to see whether they have accidentally plagiarized a work either by poorly paraphrasing a source or by not properly citing it. On the other hand, teachers can compare a student’s work against online materials. A new beta feature also lets them compare the students’ work with work submitted by students in other classes and past years. English users will get to use these features over the next month, while Spanish, Portuguese, and French users are now eligible for beta testing.

Finally, Google has also announced new Chromebooks specifically for the education market, such as the ASUS Chromebook Flip C214 and the Lenovo 500e Chromebook.


Source: Google | Via: Engadget

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FTVLaunchX enables custom launchers on Amazon Fire TV devices without root

Amazon doesn’t officially make any Android-powered smartphones but the e-commerce giant does have a range of products that utilize Android. Amazon’s Fire TV devices, for example, run a fork of Android, called Fire OS, with Amazon’s customized user interface on top. Although the underlying software is based on Android, Amazon doesn’t make it any easier for users to customize or tweak the software to their liking. Using third-party launchers is something we take for granted on our Android smartphones and tablets, but on the Fire TV you don’t have that freedom because Amazon prevents you from using custom launchers.

There used to be a popular app called LauncerHijack to get around this restriction. The app simply redirected the home button press on the Fire TV remote to instead take you to a third-party launcher of your choice. Using ADB, users could then disable the stock Amazon launcher, effectively replacing the stock launcher with a custom one.

Unfortunately, Amazon rolled out a Fire OS update that blocked the LauncherHijack package and also removed the ADB shell command to disable packages, effectively stopping users from running custom launchers without rooting.

Luckily, a new workaround has been found by XDA Junior Member TheRealQubix that once again makes it possible for Fire TV‌ owners to replace the default launcher with a custom launcher of their choice without root. Dubbed FTVLaunchX, the new solution is inspired by LauncherHijackis and also overcomes some of the issues of the old method.

The FTVLaunchX has been successfully tested on the Fire TV Stick 2nd Generation, Fire TV Stick 4K, and Nvidia Shield 2017. However, it could work on other models as well. To learn more about this project, download the APK‌ and get step-by-step instructions on how to set it up on your Fire TV, visit the linked thread below.


Download FTVLaunchX for Amazon Fire TV

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MIUI Themes is coming back to Xiaomi phones in Europe

One of the many features that makes MIUI unique is the theming options. You can change the entire look and style of your Xiaomi smartphone thanks to MIUI themes, even making it look close to AOSP if you’d like. The feature was removed from European Union smartphones back in February of last year, with the company citing “changing privacy regulations” as to why it had to do so. As time went on, it looked like the feature wasn’t coming back, but in a surprise announcement on the MIUI forums, the company announced its return.

Per the announcement post, some Xiaomi phones already have access to themes again, with others set to regain access over time. All eligible devices should get it before mid-May, and availability will grow slowly through devices and the EU. EU residents will be able to submit their own themes as usual through the My Community app. Some themes available in India and other regions may not be available in the EU, though it’s not mentioned if this applies to a lot of themes. It is unknown what the criteria are for a theme to be unavailable in Europe as well.

To celebrate, the company is also holding a wallpaper competition, although Xiaomi hasn’t announced any details of that yet. More details will be announced on their forums in the future, which you can check out the link below to keep up to date. EU residents will also be able to access the Xiaomi Themes website to officially get themes, wallpapers, icons, and new sounds. Previously, at least on the Xiaomi Mi 9, it was possible to get access to MIUI themes in the EU by changing the device region to India. For more information regarding the wallpaper contest, be sure to check out the link below.


Source: MIUI ForumsVia: gizchina

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[Update 2: Launched in US] Nokia 2.3 launches with Android One based on Android 9 Pie and a microUSB port

Update 2 (1/21/20 @ 10:00 AM ET): The Nokia 2.3 is now available for purchase in the US for $129.

Update 1 (12/18/19 @ 5:45 AM ET): Following its launch in Egypt, the Nokia 2.3 has now been launched in India. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on December 6, 2019, is preserved as below.

Following the launch of the Nokia 6.2 and Nokia 7.2 at IFA 2019, HMD Global is back at it again with a new budget-centric device. At a recent event in Egypt, the company announced the new Nokia 2.3 an Android One device running Android 9 Pie out of the box. The device features a 6.2-inch HD+ display, a dual-camera setup on the back and it boasts of some impressive AI features.

Specifications

Specification Nokia 2.3
Dimensions and Weight 157.69x 75.41 x 8.68 mm;
183g
Display 6.2″ HD+ (720 x 1520);
Waterdrop notch
SoC MediaTek Helio A22:
Quad-code (4x A53 @2.0GHz)
RAM and Storage 2GB + 32GB;
Expandable through dedicated microSD card slot
Battery 4,000 mAh
USB microUSB
Rear Camera 13MP, f/2.2 + 2MP depth sensor
Front Camera 5MP, f/2.4
Android Version Android 9 Pie

The new Nokia 2.3 is powered by a MediaTek Helio A22 chip, coupled with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. It includes a microSD card slot for expansion with support for up to 400GB cards. While the hardware may not sound all that impressive, Nokia is banking on the device’s AI capabilities to entice buyers. For instance, the company talked about a new ‘Recommended Shot’ feature that will help users take great photos with the device’s 13MP + 2MP dual-camera setup. It also includes features like ‘Portrait mode’ and a night mode for better image capture in a variety of settings. Up on the front, the device has a 5MP selfie-shooter house in the notch at the top.

The device is backed up by a 4,000mAh battery which, the company claims, can easily provide two days of use on a single charge. In order to provide the best battery life, Nokia has included an AI-assisted Adaptive Battery technology in the Nokia 2.3. This technology will learn from your usage and optimize apps to offer longer battery life. On the outside, the phone features a design reminiscent of other budget devices from the company with a durable polymer body that has a 3D nano-textured coating to ensure that the device sits securely in your hands.

Speaking of the launch, HMD Global’s CPO Juho Sarvikas was quoted saying, “Consumers world over have really appreciated the Nokia 2 family of products. The Nokia 2.3 is a step forward in our promise of offering you an experience that stays fresh longer – giving consumers access to two years of OS upgrades and three years of monthly security updates even in the affordable price tier. On top, it offers industry-leading AI for this segment, large screen and our signature promise of two-day battery life – making it the ideal pick for those who rely on their smartphone as their primary screen.”

While the device ships with Android 9 Pie, Nokia has promised regular security updates for three years and OS update for two years. This means that the phone will be upgraded to Android 10 sometime down the line. One really interesting thing about the device, however, is that it features a dedicated Google Assistant button to help users easily activate the voice assistant. In terms of connectivity, the device includes 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/A-GPS, a micro-USB port for charging and data syncing, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Nokia 2.3: Pricing and Availability

The Nokia 2.3 will be made available in Cyan Green, Sand, and Charcoal color variants and it’s priced at a reasonable €109(~$121). The device is expected to go on sale mid-December, but we currently don’t have any information regarding its India release.


Update 1: Nokia 2.3 launched in India for ₹8,199 (~$115)

HMD Global has announced that the Nokia 2.3 will also be made available in India, starting from December 27, 2019. The phone will come in Cyan Green, Sand, and Charcoal colors, and will cost ₹8,199 (~$115) for the 2GB/32GB variant. You can buy it from Nokia.com as well as offline retail outlets across India.


Update 2: Launched in US

HMD Global is launching the super affordable Nokia 2.3 in the US. The phone will be available this week for pre-order from Best Buy for only $129 (the page is not live at the time of posting). It will also be available on Amazon next week. The Nokia 2.3 is an Android One phone but it won’t launch with Android 10, though it shouldn’t be long before it gets the update. You can get the phone in Charcoal and Sand colors.

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Google App 10.93 hints at teaching Google Assistant how to pronounce your contacts’ names

The Google App offers a variety of different services from the search giant. It not only includes Google Search, but it’s also home to Google Discover, Google Podcasts, Google Assistant, and Google Lens. On top of all that, Google keeps releasing new features and design changes to the app with each successive update. At times, we’re able to identify some of these upcoming changes in an APK teardown of the Google App. For instance, back in October last year an APK teardown of version 10.81.6.29.arm64 of the app revealed that Google was testing a new Collections UI, smart screenshots, and linking radio services on the app. This gives us an initial look at some of the new things that Google has in store for the app. Similarly, a teardown of version 10.93.8.29 of the Google app has now unearthed a new feature which will allow users to train the Assistant to pronounce names properly.

An APK teardown can often predict features that may arrive in a future update of an application, but it is possible that any of the features we mention here may not make it in a future release. This is because these features are currently unimplemented in the live build and may be pulled at any time by the developers in a future build.

It’s a widely known fact that the Google Assistant in English has a tough time pronouncing some names over others. In case the assistant doesn’t pronounce your name properly, Google gives you the option to head over to the Assistant settings and record your own pronunciation (as seen in the screenshot below). Currently, there’s no way to train the Assistant to correctly pronounce the names of people in your contact list. While you can go to Google Contacts and edit your contact’s names to add the phonetic pronunciation, the process could be a bit cumbersome. A teardown of the latest version of the Google App reveals that the company is now working to make this process much simpler.

Google App

Strings of code spotted in the latest version of the Google App suggest that Google will soon give you the ability to record your own pronunciation for your contacts. The feature will essentially let you train the Assistant to pronounce contact names just like you would train it to pronounce your name. You’ll get the ability to record your pronunciation, play it back, delete the pronunciation, or use the default pronunciation. As of now, Google has released no information regarding this feature and we have no clue of its release timeline. However, since code related to the feature has already made its way to the app, it shouldn’t be long before the feature makes an appearance on the beta version of the app.


Thanks to PNF Software for providing us a license to use JEB Decompiler, a professional-grade reverse engineering tool for Android applications.

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Download: POCO F1 gets official Android 10 with MIUI 11 update

Google officially rolled out Android 10 back in September last year. Since then, Xiaomi has rolled out MIUI 11 based on Android 10 for a couple of devices, including the Redmi K20 Pro, Mi 9, Redmi K20, Redmi Note 7, and more. While the company did release MIUI 11 for the popular POCO F1 back in November last year, the build was based on Android 9 Pie. Late last year, Xiaomi released the kernel sources of the Android 10 update for the POCO F1, Mi MIX 2s, Mi MIX 3, and the Mi 8 series. This suggested that the company was finally prepping up the Android 10 based release for these devices. As expected, Xiaomi has now started rolling out MIUI 11 based on Android 10 for the POCO F1 and you can download it right away.

POCO F1 XDA Forums || Buy the POCO F1 from Amazon.in

This Android 10-based build of MIUI 11 for the POCO F1 is meant for beta testers only. If you’re interested in trying out the build for yourself, you can download it the ZIP file from the link below and manually flash it on your phone. However, you won’t be able to install the build using the stock MIUI recovery and you’ll first need to flash the TWRP custom recovery on your device to flash this build successfully.

It’s also worth noting that since this is a beta build of the software you might encounter some bugs which will hamper your experience. In case you’re using your device as a daily driver, we’d recommend waiting for the stable release which should be rolled out sometime in the near future.

MIUI 11 beta (Android 10) for the POCO F1


Thanks to Telegram user Rohan Preet for the screenshots and XDA Recognized Contributor akhilnarang for the download link!

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