Spotify is finally available on Alexa-powered Amazon Echo smart devices in India

With over 500 million internet users, India has the second-largest net-surfing population in the world. This makes it a lucrative market for leading service providers. When it comes to music streaming, there are several Indian and international players such as Amazon, JioSaavn, Gaana, Wynk, Hangama, etc. in the market. Swedish music streaming platform Spotify was one of the latecomers when it finally went live in India last year. Several months after its launch in India, the music streaming is finally supported on Amazon Echo and will soon be available on other smart speakers, displays, and other devices powered by Alexa.

Since its launch in India, Spotify had not been supported by Alexa in India. Even though you could bypass that by changing your location to a country (say: the U.S.) where the integration was already supported, that took away support for local languages/accents as well as local services. But with the official announcement, users will be able to enjoy their personal playlists and subscribed podcasts in India without much effort. The service is available for both free and premium users in India.

To use the service with Alexa in India, go to the Amazon Alexa app on your smartphone and then to Settings > Music and tap on “Link new Service” and you’ll be asked to sign in with your Spotify account and authorize the device. After that, you can also select Spotify as your default music and radio service from the same page. Alternatively, you can also search for the Spotify skill either using voice by saying “Alexa, enable Spotify” or within the Alexa app on your smartphone.

Once the setup is complete, you can say commands like “Alexa, play Spotify” or “Alexa, play <artist/album name> on Spotify.” You can also jump to your daily playlist or a playlist curated for your region by saying “Alexa, play Bollywood Hits on Spotify” or “Alexa, play my Daily Mix 1 on Spotify.” Since Amazon’s smart assistant also supports Hindi and Hinglish, you can also use those languages to play your favorite podcasts or playlists in those languages.

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Source: Amazon India Blog

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How to change the AOD wallpaper in EMUI 10.1 for Huawei and Honor devices

Huawei started rolling out EMUI 10 – its custom Android interface based on Android 10 – in November last year. EMIU 10 refined the user experience and brought improved visual elements including several new screens for the always-on display (AOD). While EMUI 10 added a bunch of new and colorful AOD options for Huawei and Honor phones with AMOLED displays, you can also install custom AOD wallpapers using any PNG image of your choice if you have already received the EMUI 10.1 update.

XDA Member Kamcho84 recently discussed the method to install custom AOD wallpapers on any Huawei phone running at least EMUI 10.1 or an Honor device Magic UI 3.1. Although obvious, it’s worth mentioning that this method will only work on devices equipped with OLED/AMOLED displays and support always-on displays already.

XDA Senior Member SilviuO compiled a guide on how to install custom AOD wallpapers on EMUI 10.1 devices in an XDA Forums thread. For the method to work, you’ll be required to install the Huawei Themes app from App Gallery. If your device uses the HMS Core instead of GMS Core, the app must be pre-installed.

XDA Forums thread: EMUI 10.1 AOD THEMES – PNG’s & HOW To change pictures 

To set a custom AOD wallpaper, you’ll be required to install a custom theme and apply it with the Themes app. You can either chose one of the many themes created by SilviuO or create your own using a PNG image with a black background of your own choice. If you choose to do the latter, the Senior Member has listed out the steps you’ll be required to follow to create and apply custom themes.

You can expect the method to work on the Huawei P40/P40 Pro/P40 Pro+ as well as the Huawei P30 series as these devices have received the EMUI 10.1 update already. Meanwhile, EMUI 10.1 beta is already being tested for Mate 30 series devices and the stable version is expected to roll out this month. As per the update timeline for the global update released by Huawei earlier this month, the update will be available for a total of 14 Huawei and 4 Honor devices aside from the ones that have already received the stable update.

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[Update: Now available for more devices] Paranoid Android Quartz 3 adds Android 10 builds for 8 Xiaomi devices and will soon add 8 more

Update (06/26/2020 @ 03:10 AM ET): Paranoid Android Quartz 3 is now available for more Xiaomi devices. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on June 15, 2020, is preserved below.

Earlier this year in April, the team behind the popular Paranoid Android custom ROM released Paranoid Android Quartz 1 — the first stable Android 10-based build of the ROM. At first, the ROM was released for a handful of devices and it included a ton of new features, like screen stabilization, a built-in screen recorder, FOD support, vibration adapted UI, and more. Soon thereafter, the team released Quartz 2 with 4 new features and support for more devices. And now, the team has started rolling out Paranoid Android Quartz 3 with support for 8 Xiaomi devices and a couple of new features.

According to a recent post on the team’s blog, Paranoid Android Quarts 3 is now rolling out for all supported devices and it includes these new features:

• June security patchset and Pixel Feature Drop 3.
• Improved Fingerprint on Display functionality.
• New clear all notifications button.
• Mutli-user support.
• Data Switch tile.
• New accent colors.
• Fixed lockscreen adjustments for devices without FOD.

Along with the aforementioned features, the Paranoid Android Quartz 3 build also includes a few device-specific changes that can be found on the second post of the respective device threads on our forums (linked below). Additionally, the build brings support for the following devices:

• Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro and Redmi K20 Pro
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 8/8T
• Xiaomi Redmi 3S
• Xiaomi Redmi 4A
• Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro

The team is also working on adding support for the following devices, builds for which will be released in the next few days:

• OnePlus 7 and 7T
• Pocophone F1
• Xiaomi Mi 9T and Redmi K20
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 5/Pro
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S

Download Paranoid Android Quartz 3

If you’re interested in trying out Paranoid Android Quartz 3 on your device, you can head over to the respective XDA forum thread (linked below) and follow the instructions provided in the post:

• ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2
• ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1
• Essential Phone
• OnePlus 7 Pro
• OnePlus 6 and 6T
• OnePlus 3 and 3T
• Xiaomi Redmi 5
• Xiaomi Mi 9
• Xiaomi Mi 6
• OnePlus 5 and 5T
• OnePlus 7T Pro
• Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro/Redmi K20 Pro
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 8/8T
• Xiaomi Redmi 3s
• Xiaomi Redmi 4A
• Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro

Do note that these builds already have Google apps included, so you don’t need to flash a separate ZIP file to get the Google Play Store. In case you already have the Paranoid Android Quartz 2 build running on your device, you should automatically receive the Quartz 3 OTA in the coming days.

ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 Forums || ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 Forums || Essential Phone Forums || OnePlus 3 Forums || OnePlus 3T Forums || OnePlus 6 Forums || OnePlus 6T Forums || OnePlus 7 Pro Forums || Xiaomi Redmi 5 Forums || Xiaomi Mi 6 Forums || Xiaomi Mi 9 Forums || OnePlus 5 Forums || OnePlus 5T Forums || OnePlus 7T Pro Forums || Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro/Redmi K20 Pro Forums || Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Forums || Xiaomi Redmi Note 8/8T Forums || Xiaomi Redmi 3s Forums || Xiaomi Redmi 4A Forums || Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro Forums

The Paranoid Android team is currently working to extend support to a few more devices, including:

• Google Nexus 6P
• Moto G7 Power
• OnePlus One
• Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Dual
• Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact and XZ2 Compact Dual
• Sony Xperia XZ3 and XZ3 Dual
• Xiaomi Mi A2
• Xiaomi Mi A3
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 3
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 7

If you’re interested in helping the Paranoid Android team with development, you can reach out to herna@paranoidandroid.co. If you want to stay up-to-date on news and new releases from the team, you should consider following them on Twitter.

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Update: Now available for more Xiaomi devices

As promised earlier this month, the Paranoid Android team is now rolling out the Quartz 3 build for more Xiaomi devices. These include builds for the Pocophone F1, Xiaomi Mi 8, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, and Redmi Note 5 Pro. If you wish to try out the latest release on your device, you can head over to the respective XDA forum thread (linked below) and follow the instructions provided in the post:

• Pocophone F1
• Xiaomi Mi 8
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and 5 Pro

Much like previous builds of the custom ROM, the Paranoid Android Quartz 3 release for these new devices already has Google Apps included, so you don’t need to flash a separate ZIP file to get the Google Play Store.

Pocophone F1 Forums || Xiaomi Mi 8 Forums || Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Forums || Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Forums || Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Forums

The post [Update: Now available for more devices] Paranoid Android Quartz 3 adds Android 10 builds for 8 Xiaomi devices and will soon add 8 more appeared first on xda-developers.

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Google Nest Hub Max can now make Duo and Meet group video calls

Google announced the Nest Hub and the Nest Hub Max smart displays last summer. These smart displays are typically Google Home smart speakers paired with 7″ and 10″ displays, respectively, that are useful for watching videos or interacting with them using touch besides Google Assistant. The bigger one of the two i.e. the Google Nest Hub Max also features a 12MP camera that can be used for video calling. Until now you could only use the camera for one-on-one video calls but now, the Nest Hub Max can make group video calls on Duo and Google Meet.

One feature that we’ve come to really appreciate during these testing times is video calling. With the Google Nest Hub Max, you can now make group video calls on Duo. You can start by creating new groups in the Duo app on your smartphone and then saying, “Hey Google, make a group call.” In the case of more than one group, you will be asked to select the group you wish to connect to. The camera on the Nest Hub Max is powered by a Sony IMX277 sensor and supports “auto-framing,” which basically means that it can pan the video of the camera based on where you are to ensure you’re always in the frame even when you’re moving.

A couple of weeks ago, the company had increased the limit for participants in a group Duo call from 12 to 32 and the same limit also applies to group calls on the Nest Hub Max. Duo group calling is also available on smart displays from other companies including LG XBOOM AI ThinQ WK9 Smart Display, JBL Link View, and Lenovo’s 8″ and 10″ Smart Displays.

Besides Duo, you can also join virtual meetings on Google Meet using the Nest Hub Max by saying “Hey Google, start a meeting” and then enter the meeting code. You can also skip the second step by saying “Hey Google, join my next meeting.”

Back in April, Google had extended Meet to free users keeping the limitations on physical meetings due to the outbreak of COVID-19, shortly after dropping the Hangouts branding. With this, up to 100 users can join a meeting for free.

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Source: Google Blog “The Keyword”  

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Amazfit GTR and Amazfit GTS get updated with support for tracking daytime naps

A vast majority of smartwatches and fitness bands launched in the last year or so offer a sleep tracking feature that lets users keep a close eye on their sleep schedule. The feature can help you easily track your sleeping pattern and identify any potential disorders that you might need to address. However, most smartwatches and fitness bands don’t include the option to track your sleeping pattern during daytime hours, which leaves a major gap in the collected data for those of you who are fans of siestas or work night time shifts. To address this issue, Chinese wearables manufacturer Huami has now released an update for its Amazfit GTR (review) and Amazfit GTS (review) smartwatches that enables support for tracking daytime naps.

Amazfit XDA Forums

As per a recent report from TizenHelp, the latest firmware update for the Amazfit GTR and Amazfit GTS brings support for monitoring sporadic naps during the day. According to the firmware update log, the feature will allow users to monitor their sleeping patterns during the day, as long as they sleep for more than 20 minutes. The data collected during daytime naps will now also be added to the deep sleep, light sleep, and time awake information, and it will affect your sleep score in the Amazfit app.

The latest firmware releases, version 1.3.5.77 for the Amazfit GTR and version 0.0.9.12 for the Amazfit GTS, are now rolling out to users in Vietnam. To install the latest firmware, you’ll need to update the Amazfit app to the 4.5.3 release. Once the update is successfully installed, your smartwatch will automatically detect the new firmware and install it. As of now, we have no official information from Huami regarding a wider rollout but we expect the firmware to hit other regions in the coming weeks.

Amazfit (Free, Google Play) →

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Via: TizenHelp

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Apple Music for Android gets gapless playback and Android Auto enhancements

While it may not be a favorite for diehard Android fans, Apple Music is certainly popular in the music streaming space. According to a research firm, it was estimated that Apple Music is just behind Spotify in market share. Clearly, there are Android users who use Apple Music, and the app just got updated with some nice features.

Apple Music v3.3.0 for Android adds gapless music playback. For those unfamiliar with the term, it simply means there’s no gap between tracks. This becomes really important when you’re listening to an album and the songs are supposed to seamlessly blend together. Instead of a jarring bit of silence between tracks, they’ll smoothly transition.

Next up in Apple Music is enhancements to Android Auto and downloads. The “Only showing music available on this device” message that appears when viewing downloads now extends to more views. This makes it more clear that you’re seeing only downloaded content when viewing albums, artists, and songs. Progress on downloads also appears to be tracked better.

The Android Auto “enhancements” aren’t clear, but we presume the experience has just been cleaned up a bit. The changelog also mentions “improved overall app performance.” Apple Music is a solid music streaming option and the Android app gained a dark theme and Chromecast support last year. Version 3.3.0 is available right now in the Google Play Store.

Apple Music (Free, Google Play) →

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Via: Android Police

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Here’s another look at Google’s Android TV dongle from the Android 11 Developer Preview

Today, Google released an Android 11 Developer Preview for the ADT-3, a set-top box aimed at developers that runs Google’s Android TV operating system. The Developer Preview doesn’t contain any user-facing changes—after all, the ADT-3 is only intended for developers—but we still took a look through the update to see if there are any upcoming Android TV-specific features that Google didn’t document. While we were digging through the firmware, we discovered another asset related to Google’s upcoming Android TV dongle.

​Earlier this month, we were sent pre-release firmware for a Google device code-named “sabrina.” Within that firmware, we discovered a video that reveals the design of Google’s Android TV dongle, the dedicated remote for the device, and the new Android TV UI that will presumably debut on the device. The video was created on October 10th, 2019, which was 5 days before the Pixel 4 launch date. Given the lifecycle of product launches, it’s unlikely that the final design and specifications of the dongle have changed much since that video was made. However, since we still don’t know when the dongle will actually launch, there’s always a chance that Google could have gone back at any point in the last several months to order a tweak to the design or internal components.

In the Android 11 Developer Preview for Google’s ADT-3 developer box, though, we found a video named “reboot_sabrina” in SetupWraithPrebuiltGtvs, the system application that handles that setup wizard for Android TV. This video shows the user how to reboot the “sabrina” Android TV dongle by unplugging it from its power connector (which seems to be a USB cord, though we don’t know if it’s micro-USB or Type-C) for 3 seconds. The video shows a sketch of the device with its overall oblong shape and “G” logo in the center, matching the design of the dongle that we saw in the pre-release firmware.

This video alone doesn’t really tell us much about Google’s dongle that we don’t already know, but it does corroborate the design of the renders we published earlier this month. Plus, it’s the first time we’ve seen anything related to “sabrina” in a publicly available source, especially one that’s very recent. Hopefully, this means that it won’t be long until we see the release of “sabrina.” Some of us can’t wait to get our hands on it. One thing to note is that the appearance of this asset in the Android 11 Developer Preview doesn’t guarantee that “sabrina” will launch with Android 11 out-of-the-box—I’m guessing it’ll launch with Android 10-based Android TV but will be one of the first to experience Android 11-based Android TV once that’s available (which usually happens a few months after the new OS for phones is made public.)

Here’s a summary of what we know so far about the specifications for Google’s Android TV dongle. We compiled this list of specifications based on an analysis of the pre-release firmware, so these specifications are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Category	Specification
CPU + GPU	Amlogic S905X2 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1.8GHz Mali-G31 MP2
RAM	2GB
Display	HLG, HDR10, Dolby Vision, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Connectivity	Broadcom BCM43569 (Wi-Fi 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.1)
Audio	Cadence’s Tensilica HiFi 4 DSP
Remote	Yes, mic for Google Assistant

Here’s a video published on our YouTube channel that showcases the design of the Google Android TV dongle alongside its remote and new Android TV UI.

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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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