Digital Wellbeing prepares to shame you for using your phone too much with a “Mindful wallpaper” feature

Smartphones have become an indispensable tool in our lives, and some of us really like to use them a lot. Before your loved ones are forced to call for an intervention for your smartphone usage habits, it’s best to take cognizance of the problem and take control by yourself. Google Digital Wellbeing at Google I/O 2018 as a broad concept in helping users reduce their smartphone usage. The idea has gained improvements and features since the launch, becoming a vital tool towards digital detox, and also a means of keeping your personal life separate from work life. The latest feature that Google is working on for Digital Wellbeing aims to bring to light just how many times you unlock your phone.

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.

We spotted the following strings in Digital Wellbeing 1.0.331204241.beta:

<string name="mindful_unlocks_description">Each time you unlock your phone, a cloud appears on the home screen</string>
<string name="mindful_unlocks_title">Mindful wallpaper</string>

This upcoming feature builds upon the idea of the Unlock Clock experimental app. Unlock Clock essentially puts a large counter on your homescreen as a widget. Every time you unlock your phone, the counter increases by 1. So by the end of the day, you know just how many times you have unlocked your smartphone. Mindful Wallpaper seems to be mimicking the idea at least and based on the description, it’s resorting to a better visual cue than just a straight-up number. If you unlock your phone too many times in a day, your homescreen will be filled with clouds, spoiling any aesthetics you have at play. It sounds like a good idea, but we’ll have to wait to witness its execution.

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Digital Wellbeing (Free, Google Play) →

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Google Assistant adds a Workday Routine to help you manage your time

Back in 2017, Google introduced a new feature for the Google Assistant called Routines. The feature is inarguably one of the most powerful features offered by the virtual assistant, as it lets users trigger a string of commands when they say a predefined phrase. Users can set up Routines to do everyday tasks like turning on the lights in their home and playing music when they say a command like “OK Google, good morning.” And there are a host of other use cases for the feature. Now, Google is adding yet another Routine to the Google Assistant to help users set up a better work routine at home.

The new Workday Routine has been designed to automatically remind users of all the things that they need to do throughout a workday. This includes things like staying on top of their calendar appointments, taking a break from their desk, and so on. Once the new Workday Routine rolls out to your device, you’ll be able to enable it from within the Assistant settings. In the settings, you’ll get the option to pick from one of the pre-set routines or you can create your own to suit your needs.

The pre-set Workday Routines include things like getting sedentary reminders every day at a specific time, reminders to stay hydrated throughout the day, and more. The Workday Routine will also include hourly reminders so that you don’t lose track of time and miss an important meeting. As per a blog post from Google on the matter, the feature will initially be available in English, and it will give you the option to completely customize the Assistant actions and time blocks to fit your schedule.

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Source: The Keyword

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Reliance Jio’s upcoming budget Android smartphone could cost as little as ₹4,000 (~$54)

After revolutionizing the mobile internet economy in India with 4G, and bringing in much-needed competition in the fiber and broadband space, Reliance Jio is aiming at disrupting the budget segment by launching low-cost Android smartphones. Jio had mentioned its intention to enter this segment a few months ago at its AGM. Now, details have emerged on the pricing, suggesting that India’s already competitive budget segment might feel some more heat in the coming months.

According to a report from Bloomberg, Reliance Industries Ltd., the parent company of Reliance Jio, has asked local suppliers in India to ramp up production with a target of producing up to 200 million smartphones in the next two years. The budget, entry-level Android smartphone is expected to cost just around ₹4,000 (~$54). The inexpensive phone will be marketed with low-cost wireless plans from Jio, much like what we have seen with the JioPhone smart feature phones. And as we already know from previous announcements, this smartphone is intended to be developed in collaboration with Google, and will feature “optimizations to the Android operating system and the Play Store” (although the partnership is said to be under regulatory review, because of which Jio is currently proceeding alone). There is no concrete ETA available for when this phone gets launched, though the report mentions that the Diwali sale period is likely to be missed.

Jio surely has ambitious plans for the future. The telecom carrier is hoping to enter India’s 5G market as early as 2021. The company also raised money by selling stakes to Google, Facebook, and many other high-profile investment firms, bringing in the cumulative capital raised by the company to a staggering $28.3 billion (₹2,12,809 crores) within a few months. Jio’s entry into the handset segment comes in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the push for greater digitization across sectors like education and more.

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Source: Bloomberg

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VLC for Android 3.3 comes with bottom navigation bar, black theme, redesigned video player, and more

Earlier this year in March, the developers behind the popular VLC media player released VLC 3.3.0 beta for Android. The beta update introduced a completely redesigned UI with a bottom navigation bar, better support for Android’s gesture navigation, and several new UI tricks and animations to make the app feel more native. Now, the developers have started rolling out VLC 3.3 on the Play Store, which brings all of these changes and more to the stable channel.

As per a recent blog post, VLC 3.3 for Android brings a new UI that’s more in line with Google’s Material Design specifications and it features a bottom navigation bar for easier access to the controls. The dark mode in the app has been improved to display a completely black theme and the app icon has also been updated. The audio player has also been updated to show the overall progress of your play queue, while the video player has been redesigned to give it a more modern look.

The lock player feature in the video player has also been improved and you can now lock your orientation from the controls or lock the whole screen from the advanced options.

Additionally, all the different audio tracks for a video can now be changed in one place and the subtitle download has been revamped to give users a more streamlined experience.

Furthermore, there’s a brand new interface to sync the audio and subtitle tracks which will let you easily fine-tune both tracks to play them in sync. The AB repeat feature has also been redone from scratch to make it easier to use.

The post further notes that all these aforementioned changes will be available on Android TV as well, which has received some additional improvements. For instance, you’ll now be able to display all of the browsing screens in a list instead of a grid to get a more compact view on your TV. DVD and Blu Ray support have also been improved, and the app will now save your current progress while playing such media.

Along with these player improvements. VLC for Android now also has a Sponsorship option which will let you sponsor the developers to help them further improve the app.

The app now also has a custom grouping feature for videos that will let you create groups for all the videos on your device for easier access. Other noteworthy changes include media sharing support, real-time video stats, cleaner app settings, and Android 11 compatibility. For more information on under the hood changes, you can check out the original blog post linked below.

VLC for Android (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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Source: Dev.to

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Samsung will launch more Fan Editions of its flagship Galaxy smartphones

Samsung’s first ‘Fan Edition’ device, the Galaxy Note FE, was a re-release of the disastrous Galaxy Note 7. It was launched all the way back in 2017 and, since then, Samsung hadn’t released another Fan Edition device. That changed yesterday when Samsung officially lifted the covers off the Galaxy S20 FE — the latest addition to the Galaxy S20 lineup, which offers a great value proposition. While Samsung has launched affordable flagships previously, those smartphones came with ‘Lite’ branding. Now, Samsung plans to drop the ‘Lite’ branding altogether and focus on releasing more ‘Fan Edition’ versions of its flagships.

The company confirmed this decision during its latest Galaxy Unpacked event, where the company launched the Galaxy S20 FE. During the launch presentation, Clare Hunter, Global Strategy at Samsung Electronics, said, “As a tribute to our Galaxy fans, we’re setting a new standard of making uncompromising flagship innovations accessible to as many people as possible. And we’ll continue to launch Fan Editions of our flagship devices in the years to come.”

This means that all upcoming Samsung flagships will be followed by affordable ‘Fan Edition’ devices that would appeal to the masses. Considering that the company has already launched its Galaxy Note lineup for 2020, we now expect to see a Galaxy Note 20 FE sometime in the next few months. As of now, we have no word from Samsung regarding the device. However, based on the specifications of the Galaxy Note 10 Lite from earlier this year, we suspect that the Galaxy Note 20 FE could feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC or the Exynos 990 chipset, a flat display with 120Hz refresh rate, a triple camera setup, and the new and improved S Pen.

Get the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G from Amazon

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Samsung’s ECG monitoring app goes live on the Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2 in the US

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2 users in the United States patiently waiting to use their smartwatches’ electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor don’t have to wait any longer. After getting FDA clearance for its ECG monitoring app in August, Samsung on Wednesday announced the functionality is rolling out to both smartwatches. ECG capabilities were previously made available to users in South Korea.

The feature will allow Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2 owners to monitor their heart rhythm for irregularities, according to Samsung, and detect irregularities such as Atrial Fibrillation (AFib). To take a reading, place your fingertip on the top button, and your watch will record an ECG. Samsung recommends users be seated when testing.

Once a reading is recorded, users can log symptoms, such as fatigue or dizziness, and view a PDF report in Samsung’s Health Monitor app when connected to a Galaxy-branded phone. According to Samsung, the ECG feature isn’t meant for users with known arrhythmias or for anyone under 22 years old. The feature also doesn’t detect heart attacks. “Users should not interpret or take clinical action based on the device output without consultation of a qualified professional,” Samsung warns. “The ECG Monitor app is not intended to replace traditional methods of diagnosis or treatment and is for information purpose only.”

In addition to ECG monitoring, Samsung also points to the Galaxy Watch 3’s ability to monitor blood oxygen levels, which was first detailed in an update in August. Monitoring your blood oxygen levels will allow you to track how well your respiratory system is transferring oxygen into the bloodstream. Apple’s recently announced Watch Series 6 introduced a similar feature.

The addition of ECG monitoring in the Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Active 2 rounds out what are excellent wearables from Samsung. The wearables can track your sleep, provide fitness feedback, and track your workouts, among other features. The Galaxy Watch 3 is available from Samsung’s website for $369 as of this writing, $30 off its usual $399 price. Samsung is also gearing up to launch the Galaxy Watch 3 in titanium on October 2 for $599.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

The Galaxy Watch 3 is arguably the best smartwatch to pair with an Android phone, and it doesn't even run Android itself.

Buy at Samsung

Galaxy Watch 3 Specs

Specifications	Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
Dimensions & Weight	41mm: 41.0 x 42.5 x 11.3 mm, 48g 45mm: 45.0 x 46.2 x 11.1mm, 53g
Display	41mm: 1.2″ Super AMOLED Corning Gorilla Glass DX 45mm: 1.4″ Super AMOLED Corning Gorilla Glass DX
Watchband size	Large: 22.0 x 130.0 x 9.4mm Small: 20.0 x 115.0 x 9.4mm
Memory	1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage
Connectivity	LTE Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4GHz Bluetooth v5.0
Other features	2 physical buttons Rotating bezel Mic Linear Motor Speaker
Sensors	8 LED photoplethysmography (PPG) Electrocardiogram (ECG) Accelerometer (up to 32G) Gyroscope Barometer Ambient light
NFC Payments	Yes, Samsung Pay
Battery	41mm: 247mAh 45mm: 340mAh
Durability	5ATM + IP68/ MIL-STD-810G
OS	Tizen Based Wearable OS 5.5

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MWC 2021 delayed from March to June 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns

Big tech conferences were canceled left and right this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though some events managed to successfully go virtual, others, like MWC 2020, weren’t able to make the transition in time. If you were hoping that things would return to normal next year, we have some bad news to share. With no end in sight to the COVID-19 pandemic, the GSMA has decided to delay MWC 2021.

MWC 2021 was originally scheduled to be held in March 2021 in Barcelona, Spain. However, SARS-CoV-2 will likely still be a major concern around that time. Even if the Spain manages to contain the spread of the coronavius, an international event the size of MWC 2021 could reintroduce the disease to Spain and even spread it to other parts of the world again. While the first batch of vaccines may be ready by March, it’ll take a while before it’s been safely administered to most people—and it seems a vaccine is the only real way the world can return to some sense of normalcy. Because of this risk, the GSMA has decided to postpone MWC 2021 until June of next year.

[ANNOUNCEMENT]
#GSMA today announced a rescheduling of MWC Barcelona & MWC Shanghai 2021.

Moving the Barcelona event to 28 June – 1 July 2021 allows the GSMA to contend with external circumstances related to COVID-19.

Read the latest details – https://t.co/b9lG6sn67g #MWC21 pic.twitter.com/MHGzjTghFH

— GSMA (@GSMA) September 23, 2020

It is not clear if this postponement will affect smartphone launches planned for next year as it did when MWC 2020 was canceled. While it’s true that a lot of smartphones launched during the first half of the year are announced during MWC, most companies have already learned their lesson this year and will likely have contingencies in place. Since MWC was cancelled this year, most smartphone announcements were made by each OEM at their own virtual events. Samsung’s first Unpacked event of each year, while typically occur around the same time as MWC, are almost always a separate event, so that is likely to go on as normal. We can expect the same will happen for next year’s smartphone announcements: They will be held online. MWC 2021, then, if it ends up actually happening, may instead be the place for other mobile-related announcements or smaller launch events.

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