LightBlog

mardi 26 novembre 2019

[Update: 37 New Apps] Google Play Pass is a monthly subscription for apps and games that costs $4.99/mo

Update (11/26/19 @ 4:45 PM ET): Google adds 37 new apps and games to its Play Pass subscription service.

It’s hard to imagine using our phones nowadays without Google Play. It is, in a way, the core of our Android experience: it’s where you download new apps and new games to your device, where you process most in-app payments, and where you discover new additions to your app collection. We use it more than we realize, and more than what we would like to admit. But one thing that has become true and undeniable is that not everything is free in Google Play. In fact, something rarely is completely free—most apps and games now have some sort of in-app purchase, ad system, or simply an upfront payment. But what if there was some sort of subscription that allowed you to access these apps for free? Google has now announced Google Play Pass, a monthly subscription for Google Play that allows you to do exactly this.

Google Play Pass is a paid subscription service for Google Play, as was hinted in a previous APK teardown. Play Pass allows for access to around 350 apps and games completely for free, removing ads as well as upfront or in-app purchases.

Games like Risk, Stardew Valley, Terraria, Monument Valley, Risk, Facetune, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, LIMBO, Lichtspeer, Mini Metro, Old Man’s Journey are set to be available through Play Pass, as well as apps like AccuWeather. You’ll be able to check out apps available through this subscription model through a dedicated Play Pass tab in the Google Play Store. Additionally, apps and games available through Play Pass will be identified with a Play Pass “ticket”, and will be completely unlocked for you to download and check out. More options will be added to the section every month, with titles like This War of Mine and Cytus coming soon as well.

Play Pass is coming to the  U.S. this week at a price of $4.99/month price, with availability extending to more countries soon. You’ll also be able to get a 10-day free trial to see whether it’s worth it for you or not. For a limited time, you’ll be able to get Play Pass for $1.99 a month for 12 months, after which you’ll start paying the normal $4.99 subscription. Family managers can share their Play Pass subscription with up to five other family members, and each family member can access Play Pass individually, so experiences within the family will remain unaffected by what others have downloaded.

Google Play Pass can be signed up for using any of the accepted payment methods for subscriptions on Google Play, including your Play credits. For users who have signed up for Google Play Pass and consequently lapse on their subscription, they will have a short grace period where they will still have access to the content before it converts the access back to “normal”—meaning ads will no longer be removed and in-app purchases will no longer be automatically unlocked.

For developers, Google Play Pass is rolling out on an invitation-only basis.


Update: 37 New Apps

Google continues to expand the number of apps and games in its Play Pass Subscription service. This week, Google has added 32 new titles to the services. Some of the bigger names include Cytus II, Sally’s Law, Traffix, Podcast Republic, Cut the Rope, and Dairo. The full list of new games can be found here.

The post [Update: 37 New Apps] Google Play Pass is a monthly subscription for apps and games that costs $4.99/mo appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2kTxJzS
via IFTTT

[Update: New Print Sizes + Free Shipping] Google Photos adds Memories to tickle your nostalgia, same-day prints from Walmart or CVS, and Canvas prints

Update (11/26/19 @ 3:25 PM ET): Google Photos adds 5×7 and 8×10 photo print sizes for same-day pick-up at Walmart or CVS in the US, offers free shipping until December 11.

Earlier this week, we detailed a new feature in the Google Photos app that would let you order same-day prints from Walmart or CVS and order large, Canvas-style prints. In a blog post today, Google confirmed these features, and they also talked about a new feature called “Memories.”

Relive your past with Memories

If you take a lot of photos or have used Google Photos for years, then you might struggle to keep your photo collection organized. Photos intelligently curates similar photos into albums based on location and who may be in the photo, but even that won’t help if your collection is incredibly large. If you’re just looking to go on a nostalgia trip and rediscover some of your best moments from years past, then the new Memories feature may do you some good.

The Photos app, starting today, will show you photos and videos from years ago at the top of your gallery. A similar feature has existed on social media platforms under the name “Stories,” so this concept isn’t new. However, your Photos collection is likely much more private than whatever you are sharing on social media, so you’re much more likely to get that warm fuzzy feeling looking at your personal photos than you are from looking at your vanity shots. In the future, you’ll be able to send photos that show up in your Memories to your friends or family; these photos will be added to a private conversation (yes, another messaging app.)

Google Photos memories

Google is (unsurprisingly) using machine learning to filter out duplicate photos, but they’re also giving you the option to filter out certain people or time periods so they don’t show up in your Memories. If you don’t like the feature at all, you can turn it off entirely.

More Printing Options

Before today, your only option to directly print photos from the Google Photos app was to order a photo book. If you instead wanted to print individual photos or something much larger, then you would have to manually export the photo and use a different online service. Starting today, that’s no longer the case.

Directly within the Photos app are two new printing options. The first one lets you order 4×6 photo prints for same-day pickup at over 11,000 CVS and Walmart locations throughout the U.S. The next one lets you order large, Canvas-style prints that you can hang on a wall; Canvases start at $19.99 and come in 3 sizes: 8×8, 12×14, and 16×20.

Google Photos same-day printing

Google Photos canvas prints

You can download the latest version of the Google Photos app from the Google Play Store link below. These are major additions to Google’s cloud photo backup service and we can’t wait to see what’s coming next.


Update: New Print Sizes + Free Shipping

As the Holiday season approaches, Google is adding more options to order photos from the Google Photos app. The company has added two new sizes for same day pickup at Walmart and CVS: 5×7 and 8×10 (joining 4×6). Google is also offering free standard shipping on photo books and canvas prints in the US until December 11th. Get those gifts printed now before it’s too late!

Google Photos (Free, Google Play) →

The post [Update: New Print Sizes + Free Shipping] Google Photos adds Memories to tickle your nostalgia, same-day prints from Walmart or CVS, and Canvas prints appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2I2CfnG
via IFTTT

Vivo X30 teaser videos reveal periscope telephoto camera and 60x zoom

Vivo is launching a new smartphone next month, the Vivo X30, and they are already sharing details about it. The company released a couple of 30-second teaser videos about the phone and they give us some details about the upcoming features that will be found in the camera setup.

The Vivo X30 is expected to be powered by the Samsung Exynos 980 5G chipset, but the teaser video is all about the cameras. One of the big selling points of this device is going to be the zoom capabilities. We can see the focal range of 16mm to 135mm and a variable aperture range of f/1.8 to f/3.0. These values go along with the zoom lens, which Vivo is calling “Super Telephoto.” One of the teaser videos confirms 60X zoom capabilities.

The periscope-style camera falls in line with what we’ve seen from the Huawei P30 Pro and the OPPO Reno 10X Zoom. 60X zoom is more than the 50X zoom found on the Mate 30 Pro. Besides the telephoto camera, the Vivo X30 looks have three other cameras on the back, for a total of four. Previous rumors stated the cameras would be 64, 13, 8, and 2MPs. There may also be a “Pro” model with 60, 13, 13, and 12MP cameras. Some of the other loose rumored specs include a 90Hz display, 44W flash charging, and a 32MP front camera.

Source: Weibo 1, 2 | Via: Gadgets360

The post Vivo X30 teaser videos reveal periscope telephoto camera and 60x zoom appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/33oCi5k
via IFTTT

Samsung Galaxy S11+ renders show off huge camera bump and quad curved display

We’re getting close to the time of year when Samsung announces its latest devices in the Galaxy S line. The Galaxy S10 series was considered one of the best releases from Samsung, so they have a lot to top this go around. We’ve already seen renders of the Galaxy S11 and Galaxy S11e, but now we’re getting our first look at the Galaxy S11+.

The Samsung Galaxy S11+ has a lot in common with the other family members. Like the non-plus model, the Galaxy S11+ features five cameras and 2 sensors on the back in a large camera bump. The placement of the cameras is slightly different, however, as they are in an “X” shape (the placement of the flash is not final). Rumors suggest that the Galaxy S11+ will have a 108MP primary camera with 5X optical zoom, which would mean QHD+ photos and 8K videos.

Another similarity with the other devices is the center punch hole camera on the front. The resolution of this front camera is not yet known, but it looks like Samsung will be going with one single front camera this year. Speaking of the display, the Galaxy S11+ is said to have a 6.9-inch display (previously rumored to be 20:9 aspect ratio) with curves on all four edges. It will be a Dynamic AMOLED panel with an in-display fingerprint scanner.

The frame of the Galaxy S11+ is metal with glass on the front and back. The dimensions are said to be 166.9 x 76 x 8.8 mm (10.2 mm with camera bump). Some of the other details we can grab from the renders include a USB-C port (25W charging), volume and power buttons on the right side, and a single speaker on the bottom. What do you think of the look of Samsung’s new generation?


Source: CashKaro | Via: @OnLeaks

The post Samsung Galaxy S11+ renders show off huge camera bump and quad curved display appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/37z9PNv
via IFTTT

Honor announces the Magic Watch 2 smartwatch with the Kirin A1 and LiteOS

The Honor View30 was just announced in Beijing, and alongside it saw the announcement of the Honor Magic Watch 2. The Honor Magic Watch 2 is a successor to Honor’s smartwatch released last year, and it has a number of improvements in tow. From an 800-nit display, dual-frequency GPS, and more, there’s a lot to love. It looks exactly as we expected, following leaked images from last week. The Honor Magic Watch 2 comes in two variants – a 46mm and a 42mm. Both sizes have their own colors.

Honor Magic Watch 2 46mm

  • Charcoal Black
  • Flax Brown

Honor Magic Watch 2 42mm

  • Agate Black
  • Sakura Gold

Honor Magic Watch 2 Specifications

Specs 46mm Honor Magic Watch 2 42mm Honor Magic Watch 2
Display 1.39-inch 454×454 AMOLED display 1.2-inch 390×390 AMOLED display
SOC Kirin A1 Kirin A1
Battery 455 mAh 215 mAh
Connectivity Bluetooth v5.1, Wi-Fi, dual-frequency GPS Bluetooth v5.1, Wi-Fi, dual-frequency GPS
Health Features Heart rate, sleep tracking, stress monitor, breathing guidance, 15 fitness modes Heart rate, sleep tracking, stress monitor, breathing guidance, 15 fitness modes
Water Resistance 50 meters water-resistant, not IP-rated 50 meters water-resistant, not IP-rated
Storage Capacity 4GB 4GB
Software Version LiteOS LiteOS

The Honor Magic 2 has very few differences between its two variants. The 46mm one has a larger battery and display, though the differences pretty much end there. You get the same Kirin A1 chipset, the same 4GB of storage, and even all of the same features. You’ll get shorter battery life as a result as well, but that’s to be expected with a smaller form-factor. Both smartwatches come with an 800-nit display so that you can easily read the display even in direct sunlight. A rating of 800 nits means that the Honor Magic Watch 2 is higher than even some flagship smartphone displays. There are dual dials as well for controlling the device with ease.

Honor Magic Watch 2 pricing

You also get Bluetooth 5.1, dual-frequency GPS and even VO2 support. This is Honor’s most advanced wearable yet and respectfully blows even the Honor Band 5 out of the water in terms of features and specifications. That’s to be expected with a starting price tag of RMB 1099 (~$156), but it was never going to be as cheap as the company’s other fitness-oriented wearables. The Honor Magic Watch 2 is a jack-of-all-trades smartwatch and can be used for a whole lot more. You can set a watch-face with a custom picture, for example, control your phone and take photos from your wrist, and of course, get notifications on your wrist as well. You can even use that 4GB of internal storage for music storage, and you can connect a Bluetooth headset wirelessly to your watch to listen to music. If you want, you can even play music over the device’s built-in speakers instead.

Honor Magic Watch 2 availability

If fitness is your prerogative, the Honor Magic Watch 2 has 15 fitness modes to choose from. There’s also a stress monitor, breathing guidance, and weather updates. It syncs to both Android smartphones and iPhones and can answer calls hands-free on both. It’s certainly a worthy successor to the original Magic Watch. We’ll be reviewing it soon, so be sure to stay tuned for that! The Honor Magic Watch 2 will go on sale globally on December 12th and will be available across various regions (shown above).

The post Honor announces the Magic Watch 2 smartwatch with the Kirin A1 and LiteOS appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2skRIuF
via IFTTT

Honor announces the Honor V30/V30 Pro with dual hole punch display, Kirin 990, and Android 10

At its recent launch event in China, Huawei’s subsidiary Honor has unveiled its latest flagships — the Honor V30 and V30 Pro. The devices fall in line with the leaked press renders that we saw last week and feature an updated design with a dual punch-hole display. Both the devices are powered by Huawei’s flagship Kirin 990 chipset and include support for dual-mode 5G.

Honor V30/V30 Pro Specifications

Specification Honor V30 Honor V30 Pro
Display 6.57″ FHD+ (2400 x 1080) TFT LCD;
Dual punch-hole cutout, 91.46% screen-to-body ratio;
400 PPI
6.57″ FHD+ (2400 x 1080) TFT LCD;
Dual punch-hole cutout, 91.46% screen-to-body ratio;
400 PPI
SoC Huawei Kirin 990:
2x Cortex-A76 (2.86GHz) + 2x Cortex-A76 (2.09GHz) + 4x Cortex-A55 (1.86GHz);
Mali-G76
Huawei Kirin 990:
2x Cortex-A76 (2.86GHz) + 2x Cortex-A76 (2.09GHz) + 4x Cortex-A55 (1.86GHz);
Mali-G76
RAM and Storage 6GB + 128GB;
8GB + 128GB
8GB + 128GB;
8GB + 256GB
Battery 4,200 mAh 4,100 mAh
USB USB Type-C USB Type-C
Rear Camera 40MP, f/1.8 (AF) + 8MP wide-angle f/2.4 (FF) + 8MP telephoto f/2.4 (FF+OIS) 40MP, f/1.6 (AF+OIS) + 12MP wide-angle f/2.2 (AF) + 8MP telephoto f/2.4 (AF+OIS)
Front Camera 32MP f/2.0 (FF) + 8MP telephoto f/2.2 (FF) 32MP f/2.0 (FF) + 8MP telephoto f/2.2 (FF)
Android Version Magic UI 3.0.1 based on Android 10 Magic UI 3.0.1 based on Android 10

As you can tell from the table above, the main difference between the two devices is the rear-facing camera setup. While both the devices feature a triple camera setup within a rectangular camera module on the back, the Honor V30 Pro features adds OIS to the primary 40MP Sony IMX 600 sensor. It also has a 12MP secondary wide-angle sensor with auto-focus, while the Honor V30 has an 8MP secondary wide-angle sensor with a fixed focus. The remaining 8MP telephoto sensor has a fixed focus on the V30, while it includes auto-focus capabilities on the V30 Pro. The rear cameras also support for 4K HDR video recording with 5-axis electronic image stabilization and an ultra-low vision mode for dimly-lit conditions.

Honor V30 Camera module

Other than the rear-facing camera setup, both the devices also differ in terms of the RAM/storage variants. The Honor V30 will be offered in 6GB/8GB RAM variants, both of which will feature 128GB of storage, while the V30 Pro will only be offered in an 8GB RAM variant with both 128GB and 256GB storage options. Another difference between the devices, which is quite unusual, is that the base Honor V30 features a larger 4,200mAh battery, while the V30 Pro packs in a 4,100 cell. Both the device include support for 40-watt fast charging which will get you from 0-70% in just 30 minutes. The flagship V30 Pro also includes support for 27-watt wireless charging and 7.5-watt reverse wireless charging which is missing in the V30.

Pricing and Availability

The Honor V30 has been priced at RMB 3,299 (~$469) for the 6GB/128GB variant, while the 8GB/128GB variant has been priced at RMB 3,699 (~$525). On the other hand, the flagship V30 Pro has been priced at RMB 3,999 (~$567) for the 8GB/128GB variant, while the 8GB/256GB variant will set you back RMB 4,199(~$596). Both the phones will be available in four color variants — Icelandic Fantasy, Magic Night Star River, Charm Star Blue, and Twilight Orange — and are already up for pre-orders in China. The pre-orders will last till November 26 and the first sale is scheduled for December 5th.

The post Honor announces the Honor V30/V30 Pro with dual hole punch display, Kirin 990, and Android 10 appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2qCffqt
via IFTTT

lundi 25 novembre 2019

MediaTek announces the Dimensity 1000, a 7nm SoC with integrated 5G

In May, ARM announced the next-generation ARM Cortex-A77 CPU architecture and the ARM Mali-G77 GPU with the Valhall architecture. Only a few days later, MediaTek surprised the chip industry by announcing its first 5G SoC. The SoC incorporated both the Cortex-A77 CPU and the Mali-G77 GPU. MediaTek disclosed that the chip would be manufactured on a 7nm process, but further details about the SoC remained unknown. Now, nearly six months after its early announcement, MediaTek is ready to fill in the blanks, including the name of the SoC. The MediaTek Dimensity 1000 is the first SoC in the 5G Dimensity series, and it aims to bring MediaTek back to the flagship SoC market.

The Dimensity name is intended to distinguish MediaTek’s 5G chip family from the Helio series of 4G SoCs. According to MediaTek, “Dimensity represents a step towards a new era of mobility – the fifth dimension – to spur industry innovation and let consumers unlock the possibilities of 5G connectivity”. The Dimensity 1000 SoC represents MediaTek’s return to the high-end SoC market, and it’s the company’s first flagship SoC since the Helio X30, which failed to find its way in most flagship phones in 2017.

According to MediaTek, the first Dimensity powered devices will arrive on the market in Q1 2020.

MediaTek Dimensity 1000 – CPU, GPU, and AI Processing Unit

The MediaTek Dimensity 1000 has an octa-core (4+4) CPU. It has four ARM Cortex-A77 “big” cores clocked at 2.6GHz, with four ARM Cortex-A55 “little” cores clocked at 2.0GHz. The core configuration of the SoC is interesting as it’s a 4+4 configuration, while Samsung and Huawei’s HiSilicon both have a 2+2+4 configuration in the Exynos 990 and the Kirin 990 respectively. On the other hand, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 has a 1+3+4 CPU core configuration. MediaTek has thus opted not to have any medium core as all four A77 cores will be clocked at 2.6GHz. The 2.6GHz clock speed is right on target for TSMC’s 7nm (N7) process, and coupled with the 20-35% IPC improvements of the A77 architecture, the CPU performance of the Dimensity 1000 should be on par with, or even better than its flagship competitors.

MediaTek is the first vendor to use ARM’s Mali-G77 GPU, which has also made its way to the upcoming Exynos 990. The Kirin 990 has the older Mali-G76. MediaTek is using a 9-core version of the Mali-G77 (Mali-G77MP9), while the Exynos 990 has an 11-core variant.

The company is also promoting its 3rd generation AI Processing Unit (APU/NPU) for on-device AI operations, which has more than double the performance of MediaTek’s previous APU. It has two big cores, three little cores, and one “tiny” core. MediaTek fully supports the NNAPI features while its competitors have incomplete support, which helps its position in AI benchmarks.

In terms of memory specifications, MediaTek SoC supports 4-channel LPDDR4X memory, with a maximum of up to 16GB RAM.

 MediaTek Dimensity 1000 – Connectivity

The Dimensity 1000 has an integrated 5G modem, which gives it a leg up over the Snapdragon 855 and the Exynos 990, although it’s a known fact that the next Snapdragon flagship SoC will also have an integrated 5G modem. This brings it level with the Kirin 990 5G. Having an integrated 5G modem delivers “significant power savings compared to competing solutions”, according to MediaTek.

The Dimensity 1000 supports sub-6GHz 5G, while support for millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G is absent. This doesn’t matter as much as it seems because mmWave 5G is only a reality in the U.S. for now. (Japan and South Korea will also have mmWave 5G networks in 2020.) The Dimensity 1000 isn’t intended for such markets. The majority of the world’s markets have chosen to go with sub-6GHz 5G in the form of mid-band and low-band. MediaTek specifically notes that the Dimensity 1000 is designed for global sub-6GHz networks that are launching in Asia, North America, and Europe.

The Dimensity 1000 supports 5G two carrier aggregation (2CC CA), and is said to have “the world’s fastest throughput SoC with 4.7Gbps downlink and 2.5Gbps uplink speeds over sub-6GHz networks”. (This claim is incorrect as the Exynos 5G Modem 5123 – paired with the Exynos 990 – is rated for up to 5.1Gbps downlink on sub-6GHz networks.) It’s also said to have 2x the speed versus the Snapdragon 855 paired with Qualcomm’s X50 modem.

The chip supports stand alone (SA) and non-stand alone (NSA) sub-6GHz networks, and it includes multi-mode support for every cellular connectivity generation from 2G to 5G.

The Dimensity 1000 integrates the latest Wi-Fi 6 (2×2 802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.1+ standards as well, that lets it offer more than 1Gbps throughput in both downlink and uplink speeds. The chip also has dual-band GPS (L1+L5 bands). For more information on why this feature is important, read this article.

The SoC is also said to have the world’s first dual 5G SIM technology, that comes in addition to support for services such as Voice over New Radio (VoNR). According to MediaTek, the chip’s integrated 5G modem delivers “extreme energy efficiency” and “is a more power efficient design than competing solutions”. This will let brands use the extra space for features such as a bigger battery or larger camera sensors, which sounds good. 5G carrier aggregation also lets the chip posts higher average speeds. It performs a seamless handover between two connection areas (high speed layer and coverage layer) for high speed connections.

MediaTek Dimensity 1000 – Camera and Graphics

The Dimensity 1000 has the world’s first five-core image signal processor (ISP) combined with MediaTek’s Imagiq+ technology. It supports 80MP camera sensors at 24fps along with a range of multi-camera options such as 32MP + 16MP dual cameras. The chip’s APU is said to support advanced AI-camera enhancements for autofocus, auto exposure, auto white balance, noise reduction, HDR and facial detection, along with another world-first claim for having a multi-frame HDR video capability.

The Dimensity 1000 has support for Full HD+ 1080p displays at up to 120Hz and 2K+ 1440p displays at up to 90Hz. It’s also the first mobile SoC to have support Google’s AV1 format up to 4K at 60fps in addition to support for H264, HEVC, and VP9.

MediaTek’s return to the flagship SoC market

The last time MediaTek competed in the flagship SoC space, it didn’t end well. The company’s flagship Helio X10 and Helio X20 SoCs suffered from inferior performance and efficiency when compared with Qualcomm’s chips. The Helio X30 was made for 2017 flagships, but it only found its way to two phones. As MediaTek vacated the high-end space  in 2018, competition in the SoC industry was reduced.

Now, with the Dimensity 1000, MediaTek is re-entering the fight. On paper, the chip seems to have everything it takes to compete with established competitors such as the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, HiSilicon Kirin 990 5G, and the Exynos 990. Device adoption is key, but if the Dimensity series takes off, competition will be back to normal. According to MediaTek’s President Joe Chen, MediaTek’s 5G technology goes head-to-head with anyone in the industry. We are interested to see if these claims play out in practice over the coming months.

The post MediaTek announces the Dimensity 1000, a 7nm SoC with integrated 5G appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/37zSNyR
via IFTTT