DarQ enables per-app forced dark mode on Android 10 without root

Android 10 brought a few useful features that made it an appreciated update over Android 9 Pie. Android 9’s iffy 2-button navigation system gave way for fully gestural navigation, which worked much better. Android 10 also brought a system-wide dark mode on apps that support it after Google realized the benefits of dark themes on premium OLED displays. Google’s first-party apps on Android were quickly updated to add dark themes. The system-wide dark mode feature was one that users had been requesting for years, and they finally got their wish in Android 10. However, there is still room for improvement. While Google added a developer option to force all apps to turn on dark mode (even those that hadn’t been specifically updated with the feature), there is no way in stock Android to enable a forced dark mode on a per-app basis. As expected, the XDA community came to the rescue. XDA Recognized Developer Quinny899 released the DarQ app in June, letting users enable per-app forced dark mode.

DarQ settings

The only limitation with DarQ was that it required root because it sent a shell command that required elevated privileges to enable the forced dark mode option. This meant that unrooted users were out of the action. Even custom user interfaces didn’t have the solution to the problem. OPPO’s ColorOS 7 has added a forced system-wide dark mode toggle in the display settings (bringing it out of Developer Options), but again, it can’t be toggled on a per-app basis. We can always trust the community to come up with innovative solutions, though. With version 1.2, DarQ has now been updated to support per-app dark mode on Android 10 without root. It does this by using an ADB script, which has to be downloaded separately. The app now requires the user to grant it ADB shell-level permissions so that it can run the same command of the forced dark mode option without needing root.

DarQ also uses an Accessibility Service so that it can detect when the user’s selected apps are in the foreground to enable forced dark mode, and then disable dark mode when those apps aren’t in the foreground.

With version 1.2, the app now supports OnePlus’ OxygenOS. The update has also added a search box to the app list.

The full change-log is noted below:

DarQ v1.2 Changelog

v1.2
– DarQ now works without root! Use the ADB script from the XDA thread or GitHub repository to run the required background service to use DarQ without needing to root your device.
– Fixed root detection
– Added OxygenOS support
– Added a search box to the app list
– Added a filter for system apps (hidden by default) in the app list

Toggling forced dark mode on a per-app basis means that users can have dark mode enabled in apps like Twitter, for instance, while choosing to have it disabled on Facebook and Instagram. DarQ can also automatically enable dark mode at night. It enables user flexibility, which is nice to see. Can we expect an option like this to be provided as a developer option in the next Android release? We will have to wait until next month to find out.

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Download DarQ from XDA Labs | XDA Forum Thread for DarQ

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Moto G Power and Moto G Stylus officially announced with the Snapdragon 665 and Android 10

The Moto G Power (previously referred to as the “Moto G8 Power“) and Moto G Stylus have been popping up in headlines for a while now. Just yesterday, the Amazon listing revealed everything about the Moto G Power. The Moto G Stylus has been a little more mysterious, but we knew what to expect. Today, Motorola has officially announced both devices.

Moto G Power XDA Forums ||| Moto G Stylus XDA Forums

	Moto G Power	Moto G Stylus
Size	159.85 x 75.84 x 9.63mm, 199g	158.55 x 75.8 x 9.2mm, 192g
SoC	Snapdragon 665	Snapdragon 665
RAM	4GB	4GB
Storage	64GB	128GB
Display	6.4-inch, FHD+, LCD, hole-punch	6.4-inch, FHD+, LCD, hole-punch
Rear Cameras	16MP (f/1.7, 1.12μm) 2MP (f/2.2, 1.75μm) macro 8MP (f/2.2, 1.12μm) 118° ultra-wide angle	48MP (f/1.7, 1.6μm) 2MP (f/2.2, 1.75μm) macro Action Cam 16MP (f/2.2, 2.0μm, 117-degrees FOV)
Front Camera	16MP (f/2.0, 1μ)	16MP (f/2.0, 1μ)
Battery	5,000 mAh	4,000 mAh
Ports	USB-C, Headphone jack	USB-C, Headphone jack
Software	Android 10	Android 10

Similarities

If you’ve been following the leaks, you know the Moto G Power and Moto G Stylus look a lot alike. They share the same basic design, which features 6.4-inch FHD+ displays, left-aligned punch-hole, minimal bezels, plastic back covers, and matching camera modules. At a glance, the devices are essentially identical.

They have a lot in common in terms of specifications as well. Both the Moto G Power and Moto G Stylus are rocking the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC with 4GB of RAM and 64/128GB of storage. Some of the other shared specifications include USB-C 10W charging, headphone jacks, stereo speakers, fingerprint scanners, and Android 10.

Speaking of Android 10, Motorola has included some new software with these devices. Moto Gametime is a basic customization suite for adjusting notifications and power settings while gaming.

Differences

While the Moto G Power and Moto G Stylus have a surprising amount in common, there are some key differences. First and foremost, the Moto G Stylus has, well, a stylus. The stylus is housed in the bottom edge and it’s very thin. This is not a fancy Bluetooth stylus like you can find in the latest Galaxy Note. It’s capacitive, which means no pressure sensitivity. Motorola has included some basic note-taking software to go with it. These are mid-range devices and you’re getting a mid-range stylus experience.

While the Moto G Power and Moto G Stylus appear to have the same camera setup, there are quite a few differences. Both have triple cameras, but they do very different things. The Power has a 16MP main camera, 2MP macro, and 8MP wide-angle. The Stylus has a 48MP main camera, 2MP macro, and 16MP “Action Cam.”

As you might expect by the name, the Moto G Power is packing a beefy 5,000 mAh battery. Motorola claims you can get up to 3 days of use before needing to plug in. The Moto G Stylus has a smaller, but still respectable, 4,000 mAh battery.

Pricing & Availability

The Moto G Power and Moto Gy Stylus will be available unlocked in the US this Spring from Best Buy, B&H Photo, Walmart, and Amazon. They will eventually be available from Verizon, US Cellular, Consumer Cellular, Republic Wireless, and Xfinity Mobile as well. The Power costs $249.99 and the Stylus costs $299.99.

In Canada, the Power will be available at Videotron and at all Freedom Mobile locations, while the Stylus will only be at Videotron.

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Source: Motorola

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The EU has opened an antitrust investigation into Qualcomm for its radio-frequency chips

Qualcomm is a major company in the Android smartphone market. Not only does the company design the SoCs that make their way in flagship, mid-range, and budget smartphones, but it also designs and sells modem chips, which make it possible for smartphones to connect to wireless cellular data networks. It’s been noted before that Qualcomm earns the majority of its revenue not from selling smartphone system-on-chips (SoCs), but from patent licensing. Qualcomm is heavily involved in the cellular world; to a large extent, it was responsible for developing the CDMA2000 standard (it has much lesser clout in 3G WCDMA), and it also has patents in 4G LTE. It wants to be just as heavily involved as the industry moves to 5G. The trouble here is that Qualcomm’s practices are consistently anti-competitive, which is why the company has been battling with China, Taiwan, South Korea, the European Commission, and has lost a case to the US FTC, before winning an appeal. Separately, it fought a years-long case with Apple before reaching a settlement. Now, the EU has opened another investigation into Qualcomm, this time for its front-end radio-frequency (RFFE) chips.

This news comes after Qualcomm’s Q1 2020 financial report. It reported a 13% fall in profits but still managed to exceed analysts’ expectations. It also reported in a regulatory filing, however, that it’s under investigation by the European Commission to ascertain whether it engaged in anti-competitive behavior by leveraging its market position in 5G modem chips in the radio frequency chip market. The Commission has now confirmed to TechCrunch that it is investigating Qualcomm.

Radio frequency front-end (RFFE) chips

Qualcomm has spent years battling regulators and has paid billions of dollars in fines over allegations of anti-competitive patent licensing. As noted in the first paragraph, it lost a case to the FTC over this issue, and is currently appealing. This present issue is related to RFFE (radio frequency front-end) chips. Qualcomm supplies modem chips, also known as baseband processors, to device makers. The Snapdragon X55 discrete modem is an example. It’s meant to be paired with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, which has no integrated modem.

On the other hand, the radio frequency front end chips are different. In simple terms, they are the link between the modem and the phone. Qualcomm’s website states that they consist of power amplifer modules, power trackers, diversity receive module, antenna tuning solutions, low noise amplifier, filter products, the RF switch and switch module, and more. These chips have become more complex in 5G phones as it’s more difficult to design a 5G phone, particularly if a device maker wants to incorporate millimeter wave 5G. The QTM525 and its predecessor QTM052 mmWave antenna modules are also an example of RFFE chips. These chips have been used in Snapdragon-powered mmWave 5G phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G. In mmWave, Qualcomm is the dominant player so far, as vendors such as Huawei’s HiSilicon and MediaTek haven’t released modems with mmWave yet. Samsung is the only other major vendor selling modems with mmWave 5G support.

The issue is that Qualcomm has been trying to persuade phone makers to buy RFFE chips together with its own modem chips, instead of selecting parts from separate vendors and integrating them. This is an anti-competitive move, designed to increase barriers to competition and make Qualcomm’s standing dominant in the 5G market.

The other major suppliers of RF chips are Broadcom, Skyworks, and Qorvo. (It’s worth noting that the Huawei Mate 30 series uses 5G RF chips from non-US suppliers to avoid violating the trade ban.)

The implications of the investigation

Qualcomm has itself said that revenue from the radio frequency market contributed to a sales forecast that beat analyst expectations. It has won radio frequency chip contracts with Samsung, Google, and LG, among others. In the regulatory filing, it said it was in the process of responding to the European Commission’s probe. According to the company, the Commission could impose a fine of up to 10% of its annual revenue if a violation was found. In itself, that’s actually not a big deal. Qualcomm has been fined twice by the Commission in the past. In July 2019, it was fined €242 million, while in July 2018, it received a €997 million fine. Again, it’s locked in appeals over both decisions.

The big change would come if the European Commission’s actions force Qualcomm to change its behavior. Qualcomm has been promoting its modem-RF system for the Snapdragon X55, which will be used by over 30 device makers. If the Commission ruled that Qualcomm has to separate its modem and RFFE chips and not sell them bundled, for example, then the logical conclusion was that it would be device makers who would have to pay up the extra cash as the two necessary components wouldn’t be bundled together. Samsung Systems LSI’s Exynos chips aren’t a proper substitute because the latest flagship chips are only used by the company’s mobile division. HiSilicon only makes phones for Huawei phones, while MediaTek is primarily known for operating in the low-end and mid-range segments, instead of the flagship segment of the smartphone market. MediaTek wants to change this, and things can change. Up until now, though, there have been no good alternatives to Qualcomm.

It should be equally clear that device makers will quickly pass on the additional cost to the end consumers, who have been dealing with the skyrocketing increase in flagship smartphone pricing. 5G phones are already extremely expensive. The Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, for example, is rumored to cost $1,300+ in the US. The cheapest 5G phone by a well-known device maker in China costs the equivalent of $360. Antitrust regulators have to do their job, and ultimately, if the facts are proved, Qualcomm will have to change its behavior. We will continue to keep our eyes on developments in this space.

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Source: Reuters

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10 Innovative Car Gadgets to Make Your Ride More Pleasant

Whether you are stuck in traffic on a weekday morning or melting in the heat of a summer road trip, life on the road can be rough sometimes. Thankfully, there are many great gadgets that can improve your journey. Here are ten of the best, from smart dashcams to charging mounts — now with up to 80% off MSRP at the XDA Developers Depot.

FenSens Smart Wireless Solar Powered Backup Camera

This wireless camera makes parking easier by providing a live 1080p view from the rear license plate of your car. The provided frame installs in just five minutes, and a built-in solar panel powers the camera. Normally priced at $199, FenSens is now $159.

TUNAI Firefly Bluetooth Receiver

Dubbed the world’s smallest Bluetooth music receiver, Firefly lets you stream music on older car sound systems. It supports both AAC and MP3 codecs, and the device can auto-pair with up to eight phones, tablets, and music players. Worth $34.99, it is now 14% off at $29.99.

Smart Touch Auto-Clamping Wireless Car Charger

This wireless charger has soft silicone grips that automatically clamp shut around your phone. It works with any Qi-compatible device up to 6.5 inches wide, and the mount rotates for easier GPS viewing. The charger is currently $10 off MSRP at $50. 

myGEKOgear Orbit 530 1296p Wi-Fi Dashcam

With a 150-degree lens and night vision technology, the Orbit 530 dashcam captures everything that happens on the road. The 1269p resolution allows you to see license plate numbers, and Wi-Fi helps you transfer the footage. Worth $149.99, the camera is now $109.99.

Black Box 1080p Dash Cam

Thanks to a built-in G-sensor, this smart dashcam can start recording during a collision. It captures full 1080p HD footage, even at night, and the compact design keeps your line of sight clear. Originally priced at $149.95, Black Box is now only $29.99.

Spinning Car Aromatherapy Diffuser

This small device serves two purposes: air freshener and fidget toy. Spinning the double-ring helps to relieve anxiety and spread freshness through your car. It works with five optional scents. Normally $15.99, the diffuser is now $12.99.

KOBRA Wireless Car Scanner

Compatible with all cars made since 1996, this device grabs live diagnostics from under the hood. KOBRA can handle 3,000 fault codes, giving you an instant heads-up via your smartphone. Usually priced at $49.99, the car scanner is now only $14.99.

ExoMount Universal Smartphone Car Mount

This sturdy car mount sticks to virtually any dash thanks to a super-strong suction cup. You can then rotate your phone through 360 degrees to find the ideal angle. Worth $29.95, the ExoMount is now only $22.95.

Brush Hero®: Deluxe Set

Need to clean your car? Brush Hero attaches to any regular hose and spins to remove tough dirt. The slow rotations offer good torque, and there are two types of brush heads to pick from. You can get the Deluxe Set now for $49.99.

Kelvin.7 Automotive Emergency Multi-Tool

If the worst should happen, Kelvin.7 can help you get out of trouble. This multi-tool works as a seatbelt cutter, window breaker, emergency flashlight, hand-crank power generator, and USB power supply. Normally $49.99, the tool is now 20% off at $39.99.

Prices subject to change

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Live images and screenshots purportedly show the OPPO Find X2’s QHD+ 120Hz display

Oppo is all set to unveil its latest flagship, Oppo Find X2, at MWC this month. We first learned about the Oppo Find X2 at Oppo’s Innovation Day event late last year where the Chinese company confirmed that it would be bringing the Find series back in Q1 of 2020. The device recently got certified by Thailand’s NBTC which hinted that there could also be a Pro variant alongside the regular model. We already know the device will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 and feature Sony’s new 2×2 On-Chip Lens Solution. Details about the other specs of the device aren’t officially confirmed but according to the well-known leaker Ice Universe, the device will sport a QHD display with 120Hz screen refresh rate and 65W fast charging support

With the official launch just a couple of weeks away, some real-life images and screenshots of the Oppo Find X2 have surfaced on Weibo which add weight to the previous leaks. As per the live images leaked on Weibo, the Oppo Find X2 will feature a curved hole-punch display with very slim bezels all around. The leak further suggests the device will have a QHD+ panel with a 120Hz screen refresh rate, a 240Hz touch sampling rate and will also feature a dedicated display chip. 

In a separate leak, a Weibo user has shared several screenshots of the display settings of the Oppo Find X2. As per the screenshots, Find X2 users will have the option to set screen resolution manually and can choose between full HD+ and QHD+.

The same goes for the screen refresh rate: users can manually set the refresh rate to either 60Hz or 120Hz or can select the automatic mode which dynamically changes the refresh rate depending on the content displayed on the screen. Finally, there will also be an option within the display settings which will allow users to upscale SDR content to HDR, strengthening our belief that device may come with Pixelworks’s visual processor.

Oppo is slated to launch the Find X2 on February 22 at MWC 2020 so we shouldn’t have to wait too long to learn more about the device.

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Source: 1, 2, 3

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Lyft is testing a boatload of new safety, UI, and QoL features for drivers and passengers

Passenger safety is of utmost concern for cab aggregators and ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft. For this reason, the companies include a number of safety features to help passengers in case something goes awry. Earlier this year, Uber introduced 3 new safety features for riders in India in a bid to crack down on driver-related incidents in the country. Similarly, Google Maps also introduced a safety feature back in October last year which was designed to alert users whenever their cab went off route. Now, it seems like Lyft is also prepping up its app to introduce similar safety features, among other things.

According to recent tweets from renowned tipster of unreleased features Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane), Lyft is testing several new safety, UI, and QoL features for both riders and drivers. Here are all the new features that will be released on the Lyft app soon:

Dark Mode for Lyft on Android

Google finally rolled out a system-wide dark mode with Android 10 last year. Since then third-party developers have been working to update their apps to add this new feature. A number of popular apps like WhatsApp and Instagram have already received this functionality. And now, it seems like Lyft will receive its own dark theme soon. As seen in the tweet below, the dark mode in Lyft switches all the white elements, including those in the map, to dark gray.

Lyft Driver is working on Dark Mode for Android pic.twitter.com/M27b55c39E

— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) February 6, 2020

The dark mode will roll out to both riders and drivers, however, there’s no information from the company regarding the release timeline yet.

Auto-arrive alert when driver is near destination

Lyft is also working on an “Auto-arrive” alert for drivers which will automatically notify riders whenever the driver is near the destination. The feature will show up in the Navigation settings on the Lyft Driver app.

Lyft Driver is working on “Auto-arrive” allowing automatically notifying passenger of arrival when the ride is near destination pic.twitter.com/vz7zSh8BUl

— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) February 7, 2020

Commute alert for riders

Lyft is also working on a price and traffic alert tool for riders called “Commute alert”. Once released, this feature will allow users to set a route within the app and get tariff/traffic alerts for the route. Users will be able to set a recurring alert at any given time during the day using the Repeat and Notification time sections.

Lyft is working on “Commute alert” a price watching tool for Lyft riders pic.twitter.com/18lYcQfDTL

— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) February 6, 2020

Voice search for entering the ride destination

The ride-sharing app is also testing a new voice input feature which will allow riders to enter their destination using a voice command. The feature will appear as a microphone icon within the search bar. Users will be able to tap on the icon and say the name of a place or an address to enter the destination.

Lyft is working on voice search for entering ride destination pic.twitter.com/65olUJkT3I

— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) February 6, 2020

Background location sharing

Lift is also testing a background location sharing feature that will allow the company to make sure that rides are on track and help drivers locate riders easily. The feature will be available within the privacy settings and it will allow riders to share their location either until drop-off or until pickup. In order to ensure user privacy, Lyft will ensure that the background location is shared only when a rider requests a ride and they’ll have the option to stop location sharing at any time.

Lyft is working on background location sharing, letting riders to either:

– Share until drop-off, or

– Share until pickup pic.twitter.com/O9OVbnhu8Y

— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) February 6, 2020

Along with all the aforementioned features, Lyft is also testing a couple of exclusive features for drivers. These include notification preferences that will allow drivers to select if they wish to receive push notifications or text messages from the app, a biometric lock to secure the app with their fingerprint, a price level indicator for the price watch tool, in-app vehicle service appointment scheduling, and a driver referral mileage bonus. Do note that none of the aforementioned features are live on the Lyft app right now and there’s no information from the company regarding a release timeline.

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Source: Twitter

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Google Chrome will soon block insecure downloads on HTTPS pages

Google recently rolled out the Chrome 80 stable update to Android and desktop. As part of the update, Google introduced a number of new features, including the auto-upgrade mixed content feature we learned about back in October last year. This new feature is part of Google’s plan to secure the web with HTTPS. Now, in a bid to make HTTPS pages even more secure, Google Chrome will also block insecure downloads on secure pages soon.

In the blog post, Google claims that insecurely downloaded files are a risk to users’ privacy and security. Such files can easily be swapped out for malware by attackers and they can also be at risk of being read by eavesdroppers. In order to address these risks, the company plans to eventually remove support for insecure downloads in Google Chrome. Blocking insecure downloads on HTTPS pages is the first step Google is taking towards this measure. This is crucial because currently Chrome doesn’t indicate users that their privacy and security are at risk while they’re downloading content on secure pages.

Starting with Chrome 82, which is expected to be released in April 2020, Chrome will gradually start warning users (as seen above) about mixed content downloads. These downloads will be blocked completely at a later stage. This change will first impact file types that pose the most risk to users, like executables, and then address more file types in subsequent releases. Google claims that the gradual rollout is “designed to mitigate the worst risks quickly, provide developers an opportunity to update sites, and minimize how many warnings Chrome users have to see.”

At first, Google will roll out these restrictions on mixed content downloads on desktop platforms, starting with Chrome 81. Here’s the detailed timeline for restrictions on desktop platforms:

• In Chrome 81 (released March 2020) and later:
  • Chrome will print a console message warning about all mixed content downloads.
• In Chrome 82 (released April 2020):
  • Chrome will warn on mixed content downloads or executables (e.e. .exe).
• In Chrome 83 (released June 2020):
  • Chrome will block mixed content executables
  • Chrome will warn on mixed content archives (.zip) and disk images (.iso).
• In Chrome 84 (released August 2020):
  • Chrome will block mixed content executables, archives and disk images
  • Chrome will warn on all other mixed content downloads except image, audio, video and text formats.
• In Chrome 85 (released September 2020):
  • Chrome will warn on mixed content downloads of images, audio, video, and text
  • Chrome will block all other mixed content downloads
• In Chrome 86 (released October 2020) and beyond, Chrome will block all mixed content downloads.

These restrictions will be delayed by one release for Android and iOS users, with warning starting in Chrome 83. Google claims that since mobile platforms have better native protection against malicious files, the delay will give developers a head-start towards updating their websites before users are impacted. Developers can ensure that downloads only use HTTPS in case they don’t want users to ever see a download warning.

Additionally, in the current version of Chrome Canary, or in Chrome 81 once released, developers can also activate a warning on all mixed content downloads for testing by enabling the “Treat risky downloads over insecure connections as active mixed content” flag. Google plans to further restrict insecure downloads in Google Chrome in the future and to this effect, the company has urged developers to fully migrate to HTTPS in order to avoid restrictions.

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Source: Google Security Blog

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