Samsung Internet Beta 11.2 can block links that open apps, gets new Menu Bar buttons

Despite the fact that the Play Store is teeming with a variety of web browsers, several OEMs ship their smartphones with their own browser apps. While most of these preinstalled browser apps are pretty bad, Samsung’s native web browser, called Samsung Internet, is quite a decent alternative to Google Chrome. The Chromium-based browser includes a bunch of handy features like an autoplay video blocker, smart anti-tracking, night mode, and more that make it one of the most feature-rich web browsers on the platform. Adding on to the list of useful features in the browser, Samsung recently rolled out a new Video Assistant feature that helps users open videos in PiP mode, zoom in on videos, or change the brightness. Now, Samsung is rolling out a beta update of the browser that brings even more new features to the browser app.

As per a recent Medium post, the latest beta update for the Samsung Internet browser (v11.2) adds a few new customization options that will allow users to add buttons to the menu or the menu bar. These include a new tab button, Quick enter ‘Secret Mode’, Quick Exit with optional clear all history and cookies, temporarily disable ad-blockers, and search. To add these new buttons, you’ll need to navigate to the Customize Menu in the Appearance settings. On top of that, the beta update also brings some additional privacy and security features, including a new ‘Block unwanted webpages’ feature that is designed to stop malicious websites that prevent you from leaving by silently inserting spam pages in your history. The feature can be turned on from within the Security and Privacy settings in the browser.

Customizable buttons

The Smart anti-tracking feature in the Samsung Internet browser has also received some improvements that will help the browser catch double the tracking domains as before. And finally, the update also includes a new option to block links that try to open apps. This new feature will automatically prevent websites from launching their respective apps so that you can enjoy the web experience without any annoying popups. Samsung Internet beta (v11.2) has already started rolling out on the Play Store and if you’re interested in trying out the new features you can download the beta version by following the link below.

Samsung Internet Browser Beta (Free, Google Play) →

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Source: Medium

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Facebook for Android adds bottom tabs for better one-handed use

The Facebook app on Android has seen several design changes over the years and the company keeps bringing new UI updates in order to make the app feel a bit more streamlined. For instance, Facebook started testing a new tabbed News Feed earlier this year to give users easier access to the Most Recent and Already Seen posts in their feed. Now, in a bid to make the Facebook app easier to use with one hand, the company has started rolling out a new UI which adds bottom tabs to the app.

As you can see in the attached screenshots, the latest update for the Facebook app moves the six tabs from the top of the app all the way down to the bottom. The new UI is available in version 264.0.0.44.111 (and newer) of the app and following the update, you should see a prompt highlighting the recent UI update. While the change might not seem all that significant, it will surely make it easier to use the app with just one hand, especially on large screen devices. The new UI update doesn’t appear to be a limited test, as a number of users of Reddit have also reported seeing this new tab location, albeit on a slightly newer version of the app.

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Thanks to XDA Senior Member Some_Random_Username for the screenshots!

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[Update: Called the OPPO Ace2 5G] OPPO is preparing to launch the Reno Ace2 with Snapdragon 865 and quad cameras

Update 1 (04/07/2020 @ 01:40 AM ET): The device will be called the OPPO Ace2 5G. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on March 30, 2020, is preserved below.

The OPPO Reno lineup has received significant shake-ups since its initial release in early 2019. The first devices in this lineup, the OPPO Reno and the Reno 10x Zoom, featured unique, iconic designs with a flush rear camera and a crazy pop-up swivel module which both hosted the rear flash module and the front-facing camera. This, therefore, eliminated the need for having a notch. This unique design was kept through their successors, the Reno2 lineup, but it was discontinued with the Reno3 in favor of a more conventional-looking hole-punch display. We also saw it branch out with a higher-end offshoot, the OPPO Reno Ace. The OPPO Reno Ace was OPPO’s first phone with a high refresh rate display (90Hz) and 65W SuperVOOC 2.0. Now, we’re getting a successor in the form of the OPPO Reno Ace2.

A few days ago, OPPO VP Brian Shen took to his personal Weibo account to confirm that the company was indeed working on the OPPO Reno Ace2. Now, a TENAA listing reveals the phone has a single, left-sided hole-punch design and 5G support. A separate listing reveals most of the specifications of the device.

The OPPO Reno Ace2 as per TENAA

As for the physical external design, it features a circle rear camera mount similar to the one we’ve seen in devices like the OnePlus 7T and Redmi K30 Pro, while there is a notably chunky front-facing hole-punch camera. Standard Reno3 devices already have a hole-punch camera as well, as we’ve mentioned previously, but this one seems to be particularly big, at least when looking at it from TENAA pics.

The phone will feature a 2.8 GHz processor, likely the Snapdragon 865 (although processor name is not mentioned directly on TENAA) given the high-end nature of its predecessor, and will come in both 8 GB RAM and 12 GB RAM options. It will feature a 2400×1080, 20:9 AMOLED panel which measures at 6.5-inches diagonally. On the camera side, it will be sporting a 48MP main sensor with additional 8MP + 2MP + 2MP sensors (it is not clear which sensors play which function), while the front-facing camera features a 16MP resolution. It also lists a 1955mAh battery, although it is most probably not the full capacity as OPPO uses a dual-cell battery design in order to support high current fast charging with SuperVOOC.

Specifications:

• Display: 6.5-inch 2400×1080, AMOLED
• SoC: Octa-core CPU @ 2.8GHz, likely Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
• RAM: 8GB/12GB
• Storage: 128GB/256GB
• Software: Android 10 (likely with ColorOS 7.1)
• Rear Cameras: 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP
• Front Camera: 16MP
• Dimensions & weight: 160.0 x 75.4 x 8.6mm, 185g
• Colors: Black, blue, purple
• Connectivity
  • GSM: 900MHz, 1800MHz
  • CDMA: 800MHz
  • TDSCDMA: 2GHz
  • WCDMA: I, VIII
  • TDLTE: Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41 (2575-2635 MHZ)
  • LTEFDD: Band 1, Band 3, Band 5, Band 8
  • NSA: Band 41, Band 78, Band 79
  • SA: Band 41, Band 78, Band 79

The OPPO Reno Ace never launched outside of China, though, so it’s unlikely the Reno Ace2 will. Just like its predecessor, it’s possible the Reno Ace2 could also have some “firsts” for OPPO, such as OPPO’s 30W Wireless VOOC Flash charging. We’ll have to wait for more details to emerge.

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Update: To be called OPPO Ace2 5G

The upcoming device will be called the OPPO Ace2 5G, as the company seemingly has chosen to drop the Reno branding from the device.

The branding is visible on the OPPO website for the Chinese region. It can also be spotted on OPPO VP Brian Shen’s personal Weibo.

We look forward to knowing more about the device soon.

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[Update 2: Out of Preview] Google announces the local home SDK, full-screen app support for smart displays, and third-party availability for App Actions

Update 2 (4/6/20 @ 2:25 PM ET): Google’s Local Home SDK reaches version 1.0 and exits Developer Preview.

Update 1 (7/9/19 @ 2:25 PM ET): Google is launching the Local Home SDK Developer Preview today.

Google I/O is wrapping up, but there are still some announcements to cover that flew under the radar a bit. After all, there’s so many talks and events during the conference that it’s hard to keep up with it all. One such area that was overlooked is Actions on Google. At Google I/O 2019, the company announced a new local home SDK, full-screen app support for smart displays, and 3rd-party access to App Actions.

For those who may be unfamiliar with Actions on Google, it’s basically the developer side of Google Assistant integrations. It’s what allows developers to create the awesome integrations with Assistant that we use every day, and Google is always expanding the functionality. The platform is getting new tools for web, mobile, and smart home. Let’s take a look at what all of this means.

Local Home SDK

Smart home integration is a big part of Google Assistant and Google says there are now more than 30,000 compatible connected devices. The Local Home SDK is a step toward making the integration with smart devices even better.

The Local Home SDK allows smart home code to be run locally on Google Home speakers and Nest Displays, which can then use their radios to communicate locally with smart devices. This speeds up commands and makes them more reliable by reducing the number of cloud calls.

The Local Home SDK also improves the setup experience for smart devices. Google already started this with GE last year and you can set up their lights right from the Google Home app. This is a much easier and seamless experience for users. Google has already begun working with partners including Philips, Wemo, and LIFX on this SDK.

Full-screen Apps

Smart displays are becoming a bigger part of the Google Assistant hardware ecosystem. At I/O this year, Google launched the Nest Hub Max with a big 10-inch display. Google is letting developers take full advantage of these displays with a preview of “Interactive Canvas.” This allows apps to use the full screen for voice, visuals, and touch, but it’s not only limited to smart displays. It can also work on Android phones. Interactive Canvas is available for games right now (like HQ University), but soon Google will add more categories.

More App Actions

Lastly, let’s talk about new features for App Actions. App Actions were announced at last year’s Google I/O, but it has been pretty limited so far. Now Google is opening it up to more apps. App Actions allow developers to use intents from Assistant to deep link into specific parts of apps. Essentially a voice-launched shortcut, but a lot more powerful.

Google announced four new categories for these intents: Health & Fitness, Finance and Banking, Ridesharing, and Food Ordering. One example of a new use is starting a workout in a fitness app. You can say “Hey Google, start my run in Nike Run Club” and the app will open and start tracking your run. No need to find the app and manually start the workout.

They say it’s incredibly easy for developers to add these integrations. Apparently, the Nike Run Club feature was implemented in less than a day with the addition of an Actions.xml file. In the example above, Assistant jumped right into the app, but it can also show cards (Slices) right in the Assistant conversation.

These tools will allow developers to do more with Google Assistant, which is great for consumers. Homes are only getting smarter, displays will only become more prevalent, and users will rely on voice assistants, even more so now, to get stuff done. Check out the Actions website to learn more about building apps with these tools.

Source: Google

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Update 1: Developer Preview

After announcing the Local Home SDK back in May during Google I/O, the company is now launching the SDK in a developer preview. Google has been testing the platform with partners and they’re ready to bring more into the fold. As mentioned during I/O, the SDK will allow developers to deeply integrate their smart devices into Assistant. Google has published an API reference and developer guides and samples to help people get started. Feedback during testing can be submitted through the bug tracker and /r/GoogleAssistantDev.

Source: Google

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Update 2: Out of Preview

Google’s Local Home SDK arrived in a developer preview last July and now it’s ready for prime time. The Local Home SDK has left the developer preview stage and is now available in version 1.0 through the Action console.

The release adds a number of new features. Developers can add local fulfillment to smart home actions, which routes commands to a device through the local network instead of the cloud. This reduces latency and improves reliability. The SDK can discover local devices over Wi-Fi through mDNS, UDP, or UPnP protocols. Apps can then send a command using TCP, UDP, or HTTP.

Google has also improved scan configurations in the Actions console. Developers can enter multiple scan configurations, which allows local fulfillment apps to handle multiple devices that could be using different discovery protocols. Lastly, the SDK config page now accepts uploading JavaScript files for local fulfillment apps.

Source: Google

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OnePlus 6 and 6T get OxygenOS Open Beta 6 with March 2020 patches, Launcher fixes, more

Near the end of February, OnePlus rolled out OxygenOS Open Beta 5 for the OnePlus 6 and 6T. The update brought the February 2020 Android Security Patch Level, work-life balance features to Indian users, Zen Mode v1.5.0, and many bug fixes and optimizations. Today, the company started rolling out OxygenOS Open Beta 6 for the two devices. The update brings the March 2020 Android Security Patch Level and a few bug fixes, but not much else has been added.

OnePlus 6 Forums ||| OnePlus 6T Forums

The full changelog can be found below. The update does not add any new features, though we may see new features arrive in future OxygenOS updates. OnePlus may be waiting for the release of the OnePlus 8 series before announcing new features, but we already know the company is working on features like an Always on Display, Instant Translation, and an expanded dark mode. The OnePlus 7T series also recently got Live Caption support. We don’t know which of these features will make their way to the OnePlus 6 and 6T, though.

The March 2020 Android Security Bulletin was published at the beginning of March but was made available to Google’s Android partners near the beginning of February. OnePlus has thus likely had the March 2020 patches since early February 2020 and they also likely already had the new patches mentioned in the April 2020 Android Security Bulletin since early March 2020. However, because of the many changes that OnePlus and other OEMs make to the Android Framework and Linux Kernel, as well as OnePlus’ own timeline for update rollouts and beta testing, they aren’t able to make the latest security patches available immediately after Google publishes them.

OxygenOS Open Beta 6 Changelog

System

• Now unlock the LockBox without any problems in File Manager
• No more crashes in the Launcher with apps in full-screen display
• Got rid of blank screens while clearing up the background apps
• Updated Android Security Patch to 2020.03

Download OxygenOS Open Beta 6 for the OnePlus 6 and 6T

If you don’t want to wait for OnePlus to roll out the latest update to your device, you can sideload one of the incremental or full OTA zip files linked below.

OnePlus 6: OxygenOS Open Beta 5 –> 6 Incremental OTA ||| Open Beta 6 Full OTA

OnePlus 6T: OxygenOS Open Beta 5 –> 6 Incremental OTA ||| Open Beta 6 Full OTA

Thanks to XDA Senior Member Some_Random_Username for providing the download links!

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Google Maps now makes it easier to find restaurants that do takeout or delivery

With much of the world in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people are eating at home a lot. While you may be cooking for yourself more than ever, it’s still possible to get food from restaurants and other eating establishments. A lot of places are not allowed to seat customers inside right now, but many are still offering takeout and delivery. Google is now making it easier to find these places in Google Maps.

When you open up Google Maps you’ll see some new shortcuts under the search bar at the top of the screen. These shortcuts are the same as the ones you’ve probably seen for gas stations and grocery stores, in fact, they’ve been around for a while. However, Google is now placing them in a much more prominent location.

Tapping these shortcuts will simply perform a search for “Takeout” or “Delivery” and bring up businesses that mention those keywords. Some businesses even have their ordering processes integrated into Google Maps, as we’ve talked about in the past. You’ll also notice a new message encouraging users to verify information with places before ordering. On top of that, Google is allowing businesses to label themselves as “temporarily closed.”

Google Maps is a widely-used app even in times when people may not be traveling as often. It’s important that Google is keeping things as up-to-date as possible. Hopefully, these changes will make it easier for people to find food and know which places are still open.

Maps - Navigate & Explore (Free, Google Play) →

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Via: Engadget

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ASUS ZenFone 6/ASUS 6Z update brings VoLTE and VoWiFi to more carriers, March 2020 security patches, more

The ASUS ZenFone 6, or the ASUS 6z as it is called in India, sports an innovative 48MP flip camera while offering some solid specifications such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC, a massive 5,000 mAh battery, and even a headphone jack. The phone picked up the stable Android 10 update rather quickly, thanks to the efforts of the ASUS ZenUI team. ASUS continues to deliver periodic OTA updates to the phone to bring in new functionality while fixing exisiting bugs, and now we have such an update for the ZenFone 6.

ASUS ZenFone 6/ASUS 6Z XDA Forums

The version number of the latest software build is 17.1810.2003.144, which bumps the Android security patch level (SPL) to March 2020. The company has also added Jio VoWiFi and Tele2 VoLTE/VoWiFi support in this release. Lastly, the update also adds a pop-up confirmation dialog whenever third-party applications running in the background request to access the front camera. The official changelog for the update is as follows:

1. Updated Android security patch(2020/3/1)
2. Optimized system stability
3. Enabled Reliance VoWiFi in India
4. Enabled Tele2 VoLTE and VoWiFi in Sweden
5. Added pop-up confirmation when 3rd-party apps request for front camera in the background

ASUS has approved this particular build for worldwide rollout, thus regional variants (India, EU, Japan), as well as global ZenFone 6 units, should get the OTA very soon. The incremental and full Recovery ROM can also be downloaded using the links below. The build-specific kernel source is already up on the company’s server, although ASUS has yet to index it in their download page.

17.1810.2002.137 –> 17.1810.2003.144 Incremental OTA

17.1810.2003.144 Full OTA

17.1810.2003.144 Kernel Source

The phone is known for being developer-friendly, thus several popular custom ROMs (like LineageOS 17.1) officially support it. The phone is also supported by TWRP and has a robust Google Camera port available for it.

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