Xiaomi’s MIUI 12 is getting Back Tap gestures like Apple’s iOS 14 and Google’s Pixel phones

Google was spotted working on a mysterious double-tap gesture that was initiated on the back of the phone. Seemingly, if the user double-tapped on the back of the device, they would be able to launch the Camera, Google Assistant, playing and pausing music, and more on Pixel devices with Android 11. The code for this gesture was expanded to make more actions possible, such as taking a screenshot and opening the recent apps overview. While we could spot Google working on this feature first, Apple actually beat Google to implementation and rollout, as iOS 14 managed to implement the feature and allow users to double and triple tap on the back of the phone to initiate various actions. It now seems that Xiaomi is also working on something similar, according to code that we have spotted within MIUI 12.

XDA Senior Member and our ever-reliable tipster kacskrz has spotted code within the latest MIUI 12 beta builds that suggests that Xiaomi is also working on a feature utilizing taps on the back of the device. These taps will be either double taps or triple taps and can have different actions assigned to both of them. The code within MIUI 12 suggests that the feature is in active development. Kacskrz could also manage to surface the new feature’s settings, but these did not work on his Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 yet.

The scope of back panel double tap and triple tap gestures currently within MIUI 12 appears to be limited to taking a screenshot, turning on torch, launching the control center, launching the camera, or opening the notification shade. However, since the feature is not available to the public yet, there is still scope that Xiaomi may expand this list to include even more shortcuts.

We do not know when Xiaomi will release this feature to end-users. But as was the case with other anticipated features such as sky replacement, we hope it goes live sooner rather than later.

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Thanks to XDA Senior Member kacskrz for the tip!

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Firebase adds a new local emulator UI, payment processing extensions, and ML Model Management API

Firebase is a toolset provided by Google, functioning as a unified backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platform for mobile developers. In a nutshell, Firebase provides a fair few tools for in-code utilities like analytics, authentication, databases, configuration, push messaging, file storage, and more. The overall platform helps developers accomplish a lot of common tasks within their apps without needing to individually build their own solutions for these tasks. For instance, the Firebase Auth SDK makes it easy for developers to add a complete sign-in system with an accompanying UI to their apps. Recently, Firebase has added new tools and features, such as a new emulator UI, Stripe payment processing extension, an enhanced TensorFlow lite deployment, and more.

New emulator UI for local development

The Firebase Emulator suite was launched last year, and now, the Firebase team has launched a new local emulator UI in the beta release channel. This emulator UI will aid developers to easily and safely test new code without needing to wait on deployments or experiencing billing costs. You can also onboard new developers with just a few CLI commands that can create local instances of Firebase services quickly.

The Emulator Suite also now supports instant code reload of security rules.

Stripe payment processing extension

Firebase also offers Extensions, which are pre-packaged bundles of code that developers can use to automate common developer tasks. Now, Firebase has built two new Extensions in partnership with Stripe, which allows developers to quickly add and manage payments processing capabilities to their apps. The Send Invoices with Stripe Extension lets developers programmatically create and send branded customer invoices using the Stripe payments platform. The Run Subscription Payments with Stripe Extension can be used to create and sync subscriptions for web users with Stripe, as well as control access to subscription content via Firebase Authentication. With these extensions, you as a developer do not need to learn Stripe’s API or figure out how to integrate Stripe with Firebase — simply install these extensions and you should be ready to go.

Enhanced TensorFlow Lite deployment

Firebase has also introduced the ML Model Management API which allows developers to programmatically update and deploy ML models to TensorFlow Lite without needing to use the console. This is especially useful when there is a machine learning pipeline that automatically retrains models with new data since you can now upload the updated models to Firebase programmatically. This claims to reduce the initial app installation size, allow for A/B testing multiple models, evaluate performance, and update models without needing to republish the entire app.

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Since there have been no physical events in the past few months, Google has been hosting Firebase Live videos to inform and educate developers on various related topics. Google has also announced a lot of new features and improvements to Firebase over the year, including Early Access Programs API, Cloud Firestore for C++ and Unity, and Sign-in with Apple through Firebase Authentication.

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Qualcomm Quick Charge 5 will bring 100W+ fast charging to future Android smartphones

Every year, we have seen advancements in fast charging technologies in Android phones. Qualcomm was one of the pioneers in the fast charging space with Quick Charge 1.0 back in 2013, bringing 10W charging. Quick Charge 2.0, released in 2015, brought 1.5x charging speed improvements with 18W charging. Quick Charge 3.0 and Quick Charge 4.0, released in 2016 and 2017 respectively, kept the charging wattage constant at 18W, while Quick Charge 4+ brought support for up to 27W and 45W chargers late in its life cycle. Now, Qualcomm has announced Quick Charge 5, bringing some exponential improvements. It will bring 100W+ fast charging to future Android phones. Qualcomm says it’s the fastest commercial charging technology for Android devices.

This month, we have seen vendors such as OPPO, Realme, and iQOO announce their custom proprietary 125W/120W fast charging technologies. Vendors such as OPPO and Realme use dual-cell battery designs to achieve 65W/55W charging in their current products, and by doing this, they have been able to leave other competitors behind in terms of charging speed. Qualcomm’s Quick Charge hadn’t received an update in three years since Quick Charge 4, but Quick Charge 5 seems to be well worth the wait. Qualcomm says it delivers “unprecedented mobile phone charging speed and efficiency improvements compared to previous versions” while enabling new battery technology, accessories, and safety features. Quick Charge 5 is the first commercially viable fast charging platform to support more than 100W charging power in a phone, according to Qualcomm.

Quick Charge 5 will allow users to charge devices from 0 to 50% battery power in just five minutes, which represents the fastest smartphone charging capabilities available. A 0 to 100% charge, on the other hand, will take only 15 minutes. This is with respect to a 4,500mAh battery (1.5°C charge rate) and using the maximum power for a thermal limit of 40°C. The increase in wattage has been achieved by enabling device makers to use a stacked cell configuration, which enables 2x the voltage for the same current. This delivers double the charging speed. A single battery cell can be charged at up to 45-50W according to Qualcomm, and any higher wattage needs a stacked design as the efficiency drops. As for battery longevity concerns, Qualcomm says battery saver algorithms are there to extend battery cycle life, and identifying adapter capabilities (more on this below) helps them know what they are getting.

Quick Charge 5 also uses Qualcomm Battery Saver and the new Qualcomm Smart Identification of Adapter Capabilities technology to support “unparalleled efficiency” as well as help extend the battery life cycle on a user’s device, according to the company.

Qualcomm maintains that Quick Charge is the industry-leading fast charging ecosystem, and Quick Charge 5 offers exponential improvements from its predecessors. It is 70% more efficient than Quick Charge 4 and offers 10 times the power delivery of Quick Charge 1.0. (10W x 10 = 100W.)

Quick Charge 5 supports 2S batteries and 20V of power delivery. It charges up to four times faster than the previous generation. Qualcomm is quick to note, however, that while it charges devices at extremely fast speeds, it also keeps extreme safety measures in mind. Quick Charge 5 features 12 separate voltage, current, and temperature protections, including USB-input overvoltage protection at 25V and external power controls beyond 30V. It also runs 10°C cooler than Quick Charge 4.

Quick Charge 5 enables Dual/Triple Charge technology, adaptive input voltage, INOV4, Qualcomm Battery Saver, and the new Qualcomm Smart Identification of Adapter Technologies tech, all of which work together to maximize power transfer efficiency, increase safety and help extend the battery life cycle on a user’s device. The Smart Identification of Adapter Technologies means that Quick Charge 5 can identify the real capabilities of a power source and adjust charging behavior accordingly instead of relying on power sources advertising what they support, as not all sources are truthful in their claims. Examples of this are voltage behavior, current behavior, voltage ranges, power behavior, and others. This technology offers eight levels of voltage protection, three levels of current protection, three levels of thermal protection, three levels of timer protection, as well as additional system power safety features.

Qualcomm is introducing the next generation premium-tier power management ICs (PMIC), Qualcomm SMB1396 and Qualcomm SMB1398. They support 1SnP and 2SnP batteries, wired and wireless input paths, adaptive operation based on the power source (3 level buck and DIV/2), and scalability (primary and secondary to provide higher power). The new PMICs are engineered to provide maximum efficiency above 98%. They can support higher than 20V input voltage operation to accommodate the highest power levels from both wireless and wired power sources. The Qualcomm SMB1396/SMB1398 are now available.

Qualcomm says Quick Charge technology is available on 250+ mobile devices, 1000+ unique accessory products, and controllers, ranging from car adapters to docking stations. Thus, it unifies the phone and laptop charging ecosystem. Quick Charge 5 is backward compatible with Quick Charge 2.0, 3.0, 4, and 4+, and existing phones powered by Snapdragon. It’s a single standard that addresses a variety of charging implementations in mobile devices, as it supports more than 100W charging capabilities within the same footprint as the previous 45W solutions. This cuts down on the need to buy additional Quick Charge-certified accessories across devices. Quick Charge 5 is optimized to take advantage of both USB-Power Delivery (with Programmable Power Supply) and Type-C technologies.

Quick Charge 5 accessories will have 3.3V-20V of voltage and 3A, 5A (standard), or >5A of current. They will offer >45W of power and will support USB-PD as the communication protocol. Thankfully, they will be backward compatible, which means they can be used with previous-generation phones as well. Qualcomm also promises thermal protection, and the accessories will be connector agnostic as well. Quick Charge 5 chargers can be used with laptops as well, as long as they support USB Type-C PD.

Xiaomi has committed to using Quick Charge 5 in its future smartphones. Quick Charge 5 is currently sampling with customers and is expected to appear in commercial devices in Q3 2020. For now, it’s supported on the Snapdragon 865 and the Snapdragon 865 Plus, and it will be supported on future premium and high-tier Snapdragon SoCs. Mid-range SoCs such as the Snapdragon 690, Snapdragon 720G, and Snapdragon 765G will have to miss out on 100W+ charging for now, but at this current rate of advancement, I wouldn’t be too surprised to see mid-range Snapdragon platforms feature the technology in 12-18 months as Qualcomm has specifically promised the technology will eventually move to the lower product tiers.

To learn more about Quick Charge 5, head over to Qualcomm’s website.

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Here’s what Facebook’s new Oculus Quest will look like

Since Facebook took over Oculus VR Inc. in 2014, the company has released two standalone VR headsets. Oculus Quest is the newer one out of the two and was launched in mid-2019. This headset is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and has OLED displays with 1440×1600 resolution per eye and a refresh rate of 72Hz. Following this, Oculus has reportedly been working on a revamped version of the Quest VR headset with 90Hz displays. Now, it looks like the upcoming Oculus Quest with 90Hz displays has been revealed in a bunch of leaked renders and hands-on images.

Starting with the leaked renders first, these images are posted by leaker @h0x0d (also known as WalkingCat). In terms of the design, the purported Oculus Quest refresh looks similar to the model from last year. Along with the headset, we see similar-looking touch controllers. As per the leaked render, the USB Type-C port, as well as the headphone jack, have been moved to the left side while the power button is now located on the right side.

Another Oculus Quest leak by @h0x0d suggests that the upgraded headset might be unveiled on September 15th.

At the same time, a Redditor posted four images of the supposed Oculus Quest VR headset in a post on Oculus subreddit titled, “Is this a new Oculus Quest?” There aren’t any details in the post other than the images that Oculus enthusiasts can feast their eyes on.

As per the previous report by Bloomberg, the upcoming Oculus Quest could be 20% lighter, and 15% smaller in size. At the time of the report, the company had been testing models weighing 1 pound (~450 grams). The report also noted that while prototypes with up to 120Hz displays were being tested, the refresh rate could be capped at 90Hz to conserve battery. It also said the touch controllers will be upgraded in terms of response, tracking, and haptics while also addressing the issue of the battery sliding out of the bottom unwittingly.

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Source 1: Twitter (1)(2) | Source 2: Reddit

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ASUS releases the bootloader unlock tool, firmware, and kernel sources for the ROG Phone 3

The “Republic of Gamers” (ROG) sub-brand of ASUS is targeted towards gaming enthusiasts, and the newly released ROG Phone 3 offers everything a mobile gamer can dream of. Besides featuring top-of-the-line specifications, such as Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 865 Plus SoC, up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage, the ASUS ROG Phone 3 also comes with three months of free Stadia Pro subscription. The Taiwanese OEM even allows tinkerers to fiddle with low-level kernel parameters using ROG UI’s “X-Mode” in order to get the most out of the CPU and the GPU. In case you want some serious aftermarket developments like building TWRP or port an AOSP-based ROM, then you’ll be happy to know that ASUS has already released the kernel source code and the official bootloader unlock app for this device.

ASUS ROG Phone 3 XDA Forums

ASUS ROG Phone 3 XDA Review: The King of Gaming Smartphones is back

As a matter of interest, the unlocker app reveals the code-name of the third generation ROG Phone, which is “obiwan”. Despite being “Force-sensitive” (pun intended), unlocking the bootloader on this phone voids the warranty, and also disables subsequent OTA updates. Moreover, the unlocking process automatically performs a factory reset, so it is highly recommended that you back up your data before proceeding.

Bootloader Unlock Tool for the ASUS ROG Phone 3

Once you have an unlocked bootloader as well as have access to official kernel sources, you are free to get the ball rolling on building ROMs and kernels. ASUS has decided to publish the kernel source for the Chinese and the global variants of this device in two different archives, which are linked below. Unfortunately, you can’t find a proper commit history in such a way of packaging.

ASUS ROG Phone 3 Kernel Sources: Global variant || Chinese variant

ASUS has also released the official firmware packages for the device, which will come in handy to restore the stock OS on your phone. Note that cross-flashing the global firmware on the Chinese unit (or vice-versa) may affect the ability to get OTA updates, so always grab the appropriate package for your model.

ASUS ROG Phone 3 Firmware

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ASUS ROG Phone 3’s first update brings Google Lens shortcut in the camera app, outdoor mode, and a 3-finger screenshot gesture

ASUS released its most-awaited gaming smartphone, ROG Phone 3, earlier this month. Succeeding the ROG Phone 2 of last year, the latest gaming-focused smartphone from ASUS packs some of the most powerful hardware on a smartphone, including a large AMOLED display with an insanely high 144Hz refresh rate and top-of-the-line Snapdragon 865+ chipset. Although the ROG Phone 3 (review) has yet to go on sale, ASUS is already rolling out a new software update to improve the software experience further.

ASUS ROG Phone 3 XDA Forums

The new update, version 17.0823.2007.25, weighs 210.61MB in size, adds some new features, and also addresses bugs reported by early testers and reviewers. One of the highlights of the update is the new Outdoor mode, which enhances the audio volume to make it easier to listen to the media when you’re outdoors. The update also adds a three-finger screenshot feature, Google Lens shortcut in the camera app, and new AirTriggers functionality to trigger macros during gameplay. Further, the update fixes the AirTrigger multitouch bug as well as the Bluetooth connection issue on some cars from Lexus and Volvo.

The full update changelog is as follows:

• Added Outdoor mode in Sound settings
• Security patch level updated to July 1, 2020
• Supported three-finger screenshot function
• Added AirTriggers feature to trigger macros during gameplay
• Fixed Bluetooth connection to the car (Lexus/Volvo), adjusting the volume on the phone during a call is invalid
• Fixed touch not working issue when the AirTrigger is set to multitouch
• FIxed Home occasionally black screen issue when entering the system and select the classic theme

The ASUS ROG 3 is set to go on sale across Europe by the end of July 2020, and will be available for purchase in India starting August 6 via Flipkart. As a refresher, the ROG Phone 3 comes with a 6.59-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 865+ SoC, up to 16GB LPDDR6 RAM, up to 512GB UFS 3.1 flash storage, 64MP Sony IMX686 camera, and a 6,000 mAh battery with 30W fast charging support.

Buy the ASUS ROG Phone 3 from Flipkart

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Telegram now supports chat list thumbnails, 2GB file sharing, and multiple accounts on desktop

Privacy has been among the core virtues of Telegram, but the instant messenger is also updated routinely to add features that improve its usability. Over the last few months, Telegram has received several features including a Video and GIF editors, Chat folders, and much more. Another major update to the Telegram messenger is now rolling out and it brings new support for videos in place of a profile picture, mini thumbnails for media in chat, group stats, sharing for files as big as 2GB, and support for multiple accounts on the desktop apps.

Starting with profile video, you can now set videos alongside static images for your display picture. You can also choose a single frame from that video to show on your account as a profile picture in other people’s chats. In addition to uploading videos, you can enhance them using the inbuilt video editor or add animated stickers to them. Just like display pictures, you can also have multiple profile videos and choose to set the main one as you like.

Back in February, Telegram updated the People Nearby feature to help you meet people in real life. With the latest update, Telegram adds new animated stickers that can be used to strike a conversation instead of starting with an awkward “Hi.” The feature will also tell you about the estimated distance from the other contact. To make yourself visible, head over to Settings>Contacts >Find People Nearby and then tap on “Make myself visible.”

Conversely, for people who may want to cut down on conversations, Telegram now has a new option to automatically archive chats that are from non-contacts. The feature can be enabled from Settings>Privacy & Security.

Next, the messenger gets mini thumbnails for images received via chats. Although you can already long-press a chat to preview new messages without opening the chat, the mini thumbnail feature saves you the trouble of even long-pressing.

For group admins, Telegram is adding a group stats feature that will show the activities, growth rate of the group with the help of colorful charts. It also shows the top members of the group sorted by the number of messages and the average message length. For this feature to be active, a group must have at least 500 members.

Among other minor additions to Telegram are the new video cropping and rotation tools, a new music player UI,  a skin softener for images or videos taken with the front camera, additional animated emojis, and lastly support for multiple accounts on the Telegram apps for Windows or macOS.

Telegram (Free, Google Play) →

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Source: Telegram Blog

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