TCL 10L mid-ranger starts receiving promised upgrade to Android 11

TCL has started to send an Android 11 update to users of its mid-range TCL 10L, making good on a promise it made last Spring to provide both the OS upgrade and two years of security patches.

First spotted by Italian site HDblog, the rollout began last Friday, confounding the expectations of those who assume that mid-rangers will get update either eventually or not at all. For a $250 handset to get an upgrade when many flagships are still languishing on Android 10 is pretty impressive.

TCL 10L at XDA Forums

Although Android 11 has a lot of new features, including screen recording, chat bubbles and Flight Mode with Bluetooth, there’s not a lot of value-added features – as you’d expect from a mid-ranger – beyond the TCL UI overlay. Given that the only copy of the changelog available is in Italian, we’ve used a bit of Google Lens magic to bring you the English version at the end of this article.

The TCL 10 Pro and 5G variants are also due for the Android 11 treatment, and we’d expect it won’t be too far behind the 10L. The information we have is for Europe – including the UK and mainland Europe (though so far we’ve only heard of it being found ‘in the wild’ in Italy) but other territories will also be getting upgraded at some point soon.

Changelog

v3.0.8BBH / 2.8GB

• Version upgrade to Android 11
• Optimisation of system performance, Improved Daydream, battery optimised
• Added Memory Album feature to Gallery – features can be sorted by scanning AI
• Added Interface on lock-screen for quick opening of apps
• Added split-screen function for Floating Window mode
• Notifications are less intrusive in full-screen mode
• Added hidden applications folder
• Added Easy Link DLNA
• App Lock feature improved with face unlock
• Added recommended smart apps and games box
• New privacy protection feature, more comprehensive data security

At present, the update is only available over-the-air, but we’re sure it won’t be long before our lovely forum members upload it, so keep checking the forum (link above).

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These are the best Galaxy S21 Ultra thin cases: slim and protective!

Bulky smartphone cases aren’t for everybody. If you’ve purchased one of the new Galaxy S21 series devices already, you’re probably going to be on the hunt for a case for your shiny new smartphone. It’s a beautiful smartphone, though expensive too, and you’ll want to protect it in some way, even if you don’t want to completely plaster over its design. We have all of the best thin cases for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, in order to help you choose which to buy!

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Official clear cover

Crystal clear

This is Samsung's official clear case, and it's one of the most barebones that you can get.

$19.99 at Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Official clear protective

Crystal clear

This is Samsung's official clear protective case, providing slightly more protection.

$39.99 at Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Official clear standing cover

Perfect for videos

This is Samsung's official clear standing case - great for watching videos with your phone propped up!

$34.99 at Samsung

ESR Clear Case

Slim and light protection

This is a clear case from ESR that'll protect your smartphone from everyday bumps.

$10 at Amazon

Spigen Thin Fit

Spigen's thin case

Spigen is one of the best-known brands in cases, and this is the perfect thin fit for your smartphone.

$12.99 at Amazon

Ringke Air

Light as air

The Ringke Air case is incredibly thin and light, and designed to add as little bulk and weight as possible.

$8.99 at Amazon

Ringke Frost Matte Case

Frosted Matte finish

Another from Ringke, this comes with a Frosted Matte finish, giving a unique design to your phone.

$10.99 at Amazon

Nillkin CamShield

Protect your camera

Want something that'll protect your camera while not adding too much bulk? This case might do the trick.

$15.99 at Amazon

Caseology Vault

Tough and thin

Tough but flexible, this particular case is slightly thicker than the rest. It's still on the thin side, though.

$15.99 at Amazon

All of the cases above will provide basic protection to your new smartphone, without adding a ton of bulk. Some of them will let you show off the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s design, while others will put a unique spin on it. Whatever you may want, there’s a case for everybody. Spigen is one of the best names in the business, while Nillkin and Ringke also make great quality cases as well.

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Become certified AWS cloud computing expert with this $80 training

From file sharing to communication, most businesses today rely on cloud services. For any aspiring IT engineer, knowing how this technology works is essential. The BitDegree Academy AWS Online Courses & Practice Exams will help you master one of the most popular platforms and prepare for certification. You can get it today for just $79.99 at the XDA Developers Depot, saving 59% on the full price.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/D_Y4ixAem4k

The list of companies that use AWS today includes BMW, Adobe, Expedia, Zillow, Disney, GE, Samsung, and countless other big brands. This is why the average salary for an Amazon-certified IT professional is over $129k a year according to Global Knowledge. 

Rated at 4.6 stars on TrustPilot, BitDegree Academy provides one of the best education programs for AWS. As a student, you get lifetime access to over eight hours of content and ten AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner practice exams.

The video tutorials cover every aspect of the AWS platform, along with the key concepts of cloud computing. You learn about the architecture of this platform, pricing models, access management, security features, and much more.

By the time you have finished this training, you should feel confident to ace the official Amazon exam. Just as importantly, you will have the required knowledge to dive into any cloud computing environment.

Order today for just $79.99 to get lifetime access to the training and practice exams, normally valued at $199.

 

BitDegree Academy AWS Online Courses & Practice Exams – $79.99

See Deal

Prices subject to change 

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Google Maps adds super-accurate street details in 4 cities

Google Maps received a redesign in August last year that added more color to physical maps to make varied geography more discernable. At the time, the company had revealed that it was working on adding similar details to street maps as well, which would clearly show things like sidewalks, crosswalks, and pedestrian islands in cities. Last month, Google rolled out these changes to a few users, adding crosswalk indicators and building numbers in some cities. Now, the feature is finally rolling out to a wider audience in 4 major cities.

According to a recent report from Android Police, the detailed street maps are now available for a majority of Google Maps users in the following cities:

• London, UK (Central London)
• New York City, USA
• San Francisco, USA
• Tokyo, Japan (Central Tokyo)

As you can see in the attached screenshots, Google Maps now accurately shows details like road width, rounded corners, and roadside vegetation. It also clearly indicates crosswalks, medians, pedestrian islands, and more in the aforementioned locations. The additional details are expected to help both pedestrians and people with disabilities plan their route more effectively.

Furthermore, parks will show the actual width of pathways in dark green, along with stairs in gray. If you’ve received the update already, you should be able to see these details by zooming in to the street level in one of these cities.

The detailed street view is rolling out as a server-side update, and it should reach most users in the coming days. Google may add more locations in the coming months, but the company hasn’t released any information regarding this at the moment. We’ll update this post as and when the detailed Google Maps street view is available in more locations.

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Galaxy Watch Active 2 update adds Samsung SmartThings Find support

Samsung has started rolling out support for Smartthings Find, its version of Android “Find My Phone” functionality, launched last October, on the Galaxy Watch Active 2. The Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)  and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) powered network, which works similarly to Tile, can detect enrolled Samsung devices such as the new Galaxy S21 range, as well as the $29 Galaxy SmartTag launched alongside it.

First spotted late on Friday by XDA Forums member adfree after a posting (in Korean) on Samsung’s community pages, the update will allow you to locate your watch on a map as if it were a SmartTag. There’s no suggestion, that you can use your watch to find other enrolled objects, however. There’s new functionality for fitness fans too, in the form of a group walking challenge, improved sleep score analysis, quicker auto-recognition when you start working out, and automatic detection to start the timer when you start washing your hands. You’ll never need to sing Happy Birthday again. (except on birthdays, obviously).

Along with the usual catch-all of “improved system stability and reliability”, this is a fairly significant update for the Active 2, and a statement of intent for Smartthings Find across the whole Samsung ecosystem. Smartthings Find is not available on Google Play, but will be automatically added to the main Smartthings app on all compatible Galaxy devices in the next firmware drop. Whilst, on one hand, its quite clear that Samsung is moving towards a strategy of a “whole home” system, similar to Apple, it’s a huge risk to make Smartthings Find so Samsung-exclusive, especially when there are similar trackers such as Tile and Chipolo, both of which work cross-platform on all Android and iOS devices, and more importantly, cost less.

Full changelog details below. At present, the firmware is rolling out OTA in South Korea and Canada, with other territories to follow soonest.

Changelog (translated):

Samsung Galaxy Active 2: R820XXU1DUA3/R820GFC1DUA3

Improved Samsung Health Function:

• You can now enjoy a group walking challenge with your friends
• Additional sleep score insight provided
• Reduced auto workout recognition time (running, rowing machine, elliptical)
• Enjoy home workout with a variety of fitness programs

Smartthings Find:

• You can find the location of the watch on the map

Hand Wash:

• After downloading the Hand Wash app, your watch can automatically detect and time when you start washing your hands

 

• Improved system stability and reliability

 

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Many Android 11 users are having trouble getting games to recognize their controllers

Ever since Android 11 rolled out, users have been facing issues while trying to connect a gaming controller with their smartphones. According to the reports, phones running Android 11 are either not able to recognize controllers as input devices or they don’t let users map their keys properly.

As per a thread regarding the bug on the official Android Issue Tracker, several Pixel users and beta testers are facing the issue and they’re not able to use Bluetooth game controllers like the Xbox One controller, Sony’s DualShock 4, and even Google’s own Stadia controller with their devices. While a vast majority of the reports are from Google 2, Pixel 3, Pixel 3a, Pixel 4, and Pixel 4a owners, a few Samsung and OnePlus users running Android 11 builds have also reported similar behavior.

As of now, there is no confirmation as to what exactly is causing the issue. But it’s worth noting that Google had already acknowledged the issue back in August 2020, right when the initial Android 11 builds started reaching users. Currently, it seems that the development team is still trying to figure out the underlying cause and is working to bring a solid solution.

While Google hasn’t figured out a solution yet, some users have shared temporary workarounds. According to a few reports, the issue can be fixed by turning off certain accessibility options. For instance, a user suggests, “Can confirm, there’s a certain accessibility service that, if I disable it, controller immediately starts working, no reboot or anything. I can actually task switch back and forth from Stadia back to Settings, disable that one service on Accessibility, back to Stadia, and controller works; switch back to Settings, enable, back to Stadia, it’s suddenly dead just like before. That’s with no rebooting, no pairing or conn/disconnecting controllers, nothing.”

In case you’re facing the issue, you can try the workaround mentioned above. Until then, all we can do is wait for Google to address the issue and release a fix in a future update.

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Samsung Galaxy Fold gets updated to Android 11 with One UI 3.0

Samsung has been amazing us with the timeliness of its updates ever since it announced One UI 3.0 based on Android 11. Besides targeting its current generation flagships, the Korean OEM has also shown a similar enthusiasm for its legacy flagship offerings like the Galaxy Note 10 and the Galaxy S10 series. Since then, these smartphone owners from all across the world began wondering when they would start to receive the update. Now, the first widely available foldable smartphone from Samsung – the Galaxy Fold is getting a taste of the Android 11 in select regions.

Samsung Galaxy Fold XDA Forums

As reported by Sammobile, the One UI 3.0-flavored Android 11 update for the Galaxy Fold is available for both the 4G and the 5G variants. The global 4G variant (model number SM-F900F) is receiving the firmware version F900FXXU4DUA1, which is currently rolling out to users in India, France, and the UAE. On the other hand, if you have the 5G model (SM-F907B), you should expect the update in the form of software version F907BXXU4DUA1.

The update brings all of the new features released in Android 11 to the Galaxy Fold, along with the Android security patches for January 2021. Samsung has not incremented the bootloader version (v4), though, which makes it possible to revert back to an older Android 10-based firmware though manual flashing.

In case you haven’t received the update notification on your device yet, you can head over to the Software Update section in the Settings app to check if the new build is available for your device or not. Power users can even download the Odin-flashable firmware right now using one of the community-developed tools. Samsung is expected to release the One UI 3.0 update for the Galaxy Fold in other markets in the coming weeks but, as of now, the company has released no concrete timeline regarding the same.

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