News

You can download Android 7.1 Nougat beta soon

Published

October 12, 2016

Monch Lopez

As any Android fan can tell you, you don’t need to own Google’s Pixel smartphone to have the latest Android operating system on tap. Though, it has to be said, we’re talking Android 7.1, and not the software the LG V20 will be shipping with, which is based on an earlier version of Nougat.

Google today reiterated its preference for Pixel, Nexus, and Android One devices by announcing plans to release a public beta of Android 7.1, first to the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, and Pixel C and then to the full lineup of supported phones and tablets.

As has been the norm recently, the prerelease software can be downloaded by users who sign up for the Android Beta program, though Google hasn’t specified the exact timing of the roll-out. ~~Willing guinea pigs~~ Beta testers should get the preview update “later this month.”

[irp posts=”5053″ name=”Google Pixel got the ‘little brother, big brother’ tandem right”]

It would be fair to say, however, that it could arrive as early as the week of October 20, or days after the Pixel and Pixel XL arrive in hands of U.S. customers.

An incremental update over the current Nougat release, Android 7.1 will bring support for Daydream VR, circular app icons, and app shortcuts, which allows users to jump straight to a certain action or feature of an app from the home screen. The complete list of changes can be found below.

App shortcuts API — lets you surface key actions directly in the launcher and take your users deep into your app instantly. You can create up to 5 shortcuts, either statically or dynamically.

Circular app icons support — lets you provide great-looking rounded icon resources that match the look of Pixel and other launchers.

Enhanced live wallpaper metadata — lets you provide metadata about your live wallpapers to any picker displaying the wallpapers as a preview. You can show existing metadata such as label, description, and author, as well as a new context URL and title to link to more information.

Image keyboard support — expands the types of content that users can enter from their keyboards, letting them express themselves through custom stickers, animated gifs, and more. Apps can tell the keyboard what types of content they accept, and keyboards can deliver all of the images and other content that they offer to the user. For broad compatibility, this API will also be available in the support library.

Storage manager Intent — lets an app take the user directly to a new Settings screen to clear unused files and free up storage space on the device.

[irp posts=”6825″ name=”Forget about Pixel and Nexus, where’s Android One?”]

If you’re wondering why Google Assistant, the company’s take on Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, isn’t included in the mix, know that it’s not an oversight, and that it’s intended to encourage buyers to purchase or upgrade to a Pixel handset. Other Pixel-specific features on Android 7.1 Nougat include live customer care and the Pixel Camera and Pixel Launcher.

Source: Google

News

Xiaomi introduces Redmi 12 to the Philippines

Starts at PhP 6,999

Published

September 21, 2023

GadgetMatch

Xiaomi has officially unveiled the Redmi 12, its latest entry-level smartphone, to the Philippine market.

The sleek budget phone features a 6.79-inch FHD+ 90Hz DotDisplay as part of its 8.17mm thick body which also sports a premium glass back and an infinite camera design.

The screen has Adaptive Sync, and is able to display a 2460 x 1080 resolution — the largest in the Redmi series so far. Moreover, the display is SGS Low Blue Light certified and has a Reading mode 3.0 feature to avoid eye strains.

The device is powered by a MediaTek Helio G88 processor and has up to 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage. It also houses a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W of fast-charging.

For its camera package, the Redmi 12 has a 50MP main camera, joined by an 8MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP macro lens. In front is an 8MP selfie camera.

Price and availability

The Redmi 12 can be snagged for the low early bird price of only PhP 6,999 for the 8GB+128GB model, PhP 1,000 off its original SRP, from September 20 to 29 via Xiaomi’s Lazada store.

The 8GB+256GB variant, on the other hand, is priced at PhP 8,999 and is available on both Lazada and Shopee, on and TikTok starting September 30th.

From September 29 onwards, customers may opt for a 0% interest, 6-month installment plan via Home Credit.

Enterprise

China accuses the United States of hacking into Huawei

Since 2009

Published

September 21, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

For years, the American government hounded Chinese companies for allegedly giving China an easy backdoor into the United States. The allegations don’t normally happen from the other way around, though. Today is different. The Chinese government has accused the United States of hacking into Huawei servers since 2009.

It’s an uncommon turn of events. In a Weibo post (via Nikkei Asia), China’s Ministry of State Security claimed that it discovered evidence of American hackers breaking into Chinese servers.

According to the post, the U.S. government’s Office of Tailored Access Operations used spyware to access Huawei’s servers since 2009. The spyware involved was called Second Date, a piece of spyware that was, according to the Chinese post, “developed by the U.S. National Security Agency.”

The spyware was partially discovered by Qihoo 360, an agency investigating American-led hacking attacks against China. The mere discovery, however, does not include explicit references to Huawei as a target.

China’s retaliation against the United States is slowly ramping up. Recently, the Chinese government started banning its officials from using iPhones for work. A wider ban might even be in the works.

For the United States, the American government is also investigating Huawei once again. After the surprising launch of the Mate 60 series, the government is interested to see how the Chinese company can still make smartphones without American technology.

Gaming

Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord now available for pre-order

To release on October 26

Published

September 20, 2023

GadgetMatch

Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord will launch on October 26 with pre-orders now available on the PlayStation and Meta Quest stores, as revealed during the PlayStation State of Play.

Players may get a first look at the title’s PlayStation VR2 gameplay and features through its newly-released trailer:

The game lets players team up with up to three more allies as they take on a variety of missions, solving puzzles and trapping ghosts to stop the March of the Malevolent.

Under solo mode, players can also take on the Ghost Lord with the help of a ghostly companion.

Thanks to PlayStation VR2’s capabilities, fans can step into the role of a ghostbuster while enjoying 4K HDR graphics, eye tracking for accurate navigation and interaction, both headset and haptic feedback, and adaptive triggers.

Price, availability

Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord is available for pre-order via the PlayStation Store with a limited-time 10% discount at just US$ 31.49 for the base game and US$ 49.49 for the Full Containment Edition.

The Full Containment Edition is also available for pre-order on the Meta Quest Store for a limited time at US$ 49.99.