Google “profile cards” will let you control what people see when searching for your name

You may not want to admit it, but chances are you’ve been curious enough to Google your name. If you never have, you really should to see how much of your personal information is discoverable. You will probably find more than you’d like, and Google is preparing to roll out a tool to put some of the privacy control back in your hands.

Searching for a celebrity on Google will bring up an information card. The card puts information like birth date, physical attributes, family members, social media accounts, etc in an easy to glance format. Regular folks don’t get this treatment, but a new feature called “profile cards” may change that a bit. People will be able to customize their own profile card and choose what information can be seen in Google Search.

Existing “About Me” page

Profile cards seem to be similar to Google+ profile pages and the current About Me page for Google accounts. You control what information appears on these cards, which is then discoverable when people search for your name. It doesn’t hide any of the links that will show up in a Google Search for your name, but it does put some level of control in your hands.

The information that will be required is your name, location, summary, and occupation. This is enough to distinguish you from other people, and there are more optional fields that can be filled out. Profile cards don’t appear to be live yet and we don’t know exactly what it will look like. Google mentions the feature on several newly published support pages. We’ll have to wait and see how useful the feature will be when it’s live.

---

Source: Google support (1, 2, 3) | Via: Android Police

The post Google “profile cards” will let you control what people see when searching for your name appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2I3Es21
via IFTTT

HTC Wildfire R70 announced with triple cameras and ancient microUSB port

HTC still makes phones. While it remains much more focused on the VR market, the company has woken up from its long slumber and announced a new phone for the Indian and Thailand markets: the HTC Wildfire X. If you want to read HTC’s recent history, read this article. After months of inactivity in the mobile space, HTC’s new CEO Yves Maitre recently stated in an interview that the company will launch a 5G phone this year. This was expected to be made in cooperation with Qualcomm. The company’s last phone launch under its own manufacturing were the HTC U19e and Desire 19+. In August 2019, it announced the HTC Wildfire X for the Indian market. However, the Wildfire X was not an HTC phone in the true sense, as HTC had made an agreement with Indian device makers Lava, Micromax, and Karbonn to use its licensed brand name for new phones, and the Wildfire X had actually been made by Lava. The new HTC Wildfire R70 is a similar phone. In India, it will be made by one of HTC’s brand partners. The Thailand / international variant may be made by HTC itself, or it may be developed by another local OEM/ODM. Here is the specifications list for the Wildfire R70:

Specifications	HTC Wildfire R70
Dimensions & Weight	163.2 x 77.8 x 8.9 mm 186 g
Display	6.53-inch HD+ IPS LCD 1560×720 pixels 19.5:9 aspect ratio
SoC	MediaTek Helio P23: 8x ARM Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 2.0GHz Mali-G72MP1 GPU
RAM & Storage	2GB/32GB microSD card slot
Battery	4,000mAh 5V/2A (10W) charging
Fingerprint Sensor	Back-mounted fingerprint sensor
Rear Cameras	16MP primary sensor, 1.4-micron, f/1.7, 6P lens 2MP macro sensor, f/2.4 2MP depth sensor, f/2.4
Front Camera	8MP, f/2.0, 1080p video recording
Audio	3.5mm headphone jack
Network Bands	Support Cat.6 download up to 300 Mbps, upload up to 50Mbps Thailand / International variant – FDD-LTE: Band1/3/5/7/8 India – FDD-LTE: B1/B3/B5/B8, TDD-LTE: B40 / B41 3G: 900/2100 MHz 2G: 900/1800 MHz
Connectivity	Wi-Fi b/g/n Bluetooth 4.2 Internal GPS antenna with Galileo, GLONASS microUSB port Dual nano-SIM slots with dual LTE
Android Version	Android 9

The only thing that jumps out from the HTC Wildfire R70’s specifications listing is the specifications of the primary camera. It’s using a 16MP sensor with 1.4-micron pixel size, which means the sensor is bigger than run-of-the-mill 16MP sensors out there. It also has a 6P lens, and a bright f/1.7 aperture. The 1.4-micron pixel size should lead to relatively good photos in low light, if the image processing is up to scratch.

The rest of the phone doesn’t bring anything new to the table. The MediaTek Helio P23 is a three-year-old SoC, as it was announced back in 2017. HTC or local Indian device makers could have chosen to use a much more powerful SoC such as the MediaTek Helio G70 (which is used in the Realme C3), but they chose not to. As it is, the performance won’t be anything to write home about as there are no big CPU cores, and the GPU itself is very, very weak as well.

The Wildfire R70 has a 6.53-inch HD+ display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The display size is good for the Indian market; the resolution, not so much. The single RAM and storage option is absolutely miserable as the phone is only available in a 2GB RAM/32GB storage variant. There is a microSD card slot, but it’s unclear if it’s a dedicated slot in addition to the dual nano SIM slots.

In terms of connectivity, the phone has single-band Wi-Fi b/g/n, and a deprecated microUSB port that device makers, even in the budget range, are starting to move away from. In terms of software, it’s running Android 9. I am not aware how that was even possible to achieve in a phone announcement in February 2020.

HTC didn’t reveal any details regarding the Wildfire R70’s pricing and availability, but the phone will be available in India and Thailand, at least. Much as users might hope for even more competition to challenge what increasingly looks like a brilliant Xiaomi-Realme competitive duopoly, the Wildfire R70 won’t save HTC’s brand name or do it any favors, unless it’s priced at about ₹7,000 in India, which is unlikely.

---

Source: HTC (1, 2) 

The post HTC Wildfire R70 announced with triple cameras and ancient microUSB port appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2uzgvwf
via IFTTT

The Microsoft Office update for Android adds dual screen support on LG phones

Microsoft Office on mobile has had a long history. Office Mobile was first released for the deprecated Windows Mobile OS back in the late 2000s. Then, Microsoft brought it to Windows Phone, but the functionality was quite limited as it wasn’t even on par with other productivity apps. The modern Office apps’ inception was actually on iOS, and not on Windows Phone. The company separately released the Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps for iOS, before bringing them to Android in June 2015. The apps were launched for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile later that year. Their functionality was better than Google’s Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps on Android, as they offered quite a few of the advanced features that the desktop applications offer on Windows and macOS.

In November 2019, Microsoft integrated the functionality of the three apps into a single Office app and released it as a beta for Android and iOS, complete with support for the company’s Fluent design language, which it wants third-party Android app developers to adopt. This month, the stable and all-in-one Microsoft Office app was released on the Play Store. Users no longer have to install three different apps from Microsoft, and the company is offering more convenience than Google’s productivity apps in this respect. The Office app on Android now also supports the Dual Screen attachment on recent LG phones, which include the LG V50 ThinQ, LG G8X ThinQ, and the new LG V60 ThinQ. This is shown off by a user in the videos linked here.

Source: William Richardson

The dual-screen support lets users use both displays on the device as different monitors. They can open a Word document on the primary display and edit a PowerPoint presentation on the second display, for example. It’s intended as a boost to productivity. Microsoft presumably added this feature in preparation for its own dual-screen device, the Surface Duo, which is on track to be released in Fall 2020. While we wait for the Surface Duo to come to market, users of the Dual Screen attachment on the aforementioned LG phones can benefit from dual screen support on the Office app and increase their productivity.

Thanks to William Richardson for sharing these videos with us.

Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint & More (Free⁺, Google Play) →

The post The Microsoft Office update for Android adds dual screen support on LG phones appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/388Wo5H
via IFTTT

Get Better Sleep with the HONOR MagicWatch 2

The HONOR MagicWatch 2 is one of the best options for people looking to track their workout. But what is equally important to your fitness routine, is the quality of your sleep. That’s why HONOR made the MagicWatch 2 with advanced sleep-tracking and data analysis. These tools are put to use to help you get better quality sleep.

How to Setup Sleep Tracking on the HONOR MagicWatch2

In order to setup the sleep tracking feature on your watch, you’ll want to download the Huawei Health app from the play store. You are going to pair your watch with this app and enable the sleep tracking from Huawei Health.

Huawei Health (Free, Google Play) →

Open the app and pair your watch to your phone. Then navigate to the “Profile” section in the lower right corner of the app. Go to your watch profile and find the “Sleep Tracking” option in the settings. In the sleep tracking section, enable sleep detection.

Once you’ve done this, your HONOR MagicWatch 2 will be able to track your sleep quality while it is being worn. Once you’re ready for bed, the HONOR MagicWatch 2 will automatically detect when you’ve fallen asleep. There is no need to activate anything before you go to bed. In the morning, you’ll be able to view your sleep tracking data in detail on the Huawei Health app.

Honor MagicWatch 2 with Huawei Health App

TruSleep Sleep Quality Analysis

The HONOR MagicWatch 2 comes with a feature called TruSleep which you can enable in the Huawei Health app. The TruSleep feature will provide you with a sleep quality analysis. You can also see suggestions on what you can do to improve your quality of sleep. It’s a very powerful feature that can provide you with great tips, based on the data that your watch has gathered from your sleeping.

Some of the things your TruSleep feature will monitor are the number of times you wake up, light/deep/REM sleep, and your breathing quality. All of this data factors into how TruSleep will give you tips for better sleep.

Get the HONOR MagicWatch 2

We thank HONOR for sponsoring this post. Our sponsors help us pay for the many costs associated with running XDA, including server costs, full time developers, news writers, and much more. While you might see sponsored content (which will always be labeled as such) alongside Portal content, the Portal team is in no way responsible for these posts. Sponsored content, advertising and XDA Depot are managed by a separate team entirely. XDA will never compromise its journalistic integrity by accepting money to write favorably about a company, or alter our opinions or views in any way. Our opinion cannot be bought.

The post Get Better Sleep with the HONOR MagicWatch 2 appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2VDrRe3
via IFTTT

Xiaomi publishes kernel source code for the Mi A2 Lite Android 10 and Redmi 8A Dual Android Pie releases

Xiaomi announced the Mi A2 Lite and the Mi A2 all the way back in May 2018 as part of the Android One program. Building upon the success of Xiaomi’s first Android One Phone, Mi A1, both device packed competitive specs with affordable prices with the main attraction, of course, being the stock Android experience and guaranteed 2-year update support. The duo came running Android 8.0 Oreo out-of-the-box and was eventually updated to Android 9 Pie a few months later.

However, the Android 10 update has been a different story. It took Xiaomi 4 months to finally rollout Android 10 to the Mi A2 while the Lite has yet to receive it. And although there’s still no confirmation from Xiaomi regarding the update, Android 10 kernel source release does indicate that Xiaomi has not forgotten the device at the very least. Do keep in mind that the Xiaomi Mi A3’s Android 10 update has been delayed because of COVID-19; and although the Mi A2 Lite is not mentioned in that context, we do know that the novel coronavirus has caused a lot of delays for businesses across the globe.

Xiaomi has uploaded kernel source code for the Mi A2 Lite’s Android 10 release on its GitHub repository and you can review the code by clicking on the link below.

Mi A2 Lite Android 10 Kernel Sources || Mi A2 Lite XDA Forums

Xiaomi has also released the kernel source code for the recently released Redmi 8A Dual. The Redmi 8A Dual is the latest entry-level smartphone from Xiaomi. It was announced in India earlier this month and features a 6.2-inch HD+ display, Snapdragon 429 SoC, dual cameras, and a 5,000mAh battery. It runs Android 9 Pie with MIUI 11 on top and the kernel source code for the same is now available for download/review on Xiaomi’s GitHub page at the link below.

Redmi 8A Dual Android Pie Kernel Sources

The post Xiaomi publishes kernel source code for the Mi A2 Lite Android 10 and Redmi 8A Dual Android Pie releases appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2T4Ukrt
via IFTTT

KIOXIA starts sampling UFS 3.1 storage chips up to 1TB in capacity for mobile devices

Universal Flash Storage (or UFS) is the flash storage standard that is used in most flagship and upper mid-range smartphones these days. Most flagship devices launched in 2019 featured UFS 2.1 NAND storage, while some phones like the OnePlus 7 series, the Samsung Galaxy Fold, the Galaxy Note 10 series, and the Realme X2 Pro opted for the more recent UFS 3.0 standard. Following the announcement of the UFS 3.1 standard earlier this year, we expected to see more manufacturers make use of the latest standard in their flagship devices. However, neither Samsung nor Realme included UFS 3.1 storage on their 2020 flagships. Surprisingly, Vivo’s sub-brand iQOO was the first to adopt the new standard and its recently launched iQOO 3 is the first smartphone to feature UFS 3.1 storage. While other manufacturers have been slow on the uptake, a recent announcement from KIOXIA might finally make UFS 3.1 more mainstream.

As reported by Business Wire, KIOXIA America (formerly Toshiba Memory America) has announced that it has started sampling UFS 3.1 storage chips for mobile devices. For the unaware, KIOXIA America is the US-based subsidiary of KIOXIA Corporation (formerly known as Toshiba Memory Corporation) which is a leading supplier of storage for mobile devices. As per the report, the new lineup of storage from KIOXIA will make use of its cutting-edge BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory and will be available in four capacities — 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. This means that not only should we see more manufacturers adopting the new standard later this year, but we’ll also see some high-end devices featuring a massive 1TB of internal storage.

In a statement regarding the announcement, Scott Beekman, director of managed flash memory products for KIOXIA America, said, “KIOXIA was the first company to introduce UFS in 2013 and the first to offer UFS Ver 3.0 last year, and we continue to be at the forefront of UFS memory with this Ver. 3.1 announcement today…Our newest offerings enable next-gen mobile devices to take full advantage of the connectivity benefits of 5G, leading to faster downloads and reduced lag time — and an improved user experience.” The report further reveals that all four devices offered in the new lineup will include the following features:

• WriteBooster for significantly faster write speeds (more than 2-3x UFS 3.0)
• Improved sequential read performance (30% over UFS 3.0)
• Host Performance Booster (HPB) for improved random read performance by utilizing the host side memory.
• UFS-DeepSleep Power mode to reduce power consumption in sleep mode.
• Performance throttling event notification to prevent overheating and damage to device circuits if the internal temperature reaches its upper limit.

---

Source: Business Wire

The post KIOXIA starts sampling UFS 3.1 storage chips up to 1TB in capacity for mobile devices appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2TfhSso
via IFTTT

Samsung Galaxy A10 was the best selling Android phone of 2019

Earlier this year in January, a report from market intelligence firm IDC revealed that Xiaomi and Samsung saw significant growth in market share in India, backed by devices in the Redmi Note and Galaxy A series. At the time, a Xiaomi spokesperson had revealed that the company had managed to sell over one million Redmi Note 8 series devices within a month of its launch in the country. Later that month, a different report from Counterpoint Research revealed that the Indian market itself saw an overall growth of 7% YoY thanks to the expansion of Chinese brands and their aggressive pricing strategies. If you’ve been keeping a close eye on the smartphone market in general, you’d know that India is the fastest-growing smartphone market worldwide and this has had a significant effect on the global sales figures of brands operating in the country, especially Xiaomi.

As per a recent report from Canalys, Samsung’s Galaxy A10 was the best selling Andriod smartphone in 2019, taking the third spot overall behind the iPhone XR and the iPhone 11. Three more devices from the company, including the Galaxy A50, Galaxy A20, and the Galaxy S10+, managed to secure a spot in the top 10 global smartphone list for 2019, taking the fourth, fifth, and tenth spot, respectively. The top 10 list for 2019 overall was dominated by Apple and Samsung, but Chinese OEM Xiaomi managed to make a dent with its Redmi Note 7. The budget device from Xiaomi took the sixth spot on the list, which is definitely quite commendable for the company as it currently only operates a select few regions around the world.

Xiaomi had a better showing in the global top 10 smartphones in Q4 2019 list, however, with two smartphones making the cut. The Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8 Pro, which are both budget devices, managed to secure the sixth and the tenth spot on the list. As with the overall list for 2019, Samsung and Apple dominated sales in Q4 2019, with Apple taking all the top five spots with its iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 11 Pro, and the iPhone 8, respectively. While the Samsung Galaxy A10s, Galaxy A20s, and the Galaxy A30s, managed to secure the seventh, eighth, and ninth spot. As of now, Canalys has not published the full report which is expected to include more insights about smartphone sales in 2019. The aforementioned information is just an excerpt from the report that was shared by Xiaomi via email.

The post Samsung Galaxy A10 was the best selling Android phone of 2019 appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2TnGmzC
via IFTTT