[Update: Indefinitely Delayed] Google Cloud Next 2020 is now an online-only event over coronavirus fears

Update (3/17/20 @ 4:00 PM ET): Google Cloud Next 2020 has been indefinitely delayed.

The ongoing coronavirus outbreak, now called COVID-19, has infected over 89,000 people globally with the global death toll surpassing 3,000. Not only has the virus had an adverse effect on the global supply chain, but it has also resulted in several major events being canceled. For instance, the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona this month was canceled due to the growing coronavirus threat, with a number of companies pulling out of the event even before it was officially canceled. Earlier this month, Chinese OEM Xiaomi hosted an online-only launch event for its flagship Mi 10 series as a preventive measure and that seems to be the only course of action for other companies going forward. As per a recent blog post from Google, the company’s upcoming Cloud Next 2020 event will also be an online-only affair.

The event, which is scheduled for April 6-8, will now feature streamed keynotes, breakout sessions, interactive learning and digital “ask an expert” session with Google teams without the risk of travel. Google has also waived off the registration fee for the event and all the attendees who had already registered will be getting a refund. The in-person bootcamp at Next 2020 stands canceled and those who had registered for it will also be getting a full refund from the company. Those who had registered for certification testing are now required to contact Google’s dedicated certification support team and reschedule their certification visit or arrange a refund as needed. Additionally, Google will also be canceling all attendees’ hotel reservations made through the conference website. As of now, the company is planning a packed agenda with “hundreds of sessions” for the upcoming Google Cloud Next ’20: Digital Connect event and will be releasing additional details about the sessions on the Next ’20 website in the coming weeks.

Source: Google Cloud (1,2,3)

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Update: Indefinitely Delayed

After changing the event to be online-only to help slow the spread of coronavirus, Google is now delaying Cloud Next 2020 indefinitely. The original event was scheduled for April and Google initially said they would hold a multi-day “digital-first” event in its place. Google is now saying it is “fully committed to bringing Google Cloud Next ‘20: Digital Connect to life, but will hold the event when the timing is right.” We will update this post when there is news about when that might be.

Source: Google

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Google and other tech giants are joining forces to fight coronavirus misinformation

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused a global pandemic, one that is grinding societies to a halt. To limit community transmission of the virus, health experts recommend that people engage in “social distancing” by staying at home as much as possible and avoiding any public gatherings. If one believes they may have been exposed to the virus, it is recommended for users to self-quarantine to see if they develop any flu-like symptoms. Because the COVID-19 disease caused by the novel coronavirus is still being studied by epidemiologists, that gives room for conspiracy theorists, grifters, and opportunists to take advantage of the chaos, giving rise to a flood of misinformation or outright fake news on the web. To stem this tide, Google and other technology giants are joining forces to combat misinformation.

In a joint statement, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, and Twitter have declared that they are working closely together to reduce misinformation about COVID-19. Each company will use their respective platforms and self-operated channels to inform users on the actual, verified facts that we know of so far. Reddit, for instance, guides users to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website if they search for “coronavirus” or “COVID-19” in the official app. Google recently updated its Discover service to allow users to report misleading or sensational news. Most people today get information and news through the Internet and social media, the largest of which are owned by these aforementioned companies. Given how important it is to be informed on the virus in order to contain its spread, we believe that such a measure is absolutely necessary.

The technology industry is working closely together in coordination with government healthcare agencies around the world on COVID-19 response efforts. Read our full statement. pic.twitter.com/Xn0fhyJLXm

— Google Public Policy (@googlepubpolicy) March 17, 2020

Misinformation regarding the ongoing pandemic can, and already has, contributed to mass panic, which can have a negative effect on effectively containing the outbreak. Being well-informed is really important right now, so you should always refer to sources backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other official sources such as your local government agencies and trusted news outlets regarding the outbreak. We’re glad to see major tech companies doing their part to help.

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Google Translate’s real-time translation feature is rolling out now

A few months ago, Google started work on a new feature in Translate called “Continuous Translation.” This feature was eventually shown off to the public in January earlier this year, but now it’s finally ready for primetime. The feature is now called “Transcribe” and it will be rolling out to Google Translate for Android in the next few days.

In a nutshell, Transcribe allows you to record spoken words in one language and have them translated on your phone in near real-time. The use cases for this are easy to see. You can translate your own speech, someone who is speaking to you, or hold it up to a computer speaker or TV. The translation happens without any noticeable processing delay.

This differs from Google Translate’s current transcription feature that requires you to input text or voice and then wait for a translation. Google says that “wasn’t well suited to listen[ing] to a longer translated discussion at a conference, a classroom lecture or a video of a lecture, a story from a grandparent, etc.”

Using the new feature is pretty straightforward. When you open Google Translate for Android, you’ll see a new “Transcribe” button under the text box. Tap this and you’ll be brought to the Listen page where you can select the languages. Just tap the microphone icon to start listening or to pause translation. At launch, Transcribe supports English, French, German, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Thai.

Google Translate (Free, Google Play) →

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Source: Google

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Motorola reveals the new Moto E6s budget smartphone

Motorola’s strongest asset for close to 7 years has been its ability to make solid mid-range and low-end smartphones. In 2013, they took the world by storm with the original Moto G, which many would argue was the first smartphone that proved that cheap smartphones didn’t necessarily have to suck. Then later came the Moto E line which raised the bar on decent affordable phones even more. Moto E phones are still serious contenders in the entry-level marketplace these days, even though competition in the value segment has dramatically increased. Now, Motorola has launched a new Moto E6s device aimed at budget smartphone buyers.

If you think you’re having déjà vu after reading that name, you aren’t alone. Motorola did actually launch a Moto E6s about 6 months ago, but that was a rebranded Moto E6 Plus for the Indian market. That decision has led to confusion around this new phone which is an entirely different device as evidenced by its looks, yet internally they are still very similar. The glossy backplate is swapped for a matte one with a gradient, and the camera mount is replaced from a single module to a bifurcated one similar in aesthetic to Motorola’s newest devices, despite it still being a dual camera mount.

Otherwise, the device packs a MediaTek Helio P22 processor, but unlike its Indian counterpart, this new phone has just 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, which is barely enough to get you places these days. The India-only Moto E6s, which, again, is a different device, comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. To make matters worse, this phone is launching with Android 9 Pie while we’re well into 2020. Android 10 has been out for several months and Android 11 is already on the horizon. It is hard to see the point of this device as it is pretty much a slightly different Moto E6 Plus.

Specification	Motorola Moto E6s (2020)
Dimensions and Weight	155.6 x 73 x 8.5mm; 160g
Display	6.1-inch Max Vision IPS LCD, HD+ (1560×720), 19.5:9, 282PPI
SoC	MediaTek Helio P22 @ 2.0GHz
RAM and Storage	2GB RAM + 32GB storage (expandable via microSD card)
Battery and Charging	3,000 mAh; 5W wired charging
Ports	microUSB, 3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity	Single or dual nano-SIM 4G LTE Wi-Fi n Bluetooth 4.2
Rear Camera	13MP, f/2.2, PDAF (main) 2MP, f/2.4 (depth sensor)
Front Camera	5MP f/2.2
Android Version	Android 9 Pie

Motorola says that the phone will be available in the coming weeks in select Latin American, European, and Asian markets. Pricing is not available yet, however. The phone will go on sale in Peacock Blue and Sunrise Red colors.

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Source: Motorola | Via: Android Police

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HMD Global rolls out the Android 10 update for the Nokia 2.2

Google’s Android One ecosystem is still alive thanks to HMD Global, as the Nokia brand has earned a very good reputation among Android purists. Nokia phones receive regular security updates regardless of the price tag, and Android 10 is already available for a bunch of mid-range Nokia phones, such as the Nokia 6.1, Nokia 6.1 Plus, and Nokia 7 Plus. As per the revised update schedule shared by the company earlier this month, HMD Global has now started rolling out the Android 10 update to the entry-level Nokia 2.2.

HMD Global’s Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas has announced on Twitter the arrival of the Android 10 update for the Nokia 2.2. It is worth noting that this particular phone was launched with a promise to be the cheapest phone to secure the Android 10 OTA in due time. The Nokia 2.2 is also eligible to get three years’ worth of monthly security updates and two years of OS upgrades, which means that owners of this phone should be able to get a taste of Android 11 as well in the future.

Nokia 2.2 users, now is your chance to update to Android 10! All performance-enhancing features are now available! Stay tuned for the same update for our other Nokia phones #nokiamobile pic.twitter.com/0eTzk9hvF6

— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) March 17, 2020

The version number of the new firmware is V2.300, which is a steep hike from the last Android Pie-based build (V1.63E) for the Nokia 2.2. It is about 1.1GB in size and the update brings all the new features introduced with Android 10, including enhanced dark mode, gesture navigations, and privacy controls. However, HMD Global decided to ship one-month-old February 2020 security patches with this OTA, which is a rather disappointing move.

The Nokia 2.2 already has a successor, the Nokia 2.3, which is scheduled to receive the Android 10 update very soon. Both of them are powered by the MediaTek Helio A22 chip, which is apparently vulnerable to a critical security exploit dubbed as MediaTek-su (formerly known as CVE-2020-0069). Fortunately the vulnerability can’t be exploitable under Android 10 due to a new SELinux policy, thus the Nokia 2.2 is now out of the danger zone.

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Thanks to Nokia Community user Lai@Ali@@@5254 for the screenshot!

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Google Discover now lets you report news as misleading or sensational

Many Android users rely on Google’s Discover feed for their daily dose of news stories. The feature, which debuted back in September 2018, is designed to help users discover new things based on their personal interests, including news, popular videos, new music releases, sports updates, and a lot more. While Google does give you the option to hide stories and publications that you don’t want to see in your feed, it didn’t include any options to curb the spread of misinformation. In light of recent events, where misleading or sensational information is spreading online like wildfire, the company has now added a new feature to Google Discover that will let you report such news stories.

As reported by 9to5Google, the new “Report content” feature appears within the overflow menu that lets you control what appears in the feed. Tapping on the report option opens up a pop-up window where you can select your reason for reporting the content based on four available options: Misleading or sensational, Violent or repulsive, Hateful or abusive, and Other.

The feature isn’t the same as the legal removal requests feature for content owners and it seems to be aimed at improving the Discover experience for all users by limiting the spread of misinformation. Once you select any of the four available options, the reported story instantly disappears from your feed and you get a new option to undo the action.

The new “Report content” feature in Google Discover is currently rolling out to all users worldwide. In order to use the feature, you’ll need to have Google app version 10.99 or later. However, it doesn’t seem like the feature is available for all users yet as I was unable to find it on any of my devices, despite updating to the latest version of the Google app.

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Via: 9to5Google

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Samsung Galaxy A50 and Galaxy M30s receive Android 10 with One UI 2.0

Samsung kickstarted the Android 10-based One UI 2.0 rollout via an introductory beta program back in October 2019. While several devices from the flagship Galaxy S and Note lineup were part of the initiative, the company did not include Galaxy M series as well as Galaxy A series of smartphones under the beta program. Interestingly, the Indian variant of the Galaxy M20 and Galaxy M30 directly received the stable version of One UI 2.0 out of the blue in December. Since then, Samsung has extended the stable rollout to a number of mid-ranger devices in the Galaxy M and the Galaxy A lineup. Now, the company is reportedly rolling out the One UI 2.0 update for the Galaxy M30s and the Galaxy A50.

Galaxy M30s XDA Forums || Buy the Galaxy M30s from Amazon.in

The update for the Galaxy M30s (SM-M307F variant to be precise) is currently available only in India and it carries the version number M307FXXU2BTC6. Samsung has not incremented the bootloader version (v2), thus it is possible to revert back to Android Pie though manual flashing. Regarding the Android Security Patch Level (SPL), it is the same March 2020 one found in the last Android Pie firmware, i.e. build M307FXXS2ATB3.

Galaxy A50 XDA Forums || Buy the Galaxy A50 from Amazon.in

The Galaxy A50 update story, on the other hand, is quite different. Two different variants of this popular phone – SM-A505F in India and SM-A505N in South Korea – are getting two separate builds of One UI 2.0. The former is being served with software version A505FDDU4BTC4 along with February 2020 patches, while the Korean model has picked up build A505NKSU3BTC3 with the security patch level of March 2020. Thanks to the unchanged bootloader version in both the cases, the owners of the Galaxy A50 are free to downgrade if required, though we would still advise caution.

The One UI 2.0 layer found in the Galaxy M30s lacks a few ‘premium’ features, which are fortunately present in the Galaxy A50 firmware. Nevertheless, several new functionalities, such as an improved Dark mode, revamped camera UI and Focus Mode support in Digital Wellbeing are now available to the owners of these phones. Tools like Frija can be handy, if you want to download the updated firmware packages right away from the Samsung server.

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Thanks to Disqus user saikat chakraborty for the screenshot!

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