Android TV can now play casted audio in the background

Android TV is an excellent operating system for smart TVs and set-top boxes. It’s based on Android (although Google could be rebranding the name so the average user won’t know that) and has access to a special catalog of apps optimized for TVs in Google Play. One of the best features of the platform, though, is integrated support for the Google Cast protocol. All Android TV certified devices can act as a Chromecast receiver thanks to the pre-installed “Chromecast Built-in” app. If you’ve ever owned a Chromecast device, you’ll know how convenient this feature is. Now, Android TV’s built-in Cast functionality is getting a new feature: Playing casted audio content in the background.

Casted audio playing in the background while the home screen is showing. Image credits: Ben Schoon/9to5Google.

If you don’t have an Android TV right now, this news may come as a bit of a shock. After all, why would Android TV not allow you to play casted audio in the background? You have to keep in mind that we’re talking about TVs and set-top boxes connected to TVs, and as such, you’re probably not doing a lot of multitasking on them. But if you want to do it, now you can. All you have to do is open an app like Spotify or YouTube Music and then cast from your phone to your TV. (We should note that you can already play music in the background in some apps like Spotify for Android TV, but this new feature extends this functionality to other music apps you might use.)

9to5Google’s original coverage notes that backgrounding casted audio works with most music apps. It doesn’t work with casted video, though, as video content will cease when you press the home button. The notification itself provides you with basic controls: It shows the album art, the artist’s name, and of course, the song title. You also get a couple of buttons: “Open” to go back to the app that’s playing it and “Stop” to cease casting. If music is already playing from one app and you start media in another app, music playback will either continue or halt depending on the app. 9to5Google notes that Google Play Movies and Disney+ keep music playing while Hulu won’t.

It’s not clear when this functionality went live. It may have gone live at the same time that Android TV devices could be added to speaker groups in the Google Home app, which was enabled in a recent beta update to the Chromecast Built-in app.

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[Update 11: San Diego, 5G Uploads] Verizon 5G is Rolling Out to More Cities

Update 11 (5/20/20 @ 3:10 AM ET): Verizon enables uploading over its 5G Ultrawide Band (mmWave) network in 35 cities.

Update 10 (12/23/19 @ 9:20 AM ET): Verizon 5G is now live in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio and Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Update 9 (12/20/19 @ 10:45 AM ET): Verizon wraps up the week by lighting up 5G in 7 more cities.

Update 8 (12/18/19 @ 11:15 AM ET): Verizon’s 5G network lights up in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Update 7 (12/17/19 @ 11:30 AM ET): The latest city to get Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network is Des Moines, Iowa.

Update 6 (12/16/19 @ 10:40 AM ET): Verizon is rolling out 5G coverage in the Los Angeles area.

Update 5 (11/20/19 @ 9:10 AM ET): Verizon finally has detailed 5G coverage maps for every city on its website.

Update 4 (11/19/19 @ 9:25 AM ET): Verizon’s 5G network lights up in Boston, Houston, and Sioux Falls.

Update 3 (10/25/19 @ 12:45 PM ET): Verizon expands its 5G network coverage to Omaha and Dallas.

Update 2 (9/26/19 @ 1:15 PM ET): Verizon launches 5G service in New York City, Boise, and Panama City.

Update 1 (8/22/19 @ 12:15 PM ET): Verizon has announced the 5G rollout in Phoenix and a partnership with Boingo.

While many people are still skeptical about 5G, Verizon continues its rollout plans. Today, the company flipped the switch for four new cities: Atlanta, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Washington DC. Verizon is already selling a couple of 5G devices, but the list of available cities is still relatively small. So the continued expansion is good news.

Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network is mmWave, just like AT&T, but different from Sprint’s sub-6Ghz network. One of the limitations of mmWave is you have to be in very specific locations to get the advertised 5G speeds. For example, read the description for Indianapolis below.

Indianapolis:

In Indianapolis, 5G Ultra Wideband service is initially available in parts of the following neighborhoods, Arsenal Heights, Bates Hendricks, Castleton, Crown Hill, Fountain Square, Grace Tuxedo Park, Hawthorne, Historic Meridian Park, Lockerbie Square, Ransom Place, Renaissance Place, St. Joseph Historic Neighborhood, Upper Canal and Woodruff Place and around such landmarks and public spaces as Garfield Park, and Indiana University School of Medicine.

Even if you have a 5G device and live in these cities, you may not be in the covered areas. These four new cities bring Verizon’s list up to nine, but they are still planning to have 5G in more than 30 cities by 2020. Soon, they will add the Galaxy Note 10 5G to the list of capable devices as well. Whether the market is ready or not, Verizon marches on with 5G.

Washington DC:

In Washington DC, consumers, businesses and government agencies can initially access Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband service in areas of Foggy Bottom, Dupont Circle, Cardozo / U Street, Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, Le Droit Park, Georgetown Waterfront, Judiciary Square, Shaw, Eckington, NOMA, National Mall and the Smithsonian, Gallery Place / Chinatown, Mt. Vernon Square, Downtown, Penn Quarter, Brentwood, Southwest Waterfront, Navy Yard, and nearby Crystal City, VA, as well as around landmarks such as the Ronald Reagan National Airport, United States Botanical Gardens, Hart Senate Building, National Gallery of Art, Lafayette Square, The White House, Freedom Plaza, Farragut Square, George Washington University, Capital One Arena, Union Station, Howard University Hospital, George Washington University Hospital, and Georgetown Waterfront Park.

Atlanta:

In Atlanta, 5G Ultra Wideband service will initially be concentrated in parts of the following neighborhoods: Downtown, Midtown, Tech Square, and around such landmarks as The Fox Theater, Emory University Hospital Midtown, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Home Depot Backyard, Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca Cola, and parts of Renaissance Park.

Detroit:

In Detroit, 5G Ultra Wideband service will initially be concentrated in parts of the following areas: Dearborn, Livonia, and Troy, including areas around the Oakland-Troy Airport.

Source: Verizon

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Update 1: Phoenix Launch + Boingo Partnership

Verizon’s 5G coverage is coming to Phoenix, AZ, bringing the list of 5G cities up to 10. The network will go live on August 23rd. Verizon also announced a partnership with Boingo to bring 5G Ultra Wideband service to indoor and public places.

This is important because Verizon’s current 5G network is essentially unusable indoors, a limitation of the technology they are using. The partnership should bring 5G to places like airports, stadiums, arenas, office buildings, hotels, etc.

Last, but not least, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G will be available from Verizon tomorrow, August 23rd. The full retail price is $1,299.99.

Source: Verizon

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Update 2: NYC, Boise, Panama City

Verizon’s 5G coverage is expanding to 3 more cities: New York City, Boise, and Panama City. In New York City, coverage will be in areas of Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and around several landmarks. Verizon’s 5G technology limits coverage to very specific areas, so be sure to check the source below for all the exact locations you can access 5G in these cities.

Source: Verizon

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Update 3: Omaha & Dallas

Today, Verizon has expanded 5G coverage to two more cities: Omaha, Nebraska and Dallas, Texas. This brings the number of cities with 5G coverage from Verizon up to 15. As with the previous announcements, the actual coverage areas are extremely specific. So if you live in these cities, be sure to check the link below to find out where you can get 5G speeds.

Source: Verizon

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Update 4: Boston, Houston, and Sioux Falls

Verizon has announced that its 5G network is now live in three more cities across the US: Boston, MA, Houston, TX, and Sioux Falls, SD. This brings the total number of cities with Verizon 5G coverage up to 18. Just like the previous 15 cities, 5G is only accessible in these cities in very specific locations due to limitations with Verizon’s network technology. Be sure to visit the link below to see the exact locations where you can use 5G.

Source: Verizon

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Update 5: 5G Coverage Map

Verizon has been flipping the switch for 5G in US cities for months, but they’ve never really had detailed coverage maps. You can now visit this page on Verizon’s website and select a city to see the 5G coverage. Maps show where 5G Ultra Wideband is strongest and you can zoom in to see LTE coverage as well. Verizon’s 5G coverage is very specific, so these maps are handy if you’re looking to try it out. The website also lists 10 cities that will get 5G next: Cincinnati, Kansas City, Charlotte, Little Rock, Cleveland, Memphis, Columbus, Salt Lake City, Des Moines, and San Diego.

Source: Verizon

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Update 6: Los Angeles

Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband service is now available in areas around Los Angeles. As Verizon’s 5G network is limited to very specific locations, it’s not available city-wide. The exact locations are explained below, but Verizon will also have more detailed coverage maps available for the area on December 20th.

Parts of Downtown, Chinatown, Del Rey, and Venice around landmarks such as: Grand Park, Los Angeles Convention Center, Union Station, LA Live, Staples Center, and Venice Beach Boardwalk.

Source: Verizon

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Update 7: Des Moines, Iowa

The 20th city to get Verizon’s 5g Ultra Wideband service is Des Moines, Iowa. As with all cities, the coverage does not blanket all areas. Verizon will have a detailed coverage map for Des Moines on December 20th. Until then, you can read the description below.

5G Ultra Wideband service will be available in parts of Downtown, East Village, and West Des Moines around landmarks such as: Iowa State Capitol, Hyvee Hall, Wells Fargo Arena, Pappajohn Sculpture Park, Principal Park, Jordan Creek Town Center and MercyOne West Des Moines.

Source: Verizon

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Update 8: Hoboken, New Jersey

Verizon continues to light up 5G in new cities every day this week. Next up is Hoboken, New Jersey, the 21st city with Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband. The detailed coverage map for the city will be available on December 20th.

5G Ultra Wideband service will be concentrated on Willow Ave between 1st and 16th Streets; 5th Street between Marshall Drive and Garden St, Adams St between 2nd and 7th Streets. It will also be located around landmarks such as: Hoboken University Medical Center, Church Square Park, Hoboken Public Library and Mama Johnson Field.

Source: Verizon

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Update 9: 7 new cities

Verizon has been busy lighting up cities across the US with 5G Ultra Wideband this week. The culmination is 7 more cities: Charlotte and Greensboro, North Carolina; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Miami, Florida; Salt Lake City, Utah; Spokane, Washington; and Memphis, Tennessee. This brings the total number of cities up to 28. Verizon’s updated 5G coverage map should be available soon for all the cities announced this week. Check out the full location descriptions at the link below in the meantime.

Source: Verizon

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Update 10: Cleveland, Columbus, Hampton Roads

Today, Verizon announced that it met its goal of 30 cities with 5G in 2019. Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio and Hampton Roads, Virginia put the number at 31. The John Glenn International Airport in Columbus also becomes the first US airport with 5G coverage. Visit the link below to see the detailed locations of where 5G is accessible in these cities.

Source: Verizon

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Update 11: San Diego, 5G Uploads

Since our last update, Verizon has continued to bring 5G access to more cities. Parts of Little Rock, Kansas City, and Cincinnati were added in January, and San Diego is the most recent addition. You can find more information about precise access locations on Verizon’s coverage map. The other big announcement is 5G uploads.

You may be surprised to learn that it wasn’t previously possible to upload over 5G on Verizon’s Ultrawide Band (mmWave) network. Everyone talked about the amazing download speeds, but uploads were not possible. That changes now as customers in all 35 5G cities and supported venues can upload over 5G with speeds “about 30 percent faster than 4G LTE.”

Source: Verizon

The post [Update 11: San Diego, 5G Uploads] Verizon 5G is Rolling Out to More Cities appeared first on xda-developers.

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[Update: Small Rollout] Twitter plans to allow users to limit who can reply to tweets

Update (5/20/20 @ 3:00 PM ET): Twitter is officially starting to roll out the ability to limit who can reply to your tweets.

CES 2020 is well underway and Twitter’s director of product management, Suzanne Xie, has unveiled some new changes that are coming to the platform later this year. These changes all primarily focus on conversations that you can have on the platform and aim to prevent bullying and harassment. The biggest change relates to “conversation participants.” Rather than hiding your Tweets from people who you don’t want to see it, you can simply prevent people from replying instead. You can limit your tweet to one of four groups: “Global, Group, Panel, and Statement.”

“Global” is exactly what it says on the tin, anyone can reply and interact, just like a regular public tweet. After that is where things get interesting. “Group” is made up of the people you tag and the people you follow, “Panel” is only the people you specifically tweet at, and “Statement” entirely prevents all replies. Xie says that Twitter is “in the process of doing research on the feature” and that “the mockups are going to be part of an experiment we’re going to run” in the first quarter. The feature will then hopefully be globally launched later in the year, taking on board feedback from the public testing.

“Getting ratio’d, getting dunked on, the dynamics that happen that we think aren’t as healthy are definitely part of … our thinking about this,” Xie said. A major concern then would be the attempt at spreading misinformation, which Xie mentioned the possibility of quote tweeting as a solution. Even still, Xie said that possibility is “something we’re going to be watching really closely as we experiment.”

Xie also mentioned that the company is working on other features such as threading, to allow all of a Twitter conversation to be displayed on one screen. Lines drawn on the screen would make it easier to then see who is replying to who. Twitter is always messing with things and beta testing new features, which you can enable some of through Tweeks, an Xposed module.

Twitter (Free, Google Play) →

Via: The Verge

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Update: Small Rollout

Testing, testing…

A new way to have a convo with exactly who you want. We’re starting with a small % globally, so keep your out to see it in action. pic.twitter.com/pV53mvjAVT

— Twitter (@Twitter) May 20, 2020

Twitter is officially beginning to roll out the ability to limit who can reply to your tweets. This feature was initially announced way back at CES, and now Twitter is finally ready for people to use it. The company is starting with a “small % globally,” so it won’t be available to many people to start. Once you have the feature, you will be able to compose a tweet and decide who can reply. The default is everyone, but you can choose “People you follow” or “Only people you mention.” This could drastically change the way people use Twitter.

The post [Update: Small Rollout] Twitter plans to allow users to limit who can reply to tweets appeared first on xda-developers.

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[Update 6: API Live] Google and Apple announce the Contact Tracing API and Bluetooth spec to warn users of COVID-19

Update 6 (5/20/2020 @ 1:55 PM EST): Google and Apple’s Exposure Notification APIs are now available to public health agencies so they can implement contact tracing for COVID-19.

Update 5 (5/4/2020 @ 3:25 PM EST): Apple and Google have shared some screenshots of the Exposure Notification API and announce that location tracking will be prohibited.

Update 4 (4/29/2020 @ 2:30 PM EST): Apple and Google have released a beta version of their Exposure Notification API for public health agencies.

Update 3 (4/24/2020 @ 3:15 PM EST): Apple and Google are renaming the Contact Tracing API to “Exposure Notification,” adds more privacy protections.

Update 2 (4/24/2020 @ 11:30 AM EST): Apple and Google’s contact tracing API will go live next week and will include most Huawei devices.

Update 1 (4/13/2020 @ 5:51 PM EST): During a conference call with reporters, Google and Apple clarified some more details about how Contact Tracing will be rolled out for users.

Due to the ongoing threat posed by SARS-CoV-2, Google and Apple have teamed up to announce a new API and Bluetooth Low Energy specification called “Contact Tracing.” The idea behind contact tracing is to inform users if they’ve recently been in contact with someone who has been positively diagnosed with COVID-19. South Korea and Taiwan have successfully “flattened the curve,” as in they’ve limited the number of new cases to fall below the capacity of their healthcare systems, by implementing widespread testing and contact tracing. According to the Associated Press, several countries in Europe including the Czech Republic, the U.K., Germany, and Italy are developing their own contact tracing tools. Apple and Google hope to empower nations and medical organizations around the world with the ability to trace the spread of the novel coronavirus, but the two companies also recognize the potential privacy concerns with this pandemic containment method. That’s why the two companies have created the new API and Bluetooth spec “with user privacy and security central to the design.”

Google and Apple published blog posts and documents that outline their goals to roll out a new API and Bluetooth LE service. Due to urgent need, both companies are tackling this problem in two stages. First, in May, both companies will release an API that “[enables] interoperability between Android and iOS devices using apps from public health authorities.” These apps will be made available for users to download on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. On Android, the API will likely become available for apps through an update to Google Play Services. Second, in the next few months, both Google and Apple will add support for a new Bluetooth Low Energy service into Android and iOS. For iOS, this new BLE service will likely come via an OS update, while for Android, this service will likely be added as part of another update to Google Play Services. Google says that adding a Bluetooth LE Contact Tracing service “is a more robust solution than an API and would allow more individuals to participate, if they choose to opt in, as well as enable interaction with a broader ecosystem of apps and government health authorities.”

Once an app integrates the new API or the BLE specification has been integrated, Android and iOS users can receive notifications if they’ve recently been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Notably, the BLE solution will not require the user to have an application installed (presumably they just need Google Play Services), but if they choose to install one of the official apps, then the app can inform them on the next steps to take after they receive a notification. This will allow users to decide if they need to self-quarantine for 14 days or to seek testing and further medical intervention. Here is an example flow of what Google and Apple envision will be possible with this new Bluetooth LE service:

An overview of COVID-19 contact tracing using Bluetooth Low Energy. Source: Google/Apple.

Here is what Google says about how they designed the new Android Contact Tracing API to protect user privacy and security:

• Apps calling the API via the startContactTracing method are required to get user consent to start contact tracing. If this is the first time the API is being invoked, the user will be shown a dialog asking for permission to start tracing.
• In order to be whitelisted to use this API, apps “will be required to timestamp and cryptographically sign the set of keys before delivery to the server with the signature of an authorized medical authority.” In other words, unauthorized COVID-19 apps will not be allowed to use this API.
• If the user uninstalls the app, the stopContactTracing method “will be automatically invoked and the database and keys will be wiped from the device.”
• The user, after having confirmed a positive diagnosis of COVID-19, must grant explicit consent to upload 14 days of daily tracing keys. A dialog will be shown to the user if the app calls the startSharingDailyTracingKeys method.
• Users will be shown what date and for how long they were in contact with a potentially contagious person, down to increments of 5 minutes, but not who or where the contact occurred.

Here is how the new BLE Contact Detection Service will protect user privacy and security:

• The spec does not require the user’s location or any other personally identifiable information. Location-use is completely optional and is only done after the user provides explicit consent.
• Rolling Proximity Identifiers are changed every 15 minutes on average, which makes it “unlikely that user location can be tracked via Bluetooth over time.”
• Proximity identifiers retrieved from other devices “are processed exclusively on device.” This means that the “list of people you’ve been in contact with never leaves your phone.”
• It’s up to the user to decide if they want to contribute to contact tracing. Users who are diagnosed with COVID-19 must consent to sharing Diagnosis Keys with the server. There will be transparency about the user’s participation in contact tracing, and “people who test positive are not identified to other users, Google, or Apple.” In fact, this information “will only be used for contact tracing by public health authorities for COVID-19 pandemic management.”
• In case you’re wondering, the Content Detection Service should not significantly drain the battery of a device if the hardware and the OS support “Bluetooth controller duplicate filters and other [hardware] filters” to “account for large volumes of advertisers in public spaces.” Scanning is “opportunistic,” meaning it can occur within existing wake and scan window cycles, but will also occur at a minimum of every 5 minutes.

Because the new Contact Tracing specs are designed with user privacy and security in mind, it’s debatable how effective they’ll be at limiting the spread of COVID-19. According to The Verge, such opt-in, non-invasive contact tracing measures may have limited effectiveness. The issues boil down to a lack of widespread adoption by the population and a potentially large number of false-positive Bluetooth proximity events. Still, I hope this new initiative is successful. It’s rare to see Google and Apple collaborate on anything, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Sources: Google Blog Post, Overview of COVID-19 Contact Tracing, Contact Tracing BLE Spec, Contact Tracing Cryptography Spec, Android Contact Tracing API Spec

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Update 1: More Details

In a conference call with reporters, Google and Apple clarified some points about the upcoming Contact Tracing API (rolling out in mid-May as part of “phase 1”) and BLE Contact Detection Service (rolling out later this year as part of “phase 2”). According to TechCrunch and Axios, both the Contact Tracing API and the BLE Contact Detection Service will be available on Android devices following updates to Google Play Services—so long as the Android smartphone is running Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Users will not need to manually update their devices or even update their OS since updates to Google Play Services happen silently in the background through the Google Play Store.

Although the introduction of BLE Contact Detection Service means that users won’t need to install an application to partake in contact tracing, Google says that users will still be prompted to download a relevant public health app if a positive contact event has been detected. This will help users determine the next steps they should take. Apple notes that while data, after being processed locally on-device, may be “relayed” to servers run by public health organizations around the world, there will not be a centralized data server. This will make it difficult for any government or other malicious actor to conduct surveillance. According to Axios, countries can run their own servers or use ones from Apple and Google. To prevent people from submitting false positive diagnoses, Apple and Google are working with public health organizations on a way to confirm diagnoses.

With the confirmation that Google will bring Contact Tracing to Android devices via updates to Google Play Services, what will happen to the millions of devices without Google Mobile Services? I’m referring, of course, to the millions of devices in China and the newer smartphone releases by Huawei and Honor. According to The Verge, Google “intends to publish a framework that those companies could use to replicate the secure, anonymous tracking system developed by Google and Apple.” Thus, it’s up to third-parties to decide whether they want to use that system. Google did not confirm if its Contact Tracing framework will be open-sourced, but they did say they will offer code audits to companies that want to adopt the system.

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Update 2: Initial Rollout, Huawei Involvement

Originally planned to go live in “mid-May,” it looks like Apple and Google’s Contact Tracing timeline has moved up. According to Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for internal market, Phase 1 of the plan will go live on April 28th. This information was given to Mr. Breton by Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Phase 1 of Contact Tracing is all about APIs. These APIs will be used by developers who are working on behalf of public health agencies, not third-party applications. The APIs will be made available through an update to Google Play Services and most devices with Android 6.0+ and Bluetooth Low Energy can support Contact Tracing.

Of course, recent Huawei and Honor devices do not have Google Play Services, but many older devices still do. TechRadar confirms that these older devices, which do not include the Huawei Mate 30, P40, Honor V30, and others, will be included in the rollout. As for the other Huawei/Honor devices, the previous article update stated that Google “intends to publish a framework that those companies could use to replicate the secure, anonymous tracking system developed by Google and Apple.”

Source 1: Les Echos | Via: TechCrunch | Source 2: TechRadar

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Update 3: More Privacy Protections

Apple and Google are now referring to the Contact Tracing plan as “Exposure Notification,” which they say is a better description for the purpose of the tool. We also have some more information about how health authorities can fine-tune the API and the privacy protections that will be in place.

The API uses Bluetooth to detect if you’ve been in the vicinity of others who have tested positive, but that has the potential to be inaccurate (detecting people who weren’t close enough or behind a wall). The API will share the strength of the Bluetooth signal so health authorities can set their own threshold for what constitutes a “contact event.”

The API will share how many days have passed since an individual “contact event.” It will not share the precise length of time the two people were in contact. Rather, it will only share estimates of exposure time, from a minimum of 5 minutes to a maximum of 30 minutes, in increments of 5 minutes. Health authorities can use this information to alter their guidance to users based on how long ago the event was.

Bluetooth metadata will be encrypted to protect against it being used to track individuals in reverse identification attacks. This metadata includes signal strength and other information. The encryption algorithm is being changed to AES from HMAC that they were using before. AES encryption can be accelerated on many mobile devices, making the API more power-efficient.

Lastly, the keys used to trace potential contacts are now randomly generated rather than being derived every 24 hours from a “tracing key” that is permanently tied to a particular device. This gets rid of the chance that an attacker with direct access to a device can figure out how keys are generated from the tracing key, though that is very, very difficult to do already.

Source 1: Axios | Source 2: Bloomberg | Source 3: TechCrunch

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Update 4: Beta APIs Available

Apple and Google are rolling out their Exposure Notification APIs (formerly called “Contact Tracing”) in a private beta starting today. Google is releasing the beta update through Google Play Services, so they’ll work on any Android 6.0+ device with Bluetooth Low Energy. Public health agencies can begin using these APIs in Android Studio and start testing.

The stable version of the API is still planned to be released in the coming weeks. As the two companies have consistently reiterated, this API is not intended to be used by third-party developers. It’s for public health agencies, and when work has been completed by the developers of these agencies, you will download an app from them.

Source: Bloomberg

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Update 5: Screenshots, No Location Tracking

Apple and Google are continuing to release more information about the Exposure Notification API. First, the companies shared some guidelines that public health authorities will have to follow to have their contract tracing apps in the respective app stores. The apps are prohibited from collecting device location data, the API is limited to one app per country, and the data collected can’t be used for targeted advertising.

The API limit of one app per country is to reduce fragmentation, but Apple and Google will be flexible and work with governments in countries that may need multiple apps. For example, countries where contact tracing is done regionally or by states.

Apple and Google have also shared some mock-up screenshots of what Exposure Notification settings and apps should look like. The image above shows the new “COVID-19 Exposure Notifications” section in Google Play Services. This section shows whether it’s enabled and which apps are able to send exposure notifications. Users can launch the app from here and see how many “exposure checks” have been done in the last 14 days, delete random IDs, and turn off notifications.

Google also shared some sample screenshots (above) of what an app that uses the Exposure Notification API could look like. The source code for this app has been published on the company’s Github page if health agencies wish to use it to build apps.

Sources: VentureBeat, 9to5Google, 9to5Google

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Update 6: API Live

After several weeks of lead-up, Apple and Google are now releasing their Exposure Notification APIs for public health agencies to use. Google, specifically, is rolling out an update to Google Play Services that includes the new API. Developers from public health agencies can now use these APIs to implement contact tracing apps for COVID-19. Three US states have already announced projects in development using this API. 22 countries in total have received access to the API, but we don’t know which countries exactly.

Source: Google, The Verge

The post [Update 6: API Live] Google and Apple announce the Contact Tracing API and Bluetooth spec to warn users of COVID-19 appeared first on xda-developers.

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Digital Wellbeing prepares to track your sleep, let you take Night Notes, and more

Google first unveiled Digital Wellbeing at Google I/O 2018 with a handful of tools to help users reduce their smartphone usage, but the company has steadily improved upon the app in the last 2 years by introducing loads of new features. In the latest beta update to version 1.0.312292882, Google is preparing to introduce major new features to help you get a better night’s sleep.

New “Daily Device Usage” toggle in “Manage Your Data”

The first feature that Google is introducing is already available for everyone on the latest beta release. If you open the settings menu in Digital Wellbeing, you’ll see a new “Manage your data” option that brings you to a new activity with a toggle for “daily device usage.” This option will let you decide if Digital Wellbeing should track your device unlocks, notifications received, and app usage. Disabling this option turns off usage access, so Digital Wellbeing can’t track your phone use anymore.

Currently, this toggle is the only one available in “Manage your data.” However, it will soon be joined by other options.

An APK teardown can often predict features that may arrive in a future update of an application, but it is possible that any of the features we mention here may not make it in a future release. This is because these features are currently unimplemented in the live build and may be pulled at any time by the developers in a future build.

Sleep Habit Tracking

The biggest new feature in the works is sleep habit tracking. We managed to surface a new activity that lets the user grant Digital Wellbeing and the Google Clock apps access to daily app usage, motion and light sensor data during your scheduled bedtimes, and time zone history. Granting these two apps access to that data will let both apps “show you a snapshot of your sleep habits.”

The strings from within the APK tell us what kind of insights Digital Wellbeing will be able to offer on sleep. In summary, Digital Wellbeing can tell you how long you spent in bed, how long you were on your phone while in bed (and how long you spent without it), and when your bedtime started and ended.

Digital Wellbeing Sleep Insights Strings

<string name="sleep_insights_footer_wake_up">%1$s • Wake up</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_footer_wake_up_desc">Bedtime ended at %1$s on %2$s</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_header_bedtime">%1$s • Bedtime</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_header_bedtime_desc">Bedtime started at %1$s on %2$s</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_more_apps">+%1$d</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_more_apps_ellipsis">…</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_on_your_phone">On your phone</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_on_your_phone_duration">&lt;primary>%1$s&lt;/primary> • %2$s</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_title_bedtime_activity">Recent bedtime activity</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_title_screen_time">Screen time during bedtime</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_total_time_in_bed">Time in bed</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_total_time_in_bed_desc">%1$s in bed</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_total_time_on_phone">Time on phone</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_total_time_without_usage">Without your phone</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_total_time_without_usage_desc">%1$s without your phone</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_usage_group_collapse_action_desc">collapse</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_usage_group_collapsed_desc">Apps used for %1$s, from %2$s to %3$s</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_usage_group_expand_action_desc">expand</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_usage_group_expanded_desc">Expanded list of apps used for %1$s, from %2$s to %3$s</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_usage_group_row_desc">%1$s for %2$s</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_usage_group_single_app_desc">%1$s used for %2$s from %3$s to %4$s</string>
<string name="sleep_insights_usage_range">%1$s - %2$s</string>
<string name="sleep_screen_education_notification_text">Bedtime mode turns off always-on display to help you sleep better. Tap to make changes.</string>
<string name="sleep_screen_education_notification_title">Screen stays dark at bedtime</string>

Once this feature goes live, there will be a new item in “manage your data” to control bedtime sensor data use:

<string name="manage_data_bedtime_sensor_data_subtitle">Includes motion and light detection during your scheduled bedtime</string>
<string name="manage_data_bedtime_sensor_data_title">Bedtime sensor data</string>

You’ll also be able to see what data is sent to the Clock app and also your scheduled bedtime history:

<string name="show_app_usage_and_sleep_api_result">Show Clock API result</string>
<string name="show_bedtimes">Show bedtime schedule history</string>
<string name="show_sleep_data">Show sleep data</string>
<string name="show_time_zones">Show time zone history</string>

Finally, if you turn off sleep habit tracking, all existing data that has been collected will be deleted:

<string name="turn_off_action">Turn off</string>
<string name="turn_off_sensor_data_dialog_message">Existing data will be deleted</string>
<string name="turn_off_sensor_data_dialog_title">Turn off access to sensor data?</string>
<string name="turn_off_time_zone_data_dialog_message">Existing data will be deleted</string>
<string name="turn_off_time_zone_data_dialog_title">Turn off access to time zone history?</string>

Night Notes

Another major new feature that’s in development alongside sleep habit tracking is “Night Notes” in Digital Wellbeing. This feature will let you quickly take a note before you head to bed or when you’re already in bed and just had an epiphany.

<string name="night_note_notification_reminder_text">"Anything on your mind? Offload your thoughts to Night Notes."</string>
<string name="night_note_notification_reminder_title">Bedtime mode starts at %s</string>

Once you wake up, Digital Wellbeing will show you a notification asking you if you want to see any notes you’ve taken during the night.

<string name="good_morning_notification_text">Tap to view your Night Notes.</string>
<string name="good_morning_notification_title">Good morning!</string>

I’m not entirely sure where the notes will be written to, but there’s a hint in Digital Wellbeing’s feature flags that it’ll launch the activity “com.google.android.compose.capture.CaptureActivity.” This activity doesn’t belong to Digital Wellbeing, the Google Clock app, or even Google Keep, so it could be part of a new app that Google is launching for this feature.

Cross-Profile Screen Time Use

Next, a feature that will please Work Profile users is the ability to see screen time use for work apps. Currently, you have to tap “switch to work profile” in Digital Wellbeing to see app usage statistics on apps in the work profile.

<string name="cross_profile_meta_data">See your screen time for work apps</string>

Data Sharing with other Apps

Finally, there’s a hint that Digital Wellbeing will share some of its data with other applications. We think this will probably be limited to Google applications, but there’s a chance that Google could open up some of Wellbeing’s data to third-party applications as part of an API.

<string name="data_sharing_with_other_apps">Other apps that use your data</string>

You can download the latest version of the Digital Wellbeing beta app from the Google Play Store now.

Digital Wellbeing (Free, Google Play) →

Thanks to PNF Software for providing us a license to use JEB Decompiler, a professional-grade reverse engineering tool for Android applications.

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Google Chat will soon let customers see conversations from Hangouts

It’s been a long and twisting road for Google Hangouts. Launched in 2013, the service was an instant favorite with Android users and the SMS integration won over even more users. Nowadays, the Hangouts brand is split into a “Classic” version for consumers and the G Suite version was renamed to Google Chat.

There is some good news for fans of the classic Hangouts service. Soon, G Suite users will be able to see Hangouts conversations in Google Chat as they happen. In addition, Google Chat users will be able to send messages to people outside of their domain. This puts all of your conversations in one place.

Why does this matter for someone who doesn’t use G Suite? Google recently opened up Google Meet, the company’s Zoom competitor, to everyone – no G Suite account required. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for Google to do the same with Google Chat. This could be the first step in transitioning users away from classic Hangouts. Google has never given an end date for the consumer version of Hangouts, but it’s set to retire for G Suite users in June.

The entire situation with Hangouts has been incredibly confusing. The recent renaming of Hangouts Chat and Meet to simply Google Chat and Meet helped clear up some of that confusion. The “Hangouts” brand is now back to being for consumers only, but it’s only a matter of time before the service is completely retired. Google is all in on RCS in its Messages app and Google Chat and Meet seem to be primed to take over for the remnants of Hangouts.

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Source: Google

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This Guide Can Help You Preserve Your Finances During a Recession

With the Fed Chair predicting a prolonged recession and unemployment over 30 million, you would be forgiven for panicking a little. However, there are ways to protect yourself from a potential crisis on the horizon. The 9-Course Guide to Recession-Proofing Your Finances shows you how to save, invest, and budget your way to financial security. You can get the training now for just $31 at the XDA Developers Depot.

We often think of millionaires as folks who spend cash without a care. But it was Warren Buffet, the famous investor, who once wrote: “Don’t save what is left after spending; spend what is left after saving.”

If you would like to take better care of your money, this guide offers 38 hours of essential knowledge. Through concise video lessons, you discover how to reduce your spending, save for the future, and invest wisely. Along the way, you learn how to set and stick to a monthly budget, set up an Individual Retirement Account, invest in stocks, and handle debt.  

The courses are delivered by top business brains and financial experts. For instance, Chris Haroun is the best-selling business teacher on Udemy, and Robert Steele is a practicing Certified Public Accountant.

The training is worth $1,800 in total, but you can get this 9-part guide now for $31.

 

A 9-Course Guide to Recession-Proofing Your Finances – $31

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Prices subject to change

More from the XDA Developers Depot

• Work-from-home accessories to keep you productive
• DIY projects to keep you entertained indoors
• New skills you can learn without leaving home

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