[Update: Galaxy S9, Note 9, Z Flip] Samsung Camera Controller lets you take photos from the Galaxy S20 using your Galaxy Watch

Update (6/3/20 @ 11:15 AM ET): Samsung’s Camera Controller smartwatch app now supports the Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 9, and Galaxy Z Flip.

A number of major OEMs maintain their own app store besides Google Play Store for the sake of offering device-specific exclusive content, or for setting up an alternative app distribution platform without relying on the Mountain View giant. Samsung’s Galaxy Apps, later rebranded as Galaxy Store, is a perfect example of this tradition. The Korean OEM offers plenty of interesting tools via the substitute app store, such as the immensely popular Good Lock suite or the Camera Controller app for wearables. The latter is now updated to support the recently released Galaxy S20 lineup.

XDA Forums for Samsung Galaxy: S20 || S20+ || S20 Ultra

Buy from Amazon.in — Samsung Galaxy: S20 || S20+ || S20 Ultra

For those not familiar with Camera Controller, the idea of this app is to give the users the freedom to capture photos and videos on a connected phone via their smartwatch. Samsung teased about this handy utility during the launch of the Galaxy Watch Active2, albeit the owners of the original Galaxy Watch Active and the Galaxy Watch can use this app as well. Even after the latest update, which bumps the software version number to 1.0.79 (2020.04.02), the list of supported smartphones is surprisingly small. Apart from the Galaxy S20 series, the Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, and the Galaxy Fold are whitelisted by Samsung to utilize the capabilities of the Camera Controller app.

Upon launching the Camera Controller app, it prompts you to open the Camera app on your smartphone. Afterward, it’s just a matter of tapping on the capture button on your watch to take a photo. You can even make use of the Instagram mode, Night mode, Pro mode and the Live Focus mode of the stock camera by the controller app.

Download Camera Controller from Galaxy Store

Samsung’s take on the wearable ecosystem is quite commanding so far. The company is still working on enabling the ECG support on the Galaxy Watch Active2 while they have backported several features to the legacy models. Now that the watches can act as a mini viewfinder for the fan-favorite Galaxy S20 series, it would certainly boost their usability and help consumers not feel left out amidst the arrival of new models.

Thanks to Reddit user zingzongzang48 for the screenshot!

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Update: Galaxy S9, Note 9, Z Flip

After launching with support for devices, Samsung has updated the Camera Controller smartwatch app with support for more devices. The devices added include the Galaxy S9/S9+, Galaxy Note 9, and Galaxy Z Flip. Those devices join the Galaxy S20 series, S10 series, Note 10 series, and Galaxy Fold.

Download Camera Controller from Galaxy Store

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Sensory’s new biometric tech aims to make face unlock work with face masks

The use of face masks is certainly not new, but as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many more people around the world are using them for the first time. This has created some interesting issues in the technology world. People covering half their faces with masks comes at a time when many phones are switching to facial recognition for security. Sensory is one company working on a solution to this problem.

Sensory is a Silicon Valley-based company that creates AI products, some of which are used by Android smartphone OEMs. We’ve talked about Sensory’s TrulySecure facial recognition in the past and the company also works on hotword detection and natural language processing. Sensory announced that its TrulySecure face and voice platform has been adapted to meet the demands of the “new normal.”

TrulySecure facial recognition can now recognize users while wearing masks and it can also detect coughs and sneezes. It does this by utilizing biometric fusion and multiple enrollments to avoid the limitations of typical facial recognition. Biometric Fusions combines both face and voice into one SDK, so when faces are partially obstructed, the voice biometric can provide added confidence and vice versa.

Multiple Enrollments allow users to enroll alternate appearances. Users can enroll their typical mask-free face and then add a second enrollment with a face mask on. Many software solutions don’t allow users to enroll their face if it’s partially blocked. Allowing users to enroll both mask on and off allows the software to apply the appropriate template.

Sensory is not the only company working on a solution to this problem. We previously wrote about Huami and its development of N95 face masks that don’t interfere with face unlock. Wearing face maks is likely to be common practice even after the COVID-19 pandemic peters out, so this is something we’ll likely continue to see tech companies work on.

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Build a New Career in Cybersecurity With This 10-Course Training Bundle

Even when whole cities are in lockdown, cybercrime never stops. As a result, top companies are always on the lookout for help with cybersecurity — experts estimate there will be 3.5 million unfilled jobs by next year. The Ultimate 2020 White Hat Hacker Certification Bundle helps you break into this lucrative world, with 10 courses teaching you practical skills and working towards acing top exams. You can get the bundle now for just $39.90 at the XDA Developers Depot.

White hat hackers are specialists in finding the flaws that malicious hackers try to exploit. Certified professionals can make $100k a year, and those who concentrate on bug bounty programs can earn significantly more. 

This bundle helps you launch your own white hat hacking career, with 98 hours of essential training. Through concise video tutorials, you learn about the darknet, common forms of malware, zero-day vulnerabilities, and operating systems security. You also discover how to hack servers, websites, and apps using a variety of key tools — including custom Python scripts and automated tests.

The courses are delivered by several top tutors, including Joe Parys, who has helped over 500,000 students on Udemy. Along with the practical training, you get full prep for the all-important CompTIA CySA+ and PenTest+ exams.

Worth $1,345, the bundle is now only $39.90 with lifetime access included.

 

The Ultimate 2020 White Hat Hacker Certification Bundle – $39.90

See Deal

Prices subject to change 

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AutoResponder for Telegram is a bot that lets you automate replies

After the great success of AutoResponder for WhatsApp and Instagram, XDA Senior Member TK Studio is back again with a similar app for Telegram called, unsurprisingly, AutoResponder for Telegram.

AutoResponder for Telegram is a powerful bot that lets you automatically reply to your friends and contacts when you’re away from your device. When someone sends you a message on Telegram, and you’re not around to respond, the bot will send a predefined reply on your behalf. You can create different rules and replies for different scenarios and even specify which contacts or groups should receive the automated reply. Furthermore, you can choose to react to only specific messages, meaning auto-reply will only trigger when the recipient’s message matches the template response that you have set. There are tons of parameters and granular controls to fine-tune the bot precisely as you want. The app also offers a Tasker plugin to let you automatically pause/unpause the bot, update/enable/disable and add/remove specific rules.

Here is a rundown of what you can do with AutoResponder for Telegram:

• Auto Reply to Telegram
• Send automatic replies to your friends
• Individually customizable
• Send replies to all messages
• React to specific messages
• Live answer replacements
• Reply with the current location
• Works with groups
• Set contacts
• Set delay
• Specific times and days
• Perfect for business
• Dialogflow.com integration (formerly api.ai)
• Working as a Tasker plugin

AutoResponder for Telegram — XDA Thread

The app is free to download on Google Play Store with an in-app purchase option. The Pro version unlocks the additional features such as the ability to send multiple automated replies, delaying replies, connecting the bot to your web server, and more.

AutoResponder for Telegram - Auto Reply Bot (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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Honor Play 4 and Honor Play 4 Pro with IR temperature sensor launched in China

The Honor Play series is a smartphone series from Huawei’s sub-brand. The focus of this series has been to provide a value offering to consumers within markets such as China, addressing their local needs and expectations. Honor recently teased that the upcoming launches in this series will feature a special infrared temperature sensor. The Honor Play 4 and Honor Play 4 Pro have finally launched in China, alongside a special version of the Play 4 Pro that does indeed come with an IR temperature sensor.

Honor Play 4 and Play 4 Pro: Specifications

Specifications	Honor Play 4 5G	Honor Play 4 Pro 5G
Dimensions & Weight	170mm x 78.5mm x 8.9mm 213g	162.7mm x 75.8mm x 8.9mm 213g
Display	6.81″ FHD+ IPS TFT LCD 2400 x 1080 20:9 aspect ratio Single hole-punch display	6.57″ FHD+ IPS TFT LCD 2400 x 1080 20:9 aspect ratio Dual hole-punch display
SoC	MediaTek Dimensity 800: 4x Cortex-A76 @ 2GHz + 4x Cortex-A55 @ 2GHz 7nm Mali-G57 MC4 GPU	HiSilicon Kirin 990: 2x Cortex-A76 @ 2.86GHz + 2x Cortex-A76 @ 2.09GHz + 4x Cortex-A55 @ 1.86GHz Mali-G76 GPU
RAM and Storage	6GB LPDDR4X + 128GB 8GB + 128GB Expandable up to 512GB	8GB LPDDR4x + 128GB UFS 3.0
Battery and Charging	4300 mAh battery 22.5W fast charging	4200 mAh battery 40W fast charging
Rear Camera	Primary: 64MP, f/1.89 Secondary: 8MP wide-angle, f/2.2 Tertiary: 2MP depth sensor, f/2.4 Quarternary: 2MP macro, f/2.4	Primary: 40MP, f/1.8 Secondary: 8MP, f/2.4, OIS, 3x optical zoom
Front Camera	16MP, f/2.0	32MP, f/2.0, fixed focus 8MP, f/2.2, fixed focus
Other Features	Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 5.1 5G SA/NSA IP5X 3.5mm headphone jack Side-mounted fingerprint sensor	Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 5.1 5G SA/NSA Dual Frequency GPS Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
Android Version	MagicUI 3.1 based on Android 10	MagicUI 3.1 based on Android 10

Honor is marketing the phones as different variants within the same lineup and generation, but both the phones are very different from each other.

The Honor Play 4 5G is clearly the more humble device, with the MediaTek Dimensity 800 SoC. A few specifications of the device are not very clear — like whether it actually has a 6.81″ display as the official spec sheet suggest, or which exact sensor is used for the 64MP camera — but it is clear that there is a focus on smartphone photography here while still providing high value. Curiously, Honor has added a 3.5mm headphone jack to the device and has brought back storage expandability (though it is unclear if this is via microSD card or a proprietary card)

The Honor Play 4 Pro 5G has a few more tricks up its sleeve. First, it is powered by the HiSilicon Kirin 990, the current flagship SoC. This makes the device a flagship offering in terms of performance at least. Interestingly, Honor is also using only a dual-camera setup on the device — comprising of a 40MP main sensor (details unspecified, but it can be the RYYB sensor as seen on past devices like the Honor 30 and the Honor X10) and an 8MP telephoto sensor. We certainly prefer companies sticking to fewer-but-good cameras instead of bundling borderline-useless camera sensors on devices purely for the marketing points of “quad-camera” and “penta-camera”.

The Play 4 Pro 5G comes in two variants: one is the regular variant, and the other comes with an IR temperature sensor. The infrared sensor can measure the temperature of objects, animals, and people, but the latter is obviously the most noteworthy in current times. Taking someone’s temperature is one of the ways that COVID-19 can be detected (though it’s not always a symptom).

Honor claims that the sensor has a measurement range of -20°C to 100°C, though we’ll reserve our judgment on its practical usability till the time we get an opportunity to use the device ourselves.

Pricing and Availability

The Honor Play 4 will be available for purchase in China for CNY 1799 (~$253/₹19,000) for the 6GB + 128GB variant, and CNY 1999 (~$281/₹21,250) for the 8GB + 128GB unit. The Honor Play 4 Pro will be available for purchase in China for CNY 2899 (~$408/₹30,750), while the variant with the IR temperature sensor will cost you CNY 2999 (~$422/₹32,000). International availability for either of these phones is unknown at this stage, though if they do arrive, they are likely to come with HMS on-board.

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Developers bring Android 10 and Project Treble to the HTC U11

HTC’s smartphone division might not be dead after all, but the whole software update situation around existing HTC phones is a big mess. The Taiwanese phone manufacturer is having a hard time delivering the Android 10 update to its phones, with the HTC U11 Life being an exception due to its Android One branding. The regular variant of the HTC U11, for example, is stuck with Android Pie. Thankfully, owners of this phone now have an opportunity to get the taste of Android 10. Courtesy of XDA’s brilliant development community, the HTC U11 can not only boot LineageOS 17.1, but the device has also become compliant with Project Treble.

HTC U11 XDA Forums

XDA Senior Member Golv, along with XDA Recognized Developer tomascus and XDA Recognized Developer Flinny, are currently maintaining the unofficial build of LineageOS 17.1 for the HTC U11. The ROM has SELinux in permissive mode and VOIP calling experience might be finicky, but otherwise, it’s quite stable to be a daily driver. Those running stock HTC Sense firmware have to format the data partition (which will delete the contents of the internal storage) before flashing this ROM, so do perform a complete backup.

Download unofficial LineageOS 17.1 for the HTC U11

The Snapdragon 835-powered HTC U11 was originally released with Android 7.1 Nougat on board, thus the phone is officially not compatible with Project Treble. In a mission to “Trebelize” it, XDA Recognized Developer mikalovtch and several other developers from Team Venom have decided to create a dedicated vendor partition for proper Project Treble & Generic System Image (GSI) support by altering the stock partition table. This mod essentially extends the lifetime of this phone, as future versions of Android can theoretically be ported to the smartphone with minimum effort.

Project Treble for the HTC U11 — XDA Download and Discussion Thread

Please keep in mind that repartitioning your device will wipe EVERYTHING, thus be prepared with adequate backups. Users are also advised to download the model-specific RUU package beforehand, in case you need to restore the old partition layout. Be advised that these mods are not for the average user and are recommended for experienced users only.

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Lenovo’s P-series ThinkPads and ThinkStation PCs are getting Linux options

Earlier this year in January, Dell unveiled the 2020 refresh for its XPS series of laptops. As part of the lineup, Dell released the XPS 13 2020 with 10th Gen Intel Ice Lake chips. Along with the regular Windows-based variants of the notebook, Dell also released a Ubuntu-based Developer Edition of the XPS 13 2020 featuring Ubuntu 18.04LTS. Up until now, Dell was one of the only major PC OEMs to officially offer Linux distribution options for its notebooks. However, Lenovo will soon be joining Dell by offering Linux-based versions of its P-series ThinkPad notebooks and ThinkStation PCs.

In a recent press release, Rob Herman, General Manager, Executive Director Workstation and Client AI Group at Lenovo, has revealed that the company is moving to certify its entire workstation portfolio for top Linux distributions from Ubuntu and Red Hat. As part of the move, the company’s portfolio of ThinkStation PCs and ThinkPad P-series notebooks will be certified by both Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Ubuntu LTS, enabling end-to-end support for enterprise users. This will include regular security patches and updates to keep the systems secure, verified hardware drivers, along with firmware and BIOS optimizations. On top of that, the company will also upstream device drivers directly to the Linux kernel to ensure stability and compatibility throughout the system’s lifetime.

In the Red Hat ecosystem, Lenovo has also partnered with the Fedora project to offer a pilot program with a preloaded Fedora image on the ThinkPad P53 and P1 Gen 2 systems. By certifying its entire workstation portfolio, Lenovo aims to prioritize the needs of specialized end-users and provide the best possible out-of-the-box Linux experience. The certified portfolio of workstations will also be fully customizable and configured-to-order, based on the needs of the end-user. Additionally, Lenovo will be providing complete web support, dedicated Linux forums, configuration guidance, and more to prospective buyers. The new Linux-based workstation lineup will roll out over the summer, starting with the ThinkPad P-series notebooks this month.

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Source: Lenovo StoryHub

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