Google Chrome tests “Query Tiles” to speed up searching on mobile

The new tab page in Google Chrome has seen several redesigns since its inception and Google continues to experiment with different features to make the previously empty page more useful. Back in December last year, Google started testing a radically new UI for the Chrome new tab page which moved all UI elements closer to the top of the display and replaced recommended articles with tab organization features. While the previous redesign still hasn’t made it to Chrome on the stable channel, Google has now started testing another design change that adds new ‘Query tiles’ on the new tab page to help you quickly start a search.

According to a recent report from Android Police, the new Query Tiles are nothing but predefined search shortcuts with images that let you get the latest results related to a few different topics without the need to type out keywords in the search bar. As of now, Google is offering 13 first-level tile categories in the US: News, Films, Recipes, Fashion, Music, Health, Electronics, TV Shows, Sports, Astrology, Education, Investment, and Automobile. Tapping on each tile brings up a few sub-categories underneath it, like COVID-19 under news or video games under electronics.

Query editing flag disabled.

Once you make a selection, Chrome automatically starts a search based on the tile keywords you choose and the results are displayed in the same tab. Alternatively, you also get the option to edit the search before it’s submitted to get more customized results. You can alternate between these two behaviors by enabling/disabling the #query-tiles-enable-query-editing flag.

Query editing flag enabled.

The tiles feature is currently available on Chrome Dev and Canary, but it might reach the beta and stable channels in future updates. In case you wish to try out the new query tiles on your device, you’ll need to head over to chrome://flags, search for ‘query tiles’, and then enable the #query-tiles flag.

There are a total of six different flags related to the feature, that you can use to further customize how query tiles work on your device. Here are all the related flags, along with a brief explanation:

• #query-tiles: enables the query tiles feature in the new tab page.
• #query-tiles-omnibox: enables query tiles to show up below the Omnibox, both on the new tab page and anytime you click on the Omnibox in a tab.
• #query-tiles-country-code: personalizes the tile content based on location. As of now, you can pick the USA, India, Brazil, Nigeria, and Indonesia.
• #query-tiles-enable-query-editing: lets you edit the search query before it’s submitted.
• #query-tiles-single-tier: limits queries to a single level, no sub-categories.
• #query-tiles-instant-fetch: no user-facing changes.

As Chrome flags are experimental in nature, we can’t be sure if Google will release the query tiles flags on the stable channel anytime soon or if they’ll be discarded like the Duet experiment that Google recently killed off.

Chrome Canary (Unstable) (Free, Google Play) →

Chrome Dev (Free, Google Play) →

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Via: Android Police

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HMD Global’s Nokia 4.2 and Nokia 3.2 can now be bootloader unlocked without disassembly

The Nokia 3.2 and the Nokia 4.2 were announced back at MWC in February 2019. Like most other devices from HMD Global’s portfolio, there is no official bootloader unlock mechanism for these Android One-powered phones. Without an unlocked bootloader, typical mods – including rooting and custom ROMs – become impossible to achieve. There’s a ray of hope, though, as the owners of the phone duo can apparently use regular Fastboot commands to unlock the bootloader after the Android 10 update.

Nokia 3.2 XDA Forums || Nokia 4.2 XDA Forums

It is worth mentioning that the community did discover an unofficial bootloader unlock method for the Nokia 3.2/4.2, but the process was too cumbersome for inexperienced users. To set the value of the get_unlock_ability parameter as 1, the target device had to be disassembled first. After triggering the phone’s EDL mode by shorting pins known as “test points”, one had to modify the “config” partition via a low-level protocol known as Firehose.

According to user reports, the stable Android 10 update for the Nokia 3.2 and Nokia 4.2 virtually deprecates the aforementioned method. Since the update, the bootloader can be unlocked very straightforward, without going through any weird hoops and workarounds. All you need to do is enable “OEM unlocking” in Developer options and unlock it through Fastboot as if you’re unlocking a Google Pixel or OnePlus phone. Unlike the Nokia 8, you don’t even need to put a server-generated unlock token.

Well, there is a catch!

Back in February, some Nokia 4.2 users reported that they could toggle the OEM Unlocking option and consecutively unlock the bootloader on Pie-based software version V1.41H. It was probably a mistake from Nokia’s end that might be patched later on, just like the initial batch of Nokia 6.2 and the Nokia 7.2 shipped with an unlockable bootloader, but the loophole was promptly closed. Is HMD Global willfully offering the bootloader unlock ability for the Nokia 3.2/4.2 this time? We don’t know, and we may even see a quick “bugfix” OTA rolling out in the next few days to reverse the “unintentional mistake”.

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The new Moto G Fast and Moto E are affordable Android smartphones for the US and Canada

This morning, Motorola is taking the wraps off two new devices in the popular Moto G and Moto E families. The Moto G Fast and new Moto E are decently-specced yet affordable Android smartphones for the U.S. market, which is something we don’t see a lot. As the name implies, the Moto G Fast is a mid-range phone with speed in mind, while the Moto E is a continuation of the company’s high-quality low-end offerings.

Moto G Fast

The Moto G Fast is a phone that Motorola prematurely posted a video for last week, and it’s essentially a rebranded Moto G8 for the United States. It features a 6.4-inch HD+ display with a single hole-punch cutout in the top-left corner. The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD).

Motorola put a lot of emphasis on the cameras on the Moto G Fast. The main camera is 16MP while the secondary cameras are an 8MP wide-angle and a 2MP macro camera. The wide-angle lens has a FOV of 118-degrees, while the macro lens has a minimum 2cm focus distance. To wrap things up, the Moto G Fast has a 4,000mAh battery, supports 10W charging, has a USB Type-C port, and has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Specification	Moto G Fast
Display	6.4-inch, HD+, single hole-punch
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 665
RAM	3GB
Storage	32GB (expandable)
Rear Camera(s)	16MP (f/1.7, 1.12μm) 2MP (f/2.2, 1.75μm) | macro | minimum 2cm focus distance 8MP (f/2.2, 1.12μm) | 118° ultra-wide angle
Front Camera	8MP
Battery	4000mAh, 10W charging
Ports	USB-C, headphone jack
Software	Android 10
Security	Fingerprint scanner (physical)

Moto E 2020

The Moto E has long been Motorola’s lowest-end offering, yet it continues to get more impressive features. This time around, the new Moto E has dual cameras. The display is 6.2-inches at HD+ resolution with a centered notch cutout. It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 SoC, 2GB of RAM, and has 32GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD).

Like the Moto G Fast, Motorola is touting the cameras with the new Moto E. The main camera is 13MP and it’s joined by a 2MP depth sensor. The depth sensor allows you to play with portrait modes and blurred backgrounds, something that’s not available on a lot of devices in this price range. Rounding things out, the Moto E has a 3,550mAh battery, supports 5W charging, has a micro-USB port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Specification	Moto E 2020
Display	6.2-inch, HD+, 19:9, notch
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 632
RAM	2GB
Storage	32GB (expandable)
Rear Camera(s)	13MP (f/2.0, 1.12um) | PDAF 2MP (f/2.2, 1.75um) | depth
Front Camera	5MP
Battery	3550mAh, 5W charging
Ports	Micro-USB, headphone jack
Software	Android 10
Security	Fingerprint scanner (physical)

Pricing & Availability

The Moto G Fast will be available unlocked in the U.S. starting June 12th from Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailers. Pre-orders begin today and it costs $199.99. It will subsequently be available at Boost Mobile. In Canada, it will be available starting this summer at TELUS, Bell, and Rogers, and on Motorola.ca.

The new Moto E will be available unlocked in the US starting June 12th as well at the aforementioned retailers. Pre-orders begin today for $149.99. Subsequently, it will go on sale on T-Mobile, Metro, Boost Mobile, US Cellular, Consumer Cellular, Xfinity Mobile, Republic Wireless, and Verizon pre-paid. In Canada, it will be available starting this summer at TELUS, Bell, Rogers, Virgin, Lucky Mobile, Fido, chatr, SaskTel, Videotron, Freedom Mobile, and Motorola.ca.

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OnePlus is working on a “OnePlus App” that integrates Community, Red Cable Club, E-Commerce, After-Sales Support into one app

OnePlus has been working on expanding its brand image from an entity that merely sells smartphones, to become a culture brand that expands beyond the product and into the experience of owning a OnePlus device. For instance, OnePlus has expanded its OnePlus Experience Stores to more locations, letting users walk in, have a cup of coffee, and check out the latest OnePlus smartphones and other accessories before making a purchase. OnePlus also has several apps and initiatives that it runs alongside, for this experience. According to a new post on the OnePlus Red Cable Club, OnePlus is looking to create a “OnePlus App” — a singular umbrella application that would integrate all the different apps and initiatives in one place.

OnePlus displayed a new post on its devices, announcing the following:

According to the survey announcement, OnePlus is working on its “next-generation” application to provide a seamless experience across all of its services. The OnePlus App platform proposes to integrate all existing ecosystem offerings as well as upcoming services. OnePlus currently maintains its websites as the online shopping platform, the OnePlus Care app for after-sales support, the OnePlus Community app for its forums and community, and the Red Cable Club which provides access to a few exclusives for consumers who purchase a OnePlus phone in India. If the announcement and accompanying survey questions are an indication, OnePlus is also working towards integrating personalized content and engagement activities related to photography and gaming within this app.

Other questions in the survey include what sections should be prioritized within the mega app, such as after-sales service and consultation, device health check, buyback values, Red Cable Club membership zone, ecosystem services, product feedback and tutorials, and OnePlus partner offers and co-branded merchandise. The survey even asks if there are additional features or services that users would be willing to pay to use the app every day — though we reckon that the app, once it launches, will very likely remain free for OnePlus users.

There is no timeline currently mentioned for the release of this app. If we had to take a guess, the launch of the OnePlus 8T would be an opportune moment.

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Thanks to Telegram user @Sherlock for the tip!

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Telegram can now edit Videos and make Animated Stickers, show trending GIFs, and more

While ensuring user privacy may be Telegram‘s main claim to fame, the instant messenger has evolved significantly over the years and it now offers a great selection of features that attracts many users. Over the last few months, Telegram has received several major updates that introduced features like chat folders, a fast media viewer, People Nearby 2.0, revamped profiles, and more. The developers have also confirmed that they’re currently working on some highly-requested features like secure group video calls, which will be released at a later date. Thanks, in part, to such frequent feature updates, Telegram has grown steadily over the last couple of years and it recently reached the 400 million monthly active users milestone. Today, Telegram is rolling out yet another major update that brings a new video editor to the app, among other things.

With its latest update, Telegram is giving users the ability to edit videos within the messenger. The media editor includes features like a video quality enhancement tool, that can automatically improve video quality with just two taps. In case you don’t want to depend on the messenger to make the edits for you, the app also lets you manually tweak a dozen parameters, including brightness, saturation, etc. and even add animated stickers to videos.

The animated stickers feature can also be used while editing photos, so you can now convert your photo into a GIF by simply adding an animated sticker to it.

Speaking of GIFs, the GIF panel on the app has also received a minor update with a new Trending section and emoji-based tabs that cover the most popular emotions. This change is expected to make GIF search even easier on the messenger. Additionally, GIF loading times have been improved in the GIF panel to further improve user experience.

Adding on the chat folder feature that was released with Telegram 6.0, Telegram will now also let you move chats to any given folder simply by tapping and holding on a chat and then selecting a folder from the pop-up menu.

Along with the aforementioned features, the latest update also includes some exclusive features for Android users. These include smoother animations, improvements to the video player, support for automatic looping on videos that are less than 30 seconds long, and better animations for voice messages. Cache management interfaces on Android have also received a design update and the two-step verification setting now has a monkey overseeing the process. You can find the complete changelog for the latest Android release in the section below.

Changelog

• Media Editor
  • Tap the brush icon when sending a photo or video to access the media editor.
  • Enhance media quality, tweak parameters like brightness, saturation, etc.
  • Add drawings, text, or stickers to media.
  • Put animated stickers on photos or videos. Photos with animated stickers automatically turn into GIFs.
  • Zoom in on photos or videos for high-precision drawing.
• New GIF panel
  • Enjoy greatly enhanced loading times for GIFs in the panel.
  • Quickly find GIFs in emoji-based sections covering the most popular emotions.
  • Check the Trending Tab for the top reactions of the day.
  • Press and hold on any GIF in search results to save it to your collection.
• Sleeker Interfaces
  • Send, edit, and delete messages with new smooth animations.
  • Watch videos from an improved player: controls disappear after 3 seconds, long cations get out of your way quickly, videos shorter than 30 seconds are looped.
  • Manage Telegram cache settings in style.
  • Watch out for the nosey monkey when you set a Two-Step Verification password.
• Flexible Folders
  • Hold on a chat in your chat list to add it to a folder.

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Source: Telegram blog

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Samsung Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition will come with a vibrant look for K-pop fans

At the Galaxy Unpacked event earlier this year, Samsung unveiled a new pair of truly wireless (TWS) earbuds alongside its flagship Galaxy S20 series. The new earbuds, called the Samsung Galaxy Buds+, were a minor upgrade over the original Galaxy Buds, featuring larger batteries in the earbuds as well as the charging case, support for multi-device connection, and a new dual driver system. Initially, the Buds+ were released in three color variants — Cosmic Black, Cosmic Blue, and Black — but Samsung went on to add a new red color, a special Thom Browne edition, and an Aura Blue color. Now, Samsung is working on a BTS-branded Galaxy Buds+ that will cater to K-pop fans.

XDA Editor-in-Chief Mishaal Rahman and XDA TV Video Producer Max Weinbach had originally spotted that Samsung was working on a new purple-colored Galaxy Buds+ that would go on sale alongside a BTS-branded Mirror Purple Samsung Galaxy S20+.

Remember how I was asking about that BTS logo yesterday? Well, it’s because Samsung is releasing Galaxy Buds+ in partnership with BTS. This will likely launch with the Mirror Purple BTS phone. We found these images in the newest Galaxy Buds+ plugin from the Google Play Store. pic.twitter.com/LPw8kJTAoy

— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) June 3, 2020

These Mirror Purple BTS-branded Buds+ were then leaked by Evan ‘evleaks’ Blass from all angles, on his Patreon.

Evan has also posted the retail packaging and the BTS-adorned marketing material for the wireless earbuds from Samsung.

The Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition will be launching alongside the Samsung Galaxy S20+ BTS Edition on July 7.

BTS is a seven-member South Korean boy band which is immensely popular among fans of the K-pop (Korean Pop) genre. The band has fans not only in South Korea, but all across the world, thanks to their works as well as collaborations with other international pop artists like Halsey, Ed Sheeran, Nicki Minaj, The Chainsmokers, and many others. A BTS-branded Galaxy S20+ and Buds+ attempts to capitalize on the fandom while still introducing a different color option on the already-popular products.

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A community-designed OnePlus jacket will launch alongside the OnePlus 8T

OnePlus relies heavily on its community of fans to constantly improve its products, both on the hardware and software level. The company is known for hosting regular Open Ears forums around the world to directly engage with community members for feedback and it recently launched the new IDEAS program to get user input on new software features for OxygenOS. On top of that, OnePlus regularly hosts contests on its forums and social channels to keep the community engaged and reward its most loyal fans. In keeping with the trend, OnePlus has now announced a new contest over on its forums asking its community to co-design a OnePlus jacket which will be launched alongside the OnePlus 8T.

If you’re interested in taking part in the design contest, you’ll first need to sign up for contest-related notifications before June 5 by following this link. Then you can download the jacket template from the forum post linked below or you can use the online tool here. Once you have the template, you can add elements related to the “We and OnePlus” theme to create your unique design. After you’re done creating your design, you’ll need to save it as a .PNG file and submit it via this link before June 15 20:00 EST.

OnePlus’ internal review board will judge the submitted designs based on three attributes — relevancy to the theme, creativity, and aesthetics. For your design to qualify for this stage, it will have to feature the OnePlus logo, be original and have not been used for any other contests or IP, and the file submitted should be over 120 PPI. All participants who submit a design will be awarded 200 community points, while the top 8 entries will be rewarded 1000 community points.

The top 8 shortlisted entries will also be featured on OnePlus’ social channels and the final winners will receive a special edition of the community jacket. Additionally, the final winners will get a VIP ticket to the next offline launch event (most likely for the OnePlus 8T series), including return flight tickets and one-night accommodation. The company will select two winners based on a community vote on the OnePlus forums and Twitter. It’s also worth noting that OnePlus won’t be selling the community jackets and they will only be offered to users who are active in both online and offline community activities. The company will release more details about how you can win a community jacket at a later date.

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Source: OnePlus forums

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