EMUI 10.1.0.131 update on the Huawei P40 adds Petal Search to help you find apps and a picture-in-picture frame to help you zoom past 15X

Huawei’s flagship P40 series launched with the company’s latest custom Android skin — EMUI 10.1 — earlier this year in March. Shortly after the launch, Huawei rolled out EMUI 10.1.0.121 to the devices, which brought some camera improvements, a new Huawei Assistant top-level setting, and the Android security patches for April 2020. The new Huawei Assistant setting led us to believe that the company would soon roll out its Celia voice assistant to the devices. As expected, the voice assistant was enabled on the P40 series just a few days after the update started rolling out. Now, the company is pushing another major update for the Huawei P40 series, which adds a few more useful features into the mix.

Huawei has started rolling out EMUI 10.1.0.131 to the Huawei P40 series which adds a new Petal Search app to help you find apps that aren’t yet available in the Huawei AppGallery. The app searches through various online app sources like APKPure, Aptoide, APKMonk, and others, which is quite handy given that the devices don’t ship with the Google Play Store. The app comes with a home screen widget that you can use to look up apps quickly, and it also supports checking for updates to apps that you have installed on your device.

The Petal Search app is divided into three tabs — For You, Search, and Me. The For You tab features the search bar at the top, along with trending news posts sourced from Microsoft News. The Search tab lists down some of the most popular local and essential apps that you can download. In case you don’t find the app you’re looking for in the lists, you can easily search for any app using the search bar at the top. The tab also stores your search history which is displayed right underneath the search bar. Searching for any app lists down all the apps related to that keyword and, if you still don’t find the right app, you get the option to look it up using Bing. And finally, the Me tab houses the Search history, an Incognito mode, Downloads, and Settings.

Along with the new Petal Search app, the latest EMUI 10.1 update adds a Picture-in-Picture (PiP) preview frame in the viewfinder on the stock camera app. As you can see in the attached video, the PiP frame pops up when the zoom level is set to 15x or higher, making it easier for you to focus on objects while zoomed in. Furthermore, the update includes enhancements for the Huawei Golden Snap feature which is expected to improve the quality and colors of photos taken in certain conditions for more natural and authentic effects. Here’s the complete changelog for EMUI 10.1.0.131:

• Camera
  • Adds a Picture-in-Picture preview frame in the viewfinder when the zoom level is set to 15x or higher to help you focus.
  • Enhances the Huawei Golden Snap feature. Improves the quality and colors of photos taken in certain situations for more natural and authentic effects.
• System
  • Adds Petal Search to the widgets on the home screen for easier app searches.

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IDC: Google Pixel shipments reached 7.2 million in 2019, more than OnePlus

Although they seem to get a lot of hate online, most of us at XDA think that Google Pixel phones are awesome. They’re reliable camera phones and Google’s software is a delight to use. While some models have flaws such as underwhelming battery life, many of us are quick to look past them just because of how good the camera and software are. There’s one small problem, though: Most people aren’t Android enthusiasts and the Pixel smartphone brand isn’t really a household name.

Since Pixel phones have usually been on the more expensive side, they’ve struggled to become mainstream. Google launched the Pixel 3a series last year to make the Pixel line more affordable, and Google credits the 3a for propelling the brand forward in the United States. A recent report from the IDC cited by The Information revealed that the Pixel 3a and Pixel 4 sold fewer units in their respective first two quarters than the Pixel 3 did, but now a new report from the IDC sheds further light on the sales figures of the Pixel brand.

Francisco Jeronimo, Associate VP of European devices at IDC, tweeted out a graphic that cites data the market research firm collected during 2019. The data is sourced from IDC’s Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, which was updated last month. During 2019, shipments of Google Pixel phones reportedly reached 7.2 million units, which Mr. Jeronimo says is more smartphone shipments than OnePlus did in 2019. Although Mr. Jeronimo did not elaborate exactly how big the gap is between Google and OnePlus, he says that Google is “still far from reaching Top 10.”

The fact that Google shipped more smartphones than OnePlus last year is surprising. OnePlus is the top premium smartphone brand in India and shipped more than 2 million smartphones in the country last year, according to Counterpoint Research. Mr. Jeronimo credits Google’s success in markets such as the United States, Western Europe, and Japan. Overall, Google’s 2019 shipments represent a 52% increase year-on-year.

. @Google continues to expand the #Pixel portfolio and sales are growing. In 2019 shipments grew 52% YoY to reach the highest volume ever, with strong performances in the USA, Western Europe and Japan. It now ships more units than @oneplus but it is still far from reaching Top10 pic.twitter.com/qY66isF9vN

— Francisco Jeronimo (@fjeronimo) June 9, 2020

If this seems confusing to you in light of the earlier report, Mr. Jeronimo has an explanation that clears things up.

That’s correct. Pixel 3a & Pixel4 sold fewer units in the 1st two-quarters of sales than Pixel3. However:
– the 2nd Q of sales for Px3 was 1Q2019
– Google launched Px3a & 4 in 2019. Weaker launches but the full impact was in 2019
– Google expanded Pixel portfolio to 3 new markets

— Francisco Jeronimo (@fjeronimo) June 9, 2020

While Google’s latest smartphones, the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 4, underperformed the Pixel 3 in their respective first two quarters, keep in mind that the second quarter for Pixel 3 sales was 1Q2019, so some of its sales were counted towards Google’s 2019 shipments. Likewise, the Pixel 3a’s first two quarters of sales were all in 2019 while the Pixel 4’s first quarter of sales was Q42019, both of which thus contributed to Google’s 2019 numbers. Lastly, Google also expanded to 3 more markets last year, contributing to additional sales.

The Google Pixel 4a, currently slated for a July announcement according to the latest rumors, is set to retain the Pixel 3a’s highlighting features while improving upon some of its weaker spots. It’s also touted to come at a lower price than the 3a did. The Pixel 5, which is set to come with an upper mid-range SoC, may also carry a lower price tag. So both of these product launches may be able to turn the tide further in Google’s favor—but we’ll see how things turn out next year.

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Get $100 off the Moto G Power or Moto G Stylus from Google Fi

Carriers will use any opportunity to offer tantalizing deals and Google Fi is no different. In honor of recent graduates and Father’s Day coming up, Google Fi is offering $100 off the Moto G Power or Moto G Stylus. The deal is available to new and existing customers.

The Moto G Power and Moto G Stylus were announced in February and went on sale in the US in April. The two devices look a lot alike and have many of the same specifications. They feature 6.4-inch FHD+ displays, left-aligned punch-holes, small bezels, plastic back covers, and matching camera models. Both are powered by the Snapdragon 665 SoC with 4GB of RAM and 64/128GB of storage.

Moto G Power XDA Forums ||| Moto G Stylus XDA Forums

As you might expect, the Moto G Power has a big 5,000mAh battery, while the Stylus has a 4,000mAh battery. Of course, the Moto G Stylus also includes a capacitive stylus. While the camera setups look similar, they are actually quite different. The Power has a 16MP main camera, 2MP macro, and 8MP wide-angle. The Stylus has a 48MP main camera, 2MP macro, and 16MP “Action Cam.”

The Google Fi deal brings the price of the Moto G Power to $149 (down from $249) and the Moto G Stylus to $199 (down from $299). As mentioned, it’s available to new and existing Fi customers. This offer is available until June 21, 2020 at 11:59 PM PST. Read the full promotion terms for all the details.

Buy the Moto G Power or Moto G Stylus

	Moto G Power	Moto G Stylus
Size	159.85 x 75.84 x 9.63mm, 199g	158.55 x 75.8 x 9.2mm, 192g
SoC	Snapdragon 665	Snapdragon 665
RAM	4GB	4GB
Storage	64GB	128GB
Display	6.4-inch, FHD+, LCD, hole-punch	6.4-inch, FHD+, LCD, hole-punch
Rear Cameras	16MP (f/1.7, 1.12μm) 2MP (f/2.2, 1.75μm) macro 8MP (f/2.2, 1.12μm) 118° ultra-wide angle	48MP (f/1.7, 1.6μm) 2MP (f/2.2, 1.75μm) macro Action Cam 16MP (f/2.2, 2.0μm, 117-degrees FOV)
Front Camera	16MP (f/2.0, 1μ)	16MP (f/2.0, 1μ)
Battery	5,000 mAh	4,000 mAh
Ports	USB-C, Headphone jack	USB-C, Headphone jack
Software	Android 10	Android 10

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Google will roll out an update to improve Pixel Buds Bluetooth stability and connectivity

The Google Pixel Buds launched a couple of months ago and received mostly glowing reviews. These truly wireless earbuds are what most people wanted back when the first Pixel Buds were announced. However, as good as the Pixel Buds may be, they aren’t without issues. One of those issues has been audio cutouts and pausing. Google will soon fix the problem with a software update.

Google addressed the situation in the support forums for a report that was created in early May. The Pixel Buds user says they experienced audio cutting in and out when moving their head. Re-pairing the headphones with their phone didn’t solve the issue. Google eventually sent the user a new pair of Pixel Buds and the problem persisted. Several other users in the thread reported the exact same issues with their Pixel Buds.

Earlier today, a Google employee addressed the issues and said a software update will “improve Bluetooth stability and connectivity” in the coming weeks.

I just wanted to let all of you know that we’ve heard you, and our team will be rolling out software updates in the coming weeks to improve Bluetooth stability and connectivity.

They later went on to elaborate that the update will decrease the instances of phone call cut-outs, improve auto-recovery when one or both earbuds lose connection, and improve media playback stability for phones with software audio encoding. This week, there will be an update (296) to decrease the audio hissing/static noise that some people have experienced.

Pixel Buds users are being asked to participate in the Help Community and send bug reports if they experience the issues. They can do this by going to the preferences page for Pixel Buds on their phone > More settings > Send feedback.

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Via: 9to5Google

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Google Prompt 2-step verification will soon be enabled on any phone you’re signed in to

An important part of staying secure online is the use of 2-step verification. Many services offer 2-step verification and you should use it wherever applicable. One of the things that prevents people from enabling 2-step is the slight inconvenience, but Google makes it easy with “Google Prompt.” This is the feature that will pop up a “Is this you?” message on your phone when you sign in from another device. Soon it will be available on any phone.

Google Prompt has been around for a few years and it’s the primary choice for users who enable 2-step verification. Prompt is more secure than SMS because it’s locked to your Google account rather than a phone number. Previously, Prompt had to be enabled on individual devices on your account. When you sign in to Google from a different device, you’d receive the Prompt on the selected devices. Google is now saying any “eligible phone” will also get prompts.

If you’re someone that has a few devices, this is a very welcomed change. I always found it cumbersome to have to go find the devices I had selected when I needed to access a Google Prompt. I’ve noticed in recent months, however, that several of my devices have been enabled by default, so it appears Google has already started rolling this out. Google says it will be available to any “eligible phone” starting July 7th.

If you use phones that currently don’t get Google sign-in prompts, they’ll be able to get prompts after July 7, 2020. Going forward, any eligible phone you add to your account will also get prompts.

It’s not clear what constitutes an “eligible phone” and we never really knew which devices weren’t supported to begin with. In checking my own account, it’s enabled on devices from a variety of manufacturers, including Google, LG, HTC, and Huawei. Keep an eye out for this feature to be enabled on your devices. It’s a great time saver if you use 2-step verification.

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Via: 9to5Google

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Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides get new document save status and offline indicator on PC, new comment UI on Android

Some of Google’s most successful products are its office apps, Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. These web-based alternatives to Microsoft Office are extremely popular for their collaboration tools, easy accessibility, and, of course, free price tag. Google is always tweaking these services and the latest batch of features includes save statuses, offline indicators, and a new comment UI.

Google is updating the desktop interface that shows the file save status across Docs, Sheets, and Slides. The save status is now shown directly next to the document name and it’s more descriptive. You can easily see if a document is saved to the cloud or the device, so there’s no confusion about offline availability. It’s also easier to make a document available offline as you can simply click the status icon. This will be enabled by default and available to all Google users over the coming weeks.

Next up is a more mobile-friendly comment interface for Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. The respective Android apps will get a larger, clearer interface to make it easier to see comments and their context. There are new shortcuts and gestures to make it easy to quickly scroll through and respond to comments. A new “@” button will allow users to quickly mention someone. Tapping the button opens up the comment thread in fullscreen. This new UI is rolling out now and will be available to all Google users as well.

Google routinely rolls out small updates like this to Docs, Sheets, and Slides. These little “quality of life” updates go a long way in making sure Google’s office suite of apps stay on the cutting edge.

Google Docs (Free, Google Play) →

Google Sheets (Free, Google Play) →

Google Slides (Free, Google Play) →

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Source 1: Google | Source 2: Google

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[Update 2: Now Working] Google Chrome could be getting its own Live Caption feature

Update 2 (6/9/2020 @ 12:05 PM EST): Live Caption is now working in the Canary builds of Google Chrome.

Update 1 (4/21/2020 @ 6:20 PM EST): An option to toggle Live Captions is now available in the latest Chromium builds. Although the feature does not work yet, it should soon start working with more code commits and eventually make its way to a stable Google Chrome build.

Back at Google I/O last year, the company announced a new tool in Android 10 called Live Caption. As the name suggests, the tool is designed to automatically provide captions for audio that’s playing on your device. It works with videos, podcasts, audio messages, and other supported media, making it a great accessibility tool for the hearing impaired. On top of that, the tool can also be used to help improve the video watching experience in loud environments. Now, according to a commit spotted on the Chromium Gerrit (via ChromeUnboxed), it seems like the Google Chrome team is working to bring the feature to the browser.

The commit in question is for the SODA (Speech On-Device API) service which is crucial to get live captions to work on the browser.  The description of the commit reads, “This CL creates a sandboxed service that hosts the Speech On-Device API (SODA). It contains the components required to launch the service from the renderer process, but the implementation of the service itself is stubbed out. The design document for the feature is located at: go/chrome-live-captions.” SODA is a first-party product made by Google’s Speech team that transcribes audio into text. The name of the design doc references “Live Caption,” and several methods and constants in one of the Chromium commits also hint at this.

In one of the comments, a Googler explicitly compares this feature to the one on Android and says, “I think we should use “Live Captions” when using a name for the feature to match what’s done on Android.” However, Google wants SODA to be used for more than just Live Captions, based on a comment from another Googler who states, “Based on our discussion with the ChromeOS team, it sounds like they have other speech recognition scenarios they may want to build in the future. The benefit of naming this SODA is that other features can use this component, though it could be seen as a leaky abstraction.”

Google has currently released no information about the upcoming feature but based on the aforementioned information we can safely assume that it will work much like Android 10’s Live Caption feature once released. As of now though, the feature is still in its early stages of development and it will be quite a while before it makes it to a stable release of Google Chrome.

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Update 1: Google Chrome Flag

When this article was first published back in mid-February, we only saw hints that Live Caption functionality would make its way to desktop Chrome. Now, a commit has been merged that brings a Google Chrome flag to the mix. This flag is intended to test the feature in Canary builds by adding an easily controllable toggle in Chrome’s settings. The toggle can be enabled by first enabling the flag at chrome://flags#enable-accessibility-live-captions and then enabling the “Live Captions” toggle in Chrome’s Accessibility settings. The captions UI can then be customized in Windows 10 settings. The captions box can also be moved around on the screen. Currently, the captions box only displays a single static string, so it isn’t currently working. We will monitor this feature and report back when it starts working, though.

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Update 2: Now Working

Live Caption is now working in the Canary builds of Google Chrome. You have to enable a flag and enable the feature in the Accessibility options. To enable the flag, go to #enable-accessibility-live-captions, toggle it on, and restart Chrome. After that, you’ll need to go to Chrome Settings > Advanced > Accessibility, and toggle “Live Caption.” You’ll now see captions on any video played in the browser.

Source: Chrome Story

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