Mobvoi launches over-ear “TicKasa ANC Headphones” with active noise cancellation for $130

Mobvoi may not be a household name in the technology space, but we’ve written about a lot of its products. The company has been making some of the best affordable Wear OS smartwatches for a while, and more recently, the company broke into the wireless earbuds space. Now, Mobvoi has released the TicKasa ANC, the brand’s first-ever over-ear headphones with active noise cancellation.

Since the TicKasa ANC headphones are over-ear, they have cups that fit over your entire ear. This larger design allows the headphones to pack in more high-quality audio features than a typical set of wireless earbuds or earphones. They feature 5 microphones and, of course, active noise cancellation.

The headphones can get up to 30 hours of playback on a single charge (20 hours with ANC enabled). Unfortunately, though, charging happens over a micro USB port. The TicKasa ANC supports Bluetooth 5.0, has the Qualcomm QCC3031 chipset, and supports the aptX HD Audio and AAC Bluetooth audio codecs.

Mobvoi is offering the TicKasa ANC headphones in black and gray for $130. That’s a very reasonable price in the world of active noise cancellation headphones, though the micro USB port is a bit disappointing. If you’re looking for something other than wireless earbuds, these may be worth a look. They are available for purchase now from Mobvoi’s website.

	TicKasa ANC Headphones
Weight	290.29 grams
Size	7.60 x 7.13 x 3.03 inches
Chipset	QCC3031+ADAU1787
Voice Assistant	N
Audio Codec	aptX, aptX HD, AAC
Control Method	Button Control
CVC	cVc Noise Cancellation Technology
Bluetooth version	5.0
ANC (Active Noise Cancellation)	Y
Sound-passthrough	N
NC depth	-28-32dB
Battery Capacity	800mAh
Battery Life (50% volume)	20h/30h (ANC ON/OFF)
Battery Life (100% volume)	15h/25h (ANC ON/OFF)
Charging Time	4h
App	N
Foldable	Y
Line in	Y
Charging Port	Micro USB
Number of Microphones	5
Drivers Diameter	40mm
Bluetooth Distance	≥15m or 50 feet
Standby time	60 months
Power	Lithium battery or Micro USB cable

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Here are the countries using Google and Apple’s COVID-19 Contact Tracing API

The novel coronavirus, also known as SARS-CoV-2, has wreaked havoc across the world. Many countries shut down large parts of the economy in order to contain the spread of the virus. As countries reopen their economies, many health experts fear a “second wave”, ie. resurgence, of COVID-19. To prevent a second wave, public health experts are advocating that nations adopt contact tracing, ie. tracing all the people who have recently come into contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 and then undertaking steps to isolate those individuals. Contact tracing is difficult to implement correctly without violating an individual’s privacy. The threat to personal privacy was severe enough for Google and Apple to collaborate on an API that developers of public health agencies can use to implement app-based contact tracing solutions. This contact tracing API, which Google and Apple call the Exposure Notification API, is designed to respect user privacy and security.

Once a user downloads an app that uses the Exposure Notification API and opts in to contact tracing, their device starts generating “proximity identifiers” that are changed every 15 minutes (on average). Via Bluetooth Low Energy, these “proximity identifiers” are periodically shared with nearby devices whose users have also opted into contact tracing. The proximity identifier is then processed on-device and does not reveal information about a user’s location or other personally identifiable information. Once a user confirms a positive diagnosis of COVID-19, they can share their diagnosis with the app they installed, which will then inform other users who have come into close contact with them in the last 14 days. For more information on how the Exposure Notification API works, we recommend reading our initial coverage.

Google first rolled out the Exposure Notification API for Android devices on May 20, 2020, as part of an update to Google Play Services, but its use is restricted to apps that have been developed by official public health agencies (for obvious reasons). However, neither Google nor Apple has made details public about the list of apps that have been whitelisted for using this API, so unless you’re constantly keeping up with the news, it’s hard to know which countries have adopted the API. We’ve previously covered some of the countries that have adopted the Exposure Notification API when we talked about the various open-source contact tracing projects that are out there. In this article, we have compiled a list of official contact tracing apps from designated health agencies from various countries that are using Google and Apple’s Exposure Notification API. Our list contains COVID-19 contact tracing apps that have been released or are currently in development.

XDA’s Mishaal Rahman discovered Google’s hidden whitelist of application package names for the API. Subsequently, these package names were traced back to apps, their listing, and the countries they belong to. The information is compiled below in a table for easy reference. We have also added Google Play Store and Apple App Store links, if the app has been publicly released, as well as the source code and the official website link, wherever available. We will update the following tables as more countries/regions adopt the API.

Table Changelogs

• June 26, 2020
  • Added: Brazil, Ghana, Ecuador, Spain, Estonia, Egypt, Portugal, Croatia, MIT’s PathCheck SafePlaces
  • Package names updated: Canada, Alabama
• June 29, 2020
  • Updated Ireland’s listing to include the source code
  • Added the name and package name of Spain’s app.
  • Google has updated the package name “eg.nc.moh.bruhealthtrace” to “egnc.moh.bruhealthtrace.” This matches the “BruHealth” contact tracing app from the government of “Brunei.” We have updated the table accordingly.
• June 30, 2020
  • Added Spain’s Radar COVID app
• July 1, 2020
  • Fixed Japan’s listing to reflect that COCOA – COVID-19 Contact App has already been released.
  • Added a separate table for open contact tracing implementations based on Google and Apple’s Exposure Notification API. PathCheck SafePlaces was moved to this table and COVID Shield and Common Circle were added.
• July 6, 2020
  • Ireland’s COVID Tracker app has been released on Google Play and the Apple App Store, so the listing in the table has been updated with links to reflect that.
• July 8, 2020
  • Added: North Ireland, the Netherlands (second app), Finland, and MITRE’s COVID Aware app
• July 15, 2020
  • Added: Arizona, CV Key
  • Updated: New Canadian app, package names for UK apps, Mexican app, updated Ghana –> Gibraltar

Regions with COVID-19 contact tracing apps based on the Exposure Notification API

Region	App Name	Android Package Name	Status	Useful Links
Australia***	COVIDTrace	au.gov.dta.covidtrace	In-Development	–
Austria	Stopp Corona	at.roteskreuz.stopcorona	Released	Google Play Store Apple App Store Source Code Website
Brazil	Coronavirus – SUS	br.gov.datasus.guardioes	Switching to Exposure Notifications API	Google Play Store Apple App Store
Brunei	BruHealth	egnc.moh.bruhealthtrace	Released	Google Play Store Apple App Store Website
Canada****	–	ca.gc.hcsc.canada.stopcovid ca.gc.hcsc.canada.covidalert.dev	In-Development	–
Croatia	–	hr.miz.evidencijakontakata	In-Development	–
Denmark	Smittestop	com.netcompany.smittestop_exposure_notification	Released	Google Play Store Apple App Store Website
Ecuador?	–	ec.gob.asi.android	In-Development	–
Estonia?	–	ee.tehik.hoia	In-Development	–
Finland?	–	fi.thl.koronahaavi	In-Development	–
Germany	Corona-Warn-App	de.rki.coronawarnapp	Released	Google Play Store Apple App Store Source Code Website
Gibraltar	Beat Covid Gibraltar	com.gha.covid.tracker	Released	Google Play Store Apple App Store Website
Ireland	Covid Tracker	com.covidtracker.hse	Released	Google Play Store Apple App Store Source Code Website
Italy	Immuni	it.ministerodellasalute.immuni	Released	Google Play Store Apple App Store Source Code Website
Japan	COCOA – COVID-19 Contact App	jp.go.mhlw.covid19radar	Released	Google Play Store Apple App Store Source Code Website
Kenya	–	ke.go.health_togethertrace	In-Development	–
Latvia	Apturi Covid Latvia	lv.spkc.gov.apturicovid	Released	Google Play Store Apple App Store Website
Malta?	–	mt.gov.dp3t	In-Development	–
Mexico	COVID-19MX	mx.gob.www	Released	Google Play Store Apple App Store Website
Netherlands*	–	nl.rijksoverheid.en nl.minvws.alleensamen	In-Development In-Development	Source Code –
Northern Ireland******	–	net.hscni.covidtracker	In-Development	–
Philippines	StaySafe PH	ph.staysafe.mobileapp	Released	Google Play Store Apple App Store Website
Poland	ProteGO Safe	pl.gov.mc.protegosafe	Released	Google Play Store Apple App Store Source Code Website
Portugal	STAYAWAY COVID	fct.inesctec.stayaway	In-Development	Website
Saudi Arabia	Tabaud	sa.gov.nic.tabaud	Released	Apple App Store Website
Spain	Radar COVID	es.gob.radarcovid	Released	Google Play Store
Switzerland	SwissCovid	ch.admin.bag.dp3t	Released	Google Play Store Apple App Store Source Code Website
United Kingdom*****	NHS COVID-19	uk.nhs.covid19.internal uk.nhs.covid19.production	Switching to Exposure Notifications API	Google Play Store Apple App Store Source Code Website
Uruguay	Coronavirus UY	uy.gub.salud.plancovid19uy	Released	Google Play Store Apple App Store Source Code Website
USA – Alabama**	–	gov.adph.exposurenotifications	In-Development	–
USA – Arizona	Covid Watch	gov.azdhs.covidwatch.android	In-Development	Source Code Website
USA – North Dakota**	–	–	In-Development	–
USA – South Carolina**	–	–	In-Development	–
USA – Virginia**	–	gov.vdh.exposurenotification	In-Development	–

Table Notes

Note: A ? next to the region means we are unsure which region this app is being developed for.

*According to a report from the House of Representatives of the Netherlands published May 6, 2020, an open-source app using Exposure Notification API is planned.

**On May 20, 2020, the U.S. states of Alabama, North Dakota, and South Carolina announced their intentions to develop apps using Apple and Google’s API. Care19, the existing contact tracing app for North and South Dakota, will be rebranded as Care19 Diary while a new app called Care19 Exposure will be released. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum confirmed his state will use this new app while South Dakota has not committed. Meanwhile, Virginia has not yet confirmed which API they will use for their contact tracing app.

***Australia’s existing app uses the BlueTrace protocol but the government is testing an implementation using Apple and Google’s API, according to a report published on May 21, 2020. On July 1, 2020, Gizmodo reported that it is unlikely that Australia will shift to Google and Apple’s system.

****On June 18, 2020, Canada announced its app will use technology from Apple and Google.

*****On June 18, 2020, the UK announced they are switching their app to use Apple and Google’s API.

******The BBC reported on July 7th, 2020, that Northern Ireland plans to release its own app based on Ireland’s Covid Tracker.

Open COVID-19 contact tracing implementations based on the Exposure Notification API

Parties	App Name	Android Package Name	Status	Useful Links
CVKey Project	CVKey	org.cvkey.cvkey	In-Development	Google Play Store Website
MIT	PathCheck SafePlaces	org.pathcheck.covidsafepathsbt.mn	Switching to Exposure Notifications API	Google Play Store Apple App Store Source Code Website
MITRE Corporation	COVID Aware	org.mitre.covidaware	In-Development	Website
Shopify Volunteers	COVID Shield	app.covidshield	In-Development	Source Code Website
University of Washington School of Medicine	Common Circle	edu.uw.commoncircle.research edu.uw.commoncircle.exposures	In-Development In-Development	Source Code Website –

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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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Xiaomi Mi TV Stick, Mi Band 5, and truly wireless earbuds officially announced in Europe

Xiaomi held an event today to announce a bunch of “lifestyle” products. Some of the announcements are wider releases for previously launched products, but others are entirely new. The lineup includes the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick, a global release for the Mi Band 5, and the Mi True wireless earbuds.

Xiaomi Mi TV Stick

Let’s start with the Mi TV Stick, which was prematurely listed for sale in Europe, and has already been unboxed. The Mi Stick TV is a small dongle with a quad-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal storage. As we saw with the product listing, this model supports 1080p video and Dolby and DTS surround sound. It runs Android TV based on Android Pie. Xiaomi is pricing the stick at just €39.99 (~$50) in Europe, which is considerably cheaper than similar products on the market.

Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic

Next up is the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic, a different model than the previous non-Basic version. The earbuds can give you up to 5 hours of playback on a single charge and an additional 15 hours with the charging case. The charging case uses USB-C and the earbuds have Bluetooth 5.0 with “environmental noise cancelation.” Essentially, ENC is for reducing noise in phone calls. The earbuds also have Google Assistant support. Xiaomi is pricing the buds at €39.99 (~$50) in select European markets.

Xiaomi Mi Band 5

The last product of note is the Mi Band 5, which was launched earlier this summer in China. The company is now giving the fitness band a wider release in select European countries. However, a few key features were left out of the international version: NFC and SpO2 or blood oxygen tracking.

Otherwise, this is the same fitness band with a 1.1-inch AMOLED display, 14-day battery life, heart-rate monitoring, 11 tracking modes, and more. Xiaomi is pricing the Mi Band 5 at €39.99 (~$50) across Europe and it’s available in five colors: black, yellow, blue, orange, teal, and green.

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Source: Xiaomi

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Samsung Tips app teases unreleased wireless Samsung DeX mode

Samsung DeX was announced with the Samsung Galaxy S8 as a way to use your phone as a desktop PC. The original idea was to dock the phone into a DeX dock that connects to a screen. This original idea didn’t work out too well since the dock was too big, there was no way to use the phone while docked, it required an additional purchase, and well, it just became annoying to use. Samsung upgraded DeX with the launch of the Galaxy Note 9 to no longer require a dock. Now, thanks to a screen we spotted in the Samsung Tips app, we know Samsung is still working on a wireless DeX mode.

The history of Samsung DeX is pretty brief. When it launched with the Samsung Galaxy S8, it was pretty cumbersome to use since it required a dock and a mouse and keyboard to be connected. With the Galaxy Note 9, Samsung got rid of the dock requirement (since the phone has native DisplayPort Alternate Mode support) while also letting you use the phone’s display as a trackpad and keyboard. With the Galaxy Note 10, Samsung made a Mac and Windows app so you could access DeX from your PC (and unofficially, on Linux and Chrome OS). There was also a brief stint with running a GNU/Linux distribution through DeX, but that initiative was sadly canceled. Fortunately, we’re finally seeing progress on wireless Samsung DeX mode, which we heard was being worked on all the way back in late 2018. On the upcoming Galaxy Note 20, Samsung may finally allow DeX to work wirelessly.

I found the above screen in the Samsung Tips app as part of the settings. On my Galaxy S20 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip, the latter of which doesn’t actually support DeX, the page showed up under the “Become a power user” section. The first page under this section is the wireless Samsung DeX tip. The header is “DREAM_DEX_HEADER_USE_DEX_WIRELESSLY_M_TIPS.” This was likely pushed to live servers accidentally. What’s interesting about the header is the “DREAM” at the beginning. Dream is the codename of the Galaxy S10 series which makes me think the Galaxy S10 and up should get support for wireless DeX mode.

Samsung DeX wouldn’t be the first desktop mode for Android devices to get a wireless mode. Huawei introduced wireless casting a while back for its EMUI Desktop mode. It’s good to see that Samsung is following suit and working to improve DeX with meaningful features.

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Google is preparing to integrate Docs, Chat, and Meet more deeply with Gmail

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of things in the technology world. Video calling, for example, became a much more popular feature in a blink of an eye. Companies have been scrambling to adjust to the new demands and we’ve seen Google do a lot of shuffling with its messaging platforms. Last month, Google rolled out a dedicated tab for Google Meet in the Gmail app. It turns out that was only the beginning.

Software engineer Tahin Rahman (@tahins) found some slides from a presentation for Google’s upcoming Cloud Next ’20 event. The slides show Google’s plan to integrate Google Meet, Google Chat, Google Rooms, and Google Docs more deeply into the Gmail app. The former three services will each get their own dedicated tab in the mobile app.

The four tabs at the bottom will be Mail, Chat, Rooms, and Meet. Mail is the typical Gmail interface, Chat is for instant messaging conversations, Rooms is Google’s Slack-like team/group messaging service, and Meet is for video calling. The integration is deeper than just tabs, too. Chat and Rooms will also send follow-up reminders if you don’t respond in time.

These four tabs will make their way to the web version of Gmail as well. They will be in the left sidebar and each service will get its own section with shortcuts to folders, conversations, rooms, and calls. The web version will also get additional integration with Google Docs, meaning you can collaborate on documents from inside Gmail. Essentially, Google is hoping to turn Gmail into a one-stop-shop for productivity.

Docs integration

Most of the services mentioned are primarily used by G Suite users, so it’s not clear if this new integration will roll out to consumers as well. Meet is already available in the public Gmail app, but a service like Rooms is really more focused on enterprise users. If Chat and Rooms do show up as tabs in the Gmail app, we expect them to be hidable just like the current Meet tab. Stay tuned for more information later this week/month.

Gmail (Free, Google Play) →

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Source: Tahin Rahman | Via: 9to5Google

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This CompTIA Linux and Network Training Can Help You Launch a Career in SysAdmin

Pretty much every business over a certain size has its own IT system and networks. For this reason, engineers and SysAdmin experts are always in demand. If you would like to start a career in either of these areas, The CompTIA Linux Network Professional Bundle can help. This learning library contains 62 hours of essential training, working towards two important certifications. You can get it now for just $29.99 at the XDA Developers Depot.

While some industries are struggling right now, the world of IT continues to grow. Both certified network engineers and SysAdmin professionals can earn over $100k, and there are plenty of opportunities for new talent. The only thing you need to land a job is a few key certifications.

This training helps you grab two of the most important ones: CompTIA Linux+ and Network+. Through two separate courses, you learn how to configure, administer, and troubleshoot systems in a business environment.

In the Linux+ course, you discover how to set up Linux hardware, maintain the system, and keep everything secure. The Network+ course looks at the various protocols for LAN, WAN, and other wireless networks. You also learn about TCP/IP, networking threats, and troubleshooting techniques.

The training is delivered by expert instructors from iCollege, which has been educating students online for 17 years.

Worth $590 in total, the training is now only $29.99 with this deal.

 

The CompTIA Linux Network Professional Bundle – $29.99

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Prices subject to change

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Today’s OnePlus Day deals include the OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 7T McLaren, and more

OnePlus has been sharing deals every Wednesday for the last few weeks, and this week is no different. This week’s “OnePlus Day” includes deals on the OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 7T series, and the Bullets Wireless Z earbuds. The deals below are available only today, July 15th, on OnePlus.com, so act fast if you see something you like.

United States:

• Purchase a OnePlus 8 Pro 12GB version ($999, including Black and Blue version both), get a $150 accessory coupon
• Purchase a OnePlus 8  12GB Interstellar Glow version ($799), get a $100 accessory coupon
• Purchase OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z Black ($49.95), get $20 OFF, making the price $29.95
• Purchase a OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren ($899), get 50% off on OnePlus 7T T-Mobile Version OR get a $150 accessory coupon
• Purchase a OnePlus 7T T-Mobile Version ($499), get a $100 accessory coupon

Canada:

• Purchase a OnePlus 8 Pro 12GB version (CA$ 1549, including Black and Blue version both), get a CA$200 accessory coupon
• Purchase a OnePlus 8 12GB Interstellar Glow version (CA$ 1249), get a CA$150 accessory coupon
• Purchase OnePlus OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z Black (CA$ 69.95), get CA$ 30 off, making the price only CA$ 39.95

OnePlus 7 Pro Forums ||| OnePlus 7T Forums ||| OnePlus 7T Pro Forums

OnePlus 8 Forums ||| OnePlus 8 Pro Forums

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