Google Assistant with compact UI sees wider rollout in beta

Google has been testing a more compact Assistant UI for months, and it looks like the new UI is receiving a wider rollout — albeit for users with the Google App beta release.

According to 9to5Google, the redesigned Assistant UI has a more compact appearance than the existing one. It, however, is not the same as the new Google Assistant, both in terms of looks and functionality, as seen on the Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, or Pixel 4a.

Images via 9to5Google

As you can see in the screenshots embedded above, the panel that pops up after starting the Assistant is shorter than before, and UI elements are also placed closer together. The bottom bar that has shortcuts to start Google Lens, voice search, and manual keyboard entry is unchanged. The Google Assistant panel no longer covers the entire display when showing an answer, too. Some results, including music, take up the bottom portion of your screen, while others, like the weather, will take up the majority of your screen in order to provide more information.

The more compact UI is an improvement because it provides users with the information they need without feeling intrusive. You can get the information you asked for and continue to see what it was you were doing.

Although the more compact UI is slowly seeing a wider rollout, it’s primarily available for Google App beta users. It’s unclear if or when the redesign will be available for everyone, but with increased availability, it could be sooner rather than later.

Google (Free, Google Play) →

Google Assistant - Get things done, hands-free (Free, Google Play) →

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The OnePlus 8 is OnePlus’s first smartphone to be Android Enterprise Recommended

Earlier this year, OnePlus set a goal of having its devices be Android Enterprise Recommended (AER). Months after setting this target, Google has officially designated the OnePlus 8 as part of the program.

Google launched the Android Enterprise Recommended program in February 2018 as a way to create a list of certified devices that are recommended for enterprises to roll out to their employees.

 

As of this writing, 189 devices are certified as AER — and the OnePlus 8 now joins that list. To be included in the program, AER devices must meet certain software update requirements based on whatever Android OS they’re running. Certain hardware requirements must be met as well, including offering 8+ hours of battery life, have at least 2GB of RAM, and feature a minimum of 32GB of storage.

The OnePlus 8 more than meets those hardware requirements; the flagship device features up to 12GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, and ample battery life thanks to its 4,300mAh battery. OnePlus has also promised to offer three years of bi-monthly security updates as well as two years of major OS updates.

As of now, only the OnePlus 8 appears to be AER certified. We’ve reached out to OnePlus to see if the OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus Nord will also receive AER certification in the future.

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Android 11 on the Google Pixel vastly improves Nintendo Switch Joy-Con and Pro Controller support

With cloud gaming at the forefront of mobile gaming discussions thanks to the upcoming launch of Microsoft’s xCloud service, we’ve been looking into the state of controller support on Android. Back in Android 11 Beta 1, we noticed that Google added a whopping 84 new controller mappings, meaning that the new Android release can recognize inputs from 84 new gaming controllers. A lot of the newly supported controllers were from third-party gaming accessory makers because Android already supports the original gaming controllers for the big 3 gaming consoles. While Android has supported connecting to the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons since 2017 and the Pro Controller since 2019, the latency from both controllers is unbearable. Thankfully, though, Google has finally fixed the major connectivity and latency issues with the Android 11 release for Pixel phones.

Here are two videos I recorded showing off the differences in connectivity and latency when the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons are paired with a Google Pixel 4 running Android 10 versus a Google Pixel 3a XL running Android 11. Note how in the video with the Pixel 3a XL, the LEDs for the syncing status aren’t going haywire, my inputs are recognized almost immediately, and the joysticks seem to send inputs in all directions.

The game I’m playing in these two videos is Super Mario Sunshine, a Nintendo GameCube title emulated using Dolphin Emulator. Dolphin Emulator runs better on the Pixel 4 with its Snapdragon 855 versus the Pixel 3a XL with its Snapdragon 670, but you can still clearly see the difference with the improved controller support.

Dolphin Emulator (Free, Google Play) →

The improved Nintendo Switch Joy-Con and Pro Controller support on the Google Pixel isn’t necessarily because of the Android 11 update, though. The Android 11 update for the Pixel just happens to have the necessary kernel driver that improves compatibility. The kernel driver adds proper support for both the Joy-Cons and the Pro Controller, with “little to no user calibration” needed. However, the Joy-Cons are still treated as separate input devices, so you may need to use the Joy-Con Enabler app to get certain apps to recognize them as a single controller.

Thanks to XDA Member bylaws for the tip!

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Download the Google Pixel 4a’s new Eclipse Live Wallpaper on any device

The new Google Pixel 4a should reach the hands of consumers who pre-ordered the phone next week, so there shouldn’t be any surprises left for us to discover. However, there was one small discovery that slipped under the radar until now: the existence of a new live wallpaper called “Eclipse.”

Google Pixel 4a Forums

This live wallpaper was first discovered by Droid-Life earlier this week, and it comes as part of the “Come Alive” section in the Google Wallpapers app. The description of “Eclipse” reads as follows: “Watch the colors ebb and flow as your battery life changes.” “Eclipse” is a pretty simple live wallpaper with a blue or purple tint that slowly fades away from the top to the bottom as the battery level of the phone drops. The blue tint is shown when the phone’s system-wide theme is set to “Light” while the purple tint is shown when the phone’s system-wide theme is set to “Dark.”

Here are two screenshots showing the purple versus blue tints of the “Eclipse” live wallpaper:

Thanks to XDA Recognized Developer Pranav Pandey, I installed the Google Pixel 4a’s “Eclipse” live wallpaper on my ASUS ROG Phone 3. Pranav Pandey is the developer responsible for porting the live wallpapers from the Pixel 2, Pixel 3, and Pixel 4, so it’s no surprise to see him return to port the newly discovered Pixel 4a live wallpaper.

Here are Pranav Pandey’s release notes for this live wallpaper port:

Features

• Android 7.0+ support by removing the Wallpaper Colors API introduced in Android 8.1 (API 27). Due to this, System UI color will not change according to the live wallpaper on the supported devices. Please download the separate 8.1+ APK with all the functionality.
• No special arm64 dependency so, I think it should work on most of the devices.
• I found that some features (and a new wallpaper) are under development. I will try to investigate further after future updates.
• Ambient Mode was disabled by default within the APK. So, I think it will not work on Always On display.
• Tested on Xperia Z5 Android 7.1 (API 25).

You can download the Eclipse live wallpaper from the links below. Visit Pranav Pandey’s forum thread on XDA to follow his latest development efforts or to ask questions about this port.

Download Google Pixel 4a Eclipse Live Wallpaper (Ported by Pranav Pandey): For Android 7.0-7.1 ||| For Android 8.0+ ||| Still Images

Wallpapers (Free, Google Play) →

Bonus

Pranav Pandey discovered that Google was working on another live wallpaper for the Pixel 4a called “Pulley.” However, it seems that it isn’t fully implemented yet. Nonetheless, he has extracted the stills from this unimplemented live wallpaper that you can apply on your device. Here’s a preview of the two Pulley wallpapers. To download them in their original size, click the “Still Images” link above.

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Launch Your Career as a Web Developer and Master JavaScript With This Huge 69-Hour Training Bundle

With thousands of startups launching every day, there has never been a better time to work as a web designer or developer. If you would like to launch a career in this industry, the 2020 Ultimate Web Developer & Design Bootcamp Bundle should be your starting point. This huge learning library includes 69 hours of content on HTML5, Python, JavaScript, and other popular tools. You can get the bundle now for just $39.99 at the XDA Developers Depot.

Whether you want to build an online business or find work, learning web design and development is a smart move. Experienced pros can earn over $100k working as full-time coders, and many recruiters in other industries are now looking for these skills.

Through 745 video tutorials, this bundle shows you how to craft amazing websites from scratch. The beginner-friendly courses start with the basics of HTML5 and CSS3, before diving into the world of programming.

Along the way, you will complete multiple fun projects using popular frameworks and plugins, including SASS, Flexbox, and Grid. The training also shows you how to code in JavaScript and Python, and connect to APIs.

Your instructor is Kalob Taulien, who has been a professional web developer since 1999. He is rated at 4.5 stars on Udemy, and he has helped over 232k students.

These courses are worth $2,200 in total, but you can grab them now for just $39.99 with this deal.

 

The 2020 Ultimate Web Developer & Design Bootcamp Bundle – $39.99

See Deal

Prices subject to change 

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Samsung Game Launcher update adds new sections for Instant Games and in-game notifications

Earlier this year in May, OnePlus released a major update for the OnePlus Game Space app. The update introduced a couple of new features, including new sections for Instant Games and Game Statistics. Now, Samsung is rolling out a similar update for its Game Launcher app, which adds a new tab for Instant Games and a section for in-game notifications.

The feature was recently spotted by @testingcatalog on Twitter, who shared the following screenshots. The screenshots reveal that the Samsung Game Launcher now has a new section that lists down all the Instant Games available on the app. These games require no installation and can be played immediately by just tapping on the Play button next to them.

Samsung’s Game Launcher got updated. Now it has a new section for instant games and separate tab for in-game notifications. pic.twitter.com/EtkPDAKT3E

— TestingCatalog (@testingcatalog) August 13, 2020

A vast majority of the new Instant Games in Samsung’s Game Launcher are provided by FRVR Games, including titles like Drag Race FRVR, Basketball FRVR, Hex FRVR, Gold Train FRVR, and more. As of now, it isn’t clear if the app hosts Google Play Games’ library of Instant Games.

Most of instant games are provided by @FRVRGames platform pic.twitter.com/f5fGzyJ22e

— TestingCatalog (@testingcatalog) August 13, 2020

The Samsung Game Launcher has also received a new tab for in-game notifications. You can access the tab by tapping on the menu button in the top right corner and then selecting the new Game notifications option.

A new notification section requires a separate system permission and can filter by date or by the game pic.twitter.com/3uMALH2yV6

— TestingCatalog (@testingcatalog) August 13, 2020

The tab lists down all the notifications pushed by the games installed on your device. The notification section requires separate system permissions to work and it gives you the option to filter notifications by date or by game.

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HTC Desire 20 Pro available for pre-order in EU for €279

The HTC Desire 20 Pro was announced in June with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC and a quad rear camera setup. The Taiwanese OEM initially launched the phone only in their domestic market, but they also left a subtle hint for a more wide scale release across the globe. And now, months after the official announcements, the HTC Desire 20 Pro is finally available for pre-order in Europe.

HTC Desire 20 Pro XDA Forums

According to a recent tweet from the company, the mid-ranger is on sale in the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Poland and the Netherlands through HTC’s own website. The smartphone has been priced at €279/£269 for the sole 6/128GB model, which is a bit higher than the Taiwanese pricing according to current exchange rates. The expected day of shipping is August 24.

It’s official, the #Desire20Pro is coming to the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Poland and Netherlands! The powerful device packs in premium features, like a 5-lens camera system, 5,000 mAh battery, 6.53″ display, and 128 GB of memory. Pre order now at https://t.co/JFTzcv85PP. #htc pic.twitter.com/GYj94yRQaT

— HTC (@htc) August 12, 2020

HTC Desire 20 Pro Specifications

Specification	HTC Desire 20 Pro
Dimensions and Weight	162 x 77 x 9.4mm 201g
Display	6.5″ FHD+ LCD; 19.5:9 aspect ratio Punch-hole display
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC
RAM and Storage	6GB + 128GB Expandable through microSD card slot
Battery & Charging	5,000 mAh battery Quick Charge 3.0
Rear Camera	Photo: Primary: 48MP, f/1.8 Secondary: Wide-Angle Camera, 8MP, f/2.2, 118° FoV Tertiary: Depth Sensor, 2MP, f/2.4 Quaternary: Macro, 2MP, f/2.4 Video: 4K video recording
Front Camera	25MP, f/2.0
Other Features	3.5mm headphone jack Rear fingerprint scanner Multi-function NFC Dual-frequency GPS Bluetooth 5 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz, 5GHz)
Android Version	Android 10

It is worth mentioning that HTC allows this phone to be bootloader unlocked without fiddling with any kind of unlock token generation. If you are one of HTC’s few remaining fans and planning to pick up a smartphone that features the 3.5mm headphone jack as well as a microSD card slot, feel free to opt for the HTC Desire 20 Pro.

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