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dimanche 23 août 2020

This Versatile Fitness Smartwatch Has Built-In Bluetooth Headphones — Now 56% Off

There are hundreds of smartwatches to choose from nowadays. They vary from premium timepieces to affordable fitness bands, but most offer similar features. The SmartFit 2-in-1 Compact Watch is very different. This remarkable device has built-in Bluetooth earbuds, so you are never without music. You can pick it up now for just $69.99 at the XDA Developers Depot.

Whether you’re a trained athlete or simply trying to improve your step count, the SmartFit watch can help. 

This stylish timepiece can track various activities, record the distance you travel, and calculate the calories you burn. This watch also tracks your heart rate 24 hours a day and monitors your blood oxygen level — useful information for fitness freaks. 

Speaking of working out, you won’t ever leave your earbuds behind with this watch. In use, these “earpods” deliver impressive sound. Once you have finished listening, they slot into the main body of the watch. While the earbuds are docked, they remain fully charged.

Aside from fitness features, the SmartFit is just a great everyday wearable. The watch notifies you of incoming calls and messages, along with notifications for your social profiles. The curved touch screen makes it easy to control music playback, and SmartFit offers 22 hours of battery life. It can even track your sleep.

They are normally priced at $159, but you can get the SmartFit now for just $69.99.

 
2-in-1 Compact Smart Fit Watch & Bluetooth Earpods – $69.99

See Deal

Prices subject to change 

The post This Versatile Fitness Smartwatch Has Built-In Bluetooth Headphones — Now 56% Off appeared first on xda-developers.



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samedi 22 août 2020

The Google Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 just leaked again, revealing the design and specs

Tonight, we were treated to the first live photo of the Google Pixel 4a 5G and Google Pixel 5. A Redditor by the username /u/theyankun shared (and has since deleted) a photo that seemingly shows the Pixel 5 in black and Pixel 4a 5G in white. The photo, which can be seen in the featured image as well as below, allegedly shows both phones side-by-side, with the smaller Pixel 5 on the left and the larger Pixel 4a 5G on the right.

The Redditor also shared a set of specifications in a comment, which we’ve reproduced below since the user has deleted their comments:

  • Google Pixel 5
    • 4,000 mAh battery
    • Rear cameras
      • 0.5x wide-angle lens
      • 12.2MP main camera (allegedly the Sony IMX363)
    • Front camera
      • 8MP
    • Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
    • 8GB RAM
    • 90Hz display
    • Plastic back
    • Physical fingerprint scanner on back
    • No 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Google Pixel 4a 5G
    • 3,800 mAh battery
    • Rear cameras
      • 0.5x wide-angle lens
      • 12.2MP main camera (allegedly the Sony IMX363)
    • Front camera
      • 8MP
    • Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
    • 6GB RAM
    • 60Hz display
    • Physical fingerprint scanner on back
    • 3.5mm headphone jack

The user also posted a few screenshots from the Pixel 5. One was a screenshot from the AndroBench storage benchmark showing storage speeds typical of UFS 2.1 storage while another screenshot from a hardware info app showed the battery capacity as 4,000mAh.

While we can’t verify the authenticity of the live photo and by extension the specs posted by the Redditor, the information does mostly line up with the recent CAD renders of the Pixel 4a 5G (published tonight), the CAD renders of the Pixel 5 (published yesterday), and a recent report from Android Central detailing the partial specs of the Pixel 5Android Central on Friday revealed that the Pixel 5 will have a 6.0″ OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, a dual rear camera setup including a wide-angle camera, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a battery that’s “considerably larger” than the one in the Pixel 4, 15W Qi wireless charging support, and 5W reverse wireless charging support. The publication also shared some alleged specifications of the Pixel 4a 5G, claiming that the device will have a 6.2″ display, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, and 8GB of RAM. The Redditor alleges that the Pixel 4a 5G has 6GB of RAM rather than 8GB of RAM; it’s unlike Google to offer multiple SKUs with different RAM capacities, so we’re not sure what to make of this discrepancy.

Fortunately, we do have some more information to share on the Pixel 4a 5G, thanks to leaker OnLeaks in collaboration with 91Mobiles. The publication shared CAD renders from OnLeaks showing the upcoming device, revealing it’ll have a flat display measuring between 6.1 to 6.2″ diagonally with a single hole-punch cutout, will have dimensions measuring 153.9 x 74.0 x 8.6mm (9.5mm in thickness including the camera bump), a plastic unibody, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, dual rear cameras housed in a rectangular camera bump, and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top. At the bottom, we can see the USB Type-C port and what looks like two cutouts: One is likely for a bottom-firing speaker while the other is for a microphone. The two cutouts at the bottom are likely for symmetry, so the second speaker will likely be the earpiece speaker located at the top bezel. Like the Pixel 4 and Pixel 5, the Pixel 4a 5G also has an LED flash and another sensor in the rectangular camera bump, which is likely the spectral and flicker sensor.

The Pixel 4a 5G and 5 are expected to be unveiled at the end of September or the beginning of October (pre-orders will allegedly start October 8th), so we don’t have to wait much longer to know all the specs of these two devices. Google has confirmed that the Pixel 4a 5G will cost $499, but the company hasn’t revealed the starting price of the Pixel 5. The company has already confirmed the availability, though, noting that both devices will be available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia.

The post The Google Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 just leaked again, revealing the design and specs appeared first on xda-developers.



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Resurrection Remix 8.5.7 based on Android 10 is now available for several Xiaomi, OnePlus, Samsung, and Google devices

If you consider yourself a true flashaholic, then the name “Resurrection Remix” should ring a bell. The custom ROM is known for its style and customizability, while its foundation is based on bits and pieces from LineageOS, Pixel Experience, and OmniROM. The developers started rebasing the project on top of Android 10 a few months ago, and they are now confident enough to remove the beta tag. The Resurrection Remix team has recently announced its first set of stable builds based on Android 10 for a bunch of devices, including several Xiaomi smartphones and a few others from ASUS, OnePlus, Samsung, and other OEMs.

The version number of Android 10-based Resurrection Remix is 8.5.7, albeit version 8.5.8 is already available for some of the supported devices. Apart from bumping the underlying Android layer, the new builds also bring along the latest Android security patches from the month of August 2020. In case you are planning to port Resurrection Remix to your phone or you simply want to perform a local build, the updated manifests can be found here.

resurrection_remix_android_10_1 resurrection_remix_android_10_2 resurrection_remix_android_10_3 resurrection_remix_android_10_4

The full list of devices that have received an official build of the stable Android 10-based Resurrection Remix is as follows:

Download Android 10-based Resurrection Remix ROM for your device

You can locate the Resurrection Remix thread for the aforementioned devices in their respective XDA forums. Note that the builds already have Google apps included, so you don’t need to flash a separate GApps package to get the Google Play Store as well as other Google Play Services.


Source: Resurrection Remix Facebook Page

The post Resurrection Remix 8.5.7 based on Android 10 is now available for several Xiaomi, OnePlus, Samsung, and Google devices appeared first on xda-developers.



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These are the best cases, covers and skins for the regular Galaxy Note 20

The Galaxy Note 20 series is here, and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is clearly the star of the show here. But the Note 20 Ultra also costs a pretty penny, so a lot of users would prefer spending lesser and getting the Galaxy Note 20 instead. If you’ve bought yourself a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, you can look through some recommended Galaxy Note 20 Ultra cases over here. But if you have the regular Galaxy Note 20, here are some of the cases you can pick up for your shiny new phone and keep that plastic body covered.

    Official Galaxy Note 20 Kvadrat Cover

    Earth-friendly and eye-catching

    The Kvadrat case is a sustainable case made from recycled materials that is 100% compostable, and yet looks good. Available in Red, and Gray.
    Official Galaxy Note 20 Clear Cover

    Simple and basic

    The official Galaxy Note 20 Clear Cover is the most basic first-party case from Samsung, ensuring perfect compatibility with your new phone.
    Official Clear Protective Cover

    Transparent yet re-inforced

    This protective case is an upgrade over standard flexible TPU cases as it adds reinforcements on the sides without extra bulk. Comes in Black or White.
    Official Silicone Cover

    Slender and soft-touch

    The Silicone case is durable, soft to touch, and easy to hold. It provides grip, style, and protection with minimal bulk. Available in Black, Bronze, and Mint, it's the perfect companion for your phone.
    Official Clear Standing Cover

    Prop it up!

    If you spend a lot of time at a desk, being able to prop up your phone is a big plus. This case helps you achieve that while still protecting it against scratches and providing additional grip.
    Official Rugged Cover

    Military Protection!

    This case has been drop tested to military standards, and it can deflect and absorb most impacts. There are two kickstands built-in, too, for different angles in landscape mode.
    Official Leather Cover

    Elegance and Class

    This case claims to be made of genuine leather, with aluminum buttons and microfiber lining, ensuring that your phone feels premium to the touch. Available in Black, Brown, and Green.
    Official S-View Flip Cover

    Fold it Close

    If you want to protect both the front and back of the device, this flip cover is for you. You can flip it close, and still respond to calls, and alarms. Available in Black, Brown, and Mint.
    Official LED Wallet Cover

    Fully closed yet functional

    A flip cover with a wallet to store cards, and LED feature that makes use of the AMOLED display. You can respond to calls and more. Available in Black, Brown, and Mint.
    Spigen Liquid Crystal Case

    Clear as Crystal

    This see-through, anti-slip TPU flexible case from Spigen's Liquid Crystal Line is one of the best choices for a basic, cheap case. Show off your Note 20, while still keeping it comfortably safe.
    Spigen Rugged Armor Case

    Style meets Protection

    The Spigen Rugged Armor is one of the most popular choices for flexible TPU cases that boast of shock absorption while still being fashionable in their own right.
    Spigen Rugged Armor Case

    For ultimate protection

    The Spigen Tough Armor is for those who need the most protection possible, thanks to its combination of impact foam, flexible TPU and hard polycarbonate that absorbs all damage
    Caseology Parallax Case

    When grip meets style

    The Caseology Parallax adds style to your device with its exciting texture and patterns on the back. You can get these protective cases in Aqua Green, Blue, Black, and Burgundy.
    Otterbox Defender Pro Case

    Critically acclaimed protection

    The OtterBox Defender Pro series is widely hailed at being one of the best choices for rugged cases. It also comes with a holster that doubles up as a belt clip and kickstand.
    Temdan Heavy Duty Case

    In-built screen protector

    The Temdan Heavy Duty case comes with a built-in screen protector, giving you all-around protection. It even supports wireless charging with the case on.
    Ringke Fusion X Case

    Rugged but sleek

    Ringke's Fusion X series comes with a rugged exterior for better grip, raised lips for better protection, transparent back, and lanyard holes on both sides for neck or hand straps.
    Dbrand Grip Case

    Customization and protection!

    Grip cases from Dbrand are not only known for offering military-grade impact protection, but also for their easy compatibility with the company's wide variety of skins!
    ESR Metal Kickstand Case

    Prop it up in style!

    If you spend a lot of time at a desk, being able to prop up your phone is a big plus. This case from ESR does that while still protecting against scratches, and providing additional grip.

As you can see, there’s a wide variety of cases on offer for the Galaxy Note 20. What you end up choosing depends on what you prefer and on your budget. If you have a higher budget, you can always opt for the official cases which offer the maximum compatibility with the phone and other official accessories. Samsung’s Kvadrat cases are also less harmful to the environment, as is also made majorly from recycled materials and is compostable. Samsung offers a whole lot of options ranging from basic cases to rugged cases to leather options and even flip covers and wallet cases.

Higher budget spenders can also look for tried-and-trusted brands like OtterBox and Dbrand — not only do they have great offerings that provide the ultimate in protection, they also have a history and reputation of consistently providing such protection. Lower down the line, options from Spigen, Ringke, and Caseology give you a wide variety of choices. You can go completely clear and flexible with thin see-through cases, or opt for a re-inforced bumper, or go for a harder TPU shell, or go even harder with a dual-layer design and a polycarbonate shell. Choose your pick!

Of course, all of these cases are for the Note 20 regular variant. If you have the Ultra, you can check out the cases for the Note 20 Ultra. If you haven’t already, you can buy yours from the links below, or check out all the other deals!

The post These are the best cases, covers and skins for the regular Galaxy Note 20 appeared first on xda-developers.



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Windows 10 PCs can now launch Android apps from most Samsung Galaxy phones

Update 1 (08/22/2020 @ 02:53 PM ET): Microsoft has announced that the Your Phone apps feature is now gradually rolling out to PCs running Windows 10. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on August 5, 2020, is preserved below.

If you own a modern Samsung Galaxy smartphone, it just got a lot sweeter to also be a Windows 10 user. Microsoft on Wednesday announced a new feature that will allow users to access their Galaxy phone’s Android apps right beside their Windows applications.

The new functionality is part of an update to Microsoft’s Your Phone app and works with a variety of Samsung devices, including the Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy S20, and at launch, the new Galaxy Note 20. You can see the full list of supported Samsung devices below.

  • Samsung Galaxy Note 9
  • Samsung Galaxy S9
  • Samsung Galaxy S9+
  • Samsung Galaxy Note10
  • Samsung Galaxy Note10+
  • Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite
  • Samsung Galaxy Fold
  • Samsung Galaxy S10
  • Samsung Galaxy S10+
  • Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite
  • Samsung Galaxy S10e
  • Samsung Galaxy A8s
  • Samsung Galaxy A30s
  • Samsung Galaxy A31
  • Samsung Galaxy A40
  • Samsung Galaxy A41
  • Samsung Galaxy A50
  • Samsung Galaxy A50s
  • Samsung Galaxy A51
  • Samsung Galaxy A60
  • Samsung Galaxy A70
  • Samsung Galaxy A70s
  • Samsung Galaxy A71
  • Samsung Galaxy A71 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy A80
  • Samsung Galaxy A90s
  • Samsung Galaxy A90 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S20
  • Samsung Galaxy S20+
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
  • Samsung Galaxy Fold
  • Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 20
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Microsoft says users won’t need to sign in or set up apps on their PC, and you can even pin your favorite mobile apps to your Taskbar or Start menu. The update makes using Android apps on your Windows 10 PC much more convenient — and the fact that apps and your mirrored phone screen launch in separate windows on your PC makes multitasking even easier.

“Your Phone” Apps experience (Key Features):

  • See a list of your installed Android apps directly within the Your Phone app.
  • Add your frequently used apps to the favorites section or search among your apps for even quicker access.
  • Launch any mobile app directly from your PC.
  • Apps and your mirrored phone screen launch in a separate window on your PC.
  • Pin your mobile apps to Windows Task bar or Start menu.
  • Stay in the know by keeping an eye on the app notification badging (unread notifications) in the All apps list or your Favorites.

Microsoft notes that there are some known issues and limitations with the Apps feature at the moment. Some apps may block the ability to cast to other screens, so you might see a black screen. Meanwhile, some games and apps may not respond to a mouse and keyboard, while audio from some apps might continue to play on your mobile device rather than on your PC.

The apps experience in the Your Phone app is currently gradually rolling out to users running a Windows 10 Insiders Build on a PC configured to be in the Dev, Beta, or Release Preview Channels. The feature is arriving as part of a server-side update, so not all users on the latest Windows 10 Insider build will get the feature at the same time. The feature itself only requires a PC running the Windows 10 October 2018 update or later and an Android smartphone running Android 9 Pie or later with Link to Windows integration (which is currently limited to multiple Samsung Galaxy models).


As part of today’s Galaxy Note 20 launch, Microsoft also announced that an upcoming update to Your Phone will let users run multiple Android apps side by side. This feature won’t be available until sometime later this year and will be exclusive to the Galaxy Note 20 at first, but Microsoft and Samsung will likely work to bring it to more Samsung devices.

Update 1: Rolling Out

On August 21st, Microsoft announced Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 20197. In the blog post, Microsoft also announced that the new Your Phone apps feature is now gradually rolling out to “General Public.” This includes PCs running Windows 10 October 2018 Update or later with Your Phone app version 1.20071.88 and Link to Windows version 2.0. This feature is still limited to the aforementioned Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 9 Pie or later with Link to Windows integration.

The post Windows 10 PCs can now launch Android apps from most Samsung Galaxy phones appeared first on xda-developers.



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KTweak is a new kernel adjustment mod that optimizes the performance of Android devices

Here at XDA, we love to keep tabs on kernel source code release events by various Android OEMs. The modus operandi of this practice lies in the fact that our brilliant aftermarket development community often tinkers with those stock kernel sources to fix existing bugs or even add some kind of novel feature. The concept of the Generic Kernel Image (GKI) is still as mature as the Generic System Image (GSI), which is why such device-specific custom kernels are the preferred method to manipulate low-level hardware parameters in the Android ecosystem.

As a matter of fact, the Linux kernel itself exposes a number of tunable parameters through pseudo file systems like sysfs and procfs. If you ever use a “kernel manager” app for tweaking the kernel of your Android device, you are basically playing with a nice frontend of sysfs (or procfs, depending on the parameter). Based on this aspect of Android kernels, XDA Recognized Developer tytydraco has come up with a unique Magisk Module named KTweak that can serve as a universal kernel tweaker.

According to the developer, Android kernels are usually compiled with CONFIG_SCHED_DEBUG as well as other debugging options set to true, which are enough to tune the kernel parameters on the fly given that you have root access. Google will eventually bring Generic Kernel Image to the masses, thus it indeed seems feasible to switch to a device-agnostic solution in the long run instead of recompiling device-specific kernel sources from scratch to achieve the same result.

Unlike some popular flash-once-and-forget “kernel optimizers”, KTweak is driven by the KISS principle. There is not a single compiled component, while the actual codebase (which is nothing but a shell script) is less than 250 lines long. Expand the list below to see all the tweaks that KTweak applies:

List of modifications done by KTweak

  • kernel.perf_cpu_time_max_percent: 25 –> 5
  • kernel.sched_autogroup_enabled: 0 –> 1
  • kernel.sched_enable_thread_grouping: 0 –> 1
  • kernel.sched_child_runs_first: 0 –> 1
  • kernel.sched_downmigrate: 20 20
  • kernel.sched_upmigrate: 80 80
  • kernel.sched_group_downmigrate: 20
  • kernel.sched_group_upmigrate: 80
  • kernel.sched_tunable_scaling: 0
  • kernel.sched_latency_ns: 10000000 (10ms)
  • kernel.sched_min_granularity_ns: 1000000 (1ms)
  • kernel.sched_migration_cost_ns: 500000 (0.5ms) –> 1000000 (1ms)
  • kernel.sched_min_task_util_for_boost: 25
  • kernel.sched_min_task_util_for_colocation: 50
  • kernel.sched_nr_migrate: 32 –> 64
  • kernel.sched_schedstats: 1 –> 0
  • kernel.sched_wakeup_granularity_ns: 1000000 (1ms) –> 5000000 (5ms)
  • kernel.timer_migration: 1 –> 0
  • net.ipv4.tcp_ecn: 2 –> 1
  • net.ipv4.tcp_fastopen: 3
  • net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies: 1 –> 0
  • vm.compact_unevictable_allowed: 1 –> 0
  • vm.dirty_background_ratio: 5 –> 10
  • vm.dirty_ratio: 20 –> 30
  • vm.dirty_expire_centisecs: 300 (3s) –> 1000 (10s)
  • vm.dirty_writeback_centisecs: 500 (5s) –> 0 (0s)
  • vm.extfrag_threshold: 500 –> 750
  • vm.oom_dump_tasks: 1 –> 0
  • vm.page-cluster: 3 –> 0
  • vm.reap_mem_on_sigkill: 0 –> 1
  • vm.stat_interval: 1 –> 10
  • vm.swappiness: 100 –> 80
  • vm.vfs_cache_pressure: 100 –> 200
  • Next Buddy
  • No Strict Skip Buddy
  • No Nontask Capacity
  • TTWU Queue
  • Governor Tweaks
    • hispeed_load: 90 –> 80
    • hispeed_freq
  • CAF CPU Boost Tweaks
    • input_boost_freq: 1.4 GHz
    • input_boost_ms: 250 ms
  • I/O
    • iostats: 1 –> 0
    • readahead: 0
    • nr_requests: 128 –> 512
    • noop / none
  • ZRAM

If you need a thorough insight into all the aforementioned tweaks and how they can boost the performance level of your Android smartphone or tablet, head on over to the module discussion thread linked below. All the tunables and the corresponding enforced values were carefully chosen by the developer based on their effects on real-life usage scenarios, so you know it’s not snake oil. You are also welcome to contribute to the project by submitting pull requests to the module’s GitHub repo.

KTweak Kernel Adjustment Magisk Module — XDA Download and Discussion Thread

The post KTweak is a new kernel adjustment mod that optimizes the performance of Android devices appeared first on xda-developers.



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vendredi 21 août 2020

Alphabet reportedly considered investment in TikTok as part of group bid

Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, reportedly entertained making an investment in the U.S. operations of TikTok. According to Bloomberg, the investment would have been part of a group bid led by an unknown company.

Alphabet’s investment would have given the conglomerate a minority, non-voting stake through one of its investment arms. Bloomberg points to CapitalG, a private equity arm, as being a possible investor. As of now, Alphabet’s interest has reportedly “fizzled in recent days,” although it could still participate in future bids. It’s unclear how many companies were part of the consortium trying for a larger bid.

Over the past few years, TikTok has emerged as one of the most popular video sharing services on the market. Bloomberg notes that it has over 100 million users in the U.S. alone, but its rise in popularity has put it at the center of controversy. Officials in Washington have accused ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, of having ties with the Chinese government, potentially posing a national security risk. As a result, President Trump has threatened to cut off access to TikTok in the U.S.

TikTok has until November 12 to find a buyer before the social media app is banned in the U.S. Microsoft previously emerged as a suitor, while Oracle and Twitter were also allegedly interested in potentially making a bid. While Alphabet is allegedly interested in grabbing a minority stake in TikTok, Bloomberg reports an outright acquisition is impossible given the regulatory headaches that could arise. Besides, YouTube is already working on its own TikTok-style service called YouTube Shorts.

TikTok - Make Your Day (Free+, Google Play) →

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