Google Chrome gets faster and new tab, PDF, and URL sharing features

Google on Tuesday said Chrome will be faster thanks to Profile Guided Optimization (PGO) and tab throttling. In addition, Google is adding a few productivity tweaks that make tabs easier to manage, URLs easier to share, and PDFs easier to fill out.

With Profile Guided Optimization, which is now in Chrome 85 on Mac and Windows, Google says tabs will load up to 10% faster at the median, with even greater performance improvements when your PC’s CPU is loaded with many tabs or other programs. It’s a compiler optimization technique wherein the most performance-critical parts of the code can run faster.

In addition, Google Chrome is introducing tab throttling in beta. The feature works by giving more resources to the tabs you’re using, rather than distributing resources equally. “We see improvements not only in loading speed but also battery and memory savings,” said Max Christoff, Engineering Director, Chrome.

Google also detailed the browser’s new tab grouping feature, which the company previously rolled out to PCs in beta and to Chrome OS 83. The feature allows users to distinguish tabs by topic, task, or priority. And when tabs are in groups, they can be collapsed and expanded for a cleaner, more organized workspace. According to Google, this was one of Chrome’s most requested features.

Google also said tab previews are coming to Chrome in beta. The feature will allow users to hover over a tab and quickly see a thumbnail preview. The feature will come in handy in situations when you have a lot of tabs open from the same website or service.

 

Additionally, Chrome is adding the ability to share a web page via a QR code on Android, touch-friendly tabs for tablets (shown below), suggestions for switching to an already-open tab on Android, and the ability to fill out PDFs before downloading them.

Google Chrome: Fast & Secure (Free, Google Play) →

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Fitbit announces Sense, Versa 3, and Inspire 2 fitness tracking wearables

Fitbit on Tuesday unveiled two new smartwatches and an affordable fitness tracker to help manage your physical health during these uncertain times, as expected. The smartwatches include the Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa 3, the former of which comes equipped with an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor, although the feature is still pending FDA approval. The Inspire 2 is the name of the new fitness tracker.

The Fitbit Sense is the most advanced of Fitbit’s new smartwatches. At a price of $329, the wearable features an array of sensors in addition to the aforementioned ECG app. The Sense offers an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor for managing stress, on-wrist skin temperature sensor, and advanced heart rate tracking technology. The EDA sensor is particularly interesting in a world where stress is the norm. By placing your palm over the Sense’s display, the EDA will read your skin’s temperature and score you on your stress level. Over time, the Sense may recommend ways to manage your stress.

Buyers also get a free six-month trial of Premium, a service that tracks things like heart rate variability (HRV), breathing rate, and SpO2. These insights will give users the data to improve their health and wellbeing.

Beyond that, both the Sense and Versa 3 come equipped with many features you’d expect from a smartwatch: built-in GPS, OLED displays, water-resistance up to 50 meters, and at least six days of battery life. The two devices also support Fitbit Pay and Google Assistant (coming winter 2020).

Additionally, the company has announced the Inspire 2, a small fitness tracker that offers up to 10 days of battery life and a new touch panel. While not as advanced as the Sense or Versa 3, consumers who opt for the Inspire 2 will a free one-year trial of Premium ($79 value).

Fitbit Inspire 2

Finally, Fitbit has introduced Premium + Health Coaching, a service that will provide subscribers with virtual one-on-one coaching. The service features certified health professionals who can come up with personalized health plans based on Fitbit data.

The Fitbit Sense will be available for $329 in carbon/graphite stainless steel or lunar white/soft gold. The Fitbit Versa 3 will be available for $229 in black/black aluminum, pink clay/soft gold aluminum, and midnight/soft gold aluminum. The Fitbit Inspire 2 is available for $99 in black, lunar white and desert rose. You can preorder the devices today, with worldwide availability starting in late September.

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Mozilla rolls out Firefox 79 for Android with a year’s worth of changes

Update 1 (08/25/2020 @ 1:06 PM ET): Mozilla has officially announced the rollout of the new Firefox for Android experience. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on July 29, 2020, is preserved below.

Mozilla Firefox is among the most popular alternatives to Google Chrome for both — mobile devices and desktops. Despite competition from Chrome, Mozilla Corporation — the organization behind Firefox — has been rolling out several updates over the years to keep their desktop and mobile apps relevant. After overhauling their desktop browser, known by its interim name “Firefox Quantum,” Mozilla has been working to upgrade the mobile browser — temporarily recognized as Fenix — for about a year. The new version has been available in the Preview channel (which was recently merged with the Nightly channel) for quite some time and is finally rolling out to the stable channel as Firefox 79 for Android (via AndroidPolice), albeit without one key feature.

In July 2018, Mozilla for Android entered the maintenance phase to focus on developing an entirely new version without a new codebase instead of updating the existing one. Firefox for Android hasn’t received a major update since July last year and is now making a jump straight from version 68 to 79.

Among the new feature, Firefox 79 for Android brings a clean and modern UI. The codebase and thus, the functionality is the same as the Preview builds but one feature that’s lacking on the stable build is proper support for add-ons (a.k.a. extensions). Mozilla only starting adding support for add-ons on Firefox Preview/Nightly back in February this year. It added five more add-ons in April, and then another three earlier this month. As of now, the total number of add-ons supported on the stable as well as the Nightly channels is only nine. This means that Firefox for Android loses access to thousands of extensions that were supported on the previous versions.

While it is understandable that the complete migration of add-ons to the new codebase requires time, release without proper support is bound to disappoint those who like to use specific extensions avidly. If you want to continue using those add-ons, you may have to stick to the older version of Firefox for Android. But if you’re among those who want a cleaner and faster browser experience, you can go ahead and either update the app from the Google Play Store or download the latest version from APK Mirror.

Download Firefox 79 for Android from APK Mirror

Firefox Browser: fast, private & safe web browser (Free, Google Play) →

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Update: Official Announcement

In a blog post, Mozilla announced that the new version of Firefox for Android is rolling out widely for users in Europe starting today and will roll out for users in North America on Thursday. The new update, which has version number 79, brings a new, cleaner UI with improved one-handed use, Collections, an automatic dark theme toggle, Enhanced Tracking Protection, an improved Private Mode, initial support for 9 extensions/add-ons, and most importantly, Mozilla’s new GeckoView browser engine. Mozilla has dubbed this release “Firefox Daylight” since it marks a new beginning for the company’s Android browser.

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TWRP now supports the Samsung Galaxy M30, Galaxy A40, Huawei P20 Lite, Moto G5S Plus, but drops POCO F1 support

The Team Win Recovery Project, AKA TWRP, needs no introduction to the Android modding community. Over the last few years, TWRP has become the de-facto standard for custom recovery in the Android ecosystem. One of the reasons why TWRP is so popular compared to other custom recovery solutions is the massive number of Android devices the project supports, with new devices being added to the official roster on a regular basis. Since our last coverage, the developer team has officially added support for the Samsung Galaxy M30, Galaxy A40, Huawei P20 Lite, and the Moto G5S Plus.

Samsung Galaxy M30

The Exynos 7904-powered Samsung Galaxy M30 has had an unofficial port of TWRP available on our forums for a while now, courtesy of XDA Member Akhil99. If you were one of those standing by for an official build, your wait is finally over — official TWRP is now available for your device from the same developer. Before you go ahead, make sure to take some time to read through the flashing instructions posted on the aforementioned forum thread.

Galaxy M30 TWRP ||| Galaxy M30 XDA Forums

Samsung Galaxy A40

Next up is the Samsung Galaxy A40, which has received its official TWRP build thanks to the efforts of Alberto Ponces, AKA XDA Senior Member ponces. The developer also provides separate AOSP and One UI-based kernels for MTP to work properly inside the custom recovery environment.

Galaxy A40 TWRP ||| Galaxy A40 XDA Forums

Huawei P20 Lite

The Huawei P20 Lite was launched back in 2018 as a budget offering in the Chinese OEM’s P20 lineup. The official TWRP build for this phone is maintained by XDA Recognized Developer DarkJoker360 and can be downloaded from the link below. You should also check out the device forums to see which ROMs and mods you can try out after you have flashed the recovery.

Huawei P20 Lite TWRP ||| Huawei P20 Lite XDA Forums

Moto G5S Plus

There are plenty of aftermarket developments that exist for the Motorola Moto G5S Plus on our forums, and the official TWRP build is a welcome addition to them. XDA Member iamsaalim is the maintainer of TWRP for this smartphone.

Moto G5S Plus TWRP ||| Moto G5S Plus

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Removal of POCO F1

Not all of today’s news is good news, though, as the fan-favorite POCO F1 is no longer officially supported by the team. Fortunately, third-party development for the POCO F1 is still on high-gear, and users can choose from a number of unofficial TWRP forks from our forums.

POCO F1 XDA Forums

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ASUS ZenFone 7, Moto G9, and Realme C12/C15 forums are now open

Earlier this month, we opened forums for three of Samsung’s latest Galaxy devices — the Galaxy Tab S7, Galaxy Z Fold 2, and the Galaxy Watch 3. Since then, Android OEMs have launched a couple of interesting devices like the Moto G9, Moto G9 Play Realme C12, and Realme C15. Additionally, Taiwanese OEM ASUS is expected to unveil its next-gen ZenFone 7 lineup at an online-only event tomorrow. To promote third-party development and discussions for these devices, we’re now opening forums for the ASUS ZenFone 7, Moto G9, Realme C12, and Realme C15.

ASUS ZenFone 7/7 Pro

While ASUS is yet to announce its ZenFone 7 lineup, we’ve already learned a few key details about the devices. The company’s upcoming flagship ZenFone lineup is expected to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC and, according to a recent teaser from the company, it will make use of a flip camera module once again. A database listing for the device has also revealed that it will feature a 5,000mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging. In case you’re interested in checking out the ZenFone 7 launch event, you can watch the live stream at 2:00 AM ET on August 26th.

ASUS ZenFone 7 XDA Forums || ASUS ZenFone 7 Pro XDA Forums

Motorola Moto G9/Moto G9 Play

The new Moto G9, which was launched in India earlier this week, features a 6.5-inch HD+ LCD display with a waterdrop style notch. The device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 662 SoC, coupled with 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. In the camera department, the Moto G9 features a 48MP primary sensor, a 2MP depth sensor, a 2MP macro camera, and an 8MP selfie shooter. The device packs in a 5,000mAh battery with support for 20W fast charging. The Moto G9 Play, on the other hand, was launched earlier this week in Germany. The device features the exact same specifications as the regular Moto G9.

Motorola Moto G9 XDA Forums || Motorola Moto G9 Play XDA Forums

Realme C12

Realme’s new budget-friendly Realme C12 was launched in India just a few days ago. Much like the Moto G9, it features a 6.5-inch HD+ LCD display with a waterdrop style notch. The device is powered by MediaTek’s Helio G35 SoC, coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. For imaging, the device packs in a 13MP primary camera, a 2MP monochrome camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 5MP selfie shooter. The device packs in a massive 6,000mAh battery with support for 10W fast charging.

Realme C12 XDA Forums

Realme C15

The Realme C15 is the first budget-friendly device from the company to feature a quad-camera setup. Much like the Realme C12, it packs in a 13MP primary camera and a 2MP monochrome sensor. However, instead of a 2MP macro camera, the Realme C15 features a 2MP retro camera and an additional 8MP ultra-wide sensor. Over on the front, the device sports an 8MP selfie shooter. The device packs in the same 6.5-inch HD+ display with a waterdrop style notch, it’s also powered by the MediaTek Helio G35, and it features the same 6,000mAh battery. But the C15 includes support for 18W fast charging, with the 18W fast charger included in the box.

Realme C15 XDA Forums

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Samsung Galaxy Note 20/Note 20 Ultra (Exynos) get unofficial TWRP, as official kernel sources go live

Android is built on top of the Linux kernel, which means the OEMs are obliged to provide the source code, upon request, of any Linux kernel binaries they distribute on devices they sell. Samsung has a fantastic track record of publishing such kernel source packages in a timely manner, and they have done it again with the recently launched Galaxy Note 20 series. The company has now released the kernel sources for the Exynos as well as Snapdragon variants of the Note 20 and the Note 20 Ultra on their Open Source Release Center portal. What’s more interesting is that a somewhat working TWRP build has already been out for these devices, thanks to the availability of the kernel source.

XDA Forums: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 || Note 20 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Review: For Those Ahead of the Curve

In case you need some help to decipher all these chipset variants, here’s a quick refresher: The Note 20 lineup is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ SoC in the U.S. and some other regions, while you can find the Exynos 990 inside the global units. There are separate downloads for the Note 20 and the Note 20 Ultra, albeit it is possible to create SoC-specific unified trees by combining those packages.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 (Ultra) Kernel Sources

As always, you can readily unlock the bootloader on the Exynos models, but most of the Snapdragon variants don’t let you fiddle with the bootloader. As the Exynos Note 20 features the same chipset as the international Galaxy S20 lineup, XDA Senior Member geiti94 has decided to extend one of his recent projects and compile a unified TWRP build for the Note 20 series.

The recovery doesn’t support MTP at the moment, so you have to rely on ADB for any kind of file transfer. Keep in mind that installing a custom recovery like TWRP will permanently trip KNOX, thus you will permanently lose access to Samsung Pay and security features such as Secure Folder. If that’s something that doesn’t bother you, head over to the TWRP development thread by clicking on the link below.

Unofficial TWRP for the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 (Ultra)

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Learn‌ ‌How‌ ‌to‌ ‌Collaborate‌ ‌Remotely‌ ‌With‌ ‌This‌ ‌$20‌ ‌Microsoft‌ ‌Teams‌ ‌Training‌ ‌

Over the past few months, many businesses have switched to remote working. In that time, Microsoft Teams has quickly become the favorite tool for teams who need to collaborate digitally. The Essential 2020 Microsoft Teams Training Course helps you understand this platform and improve your WFH skills, with 94 video tutorials. You can get the training now for just $19.99 at the XDA Developers Depot.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/410956439

Until the spring of this year, most of us had never even heard of Microsoft Teams. But now that water cooler chats and boardroom meetings are a thing of the past, remote collaboration skills are highly valuable.

This course helps you handle Teams like a pro, with 3.5 hours of training. Through concise video tutorials, you discover how to download, install, and set up the app. You then learn how to create your first group, manage members and channels, host video calls, and post messages.

The course also gives you a tour of the admin settings and dives into some useful features, such as meeting notes.

Of course, not everything happens through Teams. To help you handle email better, the training includes 6.5 hours on Outlook. These tutorials cover a range of time-saving skills, from keyboard shortcuts to creating appointments.

The training has a total rating of 4.3 stars, and your instructor is an experienced IT professional.

Worth $174 in total, the course and additional training is now only $19.99.

 

The Essential 2020 Microsoft Teams Training Course – $19.99

See Deal

Prices subject to change 

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