LightBlog

mercredi 18 novembre 2020

OnePlus Game Space 2.5.0 update brings over the OxygenOS 11 UI to the game management app

Soon after OnePlus released its first Android 11 developer preview, the company started rolling out redesigned versions of its stock apps for older OnePlus devices. Over the last few weeks, the company has released updates for three apps — OnePlus Weather, OnePlus Notes, and OnePlus Gallery — all of which introduced the OxygenOS 11 design refresh. Now, OnePlus has started rolling out OnePlus Game Space v2.5.0 via the Play Store, and it too includes the new OxygenOS 11 UI.

As you can see in the attached images, OnePlus Game Space v2.5.0 features a new design that’s more in line with the overall OxygenOS 11 aesthetic. Much like the OnePlus Weather app, it now has a lot of empty space at the top, and most of its UI elements have been moved closer to the bottom of the screen for easier access.

OnePlus Game Space 2.5.0 OxygenOS 11 UI update (2)

The game carousel on the app’s home screen has been replaced with a simpler list, which shows an expanded card for the topmost game with two buttons — one to access settings like remove, uninstall, and shortcut, and the other to launch the game. However, the Game statistics page and app settings haven’t received any major changes.

OnePlus Game Space 2.5.0 OxygenOS 11 UI update (6)

As mentioned earlier, the updated OnePlus Game Space app has started rolling out to users via the Play Store. But since our tipster is enrolled in the beta program, we aren’t sure if the rollout is limited to the beta channel or not. In case you haven’t received the update notification yet, you can manually check for it by following the Play Store link below. Make sure you drop a comment below if you’ve received the update on the stable channel.

OnePlus Game Space (Free, Google Play) →


Thanks to XDA Senior Member Some_Random_Username for the tip!

The post OnePlus Game Space 2.5.0 update brings over the OxygenOS 11 UI to the game management app appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/36Lra6e
via IFTTT

Apple cuts App Store commission rate to 15% for smaller developers

Apple and Google collectively control the mobile app ecosystem and that’s no understatement. Apple’s iOS and iPadOS and Google’s Android power more than 99% of the smartphones and tablets in the world. Both the tech giants also dictate how app developers get paid for purchases made by users on the App Store and the Play Store. They charge a hefty 30% of developers’ revenues as commissions for facilitating the obligatory in-app purchases. This policy has blighted many indie developers and caused bigger ones — such as Spotify and Epic Games — to launch full-blown insurgencies against these tech giants. However, Apple is now taking a major step backward and halving its commission rate for small developers.

Apple today announced its App Store Small Business Program to “accelerate innovation and help small businesses and independent developers.” As per the new policy, they will now charge only 15% as a commission instead of the erstwhile 30% for developers making less than $1 million in yearly revenue.

This announcement comes as a major relief from Apple to app developers marketing and selling their apps on the App Store. The step shows that Apple is addressing major pain points to incentivize developers, just like they promised during the online WWDC event earlier this year. However, they are far from lowering their guard against larger developers, especially disgruntled ones such as Epic Games, which launched a campaign against the allegedly Orwellian ecosystem.

Earlier this year, Epic Games bypassed Apple and gave users the option to make direct payments in exchange for a 20% discount. Apple retaliated by removing Fornite from the App Store for violating their payments policy, and therefore, limited the availability of the first-person shooter on iOS — owing to the lack of a reliable third-party app store. Epic sued Apple in return but Fornite updates on iOS stay suspended for the last three months. Epic, together with Spotify and others, also joined a “Coalition for App Fairness” to challenge the monopoly by Google and Apple.

While the battle between Apple and the Fornite developer is yet to yield an epic outcome, the latest step will definitely calm down the former’s critics. We also hope that Google follows Apple’s lead in lowering down Play Store commissions, which — ironically — it has been bolstering.

The post Apple cuts App Store commission rate to 15% for smaller developers appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/32UQ2HC
via IFTTT

Microsoft Outlook for Android tests email categories and a floating action menu

Early last month, Microsoft rolled out an update for the Outlook app for Android that added support for 2-way sync between Google Calendar and other calendars. The company is now working on bringing two more useful features to the app, which will allow users to categorize emails and quickly access essential features from a new floating action menu.

Android developer and reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi recently spotted these unreleased features and shared the following screenshots. According to his tweet, the upcoming “Categories” feature on Microsoft Outlook for Android will allow users to group emails, events, and contacts based on customizable categories. Once released, the feature will show up as a new “Categories” option in the app settings.

New Categories option in app settings Predefined categories in Microsoft Outlook for Android Category customization Category customization in Microsoft Outlook for Android

Tapping on this option will open a new page, which will include a couple of predefined categories and a button to add a custom category. When you tap on any of these predefined categories, you will see a pop-up that will let you change the category name and color. However, it isn’t clear how these categories will be displayed in the inbox.

Along with the “Categories” option, Microsoft Outlook for Android will also get a new floating action menu to help you quickly access a few essential features. You will be able to access the menu by tapping and holding the compose button. As you can see in the attached tweet, the menu will include 5 new options — Voice Search, Meet now, Book a workspace, New contact, and New event.

As of now, we have no official information from Microsoft regarding these features. We’ll update this post as soon as we learn more.

The post Microsoft Outlook for Android tests email categories and a floating action menu appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3fbPguG
via IFTTT

Download: Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro gets first MIUI 12 build with Android 11

Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 9 Pro is one of the best purchases available in the early mid-range in India, offering itself as a great hardware package at an aggressive price point. The phone comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G chip, an impressive quad-camera array, a massive 5,020mAh battery, and support for up to 18W fast charging. Launched with MIUI 11 on top of Android 10, the smartphone received stable MIUI 12 update a few months ago, and is now getting its Android 11 update in India.

Redmi Note 9 Pro XDA Forums

Bearing version number V12.0.1.0.RJWINXM, the update is 2.3GB in size for its recovery flashable ZIP. As mentioned earlier, this build is meant for the Indian variant of the Redmi Note 9 Pro (code-name: “curtana_in“), which means it can’t be installed on the global Redmi Note 9 Pro (code-name: “joyeuse_xx“). Owners of the Redmi Note 9S (code-name: “curtana_xx“), however, can manually flash the update package using a custom recovery solution like TWRP.

xiaomi-redmi-note-9-pro-India-android-11-miui-12-ota

Thanks to Twitter user @Brindhaukender for the screenshot!

Since this is the first public build of Android 11 for this phone, we expect that there will be plenty of bugs and perhaps a few stability issues. As such, sideloading this build is only recommended for experienced users who are well versed with flashing updates. Please do make adequate backups of your data before flashing the update.

Download Android 11 with MIUI 12 for the Redmi Note 9 Pro (codename: curtana) — V12.0.1.0.RJWINXM

Do note that the company treats the current update as a “stable beta”, which is a bit different from regular stable builds. An authorized Mi Account might be required to sideload the aforementioned ZIP file. Once Xiaomi marks it to be stable enough, they are going to flip a server-side switch that will eventually remove the need for such authorization before flashing.


Thanks to XDA Recognized Developer yshalsager for providing the download link!

The post Download: Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro gets first MIUI 12 build with Android 11 appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3nAnnQ4
via IFTTT

Google Camera 8.1 adds a “Storage Saver” mode to let you take more photos and videos

Google Camera 8.0 debuted with the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G earlier this year in September. As expected, the app came with a host of new features for these devices, including Night Sight portrait mode, Cinematic pan, and more. Along with these features, Google Camera 8.0 also brought a revamped UI with new buttons, a quick zoom toggle, a quick access toggle for video modes, etc. However, it didn’t include one previously advertised Pixel 5/4a 5G exclusive feature.

According to a Google support page, Google Camera on the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G is supposed to have a “Storage” section in the app settings that lets users turn on “low storage mode.” But this setting is missing on Adam’s Pixel 5 review unit and another user’s Pixel 5, although both units are running Google Camera 8.0.

However, upgrading to Google Camera 8.1 adds this new storage section and a “Storage Saver” mode to the devices, which seems to be the updated name for the aforementioned low storage mode. According to its description, the  Storage Saver mode changes settings that use large amounts of storage to help users save more photos and videos on their devices. But using this mode “may reduce image or video quality.” Interestingly, the feature doesn’t seem to be a Pixel 5/4a 5G exclusive, as several users on Twitter with older Pixel devices have confirmed getting the feature with the Google Camera 8.1 update.

As of now, it isn’t clear why the feature is said to be a Pixel 5/4a 5G exclusive on Google’s support page when it’s actually available for any Pixel device running Android 11 and the latest Google Camera 8.1 APK. We suspect that the support page may just be outdated.

If you wish to try the new Storage Saver mode on your Pixel device, you can try sideloading Google Camera 8.1 from APKMirror. In case the installation fails, you can try clearing Google Play Services data and cache before installing it again. A few users have managed to install the APK using this workaround, but your mileage may vary.

The post Google Camera 8.1 adds a “Storage Saver” mode to let you take more photos and videos appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/32UCprS
via IFTTT

The Zepp Z is a new premium smartwatch with Amazon Alexa support

Chinese wearables manufacturer Huami launched another smart wearables brand, called Zepp, earlier this year in September. The new brand debuted with two mid-range smartwatches — the Zepp E Square and Zepp E Circle — which were essentially the same device with slightly different screen sizes and shapes. Priced at $249, the Zepp E series offered a more premium design than its Amazfit counterparts, along with the same set of fitness tracking features. Continuing with this premium design trend, Zepp has now unveiled the Zepp Z smartwatch.

Zepp Z: Specifications

Specification Zepp Z
Build
  • Titanium alloy case, leather strap
Dimensions & Weight
  • 45.9 x 45.9 x 10.75mm
  • 40g
Display
  • 1.39-inch AMOLED display
  • 454 x 454 pixels
  • 326ppi
  • 550 nits peak brightness
  • 100% NTS color gamut
Sensors
  • BioTracker 2 PPG Sensor
  • Geomagnetic sensor
  • Gyroscope
  • Air pressure sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light sensor
Storage 256MB
Battery & Charging
  • 340mAh
  • Rated for up to 15 hours on a single charge
  • 2.5-hour charge time
NFC Support No
Connectivity & Location
  • Bluetooth 5.0 BLE
  • GPS
  • GLONASS
Water resistance 5ATM
Compatibility Android 5.0 and above, iOS 10.0 and above

The new Zepp Z smartwatch features a 46.3mm unibody titanium alloy case that comes with an NTC nanotech coating for scratch resistance. The case houses a 1.39-inch vivid AMOLED display that covers 100% of the NTSC color gamut and offers a peak brightness of 550 nits. The circular dial is flanked by two buttons and a classic crown on the right edge, which let you control all of its features.

Zepp Z on white background

The Zepp Z packs-in a wide array of sensors that enable all of its fitness tracking features, including a BioTracker 2 PPG sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a gyroscope, an air pressure sensor, and more. The fitness tracking features include 24/7 heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen level tracking (SpO2), sleep tracking, stress level monitoring, and 12 sports modes. The smartwatch also features the PAI health assessment system to help users easily understand their fitness tracking data.

Zepp Z on white background

The smartwatch is equipped with GPS and GLONASS for positioning, it’s water-resistant up to 5ATM, and it packs in a 340mAh battery that can last up to 15 days on a single charge. Much like the recently launched Amazfit GTS 2 and GTR 2, the Zepp Z comes with Amazon Alexa integration. In terms of customization, the Zepp Z comes with over 50 digital watch faces.

Pricing & Availability

The Zepp Z is priced at $349, and it’s already up for sale in the US on the company’s website. It’s available in a single color variant that comes with a titanium case and brown leather strap. As of now, Zepp hasn’t released any information about its availability outside the US.

The post The Zepp Z is a new premium smartwatch with Amazon Alexa support appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2UznFdm
via IFTTT

mardi 17 novembre 2020

Here are the 7 new features OnePlus is adding to OxygenOS

OnePlus debuted the IDEAS program in March this year to get direct community feedback on OxygenOS. During its first run, users submitted over 5,000 ideas on the platform, with over 25,000 likes and more than 2,000 comments to help OnePlus pick the best ideas. The company chose 5 new features from these submissions, which were brought over to OxygenOS over the last few months.

After the successful beta trial, OnePlus announced IDEAS 2.0 in September this year. The second run just culminated a few days ago, and as per a recent post from the company, it was even more successful. IDEAS 2.0 received more than 7,300 submissions from 5,427 active community members, which generated over 12,000 likes and 8,800 comments. Out of all these submissions, OnePlus has now picked 7 new features that will soon make their way to OxygenOS. These include:

  • Add an FPS counter option to Game Space
  • Separate volume for each app and allow dual media playback
  • Lockscreen customization
  • Wireless file transfer from PC to OnePlus devices and vice-versa
  • Power Diet — an aggressive battery saving mode that would greatly extend the battery life of OnePlus devices by limiting most non-essential apps and features
  • Black, instead of the current gray, dark mode or an option to switch between either
  • Partial screenshot

In response to the FPS counter idea, OnePlus said that it has been in the works for quite some time, and it will be released in a “future system update.”  The per-app volume controls idea was also in consideration, and OnePlus initially plans to separate the volume controls for media and notifications sometime next year. For the lockscreen controls idea, the company stated: “we’ve been working on the possibility of customizing components like AOD and the lockscreen. As this is an integral part of the whole OS plan, it takes longer to get it implemented.”

Talking about the wireless transfer idea, OnePlus stated that a solution was already in the works. However, the company didn’t share a definite release timeline. Similarly, OnePlus revealed that the optimized dark mode experience and partial screenshot features were already in consideration. But, as of now, there’s no release date for either. As for the Power Diet idea, OnePlus gave quite a vague response, that said, “We have also observed that when users are in scenarios where charging is inconvenient, the value of longer-lasting battery life takes precedence over a more comprehensive application usage experience. So, we also think it is necessary to implement such a feature. When users enable this feature, we will do our best to prioritize ensuring the battery life as much as possible.”

Much like last time, OnePlus has also shared a list of features that won’t be added to OxygenOS, along with a detailed response about why the company chose not to include the feature. Here are all the features that OnePlus won’t be adding to OxygenOS anytime soon (click on the links to see OnePlus’ response):

  • Hole punch camera notification alerts
  • Desktop mode
  • Work with social media companies to improve camera optimization
  • iOS 14 back tap gestures
  • Preventing screen burn-in by subtle pixel shifting
  • Customizable battery charge level
  • Dual audio in Bluetooth
  • Fingerprint customization
  • Notification ring
  • Improve the image processing
  • Animations during accessory pairing and connecting
  • Navigation bar customizations
  • Replace the Google dialer with OnePlus dialer
  • Notification count on icons (App badges)
  • Battery health
  • Classic layout on OxygenOS 11

OnePlus rejected the hole-punch camera notification alerts and notification ring ideas due to potential screen burn-in issues. The desktop mode idea was rejected once again because of the lack of “valid and valuable input” from the community. For social media camera optimizations, the company noted that the poor image quality was a result of compression algorithms used by third-party apps, and it couldn’t make changes in OxygenOS to address the issue.

The iOS 14 back tap gestures idea was dropped due to potential accidental touch issues. OnePlus didn’t adopt the pixel shifting idea as it has already implemented measures to prevent screen burn-in in OxygenOS 11. The customizable battery charge level idea was not adopted because OxygenOS already offers a similar “Optimized Charging” feature.

The dual Bluetooth output idea wasn’t selected as it had a “relatively limited range of usage scenarios,” and OnePlus didn’t pick customizable fingerprint animations as the idea was already reviewed during the OnePlus IDEAS beta run. You can see OnePlus’ responses to the remaining rejected ideas by following the source linked above.

As mentioned earlier, OnePlus hasn’t revealed a definite release timeline for 5 of the 7 features that it will be adding to OxygenOS. But we expect the company to share more details about these upcoming features in the near future.

The post Here are the 7 new features OnePlus is adding to OxygenOS appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/35Ii4YJ
via IFTTT