Google removes ‘Permissions’ list from Play Store app listings

While on the one hand, Google has introduced a new “Data Safety” section on the Play Store to provide users with more information about how apps use their data, on the other, the company is removing crucial details from app listings. In March this year, Google removed the ‘Updated on’ section from Play Store listings for some users. Now, it’s getting rid of the ‘Permissions’ list.

For the unaware, app listings on the Google Play Store include a ‘Permissions’ section that lists all the permissions required by each app. It lets users easily check all permissions required by an app without installing it on their device, making it a handy feature for privacy-conscious users. However, according to Mishaal Rahman, Google seems to have removed it from Play Store listings for all apps.

With the launch of the Data Safety section on Google Play, which will be mandatory for all apps in 1 week, it seems the app permissions list is going away in both the mobile app and the web.

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) July 13, 2022

In a recent tweet, Rahman shared screenshots of the Play Store listing for the Facebook app before and after the change went into effect. As you can see, the updated listing no longer shows the ‘Permissions’ list, so you can no longer check the app permissions before installing the app.

We’re not sure why Google has gone ahead with this change, and the company is yet to release an official statement on the matter. But we suspect it has something to do with the new Play Store Data Safety section, which is currently rolling out to users. The new Data Safety section provides users with information about how apps use their data in the Play Store listing. The information provided in the Data Safety section is a bit easier to digest for the average user, making it a bit more useful than the Permissions list, which doesn’t offer an explanation for the required permissions.

Those with a fair understanding of Android app permissions can still access the information by using the Aurora Store, a FOSS Google Play Client, or by inspecting the app’s manifest.

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Qualcomm hints at new chip for Wear OS smartwatches

We always need more power. Whether it’s our laptops, smartphones, or even smartwatches. It looks like the latter category might get a boost soon, as Qualcomm has taken the time to release a ten-second teaser trailer on its Twitter account. The small clip has exciting music and shows us an animated image of a Snapdragon Wear chipset being born. But what does it all mean? Let’s dive in.

As the chipset moniker comes into existence in the trailer, the camera transitions to a slogan: “Wear what matters.” As you can probably guess, this is a teaser for a new chipset that will power smartwatches – a new Snapdragon Wear chipset. Unfortunately, this is all we know at this point. It is hard to say when exactly this will come to fruition; we can probably bet that this summer is a good guess, as the company has stated that it is “coming soon.”

The clock is ticking on something big. pic.twitter.com/0bYaGf3SrF

— Snapdragon (@Snapdragon) July 12, 2022

So far, the firm has released the Snapdragon Wear 1100 and the Wear 1200. Along with the Snapdragon Wear 2100, Wear 2500, and Wear 3100. Its most recent iteration of its wearable Snapdragon SoC has been the Wear 4100 and Wear 4100 Plus. The Snapdragon Wear 4100 series offered improved connectivity, processing, and power efficiency over its predecessors.

Although Qualcomm didn’t give us much, we know from what was previously reported that the next generation of smartwatch processors could go under the Snapdragon Wear 5100 moniker. The new chipsets could utilize MEP and MLP construction, and should again improve upon their predecessors. For now, we will have to wait and see what improvements will be revealed.

A new Snapdragon Wear chipset for a new generation of wearables

The Snapdragon Wear 4100 series was revealed back in June of 2020, so this could be just the right time for something new to come along. With that said, the new chipset could create the perfect storm with Google’s Wear OS 3, which has not arrived on many smartwatches, despite it being the latest smartwatch OS.

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Source: Snapdragon (Twitter)

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The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic gets a major discount for Amazon Prime Day

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic continue to remain some of the best smartwatches you can buy in 2022. They both have powerful internals, have great displays, and they’re the only smartwatches to run Wear OS 3. And for Prime Day, Amazon is offering a huge discount on both variants of the Galaxy Watch 4. We’ve already covered the Galaxy Watch 4 deal in a separate post with all the relevant information. We’re now turning the spotlights toward the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, which is also on sale for Prime Day.

The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic comes in a bunch of different SKUs, and all of them are discounted differently. However, we’re looking at a minimum of $89.69 in savings starting with the base variant. The 42mm version of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic with Bluetooth is down to $260 from its original price of $350. The LTE variant, on the other hand, is available for $300, down from its original price of $400. We’re looking at similar discounts for the 46mm models too, so there’s something for everyone.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is essentially a sophisticated version of the regular Watch Galaxy Watch 4. It adds some finishing touches to make it look and feel more premium. Unlike the standard Galaxy Watch 4 which sports an aluminum chassis, the Classic variant uses stainless steel. The Classic variant also has physically rotating bezels around the display that lets you navigate through the UI.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic

The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is essentially a sophisticated version of the regular Galaxy Watch 4. It uses stainless steel instead of aluminum and comes with rotating bezels around the display.

Buy from Amazon

You can check out our Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic review to learn more about the watch in detail. Additionally, you can also read our article highlighting some of the key features of Wear OS 3 to see what’s in store for you on the software front. So which Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic variant are you planning to buy? Let us know by dropping a line in the comments below.

The post The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic gets a major discount for Amazon Prime Day appeared first on XDA.

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Why you should buy a Fire TV Cube over a Fire TV Stick

If you’re looking to buy a media streaming device, Amazon’s Fire TV lineup provides a lot of options. There’s the basic Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Stick Lite, Fire TV Stick 4K Max, and Fire TV Stick 4K. All these devices have a similar dongle form factor and can be hooked to any display that has an HDMI port. Amazon also has an interesting device called Fire TV Cube, which can do much more than just streaming. Here’s why the Fire TV Cube might be a better choice for you over a Fire TV Stick.

Unconventional Design

The appearance is one of the most striking differences between the Fire TV Cube and a Fire TV Stick. All Fire TV Sticks follow the same general design. They’re slim, lightweight, and have a rectangular shape, almost like an oversized USB drive.

The Fire TV Cube looks beastly in comparison. The 3.4-inch square box measures 3.38 x 3.38 x 3.02 inches and weighs 465g. Unlike the Fire TV Stick, which hides behind your TV, the Cube is designed to sit near or in front of your smart TV. It looks stylish and will nicely complement your entertainment center. It has four buttons at the top, and a blue LED running across the top edge. Since the Fire TV Cube is a hefty device, ensure you have space around your TV.

Better performance, more storage

The Fire TV Cube is Amazon’s flagship streaming device. In terms of performance, the Fire TV Cube blows other Fire TV devices out of the water. Amazon says it’s the fastest in the Fire TV lineup. It’s powered by an Amlogic S922X hexa-core processor, featuring four Cortex-A73 performance cores clocked at 2.2GHz and two Cortex-A53 efficiency cores running at 1.9GHz.

In comparison, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is powered by a quad-core MediaTek CPU clocked at 1.8GHz. While Fire Sticks are prone to sluggishness and lags in the long run, it’s unlikely to be an issue on the Fire TV Cube. The Cube will feel more responsive and zippier in day-to-day usage as it has more RAM and raw power to draw from. Also, if you’re planning to do a bit of gaming or graphics-intensive work, the Fire Cube is a better choice as it has a faster GPU.

The Fire TV Cube packs 16GB of onboard storage compared to 8GB on other Fire TV devices. More storage means more room for apps and media files.

Coming to the streaming performance, the Fire TV Cube offers 4K HDR streaming with Dolby Vision and HDR10 support. In this regard, it’s neck to neck with the Fire TV Stick 4K and Stick 4K Max, both of which offer 4K HDR streaming at 60fps. Meanwhile, the basic Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite max out at 1080p 60fps streaming.

It’s essentially an Echo speaker that can also stream

The biggest difference between the Fire TV Cube and a Fire TV Stick is hands-free Alexa. The Fire TV Cube is essentially a full-fledged Echo speaker that can stream as well. It has a built-in 1.6-inch (40mm) speaker and eight far-field omnidirectional microphones that can pick up your voice from across the room. That means you talk to Alexa and give commands without touching the remote. And since it’s essentially an Echo speaker, you can also control your other smart home devices such as lights, security cameras, thermostats, etc. The Fire Stick can also manage your IoT devices, but you first need to connect your devices to an Echo speaker.

You can control your TV and sound system

The Fire TV Cube comes with HDMI-CEC and infrared (IR), allowing you to control your TV, soundbars, A/C receivers, and satellite boxes using Alexa.

You can control the power and input switching on your TV, turn up or down the volume of your soundbars, or switch to cable using just your voice. For example, you can say, “Alexa, turn on the TV” or “Alexa, turn up the volume.” In select markets such as the US, UK, and Germany, you can even change channels on your cable or satellite box with voice — “Alexa, tune to ESPN on cable.”

Basically, the Fire TV Cube makes it possible to control your entire entertainment system with just voice commands without having to fiddle with remotes or separate controls, making the experience seamless.

Ethernet connectivity out of the box

Connectivity options are limited with a Fire TV Stick as you only get HDMI and USB ports. The Fire TV Cube has an HDMI, infrared, and micro USB port. The Cube also comes with an ethernet adapter for wired internet connectivity. This can come in handy if your Wi-Fi isn’t strong enough and there are other devices in your household fighting for bandwidth. The Fire TV Stick and the Stick 4K also support ethernet connection, but you need to buy the adapter separately.

Bottom line

The Fire TV Cube is a unique device that’s better in many ways than a Fire TV Stick. While it’s more expensive than the top-end Fire TV Stick 4K Max, it also brings a lot of value. It’s much more than just a streaming box, combining the power of an Echo speaker with a Fire TV Stick. In addition to offering hands-free control for content playback, the Fire TV Cube lets you control your TV, sound system, and satellite box with voice commands.

Amazon Fire TV Box

The Amazon Fire TV Box is an amalgamation of an Echo speaker and a Fire TV Stick.

Buy from Amazon

Since the Fire TV Cube also happens to be a full-fledged Echo speaker, it can act as a central hub for all your smart home devices, including lights, thermostats, and security cameras. Not to mention the Fire TV Cube offers better performance and more storage than a Fire TV Stick. Instead of buying an Echo speaker and a 4K-powered Fire TV Stick, you should get the Fire TV Cube instead and shoot two birds with one stone.

If you simply need streaming capabilities and aren’t interested in adding smart speakers to your setup, then the Fire TV Sticks remain better choices.

The post Why you should buy a Fire TV Cube over a Fire TV Stick appeared first on XDA.

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Asus confirms the Zenfone 9 is coming later this month

Late last week, Asus accidentally published a promo video of its upcoming flagship, the Zenfone 9, revealing key details ahead of the launch. The company has now confirmed it will officially unveil the device on July 28.

Asus has updated its official website with a new banner, which confirms that the company will launch the Zenfone 9 at an event on July 28 at 9 a.m. ET. While the banner doesn’t reveal anything else about the device, it does give us a look at its display, confirming the design we spotted in the promo video last week.

According to the leaked promo video, the Asus Zenfone 9 will be a compact flagship, featuring a new design with two circular camera modules on the back panel, a flat display, and a metal frame with square edges. The smartphone will pack Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip, a 4,300mAh battery, a 50MP Sony IMX766 primary camera, six-axis hybrid gimbal stabilization, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

We also know that the Zenfone 9 will feature a 5.9-inch 120Hz Samsung AMOLED display with a left-aligned hole-punch cutout for the selfie shooter, a 3.5mm headphone jack, dual stereo speakers, and an IP68 certification for dust and water resistance. The phone will come in four colorways — white, black, red, and blue.

The promo video has also confirmed that Asus will offer two new accessories with the device — a Smart Backpack Mount and a flexible Connex case with an optional kickstand or cardholder. On the software front, the Zenfone 9 will likely run Asus’ ZenUI based on Android 12, and it will offer a couple of unique features, like gesture input support for the side-mounted fingerprint sensor and a new Light Trail Mode for nighttime photography.

Based on these specifications, we believe the Zenfone 9 could be one of the best compact smartphones this year. But you’ll have to wait for our full review to know for sure if that’s the case or not.

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Source: Asus

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There’s still time to grab a $35 Blink Video Doorbell on Prime Day

Ring isn’t Amazon’s only connected camera brand and Blink, the other, is getting in the Prime Day spirit as well. As part of Amazon’s flagship shopping event on July 12-13, there’s a hot deal in play on the Blink Video Doorbell, taking 30% off its already attractive price.

It isn’t as advanced as some competing video doorbells, but at $35 it certainly represents an attractive price point, particularly for those taking their first steps.

The Blink Video Doorbell can operate either wired to an existing chime or wirelessly, with up to two years of battery life. Daytime video is captured in 1080p, while when the sun goes down the infrared view kicks in. As with any connected camera, the Blink Video Doorbell has a companion app with full support for live view and notifications for motion events and bell presses. With two-way audio, you can hear and speak to whoever is at your door.

As it takes AA batteries, too, there’s never a time you need to be without coverage while the battery charges. It’s weatherproof, too, as you would expect, and unlike the Ring doorbells, can be used to its fullest without a subscription plan.

Blink Video Doorbell

A budget alternative to Ring with the option of local storage if you also grab the Sync Module 2.

See at Amazon

The caveat on that is that the additional $35 Sync Module 2 is required. With this, you can save local footage from the Blink Video Doorbell and up to nine additional cameras. Blink does have a cloud plan that will offer storage and access to your footage, but the Sync Module 2 is better value overall. If you spring for that, you’ll be paying $30 per year per device or $100 per year for a plan that covers up to 10 devices.

But since it’s Prime Day you can also save on the Sync Module 2. For an additional $16 you can get a bundle containing both the Blink Video Doorbell and Sync Module 2 for just $51. Whichever you go for, time is running out, since Prime Day ends at the close of play on July 13.

The post There’s still time to grab a $35 Blink Video Doorbell on Prime Day appeared first on XDA.

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Razer’s latest Blade laptops are up to $400 off on Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day is on its way out, but there are still some great deals you can take advantage of right now. Case in point, the Microsoft Store is offering some hefty discounts on a couple of Razer Blade laptops to line up with Prime Day – and they’re the latest models available, too. We haven’t been able to find these prices anywhere else, so it’s a great opportunity to buy yourself a great gaming laptop.

First off, there’s the Razer Blade 15. The configuration Microsoft is offering comes with an Intel Core i7-12700H, which is a 14-core, 20-thread processor with clock speeds up to 4.7GHz. That’s paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, currently the fastest laptop GPU out there, and you also get 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. This is a beastly laptop and it will handle just about any game you throw at it just fine. And to match that, you get a 15.6-inch Full HD display with an ultra-fast 360Hz refresh rate, allowing for split-second reactions in competitive titles.

Of course, you usually have to pay the Razer tax – these laptops don’t come cheap.  This configuration usually costs $3,699.99, but Microsoft is slashing a whopping $400 off its usual price, so you can get it for $3,299.99. Granted, that’s still not cheap, but for a top-of-the-line laptop like this, it’s a solid price, and certainly more palatable than MSRP.

Razer Blade 15 ($400 off)

The Razer Blade 15 is a powerful 15-inch gaming laptop with 12th-gen Intel processors and Nvidia graphics, It also has a super-fast 360Hz display, and right now, it's $400 cheaper than usual.

See at Microsoft

The Razer Blade 15 even has a great webcam with 1080p resolution and Windows Hello facial recognition, things you don’t see that often in gaming laptops. There are also plenty of ports with one Thunderbolt 4 port, one standard USB-C port, three USB Type-A ports, a  headphone jack, and an SD card reader.

If you want something a bit more compact, though, there’s the Razer Blade 14, too. This one is powered by an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX, an 8-core, 16-thread processor that boosts up to 4.9GHz. This configuration includes an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU, which is still more than enough to run modern games, and you also get 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. You can enjoy your games on a Quad HD display with a 165Hz refresh rate, too, giving you a great balance of image quality and smoothness.

Usually, this configuration goes for $2,599.99, but the Microsoft Store is giving you $300 off on, so this powerful and compact laptop can be yours for $2,299.99.

Razer Blade 14 ($300 off)

The Razer Blade 14 is a compact laptop that still packs top-tier AMD processors and powerful Nvidia graphics. Plus, it has a Quad HD 165Hz display that's great for gaming and productivity. It's $300 off, so it's a great time to buy it.

See at Microsoft

Just like with the Blade 15, you also get a Full HD webcam with Windows Hello above that display. Connectivity is solid, too, with two USB Type-C ports (with DisplayPort and charging), two USB Type-A ports, and HDMI. There’s no Thunderbolt here, because it’s an AMD laptop. We should also mention you can’t upgrade the RAM on the Blade 14, though 16GB should be good enough for a long time.

Unlike “proper” Prime Day deals, these Razer Blade discounts are technically running until the end of the week, but they may go out of stock. In fact, at one point the Razer Blade 17 also seemed to have a deal available, but it’s already sold out, so take advantage of these while you can.

The post Razer’s latest Blade laptops are up to $400 off on Prime Day appeared first on XDA.

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