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Galaxy Z Flip May Use Bendable ‘Ultra-Thin Glass’ Instead Of Plastic

There was a lot of speculations about the Samsung foldable glass display for its the Galaxy Z Flip. This device is the direct answer to the Razr by the company. Older reports suggested that Samsung’s upcoming clamshell smartphone, named the Galaxy Z Flip, will boast of a foldable glass display. The source of the leak was a popular tipster called the Ice Universe. He tweeted, “It can be confirmed that the Galaxy Fold2 leaked not long ago will use an ultra-thin glass cover for the first time in the world, replacing plastic materials.” Put in simple words, this means that Samsung has found something that is basically glass that can be folded. This is quite an achievement since almost all manufacturers of foldable displays use plastic since naturally, who can get a glass to fold?!

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

The New Innovation

The new glass cover is said to be flatter than plastic. It even has lesser ’wrinkles’ compared to regular plastic display covers generally used in foldable phones. Even the Galaxy Fold which is known for the crease on the screen used the latter option. Following this, another leak emerged from XDA Developers where Max Weinbach says that the Z Flip will use glass instead of plastic for its folding display. He is an XDA TV host who claimed that Samsung’s upcoming device will have the Samsung Ultra-Thin Glass on a Dynamic AMOLED display panel.

While glass will make sure that the display is likely to last longer and is more resistant to scratches, the use of glass makes it more vulnerable to breakage. As always, we are presented with two vices, forcing us to choose one. Samsung has apparently chosen to go ahead with glass, giving us better durability factor. It is up to us now to keep our devices safe and sound.

Features of Galaxy Z Flip

According to the leaks, we believe that the Galaxy Z Flip smartphone will support a 6.7-inch dynamic AMOLED screen and have either a 3,300 mAh or 3,500 mAh battery. The device is expected to have a 12MP camera as the main shooter and a 10MP sensor for selfies. Older reports tell us that the Z Flip model will run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC and feature 256GB internal storage. In addition to this, the phone will have Samsung’s One UI 2.1 on it.

Galaxy Z Flip

Weinbach also mentioned that the smartphone will come with a capacitive fingerprint reader on the side. The phone will feature a wide angle and ultra wide angle lens. With regards to the battery, the phone will have 15W fast charging. Users would be able to charge it via both wired and wireless charging options. In terms of looks, the Galaxy Z Flip is pretty similar to a foldable Galaxy S10e.

Compared to Motorola’s Razr, the pricing is expected to be quite competitive and could possibly make Samsung fans very happy. However, the company is yet to officially launch the Galaxy Z Flip. While the day is not far off, fans are eagerly awaiting its release.

January 29, 2020
LG UX 9.0 And Android 10 In The Cards For 9 More LG Phones

While LG is not known for its reliability with firmware updates for its older tools. However, the company is now working to improve it. Did you know that the Android 10 is now used in two LG phones? The G8 ThinQ and the V50 ThinQ 5G both are running on the latest Android variation with LG UX 9.0. An upcoming release by LG Italy tells us that the company is planning to bring Android 10 to more devices, 9 to be specific. This means that by the end of 2020, LG will have released 9 more devices running on Android 10 – this year alone.

LG Android 10 Update

LG Phone Android 10 Upgrades

The phones chosen for the update includes LG V40 ThinQ, V50 ThinQ, G8X ThinQ, G8S ThinQ, G7 ThinQ, K50 S, K40 S, K50 and the Q60. The V50 devices across the globe are eligible for an upgrade due in February followed by the G8X in Q2. In the third quarter, we will see an update emerge for the G7, the G8S and as well as the V40 phones. Towards the end of the year, LG K50 S, K40 S, K50 and Q60 will be released in Q4.

The worldwide V50 devices are initially eligible the upgrade in February, complied with by the G8X in Q2. The G7, G8S as well as V40 are set up for Q3,2020 The last phones in line are the LG K50 S, K40 S, K50 as well as Q60 which are getting the large upgrade in Q4 2020. LG is planning to bring Android 10 with LG’s UX 9.0 to these nine smartphones by the end of 2020.

LG UX 9.0

The G8 is a special model, no doubt since it is the only LG phone to have received an Android 10 update. However, the company is already working to release an upgrade for nine of its devices this year. With the announcement first made by LG Italy, it looks as if it is accurate enough. Again, the availability will depend on country and carrier. LG V50 can rejoice since they are among the first ones to receive the Android 10 update. It is expected to happen sometime early February.

LG UX 9.0

Besides the tons of new features and improvements that come as part of the Android 10 update, this upgrade will also feature the new LG UX 9.0. This completely changes the phone’s UI, making it cleaner and nicer to use. It is also more user-friendly now and finding your way around is easier. Some critics mention that the new LG UI is quite similar the Samsung’s latest One UI Interface. The design and composition of the elements look pretty much the same. However, this also brings us to advantage. Where LG thoughtfully placed the tab near the bottom so users would be able to reach it easily, Samsung let it go. The reactions to the teaser were mixed. We will know more as soon as the updates start rolling out.

January 29, 2020
Samsung Galaxy S20: News, Leaks, Release Date, Specs, and Galaxy S11 Rumours

Among all of Samsung’s Galaxy models, the S series has always been highly anticipated. While the S9 was a regular enough smartphone, the Galaxy S10 line-up brought something impressive into the market with its triple rear cameras and an Infinity-O design for the display. The series, in fact, even featured a budget model! In the next few months, Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S20. One thing that might confuse you and other users is the fact that the company is not going ahead with the Galaxy S11 name.

Samsung Galaxy S20

What do we know so far?

We do know that the Galaxy S20 is likely to have three versions. The model’s design has already been revealed – more on this later! And we also know that it isn’t going to be called the S11! On the downside, the phone is expected to be priced higher. Samsung is planning to announce it on February 11, 2019. Last year’s flagship, the Galaxy S10 could still be a worthy option after the S20’s specs are released. We are not sure how the S20, although certainly a flagship, is likely to compete with the S10 in terms of specs, price, and value. It is going to be a tough job to beat the S10’s super-fast performance, stunning triple rear cameras, and a great display.

The Different S20 Models

Most of the times in the past, Galaxy S series usually feature two releases with one regular model and another a Plus size variant. With S10, Samsung decided to do something outside the norm and released a third option, the S10e, touted to be a budget variant. Maybe the S20 will follow a similar pattern of release.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus

A couple of months back, Evan Blass, a popular tipster, shared three screen sizes for the different S20 variants. This includes a 6.4-inch, a 6.7-inch, and a 6.9-inch model. The following month, reports emerged that Samsung will no longer be manufacturing ‘e’ variants of its smartphones in 2020. Instead, the company is planning to release a regular version, a Plus model, and an Ultra variant. Basically, this means that we can look forward to seeing Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra 5G in the market quite soon.

S20 Design and More

The Samsung Galaxy S20 is a bit different from the popular S10. The display will feature a punch-hole camera, located at the centre of the screen. This is pretty similar to the Note 10 model. With regards to the rear camera setup, the S20 will feature a vertical setting into of the horizontal one that we are used to. The phone has three camera sensors. The S20 Plus and S20 Ultra variants are known to have more. The S20+ is similar in design with the same punch-hole camera at the centre. At the back, we see an addition camera which could be a time-of-flight sensor. Coming to the S20 Ultra, the design stays the same, but the screen size is 6.9-inches. The rear camera features Samsung’s “100X Space Zoom” branding.

Among one of the first 2020 flagships, it is yet to be seen how it works out.

January 29, 2020
Chrome Web Store Apps: Google Will End Support For Chrome Apps Starting This Year

This might come as a shocker to some. Google is planning to end support for Chrome Web Store Apps starting this year. This means that submissions for new apps will only be entertained until the end of March. From June 2020 onwards, there will not be any support for Chrome Apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux. There is no danger of Chrome Extensions going off since developers are being urged to switch to Progressive Web Apps or Chrome Extensions.

Support for Chrome Web Store Apps

After quite a while, Google has finally charted out a timeline for phasing out Chrome Apps. Starting in March 2020, Chrome Web Store will not be accepting any new apps for submission. However, developers who already have their app in the store would be able to provide updates to their existing apps until June 2022. This is pretty ironic since it does look like many users would be able to use them. The reason behind this is that from June 2020, support for Chrome Apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux will come to an end. Since users will not have access to the store, chances of them using the updated apps are pretty low! With regards to the Chrome OS platform and the Chrome Apps available there, support will end in June of 2021.

Events leading up to this

Google has been planning to phase out Chrome Web Store apps for quite some time now. The company believes that Progressive Web Apps are where the future lies and has been steadily pointing users in that direction. In 2018, Google phased out all types of apps including packaged application, hosted application, and more. The second part of this includes the phasing of the Chrome Store apps. This will be done slowly, giving developers time to make the shift.

Chrome Web Store Apps

Timeline

Let’s take a look at the timeline of phasing out the Chrome Web Store Apps. This was first published in the Chromium blog post by the company.

March 2020: Chrome Web Store will stop accepting new Chrome Apps. Developers will be able to update existing Chrome Apps through June 2022.

June 2020: End support for Chrome Apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Customers who have Chrome Enterprise and Chrome Education Upgrade will have access to a policy to extend support through December 2020.

December 2020: End support for Chrome Apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

June 2021: End support for NaCl, PNaCl, and PPAPI APIs.

June 2021: End support for Chrome Apps on Chrome OS. Customers who have Chrome Enterprise and Chrome Education Upgrade will have access to a policy to extend support through June 2022.

June 2022: End support for Chrome Apps on Chrome OS for all customers.

While this is not great news for Chrome App developers and users, but there is one load off our mind. This refers to the fact that Chrome Extensions are here to stay, at least for the time being. This is cemented by the fact that Google is supporting the transition to Progressive Web App or a Chrome Extension.

January 29, 2020
Virtual Protest: Online Fight Between Hong Kongers and Chinese Gamers

Rockstar’s wildly popular online multiplayer game, Grand Theft Auto Online, has become the latest avenue for Chinese nationalists and Hong Kong pro-democracy supporters to wage their ideological battles. The protests are now breaking out in the virtual world.

According to AbacusNews, the Hong Kongers’ superior numbers on the continental part of China overcame the Chinese after a battle with railguns in the game.

Over the last two weeks, message boards and social media platforms that are used by gamers have been filled with videos. Also, the virtual clashes along with insults and recriminations from both sides of the ideological divide.

What Is GTA?

GTA Online is an online open-world game that allows players to move freely on the virtual streets of a large, fictional American city.

In the multiplayer game Grand Theft Auto (GTA) V, Hong Kong protests are being played out online as pro-democracy supporters fight in-game Chinese nationalists. The online challenges for ideologies as protesters started to dress up their avatars and riot online in the usual garb of their movement.

In the meantime, social media was full of clashes, which included videos of battles and insults on both sides on gaming messages.

After the release of recent expansion earlier this month, gamers in Hong Kong noticed they could dress their avatars in the clothing worn in their movement. Hence, it is pushing for greater democratic freedoms and police accountability.

They dressed in black clothes, masks, and yellow helmets and threw oil bombs, smashed underground stations, and attacked the cops. They are almost repeating the protests, which have stirred up the financial hub.

Their antiquities quickly drew the attention of gamers in China. After this, they dressed themselves up as a police force and fought with the Hong Kongers.

The gamers posted images on a video clip on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, Twitter-like platform on Monday titled “Compilation of players who kill the cockroaches.”

What Is A Cockroach?

A cockroach is a word that Hong Kong’s police and state supporters regularly identify protesters with.

On Tuesday afternoon, the video had over 175.000 views.

One video clip reads, “No one can trample down our honor. We must fight like a Chinese player!” The makers of the video blurred some slogans of the Hong Kong players for democracy in an example of the censorship people in China.

Half self-governing Hong Kong is fighting with increasingly violent demonstrations for democracy.

At first, they ignited themselves by a now-abandoned attempt to allow extraditions into the repressive continent. However, the movement has developed into a revolt against the rule of Beijing.

China’s authorities flung its weight to put an end to the massive protests. The police called protestors for an investigation. More than 6000 people were arrested.

January 28, 2020
Researchers Report that Netflix App is Draining your Phone Battery

If you are a Netflix app user, beware since it could exhaust your battery without you realizing it. It is not an assumption, but a warning from researchers.

Researchers observed that the app was using up considerable amounts of battery, even when the app is not in use, and the device is not in operation.

The app uses up a surprising amount of battery. If you leave your phone to charge overnight, the app will probably have eaten up 20 percent of your battery. However, draining percent can be different from some big batteries’ phones.

According to the researcher’s report, battery-related problems have been continuing for at least a year. The reason behind the problem is a code error in some specific Netflix version.

The good news is, the bug can be corrected with a simple app update.

Enerlytics researchers tested this problem.

When the Netflix app was installed on a Nexus 6 phone (Android 6.0.1), and the app rapidly started draining the battery. Even when the phone was left to charge overnight, the battery drained due to this issue.

Researchers have also analyzed the reviews about this battery drain problem. The reports started increasing in May 2018.

By continually analyzing the stability of the app, researchers are saying that the reason behind the battery drain is a bug in its code. The app continues to run even after the user has closed the app.

However, the issue seems it will restrict the Android 6.0.1 OS. Only a small percentage of Android phones are using this version. The problem has been corrected in the recent update – version 7.8.

If you happen to be using Android version 6.0.1 or below, updating your Netflix app should fix the battery drain issue.

January 28, 2020
Inclusive New Emojis For 2020

Emoticons before emojis have been around for longer than you, and I may imagine. It has become a more pop kind of communication. Emojis literally means a picture letter, which was first founded in Japan.

Apple has, like every year, rolled out a new range of emojis in the fall of 2019. It has once again expanded the emoji offerings with a range of appealing emojis, which instantly catches the eye.

These new emojis seem to work well as these classy designed emojis successfully convey the essence, which calls for repeated views. They are premium in design with ample detailing and color, which have been an attribute of Apple emojis.

Apple has extended a total of 59 new emojis for 2020, which will mostly be available with the iOS 13. In case, you use an iPhone 6, quite naturally, your phone will not support iOS 13. But, Apple has a fix for this too.

These new set of emojis coming this fall will be available with a software update on iPhones, iPads, Mac as well as Apple watches.

Design and Colors

The new emojis are extremely original with their precise detailing and color. There are many categories with new updates and emojis like the yawning face, disability themed ones, and new animals like skunk, flamingo or sloth, holding hands encouraging diversity, new clothing options, mythical creatures like vampires, fae and also new food items like falafel, waffles, garlic, ice cubes and more.

Apple has stressed non-binary emojis this year, but then again, there are many raising their eyebrows on it. They say Apple has tried to create a fixed idea of what non-binary couples should look like.

The new emojis have subtle improvements in the detailing and color, which makes them more life-like than it was earlier. Its concentration on the disability themes includes various emojis varying in versions and skin tone variants.

With gender uniform clothing and pairings, Apple has rolled out many emojis holding hands in various skin tones, hair color. The animal emojis welcome several new adorable ones like the sloth or the orangutan.

One of my favorite emojis from this new lot is the guide dog, which shows both intelligence and trustworthiness. From the rest, who does not love garlic and butter or waffles?

The new set of emojis in the food section looks refreshing and inviting. There are many in the other segments as well that are newly added like the yo-yo, snorkel, juice box, safety vests with one or two musical instruments.

With more new emojis for 2020, it is a great way of fun communication with family and friends. We hope to find more of such life-like emojis in the year to come.

January 28, 2020
Huawei Google Ban: What Does It Mean For Your Android Phone

Once again, the US has struck the Chinese manufacturer, Huawei, by banned its license to work with the other US companies. Now, if you are thinking about how it would affect your Huawei device due to Huawei Google Ban.

You will still be able to use and buy Huawei phones or laptops, but it will be a little different for the products that have been launched after the trade ban on Huawei by the United States. This fallout between the US and China can severely affect the market for Android.

As we all know, Google is an American company, and the US government has blacklisted Huawei from trading in the US. Huawei uses Google developed Android platform for its smartphones.

It has shipped about 200 million smartphones leading to Google revoking its Android license to act in accordance with the government.

Due to Huawei Google ban, Huawei will no longer have any access to Android apart from ASOP. It is the Android Open Source Project and does not require any license.

The existing Huawei or sister company Honor devices will remain unaffected for some time now, as confirmed by both Google and Huawei. But, it could lead to a time where Google will block all its services on both Huawei and Honor phones.

The situation is severe, and it is difficult to determine the restrictions that will be imposed on the two Chinese sister companies. Both the companies have assured that they will provide after-sales services and security updates to the existing users.

So, if you are asking if we recommend you to boy Huawei or Honor phones in the near future, the answer is no.

While Huawei has continuously been assuring its existing users about the usage and issue management, it is yet to be clear about the future endeavors that it is planning. It has pulled various new handsets from announcements, which further implies the seriousness of the situation.

What Huawei Says

However, as Huawei has released a statement saying, “Huawei has made substantial contributions to the development and growth of Android around the world. As one of Android’s key global partners, we have worked closely with their open-source platform to develop an ecosystem that has benefitted both users and the industry“.

With this statement, an idea doing rounds in the market is that Huawei is launching an operating system and software of their own. Huawei has indicated this possibility and their availability of resources for doing such a thing.

It has often showcased design and technical prowess to carry out this thought. Maybe in some time, there will be new Huawei and Honor handsets working on a completing new OS with no Android whatsoever.

Summarizing it

We find it unlikely in recent times and presume it will take at least two to three years to implement this kind of change. But, for now, we do not recommend buying Huawei or Honor phones unless you are living in China.

January 28, 2020
Huawei reveals Android Alternative HarmonyOS, Claiming it is 60 Percent Faster

After the huge crackdown of Huawei with the US, it has begun to imagine a tech world without Android. There was no news from Huawei on it, until early July 2019 when the CEO of Huawei came forward to reveal an alternative to Android.

At the annual developer conference of Huawei, it has finally shared some details about the new homegrown alternative to Android. Named as ‘HongmengOS’ or ‘HarmonyOS’, it has been described as a future-oriented software platform which has taken about two years to be developed by Huawei.

The company promises a 60 percent higher speed than Android. Along with various other new features, it could be connected across multiple smart devices like cars, televisions, IoT gadgets, and phones.

In a nutshell, this new platform is having some new features that make a clear winner from the Android. They have also compared it to ‘Fuschia’, which is an upcoming operating system by Google. They have insisted on HarmonyOS being more efficient than Android due to redundant coding and mechanisms that Android uses.

The HarmonyOS has a microkernel design that can support several coding languages like Kotlin, Java, and C++. It has a deterministic scheduling engine that allows the operating system to handle and manage resources quicker and better.

This, in turn, results in lower latencies and IPC i.e. Instructions per Cycle up to five times more efficient than the existing systems.

Huawei claims that the HarmonyOS uses a multi-device IDE (integrated development environment), unlike Android. This multi-device IDE enables the company to develop a sole version of the operating system which can be used across a scope of devices.

However, for Android, the operating system will need some tweakings to match every device. This is one of the many reasons for the delays in software updates and fragmentation.

Huawei has confirmed that this operating system has been in the making since 2017 and will be initially targeting the smaller display products like the Huawei Vision.

The Huawei CEO, Richard Yu has come forward to admit that there will be a time when Huawei will no longer be supporting the Android ecosystem. But, it has still not commented on smartphones in this revelation.

While the HarmonyOS is famous as an open-source platform, Huawei does not intend to allow its users to have root access to the operating system saying it would be highly risky in terms of security to do such a thing.

Also, as the new operating system, HarmonyOS is not compatible with Android apps, the developers will require to adjust the applications in order to run the new OS. Huawei CEO has further confirmed that it will be extremely easy to convert from Android to HarmonyOS.

Bottom Line

All said and done, we are a little jumbled on how this new HarmonyOS will be received by the users and developers. While also, Huawei has been very cautious about its future given the continuous pressure by the US government. It might have to do more than just building a new ecosystem.

January 28, 2020
Hackers Could Spy On You Through Your Android Phone Camera

Google reports that a bug that allowed hackers to take control of Android phone camera, microphones, and access GPS location without the consent of their owners has been patched.

The vulnerability was discovered by the security firm Checkmarx, which noticed many bugs in the Google Camera software that enabled them to spy on their users. Checkmarx also stated that the bug impacts hundreds of millions of smartphone users, including those using Samsung phones.

Researchers have discovered a disturbing security flaw that could cause certain Android apps to spy on users without them knowing.

The vulnerability enables an intruder to take control of the android phone camera and take pictures or record videos through a rogue program without the consent of the user.

According to the firm, the team found that an intruder to manipulate an app into taking pictures and filming videos without authorization by exploiting the bug.

What Checkmarx Observed: Image-Embedded GPS Metadata

Checkmarx also observed that in some situations, hackers could view stored videos and photos and see image-embedded GPS metadata that can give away the location of the user.

The company was able to use a mockup weather app to exploit such bugs, which only required simple storage permission from an Android user. Storage rights are extensive and give unrestricted access to the users’ SD card. Other private data could also be access using this hack.

Use of Camera License

“Without a camera license, a rogue application can take pictures and videos

Without hassles. Furthermore, the rogue application also has a way to access the current GPS position of the phone and user when placing them on the app,” the security team said.

After finding the vulnerability, the firm told Google that, after reviewing the issue, it discovered that the bugs were “not unique to the Pixel product line” and that “the effect was much larger and applied to the wider Android ecosystem.”

Since then, the tech giant has patched bugs and praised the security firm for finding the problem.

“We understand that Checkmarx is bringing this to our notice and partnering with Google and Android partners to organize transparency,” said Google spokesperson. “The problem was solved in affected Android users through the Google Camera Software Play Store update in July 2019. The fix was also made available to all parties.”

Samsung has also issued updates to address this problem since it was found.

“We appreciate Checkmarx’s attention in co-ordinating divulgation and work with Google and Android partners,” a spokesperson for Google said in a statement. “The issue in July 2019 was tackled by issuing an update for the Google Camera application on the affected Google device through a Play Store. Patches were also provided for all partners,” said Samsung at CNN Business.

“We urge all customers to update to the latest software on their smartphones to guarantee maximum protection,” a Samsung spokesperson said.

January 28, 2020