Popular smartphone maker OnePlus recently launched its latest smartphone, the OnePlus 8T, in the Indian market. OnePlus 8T introduced unique features like 120Hz refresh rate, 65W fast charging, quad-camera setup, and more. As per a recent post published on the OnePlus forum, the OnePlus 8T is now receiving its first OxygenOS update in India. Moreover, it looks like OnePlus is once again dangerously close to bloatware territory as its latest OxygenOS 11.0.1.2.KB05DA update forces the Amazon app installation with it.
The new and the first software update for OnePlus 8T brings some optimizations to the camera and various other improvements. However, OnePlus has started rolling out the update gradually, so it might take some time to reach all devices. Here’s what you need to know about the latest OxygenOS update for OnePlus 8T in India.
OnePlus 8T OxygenOS Update Details
Image Courtesy: Oneplus Forum
The latest OxygenOS update, and the first one for the OnePlus 8T in India, comes with model number OxygenOS 11.0.1.2 KB05DA. The update size is around 389MB and can be downloaded through the in-built system update feature of your smartphone. The update comes with a few system improvements like an optimized unlock experience for ambient display and optimized power consumption. Also, OnePlus has added the Amazon shopping app to the software update to make the shopping experience of users better.
There’s something more for the OnePlus 8T camera. Users will get the optimized Nightscape Mode for video and improved imaging quality. There are a few other improvements to the network too. See the complete changelog below:
System
1. Newly added Amazon shopping App, provide a better shopping experience
2. Optimized unlock experience for Ambient Display
3. Optimized power consumption for the phone
Camera
1. Optimized the Nightscape Mode for video, improving the imaging quality
2. Optimized the accuracy of white balance under different settings
3. Improved the app’s stability
Network
• Improve the stability of communication functions
Silently Added Features
1. Canvas AOD now available (Beta)
2. Added Horizon Light option under Customization
Image Courtesy: Oneplus Forum
To download the update, just go to Settings > System > System Updates and then click Check for Update. If it’s rolled out for your device, you’ll be able to download the latest OxygenOS version.
Xiaomi has announced the company’s achievement in its latest next-generation wireless charging technology. The company has now introduced a new 80W wireless charging method, what the company calls 80W Mi Wireless Charging Technology. Xiaomi claims its new tech beats out any other competitor. It is a major leap forward from the company’s 30W wireless charging technology that it introduced last year.
According to Xiaomi, the new 80W Mi Wireless Charging Technology will be able to charge a 4,000mAh battery to 10% in just one minute. It said the 80W charging solution is capable of charging the same battery to 50% in 8 minutes and to 100% in just 19 minutes. This is a remarkable improvement from last year’s 30W wireless charging solution that charged 100% in 69 minutes.
Xiaomi Wireless Charging Technology
Xiaomi claims the new 80W Mi Wireless Charging Technology will set a new benchmark in the area of charging as a whole. If you don’t know, the smartphone brand already has wireless charging tech on a shipping phone. It introduced 50W wireless charging tech in its Mi 10 Ultra smartphone that can fully charge its 4,500mAh battery in just 40 minutes. Recently, OnePlus also launched OnePlus 8T 5G with a higher 65W warp charge support. However, this fast charging technology is not shipped in any commercial device yet.
In this very year, Xiaomi introduced a wireless charging solution three times, one powerful than the other. It first launched 40W wireless charging in March, then broke its record by mass-producing 50W wireless charging in August. Now, it has again broken its own record with this 80W charging solution.
The company, however, hasn’t yet announced when a phone with 80W Mi Wireless Charging tech will actually ship. Xiaomi displayed the 80W charging miracle in a modified Mi 10 Pro device. We hope to get to see the Xiaomi devices equipped with this new tech shortly. Till then, watch the video of the new 80W Mi Wireless Charging Technology in action on a modified Mi 10 Pro.
The wait for Cyberpunk 2077, the upcoming action roleplay video game, is almost over as the release date for the game is just about a month away. Developed by CD Projekt, the game runs an action-adventure story set in dystopian Night City. As the game will be releasing on all popular platforms, PlayStation has released a new trailer of the gameplay. It introduces Cyberpunk’s fleet of drivable vehicles, the future cars ahead of the time. The official PlayStation shared the teaser through a tweet titled “The cars of the future, today.”
Image courtesy: PlayStation/YouTube
The trailer shows a wide range of future cars that the players can choose from when the game releases on November 19, 2020. The gameplay progresses through the Night City, located about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It consists of numerous future cars and real-world vehicles running through the city during night time. Cyberpunk 2977 will be available on both the PS4 and PS5 next month if the release date remains the same this time.
Cyberpunk 2077 Vehicles, Release Date, and More
Image courtesy: PlayStation/YouTube
The Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay focuses more on cars and styles with which the players can customize their character. The major focus goes to various vehicles and future cars that the players can ride in the Night City. There are five vehicle categories from which the players can choose the vehicle in the gameplay. These are economy, heavy-duty, executive, sport, and hypercars. The hypercars offer high speed and comfort while the economy cars are low-end models, cheaper than the executive vehicles. On the other hand, heavy-duty vehicles contain trucks and tanks. The Night City ride will also consist of real-world vehicles like Johnny Silverhand’s 1977 Porsche 911.
Cyberpunk 2077 is scheduled to release next month for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and Microsoft Windows. The game was first supposed to release on April 16, 2020, but got then delayed to September 17. However, the game still didn’t launch then. Now the launch date is fixed for November 19.
Ever had a greedy app that you wished to hide? There are many reasons to hide apps on your Android device. The apps may contain some personal stuff, and you’re sharing the device with another person, or you don’t want your kids to use that app.
Whatever your reasons are, we got some methods to hide any apps on your Android device. So let’s see them now.
The latest version of Android still lacks peculiar features, such as hiding apps. However, you can easily hide apps on Android Phones with the help of third-party apps such as Launcher applications.
How to Hide Apps on Android?
There are many ways to hide an app on Android. You can use any third-party apps that claim to hide your app. But most of these apps are free but contain ads. Premium apps can get you the features without ad, but there are other ways to do so.
Method 1: Use your Default Launcher
Some Android smartphones from certain manufacturers like Samsung or Mi come with custom launchers. These launchers are very feature-rich, and hiding apps will be one of them. So if you have a phone that comes with such launchers, you can use it to hide your app.
For instance, here, we use a Samsung Device that comes with One UI that provides the option to hide any app.
Launch the App drawer and Tap on the three dots in the top right corner.
Scroll down to the end and tap on the “Hide apps” option, and tap to select the app you wish to hide.
Now, this method is for the One UI launcher. The steps are similar for any other launchers (or Android skins). For instance, in Mi, you should be able to hide or lock apps from Settings > App lock by selecting the app you wish to hide.
Method 2: Use a Third-party launcher
Although you’re a stock or near-to-stock android user, your manufacturer won’t give such features on your launcher. It is because the launcher will be too minimal and simple.
For instance, if you’re a Moto or a Nokia user that comes with vanilla Android, then you should follow this method in order to hide apps.
First, download a third-party launcher that comes with an app lock/hide feature. For example, let’s use Microsoft Launcher, but you can choose other launchers like Nova or any other ones of your choice. Get Microsoft Launcher.
Open the Microsoft Launcher App drawer, tap on the three dots on the top right corner, and tap on Hidden apps.
Now, there will be no hidden apps, but you can add them by tapping on “Hide apps.”
Finally, select the apps you wish to hide and tap on “Done.”
This will hide the app from your Launcher App drawer. You can tap on the Hidden apps option and use your Hidden apps.
It is a must to set this Launcher as default else one can easily access your hidden apps from the pre-installed launcher. You can also set password protection to hidden apps by selecting the Gear icon (settings icon) on the right corner.
The procedure will be similar to any third-party app launcher in the market. You can find these options either in Launcher settings or the app drawer for the launcher.
Method 3: Using App Hider
App Hider is a controlled privacy application for users like you and me. It provides some basic privacy-related services such as photo hiding, app hiding, etc. The best thing about using the App Hider is that you don’t have to install a new launcher to hide apps on Android devices. You can do it easily using third party apps.
The app will look like a launcher. Now from the app, tap on the “Plus” icon.
Now tap on import (Hide/Dual). And let it import into your app.
Once imported, tap on the app and tap on Launch dual, and check it. The app works in this environment.
If it works (Read NOTE below), it’s time you uninstall the app from your main launcher, yet you can open the app from App Hider.
If the app works and you’ve uninstalled from the main launcher, you can also disguise this app into a calculator icon. For that, tap on App disguise and tap set up a PIN. Remember this six-digit PIN, which will be used to unlock this App Hider app from the disguised calculator app.
NOTE: This will remove data from your original app. Although your app supports backing up (ex. WhatsApp’s Gdrive backup), it’s good to take a backup before attempting. The app contains many ads. Check for the paid version if that is suitable for you.
Method 4: Using a Calculator vault
What if you can hide all your secrets inside the Calculator? It seems very peculiar, but there are hiding apps that can mimic system apps such as Calculator or Currency Convertor. But these apps can hold much private information, including hidden apps on Android.
By far, it is one of the most secure types of app hiding on Android. Most people will ignore the Calculator application, where all your hidden apps are there. So you can keep your device safe and tidy at the same time.
Open the app and set up a PIN for your app. The app will ask for PIN; you have to set up a new PIN for your app.
Now select the app you wish to hide, and it will hide the app. The procedure is similar to App Hider above, that you have to remove it from your main launcher, but the app can be accessed from here.
Finally, to access your hidden app, simply launch the Calculator app and just type in the PIN you’ve set up.
The list of hidden apps and Documents will appear.
The additional feature in this app over the App Hider is that it can also hide photos and videos, including documents.
Method 5: Password Protect your apps with Applock
There are plenty of problems when it comes to hiding apps. The most irritating one is not be able to use those hidden apps easily. You generally have to un-hide those apps to use them.
However, most people want to use the hidden applications on a daily basis. So here is the Applock that can protect or hide your apps easily.
Applock puts a biometric, pattern, or number lock in front of your apps so that other users cannot open the app without your permission. It does not hide the app but keeps it out of reach from others.
Open the Applock app and Set up a lock method at the first launch.
Provide necessary permissions and access.
From the next menu, select the app which you wish to lock.
That’s it. Next time you wish to open the app, the app would ask your pattern to unlock.
Apart from locking, it also supports intruder selfie and sound alarm features that can show you others who try to access your app without permission.
Conclusion
So to conclude, these are the best solutions to hide an app in an Android device. You can also use a third-party app to hide an app. But it’s not recommended as the procedure is complex, and those apps are full of ads. However, they can be used to create clone apps (dual apps). So if you want such features along with app hiding, please check their paid versions.
Samsung launched its new fitness tracker, Samsung Galaxy Fit 2, in India with a price tag of INR 3,999. The Korean tech giant unveiled the new fitness tracker along with many other products on its virtual “Life Unstoppable” event on September 2, 2020.
The new fitness tracker comes in two color options- Black and Scarlet and a sweat-proof band. The new fitness tracker is priced much lower than its predecessor, which was priced at INR 8,990.
Black and Scarlet color options of Galaxy Fit 2 | Image Courtesy: Gadgets360
Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 specifications
The new Galaxy Fit 2 comes with a 1.1-inch AMOLED display with a curved 3D glass on top. The screen also has a resolution of 126×294. The screen is indeed an upgrade over its predecessor, which was 0.96-inch in size. Moreover, the fitness tracker offers 75 downloadable watch faces. It is also equipped with 12 dedicated widgets.
Galaxy Fit 2 also packs five automatic workout modes and up to 90 more workouts available on the Samsung Health app. The fitness tracker also tracks sleep patterns in four stages- awake, REM (Rapid Eye Movement), light sleep, and deep sleep. The tracker also sports a stress tracker, which provides a breathing guide during high stress.
Image Courtesy: Samsung
Not only that, the fitness tracker is lighter than its predecessor, weighing only 21 grams. Galaxy Fit 2 is 5ATM water-resistant and also comes with a Water Lock mode that comes in use during any water-based activity such as swimming. The tracker also got a battery upgrade and features a 159 mAh battery that provides up to 15 days of battery on a full charge which can go all the way up to 21 days.
Keeping the COVID-19 pandemic situation in mind, Samsung provided Galaxy Fit 2 with a Hand Wash feature that reminds the user to wash hands.
Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 is now available for sale on Amazon, Samsung’s official website, and offline retail stores.
Google has several nearly-identical communication services that confuse many people to decide which one to use. Products like Hangouts, Chat, Meet, and Duo do nearly the same thing, but now Google has decided to make things simple. The tech giant has now announced that it will make the Google Chat instant messaging service free for everyone in 2021 and will replace Hangouts. The company has decided to completely shut down Hangouts in 2021 and will allow free migration to Chat next year.
Google Chat is currently a paid service for Google Workplace customers and is Google’s answer to Microsoft Teams and Slack. The instant messaging service provides various collaboration tools and more security enhancements that aren’t there in Hangouts. However, it is now going to be free in the coming year.
Google Chat Features and Migration From Hangouts
While Hangouts may start replacing Chat in 2021, it isn’t an exact one-to-one replacement. Google Chat offers numerous additional features for group chats and collaboration and new security tools. It will also be integrated deeply into the Gmail app together with Rooms and Meet. Google will automatically migrate the Hangouts contacts, conversations, and history to Chat, it said. By the end of 2021, hangouts will shut down completely.
“With Chat, you can more easily plan with others on goals and similar interests, share and collaborate on files, and assign tasks to help keep everyone on the same page,” said Google in the blog post. Users can begin upgrading from Hangouts to Chat, starting in the first half of 2021. Google said it would help migrate conversations, contacts, and saved history from Hangouts. However, there are no clear steps yet to perform the Hangouts migration to Chats.
Google Fi and Voice Users
People using Hangouts with Google Fi will lose Hangouts support early next year. It primarily let users make calls and text messages from Hangouts. But, this experience will now migrate to Google’s Messages app. Also, for Google Voice users, a similar transition will happen. They’ll be now directed to the Voice app for making voice calls or text messages. Google will remove Voice support from Hangouts early next year too.
Google has announced that it is discontinuing its location-sharing app Trusted Contacts and has removed it from Playstore and AppStore. It was launched in 2016 as a location-sharing app that let users request someone’s location and know if they’re safe. But Google is now killing the Trusted Contacts as the company has already added its function to Google Maps. However, Google has said that it will continue to support the app until December 1, 2020. So all users who already have the app installed on their phones can still use it until then.
With the Trusted Contacts app, users could track their family members or friends, and see if they are safe, post the request approval. It also let the users see, target’s recent activity and battery status. However, you can still use this feature using the real-time Location Sharing feature in Google Maps.
Trusted Contacts Removal and Its Alternative
Image courtesy: Google Blog
Google has already removed the Trusted Contacts app from the Google Playstore and the Apple App Store. Users who already have the app on their homes can continue to use it for another one month or so, until December 1, 2020. It was a helpful app for the past three years, especially for keeping track of our loved ones to make sure they’re safe. But the app is now joining the Google graveyard.
Google is, however, allowing users who have created trusted contacts to download them from the trusted contacts page before December 1, as the app will stop working after that. Those of you who want to use the location sharing feature can now use Google Maps for this. Just go to the real-time Location Sharing feature in the Google Maps app and add the contact to send the request and if approved, start tracking.
Download the Google Maps app for Android from Google Playstore or for iOS from the App Store to continue using the location sharing feature.
Have you also run into frustration when you are humming something but can’t remember which song it is? Finally, there’s someone who has felt your pain and has brought up a solution to this problem. Google has announced a new feature to search the song if you can hum just a few bars. The web search giant has introduced a “hum to search” feature that lets users hum, whistle, or sing a melody and then tracks down the song for them.
Google has added the feature to the Google app on mobile devices, which you can access when you tap the mic button. To use the song-search feature, you just need to tap the mic icon on the Google Search widget or by opening the Google app on your smartphone. After you tap the mic button, click the “Search a song” button or simply say “What’s this song?” to activate the feature. Now start humming, whistling, or singing the tune for some seconds, and there you go!
Google AI Algorithms Find the Potential Song Matches
Once you finish humming or singing the song for 10-15 seconds, Google tries to identify the potential song matches using its high-end AI algorithms. It then displays the most likely search results for the song you were humming along with the match percentage. You can then select the song from the matched results and then listen to it or find more information on the song, find the lyrics, or view accompanying music videos.
Krishna Kumar, senior product manager for Google Search, in a blog post said, “When you hum a melody into Search, our machine learning models transform the audio into a number-based sequence representing the song’s melody.”
“The AI models of Google are trained to identify songs based on a variety of sources,” says Google. The sources include humans humming, singing, or whistling a song or the studio recordings and a song playing in the surroundings. Hum to search feature is available in more than 20 languages on Android, including Hindi. However, it is currently available on iOS in English only.
To see how hum to search feature works, watch this video.
Months ago, Sony revealed the launch date of PlayStation 5, and we know it will launch on November 12. But ahead of the console’s launch, the company has shared its very first look at the PS5 console’s user experience. Sony released a new video that showcases the ‘look’ of the next-gen user interface and the new features that come with PS5. The Japanese company shared the details through the PlayStation Blog yesterday.
The PlayStation blog specifically notes that the new user experience ‘is completely centered’ on the player. It gives the players “a truly next-generation experience” that connects them to various games and the gaming community.
PlayStation 5 New Features
Image courtesy: PlayStation
Sony claims at the PS5 ishundred times faster than the PS4. One of the key changes in the new console from the PS4 is the Control Center. It provides players the quick access to the console’s features with a single press of the PlayStation button without even leaving the game. Also, the company has rebuilt the entire software stack from the console that makes switching between games, navigating the interface, and entering online matches quickly. The new UI presents itself at a native 4K with HDR support that makes the gaming experience more fun.
Sony has added another feature called Activities that enable gamers to discover new gameplay opportunities and more. These are displayed in Control Center via on-screen cards and let players jump directly into levels they want to play. Players can also put some activity cards in picture-in-picture mode to view them without leaving the game.
Image courtesy: PlayStation
“We wanted to give you an early peek at a part of the PS5 UX journey in our video walkthrough,” said Hideaki Nishino, Senior Vice President, Platform Planning & Management at Sony. He said there might be some minor changes in the user interface, as the company demonstrated it in a pre-production environment. However, this video gives the gamers an idea of what they should expect from the PlayStation 5 when it launches next month.
Apple held the iPhone 12 “Hi-speed” launch event on October 13, 2020, in which the American tech giant introduced four new lineups of iPhone but did not provide charging adapter with any of them and became a topic of controversy.
The reason Apple gave for not providing the charging adapter is for “environmental concerns.” So, people willing to get their hands on the new iPhone will have to spend an additional $20 for a charging adapter.
Nonetheless, Apple’s rival Samsung didn’t hold back from making fun of Apple for not providing one of the essential accessories of the smartphone. Samsung posted a picture of the charging adapter on its Caribbean Samsung Facebook page with a mocking statement. Check the screenshot of the post below.
Moreover, in the past, Samsung also made fun of Apple by posting a video when the company got rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack from iPhone. But later on, Samsung followed Apple and removed the 3.5mm headphone jack from their flagship smartphones to starting with Samsung Galaxy Note 10.
However, to counter the backlash of people, Samsung deleted those videos from their social media handles. But that didn’t stop people from making fun of Samsung as their attack backfired.
According to ET News, the Korean company was also planning to stop providing a charging adapter with smartphones starting from 2021. And that is most likely to happen in the coming time. And no wonder it will backfire too.
Xiaomi also mocks Apple
Samsung isn’t the only one company that mocked Apple for removing the adapter. Xiaomi too boasted about the fact they’re providing the adapter with their new flagship Mi 10T Pro by posting a 5-second video.
