Android is Google’s open-source mobile operating system; think of it like a public park compared to Apple’s walled garden. It dates back to 2007, and though its dessert-inspired version names were retired in 2019 for a straightforward numbering system, there will always be a special place in our hearts for an OS called “Oreo” and “Ice Cream Sandwich.
As reported by Bleeping Computer, Google is testing a new experimental flag that can hide sensitive content while “screen sharing, screen recording and similar actions” in regular tabs — redacting the user’s entire screen if things like credit card details or passwords are detected.
There’s no mention of a release date, but it should be available for testing in Chrome Canary in the coming weeks.
After a recent update, Android Auto now displays a circle with Google Assistant’s trademark four-color bar along its edge when the voice assistant is waiting for a reply from users.
As 9to5Google notes, it bears at least a little resemblance to Siri’s glowing orb, which is set for a glow-up when Apple updates that UI for Apple Intelligence.
Is this the tipping point that causes third-party iOS app stores to take off?
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The OnePlus Pad 2 continues to impress in many ways, but the upgrades don’t justify the price.
The new and improved desktop mode coming to Android 15 could run directly on a tablet — not just external monitors, as spotted by Android Authority. That makes it sound even more like Samsung’s DeX, which became available on tablets in 2018.
You may need to close and reopen the app to see it, but according to Android expert Mishaal Rahman, Gemini is showing up for non-Google Workspace users.
Gemini can do things like summarize emails, suggest next steps, or draft replies. Before now, you’ve needed a Google AI premium subscription or a Workspace account for access to the AI assistant.
BleepingComputer points out the notes for this month’s Android security patch, with fixes for flaws that could allow someone to take over your device. The 2024-08-05 patch level specifically addresses a kernel flaw tagged CVE-2024-36971 which “may be under limited, targeted exploitation” already, so be sure to update your devices ASAP.
[Android Open Source Project]
A new “Everything else” option under “Add to Wallet” is now rolling out to the app that uses AI to process things like concert tickets or insurance cards to make custom digital passes. Before, you could save photos of cards with bar codes or QR codes to the Wallet app — this sounds better.
In 9to5Google’s example, it successfully recreated a Sam’s Club card, barcode and all.
The Android feature now includes a new “About this image” tab that can instantly pull up an image’s metadata, source, and whether a Google AI watermark is present to help determine its legitimacy.
It could be helpful against weird out-of-context political images on social media. The feature is rolling out now on the latest Pixel and Samsung phones, tablets, and foldables.
This teardown of the new Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 has a similar feel to Allison’s Z Fold 6 review — things inside are mostly the same as the previous generation. There are bigger batteries and other tweaks, but the similar layouts show how Samsung is iterating on the existing design, so hopefully, you think it’s already good enough.
According to IDC research, the rise of domestic smartphone brands has knocked Apple out of the top five spot. Apple, which now sits in sixth place, saw a 3.1 percent year-on-year decline even as the Chinese market grew by 8.9 percent. At least it’s doing better than Samsung which doesn’t even get a mention, despite dominating sales in the region a decade ago.
The company’s “Z60 Ultra Leading Version” (yes, that’s the name) has optical image stabilization on all its rear cameras, including two 50MP main and wide-angle ones, and the 64MP “Portrait Prime” shooter.
Nubia’s Leading phone has an overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, while its running mate model Z60S “Pro” has a Gen 2. As for OIS on the Pro, well, only on the Telephoto.
The professional-grade video recording app debuted on Android in June but was only available on a small number of Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices.
An updated version of the app is now available on the Google Play Store adding features like HDMI monitoring while also expanding supported devices to OnePlus and Xiaomi phones running Android 13 or later.
So far, this thing doesn’t seem like a very impressive tablet. But Daylight is more a display company than a tablet company — and the display is pretty great.
Just when you thought we’d learned (and seen) everything there is to know about the Pixel 9 lineup, Android Authority reveals details about iPhone-like satellite features hinted at within Android 15 beta 4.
There’s notification text saying, “Your Pixel has been updated to support satellite communication,” and other text about two years of free satellite service, although that may be just placeholder text.
[Android Authority]
Android 15’s fourth beta is now available, marking the second release since it reached platform stability. Google says that “apps targeting Android 15 can be made available in Google Play” since APIs and app-facing behaviors are now final. Seems like the newest Android OS version is right on track for the big event in August.
