Phone Scoop

Time 2020-10-12 17:04:08

Web Name: Phone Scoop

WebSite: http://www.phonescoop.com

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Google Adds Sound Notifications to Android Accessibility FeaturesThursday, 1:44 PM by Rich Brome Google has added a helpful new feature to Android for anyone with hearing loss or simply wearing headphones. Sound Notifications provides push notifications for critical sounds around you, including baby sounds, water running, smoke and fire alarms, appliances beeping, dog barking, and door knocking. There's also a timeline that shows past detected noise events. The feature uses offline AI. Many Android phones already have this feature, but it can also be added by downloading both Live Transcribe and Sound Notifications from the Google Play app store. Google Assistant Gains Customizable Actions Within Third-Party AppsThursday, 1:34 PM by Rich Brome Google today launched third-party app integration for Google Assistant. This lets Android users perform specific actions within their favorite apps with a single "Hey Google..." command. For example, you can now say "Hey Google... new TikTok video", "send money with Venmo", "order Dunkin", "book a Lyft", "Tweet", "my friends' birthdays in Facebook", or "search cozy blankets on Etsy". Users can further customize the feature by adding their own shortcuts, such as "Hey Google, lace it" as a shortcut for "Hey Google, tighten my shoes with Nike Adapt". Users can explore and customize the new Shortcuts features by saying "Hey Google, show my shortcuts". The feature is available now on all Assistant-enabled Android phones. Google Fi Launches 5GThursday, 1:20 PM by Rich Brome Google Fi today launched 5G phones and 5G service, now that Google has launched its own 5G Pixel phones. Google Fi will include 5G service with all plans at no extra charge. They are offering the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G, as well as the Samsung Galaxy Note20, Note20 Ultra, S20, S20+, S20 Ultra, and A71 5G. T-Mobile Successfully Tests Carrier Aggregation with 5GOct 6, 2020, 9:32 AM by Rich Brome T-Mobile has successfully tested the world's first 5G standalone (SA) data session with New Radio Carrier Aggregation (NR CA) on a commercial smartphone. Carrier aggregation lets a mobile device on a wireless network use more than one frequency band simultaneously, boosting available bandwidth and therefore increasing data speeds. Carrier aggregation has long been a standard feature of 4G (LTE) networks, but is just now coming to 5G (NR) networks. T-Mobile's test used an LG Velvet phone with a MediaTek Dimensity 1000C chipset to connect to Ericsson network equipment over two bands: band 41 (2.5 Ghz, AKA mid-band) and band 71 (600 MHz, AKA low-band). T-Mobile says CA boosts download speeds on its band 41 by 20 percent on average initially. Google, Snapchat Take Stand Against Automatic "Beauty" FiltersOct 5, 2020, 10:06 AM by Rich Brome Google and Snapchat have created new guidelines for face-retouching features in phone camera apps. Google conducted multiple studies and consulted experts, finding that retouched photos can "negatively impact mental wellbeing" and "quietly set a beauty standard that some people compare themselves against". The new guidelines state that face-retouching features should be off by default, stay off when turned off, provide clear indication when they are turned on, and avoid the term "beauty", using value-neutral terms and iconography instead. The two companies have committed to following these guidelines in their own products, and encourage other companies in the mobile industry to follow. New York Launches COVID-19 Exposure NotificationsOct 1, 2020, 1:49 PM by Rich Brome updated Oct 2, 2020, 11:45 AM New York State has launched COVID Alert NY, its official app enabling the COVID-19 Exposure Notification system developed by Apple and Google. New York is the largest US state to date to launch an app using the system, and joins ten other states that have already launched similar apps: Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wyoming. New York's app supports the national key server that allows Exposure Notifications to work across state lines, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Exposure Notifications is an opt-in system that uses Bluetooth to track which phones come near which other phones, how closely, and for how long. When someone reports that they have tested positive for COVID-19, the service can alert other people that may have come into contact with that person, so they can get tested as well. The service does not track users' locations, and protects privacy by using randomly-generated, frequently-changed ID codes to keep everyone anonymous. The system is more effective the more people participate. New York's app is available now for Android and iOS. Several other states are working on similar apps they plan to launch soon, including California, Colorado, Maryland, Oregon, Washington, and Washington, DC. New York's app was developed by NearForm, which also developed Exposure Notification apps for New Jersey, Scotland, and Ireland. Google Details 5G PixelsSep 30, 2020, 2:06 PM by Rich Brome updated Sep 30, 2020, 3:03 PM Google today announced its 5G Pixel phones for 2020: the Pixel 5 and "Pixel 4a (5G)". The confusingly-named Pixel 4a (5G) actually has more in common with the Pixel 5 than with the Pixel 4a. Both have a large OLED display (6–6.2 inches) with HDR, large battery (roughly 4,000 mAh), the exact same high-quality camera arrays, Titan M security chip, and are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chip. The key differences are that the Pixel 5 has wireless (and reverse wireless) charging, water resistance, aluminum (vs. polycarbonate) body, and 8 GB RAM instead of 6. However only the Pixel 4a (5G) has a 3.5mm headset jack. The new Pixels include several new camera features. Night Sight in Portrait Mode lets you take portrait shots with blurred backgrounds even in very low light. Portrait Light lets you simulate a studio light and position it anywhere relative to your subject. That feature can also be applied to existing photos in Google Photos. Video mode now lets you choose from three different stabilization modes, including a new Cinematic Pan mode. The main camera is the same 12-megapixel sensor with f/1.7 aperture that Google has used in Pixel phones for the past year. The two new 5G models also have a 16-megapixel ultra-wide camera, a departure from the Pixel 4 which had a telephoto camera instead. A new Hold for Me feature lets you assign Google Assistant to monitor a call on hold and alert you when a person is on the line. Extreme Battery Saver lets you pick which apps are essential and shuts down everything else to prolong battery life up to two days. Hold for Me and Extreme Battery Saver will come older Pixel phones via software update. Google has also improved its Recorder app, which records audio while transcribing it to text, even offline. Now, you can crop and remove sections of audio by simply editing the text. The Pixel 5 will be available unlocked in mint or black starting October 15th for $699. Pre-orders are open now. It will also come to Verizon with mmWave 5G for the same price, at a later date. The Pixel 4a (5G) will be available unlocked in November for $499, in black or white. Verizon will sell a version with mmWave 5G for $600, and will start taking pre-orders for that version October 29th. Facebook Links Messaging PlatformsSep 30, 2020, 12:37 PM by Rich Brome Facebook has started testing the ability to send direct messages between its Instagram and Facebook Messenger apps. Facebook is also updating messaging in Instagram to be more like Messenger, adding features such as vanishing messages, selfie stickers, custom emoji, and new ways to block unwanted messages. The new features are currently being "tested in select markets and will expand globally in the coming months." Facebook announced plans to integrate its various messaging platforms last year, eventually including WhatsApp. The Verge AT&T Intros Mix-And-Match Unlimited PlansSep 29, 2020, 10:35 AM by Rich Brome AT&T has tweaked its unlimited postpaid service offering to allow mix-and-match family plans. AT&T calls this "Unlimited Your Way". Each family member can now choose the unlimited plan right for them, while taking advantage of multi-line discounts. For example, with a five-line account where two customers wanted the Unlimited Elite plan, AT&T previously required that all five family members have the Unlimited Elite plan for $45/line/month, running $225/month total. Now, AT&T will allow three of the five lines to choose the Unlimited Starter plan (for example) instead, which runs $30/month/line, for a total of $180/month, a $45/month savings. The details of each Unlimited plan are otherwise unchanged from what AT&T announced almost a year ago. Verizon debuted mix-and-match plans over two years ago. LG Wing Launches October 15th for $1000Sep 29, 2020, 10:03 AM by Rich Brome Verizon will start taking pre-orders for the LG Wing on Oct. 1 for $1000, with full launch on Oct. 15. AT&T and T-Mobile will offer the Wing at a later date. 2020 razr Launches Friday with $200 DiscountSep 29, 2020, 8:00 AM by Rich Brome Motorola's newest razr foldable phone will launch Friday, Oct. 2nd with AT&T and T-Mobile, as well as unlocked from Motorola, Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H. For a limited time, the unlocked version is being offered with a $200 discount, bringing it to $1,199. Amazon Enters the Ring with Luna, its Game Streaming ServiceSep 24, 2020, 5:27 PM by Rich Brome Amazon today announced Luna, the company's entry into the new field of cloud-based gaming. The service will be available on a variety of platforms, including iOS and Android. Starting today, gamers can sign up to request an invitation for the "early access" period that starts next month. It will cost $6/month during "early access". Final launch date and pricing were not announced. The iOS version will be available from the start and runs as a web app, thereby sidestepping the App Store policies that have tripped up Google Stadia and Microsoft xCloud on iOS. The Android version will be available in a few weeks. Although gamers can use their own Bluetooth game controllers, Luna works best with the official Luna controller, which runs $50. Like Google's Stadia controller, it connects directly to the cloud via Wi-Fi, offering lower latency. The Luna controller has built-in Alexa, which can launch games by voice, for example. Luna offers Twitch integration, and makes it easy to pause a game and pick up right where you left off on another device. Luna will offer several different "channels" of games that users can subscribe to individually. Luna+ is the channel included with a basic subscription, and will include around 50 titles at some point during the Early Access period, with more added over time. The initial slate will include Resident Evil 7, Control, Tacoma, Rez Infinite, Metro Exodus, The Sexy Brutale, Overcooked! 2, and more. Ubisoft will also offer its own channel for Luna, also with around 50 titles. Engadget Verizon Adds TCL-Branded $80 Phone to Prepaid LineupSep 24, 2020, 11:43 AM by Rich Brome Verizon today launched the TCL Signa, the first TCL-branded phone to be launched by one of the big three US carriers. Previously, most TCL-made phones offered in the US bore the company's Alcatel brand. Although the Signa is an $80 entry-level phone for Verizon prepaid customers, it marks a major step in TCL's effort to expand the TCL brand in the US mobile market. Verizon lists the phone as the "Alcatel TCL SIGNA" on its web site, but the phone itself bears just the TCL and Verizon logos. The Signa has a 5.5-inch HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 429 processor, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB storage, 3,000 mAh battery, 8 megapixel main camera, USB-C, Android 10, dedicated Google Assistant button, memory card slot, and headset jack. It's available now for $80. New Coalition Will Fight for Better App Store PoliciesSep 24, 2020, 9:10 AM by Rich Brome A new alliance of app developers have come together to form the Coalition for App Fairness. The new organization will pressure Apple and Google to change their app-store policies and commission rates to be more favorable to developers. The group includes Epic Games (developers of Fortnite), Spotify, Basecamp, and the developers of Tinder and ProtonMail. The group claims that Apple and Google collect excessive commissions and give unfair advantages to their own products and services. One specific demand is the ability to use third-party payment services for certain transactions. The nonprofit group is registered in Washington, DC and plans to push for legal and regulatory changes governing how the companies operate app stores. Wall Street Journal Nokia Updates Entry-Level PhonesSep 24, 2020, 8:00 AM by Rich Brome Nokia this week introduced two new entry-level Android phones, and started taking pre-orders for its first 5G phone. Nokia 2.4: This $139 phone has a huge 4,500 mAh battery offering two-day battery life. It also sports a large 6.5-inch display with HD resolution and a notched design, rear fingerprint reader, 13 megapixel camera, depth camera, new Portrait Editor tool, NFC, MediaTek Helio P22 processor, 2 or 3 GB RAM, 32 or 64 GB storage, headset jack, and dedicated Google Assistant button. In the US, it will be available unlocked from Amazon initially, and later, Best Buy. It's available for pre-order now, shipping on October 11th.Nokia 3.4: This $179 phone adds a has a 6.4-inch HD display with a hole-punch design, Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 processor, 3 GB RAM, 64 GB storage, 4,000 mAh battery, USB-C, fast charging, metal chassis, rear fingerprint reader, memory card slot, headset jack, and dedicated Google Assistant button. It will be available in the US "later this year".Nokia 8.3 5G: First announced in March, the company's first 5G phone is now available for pre-order on Amazon for $699 unlocked, shipping October 26th. Like the 2.4, it will come to Best Buy in "the coming weeks". Adobe Acrobat Reader can now Reformat PDFs for Easy Reading on PhonesSep 23, 2020, 11:33 AM by Rich Brome Adobe has released a new version of its free Acrobat Reader app for iOS and Android that can intelligently reformat the content of PDF files to make it easier to read on a mobile phone. The new feature, called Liquid Mode, uses Sensei, Adobe's AI engine. It converts all content into a single column the width of the phone screen, eliminating the need to zoom in or scroll sideways. All text is automatically made large enough to read easily, and also made searchable. The tool also automatically identifies headings and sections, auto-generating a table-of-contents menu for navigating longer documents. Controls also let the user adjust the font size and line spacing. Engadget MWC 2021 Postponed to JuneSep 23, 2020, 10:59 AM by Rich Brome Next year's Mobile World Congress — the mobile phone industry's largest global trade show — has been postponed from March to late June. The 2020 edition was cancelled at the last minute just as the COVID-19 pandemic was starting, and the hope is that this new date will coincide with widespread vaccines that will enable large in-person events once again. By registering, you agree to our Terms of Use.We value your privacy and will never share your email address. (full privacy policy)

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