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jeudi 3 mars 2022

What processors does the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 and Book 2 Pro come with?

Samsung introduced the Galaxy Book 2 Pro at MWC 2022, and it’s a follow-up to one of the best lightweight laptops of last year. It keeps the same thin and light design and the great Full HD AMOLED display, but there are some upgrades this time around. Most notably, of course, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro comes with new processors from Intel.

Specifically, you can get the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro, as well as the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360, with up to a 12th-generation Intel Core i7-1260P. That’s a powerful laptop processor with 28W of power, and it’s worth looking closer at what it brings to the table. There’s also an Intel Core i5 version available, at least for the clamshell model.

As for the regular Galaxy Book 2 360, which seems to be the only non-Pro model coming to the United States, it comes with up to an Intel Core i7-1255U, and there’s also a model with a Core i5-1235U.

Explaining the processors inside the Galaxy Book 2 and Book 2 Pro

Intel’s 12th-generation processors, also known by the codename Alder Lake, are pretty different from what we’ve seen in the past. First and foremost, they’re using a new hybrid architecture. Instead of having a few cores that are all the same, these new processors have a mix of performance (P) cores and efficient (E) cores. As the names suggest, that results in better overall performance, but also better battery life when that performance isn’t as necessary.

Intel Alder Lake Mobile procesor family

Intel’s 12th-generation mobile processor lineup

The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro’s processors are noteworthy for even more reasons though. They come with the new Intel P-series, while last year, they were using U-series CPUs. The U series line has a 15W TDP, but the new P series goes up to 28W, and that results in significantly better performance (at the cost of some battery life). Meanwhile, the Galaxy Book 2 360 (non-Pro) is still using U-series processors, but they’re still 12th-generation models. Let’s take a closer look at them.

Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro CPUs

The Intel Core i7-1260P is a CPU with 12 cores – four P cores, and eight E cores – making for a total of 16 threads. P cores support hyperthreading so they have two threads per core, while E cores only have one. Additionally, it can reach speeds up to 4.7GHz on its P cores, and 3.4GHz on the E cores. The Intel Core i7-1260P also has integrated Iris Xe graphics with 96 execution units (EUs), and clock speeds up to 1.4GHz. Overall, that gives you plenty of performance for day-to-day tasks, and it could even handle some (very) light gaming.

If you opt for the lower-end Intel Core i5-1240P, you’re still getting 14 cores (4P+6E) and 16 threads, but speeds are a bit lower. It can hit 4.4GHz on the P cores and 3.3GHz on the E-cores, which is still far from bad. The bigger downgrade is in the integrated Iris Xe graphics, which only have 80 EUs and are clocked at 1.3GHz. It can still handle some light GPU tasks, but it’s naturally not as good as the Core i7.

Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 260 in Burgundy with the lid open at 90 degrees

Samsung tells us the Core i5-1240P processor will only be available in the clamshell version of the Galaxy Book 2 Pro, with the Book 2 Pro 360 only offering the Core i7 variant. However, the official spec sheets still mention Core i5 models for the convertible, so it could depend on what market you’re in.

Galaxy Book 2 CPUs

If you opt for the more mainstream Galaxy Book 2 360, the top-tier configuration comes with an Intel Core i7-1255U. As we’ve mentioned, this is a 15W processor, but it still has a hybrid architecture. It comes with 10 cores in total – two P cores and eight E cores – and it has 12 threads. The P cores can boost up to 4.7GHz, while the E cores can go up to 3.5GHz, though they’ll be a bit more constrained by their TDP during long periods of use. It also includes Intel Iris Xe graphics with 96 EUs and clock speeds up to 1.25GHz, which is a little slower than what you get on the P-series processors.

If you want, you can go with the cheaper Intel Core i5-1235U model. It also has 10 cores (2P+8E) and 12 threads, and it can boost up to 4.4GHz on the P cores and 3.3GHz on the E cores. Again, it includes Intel Iris Xe graphics, but only with 80 EUs and clocked at up to 1.2GHz.

Convertible laptop in tent mode

Samsung Galaxy Book 2 360

Those are the only models known to be coming to the US, though Samsung has also mentioned Celeron, Pentium, and Core i3 models may come to other markets. We don’t know the specifics of those models, but one thing you can expect is that they won’t include Iris Xe graphics and they’ll have fewer and slower cores. They still have a hybrid architecture, though.

Samsung has also listed a typical clamshell version of the Galaxy Book 2 in some pages, but again, it doesn’t seem to be coming to the United States. Regardless, it should include the same CPUs as the convertible model.


Those interested in buying the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro will have to wait at least until March 18th, which is when pre-orders open on Samsung’s website. General availability is planned for April 1st. If you don’t want to wait, you can check out the best Samsung laptops you can buy today, or stop by our list of the best laptops overall to see what other brands are offering.

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Spotify’s iOS-exclusive Swipe to Queue gesture finally rolls out on Android

The Spotify app on Android is finally getting the highly-requested Swipe to Queue gesture that iOS users have had for years. According to recent reports, the gesture seems to be available for a few users at the moment, but we expect it to roll out to more users over the next few days.

For the unaware, Spotify users on Android have been requesting the company to add support for the Swipe to Queue gesture ever since it rolled out on the iOS app over five years ago. Even though Spotify said that it didn’t have any plans to bring the feature over to Android last year, the company now seems to have had a change of heart. According to Reddit user u/Far-Contact-9369, the feature is now finally available on the Android app, allowing users to add tracks to the queue with a simple gesture. Check out the video embedded below to see the feature in action.

As mentioned earlier, the feature doesn’t seem to be available for all Android users at the moment. This suggests that Spotify is likely testing the feature with a small number of users before rolling it out widely. You can check whether the feature is available on your device or not by playing a song and then swiping right on another track. You should see an “Added to queue” pop-up if the gesture is live on your device.

Spotify is yet to make an official announcement regarding the rollout. We expect the company to share more details once the feature rolls out widely.

The gesture comes just a few weeks after Spotify open-sourced its Ruler tool to help app developers analyze their app sizes. You can learn more about the tool by heading over to our previous coverage.

Have you received the Swipe to Queue gesture on your device? Let us know in the comments section below.


Source: Reddit

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Samsung is reportedly throttling the performance of 10,000 popular apps

A new finding suggests Samsung is throttling the performance of thousands of Android apps on Galaxy smartphones. The issue affects many popular apps, including Google and Samsung’s first-party apps.

Samsung has an app called Game Optimization Service that comes preinstalled on many Galaxy phones. Although the name suggests the app helps improve gaming performance, it’s apparently being used to limit the performance of non-gaming apps. Users on the Korean tech forum Meeco have posted a list of affected apps that are subject to performance throttling. The list includes 10,000 popular apps, including Instagram, TikTok, Netflix, Microsoft Office, Google Keep, Spotify, Snapchat, YouTube Music, and more. Samsung’s own apps such as Samsung Pay, Secure Folder, Bixby, and others are also on the list. Notably, there are no benchmark apps on this blacklist.

A video posted by Korean YouTuber shows how blacklisted apps are subject to inferior performance while benchmark apps are given a free hand. In his test, the YouTuber changed the package name of the 3DMark benchmark app to Genshin Impact, one of the apps on the blacklist. The unmodified version of 3D Mark scored 2618 points in the Wild Life Extreme test. When he ran the same test with the spoofed version, there was a significant drop in the score — 1141 points. In other words, the spoofed version performed 56% worse than the unmodified version.

It’s not immediately clear if the Game Optimization Service app is installed on every Galaxy phone. Android Authority notes that they couldn’t find the app on their Galaxy S22 series units, Galaxy S20 FE and Galaxy S10s. Meanwhile, 9to5Google mentions it’s installed on their Galaxy S22 Plus unit. It’s possible Samsung may have pushed this app via a recent software update.

According to a post on Naver, it seems Samsung is aware of the issue and is conducting an internal investigation. While Samsung hasn’t clarified why it’s throttling Android apps, it’s likely in an attempt to improve battery life. OnePlus was caught doing something similar with the OnePlus 9 Pro last year. The company used an app called OnePlus Performance Service to throttle popular Android apps. The company later confirmed it had added the performance-limiting mechanism to improve the phone’s battery life and heat management.


Source: Meeco forums (Korean), Naver
Via: Android Authority

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mercredi 2 mars 2022

Galaxy A33 and Galaxy A13 4G design and key specifications revealed in a fresh leak

After launching the Galaxy S22 series, Samsung is now gearing up to refresh the affordable Galaxy A lineup. We have already seen several leaks of the Galaxy A53, Galaxy A73, Galaxy A33, and Galaxy A23 over the past months. Now we’re getting more details about the Galaxy A33 and the first look at another affordable entry in the lineup: the Galaxy A13.

Galaxy A33

Fresh renders of the Galaxy A33 published by WinFuture provide us our clearest look at the Galaxy A53’s “little brother.” The renders are in line with what we saw in earlier leaks. The Galaxy A33 does away with the seamless camera design and opts for the rectangular camera module, similar to the Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A73.

Galaxy A33 front Galaxy A33 back panel Galaxy A33 camera bump

According to WinFuture, the Galaxy A33 will feature a 6.4-inch OLED FHD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate, Exynos 1200 chipset, 6GB RAM, and 128GB flash storage, 5,000mAh battery, and 5G connectivity.

Galaxy A13

The Galaxy A13 is said to be a 4G variant of the Galaxy A13 5G that launched in the US last year. However, it doesn’t look even remotely close to its 5G sibling in terms of the design.

Galaxy A13 in black color Galaxy A13 camera bump Galaxy A13 back panel Galaxy A13 front

 

The Galaxy A13 features a 6.6-inch PLS LCD panel with Full HD+ resolution, a step up from the HD+ panel of the Galaxy A13 5G. The panel supports a 90Hz refresh rate and has a waterdrop notch cutout for the selfie camera.

The phone will reportedly be powered by Samsung’s in-house Exynos 850 SoC, paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The quad-camera setup will be headlined by a 48MP primary shooter, accompanied by a 5MP ultra-wide camera and two 2MP depth and macro shooters. Finally, the phone will pack a 5,000mAh battery and charge via a 15W charger.

The Galaxy A13 is expected to be priced around €200 and launch first in Europe. Samsung has yet to reveal the launch timeline for the Galaxy A33 and Galaxy A13.


Source: WinFuture

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Update your phone’s GPU drivers systemlessly using this tool, no root required

Smartphone-oriented websites tend to focus only on the latest devices, but a large chunk of users choose not to upgrade their phones for one reason or another. Barring hardware failure, many of these devices may still have years of use ahead of them because, to their owners, they still work just fine. While custom ROMs can keep legacy smartphones alive for ages, it can be a nightmare for the modders to keep things like the camera and graphics drivers up to date without official manufacturer support.

Updating GPU drivers on Android

Unlike the smartphone ecosystem, updating the graphics driver on your PC is something you can always think about. This is possible because of the modular architecture of PC hardware drivers, which allows power users to tinker with closed source driver packages, or even opt for open source drivers instead of OEM-provided binaries. In the case of Android, however, driver updates generally only come to your phone alongside larger OS updates.

Updatable GPU drivers can come in handy for fixing bugs, improving graphics performance, or adding new features from OpenGL or Vulkan APIs. Nowadays, smartphones are bigger and faster than ever, making them the perfect vehicle for gaming, hence porting the PC-esque driver design to them does make sense.

Matter of fact, in an effort to modularize Android via Project Treble, Google actually made it possible to wrap the graphics driver set for a particular platform as an app and update it through the Play Store. Since then, several mainstream Android OEMs collaborated with Google and major GPU vendors, including ARM and Qualcomm, to distribute updates for their phones’ GPU drivers independent of larger software releases.

Does the updatable graphics driver design reduce the fragmentation?

Yes, to some extent. Nonetheless, a few worrying questions are still left unanswered. First of all, Google’s mechanism doesn’t provide an easy way to substitute the closed-source vendor driver with a third-party open source offering. You can, of course, manually replace the driver package in the vendor partition of the target device, provided you have root access and somehow get your hands on the necessary files, but that’s not an ideal solution for many.

Next comes the stability-versus-enhancement paradox. Android maintains a hierarchical arrangement when it comes to loading the graphics driver. While one can switch between the factory-installed build and the newer updated release using Developer options => Graphics driver preferences on a per-app basis, it ultimately boils down to the OEM’s decision when to push the graphics driver update. As a result, an end user can’t utilize bleeding-edge driver builds directly from the SoC maker, as OEMs are still responsible for rolling out the updates.

Android 12 Graphics driver preferences

Enter Adreno Tools

As mentioned earlier, updating GPU drivers is possible with root access, but nothing can beat a non-root method. Thanks to XDA Senior Member bylaws, we now have a genius solution named Adreno Tools that allows on-the-fly GPU driver modifications or replacements on Android — that too without root! The developer’s background of porting Android to the Nintendo Switch certainly played a crucial role in this venture, as the whole project has its origin in Skyline, an open source, work-in-progress Nintendo Switch emulator for Android.

Fellow Skyline developer Mark “Pixelylon” pitched the idea of runtime drive replacement to bylaws, which eventually materialized into Adreno Tools. Being a rootless library, Adreno Tools can help any regular app to load custom GPU drivers, deal with BCn textures, and redirect file operations for further complex modifications. It does so by hooking into system libraries and seamlessly swapping in the new driver. Notably, there is no support for Mali GPUs yet.

Since there is no limitation on the origin of the driver, enthusiasts can also load third-party drivers through Adreno Tools. This is particularly useful for those who want to try out Turnip — an open source Vulkan driver for Qualcomm Adreno graphics hardware that falls under the Freedreno umbrella. For example, AetherSX2, the PlayStation 2 emulator for Android already utilizes Adreno Tools to give end users the choice to opt for Turnip instead of the OEM driver for better performance.

Adreno Tools on GitHub

Given the alternatives for the Android GPU driver modding scene in the past, the Adreno Tools library is a fantastic step forward. We’re looking forward to seeing how the project grows and matures in the future. Be sure to give it a try and let us know what you think in the comments!


Source: Esper
Featured image: Red Magic 6S Pro

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How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8 Plus, and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra

Samsung has finally unleashed its latest lineup of flagship tablets upon the world — the Galaxy Tab S8 Series. These three devices come in different sizes and specifications to match various needs and budgets. They’re some of the best available options in this department right now. Though, if you buy one, make sure to check out our best cases for the Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8 Plus, and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. They’re delicate tablets, and it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Now, you must be wondering how to go through the initial boot after unboxing the device. All three tablets share the same process — here’s how to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 1

  • When you first turn on your Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 device, click the arrow right above the big blue button to change the language — if you want to set it to a language other than the default one.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 2

  • Scroll through the languages and select the one of your choice, then click the big blue Start button shown in the first screenshot.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 3

  • Agree to the End User License Agreement and the Privacy Policy — otherwise, you won’t be able to proceed and use your Galaxy Tab S8. If you’d like Samsung to collect diagnostic data to improve their products, you can enable the third option — you’re not forced to, though.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 4

  • Choose which of the sensors and data Samsung can access to personalize your experience. Note that denying access to some of these could cause certain stock apps to function in a limited manner. The company explains briefly why it needs access to each of them, so you can decide accordingly — depending on the relevance of the features to you.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 5

  • Find your home network and click on it. Your device needs internet access to communicate with Samsung and Google servers to complete the setup. In some regions, you do get Cellular options for the Tab S8 series, so you may be able to pop in your SIM card and use data. But for the most part, you’d need to connect to a WiFi network. We’d advise a WiFi connection anyway since the setup process can chew through your data limit.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 6

  • Type the password of your Wi-Fi password and click the Connect button when you’re done.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 7

  • Give your Galaxy Tab S8 a few minutes. Don’t attempt to turn the tablet off or click any buttons — just wait for the process to complete on its own.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 8

  • Decide if you want to copy apps and data from a device you’re already using. If you want to start fresh, click on Don’t copy. Otherwise, hit Next.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 9

  • If you decide to copy your data, choose whether you have access to it or not. If you don’t, you will need to restore an old backup from the cloud. Otherwise, follow the steps below.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 10

  • Select whether your current device runs Android or iOS/iPadOS. If it’s an Android device, you will be able to copy more of your personal data, including paid app purchases from the Google Play Store.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 11

  • Sign in to your Google account to use the company’s services, such as the Google Play Store to download apps and games. Start by typing your Gmail address, followed by its password.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 12

  • Go through the authentication process as instructed. This is to confirm that it’s indeed the account owner signing in.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 13

  • Agree to Google’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy after thoroughly reading them. If they sound fishy to you, you can simply skip adding your Google account to the Galaxy Tab S8. You will miss out on some of the company’s features and services, though.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 14

  • Give your tablet a few moments to communicate with Google servers after agreeing to the terms.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 15

  • Choose which sensors and data Google is permitted to access. You can also enable Google Drive backups to secure your data in the cloud and make moving to a new device in the future a faster process.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 16

  • Optionally protect your tablet with a password, PIN, pattern, or through biometric authentication. Going for fingerprint or face recognition protection will require you to set another non-biometric protection method. Note that the base Galaxy Tab S8 comes with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, while the Tab S8 Plus and Ultra have an in-display fingerprint sensor.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 17

  • Choose your desired password or PIN and confirm it. Make sure it’s not too easy to prevent potential thieves or snoopers from accessing your data if they gain physical access to your Galaxy Tab S8.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 18

  • Optionally enable the Hey Google hot word. This would allow you to control your tablet and ask for information by using your voice only.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 19

  • Decide if Google Assistant is permitted to work when your device is locked. If you leave your tablet at home at all times, there’s no harm in enabling that if you trust the people you live with.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 20

  • Give your Galaxy Tab S8 a few minutes. Again, don’t click any buttons or attempt to turn it off at this stage.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 21

  • You can optionally sign in with your Samsung account to take advantage of more of the company’s services, such as the Galaxy Store and Samsung Members — which can be used to run device diagnostic tests.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 22

  • Voila! Once you’re done with the previous step, you’re ready to start using your new tablet! You can either click Finish to use your Galaxy Tab S8 or tap on Explore your Galaxy to read through more tips.

How to set up the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series step 23

  • After clicking Finish, you’re taken to the familiar home screen — where you can start personalizing and using your new device.

    Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
    The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is the entry level tablet of the company's latest flagship lineup, featuring an 11-inch screen.
    Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus
    The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus is the middle-range tablet of the company's latest flagship lineup, featuring a 12.4-inch screen.
    Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
    The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is the highest-end tablet of the company's latest flagship lineup, featuring a 14.6-inch screen.

Which Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 model did you buy, and why? Let us know in the comments section below.

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mardi 1 mars 2022

Microsoft Store gets a new look on the web, along with a search bar

Microsoft is making it easier to find Windows apps on the web version of the Microsoft Store. The company has quietly launched a redesigned portal for Windows apps on the web, and it includes major improvements to make it easier to find the apps you’re looking for.  That includes a new search bar and improved navigation.

For starters, yes, there’s now a search bar on the left side of the screen on this new storefront. To be clear, you could use the general search icon at the top of Microsoft’s site to search for apps, but this way, the search bar is more contextualized and focuses only on apps. Below the search bar, there are also various categories for apps, so you can explore the different sections. It’s arguably even more organized than the Microsoft Store app for Windows 11, so we wouldn’t be surprised if this eventually becomes the experience on the app as well.

Old Microsoft Store homepage on the web New Microsoft Store homepage on the web

Taking center stage is the home page for apps, which still serves the same purpose. You get a slideshow with a few major apps at the top, and other popular apps as you scroll down. The overall design does look a bit cleaner and more consistent than the previous version, though.

The new design extends to individual app pages, too. When you click on an app’s name or image, you’ll see the new page, which also looks cleaner and more organized now. At the top, you’ll see the app icon, name, and publisher, with screenshots right below it. Next to the screenshots, you can also see when the app was last updated and what languages it’s available in. Notably, the previous version didn’t mention when the app was last updated at all.

TikTok app listing on the old Microsoft Store web experience TikTok app listing on the new Microsoft Store web experience

There’s no more tabbed navigation in this design. The app’s description is below the screenshots (and it’s not shown twice anymore), and then ratings and review are below it. Related apps can be found at the bottom. One thing that seems to be gone from the app page is the system requirements.

One last big change is that the Microsoft Store’s web portal can now install Store apps, a feature that Microsoft announced alongside Windows 11 last June. Before, if you clicked the button to download an app, you’d be taken to the Microsoft Store app on Windows to see the full app listing again, and then download it. In this new web version, when you click the “Get in Store app” button, it just opens a small pop-up window to confirm the install.

Microsoft Store pop-up window to install TikTok from the web

This new experience is still in preview, so the old version is still the default if you try to navigate to Windows apps from the Microsoft website. You can head here to check out the new Microsoft Store web portal.


Via: FireCubeStudios (Twitter)

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VESA launches a certification program for DisplayPort 2.0 products, introduces certified DP40 and DP80 cables

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) on Monday announced a new certification program for DisplayPort products. The program will make it easier for consumers to understand whether a DisplayPort 2.0 monitor, cable, or video source they’re buying indeed supports all the bells and whistles promised by the new standard.

The latest DisplayPort 2.0 standard enables up to 16K video output along with high refresh rate support and a maximum throughput of 80Gbps. However, there’s no way to tell if a DisplayPort 2.0 cable or monitor you’re buying actually supports the higher bit rates and other features laid out in the spec. This is where the DisplayPort UHBR (Ultra-high Bit Rate) Certification Program comes into play. VESA says certified DisplayPort UHBR products are guaranteed to support the higher bit rates supported by DisplayPort version 2.0.

As part of the certification program, OEMs can send their new products to DisplayPort authorized test centers for testing and certification.

Multiple video source and display products are undergoing testing in the DisplayPort UHBR Certification Program now, and should complete early certification soon.

Certified DP40 and DP80 UHBR cables

VESA has also introduced certified DP40 and DP80 UHBR cables. Cables with DP40 certification must support up to 10Gbps link rate (USBR10) and a maximum throughput of 40Gbps over a four-lane connection. Meanwhile, DP80-certified cables must support up to 20Gbps link rate (UHBR20) and a raw bandwidth of up to 80Gbps with four lanes.

VESA DP40 and DP80 cables

“No matter how high the performance of your graphics card and monitor are, the resulting image quality can still be limited by the cable used to connect those devices. Thanks to improvements in both the DisplayPort connector and cable design, the new VESA certified DP40 and DP80 UHBR cables enable consumers to get the highest performance possible from their VESA certified devices,” said James Choate, compliance program manager, VESA.

VESA certified DP40 and DP80 cables come in both full-size and Mini Displayport configurations and are backward compatible with other DisplayPort links such as Reduced Bit Rate (RBR), High Bit Rate (HBR), and HBR3. Companies currently selling VESA certified DP40 DP80 cables include Accell, BizLink, and WIZEN.


Source: VESA

Via: ArsTechnica

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Android 13 will let you adjust the brightness of your phone’s flashlight

Google rolled out the first developer preview build of Android 13 last month, giving us a look at some of the new features coming in the next big Android release. Along with major changes like new privacy features, themed icons, improved language controls, etc., Android 13 also includes a couple of minor improvements, like the ability to turn on the flashlight using Quick Tap gestures on Pixel devices. In addition, recent reports suggest that Android 13 will also include another flashlight-related feature that has been available on iPhones for a while.

According to Esper’s Mishaal Rahman, Android 13 introduces two new APIs to the CameraManager class — getTorchStrengthLevel and turnOnTorchWithStrengthLevel. The first returns the current brightness level of the flashlight, while the second sets the brightness level from a minimum of 1 to a maximum determined by the hardware. In essence, these new APIs will let users adjust the brightness of their phone’s flashlight, which could come in handy in various scenarios.

Flashlight brightness slider in Samsung's One UI 4

Flashlight brightness slider in Samsung’s One UI 4

For the unaware, Android currently only offers a toggle to turn the flashlight on or off. While the custom Android skins from some OEMs, like Samsung, include a brightness control slider for the flashlight, such a feature is not available on devices from most other OEMs. Google plans to address that with Android 13 by offering a native brightness control feature for the flashlight. However, despite the change, some devices running Android 13 might not get the feature.

As Mishaal notes, “The reason support for this feature will be limited is that it will require an update to the camera hardware abstraction layer (HAL)…[Since] Google has frozen its new HAL requirements to ensure that vendor implementations built against version N will be certifiable for up to version N+3…device makers can upgrade their devices to Android 13 while reusing a vendor implementation designed for an older Android release that doesn’t include the new camera device HAL and its support for LED brightness control.”

To offer the feature, OEMs will have to implement version 3.8 of the camera device HAL in their Android 13 release. And whether OEMs implement version 3.8 or not will depend on the requirements laid out in the vendor software requirements (VSR) for Android 13, which Google is yet to finalize.


Source: Esper

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MediaTek debuts Dimensity 8000 series for premium 5G smartphones

Although MediaTek’s flagship Dimensity 9000 SoC is yet to make its way into consumers’ hands, the company has already released two more chipsets for premium 5G smartphones. Built on TSMC’s 5nm production process, the all-new Dimensity 8000 and Dimensity 8100 feature octa-core CPUs and borrow several premium features from the Dimensity 9000. The new chipsets will make an appearance on upcoming smartphones from Realme and Xiaomi in the first quarter of this year, offering users flagship-level performance at a relatively affordable price.

MediaTek Dimensity 8000 series: Specifications

Specification Dimensity 8000 Dimensity 8100
CPU
  • 4x Arm Cortex-A78 @ up to 2.75GHz
  • 4x Arm Cortex-A55 @ up to 2.0GHz
  • 4x Arm Cortex-A78 @ up to 2.85GHz
  • 4x Arm Cortex-A55 @ up to 2.0GHz
GPU
  • Arm Mali-G610 MC6
  • Arm Mali-G610 MC6
Display
  • Maximum On-Device Display support: FHD+ @168Hz
  • Maximum On-Device Display support: FHD+ @ 168Hz / WQHD+ @ 120Hz
AI
  • 5th Gen APU 580
  • 5th Gen APU 580
Memory
  • LPDDR5
  • Max frequency: 6400Mbps
  • LPDDR5
  • Max frequency: 6400Mbps
ISP
  • Imagiq 780 ISP
  • Simultaneous dual-camera HDR video recording
  • Max camera sensor supported: 200MP
  • Max video capture resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160)
  • Camera features: 5Gbps 14-bit HDR-ISPs/Video HDR/Video Bokeh/Video EIS/AI-Shutter/AI-AE/AI-AF/AI-AWB/AI-NR HDR/AI-HDR/AI-FD
  • Imagiq 780 ISP
  • Simultaneous dual camera HDR video recording
  • Max camera sensor supported: 200MP
  • Max video capture resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160)
  • Camera features: 5Gbps 14-bit HDR-ISPs/Video HDR/Video Bokeh/Video EIS/AI-Shutter/AI-AE/AI-AF/AI-AWB/AI-NR HDR/AI-HDR/AI-FD
Modem
  • 3GPP Release-16 5G modem
  • 5G/4G Dual SIM Dual Standby, SA & NSA modes; SA Option2, NSA Option3 / 3a / 3x, NR TDD and FDD bands, DSS, NR DL 2CC, 200MHz bandwidth, 4×4 MIMO, 256QAM NR UL 2CC, R16 UL Enhancement, 2×2 MIMO, 256QAM VoNR / EPS fallback
  • Peak downlink: 4.7Gbps
  • 2CC Carrier Aggregation (200MHz)
  • MediaTek 5G UltraSave 2.0
  • 3GPP Release-16 5G modem
  • 5G/4G Dual SIM Dual Standby, SA & NSA modes; SA Option2, NSA Option3 / 3a / 3x, NR TDD and FDD bands, DSS, NR DL 2CC, 200MHz bandwidth, 4×4 MIMO, 256QAM NR UL 2CC, R16 UL Enhancement, 2×2 MIMO, 256QAM VoNR / EPS fallback
  • Peak downlink: 4.7Gbps
  • 2CC Carrier Aggregation (200MHz)
  • MediaTek 5G UltraSave 2.0
Connectivity
  • Bluetooth 5.3
  • Bluetooth LE Audio technology with Dual-Link True Wireless Stereo Audio
  • Wi-Fi 6E 2×2 (BW80)
  • Beidou III-B1C signal support
  • Bluetooth 5.3
  • Bluetooth LE Audio technology with Dual-Link True Wireless Stereo Audio
  • Wi-Fi 6E 2×2 (BW80)
  • Beidou III-B1C signal support
Manufacturing process
  • TSMC N5 (5nm-class) production process
  • TSMC N5 (5nm-class) production process

MediaTek Dimensity 8000

The MediaTek Dimensity 8000 features an octa-core CPU, consisting of four Arm Cortex-A78 cores clocked at up to 2.75GHz and four Arm Cortex-A55 cores clocked at up to 2.0GHz. The SoC packs an Arm Mali-G610 MC6 GPU for gaming and graphics-intensive tasks. The GPU can drive an FHD+ display at a peak refresh rate of 168Hz and includes support for 4K AV1 media decoding.

For imaging, the Dimensity 8000 makes use of the Imagiq 780 ISP, which offers support for simultaneous dual camera HDR video recording, 200MP camera support, AI-Motion unblur, AI-NR/HDR photos, and 2x lossless zoom.

MediaTek Dimensity 8000 graphic

The SoC also features MediaTek’s 5th Gen APU 580, which is 2.5x faster than the APU found on older Dimensity chipsets. It can power various AI experiences, ranging from AI camera features to multi-media and more.

In terms of connectivity, the Dimensity 8000 packs a 3GPP Release-16 5G modem that offers 5G Dual SIM Dual Standby support, peak downlink performance of 4.7Gbps, and 2CC Carrier Aggregation (200MHz). Other connectivity features include Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6E 2×2, Bluetooth LE Audio with Dual-Link True Wireless Stereo support, and Deidou III-B1C signal support.

MediaTek Dimensity 8100

The MediaTek Dimensity 8100 is a minor step up from the Dimensity 8000. It also features an octa-core CPU featuring four Arm Cortex-A78 cores and four Arm Cortex-A55 cores. However, the Cortex-A78 performance cores on the Dimensity 8100 can boost up to 2.85GHz. The octa-core CPU is paired with the same Mali-G610 MC6 GPU. MediaTek claims that the Dimensity 8100 upgrades gaming performance with up to 20% more GPU frequency over the Dimensity 8000 and over 25% better CPU power-efficiency over previous Dimensity chips.

The Dimensity 8100 also features the same Imagiq 780 ISP, which offers simultaneous dual camera HDR video recording, 200MP camera support, 4K60 HDR10+ video capture, AI-Motion unblur, AI-NR/HDR photos, and 2X lossless zoom.

MediaTek Dimensity 8100 graphic

Like the Dimensity 8000, the Dimensity 8100 features MediaTek’s 5th Gen APU 580, but with a 25% frequency boost than the one found on the Dimensity 8000. Thanks to this, the APU offers slightly better performance in AI workloads.

As far as connectivity features are concerned, the Dimensity 8100 packs a 3GPP Release-16 5G modem with 5G Dual SIM Dual Standby support, peak downlink performance of 4.7Gbps, and 2CC Carrier Aggregation (200MHz). Other connectivity features include Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6E 2×2, Bluetooth LE Audio with Dual-Link True Wireless Stereo support, and Deidou III-B1C signal support.

Availability

MediaTek says that smartphones featuring the new Dimensity 8000 and Dimensity 8100 chipsets will hit the market in the first quarter of this year. While the company hasn’t shared any specifics, a few OEMs have confirmed that they will soon launch smartphones featuring the new Dimensity SoCs.

Realme says its upcoming Realme GT Neo 3, which will feature its revolutionary 150W fast charging tech, will be based on the Dimensity 8100. Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi has also confirmed that one of its upcoming Redmi K50 series devices will pack the Dimensity 8100.

The post MediaTek debuts Dimensity 8000 series for premium 5G smartphones appeared first on xda-developers.



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OnePlus 9RT, OnePlus 8 / 8 Pro and OnePlus Nord pick up new OxygenOS updates

OnePlus has started working on the next major version of its custom skin: OxygenOS 13. While the new software isn’t coming anytime soon, the company is keeping its smartphone portfolio up to date with the latest security patches and software improvements. The company has just released new software updates for the OnePlus 9RT, OnePlus 8 series, OnePlus Nord, and OnePlus Nord CE.

OnePlus 9RT

The OnePlus 9RT is picking up a big software update, bringing tons of bug fixes, camera improvements, and system optimizations. Most notably, the new update optimizes the video quality when taking 60fps footage with the ultra-wide camera, fixes distortion and blurring issues when taking photos with the 50MP primary sensor, improves Bluetooth performance, and fixes the video call freezing issue in Instagram. The update also bumps the security patch level to February 2022.

OxygenOS 11_A4.05 update changelog:

  • System
    • [Optimized] the button color of Data saving
    • [Fixed] abnormal display of permission box when accessing File Manager for the first time
    • [Fixed] abnormal display issue when checking software update in Administrator mode
    • [Fixed] low probability issue that setting the auto screen off time not working and the screen becomes always on
    • [Fixed] the issue that Clock not responding after switching to dark mode on the World clock page
    • [Fixed] the issue that alarm is incorrectly restored in specific scenarios
    • [Improved] system stability
    • [Updated] Android Security Patch to 2022.02
  • Camera
    • [Optimized] the video quality when taking 60 fps video with ultra-wide in dark scenes
      [Fixed] the issue that may lose photos when using ultra-wide in night mode with night tripod mode on
      [Fixed] slight distortion and blurring issue of photos when taking pictures under 50 MP
      [Fixed] abnormal issue of the Flash when taking videos with Flash and Ultra steady on
      Bluetooth
      [Optimized] the stability of connecting phone to car with Bluetooth
      [Optimized] audio playback stability while connecting phone to car via Bluetooth
      Gallery
      [Optimized] response time for “sync photos” in Cloud Service
      [Fixed] the freezing issue while sharing pictures in Gallery
      Others
      [Fixed] the freezing issue when making video call on Instagram

OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro receive February 2022 patches

The OnePlus 8T received the February 2022 patch last week, and now the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are getting the same treatment. Both phones are receiving OxygenOS 11.0.11.11 with the latest Android security patches.

Changelog:

  • System
    • [Updated] Android Security Patch to 2022.02

Minor bug-fixing update for OnePlus Nord and Nord CE

Finally, the OnePlus Nord and Nord CE are getting a minor update that fixes the freezing issue when sharing photos in the default Gallery app. Both phones are still on the Jan 2022 patch level.

Changelog:

  • System
    • [Fixed] freezing issue when sharing pictures in Gallery

Download the latest OxygenOS update for the OnePlus 9RT, OnePlus 8/8 Pro, OnePlus Nord, OnePlus Nord CE

If you don’t want to wait for the OTA update, you can download the firmware package from the links provided below and flash it manually.

OnePlus 9RT

OnePlus 8

OnePlus 8 Pro

OnePlus Nord

OnePlus Nord CE

Thanks to XDA Senior Member Some_Random_Username for the download links!


Source: OnePlus forums [1], [2], [3]

The post OnePlus 9RT, OnePlus 8 / 8 Pro and OnePlus Nord pick up new OxygenOS updates appeared first on xda-developers.



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lundi 28 février 2022

Gboard tests Emoji Kitchen-style text stickers

Gboard is one of the best Android keyboards out there, and Google keeps adding new features and improvements from time to time to keep things exciting. In December, Gboard gained thousands of new emoji kitchen combinations. Now the company is testing a neat feature that generates contextual stickers based on your texts.

As spotted by Android Police, Gboard is picking up a new feature that automatically generates stickers based on the text. As you type your message, Gboard identifies the text and displays various stickers in the suggestion row with different styles and colors. For example, typing “See you soon” followed by a heart emoji will generate the following stickers, as shown below.

Gboard open in a messaging app Gboard displaying stickers

Gboard shows a preview of the sticker in the left corner of the suggestion row, tapping on which reveals additional variants of the sticker with different styles. These stickers don’t appear in the emoji picker or the existing sticker gallery. Android Police reports that sticker suggestions work with both long and short phrases but don’t work with just about any text. The feature is quite similar to Gboard’s Emoji Kitchen, which lets you pick two different emoji and merge them into one to create unique supersized stickers.

Text-based stickers have rolled out to some users with the latest Gboard beta update. The feature isn’t live on my device running Gboard version 11.4.08.422524001-beta, suggesting this is a limited beta rollout. You can increase your odds by joining the Gboard beta program on the Google Play Store.

Google recently rolled out Gboard’s Pixel 6-exclusive grammar correction tool to other Pixel phones. The tool automatically catches your grammatical errors and provides corrections as you type. It works locally on your device and can be disabled from the keyboard settings.

Have you received the new text-based stickers in Gboard? Let us know in the comments below. 


Source: Android Police

The post Gboard tests Emoji Kitchen-style text stickers appeared first on xda-developers.



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Xperia 1 IV leaked renders reveal Sony is sticking to the same boxy design

Sony’s Xperia 1 series serves as our yearly reminder that the Japanese company still hasn’t given up on making smartphones. Sony only releases a handful of smartphones each year, and it’s the Xperia 1 lineup that gets the most limelight and traction than the company’s other phones. The last model in the lineup, the Xperia 1 III, was launched in April last year. Now fresh leak has given us our first look at the company’s next flagship smartphone: Xperia 1 IV.

Leaked renders of the Sony Xperia 1 IV come courtesy of OnLeaks and GizNext. For the past few generations, Sony has stuck to the same boxy design for the Xperia 1 series, and it looks like things aren’t going to change much this year. As you can see in the images below, the Xperia 1 IV looks almost indistinguishable from the Xperia 1 III, featuring the same vertical camera strip on the back and the notch-less display on the front. However, compared to the Xperia 1 III, the back panel of the Xperia 1 IV has sharper, more pronounced edges, similar to what we have seen on the iPhone 13 and other recent Android flagships.

Sony Xperia 1 IV front and back

The vertical camera setup seems to house three camera modules and what appears to be a 3D ToF sensor. The right frame features a fingerprint scanner embedded into the power button, volume keys, and a dedicated camera shutter key.

Sony Xperia 1 IV hovering Sony Xperia 1 IV from the side Sony Xperia 1 IV back panel and front

The USB Type-C port and the SIM tray are located at the bottom, while the top houses a 3.5mm audio jack. Sony seems to have removed the dedicated Google Assistant button, which was present on the Xperia 1 III.

The Sony Xperia 1 IV reportedly measures 164.7 x 70.8 x 8.3mm (or 9.5mm thick when considering the camera bump). The phone will reportedly pack a 6.5-inch flat display, the same size as the last year’s model. Not much is known about the Xperia 1 IV’s hardware specifications at this point, but we expect to learn more about the phone in the coming weeks.


Source: OnLeaks

Via: GizNext

The post Xperia 1 IV leaked renders reveal Sony is sticking to the same boxy design appeared first on xda-developers.



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