Instagram fixes Reels audio bug allowing iOS users to export video without issue

A little over a week ago, iOS Instagram users encountered a bug that removed sound from downloaded Reels video clips. This is probably something that wouldn’t normally cause too much of an uproar, but apparently, many TikTok and social media video creators rely on Instagram’s editing tools to create their videos. Thankfully, the issue has now been resolved, allowing iOS users to freely create and export their creations.

The latest update for Instagram that arrived on Friday has now fixed the bug according to Seine Kim, a spokesperson for Instagram’s parent company, Meta. Kim delivered the news to The Verge, in a follow up on its original story. Thankfully, the problem wasn’t intentional, so creators can feel a bit more confident using the tools found on Instagram going forward. The bug arrived at a really bad time for the company, as it had previously just rolled back changes to its platform following a massive uproar.

Short-form video has become quite popular over the past few years thanks to TikTok, and it has forced platforms like Instagram to adapt and change. Unfortunately, while it is currently catering to its users with recent changes, it has come out to say that the future of the platform is video. Platforms like Instagram and YouTube have been trying to combat TikTok for the better part of a year. Instagram has an algorithm that recognizes TikTok watermarked videos and once detected, does not promote those videos on its platform. YouTube has also become more protective of its content and it has begun watermarking its own short-form videos called Shorts in order to promote its platform.

Despite its recent blunders, Instagram has been adding numerous and much appreciated features over the past couple of months that aim to protect younger users. Most recently, it updated its sensitive content filters for teens, has started verifying the age of its users, and introduced a “nudge” feature that helps teens move on from subjects that they might be fixated on. So while not all of its new updates are appreciated, there are definitely some that are moving the platform in the right direction.

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Source: The Verge 

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Samsung Galaxy S22 series receives new camera features and QR code scanner improvements

While Samsung has already started testing One UI 5 based on Android 13 for its flagship Galaxy S22 series, the company hasn’t forgotten those still on the Android 12 release. It is rolling out a fresh Android 12 update on the stable channel, bringing a host of new camera features to the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus, and Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Samsung recently shared details about the latest Android 12 update for the Galaxy S22 series on its community forums. According to the company, the release brings telephoto camera support for the hyperlapse mode, QR code scanner improvements, AI engine optimizations for Photo, Night, and Video modes, and more. It has already started rolling out to users in South Korea (via Sammy Fans), and it should reach other regions in the coming days.

While we currently don’t have access to the full changelog for the update, Samsung notes that it improves the QR code scanner performance by increasing the guide size and enhancing scan speeds when using the feature from the Quick Settings panel.

The update also fixes a bug in the QR code scanner in the Camera app, which prevented users from scanning a QR code if the Camera app recognized a document in the scene.

In addition, the update addresses another usability issue for the QR code scanner in the Camera app because of which users couldn’t access the QR code prompt after accidentally canceling the original pop-up.

Other noteworthy improvements include picture quality optimizations for the motion picture feature, sharpness and contrast intensity adjustments for ultra-wide and telephoto cameras, sharpness and contrast intensity adjustments for the Pro and Portrait modes, and a few Night mode improvements. Samsung also notes that it’s also working on an “Astronomical Hyperlapse” mode and AI-enhancements for the ultra-low light mode, which will roll out with future updates.

As mentioned previously, the update is currently rolling out to Galaxy S22 users in South Korea. While Samsung has not shared a timeline for a wider rollout, the update should land in more regions in the coming days.

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Source: Samsung Community forums
Via: Sammy Fans

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Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 specs detailed in new leak

Qualcomm rebranded its Snapdragon lineup of smartphone SoCs with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 late last year. The company extended the new branding to its mid-tier Snapdragon 7 series this May, with the launch of the new Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip. While most Android OEMs are yet to launch devices featuring the latest Snapdragon 7 series chip, a new leak has revealed details about the upcoming Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 SoC.

The leak in question comes from Evan Blass, and it reveals pretty much everything about the next SoC in Qualcomm’s budget-friendly Snapdragon 6 series. Firstly, it confirms that Qualcomm will further extend its new SoC branding to Snapdragon 6 series SoCs and the upcoming chipset will go by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 moniker. It also reveals that Qualcomm will use a 4nm manufacturing process for the SoC and offer a 2.2GHz Kryo CPU and an unspecified Adreno GPU. However, it does not highlight the number of CPU or GPU cores on the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1.

pic.twitter.com/B2d6GWdjNA

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 26, 2022

Although the leaked specs sheet does not share enough details about the CPU or GPU, it confirms that the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 will pack a Snapdragon X62 modem-RF system, bringing mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G support to budget-friendly devices. Additionally, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 will support up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM clocked at 2,750MHz and UFS 3.1 storage.

Other noteworthy features include support for 120Hz FHD+ displays, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6E, and Quick Charge 4 Plus. On the camera front, the Spectra ISP on the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 will support either triple 13MP rear-facing cameras, a 25MP and 16MP dual-camera setup, or a single 48MP camera, along with 4K HDR video capture.

Currently, Qualcomm has not made any official announcements about the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 SoC. But the company has confirmed that it will host this year’s Snapdragon Tech Summit between November 15 and November 17. It will likely unveil the next-gen flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC during the event, and it may also showcase the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 along with it.

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These are the Best Google Pixel Phones to buy in 2022

Google Pixel phones are often ranked close to the “god tier” of best Android devices, often earning praise from reviewers and users alike. After all, Google makes Android, so a phone made by Google running Android should be the perfect Android phone, right? Well, some people would definitely agree. While Pixels have slowly made their way to the mainstream, there’s still a lot of improvement needed to get there. While that happens though, they still have their charm. It’s not a coincidence they consistently become fan favorites and they’re often considered among the best smartphones. You can’t truly experience Pixel phones without trying one out, though. So if you’re interested in getting a Google Pixel phone, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best Pixel phones you can currently get.

From flagship devices like the Pixel 6 Pro to cheaper ones like the Pixel 5a (5G), Google’s lineup has gotten extensive enough to warrant making a list.

Navigate this guide:

• Best Overall: Google Pixel 6 Pro
• Best for Most People: Google Pixel 6
• Best Affordable: Google Pixel 6a
• Best Older: Google Pixel 5a

Best Overall: Google Pixel 6 Pro

If money is no object, the Pixel 6 Pro is the best Google phone you can buy right now. It showcases the best smartphone hardware Google has on offer, including a gorgeous display and versatile camera system. It was launched in October alongside the standard Pixel 6. While the Pixel 6 Pro shares the same general design and chipset with the standard model, it differs in a few key areas. The most striking difference and immediately noticeable difference is the display. The Pixel 6 Pro has a large 6.7-inch OLED display with QHD+ resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate. QHD+ resolution means everything on the display, including photos, videos, graphics, etc., look crisp. The panel is curved on its edges, similar to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, offering a more immersive viewing experience. Peak brightness is sufficient for using the phone under direct sunlight, and you also get support for HDR10 and HDR10+ content on Netflix and other streaming platforms. Since it’s an LTPO display, you also get support for an adaptive refresh rate, meaning the display can automatically adjust the refresh rate between 10Hz to 120Hz based on content and screen interaction. Both the front and back are protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus.

The Pixel 6 Pro also gets a more versatile camera package. In addition to the same 50MP main camera and a 12MP ultra-wide shooter as the standard Pixel 6, the Pro model has an additional 48MP telephoto lens that lets you take better zoom shots without sacrificing details.

Powering the Google Pixel 6 Pro is Tensor, Google’s first in-house SoC. It’s not as fast as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, but you’re unlikely to notice any slowdowns or stutters in day-to-day activity no matter what you throw at it. The only thing about the Pixel 6 Pro’s performance that’s not so Pro is gaming. The phone heats quite a bit and throttles when put under a heavy load for a prolonged period.

The Pixel 6 Pro delivers average battery life, and its 30W fast charging is nothing to write home about when the competition is offering up to 150W speeds. But if you’re not a heavy user, you can still expect the phone to provide a full day battery life. Wireless charging support is also on board, and the phone also lets you reverse wireless charge your smartwatch or earphones at up to 5W speed.

As for software, Google has promised three years of Android version updates and five years of security patches on the Pixel 6 Pro. It comes with the latest Android 12 out of the box with all the Material You goodness. If you’re looking for a flagship Pixel with excellent cameras, this is the one to get.

Google Pixel 6 Pro

The Pixel 6 Pro is the larger sibling that comes with Google's new Tensor chip, a modern design, and an extra telephoto camera.

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Best for most people: Google Pixel 6

For those who do not care about the curved display and telephoto camera, the standard Pixel 6 would be a better choice. The Pixel 6 is the most balanced phone in the company’s lineup, offering a great hardware package without any obvious shortcomings and for a much lower price than the Pixel 6 Pro. The Pixel 6 follows the same design language as the Pro model, packing a two-tone back and a striking camera visor that spans the phone’s width.

You get a nice 6.4-inch OLED display with FHD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. The panel doesn’t get as bright as the Pixel 6 Pro, nor does it support LTPO tech for dynamic refresh rate. But the small screen size and 1080p resolution mean the Pixel 6’s display isn’t a battery hog similar to the QHD+ panel of the Pixel 6 Pro. With a maximum brightness of 500 nits, the screen isn’t all that bright, but it’s sufficient for outdoor use.

In the performance department, you have nothing to worry about. The Pixel 6 performs similarly to the Pro model in day-to-day tasks as it’s powered by the same Tensor Soc. However, it may not be able to hold as many apps as the Pixel 6 Pro due to the lower amount of RAM. Still, 8GB of RAM is more than enough for most people and is unlikely to affect the general performance.

You get two excellent cameras on the back: a 50MP primary shooter and a 12MP ultra-wide shooter. The phone misses out on a dedicated zoom lens. As always, Google has nailed the performance, and thanks to the newer primary camera, the Pixel 6 brings massive improvements to low-light performance. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a phone that delivers camera performance as good as the Pixel 6 in this price range. As it stands, the Pixel 6 is the best camera phone in this price range.

The camera on the front isn’t as wide as the one on the Pro and also drops the resolution to 8MP. Other than that, there’s not a lot you’re missing out on with the standard Pixel 6. The Pixel 6 is also slightly smaller than the Pixel 6 Pro, which a few people may prefer. You get the same sort of software support on the Pixel 6 too. The battery is slightly smaller at 4600mAh, but the smaller screen and lower refresh rate mean that the battery life is going to be as good as the Pro, if not better. For $300 lesser than the Pro, the Pixel 6 is a great value offering and should be the phone most people should get if you want the best value flagship.

Google Pixel 6

The Pixel 6 comes with Google's new Tensor chip, a modern design, and flagship cameras.

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Best affordable: Google Pixel 6a

If you don’t need all the bells and whistles that come with the Google Pixel 6, you will do just fine with the Pixel 6a. The Pixel 6a is a repetition of a successful formula. Like previous Pixel A series phones, the new model brings the best features of the flagship Pixels down to a more accessible price point while dropping some premium features in the process. The compromises come in the form of fewer premium materials, a downgraded display, and older camera hardware. Rather than Gorilla Glass Victus on the front, you get Gorilla Glass 3, and instead of a glass back, you get a plastic one.

The Pixel 6a sports a 6.1-inch OLED display with FHD+ resolution. It’s a shame the panel doesn’t offer a higher refresh rate, topping out at 60Hz. There’s a hope the Android tinkering community might be able to surpass this limitation and unlock the 90Hz refresh rate. But the fact that Google didn’t ship a higher refresh rate panel on a 2022 mid-range phone is definitely disappointing and puts the phone at a disadvantage. But on the bright side, the display is sunlight legible and offers vibrant colors and deep blacks you expect from an OLED panel.

The most exciting thing about the Pixel 6a is that it uses the same flagship Tensor SoC as the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. However, before you get too excited, note that the phone doesn’t perform as well as the top models. This is due to the fact that the Pixel 6a only packs 6GB of RAM and lacks the smoothness of a higher refresh rate panel. For what it’s worth, the Pixel 6a performs respectably in day-to-day use. Unless you’re a power user, you’ll be perfectly content with the overall performance.

The camera situation is a bit tricky. Instead of borrowing the new camera hardware from the Pixel 6 series, the latest affordable Pixel packs the same old camera modules that have appeared on all previous Pixel A series phones. Despite older cameras, the Pixel 6a produces the same high-quality photos we’ve come to expect from the Pixel line, thanks to Tensor’s new image signal processor and Google’s machine-learning magic.

The Pixel 6a packs a 4,410mAh battery, slightly smaller than the Pixel 6’s 4,614mAh cell. But the smaller screen and a lower refresh rate mean you won’t be reaching for the charger in the middle of the day. And speaking of the charger, you don’t get one inside the box. You’ll have to use your existing one or choose from the best Pixel 6a chargers.

For $449, the Pixel 6a packs a lot of value, offering a delightful mix of fantastic camera performance and a thoughtful software experience. The three-year Android OS support is the icing on the cake.

Google Pixel 6a

The Pixel 6a is a great mid-range smartphone, packing powerful cameras and Google's in-house Tensor chipset.

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Best Older: Google Pixel 5a (5G)

If you’re tight on budget and don’t mind older hardware, the Pixel 5a is a solid option. Except for its boring and rather unassuming design, the Pixel 5a is a well-rounded offering. It has got the same amazing cameras as the Pixel 6a, a sleek body that feels great in hand, and stellar battery life.

It was launched in August 2021 for around $450, but you can often find it on sale for $400 or less. You’d also find a bunch of these on the second-hand phone market, which is why the Pixel 5a makes its way onto our list. It’s a nice no-nonsense smartphone that will give you a good entry into the Google Assistant and Google Pixel ecosystems.  It only comes in one color: Mostly Black. In case it wasn’t clear, the Pixel 5a is closer to the Pixel 5 than it is to the Pixel 4a.

The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G SoC, which is not as fast as the Tensor chipset in the Pixel 6a but is still a capable driver as far as day-to-day performance is concerned. The camera performance is the main highlight of the Pixel 5a’s hardware package. You get a 12MP main shooter and 16MP ultra-wide camera, both of which deliver excellent results in most lighting conditions. While the Pixel 6a and Pixel 5a use the same main camera, the Pixel 6a features Tensor’s new image signal processor, giving it an edge in image processing.

The battery is an area where the Pixel 5a excels. Its 4,680mAh will easily get you through a full day of heavy usage. Remember that the Pixel 5a launched with Android 11 out of the box, and Google generally only provides three major Android OS updates to Pixel phones. That means the Pixel 5a likely won’t receive OS updates after Android 14. If you’re planning to use your phone for longer than that, we would recommend picking up the Pixel 6a instead.

That said, the Pixel 5a is one of the best Pixel phones to get if you’re looking into something to get into the Google ecosystem, don’t want to break the bank, and still want to get the absolute most out of it.

Google Pixel 5a

The Pixel 5a delivers stellar battery life, a great software experience and amazing camera performance.

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This is pretty much it for our list of the best Pixel phones you can get right now. The most logical choices you can get right now include the Google Pixel 6 Pro and the Pixel 6. They are arguably the best Pixels phones ever made. If you don’t have $700 to pony up on a smartphone though, then you might be well served by the Pixel 6a. Ideally, you’d not pick up the Pixel 5a 5G, but you can look at it if you find it on a very sweet deal or in the second-hand phone market.

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How to install Python on Windows, Linux, and macOS

If you want to get into development, one of my favorite programming languages that I’ve learned is Python. It’s a multi-paradigm language, supporting imperative, functional, procedural, and object-oriented programming. It’s wide open and can be used for practically anything, and is a go-to language for many when working in artificial intelligence or machine learning. I use it for a lot of automation, and it’s even the language that some of the testing tools that we’ve used are written in.

Python is a powerful language, and if you want to get started with it, this guide will teach you the basics. Not only will you need to install the Python binaries and ensure that it’s in your PATH, but you’ll also need something to actually write code in. You could use a full-fledged IDE (Integrated Development Environment) like PyCharm, or you could lean towards a text editor such as the pre-installed IDLE or Sublime Text 3. There are a lot of options, but this guide should kick-start you on the basics.

Installing Python

On Windows and macOS

Installing Python is the easy part, and you’ll need to decide whether you’re installing Python 2.7 or Python 3.x. Python 2.7 is often used for legacy projects, but if you’re writing your own software, then you should install Python 3.x.

To install on Windows or Mac, do the following:

• Go to the official Python site, and navigate to the most recent release. At the time of writing, that is 3.10.6.
• Download the binary for your platform.
• Execute the binary.

You don’t need to select any options aside from adding Python to your PATH, as the default installer has everything that you need. Simply clicking “Install” is all you need to do. On Mac, this will be done by default in the dmg installer.

Installing Python on Linux

If you use Linux, though, then it will depend on the distribution that you’re using. Debian-based distributions (such as Ubuntu) can use the apt package installer in Terminal by executing the following command:

• apt-get install python3.6

Other distributions may have it already pre-installed, and if not, you’ll need to use the package manager in your distribution. For example, on CentOS, you would execute “yum install -y python3”.

Verify Installation

You can verify your install is active, by running the “python” command in PowerShell, command prompt, or your Terminal.

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Choose your Python IDE

You’ll need an IDE or text editor to write code effectively, and there are a few options. Python comes with IDLE pre-installed, and while it works well, it’s not great for larger files that may be more complicated. Here are some of the IDEs that I’ve used for Python over the years, both in university and in my own projects. All of these IDEs are cross-platform, meaning you can run them on Windows, Linux, or macOS.

PyCharm

If you’re familiar with Android Studio or IntelliJ, then you’re already familiar with PyCharm. It’s from the same developers, and you can even enable the exact same functionality in IntelliJ by installing the Python plugin. The difference is that PyCharm is built from the ground up purely just for Python, and packs all of the features you’d expect of any modern IDE. That includes built in version control, syntax highlighting, window splitting, debugging features, and more.

Download PyCharm

Spyder

If you’re a data scientist (or are going to be using Python for data science purposes), then you need to install Spyder. It’s an IDE that packs in some of the most popular data analysis packages for Python already. These include matplotlib, numpy, scipy, and pandas. If you want to get into data analysis, data plotting, and other scientific investigation, then Spyder is 100% what you need to install. Spyder even has Jupyter Notebooks built in, which can be used to explore and plot data really easily.

Download Spyder

Sublime Text 3

Sublime Text 3 is one of my go-to text editors, simply thanks to its simplicity. It’s super versatile, though barebones, and more suited towards smaller projects. If you’re only working with a few hundred lines of code in a program that you’re writing, then Sublime Text 3 is probably the best way to go. I once wrote a web scraper in Python that would read local renting sites and email me and some friends a link to new listings just using Sublime Text 3 and Python. It’s a perfectly capable development environment and one that I think most people should be familiar with.

Download Sublime Text 3

Visual Studio Code (VSCode)

Visual Studio Code (or VSCode) is one of the most versatile development environments out there. It’s entirely customizable, with a massive repository of plugins that you can access from within. It’s not compatible with Python straight away, but you can install a Python plugin from within that will enable syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, Jupyter Notebooks, debugging, unit testing, and other features. I love Visual Studio Code, and it’s actually the IDE that I use the most when I’m working on something complex.

Download Visual Studio Code

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What next

If you want to get started with development, there are loads of tutorials online that will teach you the basics. Between the likes of CodeAcademy and w3schools, there are lots of options. There are even Python interpreters on Android that you can use to write on your phone, and the best way to learn is by doing. If you’re doing anything resource-intensive that may use a lot of machine learning models or artificial intelligence, you might need one of the best laptops to handle it, though.

The best way that I learned was by realizing a problem or other difficulty I had and trying to figure out a way to automate the solution to it. That’s why I had the idea of writing a program that would scrape renting sites for me, and I’m sure there are other reasons you may find that you want to use Python, too.

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What satellite navigation systems does the Google Pixel 6a support?

Google revealed the Pixel 6a during its annual I/O conference. This mid-range phone packs a decent camera, Google’s Tensor chip, and the fluid Android experience you know and love. For $449 only, you can buy a Pixel 6a and get your hands on Google’s hardware and software — without leaving a hole in your pocket. Now, if you plan on getting your hands on a Google Pixel 6a, you must be wondering — what satellite navigation systems does it support? Here’s what you need to know about this particular matter.

Satellite navigation systems are invaluable nowadays. Thanks to digital maps, we now get to use apps for locating nearby restaurants and other places of interest. The lists are continuously updated, and you get to view relevant information like businesses’ phone numbers, email addresses, opening hours, etc. There are several systems available out there, and the Google Pixel 6a supports a handful of them.

The Google Pixel 6a supports the following satellite navigation systems — GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS. Through these, you get to navigate around, share your precise location with others, and do more!

Google Pixel 6a

The Pixel 6a is a middle-range phone from Google. It packs the Tensor chip and runs Android 12.

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The Google Pixel 6a is a great device for those who want the pure Google experience without spending too much on the higher-end models of this phone. It’s not the best-performing smartphone out there. However, it still comes with decent offerings — while missing out on other ones. For example, you get a great FHD+ AMOLED display that lacks 120Hz support. Nonetheless, average users likely wouldn’t care about the difference between the Pixel 6a and the higher-end Pixel phones. If you go for it, don’t forget to protect it with a case because it’s always better to be safe than sorry. A case not only provides protection but also acts as a cosmetic accessory. It refreshes the appearance of your phone and prevents it from becoming mundane.

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How to change the voice and accent Siri uses on your iPhone

Siri is the virtual assistant that lives in some of the greatest iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Despite it not being as smart or helpful as Google Assistant, it still can come in handy for basic tasks and questions. Depending on your iPhone model, you can either trigger it by pressing and holding on the Side or Home buttons. Of course, you also get to enable the Hey Siri voice command for a hands-free experience. When you first set up your iPhone, iOS asks you to choose a voice for Siri. However, sometimes we get bored of or annoyed by our past decisions. Fortunately for all of us, you can indeed change the voice and accent Siri uses on your iPhone. Here are the detailed steps you need to follow to change these settings on iOS.

Changing the voice and accent Siri uses on iOS

• Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.

• Scroll down, and click on the Siri & Search section.

• Choose the Siri Voice section.

• There you will find two main sections — Variety and Voice. Variety includes the available accents, while Voice refers to the actual voice tone. Try them out one by one and select the pair you like the most. Do note that the available voice and variety options vary depending on the chosen language. For English, you get five voices and six varieties:
  • American
  • Australian
  • British
  • Indian
  • Irish
  • South African

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Once you set the Siri Voice and Variety, they should sync to all of your compatible iCloud devices automatically. This means you won’t need to tweak your Apple Watch, iPad, or Mac settings to get the same voice you’ve chosen on your iPhone.

Do you actively use Siri to get tasks done? If so, which Voice and Variety pair will you go for? Let us know in the comments section below.

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The Summer Recap playlist rolls out to YouTube Music subscribers

Summertime is quickly coming to an end, and YouTube Music is ready to give you one last hurrah. The service has released its Summer Recap, filled with some of your most memorable music tracks from the past couple of months.

If you’re confused about the Summer Recap, it’s part of a new YouTube Music offering that started in June. The platform first introduced seasonal recaps a couple of months ago after it found that its annual recap feature was a hit. So, going forward, listeners will get customized seasonal playlists for spring, summer, fall, and winter. Subscribers will get a total of five music recaps a year, including the annual recap.

As mentioned before, as part of the Summer Recap, YouTube has prepared your favorite music, from all of the albums and singles to playlists you have listened to all summer long, and organized it into one huge listening experience. When you open YouTube Music, you’ll get a new landing page that shows the personalized music playlist. YouTube Music subscribers can share the playlist with friends and family.

If you completely forgot about YouTube Music, you’ll probably be surprised, as a lot has changed. The app has seen several improvements, like introducing Snapchat integration in March and refining its radio algorithm. Furthermore, if you’re running Android 13, the app will have many visual changes, including updated media controls. The app now also offers improved support on Wear OS devices.

If you haven’t tried it in a while, it might be worth checking out. YouTube Music is currently priced at $9.99 monthly in the United States. It offers access to millions of ad-free songs and the ability to download music for offline listening. If you’re more into YouTube, you can access YouTube Music for free with a YouTube Premium account.

YouTube Music (Free, Google Play) →

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Source: YouTube Blog 

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These New OPPO ColorOS 13 Features Will Boost Your Productivity

Android 13 is here, and it brings many new updates and improvements to Android phones. OPPO is working to bring you the latest update in the form of ColorOS 13, which is scheduled to hit phones at different times throughout the year, starting this August. Because ColorOS is a very highly reviewed platform, we are excited to see what new features are in store for OPPO users in the second half of 2022. We are also thrilled to share how these additions work together to boost your productivity, making ColorOS 13 the ultimate helper for your smart work and life. Keep reading for a quick look at everything new in ColorOS 13.

New Features in ColorOS 13 that Improve Your Work Efficiency

Multi-Screen Connect makes using multiple devices a seamless experience. Your workflow now transfers easily between your phone, your OPPO Pad Air, and your PC computer — without any disruptions. This allows you to easily keep your tasks in sync with a more unified system.

ColorOS 13 Multi-Screen Connect

With the new Multi-Screen Connect feature in ColorOS 13, you can transfer various types of files between your devices, without consuming data. This direct connection works even without an internet connection, as the devices connect directly to one another. This feature also supports clipboard sharing between devices to help you copy and paste with ease. When using Multi-Screen Connect on your PC, you can display multiple apps at once, on the larger screen of your desktop or laptop. With Multi-Screen Connect, you can forget about wasting time, and constantly switching between apps.

 

ColorOS 13 Multi-Screen Connect

The popularity of online meetings exploded over the past two years, with more people working from home than ever. OPPO improves your online meetings with their new feature called Meeting Assistant. When your meeting begins, Meeting Assistant prioritizes wireless data packets, to ensure that you have a stable connection. Your banner notifications are simplified to be less intrusive as well, reducing distractions and saving you the trouble of swiping away large notifications to see someone’s video properly. Lastly, you can also add a shortcut to OPPO Notes*, which can be viewed as an easy-to-access floating popup.

ColorOS 13 Meeting Assistant simplifies notifications during online meetings

New features for a Smart Life

New updates to the home screen let you make more customizations, for quicker access to common functions and features. ColorOS 13 comes with a feature called Shelf, which provides a quick glimpse at a collection of useful information with all kinds of widgets. With a search function at the top, finding the local and online information you need is easier than ever.

Find new Home Screen Widgets that can display useful information with a dynamic layout. Then use the Large Folder option to create a folder of apps that can be launched from the home screen. Forget about having to open the folder anymore; app icons can be seen from the default view!

ColorOS 13 Large Folder

OPPO’s Always-On Display has been one of the highlights of ColorOS for the past few versions, and it gets even better with the ColorOS 13 update. Always-On Display reduces the menu hierarchy and helps users access important information at a quick glance. This brings users quicker access to information with less effort. Smart Always-On Display brings Spotify controls to your AOD, allowing you to play, pause, and shuffle the songs; and this is displayed alongside food delivery information from Zomato and Swiggy. Bitmoji Always-On Display brings your animated character to the AOD, and it imitates what your phone thinks you might be doing in real life at the time. Insight Always-On Display shows a user’s digital behavior right on their AOD, using a color bar that tracks the number of times you’ve unlocked the phone and the time spent.

Alongside the Insight Always-On Display, Blossom Wallpaper also helps you monitor your smartphone usage and achieve a better life balance. It visualizes the growth of a plant shoot on the wallpaper to indicate how much time you spend glued to your phone screen.

ColorOS 13 Blossom Wallpaper

Updates in UI can be found throughout the system. Thanks to the new, concise, and comfortable Aquamorphic Design; ColorOS 13 comes with an improved layout and system hierarchy, as well as updated fonts and typography that improve readability. Overall, you’ll experience a significantly improved and much more cohesive UI in ColorOS 13, thanks to the new Card-Style Layout, Aquamorphic Design, and a new Adaptive Layout that formats your display for different screen sizes and aspect ratios.

OPPO’s new self-developed Dynamic Computing Engine is implemented in this latest update, which provides a system-level technical solution to deliver a more smooth and more stable system. It enhances the fundamental user experience by improving the scheduling of hardware resources. This results in extended battery life by achieving a better balance between high performance and low power consumption. It also allows users to keep more apps alive in the background while switching between multiple apps, without experiencing lagging or losing the status within an app. This is great news for people who do heavy multitasking on their phones!

Screenshots are getting a great new safety feature that lets you blur out avatars and usernames with one click. Auto Pixelate can automatically detect sensitive information, and it gives you the option to blur it out before posting it online or sending it to a friend. The Private Safe is now encrypted with the widely-used Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to provide high levels of security. And the underlying privacy protection features of Android 13 are also integrated. Features like this are why ColorOS is one of the best solutions for privacy-conscious users.

ColorOS 13 Auto Pixelate

Update Schedule

OPPO has been releasing some of the best smartphones available in 2022, packed with amazing hardware and cutting-edge technology. With ColorOS 13, the potential of your OPPO device is pushed even further in the areas of productivity, customization, and entertainment. Look for an update for your OPPO phone following this beta release schedule:

• August 2022: Find X5 Pro, Find X5
• September 2022: Find X3 Pro, Reno8 Pro 5G
• October 2022: Reno8 5G, Reno7 Pro 5G, Reno7 5G, Reno7, Reno6 5G, F21 Pro, K10 5G, A77 5G, A76
• November 2022: Reno7 Z 5G, Reno6 Pro 5G, Reno6 Pro 5G Diwali Edition, Reno6 Z 5G, Reno5 Pro 5G, Reno5 Pro, F21 Pro 5G, F19+ Pro, K10, A96
• December 2022: Find X5 Lite, Find X3 Neo 5G, Find X3 Lite 5G, Find X2 Pro, Find X2 Pro Automobili Lamborghini Edition, Find X2, Reno8, Reno8 Z 5G, Reno5 5G, Reno5 Z 5G, A94 5G, A74 5G
• From H1 2023: Pad Air, Reno8Lite 5G, Reno7 Lite 5G, Reno7 A, Reno6, Reno6 Lite, Reno5, Reno5 Marvel Edition, Reno5 F, Reno5 Lite, Reno5 A, F19 Pro, F19, F19s, A95, A94, A77, A74, A57, A57s, A55, A54 5G, A53s 5G, A16s

* Note: OPPO Notes are available on certain models with ColorOS13.0 and on the rest with further OTA updates. Please refer to the actual model introduction for more information.

We thank OPPO for sponsoring this post. Our sponsors help us pay for the many costs associated with running XDA, including server costs, full time developers, news writers, and much more. While you might see sponsored content (which will always be labeled as such) alongside Portal content, the Portal team is in no way responsible for these posts. Sponsored content, advertising and XDA Depot are managed by a separate team entirely. XDA will never compromise its journalistic integrity by accepting money to write favorably about a company, or alter our opinions or views in any way. Our opinion cannot be bought.

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Samsung patent shows off transparent display technology

It’s hard to believe but the first Samsung Galaxy Z Fold was released close to three years ago. Before 2019, a device with a foldable display was something you’d only see in technology demos or science fiction movies. In 2022, foldable smartphones are produced by nearly every major manufacturer, and it’s become quite common. So we ask ourselves, what’s next? A recent Samsung patent application has popped up on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) website and shows off a display that could give us a potential look at the smartphones of the future.

While the wording in the patent sounds complex, mainly because it’s through an English translation, the folks at SamMobile seem to have broken things down, giving us a better idea of the technology involved. Looking at the images, there is a mobile phone with what looks like a secondary display on its rear. While this kind of technology has been seen before, Samsung’s version in the patent application is slightly different. Samsung’s rear display panel is apparently transparent and can work like a standard display or in a more subdued role like an always-on display. The panel can be customized to display different designs, device information, and more. Furthermore, when the display is paired with a camera, it can also display a live view feed from the unit.

Samsung did file this application, but there’s no telling how far the company has gone with it. But, of course, this is Samsung and we know that they are working on exciting things when it comes to displays. The company recently showcased some of its future technologies, showing off foldable, rollable, and even expandable displays. You can see some of these in the video above. So while the patent filing may never come to fruition, the future of Samsung devices looks bright.

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Source: World Intellectual Property Organization
Via: SamMobile

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Instagram updates sensitive content filters for teens

A couple months ago, Instagram made changes to its sensitive content filters, changing the existing labels to “More,” “Standard,” and “Less.” This change was meant to make it easier for users to understand, so that they could make better choices. By default Instagram sets its accounts to “Standard” but that’s now going to change for users under the age of 16, as the company has made new revisions.

The company announced that it is rolling out a feature that will automatically set the sensitivity filter for new users under the age of 16 to the most restrictive “Less” setting. The setting will not only apply to the Explore page, but all areas of Instagram like Search, Reels, Suggested accounts, Feed Recommendations, and more. The change will make it harder for teens to run into potentially sensitive content, or accounts that post such content.

Going forward, teens that are currently using the service will be prompted to update their privacy and safety settings. Instagram states that it will ask teens to review settings like: “controlling who can reshare their content, who can message and contact them, what content they can see and how they can manage their time spent on Instagram.” This is a small change that could go a long way.

Instagram has been adding features here and there that focus on the safety of minors. In the beginning of June, it introduced Amber Alerts for the app. The service would out an alert into a user’s feed, with details of a local child in danger. Instagram also implemented a feature that would “nudge” teens, persuading them move on from content that they might be fixated on. Lastly, the company introduced age verification in the United States, requiring those that sign up to the platform to provide a valid form of identification. All of these mentioned are just some of the changes that have been made over the past couple of years.

If sensitive content on Instagram is a concern for you, you can head to the Sensitive Content Control to make adjustments. First, you will go to your Profile, then the Settings menu, navigate to Account, and then Sensitive Content Control. From there you can see the options mentioned above. If you do not see the “More” option, it is because that option is restricted for people under the age of 18. The Sensitive Content Control is just a small set of tools to keep you safe, be sure to check out the other options available in the settings menu.

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Source: Instagram

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T-Mobile partners with SpaceX for satellite service, beta starting in 2023

SpaceX, better known for its spacecrafts and space missions, provides satellite internet service to remote and rural areas. The service is currently available in parts of the United States, Europe, Australia, and South America. Despite covering a large part of the United States, there are still plenty of major areas that don’t have service. Now, T-Mobile and SpaceX have announced a partnership that will shape the future of the internet.

T-Mobile CEO and President Mike Sievert delivered the news at SpaceX Starbase stating that the vision going forward was to “end mobile dead zones.” Currently, there are many areas that are not covered by cellular networks and never will be. In order to provide coverage to these areas, SpaceX will be launching satellites that will make it possible to connect. The satellites will launch next year and the technology will work with existing phones. The hopes are to have this service, Coverage Above and Beyond, available starting in late 2023. The initial rollout will support access to messaging, MMS, and select messaging apps. Eventually, the service will be expanded to include voice and internet.

Sievert declared that “nearly anywhere in the US where you can see the sky, you’re connected with your existing phone.” Of course, this is just the beginning and it won’t be happening overnight. He expressed interest in creating a global connection with other cellular providers in other countries so that anyone visiting the US could connect to the satellite service. In Un-carrier fashion, he also stated that this feature would be included in its popular wireless plans for free, with lower-tier plans having to pay a fee. The fee would be much less than the traditional satellite service currently available.

Elon Musk, who is SpaceX’s Chief Engineer, stated that this is a service that can potentially save lives, giving people access to service where there is no service. Musk stated that in order for this service to work, SpaceX is sending Starlink Gen2 satellites with special antennas into space, and it will also have large receivers in place in rural areas. While it is exciting, Musk was quick to fill in the details, stating that this is not a replacement for current mobile services and that it is more for emergencies. He expanded that each cell station on land would be able to up to thousands of calls and millions of messages. As mentioned before, this service will roll out in beta towards the end of 2023.

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Source: SpaceX (YouTube)

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Twitter rolls out podcasts with Spaces redesign

Twitter has been adding a lot of new features to its platform over the past few months like CoTweets and giving people the ability to follow users without creating an account. Starting today, Twitter will begin connecting people in a new way, allowing folks on the platform to enjoy podcasts from around the world.

While it had been rumored for quite some time and Twitter is now rolling out podcast integration into its app. While some suspected it would be a separate product, the podcasts are snuggly packed inside Twitter Spaces. Up until now, Twitter Spaces was an audio platform that allowed users to have live audio conversations. It had a host with the option for two co-hosts and an unlimited audience. Despite podcasts rolling out, this feature will still continue to exist.

In order to make podcast integration as smooth as possible, the company redesigned the Spaces tab by introducing hubs that can be personalized. Content is grouped by themes so listeners can find what they are looking for at a glance. There will be themes like news, music, sports, and more. Users will also have access to live and recorded content. The reason why the Spaces redesign is important is that it will continue to host Spaces, but will also incorporate podcasts.

The company will also try and curate content by utilizing existing user data, and giving podcast recommendations. Listeners will also be able to like and dislike content in order to improve their recommendations. This should be big for Twitter, as the company has stated that according to its research, 45% of the people on its platform in the U.S. listen to podcasts. Currently, the update is rolling out to select English-speaking Twitter users on iOS and Android. Now, if we can only get an edit button by the end of the year.

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Source: Twitter

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Windows 11’s Settings app now has animated icons

Microsoft is beta testing an interesting change to the Settings experience in Windows 11. While it is not really a major one, experienced Windows Insiders who are enrolled in the Dev channel of the Windows 11 beta testing program have noticed that Microsoft recently rolled out animated icons in the settings app.

The animated icons aren’t available for everyone in the program just yet, and Microsoft just appears to be A/B testing it with select Windows Insiders first. However, for those who have it on the Dev channel, it adds yet another touch of life to the one-year-old operating system. This was initially noted by Rafael Rivera on Twitter, who noted that Microsoft actually has a name for these features, dubbed as “delightful unexpected moments of joy.”

Microsoft is experimenting with the idea of animating Settings navigation icons (vso/feature 34878152, Windows Insider Build 25188)

The Microsoft Design team calls these delightful unexpected moments of joy with purpose https://t.co/rUIi924aIT pic.twitter.com/2zYmbqg97N

— Rafael Rivera (@WithinRafael) August 25, 2022

The animated icons look pretty nifty, and are a nice change from the static icons in the regular version of Windows 11. For example, for the system icon in the sidebar, a hover will cause the PC screen in the icon to glare on and off. On Bluetooth and devices, the Bluetooth icon will squeeze itself. Then, for network and internet, the icon for the Wi-Fi bar will fills itself up. In other examples, on gaming, the controller icon jumps up and down, and then for Windows Update, the refresh icon will spin around.

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has tested such an experience with Windows Insiders, either. Previously, Microsoft was spotted rolling out a new taskbar animation on login. With that change, taskbar icons in Windows 11 would zoom-in, instead of flying up.

As with all features in the Dev Channel of the Windows Insider program, it is not clear if this will make it to a final version of Windows 11, or the incoming Windows 11, Version 22H2 update. If you really want to try out this experience today and you’re a Windows Insider in the Dev Channel, you can tweak a few things using ViveTool, but this is not suggested.

Source:  Rafael Rivera/ Twitter

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LineageOS 19 is now available for the OnePlus 8 series, Galaxy A52 4G, and Galaxy A72

Since its debut earlier this year, the LineageOS team has extended LineageOS 19 support to quite a few Android devices. The Android 12-based custom ROM recently added support for the Xiaomi Mi 6, Moto G 5G, Moto G 5G Plus, Motorola Edge, and the ZUK Z2 Plus. Now, the LineageOS team is extending support to five more devices, including the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 8T, Galaxy A52 4G, and Galaxy A72.

OnePlus rolled out the official OxygenOS 12 update for the OnePlus 8 series earlier this year, bringing new Android 12 features to the devices. However, user reports suggest that the OxygenOS 12 update for the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, and OnePlus 8T is not entirely free from bugs. If you’ve been facing issues with OxygenOS 12 on your OnePlus 8 series device, you can now flash LineageOS 19 on it to see if it offers a better experience.

As for the Galaxy A52 4G and Galaxy A72, Samsung rolled out stable builds of One UI 4 based on Android 12 to both mid-rangers in January. The devices have since received stable One UI 4.1 builds with even more new features in tow. Unlike OnePlus’ Android 12 skin, users haven’t faced many issues on Samsung’s One UI 4 releases. But if you’re not a fan of the new UI and would like to run a near-stock version of Android 12 on your Galaxy A52 4G or Galaxy A72, you can give LineageOS 19 a shot.

The table below includes LineageOS Wiki Links to the respective devices page, where you’ll find the flashable ZIP file and installation instructions for your device. It also includes links to our device forums, where you’ll find even more Android 12 custom ROMs for your device.

Sr. No.	Device and Forum Link	Device codename and Wiki Link	Maintainer
1.	OnePlus 8	instantnoodle	jabashque
2.	OnePlus 8 Pro	instantnoodlep	LuK1337
3.	OnePlus 8T	kebab	LuK1337
4.	Samsung Galaxy A52 4G	a52q	Simon1511
5.	Samsung Galaxy A72	a72q	Simon1511

To flash LineageOS 19, you’ll have to unlock your device’s bootloader and install a custom recovery like TWRP. If you’re not sure how to go about that, you can follow the steps provided in our how to install a custom ROM and how to install TWRP guides. Once you’re done unlocking the bootloader and installing TWRP, go through the installation instructions and other linked documentation provided in the Wiki pages linked above. Also, take a backup of your data, or you might lose it during installation.

Note that LineageOS 19 does not come with Google apps pre-installed. You’ll have to flash a compatible GApps package after installing the ROM if you want to use any Google apps or services. Check out our guide on how to download and install the latest GApps for detailed instructions.

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Can the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series measure your temperature?

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro launched recently, alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and the Galaxy Z Fold 4. While the watches bring a few new tricks to the table, they also bring back some older ones. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series can technically measure your temperature, but it isn’t able to — yet, anyway. That’s because Samsung included a skin temperature sensor in the watch, but there’s no way to actually use it just yet.

The company hasn’t stated what the hold-up is yet, but it’s assumed to be something along the lines of regulatory approval. In some regions, Samsung needs to get approval to launch some of its medical-related features, which is why we have a situation where the Galaxy Watch ECG and Blood Pressure features require a modded app to use in other regions outside of a select few. As a result, it’s possible that even if the skin temperature sensor gets enabled in the future, it might be limited.

It’s not all bad news though. Samsung has continued to expand support for its watch features over the years to new regions continuously, so even if it’s not available right away in your region once cleared by some regulatory bodies, that doesn’t mean it won’t ever be. I wouldn’t go out and buy one purely in the hopes of using it for temperature readings, but it’s still likely.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

The Galaxy Watch 5 is a fantastic Wear OS smartwatch with advanced wellness features.

Buy from Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is aimed at fitness enthusiasts and offers a more durable design.

Buy from Samsung

As for what you can use it for, because it’s a skin temperature reading, it’s not going to be completely accurate. It can be used to measure your temperature when working out or sleeping, and I’m sure can be used to give an indication of fever, rather than a conclusive statement. The company hasn’t given a lot of information about what features it’ll be used for when it does launch, so we’ll be waiting to see what it has up its sleeves!

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