Bring back Nougat’s Night Mode with this app

Night Mode, just like a few other features from Android Nougat's development builds, didn't make it into the final cut, which has left a few users a bit missed. Fret not though, as developer Michael Evans and his colleagues have built a simple app to re-enable the feature.

If you missed it, Night Mode is a blue-light filter toggle that is designed to make your smartphone display a little more friendly on your eyes while using your phone at night. It turns out that the code is still left behind in the final Nougat build, and can be easily re-enabled through a few ADB commands. Of course, not many people want to mess around with that stuff, so the team built a quick app that does the same thing, called Night Mode Enabler.

Google has previously stated that the feature was removed from the final build because of performance concerns. Given that the code is left behind, it's possible that Google may be working to bring its blue-light filter back at some point once the bugs are ironed out. However, it's also possible that the feature may be completely removed at some point in the future.

See also: The official list of Android 7.0 Nougat features299

Strangely, enabling Night Mode doesn't appear to be working properly on every device, although the app is still worth a shot if you really want the feature back. Night Mode Enabler is free to download from the Play Store.

Download from Google Play

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Lots of NVIDIA Shield games on sale this week

NVIDIA's Shield range of products support a selection of exclusive titles to keep today's gamers entertained, but building up a collection of top-notch games isn't exactly cheap. Fortunately, a number of Shield exclusive games are currently on sale over at the Google Play Store, which could save you up to 66 percent on some titles.

Some of the most notable reductions can be found for Doom 3: BFG Edition, reduced by 50 percent to $4.99, and on Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, now available for $4.99 with a 66 percent discount. However before you stump up the cash, note that many of the titles in the list below won't be compatible with every Android device. Here's the list of discounts:

• Doom 3: BFG Edition – $4.99
• Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – $4.99
• Parallax – $2.49
• Pix the Cat – $2.49
• Q*Bert Rebooted – $2.99
• Q.U.B.E. Director's Cut – $2.99
• Stealth Inc. 2 – $4.99
• Stikbold! – $4.99
• Super Meat Boy – $7.49
• Ultimate Chicken Horse – $5.99

See also: 15 best Android games of 2016181

It's not clear how long these deals will be available for, so it might be best to make your purchases soon. Have any of these games caught your eye?

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NFC payment ring now available to pre-order

Remember that NFC Ring Kickstarter from three years ago? Well the payment ring is now finally ready for prime time, as pre-orders have kicked off today with support for mobile payments.

The new NFC payment ring is primarily designed to work with wireless payment systems, without the need to whip out our credit card or smartphone. Once it's all set-up, you wont even need your phone close by to use the ring, as it uses anonymous tokens to make payments.The ring meets EMVCo's contactless performance requirements, ensuring support for a range of VISA cards from a selection of banks.

There are a few others cool uses for the NFC Ring too. It can unlock your smartphone or tablet with a quick tap to the back of your phone. If you have an NFC enabled door lock, you can get in and out of your house without fumbling with keys. You can also use the ring to share WiFi information, link to websites, pictures, and contact information with other NFC devices.

If you're interested, two NFC Ring models are available pre-order in three different colors and a huge selections of ring sizes. Prices are set at $53 (£40) for the latest model, and the company is offering 50 percent of all titanium rings this summer.

Pre-order your NFC Ring

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Android 7.1 name spotted in Developer Console, could arrive as MR1

Google is changing the way it's handling Android updates (it's high time it did, we might add) by introducing Maintenance Releases (MR).

These patches will include bug fixes and tweaks, and we can speculate that Google could use the opportunity to add certain new features or change the behavior of existing ones. The first MR for Android 7.0 Nougat is expected this fall, and more will follow on a quarterly basis.

We don't know yet whether MR will bump up the version number. In other words, will MR1 be called Android 7.0.1, Android 7.1, or something else entirely?

We have some flimsy evidence that points to Android 7.1. One clue is a section in the Android Developer Console (first spotted by Android Police) that includes a mention of Android 7.1.

Another is the presence of Android 7.1 in the analytics logs of various websites and apps. Here's a sample from our Analytics:

While it's possible that Googlers are using 7.1 in the wild right now – and visiting Android Authority – it's also likely that lots of hits are coming from devices whose build.prop was altered to show a custom Android version. For instance, we also see Android 8.0, Android 9.0, and even Android 69.0 in Analytics. So we wouldn't put too much stock on Android O showing up anytime soon.

What will Android 7.1 bring, assuming it's real? The prevailing thinking seems to be that it would include certain features that Google saved for the release of the two HTC-made Nexuses.

Regardless of the specifics, the good news is Google is becoming more flexible with the way it handles updates, and more transparent about it, thanks to the ongoing Android Beta program. So whatever is in store for MR1, we should find out pretty soon.

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Samsung will boost production to ease Note 7 supply shortage

Samsung's having a great year and with phones like the Galaxy S7 Edge and the new Note 7 it's easy to see why – despite their high price tags, customers love Samsung's Galaxies.

High demand can create problems however. Samsung has already adjusted its Note 7 launch plans and now the company revealed that it can't manufacture new units as fast as existing ones fly off the shelves.

In a statement today, Samsung said it's facing "supply constraints globally" due to pre-orders volumes that "far exceeded" estimates.

Samsung used a similar language last year when the curved Galaxy S6 Edge sold much better than the Korean giant had anticipated.

The problem this year is not related to the double-curved display of the Note 7, according to an anonymous source cited by Reuters. While the root cause of the supply issues remains unclear, the company said it's trying to boost production. Analysts consulted by Reuters think the supply snag is only temporary and predict sales of up to 15 million Galaxy Note 7 units this year. That's compared to just 9 million for the Note 5, which was released in a limited number of markets.

Cynics could see this talk about "unprecedented demand" as a corporate hype-building exercise. And that might be the case to some extent. But nobody can deny the warm welcome the Note 7 received, especially when you compare it to the muted response to the Note 5.

Have you run into any issues trying to order a Note 7?

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Third Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime, Redmi 3S flash sale today at 12 PM

If you've missed your chance at picking up the Xiaomi Redmi 3S or Redmi 3S Prime in the first two flash sales, you will have another opportunity to do so once again, today at 12 PM.

Buy now from mi.com Buy now from Flipkart

You only have to look back at the last two flash sales to see the popularity of these ultra-affordable smartphones from Xiaomi. In the first sale held two weeks ago, the Redmi 3S Prime sold out in just eight minutes, and in the second, which also saw the availability of the Redmi 3S, stocks lasted till only around 5 PM that evening.

If you're wondering about which device is better suited to your needs, it is worth noting that most specifications and features are the same between the two versions, including the huge 4,100 mAh battery that is found with both. As far as differences go, the cheaper Redmi 3S comes with 16 GB of storage and 2 GB of RAM, while the Redmi 3S Prime offers 32 GB of internal storage and 3 GB of RAM, and also provides an additional layer of security with a fingerprint scanner.

The Xiaomi Redmi 3S is priced at Rs 6,999 (~$104), while the Redmi 3S Prime is only slightly more expensive, with its price tag of Rs 8,999 (~$134). The two devices will available from both mi.com and Flipkart, with Flipkart also providing consumers with an exchange offer. So if you have an old Android smartphone lying around, you can always trade that in and pick up these affordable smartphones for even cheaper.

Buy now from mi.com Buy now from Flipkart

Let us know if you were able to pick up the Xiaomi Redmi 3S or Redmi 3S Prime during today's sale, and if you already have the phone, do share your thoughts on what your experience has been with it so far in the comments section below!

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Samsung plans to share more tech to lure more semiconductor business

Its devices foothold slipping in the country, Samsung is clawing back into China's mobile market by putting more weight behind its semiconductor arm. Its foundry business is undergoing slow growth, but Samsung is expected to heat up talks with Chinese firms to change that.

The Korean tech firm is set to host what it's calling the Samsung Foundry Forum on August 30, during which its semiconductor chiefs will lobby representatives from roughly 100 Chinese firms. The forum will welcome the likes of ZTE, MediaTek, HiSilicon and others, according to reports.

It isn't the creation of the event that's telling of Samsung's intentions here, as the company regularly engages potential customers in China. It's the effort that's going into this forum and what's expected to be a slight pivot in its strategy. It plans to take on more customers instead of leaning on a handful of them.

During Samsung's upcoming forum, the firm is expected to court new clients by offering them access to its 10nm and 14nm FinFET process designs along with its 28nm fully depleted silicon on insulator processes.

Probably one of the most infamous setbacks in Samsung's semiconductor business was when Apple began to offload some of its orders for iPhone processors to TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Corporation) two years ago.

Last year Apple turned backed to Samsung for production of the iPhone's A9 chips. But the company's semiconductor business isn't running as optimally as Samsung's execs would like. And Samsung would probably not have to rely so heavily on its frenemy, Apple.

Samsung's foundries are still growing, as evidenced by its semiconductor group's 8 percent-quarter over-quarter growth and 6 percent year-over-year growth in operating profit last quarter. It's just that its foundries' older lines are stagnating because they aren't suited for the production of newer chips its current clients want.

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