ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 receives second Android 10 beta update with April 2020 security patches

Despite not taking part in the Android One program, ASUS launched the ZenFone Max Pro M1 back in 2018 with a close-to-stock version of Android 8.1 Oreo. The phone received its Android Pie update around a year ago, and ASUS delivered a beta version of Android 10 for this device in January 2020. While we don’t know any specific timeframe regarding the arrival of the stable Android 10 update as of yet, it seems quite close as ASUS decided to publish a second beta build of Android 10 for the ZenFone Max Pro M1.

ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 XDA Forums

The version number of the new build is 17.2017.2004.424, which is a rather steep jump from the initial beta build tag (17.2017.1911.407). The Android security patch level has been bumped to April 2020, and those who are on the latest stable Android Pie build can now perform an upgrade without failing. Unlike the previous build, the Widevine DRM level is now at L1, thus ZenFone Max Pro M1 owners can stream Netflix or Amazon Prime Video in full HD.

The complete changelog of the latest Android 10 beta for the ZenFone Max Pro M1 is listed below.

1. Updated Android security patch
2. Fixed fingerprint cannot be set issue
3. Fixed latest Android P image cannot upgrade to Android 10 issue
4. Fixed user can’t hear low frequency sounds issue
5. Fixed fast charging not working issue
6. Fixed Arena of Valor without high frame rate mode issue
7. Improved sound quality at Media and notification sounds
8. Fixed Netflix no HD (widevine L3) issue
9. Fixed lock screen wallpaper issue if user sets different pictures for the wallpaper lock screen, and double-click to wake up
10. Fixed text display issue of APP name

There is no incremental OTA package, so interested users have to download the full-sized update zip that weighs about 1.6GB. Keep in mind that Electronic Image Stabilization for video recording is still broken, and the Fingerprint related options under Settings may randomly disappear. One should also perform a full backup before flashing, as ASUS does warn about potential data wipe issues.

Download second Android 10 beta for the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1

Download downgrade package to revert back to Android Pie

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Source: ASUS

Thanks to ASUS ZenTalk Community user umangsharma9199 for the screenshot!

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Slack is testing a cleaner UI with swipe gesture navigation in the latest Android beta

More people than ever are working from home these days and many businesses rely on Slack for communication. With tons of useful integrations with other services, and apps on nearly every platform, it’s a great choice. One of those platforms is Android and the Slack app recently received a pretty big UI update.

The latest update for the Slack beta app introduces a new bottom bar for navigation. The bar has four tabs: Home, DMs, Mentions, and You. The Home tab is where you see the list of channels, direct message conversations, and the compose button for new messages. DMs and Mentions is exactly what you would expect, and the You tab is where you can set your status and adjust preferences.

Along with the new UI is a brand new way to navigate with gestures. When you’re on any of the four tabs listed above, you can swipe from the right to go to your last active channel/message. Swiping from the left while in a channel/DM will go back to the last tab you were on. Swiping from the right on the tab pages will open a sidebar that shows your other workspaces and shortcuts to a channel browser, inviting members, and preferences. These gestures don’t need to be performed from the edge of the screen.

The gestures feel a little wonky at first, but it seems like this will be a nice update. Any UI that minimizes the interference of Android’s built-in Back gesture is a good thing. Nothing is more annoying than trying to slide open the hamburger menu and accidentally going Back. You can try this new UI in Slack version 20.05.10.0. Opt-in to the beta track in the Play Store if you haven’t already.

Slack (Free, Google Play) →

Via: 9to5Google

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Google announces Web Vitals initiative to provide unified guidance on website performance

Back at the Chrome Developer Summit last year, Google announced new Chrome developer tools to reduce page load time and build native app-like experience. At the time, the company also discussed an initiative to provide developers a unified set of metrics to measure against when building websites with user experience and performance in mind. Following up on the initial idea, Google has now announced the Web Vitals initiative which aims to provide “unified guidance for quality signals that are essential to delivering a great user experience on the web”.

Over the years, Google has offered several tools to help website developers measure and report website performance. These include things like Lighthouse, Chrome DevTools, PageSpeed Insights, and Search Console’s Speed Report. But Google notes that while some developers are quite adept at using these tools, others have found the variety of tools and metrics a bit challenging to keep up with. With the new initiative, the company aims to simplify the landscape so that developers can focus on the metrics that matter the most, called Core Web Vitals.

Core Web Vitals are a subset of all the Web Vitals that apply to all web pages, should be measured by all website owners, and will be surfaced across all Google tools. Currently, these Core Web Vitals focus on three aspects of the user experience — loading, interactivity, and visual stability — and include the following metrics (and their respective thresholds):

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): measures loading performance. To provide a good user experience, LCP should occur within 2.5 seconds of when the page first starts loading.
• First Input Delay (FID): measures interactivity. To provide a good user experience, pages should have a FID of less than 100 milliseconds.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): measures visual stability. To provide a good user experience, pages should maintain a CLS of less than 0.1

To help developers measure and report these Core Web Vitals, Google is committed to surfacing these metrics in its tools. The following chart details which tools support the Core Web Vitals:

Developers will also be able to measure each Core Web Vital in JavaScript using standard web APIs and report on each Core Web Vital without writing any code, using the Web Vitals Chrome Extension. The extension makes use of the web-vitals library to measure these metrics and display them to users as they browse the web. The extension can also be helpful in understanding the performance of your websites, your competitor’s websites, and the web at large. Alternatively, developers who would prefer to measure these metrics using the underlying web APIs can refer to the metric guides on the website linked below for implementation details.

Along with the Core Web Vitals, Google also talks about other Web Vitals that will serve as proxy or supplemental metrics for the Core vitals. These include metrics like Time to First Byte (TTFB), First Contentful Paint (FCP), Total Blocking Time (TBT), and Time to Interactive (TTI) that can help developers capture a larger part of the experience or aid in diagnosing specific issues.

It’s worth noting that these Web Vitals and Core Web Vitals will evolve over time and developers should expect future improvements or additions to the list. However, since the Core Web Vitals are relevant to all web pages and featured across several Google tools, any changes to these metrics will not alter their definition and thresholds. Developers will also be given prior notice for any upcoming changes and a predictable, annual pattern. Due to the fact that the other Web Vitals are context or tools specific, their definitions and thresholds may change with greater frequency without prior notice. Any changes made to all Web Vitals will be documented in this public changelog.

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Source: web.dev

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Samsung Internet 11.2.1.3 adds an option to prevent sites that stop you from going back

Samsung Internet is based on Google’s open-source Chromium web browser and has a number of additional features built into it, like a built-in autoplay video blocker and the ability to block links that open apps. Best of all, the app itself is not tightly linked to the company’s custom Android skin, One UI, thus non-Samsung owners can also install this feature-packed browser. Samsung Browser has now gained yet another privacy-focused feature in its latest beta update that can be useful to prevent browser hijacking.

The new option, dubbed as “Block unwanted webpages”, is listed as a toggle under “Privacy and security” options. According to the description, the feature can put a stop to the typical “history manipulation” tactics, where rogue websites deliberately tamper with your browsing history so pressing the “Back” button doesn’t get you back to your expected page. Matter of fact, Google also added a similar protection mechanism in the Chromium codebase back in 2018 to combat against this foul practice, which could be used by Samsung as the foundation of the new feature.

At the time of reporting, the feature can be only be accessed on Samsung Internet’s latest beta update (software version 11.2.1.3). You can install the beta build alongside the regular version, which is quite an easy task as it doesn’t need any kind of prior registration. The “Customize menu” section has been overhauled as well, which enables users to access tons of useful shortcuts that are not yet available on the stable branch.

Download Samsung Internet 11.2.1.3 (beta) from APK Mirror

The APK(s) linked above can be useful for sideloading, especially if you prefer to run a vanilla Android ROM like LineageOS without Google services. Regular users, however, can download the beta version to try out the new features by following the link below.

Samsung Internet Browser Beta (Free, Google Play) →

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Thanks to Twitter user @Kuma_Sleepy for the screenshots!

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Download: Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro receives Android 10 update with JoyUI 11

Towards the end of last month, Xiaomi’s gaming-focused sub-brand Black Shark released the Android 10 update for last year’s Black Shark 2 gaming smartphone. The update included all the new features that Google released with Android 10, along with Black Shark’s own custom UI called JoyUI 11. The JoyUI 11 build for the Black Shark 2 also included a ton of additional features, including new Black Shark themes, a new file manager, Mi Share, Shark Space 3.0, and much more. Now, the company is rolling out a similar update for the more premium Black Shark 2 Pro.

According to a recent post on the Black Shark forums, the JoyUI 11 update (v.DLTR2004231OS00MQ0) based on Android 10 is now rolling out to a few Black Shark 2 users. While the post doesn’t highlight any of the new features in the build, we expect it to include all of the aforementioned features that were released for the Black Shark 2. It’s also worth noting that the build is currently being tested with a handful of users and should be released for more users in the following days. In case you don’t wish to wait for the OTA update, you can manually flash the JoyUI 11 build on your Black Shark 2 Pro by following the link below.

JoyUI 11 Full OTA Image for Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro || Xiaomi Black Shark 2 XDA Forums

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Sony Xperia 10 II now available for pre-order in Europe for €369

Shortly after the cancellation of MWC 2020 earlier this year, Sony unveiled the Xperia 1 II and Xperia 10 II via an online announcement. At the time, the company only talked about the Xperia 10 II’s specifications and revealed no information regarding its pricing and availability. Now, months after the official announcements, the Sony Xperia 10 II is finally available for pre-order in Europe.

Sony Xperia 10 II XDA Forums

According to a press release from the company, the mid-range Xperia 10 II has been priced at €369/£319 and is available for pre-order from local operators or retailers in two color variants — black and white. In case you missed out initial coverage of the device, here’s a quick round-up of its specifications:

Sony Xperia 10 II Specifications

Specifications	Sony Xperia 10 II
Dimensions & Weight	157 x 69 x 8.2 mm 151 g
Display	6-inch Full HD+ OLED 2520×1080 pixels, 457 PPI 21:9 aspect ratio
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 665: 4x Kryo 260 (ARM Cortex-A73-based) performance cores 4x Kryo 260 (ARM Cortex-A53-based) efficiency cores Adreno 610 GPU
RAM & Storage	4GB/128GB microSD card slot (uses shared SIM 2 slot)
Battery	3,600mAh 18W Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0
Fingerprint Sensor	Side-mounted fingerprint
Rear Cameras	12MP primary sensor, 26mm, PDAF 8MP wide-angle sensor, 16mm 8MP telephoto sensor, 52mm, 2x optical zoom
Front Camera	8MP
Audio	3.5mm headphone jack
Network Bands	4G: Unspecified 3G UMTS HSPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100MHz) 2G GSM (Bands 850, 900, 1800, 1900)
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 5 Bluetooth 5.0 A-GNSS (GPS + GLONASS) USB 2.0 Type-C port
Android Version	Android 10

The Xperia 10 II is the direct successor to both the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus from last year and it’s powered by Qualcomm’s budget Snapdragon 665 chip, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It packs in a 6-inch FHD+ OLED display with a 21:9 aspect ratio, which makes it rather narrow and great for one-handed operation.

The device has a respectable triple camera setup on the back, with a 12MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and an 8MP telephoto camera. Over on the front, it has a single 8MP selfie shooter housed within the top bezel. Unlike most other mid-range devices out there, the Xperia 10 II also offers IP65/IP68 water and dust resistance rating, and Gorilla Glass 6 protection on the front and back. Rounding off the hardware is a 3,600mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 3.0 (18W). In terms of software, the device runs Android 10 with Sony’s custom UI on top.

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Open source YouTube client “NewPipe” adds Android TV support and a YouTube Music parser

The open-source YouTube client on Android — NewPipe — is a great alternative to the YouTube app for those of you who don’t have Google Play Services on your phone. The client doesn’t use YouTube APIs and simply parses the YouTube website to extract data and play the videos you want, without any restrictions or ads. Due to the way NewPipe works, it also circumvents any limitations that Google might add to the YouTube app. For instance, YouTube recently restricted the quality of videos on smartphones to 480p in India following the nationwide lockdown imposed in the country in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. But users could easily overcome this restriction by using NewPipe instead.

Now, in a bid to make the client even more useful for users, the developers behind NewPipe are rolling out a major update that brings support for Android TV, adds a YouTube Music parser, and more. According to a recent blog post from the developers, NewPipe version 0.19.3 is now rolling out to users and it brings the following noteworthy changes:

Android TV support

While you could already run previous versions of NewPipe on an Android TV, the client didn’t officially support the platform. Due to this, the client had some issues that made it practically unusable. With the latest update, the developers have addressed all such issues and you can now use NewPipe on your Android TV without facing any annoying bugs.

Following the update, you’ll be able to scroll through long video descriptions, focus on any element on the screen, use the native keyboard instead of an on-screen one, seek videos however you like, and face no annoying ripple effects. To try out NewPipe on your Android TV, you can download the APK from the GitHub link below and sideload it on your TV.

YouTube Music parser

With the latest update, NewPipe also gets the ability to natively parse the YouTube Music library and allow users to easily search for music. To search for YouTube Music content on the client, you can tap on the filter button in the search UI and select either Songs, Videos, Albums, or Playlists to see search results from YouTube Music.

Along with the aforementioned changes, NewPipe v0.19.3 also brings a ton of improvements and bug fixes to the client. Here’s the complete changelog for the latest update:

• New
  • Search on YouTube Music
  • Basic Android TV support
• Improved
  • Improved checking for new version
  • Avoid unnecessary changes to the upload date of saved streams
  • Save and restore playback parameters into/from preferences
  • Show message when content isn’t supported yet instead of crashing
  • Improved size handling of the drawer header title
  • Improved popup player resize with pinch gestures
  • Enqueue streams on long press on background and popup buttons in channel
  • Added the ability to remove all watched videos from a local playlist
• Fixed
  • Fixed visibility of group sort button in the subscriptions fragment
  • Fixed detection of network related exceptions
  • Fixed age restricted content setting not working
  • Fixed certain kinds of reCAPTCHAs
  • Fixed crash when opening bookmarks while playlist is null
  • Fixed escaping in JSON created by the crash reported by using nanojson instead of org.json
• Development
  • Added Checkstyle to build scripts & code style improvements
  • Fixed F-Droid build by ensuring the debug apk file name is used only in debug builds
  • Force UTF-8 encoding for Gradle

Download NewPipe (v0.19.3) from GitHub

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Source: NewPipe blog

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