NewPipe, the open-source YouTube client for Android, is a great alternative to the YouTube app for those of you who don’t have Google Play Services on your phone or don’t want to see ads on the platform without paying for YouTube Premium. The client doesn’t use YouTube’s APIs and simple parses the YouTube website to extract data and play any 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 to 480p for Android users in India, following the nationwide lockdown imposed in the country in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. But users could easily overcome this restriction with NewPipe, making it an amazing alternative to the YouTube app.
Along with the ability to overcome such restrictions, NewPipe also gets frequent updates that bring new features to the app. Early last month, the client received a major update that introduced Android TV support and a YouTube Music parser to the app. And now, the developers behind NewPipe have started rolling out another feature-packed update that brings stream fixes, a new Restricted Mode setting, and SoundCloud comments to the app.
The latest NewPipe update, version 0.19.4, is available for download on GitHub and it includes the following changes:
Added support for SoundCloud comments and PeerTube playlist support to help users discover new music on the client.
Added new Restricted Mode setting for YouTube to prevent users from seeing some restricted content in the client.
Introduces support for YouTube learning playlists, making it easier for users to learn new subjects on the platform.
Improvements for gesture controls, so that they don’t interfere with the status bar or navigation bar.
Fixed a streaming issue where trying to open a video resulted in a “Could not get any stream” error.
Along with the aforementioned changes, the latest NewPipe update also includes several minor improvements and bug fixes. For a complete list of everything’s that new in NewPipe 0.19.4, click on the source link below. To install the update, follow the GitHub link below and download the latest APK. In case you already have NewPipe installed on your device, you should receive an update notification that you can use to download the latest release.
The Red Magic 5G was announced back in March and its headlining feature was its 144Hz refresh rate display. The design of the device itself, however, is just as striking. Gaming phones are known for having extreme designs and the Red Magic 5G is no different. The bright colors and “X” pattern are very noticeable, and now the company is releasing another color choice.
At launch, the Red Magic 5G was available in “Eclipse Black” and “Pulse” colors. The black model is mainly black with some red accents on the back. The Pulse model is a combination of red and teal. The company showed off a third color option called “Hot Rod Red,” but it was marked as “coming soon.” Well, “soon” is now.
The “Hot Rod Red” model is very reminiscent of Iron Man. It’s mainly red with some gold accents and glossy all over. It’s pretty dang cool looking if I do say so myself. The pre-order event is open right now and will run until June 8th at 5:00 AM PST. The “Hot Red Red” model features 8GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage and costs $579 / €579 / £539.
After the pre-order event is over, the Red Magic 5G Hot Rod Red will be globally available starting on June 8th. 1% of the sales for the first 1,000 pre-orders of the Red Magic 5G in “Hot Rod Red” will be donated to the U.S.-based Child’s Play charity. 60 people who pre-order and share on Facebook or retweet on Twitter about the pre-order event will be chosen to win the following prizes before June 8th:
5 Magic Adapters
5 Pro-handles
50 Protective Cases
Specifications (click to expand)
Specification
Nubia Red Magic 5G
Dimensions and Weight
168.56 x 78 x 9.75 mm
218g
Display
6.65″ FHD+ AMOLED;
19.5:9 aspect ratio
144Hz high refresh rate
240Hz touch sampling rate
In-display fingerprint sensor
SoC
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
Adreno 650
RAM and Storage
8GB LPDDR5 + 128GB UFS 3.0
12GB + 128GB
12GB + 256GB
16GB + 256GB
Battery & Charging
4,500 mAh battery
55W fast charging
Compatible with Quick Charge 4.0 and Power Delivery 3.0
Rear Camera
Primary: 64MP Sony IMX686 sensor, f/1.8
Secondary: 8MP, Wide-Angle Camera
Tertiary: 2MP, Macro
Front Camera
8MP
Other Features
Active cooling through rotating fan within the phone
In a bid to make Chrome easier to use on large screen devices, Google replaced Chrome Home with the Chrome Duplex split toolbar UI early in 2018. The new UI, which was later renamed Chrome Duet in order to avoid confusion with Google Duplex, moved some UI elements closer to the bottom of the display in order to make them easily accessible on modern devices. The latest update for the feature arrived late last year when Google started testing a new Duet-friendly UI for tab groups. However, it now seems like Google’s Duet experiment wasn’t successful as the company has done away with it in the latest Chrome beta release.
As per a recent report from Android Police, the Chrome 84 beta release has removed the two feature flags for Duet: #enable-duet-tabstrip-integration and @enable-chrome-duet. The flags can still be seen in the flags list in Chrome 84 if you enable #temporary-unexpire-flags-m82 and #temporary-unexpire-flags-m83, but enabling them doesn’t make any difference. The unexpire flags also have a description that reads, “These flags will be removed soon,” which suggests that Chrome Duet has been completely shelved by the company.
For the unaware, Chrome Duet in its current form adds a toolbar to the bottom of the screen that includes a few shortcut buttons. While the address bar remains at the top of the screen, it can be opened by tapping the search icon in the bottom bar. These features make Chrome slightly easier to use on large devices. However, with the latest Chrome beta update, users won’t be able to enable these features in the browser. It’s quite possible that Google might, once again, release a new UI layout for the purpose with a new flag. But for now, we have no information regarding any such upcoming changes.
One of the advantages of open source software is the ability to allow forks of the main projects to exist. These forks can then take a different form to gain different features. If things go right, these changes and bug fixes can also make their way back upstream to the original project and then passed on to all other projects downstream that rely on it. Such is the beauty of open-source, and we are likely to see an example play out in a noticeable manner on our phones very soon. The code submitted upstream by the developer of the recently open-sourced Kiwi Browser will now make it easier for Chromium forks to enable extension support on mobile.
The Chromium browser is an open-source project that serves as the basis for a lot of web browsers, including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Brave, and Kiwi too. Most of these Chromium-based browsers offer a handful of additional features over the base, but there are some that radically change the experience. Kiwi Browser by XDA Senior Member arnaud42falls in the latter category, with features like a built-in content blocker, dark mode, background video playback, AMP skipper, and the fact that it was one of the first Chromium-based browsers for Android that supported Chrome, the other being Yandex Browser. Earlier this year, Kiwi Browser went open-source, allowing other Chromium projects to include the code that enables extension support into their own projects. At the time of the announcement, the developer had mentioned that they were already working with other browser developers to help them integrate some of Kiwi’s Browser functionality.
As spotted by Dinsan Francis, arnaud42 had started a bug report on the Chromium Gerrit in order to make it easier for Chromium-based projects to enable extensions. The code proposed in the bug report would make it easier for Chromium forks to enable extensions if they want to, without affecting Google Chrome for Android. The submitted code has not been merged yet into Chromium, and to clarify, there is no evidence to suggest that Google will be enabling extension support for Chrome for Android. But still, there are “at least three variants of Kiwi” that are being worked on with extensions support.
As a result we increase maintainability for downstream players who do support extensions or may be tempted to do so (example: Microsoft, and of course, Kiwi Browser, but there are at least 3 variants of Kiwi that are getting born right now, including with a very very large OEM)
We asked the developer to elaborate on the projects being referred, but they mentioned that they would be unable to name them. Irrespective of the exact variants, this presents itself as good news for consumers as they will soon have more browser alternatives with extension support, and in turn, would prompt others to also consider its implementation.
Interestingly, the Chromium Gerrit commit that would change the Chromium build process to make it easier to rebase Chromium with extensions enabled was submitted by a Samsung engineer. However, we do not think Samsung would be the “large OEM” mentioned by arnaud42 because the Samsung Internet browser already supports extensions, albeit in a limited capacity as you can only install approved extensions from the Galaxy Store. Samsung would still be interested in the code that arnaud42 submitted, because it would make it easier for them to rebase the Samsung Internet browser with newer Chromium versions, such as how they recently updated Samsung Internet from Chromium 71 to Chromium 79.
Following the launch of the Redmi Note 9 series earlier this year, Xiaomi’s budget-friendly sub-brand is now prepping up to launch the entry-level Redmi 9 series. While Xiaomi hasn’t released any official information about the Redmi 9 series yet, we do have some key details about the upcoming devices, including live images, specifications, and pricing. Here’s everything we know about the Redmi 9 series so far:
Leaked live images
Live images of the upcoming Redmi 9 have surfaced online, revealing some key aspects of its design. The images in question were shared by leakster Sudhanshu Ambhore (@Sudhanshu1414), which reveal that the Redmi 9 will feature a vertically-oriented triple camera setup on the back with the fingerprint sensor right underneath.
Here’s an exclusive live image of Redmi 9 with some key specs from a Chinese source
MediaTek Helio G80
13MP Main + 8MP Wide + 5MP Macro + 2MP Depth
Purple & Green color options (atleast 2)#Redmi9pic.twitter.com/X43WMx95VF
The device will also feature a fourth sensor within a separate module with the LED flash. Both the primary and secondary camera modules are within a circular design element on the back, which looks to have a different finish compared to the rest of the back panel.
The images showcase two color variants of the device — purple and green — and also shed light on the camera specifications. As per the leakster, the Redmi 9 will feature a 13MP primary sensor, an 8MP wide-angle camera, a 5MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor.
Additionally, another leaked image of the Redmi 9 has been shared on Chinese social media platform Weibo, which features the same camera module. However, the device itself is enclosed in a case in the third image, so we don’t get a clear look at its design.
Redmi 9 series certification listings
Along with the aforementioned live images, the Redmi 9 series has also been spotted in Bluetooth SIG and Wi-Fi Alliance certification listings. As per the listings, the devices in the Redmi 9 series will have the following model numbers:
M2004J19AG
M2004J19PI
M2004J19C
M2004J19I
M2004J19G
Even though the listings don’t reveal much about the specifications, they do confirm that the devices will run MIUI 11 based on Android 10 out of the box and that some variants of the Redmi 9 will include NFC support.
Leaked specifications
XDA Senior Member and noted Xiaomi tipster kacskrz tells us that the Redmi 9 goes by the code-name “lancelot”, with other variants also going by the code-names “galahad” and “shiva.” All of the three variants are based on MediaTek chipsets, with Sudhanshu claiming that the device will be powered by the MediaTek Helio G80 chipset.
In a separate tweet regarding the devices, he also reveals the rumored specifications of all the devices in the Redmi 9 series, along with their respective pricing. As per the tweet, the Redmi 9A will feature the MediaTek Helio G25 chip, coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. The device will feature a 5,000mAh battery and will be priced between €100-120.
The Redmi 9C, on the other hand, will be available in two variants — with and without NFC — and will be powered by the MediaTek Helio G35, coupled with 3GB RAM and 64GB storage. The device will also feature a 5,000mAh battery and will be priced between €130-150. And finally, the regular Redmi Note 9 will be powered by the MediaTek Helio G80, along with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The device will feature a 5,000mAh battery and will be priced between €160-180.
Several Geekbench listings for “lancelot” corroborate these specifications and further reveal that at least one model of the device will have 3GB of RAM. Kacskrz also revealed that he has spotted evidence of an EEA/RU firmware for “lancelot,” which means that the device might be launched internationally.
Imagine you’re scouring the internet for cool wallpapers and you come across a picturesque landscape. It has everything; a lush green forest, a pristine lake with a tiny island, snow-capped mountains in the background, and a thick cloud cover with sunlight seeping in through the gaps. You immediately download the image, set it as your phone’s wallpaper, and boom! Your Android phone gets stuck in a bootloop. Sounds unlikely, doesn’t it? Well, it’s true for this particular wallpaper.
WARNING！！！
Never set this picture as wallpaper, especially for Samsung mobile phone users!
It will cause your phone to crash!
Don’t try it!
If someone sends you this picture, please ignore it. pic.twitter.com/rVbozJdhkL
The wallpaper was recently shared on Twitterby renowned Samsung leakster Ice Universe, who claimed that the wallpaper “will cause your phone to crash!” Despite their warning, several users downloaded the wallpaper to check if it actually did do anything on their phone and they were met with the following results:
This is the most fucking bug I’ve ever seen. I even tried in safe mode but still no help. Had to reset app data. Shitsung do something pic.twitter.com/ASeHfNNGYI
Huh, tested this in an emulator. Crashes SystemUI. Checked for any odd issue with the image’s header, didn’t notice anything off from my limited knowledge of JPEG. It also ends properly. pic.twitter.com/s2m0q0WNqo
According to Davide Bianco, lead developer of the AOSP-based custom ROM “POSP”, this particular wallpaper causes some Android devices to crash as it makes use of the RGB color space, instead of the sRGB color space that is supported natively on Android. Bianco has submitted a patch to AOSP that reportedly fixes the issue and the description of the patch states that “The issue occurs when the user tries to set as wallpaper an image that is not sRGB. What happens is that variable y value is higher than the histogram bounds, making SysUI crash. One possible fix is to limit y value to be always less than 256.” Along with Bianco, the developers behind the popular LineageOS custom ROM have also come up with a unique solution to the problem. You can check out the patch description over on the LineageOS Gerrit by following this link.
We strongly recommend against using this image as your wallpaper under any circumstances. In case you have already used it and your device is stuck in a bootloop, please check the instructions below on how you may be able to recover your device.
A report from 9to5Google on the matter further reveals that the issue is limited to devices running Android 10 or older and it doesn’t affect devices running the Android 11 Developer Preview. This is due to the fact that on Android 11, the system converts the color space if it’s not supported, but on Android 10 it does not. Which means that this isn’t an issue with this particular image and could be caused by other images using the RGB color space.
Do note that while the issue doesn’t affect all Android devices, we strongly recommend against trying the wallpaper on your phone. In case you try it anyway, you might be able to recover your device by either resetting it completely or by entering safe mode and changing the wallpaper. But since some users over on Twitter weren’t able to recover their devices using the aforementioned methods, it would be best if you don’t use the exact image as your wallpaper. If you really like the wallpaper, just take a screenshot of the image and use that as your wallpaper instead.
Android 10 has been out for nearly 9 months now, but one of its best features, desktop mode, is still widely unknown. That’s because it’s technically hidden in Android 10, requiring a development flag to be enabled as well as support built-in to the stock launcher app. Thankfully, the developer of Taskbar has figured out a way to make Android 10’s desktop mode far more useful, bringing a Samsung DeX-like experience to some devices.
For some background, Android 10 added a “Secondary Launcher” activity to Launcher3, the AOSP launcher app that Google’s Pixel Launcher and many other OEM launcher apps are derived from. When an Android device with support for display output is hooked up to an external display, this Secondary Launcher activity is shown on the external display. However, because this Secondary Launcher is extremely barebones, it’s not useful to use as a productivity tool. Third-party app developers figured out that it’s possible for their own launcher apps to replace the stock launcher on the external display, and that’s exactly what XDA Senior Member farmerbb has implemented in Taskbar 6.0.
Taskbar is an open-source Android app that puts a floating start menu and recent apps tray on top of any screen. Since it supports launching Android apps in freeform multi-window, it even comes pre-installed on Bliss OS, a popular Android port for x86 PCs. Back in early November, farmerbb released a fork of the open-source Lawnchair launcher with Taskbar integrated into it. This gave us an early look at what Android 10’s hidden desktop mode could look like with some development effort, but there were some glaring issues that needed fixing. The desktop mode user experience needed fixing so that freeform multi-window behavior worked as you would expect, the setup process needed to be cleaned up so you could control the DPI/UI without needing another app, and a better solution had to be found so that you wouldn’t have to change your default launcher. Now, farmerbb has updated Taskbar to version 6.0 to address all of these issues.
Desktop Mode with Taskbar 6.0
Setting up Taskbar’s desktop mode is quite easy:
In Developer Options, turn on “enable freeform windows” and “force desktop mode” and then reboot your device. (The latter may be unavailable on some OEM software like ZenUI/ROG UI, but don’t worry if it’s not there.)
Install Taskbar 6.0 (older versions won’t work) from Google Play.
Open Taskbar’s settings and go to “Desktop Mode.” Enable it and grant the app permission to “display over other apps” as this is required for the app’s floating start menu to appear. Then, set the app as your default home app. Don’t worry, though, as the next prompt will ask you to set your preferred/primary launcher app, so Taskbar won’t be hijacking your home screen. (Note that on some devices, changing the default launcher will disable Android 10’s full-screen navigation gestures.)
Next, I highly recommend you follow the instructions to “enable additional settings” for desktop mode. This will allow you to lower the DPI so UI elements aren’t enormous on the external display, to hide the navigation bar, and to even dim the phone’s screen to save battery life while it’s connected to the external display. You’ll have to set up ADB access on your PC and run the following command:
adb shell pm grant com.farmerbb.taskbar android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
(If you are using Taskbar’s “Donate” version, replace “com.farmerbb.taskbar” with “com.farmerbb.taskbar.paid” in the above command.)
Finally, check to make sure that “usage access” has been enabled for Taskbar. Doing so will allow the app to show a row of your recently used applications in the start menu.
Now, simply connect your phone to your external display using a USB Type-C to Type-C cable (if your external display supports Type-C input) or via a USB Type-C to HDMI adapter.
Once connected, you can use the start menu to launch apps, search for apps, add app icons to the home screen, open some system menus, and more. You can tap the icon next to the start menu to add/show widgets. You can launch multiple instances of windows, and in some cases like Google Chrome, have multiple tabs.
There are loads of other options and changes in Taskbar 6.0, so I recommend you read the full changelog available here.
Display Output on Android – Sadly Still Limited
Who might this be useful for? Samsung, Huawei/Honor, and LG offer their own desktop mode experiences, so there’s you won’t find much use out of Taskbar’s desktop mode if you own a smartphone from one of those brands. ASUS, OnePlus, Essential, Google, and Xiaomi don’t offer their own desktop mode experiences, so if you’re on at least Android 10 on a device from one of these brands, then you may find Taskbar’s desktop mode feature to be useful. If you want a desktop mode experience to be more productive, then I recommend you use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. If you have a portable external monitor/laptop chassis like the NexDock 2, then you’ll have an even better experience with Taskbar.
Keep in mind that in order to actually make use of this feature, your smartphone must support display output. Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 800 and 700 series chipsets natively support DisplayPort Alternate Mode over a USB 3.1 Type-C port, but some vendors (like Google) have disabled this functionality on their smartphones. If your device doesn’t support DisplayPort Alternate Mode, then you may have luck using a DisplayLink-certified adapter and the DisplayLink Presenter app to mirror the phone’s display. Screen mirroring using a DisplayLink adapter isn’t as ideal as native desktop mode through a standard connector, but it’s better than not having any display output at all! Fortunately, Taskbar can still be used if you’re just mirroring your phone’s display so long as the app is set as the default launcher, but you’ll have to use the developer’s SecondScreen app to change the resolution and density.
The biggest downside to desktop mode on Android right now is the limited app support. Even though Samsung and Huawei have both offered desktop mode experiences for years and sell millions of smartphones a year, there’s not a lot of demand from users to support desktop mode. That means that a lot of Android apps out there aren’t optimized for larger screens. Google wants to change that because broader Android app support for larger screens will benefit Chromebooks as well, but sadly, there’s still a long way to go before most Android apps support larger screens. Thus, while using Taskbar, you may notice that some apps refuse to run or just look terrible, and there’s not much you can do to fix that.
Download Taskbar 6.0
If you have one of the following smartphones, I recommend giving this app a try:
You can download Taskbar 6.0 from the Google Play Store link below or compile the app from its source code on GitHub. The app is totally free to use, but there’s a $1.99 donate version in case you want to support farmerbb’s development efforts.
