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lundi 3 août 2020

Huawei Mate 40 leaked renders show massive circular camera bump and waterfall display

Despite many setbacks, Huawei is still pushing forward with new smartphone launches. Last year, the company launched the Huawei Mate 30 series, the first smartphones from the company that, as a direct result of U.S. trade sanctions, didn’t ship with Google Mobile Services preloaded. With the Mate 30, Huawei doubled down on packing impressive camera hardware and bleeding-edge features. Earlier this year, they followed up with the Huawei P40 series, a trio of smartphones that packed even more bleeding-edge features like 10X optical zoom and 40W wireless charging (in the Pro+ model). Now, Huawei is gearing up to launch the Huawei Mate 40 lineup, and we have a good understanding of what they’ll look like thanks to famed leaker OnLeaks. He partnered with two different publications for his Mate 40 series leaks: HandsetExpert in the case of the Mate 40 and Pricebaba in the case of the Mate 40 Pro.

The Huawei P40 Pro made some headlines for launching with a display that curved not only to the sides but also to the top and bottom of the device. That might not be what we will see in the Huawei Mate 40, though. Instead, we have something more similar to what we saw with the Mate 30. In the case of the standard Mate 40, the display is noticeably curved to the sides like on other Huawei smartphones. However, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro has a waterfall display similar to the one in the Mate 30 Pro. Unlike the Mate 30 Pro, though, the Mate 40 Pro seems to ditch the virtual controls for volume rockers and instead features a standard physical volume rocker. On both smartphones, the notch is replaced with a dual hole-punch camera cutout similar to the one we saw with the P40 series. Within this hole-punch cutout seems to be a more conventional dual camera setup instead of the 3D face unlock system that was included with the Mate 30.

Huawei Mate 40 Huawei Mate 40

Huawei Mate 40 renders. It measures approximately 158.6 x 72.5 x 8.9mm (10.4mm including the camera bump). Source: @OnLeaks/HandsetExpert

The biggest star of the show, though, is the camera bump. It is massive. While similar in shape to the one in the Mate 30, the camera bump on the Mate 40 and Mate 40 Pro is noticeably bigger and more protruding. Huawei tends to make massive improvements in camera hardware with each flagship generation, so we’re expecting this massive camera bump size to be justified by what Huawei has packed into it. Judging by the renders, the regular Mate 40 will have a triple rear camera setup, while the higher-end, more expensive Huawei Mate 40 Pro will be packing a quad rear camera setup.

Huawei Mate 40 Pro Huawei Mate 40 Pro Huawei Mate 40 Pro

Huawei Mate 40 Pro renders. It measures approximately 162.8 x 75.5 x 9mm (10.4mm including the camera bump). Source: @OnLeaks/PriceBaba

Based on the dimensions, the regular Mate 40 will have a 6.4-inch display while the Mate 40 Pro will have a 6.7-inch display. As for what other specs these two phones could have, some rumors claim that Huawei will introduce the new HiSilicon Kirin 1020 processor, which is allegedly fabricated on a 5nm process. This is a big if, though: contract chip-makers have been barred from using U.S.-developed tech to make chips for Huawei, effectively barring TSMC from making Kirin processors. According to rumors, though, the production of these SoCs is apparently not affected by this action, or at least not right now, and Huawei will be getting the chips to make the phones. Regardless, it will be very interesting to see what Huawei comes up with, and we can’t wait to check it out.

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[Update 2: Fixed] This wallpaper triggers a rare bug causing Android devices to bootloop

Update 2 (08/03/2020 @ 3:03 PM ET): With the August 2020 Android Security Patches, Google has updated Android to fix this bug. More details can be found at the bottom.

Update 1 (06/04/2020 @ 03:12 AM ET): Newer explanations have emerged on what causes the “cursed wallpaper” to crash phones, alongside a response from Google. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on June 1, 2020, is preserved below.

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.

The wallpaper was recently shared on Twitter by 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:

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, two developers, XDA Senior Member BadDaemon and XDA Recognized Developer luca020400, from the popular LineageOS custom ROM team have also come up with a unique solution to the problem. You can check out the patch descriptions over on the LineageOS Gerrit by following this link and 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.


Update 1: New Explanation, Response from Google

Expanding on the causes of the bug as explained by XDA Senior Member BadDaemon and XDA Recognized Developer luca020400, the “cursed” wallpaper is encoded in a special color space which is called “Google/Skia/E3CADAB7BD3DE5E3436874D2A9DEE126” (this is the full name of the color space, and Skia refers to the 2D graphics library made by Google.) In contrast, most other wallpaper images are encoded in a color space called “sRGB”.

In Android versions 10 and older, all images are converted to sRGB unless otherwise specified by the developers. There’s a rare bug that can occur when converting the image to sRGB, wherein the code that calculates the “luminance” value of each pixel manages to exceed the maximum limit of 255.

Luminance is calculated using the following formula:

Luminance = .2126f * r + .7152f * g + .0722f * b

Here “r”, “g”, and “b” are red, green, and blue color values represented in an 8-bit value from 0 to 255.

The problem with this calculation is that each part is always rounded up before the final summation. One of the pixels in the “cursed” wallpaper, when in the process of converting the image from sRGB and then to greyscale, has the following RGB values: 255, 255, 243, which when plugged into the above equation looks like:

r: .2126 * 255 = 54.213 => 55

g: .7152 * 255 = 182.376 => 183

b: .0722 * 255 = 18.411 => 19

Luminance = r+ g + b = 257

This value causes SystemUI, and basically the whole OS, to crash because it exceeds the maximum value. It’s a bug that’s so incredibly specific because it involves a combination of a rounding error and color space conversion error.

This bug does not affect Android 11 because the image’s “Skia” color space is not converted to sRGB by default. Thus, this color space conversion error and the rounding error does not occur on Android 11.

However, Romain Guy from the Android Toolkit team at Google believes that the root cause of this issue is only in the way that luminance is calculated and not in any color space conversion issues. Google is conducting its own internal testing, so we will likely see what they come up with soon.

This explanation was updated to clarify that one of the pixels in the “cursed” wallpaper is the cause of this specific luminance rounding calculation error. We also clarified that the rounding occurs during each step of the luminance calculation and not at the end.


Update 2: Fixed in August 2020 patches

The Android security patches for the month of August just went live, and XDA Recognized Developer luca020400 spotted a commit in AOSP that merges a fix for this wallpaper bug.

The post [Update 2: Fixed] This wallpaper triggers a rare bug causing Android devices to bootloop appeared first on xda-developers.



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August 2020 security update rolls out for Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy S20, and more Samsung phones

It’s the first Monday of a new month, which means it’s time for a new round of Android security updates from Google. The search giant on Monday published the latest Android Security Bulletin and Pixel Update Bulletin for August 2020. The update is rolling out now for Google Pixel devices, of course, but several Samsung phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S20, have also already started to get the update.

Similar to last month, there doesn’t appear to be any functional changes for Google’s Pixel devices — at least Google doesn’t specifically mention anything in the bulletin. There are, however, plenty of patches that address high and critical severity issues.

Build numbers (Global)

  • Pixel 2: QQ3A.200805.001
  • Pixel 3: QQ3A.200805.001
  • Pixel 3a: QQ3A.200805.001
  • Pixel 4: QQ3A.200805.001

Pixel 2 Forums ||| Pixel 2 XL Forums ||| Pixel 3 Forums ||| Pixel 3 XL Forums

Pixel 3a Forums ||| Pixel 3a XL Forums ||| Pixel 4 Forums ||| Pixel 4 XL Forums

Download Factory Images ||| Download OTA Images

Samsung devices including the Galaxy S10 series, Galaxy Note 10 series, Galaxy A50, and Galaxy S20 series are also receiving the August 2020 security update in some regions, so be on the look out for that. Apparently, some of the other improvements included in the update from Samsung feature camera and Wi-Fi improvements.

For more information on how Android security patch updates work, check out our in-depth explainer on the topic.


Source: Android Bulletin, Pixel Bulletin

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This is our first look at the Samsung Galaxy S20 “Fan Edition”

The Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra launched earlier this year right before COVID-19 shut everything down, and Samsung is about to follow-up with the new Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in just 2 days from now. A few weeks before the big Galaxy S20 announcement in February, Samsung launched the Galaxy S10 Lite and the Galaxy Note10 Lite, two devices that were oddities in Samsung’s typical launch cycle. The S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite were both more affordable versions of their flagship counterparts, and it seems that Samsung may be set to repeat this strategy with the Galaxy S20. Thanks to renowned leaker Evan Blass, we now have our first look at the Galaxy S20 “Fan Edition”.

Credits: Evan Blass.

Samsung has previously used the Fan Edition (or FE) moniker with the Galaxy Note FE, a re-release of the disastrous Galaxy Note7 but with a fixed battery. This time, though, the Galaxy S20 wasn’t an exploding disaster that got recalled twice, so as you might guess, this is a different situation. The render that was posted on Evan Blass’s Patreon shows the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition looks pretty similar to Samsung’s vanilla Galaxy S20, with the same wallpaper and a centered hole-punch cutout for the front-facing camera. But the display is completely flat this time around, and the bezels are noticeably bigger than those on the flagship Galaxy S20.

We previously heard of a Galaxy S20 Fan Edition back in June thanks to a report from SamMobile. The publication reported that Samsung is developing a Galaxy S20 variant with model number SM-G780 (for global markets) and SM-G781 (for U.S. markets). The global model will apparently be available with and without 5G while the U.S. model will only be available in a 5G model. SamMobile did not share detailed specifications of the device but believes it should offer at least 128GB of internal storage and Android 10 on board with One UI 2.5. Notable Samsung leaker Ice Universe believes the device will have a 120Hz refresh rate display like the rest of the Galaxy S20 lineup, the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, an IP68 dust and water resistance certification, and a small hole-punch cutout measuring 3.3mm in diameter. Korean publication The Elec reported that the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition will have a triple camera configuration consisting of a 12MP wide-angle (Ice Universe reports it’s the Sony IMX555), 12MP ultra wide-angle, and 8MP telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom; they also report the device will have a 32MP selfie camera, a screen size between 6.5-6.7 inches, and a price at about 900,000 won (~$753) when it goes on sale in October. Finally, GalaxyClub reports that the phone’s battery capacity will be 4,500mAh and the color variants will be green, orange, red, and white in Europe.

The post This is our first look at the Samsung Galaxy S20 “Fan Edition” appeared first on xda-developers.



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Google Pay will add digital-first bank accounts from 8 banks in 2021

Starting next year, Google will begin offering digital-first, FDIC-insured bank accounts directly in the Google Pay app. The search giant is said to be partnering with eight different banks for the new initiative.

If you’ve ever used services such as Simple or Monzo, Google’s announcement sounds similar in that it’s all digital and will provide users the right financial insights, built-in budgeting tools, and an elegant interface. Partner banks will manage the financial side of accounts.

As of now, Google hasn’t confirmed if they’ll offer a Google-branded card (which we previously heard was in the works), so all payments will likely be done online or via NFC. One of the banks partnering with Google, BBVA, said the new initiative is designed to improve the financial health of its users.

“Google is excited to work with BBVA USA in enabling a digital experience that is equitable for all and meets the evolving needs of a new generation of customers,” said Felix Lin, Vice President of Payments Ecosystems at Google. “We believe that we can use our technology expertise to benefit users, banks and the entire financial ecosystem.”

Today’s announcement is actually an extension of an earlier partnership with Citi and SFCU; the other banks include Bank Mobile, BBVA USA, BMO Harris, Coastal Community Bank, First Independence Bank, and SEFCU, bringing the total to eight.

Google didn’t provide an exact date as to when consumers can take advantage of the new initiative in Google Pay, so we’re left with a vague 2021 timeframe for now. The company is always working on many different projects simultaneously, with their hardware division just recently announcing the Pixel 4a and upcoming Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5.

Google Pay: Pay with your phone and send cash (Free, Google Play) →


Source: BBVA USA

Via: 9to5Google

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Google offering 3 months of Disney+/Stadia Pro, 100GB of Dropbox/Google One, and more for Chromebook users

Chromebooks are some of the best bang for the buck laptops the average consumer can get if all they need is a safe, secure, and speedy PC to browse the web, work on documents on the go, and watch some videos. Chrome OS is no longer as web-centric as it used to be since they added a lot of offline functionality, Android apps, Linux apps, and soon, full-fledged Windows apps. Just in case you’re still not completely sold on getting a Chromebook, Google is continuously offering various incentives to get you to dive into the ecosystem, and they all seem pretty awesome.

Two of the bigger promotions are 3 free months each of two popular subscription services: Disney+ and Stadia Pro. We’re sure you’re familiar with both, but in case you aren’t, here’s a recap. Disney+ is a Netflix-like streaming video service that allows you to stream all of your favorite Disney, Marvel, and more. After 3 months of this promotion, you’ll have to pay only $6.99 a month. Stadia is Google’s cloud game streaming service that allows you to play games like PUBG on your Chromebook, so long as you have a stable and fast Internet connection. It is free to join but you’ll have to pay for each game you want to play (though the $9.99/month Stadia Pro subscription will get you free games each month).

Not all Chromebooks come with a lot of storage, so Google is also offering free trials to popular cloud storage services: 100GB on Dropbox and 100GB on your Google account through Google One. Both of these offers are available for 12 months, after which you’ll have to pay monthly fees to both to keep using the extra storage.

Other perks include:

  • a $20 discount towards Stadia Premiere Edition (only applicable for Google’s in-house Pixelbook/Pixelbook Go/Pixel Slate)
  • a copy of The Fall of the Dark Brotherhood story expansion for The Elder Scrolls: Legends for free
  • a copy of Stardew Valley for free
  • 30 days of free Calm Premium
  • a free in-app item pack for Fallout Shelter
  • a copy of Duet Display for free
  • 1 year of free VSCO membership
  • 6 months of free Squid Premium

Many of these perks aren’t new (though the Stadia one is brand new), but we know that many people don’t routinely check the perks page for new promotions. So if you haven’t been keeping up with what promotions are available to claim, check them out right here.

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Current Trends in Retail and Culture, and How new Technology can help Merchants Grow Business

Livestreaming has become a cultural staple among youth and internet users of all kinds. If you’re an Instagram or TikTok user, you will have seen videos and livestreams used to push products to potential customers. These types of sales techniques are wildly successful. Many companies rely exclusively on their sales through video and livestreamed content.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are shopping from home than ever. This has caused a massive explosion in online retail. E-commerce is seeing a large spike in demand as users and developers drive the marketplace to expand and innovate. As more people shop online, the opportunities for e-commerce have grown quite a bit. Huawei is addressing the new demand with its new Live E-commerce solutions.

In the past, livestreamed sales events needed multiple people, large spaces, lots of equipment, and could be quite expensive at times. Huawei aims to make the process easier and more affordable with their Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) kits. These kits allow anyone to stream and sell products directly from their phone. As long as you have a smartphone, the rest of the process can be done virtually. This opens up the new live e-commerce industry to everyone.

Even those who do have access to all of the equipment needed for a successful online retail stream, the current world of social distancing prevents a large group of people from working closely together. If this is the case for you, Huawei’s new Live E-commerce kits could be the perfect solution.

Stream with live comments from your viewers

Stream with a minimal setup

The new e-commerce solution is designed to help merchants boost their traffic while lowering costs. Live streaming brings new opportunities driven by e-commerce transformation. Online retailers will be able to easily implement this solution, which is based on HMS to enhance live commerce capabilities.

Live E-commerce features will include:

Next-gen Live Studio

  • Easy Controls
  • Detailed info display
  • Fluid streaming
  • Digital backdrops

Versatile Mobile Phone Shooting

  • Ultra-portable
  • Highly-accessible
  • Wider shooting angle

Real-Time Backdrops

  • Digital backdrops replacements
  • Immersive live sales

In-Depth Look at Products

  • Internal product display
  • Visual product specs
  • Simplified AR materials development

Fluid Streaming Experience

  • Buttery smooth streaming
  • Prevents sudden disconnections

To learn more about Huawei’s new Live E-commerce solutions, be sure to check out their official launch on the upcoming Huawei Developer Webinar #HDD.


Huawei Developer Webinar

The Huawei Developer Webinar | Connect LIVEs with E-commerce
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE EVENT LIVE

August 6th, 2020


For developers that host their apps on Huawei AppGallery, they’ll have access to additional resources like splash screens, banners, featured pages, promotional campaigns, and more. These are just some of the ways that Huawei helps you market and grow your app. With Live E-commerce, your opportunity to grow your business is better than ever.

This article is sponsored and written in part by HUAWEI. 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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