Among Us officially makes it way to the Nintendo Switch

Winner of the ‘Best Multiplayer Game’ and ‘Best Mobile Game’ at The Game Awards this year, Among Us is now available on the Nintendo Switch. The game will offer cross-platform compatibility, meaning that players on mobile, PC and Switch can play with each other. Announced at the Nintendo Direct Indie World Showcase, Among Us players on the Nintendo Switch will have the option of multiplayer sessions for both online and local.

As per the listing on the Nintendo Store, the game can be purchased for $5 and has a size of 421MB. Among Us was originally launched in 2018 by developer InnerSloth, but has only managed to gain a wider audience this year. Bringing in the Switch expands the horizon for the game to even more players, and the Switch is the perfect platform for a game like this.

During this year’s Game Awards, Among Us developers not only won two awards but also gave us a preview of what players can expect in 2021.

Prep the airlock and join your crewmates in a multiplayer game of teamwork and betrayal!!#AmongUsGame by @InnerslothDevs is available today on #NintendoSwitch! #IndieWorld pic.twitter.com/RTrsLS02tV

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) December 15, 2020

By ‘early next year’ the game will include a brand new map called the ‘The Airship’. This would be the fourth map added to the game and according to the developers, it is expected to be more extensive than the existing ones. The new map will also introduce new tasks and skins, the ability to decide where you start a match, and the addition of ladders and elevators to access certain areas of the ship.

THE AIRSHIP – A new map coming early 2021

Prepare yourselves, crewmates. This upcoming (free!) map will include:
all new tasks
your choice of what room to start in
ladders?!
and more?

But don’t forget about those Impostors lurking around… pic.twitter.com/IU2HJGuyEY

— Among Us (@AmongUsGame) December 11, 2020

Among Us has been one of the most talked-about games this year. While the game had less than 1,000 downloads in August 2018, two years later the game recorded that it was downloaded more than 18,000 times that figure. One of the reasons for the popularity of the online multiplayer social deduction game has been the pandemic as it allowed players to be social at the same time maintaining social distancing. Another reason has been the large number of content creators who have started playing and livestreaming their gameplays on YouTube and Twitch.

The post Among Us officially makes it way to the Nintendo Switch appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/34k3Vjj
via IFTTT

The new Google Pay app now has a dark theme

With the first stable rollout of Android 10 last year, Google finally added a system-wide dark mode toggle to the platform. Following the release, the company started updating its vast portfolio of apps with a new dark theme, and it continues to do so to this day. In the last few months, the company has updated the Google Play Store, the Google App, Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, and Google Translate with a new dark theme. Now, Google is releasing a similar update for the Google Pay app.

After releasing the new Google Pay app last month, Google has now updated the app with a dark theme. As you can see in the attached screenshots, the latest update for the app (v.119.1.4) brings a new dark theme that changes all the white UI elements in the app to dark gray, except for the Go India event banner at the top, which will be replaced by an appropriate dark theme banner when the event is over.

The dark theme is controlled by the system-wide dark mode setting, and the app doesn’t include a dedicated dark mode toggle like the one available on the Google Play Store. This means that the Google Pay dark theme is limited to devices running Android 10 and above.

Our Editor-in-Chief, Mishaal Rahman, has also confirmed that a similar theme is also available for Google Pay users in the U.S. But, as you can see in the attached screenshots, the dark theme implementation isn’t exactly the same in both regions.

Since the Google Pay UI for Indian and U.S. users is significantly different, there are some minor differences in the dark theme implementation as well. For instance, the banner image on the U.S. version of the app is predominantly blue, while on the Indian version, it falls in line with the new dark theme.

Google Pay: A safe & helpful way to manage money (Free, Google Play) →

---

Thanks to XDA Senior Member anishpratheepan for the tip!

The post The new Google Pay app now has a dark theme appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/34huF3Q
via IFTTT

Samsung may not discontinue the Galaxy Note series after all

We’ve seen several conflicting reports about the future of Samsung’s Galaxy Note series over the last few months. Shortly after Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 20 series, we first saw reports about Samsung’s plans to bring S Pen support to its next-gen Galaxy S series flagship. This led to rumors about the discontinuation of the Galaxy Note series. A recent report from South Korean publication AjuNews further fueled these rumors and claimed that it had received confirmation from a Samsung official that S Pen support was making its way to the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

Shortly after AjuNews published its report, sources familiar with Samsung’s plans told Reuters that the company had no plans to develop a new version of the Galaxy Note for 2021. Additionally, we saw multiple credible reports backing up the report from AjuNews that the Galaxy S21 Ultra would support the S Pen. Samsung’s plans to bring S Pen support to more devices in its lineup was confirmed earlier today, when Dr. TM Roh, Head of Mobile Communications Bussiness at Samsung Electronics, hinted that the company would “add some of [the Galaxy Note’s] most well-loved features to other devices in our lineup.”

However, a recent report from South Korean Yonhap News Agency claims that Samsung may bring S Pen support to more devices, the company might not discontinue the Galaxy Note series after all. The report quotes an unnamed Samsung Electronics official who claims that the company is indeed planning to release Galaxy Note series devices next year. The report further quotes the same official as saying that just because Samsung plans to add Galaxy Note features to other devices in their lineup doesn’t necessarily mean that the Galaxy Note line will be discontinued.

Since Samsung hasn’t officially confirmed or denied any of these reports, we can’t be sure if there’s any truth to them. It’s also quite possible that both sets of reports are correct, and there may indeed be a Galaxy Note lineup next year, but it could be the last one.

The post Samsung may not discontinue the Galaxy Note series after all appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3oWgYiB
via IFTTT

Xiaomi launches Mi QLED TV 4K 55 with HDMI 2.1 and Android 10 in India

Xiaomi has made affordable 4G smartphones accessible for a large portion of the Indian population, especially with its sub-brand Redmi. After settling in as a successful smartphone brand in India, Xiaomi invigorated the local smart TV market. With their value-for-money smart TV, Xiaomi is now established as a major player in the smart TV ecosystem in India and is now shifting their focus from primarily affordable smart TVs. Now, Xiaomi is launching a more premium QLED TV — the Mi QLED TV 4K 55 — that comes with Android 10, HDMI 2.1,  and a lucrative price of ₹54,999.

QLED or quantum dot light-emitting diodes actually employ LCD panels backlit by an LED strip along with one of the edges. As compared to regular LED-backlit LCD displays, QLED displays use an extra layer of quantum dots and that helps in producing richer colors and better contrast. The term was popularized by Samsung but has now been adopted by a host of other brands including TCL and OnePlus. The new Mi 4K QLED TV competes with the OnePlus premium QLED TV we reviewed last year.

As its name gives away, the Mi QLED TV 4K 55 uses a 55-inch panel and it features slim bezels and a high screen-to-body of 96%. The edges of the TV are lined with sand-blasted metal with diamond-cut edges. From the front, the design looks quite similar to that of the Mi TV 5 series but with visible nuances for differentiation.

In terms of picture quality, the Mi QLED TV sports 4K resolution along with support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. Xiaomi claims that the TV’s display covers 100% of the colors in the NTSC color gamut. While the refresh rate is 60Hz, the TV supports “Reality Flow” which is Xiaomi’s marketing term for MEMC, a technology that smoothens out video content shot at 24 or 30 frames per second (fps) by interpolating with artificially generated frames. Unlike the OnePlus TV, the Mi QLED TV lacks local dimming. However, it does feature ALLM (auto low latency mode) and automatically switches to the Game Mode when it detects a console like the Xbox Series S or Sony PS5.

In terms of audio, the TV features 6 speakers, including 4 full-range drivers and 2 tweeters with a total sound output of 30 watts. The company says each of the drivers uses large 1-liter echo chambers for better resonance and louder audio output. The TV also gets support from Dolby Audio for supported content.

In terms of software, the Mi QLED TV runs on Android 10 for Android TV and is among the earliest TVs to get the latest update. In addition, the TV uses the latest version of Xiaomi’s proprietary content discovery platform — PatchWall 3.0 — as an alternative to the stock Android TV launcher.

For I/O, the TV features three HDMI 2.1 ports with eARC support, optical audio out, two USB ports, an Ethernet port, a headphone jack, an antenna port, and RCA ports for legacy multimedia devices. It comes with a Bluetooth remote that features an in-line microphone for voice commands as well as dedicated hotkeys for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

Price & Availability

The Mi QLED TV 4K 55 will be available in India for ₹54,999 (~$750).

It will be available at Mi.com, Flipkart, Mi Home, Vijay sales, and other offline retail stores starting December 21st. Consumers buying with an SBI credit card can avail a 10% discount on Flipkart.

Mi QLED TV 4K 55 Specifications

Specification	Mi QLED TV 4K 55
Display	55-inch panel 3840 x 2160 pixels QLED-backlit LCD panel 16:9 aspect ratio Dolby Vision, HDR10+, MEMC
Processor	MediaTek MT9611 Mali G52 MP2 GPU
RAM	2GB
Storage	32GB
Audio	30W output 4 x full-range speakers 2 x tweeters Dolby Audio
I/O & Connectivity	3 x HDMI 2.1 ports 2 x USB Optical Audio Ethernet port 3.5mm jack IR receiver Dual-band Wi-Fi Bluetooth 5.0
Interface	PatchWall 3.0 along with Android TV UI based on Android 10

The post Xiaomi launches Mi QLED TV 4K 55 with HDMI 2.1 and Android 10 in India appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2IU76qr
via IFTTT

Huawei begins its long-shot transition from Android with a Harmony OS beta for select smartphones and tablets

When we talk about mobile operating systems, there are only two major solutions around today: Android and iOS. And Apple’s tight control over iOS means that Android is the only true solution for OEMs building their own smartphones. But Android also is very much dependent on Google despite being open-source, thanks to Google’s grip with GMS and the entire ecosystem of interdependency around the GMS framework. Huawei has experienced this the hard way, with odds stacked against its favor ever since the U.S. Commerce Department put it on the Entity List, cutting off the company’s access to new GMS license agreements. The road without Google’s assistance was tough, but Huawei trudged along with its own HMS solutions. The Chinese tech giant is far from giving up on its smartphone business, though, and it now begins a long-shot transition away from a GMS-less Android onto its own first-party OS, Harmony OS.

Harmony OS was officially unveiled one and a half years ago, with the company showcasing the Honor Vision smart TV as the first device with its first-party operating system. All through 2019, Huawei reaffirmed its commitment to Android, with plans to expand Harmony OS to devices other than smartphones and tablets. New plans were announced at HDC 2020 earlier this year, but today, the company has begun recruiting developers for the first Harmony OS 2.0 beta for mobile devices.

Huawei says that Harmony OS 2.0 comes with “over 15,000 APIs” to support development across smartphones, wearables, cars, larger displays, and many more use cases. To check out the new OS, you can either try out the emulator in Huawei’s DevEco Studio IDE (version 2.0 Beta 3) from the Harmony OS official website, or you can register to receive an OTA on your supported Huawei device to migrate to the Harmony OS 2.0 beta. Once your registration is approved, you will receive an invitation from Huawei with instructions on how to install the software on your device.

The following devices are eligible to install the Harmony OS 2.0 developer beta:

• Huawei P40 (ANA-AN00)
• Huawei P40 Pro (ELS-AN00)
• Huawei Mate 30 (TAS-AL00)
• Huawei Mate 30 5G (TAS-AN00)
• Huawei Mate 30 Pro (LIO-AL00)
• Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G (LIO-AN00)
• Huawei MatePad Pro (MRX-AL19)
• Huawei MatePad Pro 5G (MRX-W09)
• Huawei MatePad Pro Wi-Fi (MRX-AN19)

As is expected of a Developer Beta, this is unstable software that is intended only for developers to begin their work on the platform. As such, you should absolutely be backing up your data before upgrading to the new OS. It is possible to roll back to official EMUI 11 based on Android, but the rollback will expectedly delete all user data.

Some developers with access to the emulator have posted sample screenshots of their apps running on Harmony OS 2.0 on the Huawei Developer Community.

At first glance, these sample screenshots showcase that Harmony OS looks pretty much like what EMUI 11 based on Android looks like on the Huawei P40. The developer documents mention that apps are coded in Java and the layouts are defined in XML files, similar to Android. We guess Huawei is hoping to make the new OS as familiar to Android app developers as possible in order to minimize obstacles in migrating to a new OS and accompanying ecosystem. Early adopters have also mentioned that (translated) “Android development ideas can be applied to Hongmeng (Harmony OS) development, greatly speeding up the development of Hongmeng“, which makes sense, though we haven’t dug into the new OS or documentation to verify how true this statement is.

Here are some helpful links if you are interested in getting started:

• Harmony OS Documentation
• Huawei DevEco Studio 2.0 Beta 3 Announcement
• Harmony OS 2.0 Beta Sign Up Page

A lot of the documentation currently is in Chinese, and the source code has not yet been released, so there is a fair bit of exploration left on this end. We’ll keep you updated.

The post Huawei begins its long-shot transition from Android with a Harmony OS beta for select smartphones and tablets appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3mqdSln
via IFTTT

[Update: Confirmed] Twitter code teardown hints that it may shut down Periscope in 2021

Update 1 (12/15/2020 @ 08:26 PM ET): Twitter has confirmed that it will pull the plug on the Periscope app next year. Click here for information. The article as published on December 11, 2020, is preserved below.

Twitter video-sharing app Periscope hasn’t been on the tip of anyone’s tongue recently – apart from in the context of phone cameras. With TikTok being the flavor of 2020, and Twitter’s focus on its disappearing Tweet service Fleets, it’s clear that time has moved on. Indeed, when Twitter decided to buy the site before it even launched in 2015, it was as a spoiler to a similar app, Meerkat, and when was the last time we heard about that? (Actually, it was this year, it’s now video-call service House Party).

As time, technology, and zeitgeist move on, it’s quite common to see these “next great hope” apps fall by the wayside. Heck, that’s basically Google’s business model. So it’s not a huge surprise that we’re getting the first hints that Periscope is not long for this world. A developer by the name of Jane Machun Wong (@wongmjane) has been exploring a teardown of the latest Twitter app code and discovered an ominous thing.

Hidden in a currently orphaned line of code is a (dead) link under the string “ps_app_shutdown_learn_more_url”. It could be seen as something of a “smoking gun”, though we’ve got no further details, and nothing official from Twitter so far. That said, it does feel like Periscope has served its purpose. Twitter Live has been active in the main app since 2016, long enough that it has now seen itself used for its second US Presidential Election. Live streaming in Twitter is still referred to as being powered “by Periscope”, but these days, it is more of a nod to history than an active partnership.

Whatever happens now, it’ll seem like something of a hollow end to Periscope. Twitter killed off another acquisition, Vine, in order to focus on Periscope, a fact much maligned at the time. If Periscope is near the end too, it’ll mark a sad end to two projects that could, in the right hands, have given TikTok a run for its money.

Periscope - Live Video (Free, Google Play) →

---

Update: Say Farewell to Periscope in 2021

Update written by Mishaal Rahman

In a blog post, Twitter-owned Periscope has announced that the mobile app will be discontinued by March of 2021. The app is being discontinued as it “is in an unsustainable maintenance-mode state”, has seen “declining usage”, and “the cost to support the app will only continue to go up over time.” As live video streaming has already been available in the main Twitter app since late 2016, it doesn’t make much sense for Periscope to continue to exist as a separate application. As such, the app will be removed from app stores by March of next year, and no new accounts can be created within the app starting with the next release rolling out today.

For any creators that have broadcasts that haven’t been shared to Twitter already, they will be able to download an archive before the app is removed next year. The Periscope website will be active as a read-only archive of public broadcasts. The requirements to become a “Super Broadcaster” have been relaxed, and any tips that haven’t been cashed out can be claimed until April 30th, 2021. More details can be found here regarding the transition process, including how you can go live on Twitter going forward.

To keep on going live, you can use Twitter Live and Media Studio. Learn more about switching over to Twitter and what to do with your Periscope account: https://t.co/3eVgHF5lX1 (2/2)

— Periscope (@PeriscopeCo) December 15, 2020

The post [Update: Confirmed] Twitter code teardown hints that it may shut down Periscope in 2021 appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3m58pQF
via IFTTT

Firefox 84 on Android released with grid view for tabs, plus more

Firefox on Tuesday announced the release of Firefox 84 on Android. The changelog is rather short, but that doesn’t mean the update is insignificant. Here’s what’s new.

One of the most exciting new features in Firefox 84 on Android is the ability to view your open tabs side-by-side in a grid view. The list view is still the default option for tabs, but you can easily change it to a grid by tapping the 3-dot menu and choosing your tab view. Changing to a grid view will make it a little easier to identify the tabs you have open.

It’s not the biggest change we’ve ever seen from Firefox, but it makes the mobile browser more usable, especially for tab hoarders.

Firefox 84 on Android has added a few other features, too:

• Ability to delete downloaded files within the app.
• WebRender rolls out to more of our users on Android, those on the Mali-G GPU series, bringing smoother animation and scrolling to the majority of our Android users.

Meanwhile, Mozilla said that the new update also features improved scrolling accuracy and control, and also fixes cases of unexpected scroll acceleration.

 

List view vs grid view

Last month, Firefox on Android added support for several new plugins, including FoxyProxy, Bitwarden, AdGuard AdBlocker, Tomato Clock, LeechBlock NG, Web Archives, and Ghostery.

Before today’s update, Firefox has also released a number of other important updates to keep its browser feeling fresh. Back in September, the company rolled out some new features that included a downloads page, auto-tab closing, and an “Open in app” menu option for sires with a currently installed native Android app.

Mozilla recently endured a large layoff of its workforce, but the company has kept on trucking and continues to release new features for its browser, which is a great alternative to Chrome.

You can download Firefox 84 on Android beginning today.

Firefox Browser: fast, private & safe web browser (Free, Google Play) →

The post Firefox 84 on Android released with grid view for tabs, plus more appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/38n6Rgn
via IFTTT