Apple released iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 betas last week featuring several new features. The beta releases introduced support for a new “Unlock with Apple Watch” feature, dual-SIM 5G for the iPhone 12 lineup, support for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S controllers, and more. While we highlighted most of the new features in our previous coverage, the latest iOS beta update includes one additional change.
According to a recent report from MacRumors, Apple has also added the ability to change the default music streaming service while using Siri in the latest iOS beta release. The feature was first spotted by Reddit user u/matejanmm1, who shared the following screenshot.
As you can see, Siri on iOS 14.5 asks you “Which app would you like to use?” when you ask it to play a song. This interaction only happens the first time you request a song, after which Siri defaults to the third-party music-streaming service of your choice and you no longer have to specify the name of the music-streaming service when you issue subsequent commands. The feature seems to work with most third-party music-streaming services, including Spotify, Deezer, YouTube Music, and more.
Users who have tried the feature report that it only works with specific phrases at the moment, and it even reverts back to Apple Music at times. This suggests that the feature is still a work in progress and Apple still has some work to do to deliver consistent results each time. Regardless, it’s great to see Apple giving users the option to set a third-party music-streaming service as the default app for Siri on iOS instead of limiting them to Apple Music. It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time Apple is allowing users to change a default app on iOS. The company rolled out similar functionality for the email and browser apps with iOS 14 last year, allowing users to select third-party alternatives as default apps.
Qualcomm today announced a wide range of 5G products to help OEMs deliver significantly faster data speeds and enable new use cases on their next-generation devices. The list of products includes the world’s first 10 Gigabit Snapdragon X65 5G modem, the Snapdragon X62 5G modem, a new mmWave module, a suite of new RF front-end solutions, and more.
Snapdragon X65 and X62 5G Modems
The new Snapdragon X65 5G modem is the showstopper here. A direct successor to the last year’s Snapdragon X60, the fourth-gen modem offers significantly faster peak download speeds. Qualcomm is advertising up to 10 Gbps in the downlink, making it the first modem-RF system to reach such speeds. For reference, the existing Snapdragon X60 offers up to 7.5 Gbps download speeds. The modem can achieve 10 Gigabit speeds on both stand-alone and non-standalone 5G networks. The Snapdragon X65 is also the first modem to support 3GPP’s 5G NR release 16, the second set of specifications aimed at boosting the expansion and deployment of 5G NR worldwide.
“We are reaching a significant milestone with the Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System, unleashing connectivity up to 10 Gigabits per second and support for the latest 5G specifications that will play a critical role in enabling new 5G use cases not only for redefined premium smartphone experiences but also opening a new realm of possibilities for 5G expansion across mobile broadband, compute, XR, industrial IoT, 5G private networks and fixed wireless access”
The modem is built on a 4nm process and supports simultaneous carrier aggregation between all sub-6GHz and mmWave bands. The Snapdragon X65 also features an upgradable architecture, making it possible to deliver new features proposed in 3GPP’s Release 16 to be quickly rolled out via software updates.
Qualcomm says the Snapdragon X65 modem will power a variety of use cases and form factors, including smartphones, PCs, mobile hotspots, industrial IoT, fixed wireless access, and private networks.
Alongside the Snapdragon X65, Qualcomm is also announcing a watered-down version in the form of the Snapdragon X62. The Snapdragon X62 is built on a 4nm process and offers carrier aggregation across sub-6GHz and mmWave bands with peak download speeds of 4.4 Gbps.
The Snapdragon X65 and X62 are currently sampling to OEMs, with commercial devices featuring the new modems expected to hit the market by 2021.
With the launch of the Snapdragon X65 and X62 modems, Qualcomm is also adding several new RF front-end solutions to its portfolio, including a new mmWave antenna module, QE7100 Wideband Envelop Tracker, AI-Enhanced Signal Boost, and more.
The Qualcomm QTM545 is the second-gen mmWave antenna module. It adds support for the new n259 (42GHz) band, improves the mmWave coverage, and supports higher transmit power while maintaining the same footprint as its predecessor.
Qualcomm says its 7th-gen Wideband Envelop Tracker (QE7100) is 30% more power-efficient than competitors and supports full 100Hz bandwidth for new 5G bands and LTE.
Meanwhile, Qualcomm AI-Enhanced Signal Boost offers an adaptive antenna tuning solution with the help of artificial intelligence. The solution uses an AI-trained model to track the user’s handgrip around the phone and optimizes the antennas in real-time for better coverage and longer battery life.
Qualcomm 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform Gen 2
Finally, the company also announced 2nd-gen Qualcomm 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform, enabling mobile operators to offer fixed broadband services to homes and businesses using their 5G infrastructure. The new platform is powered by the Snapdragon X65 modem and features the latest Qualcomm 547b mmWave module to deliver download speeds of up to 10 Gbps. The platform supports extended-range high power sub-6GHz 5G and comes with 8 receive antennas for improved network coverage.
For Fixed Wireless Access devices that solely rely on 4G networks, Qualcomm also announced the Snapdragon X12+ LTE modem, with up to 600 Mbps download speeds.
The 2nd gen Qualcomm 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform is expected to arrive in commercial devices in the first half of 2022.
With an increasing number of people working or attending classes from home, video conferencing apps like Zoom and Google Meet have seen a strong surge in popularity over the last year. Due to the sheer number of alternatives available to end-users, developers are constantly innovating and adding new features to their respective apps to offer more value. For instance, Google Meet recently added a new ‘Green Room’ feature to help users check their audio and video settings before joining a call. Similarly, Zoom also added a new call end chime to the app to alert users when someone disconnected abruptly.
While most of these new features aim to provide more utility, some are just added to make boring video calls more entertaining. Zoom’s new Studio Effects feature is a case in point. The feature gives you the ability to add several eyebrows, facial hair, and lip color filters to your video feed. According to a recent report from The Verge, it can be found within the “Background & Filters” option in Zoom’s Video Settings.
(Image: The Verge)
As you can see in the attached screenshot, it includes three tabs, labeled Eyebrows, Moustache & Beard, and Lip Color, that let you add quirky filters to your video feed. Zoom offers quite a few options to choose from, including 7 eyebrows types, 7 facial hair options, and 10 lip color variants, along with a custom color option that lets you pick a lip color that matches your outfit. You can also use the feature to change the color of your eyebrows and facial hair and even control the filter’s opacity.
Additionally, the Studio Effects feature includes a toggle at the top to help you apply your preferred settings to all future meetings. But we’d recommend steering clear from it, for obvious reasons. It’s worth noting that while the Studio Effects feature was first announced back in September last year, many Zoom users have just discovered it in the app. The feature seems to be live for most Zoom users, but we’re not sure if it’s available globally.
At its Mi 11 China launch event back in December 2020, Xiaomi teased the MIUI 12.5 update roadmap for a few of its devices. Soon after that, the company started pushing closed beta builds of MIUI 12.5 to select Mi and Redmi smartphones in its home country. Every year, the Chinese OEM splits efforts between the domestic and global update policies, and this year is no different. If you’re looking forward to running the latest iteration of MIUI on your phone, then you’re in luck as Xiaomi has now officially outlined the MIUI 12.5 update roadmap for its global device portfolio.
The good news is that the first wave of the update will be rolling out across several device ranges, from the latest flagship Mi 11 to the previous year’s Mi 10 and Mi 10T lineup. However, if you don’t have a premium category smartphone, then you’ve to wait a little before the platform update hits your device. A bunch of Mi Note and Redmi Note branded devices are next in line, and they are expected to get MIUI 12.5 as part of the second wave.
The rollout is set to begin as soon as Q2 2021, with the following devices receiving updates to MIUI 12.5:
There’s no word on Q2 2021 updates for any other Mi/Redmi device, but Xiaomi’s tweet mentions that the company will be adding more devices to the list. However, looking at the pace at which legacy and entry level devices are still receiving the MIUI 12 update across various regions, we wouldn’t expect the stable version of MIUI 12.5 to hit those devices anytime in the next couple of months.
Sony recently launched the Xperia PRO 5G, a $2,500 smartphone for creators that packs a couple of unique features. The device features a micro HDMI input that will let you connect it to your camera and use it as an on-camera monitor. Additionally, thanks to the device’s 5G capabilities, you’ll be able to stream video right from your camera without needing any separate streaming accessories. But since its price tag puts the Xperia PRO 5G outside the reach of many buyers, Sony is now rolling out similar capabilities to the Xperia 1 II and Xperia 5 II with their Android 11 update.
Sony started rolling out stable Android 11 to the Xperia 1 II late last year. While the update changelog didn’t include any mention of the aforementioned features, a recent post from u/shenfan0613 on Reddit reveals that the company has, in fact, added external monitor capabilities to the Xperia 1 II with the Android 11 update. The post includes an image highlighting the new feature, which reveals that it will let users connect their Xperia 1 II to a supported Sony Alpha camera and use it as an on-camera monitor. To use the new External Monitor feature, you will have to connect your Xperia 1 II to a supported camera using a USB Type-C to HDMI cable.
It’s worth mentioning that a video about the Xperia 1 II’s Android 11 update shared by the official Sony Xperia Taiwan YouTube channel also highlights this feature. You can watch the timestamped video below.
Although the post doesn’t state whether a similar feature will roll out to the Xperia 5 II with its Android 11 update or not, we have reason to believe that the feature will be available on the compact flagship. Sony recently shared a press release highlighting a firmware update for the Sony ZV-1 camera. The firmware update brings a couple of new features to the vlog camera, including the ability to connect it to a PC via USB and use it as a high-res webcam.
Additionally, the firmware update brings a new feature that will let you connect the camera to a supported Xperia smartphone and use the smartphone as a secondary display to monitor your live stream and read the chat. The fine print at the bottom of the press release clearly states that this feature will be available on the Xperia 1 II and Xperia 5 II running Android 11. Therefore, we suspect that the External Monitor feature will also be extended to the Xperia 5 II with its Android 11 update. Sony has already started rolling out stable Android 11 to the Xperia 5 II in select regions. We’ll update this post as soon as we confirm External Monitor availability on the device.
The Xperia PRO 5G’s camera monitor feature is one of its main selling points over the Xperia 1 II (the other being 5G mmWave support), so it’s interesting to see Sony bringing the feature to the Xperia 1 II with its Android 11 update. But it’s worth noting that the Xperia 1 II hasn’t received the Android 11 update in the US yet, and the Xperia PRO is currently only sold in the US. So, we’re not sure if Sony will release the display input feature on US models as that may adversely impact Xperia PRO 5G sales in the country. On the upside, Sony’s decision to bring the feature to the Xperia 1 II and Xperia 5 II will make the devices more compelling options for creators who were put off by the Xperia PRO 5G’s price.
In case you have received the Android 11 update on your Xperia 5 II, make sure to leave a comment if you’re able to spot the new External Monitor feature on the device.
A popular barcode scanner app with over 10 million downloads on the Google Play Store has been caught infecting Android devices with malware. The app, simply dubbed Barcode Scanner, has since been removed from the Play Store, but it likely still remains there on many of the infected devices.
As the name implies, the Barcode Scanner app was a simple app that allowed users to scan barcodes and QR codes. But as discovered by security researchers at Malwarebytes, the app received an update in December that added malicious code that was not present in the previous versions of the app. Researchers note the app used heavy obfuscation to avoid detection. And it did work as this malicious update flew under the radar of Google’s Play Protect service, which is in place precisely to detect and takedown such malicious apps. Researchers at Malwarebytes were able to confirm that the app was signed by the same digital certificate as previous versions, hence confirming it was coming from the same developer, LavaBird LTD.
“In the case of Barcode Scanner, malicious code had been added that was not in previous versions of the app. Furthermore, the added code used heavy obfuscation to avoid detection.”
The app sprung to life within minutes of installation and started bombarding users with adware and automated web redirects to shady websites without user interaction. You can see the malicious activity in the below video:
Malwarebytes says Google was notified privately and has taken the app down from the Play Store. So far, Google hasn’t yet used its Play Protect tool to notify users who still have this malware installed on their phones. That means users must act on their own and remove the app from their phones.
If you have a barcode scanner app installed on your device and have been noticing some odd behavior lately, head to the app settings and look for the app’s package name. If the app has the package name com.qrcodescanner.barcodescanner, uninstall it immediately.
Google Photos is inarguably one of the better performing apps in Google’s portfolio. As such, the company does a great job of keeping it fresh by adding new features with each successive update. Over the last few months alone, Google has added a bunch of new features to the app, including a new machine learning-powered feature to make your photos look 3D, a Maps timeline to help you sort your images by location, a tablet-friendly UI, and more. The company is now rolling out another useful feature to Google Photos, which will let you zoom in on videos using familiar gestures.
According to a recent post by u/WimpyTeenDude on Reddit, Google Photos now lets you zoom in on videos using two gestures. You can either double-tap on the video, as you would in the YouTube app, to make the video fill the screen, or you can use the pinch gesture to zoom in or out of the video. The new gestures seem to be rolling out via a server-side update, and they’re already available for some users on the latest Google Photos release. However, it isn’t live for all users at the moment. I tried the new gestures on my device with version 5.27 of the app, and they work as intended.
It’s worth noting that we first spotted these new gestures in an APK teardown of Google Photos v. 4.33 all the way back in December 2019. At the time, our Editor-in-Chief, Mishaal Rahman, had managed to enable the pinch-to-zoom gesture on the app manually. But we hadn’t spotted the new double-tap gesture back then.
In case you haven’t received the new gestures on your device so far, you can try updating to the latest Google Photos release by following the Play Store link below. If you still don’t get the gestures, you may have to wait a few days before they roll out on your device via a server-side update.
