Managing your Google Photos on your Chromebook may soon get a lot easier as Google is working on integrating Google Photos into Chrome OS’s file manager. Right now, Chrome OS users have to manually download their photos off Google Photos and then organize them into their file manager, which is as tedious as it can get. Many users have complained about this in the past, and it looks like Google finally seems to have realized this counterintuitive approach that Chrome OS users have to take to access their photos.
Our friends over at Android Police have discovered some new commits on Chromium Gerrit that hint that Google is working on deeply integrating the Google Photos into the navigation pane of the file manager, allowing users to quickly access their uploaded photos right from within the file manager.
The following commit suggests that users will be able to view their Google Photos when picking files in the file picker.
[filesapp] Only show Photos volume in file picker
Google Photos volume should only be shown when picking files in Chrome
OS, and hidden when browsing or picking files in ARC.
BUG=1170198
Meanwhile, another commit mentions adding a welcome banner for Google Photos.
[filesapp] Add a welcome banner for Android Photos
Show a welcome banner for the Android Photos DocumentsProvider volume. The banner is shown up to 3 times unless dismissed.
BUG=1171651
Further digging into the code by Android Police confirms that the integration will let users browse and select their recently uploaded photos right from the file manager. The Google Photos shortcut will show up on the navigation pane after the user installs the app on your ChromeOS device.
As exciting as this change is for Chrome OS users, there’s no guarantee Google will merge these commits into the Chromium source code and turn the feature into a reality. If and when Google decides to finally ship the feature to Chrome OS, we’ll be sure to let you know.
Tired of your boring desktop wallpaper? Want to add a bit of flair to your Windows PC? Then you have to try out Wallpaper Engine. This easy-to-use software offers a variety of dynamic or ‘live’ wallpapers similar to what you get on Android or iOS. Apart from supporting a wide range of screen resolutions, Wallpaper Engine also includes an in-built editor allowing you to create your own wallpapers.
Available via Steam or through the developer’s own website, Wallpaper Engine is a nifty tool that lets you download animated wallpapers from the in-built library that offers a variety of options from categories like games, anime, sports, memes, automobiles, and more. Additionally, using the editor option you can even pick an image of your choice and transform it to your delight and share it with the Steam Workshop community. Using the wallpaper editor you can add various effects and fine-tune them by selecting the styling, movement speeds, transitions, and so on.
Wallpaper Engine comes with its own rendering engine while the wallpaper editor allows for the creation of 2D and 3D wallpapers with a particle system editor and a version of JavaScript called SceneScript for additional wallpaper logic. Apart from regular images, it also supports video files, web-pages, and a few 3D applications as wallpapers. You can even add a music visualizer or even add a game to your desktop! There is also a small collection of wallpapers that support Razer Chroma and Corsair iCUE RGB software. What this means is that you can match the wallpaper with your gaming peripherals and hardware, in case you prefer having everything color coordinated as I do.
Although the options are limited, it is nice to see that the developers are heading in the right direction. As per the latest update, Wallpaper Engine now supports a new Iris effect which is basically an eye movement effect for animating the iris of a character. The developers have also improved the experience when you apply wallpapers on an ultra-wide monitor as well as a new resolution suggestion feature and an automatic crop and resize feature to deliver the optimal resolution.
Of course, the most obvious question would be around the performance. The developers have ensured that the live wallpapers do not over-utilize resources. There are various performance parameters that you can enable or disable depending on your machine. The animations can also be paused when you are running a game so that it doesn’t hamper your experience. It does come at a cost though, but at just $4 (₹229), it seems very nominal considering the number of features and the plethora of wallpaper options available in the library. Notably, it is only available for Windows with no immediate plans to support other platforms, so that is one negative aspect of this software. Windows does have a few other options for live wallpapers, so you can now add Wallpaper Engine to that list.
OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei’s new hardware venture — Nothing — now owns Andy Rubin’s Essential. The company recently raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by GV, the venture capital arm of Alphabet Inc., and is currently working on a pair of wireless headphones that will hit the market later this year.
Although Nothing is yet to officially announce the transaction, the folks over at 9to5Googlehave found recent filings at the UK Intellectual Property Office, showing that Andy Rubin has signed over ownership of Essential to Nothing Technologies Limited. The filings reveal that Nothing submitted the application as early as November 11, 2020, and the process was completed as of January 6, 2021. As detailed in the attached screenshot, the transaction includes all of Essential’s existing trademarks and logos. But it doesn’t reveal whether it includes all the patents held by the company or not.
Nothing’s acquisition of Essential makes sense as the latter had been working on its own Home smart hub and speaker before shutting shop last year. Since Carl Pei has already confirmed that Nothing is working on various smart home products, the acquisition may help give the company an existing platform to build upon. Essential was also working on a unique smartphone design, codenamed GEM, before its closure, which raises speculations about Nothing’s plans to enter the smartphone market in the not so distant future.
Nothing is set to reveal more details about its upcoming products in the coming days via its official website. Once it does, we’ll know for sure how the company’s acquisition of Essential has influenced its product catalog. As of now, Nothing has said nothing about the aforementioned details. We’ll update this post as soon as we learn more from the company.
Update 1 (02/16/2021@03:17 AMET): The Redmi Note 10 series will launch on March 4 in India. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on February 10, 2021, is preserved below.
When it comes to offering the best bang for buck smartphone experience, few can match Xiaomi’s Redmi Note series. With each new generation, the Redmi Note lineup has pushed the limits of what one normally expects from a budget phone, bringing substantial hardware upgrades while still maintaining an affordable price tag. It’s been a year since Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 9 Pro series in India. Although we have been hearing rumors about Xiaomi soon launching the Redmi Note 10 series in India for a while now, there hasn’t been an official confirmation yet.
That changes today as Manu Kumar Jain, Xiaomi India Managing Director, took to Twitter to share a teaser of the upcoming Redmi Note 10 lineup.
, !#RedmiNote10 series is from another orbit & it’s arriving early March this year!
Brace yourselves for a #10on10 experience! RT if you want to know more.
The teaser confirms the Redmi Note 10 series will be launching in India in early March. No other info has been shared, including the concrete launch date. Separately, Amazon India has also set up a landing page for the Redmi Note 10 series, hinting that the next lineup could be an Amazon exclusive, just like the Redmi Note 9 Pro and Redmi Note 9 Pro Max.
Although there’s no official word on the specifications and design, we have a fair idea as to what to expect from the newest contenders in the Redmi Note series. A leak from the XiaomiUI Telegram group revealed that the Redmi Note 10 Pro could feature a 120Hz IPS LCD with support for MEMC tech and a quad-camera setup comprised of a 64MP primary sensor. Additionally, the leak also revealed that the device might feature Qualcomm SM7150 Platform (Snapdragon 732G) and a 5,050mAh battery.
Separately, a report from Ishan Agarwal last month shed light on storage options. According to him, the standard Redmi Note 10 will come in two variants: 4GB + 64GB and 6GB + 64GB, while the Redmi Note Pro will be offered in three variants: 6GB + 64GB, 6GB + 128GB, 8GB + 128GB. He also mentioned that Xiaomi is planning to price the devices more aggressively this time around to take on its arch-rival Realme.
Update: Redmi Note 10 series to launch on March 4 in India
Xiaomi will launch the Redmi Note 10 series in India on March 4th, as per the official announcement by the company. This will also be the Global Debut of the lineup.
If you’ve just purchased a shiny, new Samsung Galaxy S21, the last thing you want to do is scratch or damage it. But dropping or spilling something on your precious smartphone is really easy. The best way to protect your new Galaxy S21 is by buying and putting it in a protective case. What’s also great about phone cases is that they won’t just protect your phone, but also make it look even more stylish.
Since the Galaxy S21 launched in January, lots of cases for it have come onto the market. While some Galaxy S21 cases cost an eye-watering amount of money, many are affordable and retail for less than $20. To help you pick one, we’ve ranked the best cheap cases for the Galaxy S21.
Tough Armor, made from TPU and polycarbonate, provides dual protection against accidental drops and scratches. What’s more, it sports Air Cushion Technology that offers anti-shock protection, raised edges to protect the Galaxy S21’s camera and display, military-grade certification, and a kickstand.
Ringke Air is a super-thin, clear TPU-based case that will show off the S21’s beautiful design and provide an extra layer of protection. It offers a micro-dot matrix design that will eradicate annoying rainbow effects on your phone, a lanyard hole, and wireless charging support.
The CamShield case is designed to protect the Galaxy S21 and its delicate triple cameras, with the main feature being a camera cover that slides open and shut. There’s also an invisible four-cornered airbag that absorbs shocks and drops, a textured back that feels great to touch, and wireless charging support.
Caseology’s Parallax case provides ample protection and style for the Galaxy S21. It sports a stunning 3D design, raised edges to protect your Galaxy S21’s display, and a dual-layered bumper that offers military-grade protection. You can buy it in a range of stylish colors, including Ash Gray, Indi Pink, Matte Black, and Purple.
Are you a fashion lover? Then check out the Denim Pattern Case from SQMCase. It not only sports a unique denim design but also offers scratch-resistant and shock-proof protection for your Galaxy S21. The case provides accurate cutouts, support for wireless charging, and a lightweight design, too.
The first thing you’ll notice about this case is its striking rainbow design, which will add more style and personality to the Galaxy S21. The case is transparent, thin, lightweight, and flexible in design. It’s not the most robust Galaxy S21 case on the market, but there are raised bezels to protect the display and cameras.
The TUCCH Wallet Case is a great option if you want to free up space in your bag or pocket. It provides a PU leather design, three card slots, a cash pocket, a magnetic flap, RFID blocking, a TPU inner shell, precise cutouts, and a lifetime warranty. The case is available in a whole bunch of different colors on Amazon.
FitBAG offers a range of faux fur sleeves for the Galaxy S21 with dalmatian, zebra, leopard, snow leopard, giraffe, and tiger prints. On the inside of the sleeve, there’s a microfiber lining that will keep your S21’s display clean at all times.
Spigen’s Liquid Air Armor is aimed at people who want a durable case that won’t add lots of bulk to their Galaxy S21. Slim and lightweight , it sports an anti-slip matte surface, military-grade protection, and Air Cushion Technology that provides anti-shock protection.
After buying a new Galaxy S21, you don’t want to break or scratch it. But what’s great to see is that there’s a wide variety of Galaxy S21 cases on the market, and many of them have price tags under $20. For maximum protection, we’d recommend choosing the Spigen Tough Armor. Meanwhile, the TUCCH wallet case is perfect for people who value practicality. Plus, it comes in lots of colors. However, most people will be happy with the lightweight and transparent design of the Ringke Air.
Either way, buying a Galaxy S21 case is definitely a smart decision because it’ll protect your phone in the long-run. In most regions, Samsung does not ship a phone case in the box, and most of Samsung’s official offerings are quite expensive. Even the Clear Cover from Samsung is a good $20, which although is the cheapest from Samsung, is still a fair bit over what you can get a clear case off from a third-party seller on Amazon. You do pay Samsung for the brand value, but it often is better to get a better case for that price. The choice is yours, and you will do well with the options we have provided above!
BlueStacks is inarguably one of the most popular Android emulators out there. It’s been around for over a decade, and in that time, it has evolved from being just a simple app player to a full-fledged emulator. The emulator is now getting another update on the beta channel, which brings some major improvements and support for ARM devices.
BlueStacks 5 beta is a complete rewrite of the emulator that offers significant performance upgrades over BlueStacks 4. It uses 40% less memory than the previous release, and it includes advanced features like FPS lock, Long-flight, and Eco mode. The update also brings support for ARM devices, which means that you’ll now be able to use it on Windows 10 on ARM devices like the Surface Pro X.
In a statement about the latest update and ARM support, Sharad Agarwal, Chief Architect for BlueStacks 5, said, “Our app container technology enables games to be optimized to run on PC, Mac and other devices without any additional work needed from the developer. This is a key component missing in both Android on Chromebook and iOS apps on Mac. We see the market for BlueStacks App Player expanding considerably with Apple’s endorsement of running iOS apps on the Mac form factor, and App Containers is a key technology for this. ARM devices have a big advantage over x86 devices for running Android Apps as they don’t need binary translation. Our support for ARM reflects the work we have been doing for the last three years.”
Thanks to the new FPS Lock and Long-flight features, BlueStacks 5 is now also optimized for long gaming sessions. These features enable smooth continuous gameplay over extended periods of time, coupled with faster boot, install and launch times. The Eco-mode feature, on the other hand, allows users to multitask more efficiently and run multiple instances of the emulator without any adverse effects on performance. If you’re interested in giving BlueStacks 5 beta a shot, you can download it on your device by following this link.
We are just about a month and a half into 2021, enjoying our iPhone 12, and we are already being greeted by some promising leaks for the next generation of iPhone, the iPhone 13, or the iPhone 12S, whatever it ends up being called. A bunch of information has recently popped up from various sources giving us an insight as to what all can we expect from Apple this year. Like most leaks and speculated information, these may or may not end up in the final product(s), so take this with a pinch of salt.
The ‘exclusive’ information has been shared by Max Weinbach in a video by EverythingApplePro, known for its fairly accurate leaks around Apple products. In terms of design, the new iPhone 13 Pro models are going to retain most of the design elements from the iPhone 12 series, but with a more refined matte finish at the back, which could feel soft just like the Google Pixel. The iPhone 13/12S Pro models are also confirmed to feature 120Hz LTPO displays, something which was expected to arrive on the iPhone 12 series, but for some reason didn’t materialize. The new iPhones are also expected to come with a new Always-On Display feature which would be similar to the Apple Watch Series 5 and 6. It is expected to offer very minimal customizations with the clock and battery status remaining visible at all times. For incoming notifications, only a small part of the screen would light up rather than the entire display.
“Always-On Display will have minimal customizability. The current design basically looks like a toned-down lockscreen. Clock and battery charge is always visible. Notifications seem to be displayed using a bar and icons. Upon receiving, the notification will pop up normally except that the screen will not entirely light up. Instead, it will display it just like you’re used to right now, except dimmed down and only temporarily.”
The new iPhone 13 series is also expected to include stronger magnets for MagSafe, which should make compatible chargers and other accessories attach to the phone much more securely. The new iPhones could also be slightly thicker, although there is no discernible reason so far. Also, the notch might be shorter this year but could have the same width as the current-gen iPhones. There won’t be an in-display fingerprint scanner this year as well — so if you’re still waiting on Touch ID to compensate for the inefficacy of Face ID in this COVID-induced mask-dominated reality, you shouldn’t be holding your breath for this year.
A very interesting feature that Apple is said to be working on is a new night mode for the camera which would be similar to the Pixel’s Astrophotography mode. Once the camera is pointed at the night sky, the iPhone would scan for certain artifacts like the stars or the moon, and take a decision on enabling this mode automatically. Also, expect options for long exposure times.
There is also a possibility that Apple will offer similar telephoto cameras on the new iPhone Pro and Pro Max, which is not the case on the iPhone 12 series. So, expect 65mm lenses with an f/2.2 aperture. We can also expect Portrait Video on the upcoming iPhone series where it will be a single-mode and will offer the ability to change the depth of field in post-processing. The entire iPhone 13 lineup is also expected to include a new ultra-wide camera with an improved sensor and a 6P lens. It won’t be as good as the other cameras in terms of quality, but Apple is expected to reduce the overall gap. The same has been confirmed by popular Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo as well as two analysts from Barclays, so there is a great deal of confidence behind this rumor.
Another piece of information coming from Kuo is that the new iPhone will make use of a vapor cooling chamber system to hopefully offer better cooling on the inside. There is also a rumor that Apple might finally offer the ability to use your iPhone to unlock your Tesla car using the inbuilt U1 chip. We first saw this chip on the iPhone 11 in 2019. Oh and lastly, Jon Prosser who also a well-known tipster suggests that the iPhone 13 could in fact be called iPhone 12s, which is odd since we didn’t see the iPhone 11s.
Check out all the information shared by EverythingApplePro in the video below:
