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lundi 5 avril 2021

Google Pixel 5 sees massive GPU performance gains with April 2021 update

The latest software update for the Google Pixel lineup recently started rolling out to users. The update includes a host of connectivity, camera, and stability improvements for the entire lineup, along with performance optimizations for the Google Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G. These optimizations have significantly enhanced the gaming performance of Google’s latest flagship, as per recent reports.

When Google rolled out the first stable Android 11 release for its Pixel devices, some users noticed that the graphics benchmark numbers significantly declined following the update. As per HotHardware’s testing, the Pixel 4 XL and Pixel 4a took a major hit in graphical performance. Since the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G launched with Android 11 pre-installed, we had no way to verify if the phones also suffered a similar issue. However, Anandtech noted that the Pixel 5 vastly underperformed similar devices featuring the Snapdragon 765G chip. This led many to believe that the Android 11 update was the culprit.

Pixel April 2021 Functional Update

Source: Google

In the April 2021 update, the changelog mentions some “performance optimizations for certain graphics-intensive apps & games.” Andreas Proschofsky from Der Standard tested the GPU performance of the Pixel 5 following the update using 3DMark, and he found that the results are now 30-50% better than before. According to recent tweets, his Pixel 5 scored around 2278/2260 for the OpenGL/Vulkan tests in 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme before the April update. After installing the update, the phone scored 3286/3083 in the same test, which is a substantial improvement. Andrei from Anandtech has also confirmed that the update has “essentially doubled” his Pixel 5’s performance. We assume that the Pixel 4a 5G will see similar gains, given that it’s also mentioned in the official changelog.

At the moment, we don’t know the exact cause of the GPU performance regression. We aren’t sure if there’s an issue in the Android 11 update that’s specifically causing this problem or if Google messed up somewhere. We’ll make sure to let you know as soon as we find out.

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WhatsApp might allow chat history migration between iOS and Android

WhatsApp stores more data locally on your phone (as opposed to the cloud) than most other messaging services, which has some disadvantages. Chat histories are kept on your phone, and while the data can be easily backed up, there’s no official method for moving chats between Android and iOS devices. Thankfully, that might be changing soon.

WhatsApp has been working on multi-device support for a while now, which would allow you to send and receive messages from any of your phones, tablets, or PCs — you know, like just about every other messaging service. Moving chats between different platforms is an essential component of that functionality, and now the feature seems to be in development. WABetaInfo discovered the feature’s info page in the iOS app, but it’s not working yet.

Credit: WABetaInfo

It’s not clear yet when the functionality will become available, but it’s sure to be a popular feature for anyone looking to switch mobile ecosystems. WhatsApp has previously said that any unofficial means of moving chat histories across platforms, which usually involved third-party client apps, is against the company’s terms of service and can result in account suspensions.

WhatsApp has implemented many other features over the past few months, partially in response to the massive boom in messaging platforms (especially audio/video chatting) that occurred throughout 2020. Audio and video calls arrived in the web app in March, new wallpaper options came in December, and disappearing messages rolled out in November. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has faced heavy criticism over its proposed privacy policy changes, and the United States is suing Facebook over its acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram. The controversies also led many WhatsApp users to migrate to other services, causing Signal and Telegram to become some of the most downloaded mobile apps for a short time.

WhatsApp Messenger (Free, Google Play) →

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Sony may soon release the WH-1000XM4 headphones in a new white color

Sony has produced some of the best noise-canceling headphones in the industry. The company released the WH-1000XM4 headphones last year as a new premium ANC option, and now there could be a new color and more audio features on the way.

An APK teardown can often predict features that may arrive in a future update of an application, but it is possible that any of the features we mention here may not make it in a future release. This is because these features are currently unimplemented in the live build and may be pulled at any time by the developers in a future build.

The Sony WH-1000XM4 is currently available in three colors: Black, Blue, and Silver. The Silver option is already closer to beige than silver, but now a true white option could arrive soon. As first spotted by user @justplayinghard on Twitter, a new string added in version 7.5 of the Sony Headphones Connect app mentions a new white color of the headphones. The other colors were already present in the same code.

<string name="modelimage_wh1000xm4_white">a_device_image_wh_1000xm4_white</string>
<string name="modelimage_wh1000xm4">a_device_image_wh_1000xm4_black</string>
<string name="modelimage_wh1000xm4_black">a_device_image_wh_1000xm4_black</string>
<string name="modelimage_wh1000xm4_blue">a_device_image_wh_1000xm4_blue</string>
<string name="modelimage_wh1000xm4_silver">a_device_image_wh_1000xm4_silver</string>

The APK file also contains an image of the white style, seen below. Just like the other models, the Sony logo and USB Type-C port have a gold-colored finish.

Interestingly, the app’s code also reveals that new audio features are under development for the Sony WH-1000XM4. Some text strings mention an option that will “optimize” your smartphone using ear analysis results, so stereo tracks sound more immersive.

<string name="IASetup_Phone_Optimize_Detail">"By optimizing your smartphone using ear analysis results, you can enjoy music you regularly listen to in an optimized sound field. Optimize your smartphone?"</string>
<string name="IASetup_Phone_Optimize_Label">Optimize your smartphone</string> <string name="IASetup_Phone_Status_Done">Optimized</string>
<string name="IASetup_Phone_Status_NotOptimized">Your smartphone is not optimized yet</string>
<string name="IASetup_Phone_Welcome_Detail">"Enjoy the following music played on your headphones with spatial and immersive sound on your smartphone. - Stereo tracks (music you regularly listen to) - Content supported by 360 Reality Audio Optimize your smartphone and 360 Reality Audio supported music service app."</string>

Sony already has its own 360 Reality Audio technology for immersive music, and this feature could bring a similar experience to non-360 music. It remains to be seen how convincing the music upscaling will be, but with how great the WH-1000XM4 headphones already are, it’s great that Sony isn’t resting on its laurels.

Sony | Headphones Connect (Free, Google Play) →

Featured image: the Sony WH-1000XM4 in Silver

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Google quietly acquired Dysonics, a startup focused on 3D audio tech

Much like its rival companies Amazon and Microsoft, Google is constantly buying up smaller companies to acquire new talent or intellectual property. One of Google’s latest acquires has been revealed to be Dysonics, a startup that focused on 3D audio technology.

The acquisition happened in December, according to a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (via Protocol). The company previously developed a wireless motion sensor for headphones, called Rondo Motion, which modified the sound output based on how your head was turned (giving you VR-like spatial awareness). Dysonics also partnered with Virgin America at one point to bring its 3D sound to in-flight entertainment systems.

The filing points out some of the technology Dysonics had submitted for patents, including “Motion tracked binaural sound conversion of legacy recordings,” which was filed with the U.S. in 2013 and became registered in 2016. Here’s the patent’s description:

Systems and methods are disclosed for a sound reproduction apparatus configured for receiving signals representative of the output of a plurality of microphones positioned to sample a sound field at points representing possible locations of a listener’s left and right ears when positioned in said sound field at the location of the microphones, receiving a location of at least one sound source relative to said plurality of microphones, receiving orientation data of the listener’s head, and calculating a binaural output using the sound source location, microphone output signals and orientation data. The binaural output includes the full-bandwidth of the microphone output signals.

Google never announced that it had acquired Dysonics, so it’s not clear what the company’s plans are. Google could release updated Pixel Buds with 3D audio — new Pixel Buds are reportedly in development, but the next model is expected to be a lower-cost version. Perhaps another variation of the Pixel Buds could include Dysonics’ technology, or Google could develop over-ear headphones with the system (potentially as a competitor for the AirPods Max)

Featured image: Google’s Pixel Buds

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Hands-on with Google Assistant’s in-development “Memory” feature for saving reminders

The Google Assistant is loaded with features to manage your digital life, and it’s soon about to get another feature that’ll make it even easier to remember things you need to do. Called “Memory,” the new feature is billed as “an easy way to save and find your stuff.” We detailed this feature in an app teardown nearly two weeks ago, but because the feature is shaping up to be a big one, we wanted to do a more thorough showcase of what it looks like right now. Keep in mind that it’s still in development, so the UI may change before release.

An APK teardown can often predict features that may arrive in a future update of an application, but it is possible that any of the features we mention here may not make it in a future release. This is because these features are currently unimplemented in the live build and may be pulled at any time by the developers in a future build.

“Memory” is an upcoming feature of the Google Assistant that expands upon the existing “Reminders” functionality. Currently, you can ask the Assistant to remind you of something by saying, “Hey Google, remind me to…” followed by the reminder. You can also set a time or a place for when or where you want to be reminded, and you can even set the reminder to repeat if it’s a recurring thing. The Google Assistant’s barebones “Reminders” interface only lets you view or create a new reminder but doesn’t allow you to organize them. For better management of your reminders, it’s probably worth using an app like Google Keep instead. However, once Google Assistant’s new “Memory” feature rolls out, you won’t have to use a separate app to make and organize reminders.

When you open the “Memory” interface for the first time, you’re prompted to add a shortcut to the home screen. Currently, the Memory shortcut logo has a paw print icon embedded in it since the feature is being dogfooded (i.e., tested) by Googlers internally. Once you dismiss the home screen shortcut prompt, you’re met with an interface that’s very similar to other parts of Google Assistant. There’s a large search bar up top, small bubble filter labels below the search bar, and large cards for each note. Between the filter labels and the cards is a small area showing the current date, number of memories, and an overflow menu containing a “Settings” and “Trash” button. The Settings button opens up a dialog that asks if you want to save your device’s location every time you create a new note, while the Trash button opens up a page with all of your deleted notes.

The Trash page, like the main home page, displays notes in large cards. Notes can be trashed from the main screen by swiping either left or right, and they can be restored by tapping the “Restore” button on the Trash page.

If you have lots of reminders to sift through, you can use the search interface to find a note with a particular title. You can also filter by date or attachments if you’re looking for a reminder set on a certain date or with a file attached like a screenshot or a document.

If you’ve previously asked Google Assistant to remember something, it’ll show up in “Memory” as part of the “Older Memories” section. This is helpful as it doesn’t require active knowledge of the feature for a reminder to be later organized within the “Memory” interface. Simply tap on “Edit” to add the note to a “topic” or tap “Share” to send the note to another app or person. There are a few premade Topics like “Important” and “Read later,” but you can easily create your own Topic at any time.

Lastly, any reminder/note you add can be edited after creation. When editing, you can see when a note was originally created, when it was last edited, what topic it’s a part of, and when the reminder will alert you. If you find yourself checking a particular topic very often, you can add it to the home screen for quicker access.

Google’s services tend to have a lot of overlap (e.g., Chrome has a Read later list and Keep can also organize notes and reminders), but it’s nice to see that Google Assistant is adding these features so there’s another way users can enjoy them. Hopefully, this feature isn’t restricted to just personal Google accounts when it launches. Since Reminders do work for enterprise users, we don’t see any reason why “Memory” wouldn’t work since it’s merely an extension of existing functionality. But, you never really know when it comes to the rollout of new Google Assistant features.

Google Assistant - Get things done, hands-free (Free, Google Play) →

Thanks to PNF Software for providing us a license to use JEB Decompiler, a professional-grade reverse engineering tool for Android applications.

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Supreme Court sides with Google over Oracle in Java API copyright dispute

Nearly 11 years after the dispute began, Google v Oracle seems to have finally come to an end. In a 6-2 decision delivered by Justice Breyer, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, granting Google victory in the over decade-long dispute over copyright infringement.

Shortly after Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems (the creators of the Java programming language) back in 2010, the company filed a lawsuit accusing Google of using copyrighted APIs when developing Android. At the heart of the issue is that Google reimplemented the API of Oracle’s JDK in order to allow for platform compatibility and binary interoperability. Oracle argued that Google’s reimplementation violated the former’s intellectual property and demanded license fees be paid, while Google argued the reimplementation was covered under fair use and was necessary to allow existing Java programs to interface with Android.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Google’s API reimplementation was a fair use of that material as a matter of law. However, they declined to weigh in on the matter of whether or not APIs are copyrightable in the first place. Thus, it’s possible we’ll see similar litigation play out in the courts until this matter is settled.

If Oracle had won this case, then Google would have had to pay out billions in damages. Furthermore, a loss for Google could have reshaped the software industry given how many systems today rely on API compatibility between different platforms. Kent Walker, Google’s chief legal officer, said the Court’s decision is “a victory for consumers, interoperability, and computer science.”

The U.S. Supreme Court’s full 62-page decision can be read here.

Updating…

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Android’s April 2021 security update bulletin is now live

It’s the first Monday of a new month, which means it’s time for another Android Security Update Bulletin. Today, Google has published the April 2021 Security Update Bulletin and has started rolling out new updates to supported Pixel phones.

April 2021 Security Update Bulletin

The Android Security Bulletin for the month of April 2021, which can be viewed here, details multiple security vulnerabilities ranging in severity from high to critical. These vulnerabilities affect open-source components such as the Android Framework, Android Media Framework, Android System, and Android’s Linux Kernel fork, but they also affect some closed-source components from vendors like Qualcomm and MediaTek. Patches for the open-source Android components (sans the Linux Kernel patches) are contained within the 2021-04-01 security patch level, while patches for the rest of the affected components are contained within builds carrying the 2021-04-05 security patch level. For more details on how the monthly security update process works, check out our explainer.

Many of the disclosed vulnerabilities don’t come with additional documentation explaining what is affected and how the patch addresses the issue, but we may see write-ups exploring these vulnerabilities in greater detail now that they’ve been addressed in the latest bulletin.

Pixel Update Bulletin/Functional Update

On top of the vulnerabilities outlined in the general Android Security Update Bulletin, there are also a couple of vulnerabilities specific to Google’s Pixel phones. These are outlined in the Pixel Update Bulletin for the month of April 2021, which can be viewed here. The vulnerabilities are classified as “moderate” and affect the Android Framework and Qualcomm location/GPS implementation specific to Pixel phones.

Lastly, Google has also fixed a couple of user-facing bugs in the latest update for Pixel phones. Some of the fixes improve the camera quality in third-party apps, bring back Pixel Launcher’s grid size customization for those who were missing it, and fix issues with freezing during boot.

Source: Google

The April 2021 security update is rolling out now for Pixel devices with the following build numbers:

  • Global:
    • Pixel 3 (XL): RQ2A.210405.005
    • Pixel 3a (XL): RQ2A.210405.005
    • Pixel 4 (XL): RQ2A.210405.005
    • Pixel 4a: RQ2A.210405.005
    • Pixel 4a (5G): RQ2A.210405.005
    • Pixel 5: RQ2A.210405.005
  • Canada:
    • Pixel 3 (XL): RQ2A.210405.006

Pixel Factory Images ||| Pixel OTA Images

As usual, many Samsung Galaxy devices already got the update

Samsung has, once again, already begun rolling out new updates carrying the April 2021 Security Patch Level to multiple Galaxy devices. Samsung’s Galaxy S21, Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy A52, Galaxy S20 FE, Galaxy S20, Galaxy Tab S6, Galaxy Fold, and Galaxy S9 are the first to receive the update.

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