CarbonROM releases Android 11 builds for 16 phones from OnePlus, Xiaomi, and others

The CarbonROM team has announced the first stable builds of CarbonROM 9.0 (CR-9.0) based on Android 11. CarbonROM is undoubtedly a little late to the Android 11 party, but if you are a fan of the ROM and were waiting for a stable release, you can finally try it out on your phone — assuming your device is on the official list. In the first wave, the stable builds of CarbonROM based on Android 11 are live for 16 smartphones, including the OnePlus 6/6T, OnePlus 7 series, Redmi Note 10 Pro, Redmi Note 7, Essential Phone, and more.

CarbonROM, just like other AOSP-based ROMs, sticks close to the stock Android experience but comes with added features and customizations which many custom ROM users cherish. The team says all known features from CarbonROM 8.0 have been carried over to this release, including the Font engine, which allows users to apply their own custom fonts. This can be done by uploading your font files to fonts.corbonrom.org and generating a resource APK that can be installed on your phone. On top of this, some new features have been added as well, like Powershare and proximity checks for double-tap to wake feature on supported phones.

Here’s the complete list of devices that have received the official build of CarbonROM 9.0:

• OnePlus 6 (enchilada)
• OnePlus 6T (fajita)
• OnePlus 7 Pro (guacamole)
• OnePlus 7T Pro (hotdog)
• OnePlus 8 (instantnoodle)
• OnePlus 8 Pro (instantnoodlep)
• OnePlus 8T (kebab)
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 (lavender)
• OnePlus 9 Pro (lemonadep)
• Essential Phone (mata)
• ASUS ROG Phone 3 (obiwan)
• Xiaomi Redmi K30/Poco X2 (phoenix)
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro (sweet)
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 / 5 Pro (whyred)
• Sony Xperia Z3 (z3 )
• Sony Xperia Z3 Compact (z3c)

More devices are slated to receive an official build of CarbonROM based on Android 11 soon. Although the builds are labeled “WEEKLY,” there won’t be weekly releases. Instead, new builds will be released on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. The team says this allows them to incorporate new monthly security patches early while still leaving room for fixing bugs and adding new features.

If you’re interested in trying out the latest build of CarbonROM based on Android 11, follow the links embedded above in the device list.

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PS5 beta update brings M.2 SSD storage expansion support, but there’s a catch

Sony has revealed that it’s rolling out a beta update to the PlayStation 5, enabling its long-awaited storage expansion feature. Now gamers who have filled up the storage on their PS5’s built-in SSD and who also have signed up for the beta program will be able to install an M.2 SSD in the bay to expand the storage capacity.

This feature has been promised since the console was first revealed, and the existence of the M.2 SSD bay was shown in teardowns. A rumor earlier this year said support for this expansion would roll out in the summer, and that appears to have been correct. There are some limitations on USB SSDs that make their function as expansions to the PS5’s internal storage limited — most notably, you can’t play PS5 games from said storage. While the PS5’s built-in storage is alright, it’s not difficult to fill up given how large games are these days (Call of Duty: Warzone, for example, takes up 52GB on the PS5’s 667GB SSD).

In order to install an M.2 SSD in the bay, you’ll have to take apart your PS5. Sony recommends using “A well-lit room with a table to work on… a #1 Phillips or cross-head screwdriver… [and] a small flashlight (optional).” The entire installation process takes about 12 steps, and you can read the whole process on the PlayStation 5 support website where the update was revealed.

Unfortunately, the solution is not without its flaws. Sony has released a long list of parameters that the M.2 SSD must meet to be compatible with the PS5. Perhaps the greatest barrier for players who just want to plug-and-play is that Sony says, “Do not use an M.2 SSD without a heat-dissipation mechanism, such as a heat sink or heat transfer sheet.” As the instructions note, your SSD may not come with those parts, meaning you’ll have to purchase a heat sink separately. It’ll take a little bit of research for the player, at least until companies start specifying which SSDs are compatible with the PS5.

Xbox also offers an expansion option for the Series X console, in the form of a proprietary SSD that costs over $200 and is made to insert into the back of the console. It’s expensive and restricts player options, but on the other hand, Series X owners will know without a doubt that it’ll work with their console. This M2 update is basically the inverse of that.

The beta update is currently available to some PS5 players in the US, Canada, Japan, UK, Germany, and France. Check that your system software is updated with the newest software before you attempt to crack open the console.

WD_Black 1TB SN850 SSD with Heatsink

This is one of only a few SSDs we could find that both meet all of Sony's steep requirements and come with the must-have heatsink

View at Amazon

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Today only: OnePlus Nord N200 now on sale for $200 ($40 off)

OnePlus officially revealed the Nord N200 last month, as the company’s new entry-level 5G phone for North America and other regions. The device was originally priced at $199.99, though it was also available for free through T-Mobile for a while. Now you can get the US carrier-unlocked model for just $199.99, a savings of $40 from the original MSRP, over at Best Buy.

The Nord N200 is a budget 5G smartphone with a 6.4-inch 40Hz display, a Snapdragon 480 5G chipset, 4GB RAM, 64GB of internal storage (plus a microSD card slot for adding more), a 5,000mAh battery, 18W wired charging, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and even a headphone jack. There are three rear cameras, but only the 13MP main lens is good for anything — the 2MP macro is low-resolution, and the 2MP depth sensor only helps the other cameras.

OnePlus Nord N200 5G

OnePlus' latest budget 5G smartphone is now $40 off at Best Buy. The sale is live for today only (7/29), and local pickup is available at some locations.

Buy at Best Buy

This phone ships with OxygenOS 11 (based on Android 11), and OnePlus is promising three years of “maintenance updates.” However, the Nord N200 will only get a single OS update to Android 12. More updates would be nice, but there aren’t many Android phones in this price range with a better support period.

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MacBook Air with M1 drops to $850, its lowest price yet ($150 off)

The latest MacBook Air is one of the best laptops you can buy right now, as long as you don’t mind using macOS over Windows or Linux. Apple updated it last year with its new ARM-based M1 chip, giving it impressive battery life and performance, all in the same thin-and-light package as older models. The entry-level M1 model has been $900 for a while now, but it just dropped to its lowest price yet — $849.99, a savings of $150 from the original price.

The cheapest MacBook Air has Apple’s M1 chipset, with an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, and 8GB RAM all on the same chipset. You also get 256GB of SSD storage, a backlit keyboard, a FaceTime HD webcam, and a 13-inch Retina Display. Not a bad package at all for $850, especially compared to sub-$1000 Windows laptops.

Apple MacBook Air

The latest MacBook Pro is down to $850, the lowest price yet. You can also get the 512GB model for $1,100, $149 off MSRP.

Buy at Best Buy

Buy at Amazon

Most mainstream macOS software already supports the M1 chip natively, but x86 applications can run in the Rosetta compatibility layer (with the exception of VMs and some other software). Macs with M1 chips also can’t boot into Windows, like x86 Mac computers can, but you can still run Windows for ARM in a virtual machine with Parallels.

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How to dual-boot Windows 10 and Windows 11 on the same PC

If you’ve seen Microsoft’s announcement of Windows 11, there’s a good chance you’re curious to try out the new features. After all, this new version of Windows comes with a lot of interesting changes. It has a brand-new visual design and new features like Snap Layouts, multi-monitor improvements, and much more that you can try out right now. But trying out new operating systems comes with risks, so you might not want to completely replace Windows 10 on your machine. In this guide, we’ll show you how to dual-boot Windows 11 alongside your current installation of Windows 10.

To do this, you’ll need a PC that meets the Windows 11 system requirements, or one of the PCs on our list of compatible PCs. You’re also going to need an external USB flash drive which you’re going to use as installation media for your new copy of Windows. You’ll also need to have enough free space on your hard drive to install Windows 11. Plus of course, back up your data before starting. No damage should be done to your files in the process, but it’s always good to be safe.

Creating Windows installation media

The first thing you need to do is create installation media for Windows 10 or 11. To do this, you’ll first need to download Windows 10 or 11 using one of the options below:

• Download the latest stable version of Windows 10 using the Media Creation Tool and then join the Insider program to download Windows 11 (recommended).
• Download the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview ISO which is already enrolled in the Dev channel, then update to Windows 11.
• Create your own Windows 11 ISO if you’re comfortable doing that. We’d recommend one of the other two options, though.

Out of those, we recommend the first option because it can streamline the process significantly. If you have your flash drive at hand when you’re using the Media Creation Tool, you can create bootable installation media right away. We have a guide on how to install Windows 10 on a new PC, which also shows you how to create installation media. You can follow those steps if you’re using the Media Creation Tool. Make sure you don’t choose the Upgrade this PC now option. Also, your flash drive will be erased in the process, so back up any data you may have on it.

If you used the Media Creation Tool without a flash drive or if you chose one of the other options for downloading Windows, you’re going to need a tool like Rufus. This program will take the ISO file you downloaded and flash it onto your USB drive, turning it into installation media. Here’s how to do it:

• Download Rufus from the official website.
• Run the program and insert your flash drive into your PC. Make sure you’ve backed up any data on the flash drive, as it will be erased in the process. It may be best to unplug other USB drives so you don’t accidentally select them and erase them.
• Click SELECT under Boot selection, and find the ISO file you downloaded earlier. The rest of the fields will automatically change to match.

• Click START and then OK, then the process will begin. Wait for it to finish and your flash drive will be ready to be used as installation media.

Creating a partition to dual-boot Windows 10 and 11

Next, you’ll need to create a second partition on your drive for Windows 11. Partitions are like virtual divisions of a hard drive that are marked as different disks. For general use, partitions don’t have much of a purpose, but you do need them for dual-booting. Here’s how to create one.

• Right-click your Start menu icon (or press Windows key + X on your keyboard) and choose Disk Management. You’ll see a list of your drives and partitions that should look something like this. Ignore the small partitions that are only a few MB in size. Those are system partitions required for Windows to work, and they’re not meant to be tampered with. You’ll want to focus on the largest partition.

• To create a new partition, you’ll need to shrink the one you already have. Right-click your primary partition and choose Shrink Volume….
• Specify the amount of space you want to remove from the partition. This will be limited by the files you already have stored on it, and the amount you enter will be the space you have for your Windows 11 installation. You’ll want at least 64GB, since that’s the minimum requirement for Windows 11, but you can go as high as you want. Just make sure you have enough space on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 partitions.
• The space you chose will be deducted from your partition and it will be listed as unallocated space in the Disk Management window. You can leave it as is and close the window.

Install Windows 11 on your second partition for dual-booting

The next step to dual-boot Windows 10 and 11 is to install Windows on your second partition. We’re going to assume you’re using a Windows 10 ISO as we recommended, but the process is similar if you got a Windows 11 ISO right away. If you removed the USB installation media from your PC, insert it again (remove other flash drives), then follow these steps:

• Open the Start menu and then click the power button and – while holding Shift on your keyboard. Click Restart.
  • Alternatively, open the Settings app and go to Update & Security, then choose Recovery, and then Restart Now next to Advanced startup.
• You’ll be given a series of boot options. Click Use a device, then choose the USB flash drive you have inserted and your PC will boot from it.

• You’ll now be in the regular Windows 10 setup, as if you were setting up a new PC. Choose your language and region settings. The default settings should be fine, so you can click Next. On the next page, click Install now.
• Enter a product key if you have one at hand. You can choose to skip this for now, but you’ll need it later.
• Choose the edition of Windows 10 you want to install. You have to choose an edition that matches the product key you used.

• Accept the license agreement, and then choose Custom: Install Windows only (Advanced).
  
• You’ll see all the partitions that were in Disk Management above, as well as the unallocated space you created. Select the unallocated space and click New, then click Apply. A partition will be created in the unallocated space.

• Select the new partition and click Next to begin the installation.

At this point, your PC will restart, and you will see the option to choose an operating system. You’ll see this screen every time you restart your PC now, so you can choose which operating system you want to use. Your two boot options will probably look similar, since they’re both still labeled Windows 10.

However, your new installation will be labeled with a higher volume number underneath, so you’ll want to choose that one to finish setting up. Then, follow these steps to download Windows 11.

• Set up Windows 10 as you would on a new PC. Just follow the instructions on the screen to configure it to your liking until you’re on the Windows 10 desktop.
  • If you chose to install Windows 11 right away instead, you can follow this guide if you need help with the setup experience.
• Once you’re on the desktop, open the Start menu and then the Settings app.
• Open the Update & Security section, then choose Windows Insider Program from the left-side menu.
• Click Get started, then Link an account. You’ll need to sign in with a Microsoft account in order to join the Insider program.
• Next, you have to choose the Windows Insider channel you want to join. Windows 11 is only available in the Dev Channel for now, so that’s the option you have to choose. Click Confirm twice, then click Restart Now to finish setting up your PC for the Insider program.

1. 1. • Once your PC restarts, you can download Windows 11 using Windows Update. Open the Settings app and go to Update & Security.
      • Click Check for updates, and Windows 11 should start downloading. You may see other updates, too.

• Once the update finishes downloading and installing, restart your PC to finish setting up.

From now on, you’ll always have the option to choose between Windows 10 and Windows 11 when booting, though after a few seconds, it will boot into whatever option you used last. You can use Windows 10 for work and Windows 11 for personal use if you’re worried about stability, for example. It’s a great way to try out Windows 11 without taking big risks.

You may have other updates available after upgrading to Windows 11, so it’s always a good idea to check again. More cumulative updates may have been released, and you’ll want to get them to see all the new features and enhancements. You can always check out our update tracker to know about the latest updates.

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WayDroid can run Android apps on Linux without slowdowns

There are many ways to run Android apps on desktop computers. Desktop emulators like BlueStacks are popular, you could run Android x86 in a virtual machine (or dual-boot it), or you could wait for Windows 11’s Android app compatibility layer. Anbox is another solution for running Android apps, intended to support Linux and Linux-based smartphones, but it suffers from slow performance on low-power devices. Now there’s another project that aims to bring Android apps to Linux devices, but without the slowdowns and jank commonly found with Anbox.

WayDroid (via Linux Smartphones), formerly called Anbox-Halium, is a rebuilt version of Anbox that is designed to use more of the host device’s native hardware than Anbox — which means faster performance. The project’s main focus is running Android apps on Halium-based Linux phones (Halium is similar in concept to Android’s GSI, but for standard Linux), but it can also run on any devices with a mainline Linux kernel.

The above video shows WayDroid running on top of PostmarketOS Linux on the OnePlus 6, since the OnePlus 6 series can run the standard Linux kernel. Of course, the OnePlus 6 can run Android apps with its original operating system, but WayDroid is exciting because it’s fully open. You could run a Linux distribution on your phone, plus WayDroid for the occasional Android app, while still having full control over your device (with software support coming from the Linux community).

Below is another video of WayDroid (from back when it was still known as a rewrite of Anbox), running on a Moto Z2 Force with Ubuntu Touch. If it wasn’t for Ubuntu’s status bar at the top, it would be difficult to know the Android apps weren’t running on a native device.

WayDroid renders the graphical buffer in LXC with direct Wayland support (the display server now used by many Linux distributions), which makes it smoother than the original Anbox project. That super-smooth functionality isn’t just for Linux phones — it works well on desktop Linux distributions. Below is a screenshot of WayDroid running on desktop Ubuntu, with similar window management as Chrome OS.

WayDroid on Ubuntu Linux. Credits: XDA Recognized Developer erfanoabdi

It’s exciting to see Android apps on Linux become better and better, especially as the functionality will be one of the more important changes in Windows 11. The change will likely benefit Linux-powered phones the most, as many important apps will likely never be available as native Linux software, but it will also be useful in some cases for desktop PCs too.

The main catch right now is that there’s no emulation layer in WayDroid, so x86 devices (like most PCs) can only run x86 binaries, and ARM64 devices (most phones and tablets) can only run ARM64 binaries. This is similar to how the Wine compatibility layer works — even though Wine is available for Android, it can’t run most Windows software on most Android devices, since phones are typically ARM and most Windows software is x86-only. The developer is hoping to implement emulation in the future by using components from the Android subsystem for Windows 11.

If you want to give WayDroid a try, check out the project’s GitHub repository for the latest installation instructions.

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Google Assistant may soon be able to add your name to a restaurant’s waitlist

Google Duplex is an AI-powered natural language processing technology that aims to automate many things that generally require human interaction. For example, if you want to book an appointment at a saloon or reserve a spot at a diner, Duplex can do that for you by calling and speaking to the business on your behalf, all while sounding and conversing quite naturally. It’s integrated into Google Assistant on Android devices, and soon, it will be able to add your name to restaurant waitlists.

As spotted by VentureBeat, Google appears to be testing a new feature that allows users to add themselves to waitlists at restaurants using Google Assistant. The feature rolled out for one VentureBeat reporter who was searching for restaurants in Google Maps. In their Google Search results, they saw a “Request to Join Waitlist” button under some restaurant listings. When they tapped on the button, it opened up a window asking them to set their party size (i.e., number of people) and choose how long they were willing to wait “in case the restaurant has an open waitlist.”

Images via VentureBeat

Once they were done and hit “Continue,” Google Assistant pulled their name and phone number tied to their Google Account and called the restaurant to add them to the waitlist. Google Assistant sends text updates about whether it was able to secure a spot at the restaurant.

For now, this feature appears to be part of a limited A/B test and hasn’t rolled out widely. When VentureBeat reached out to Google for a comment, a Google spokesperson said “[W]e’re constantly experimenting with new features that use Duplex technology and do not have a timeline on when [or] if this specific capability will be available to the broader Google Assistant users.”

Since its debut in 2018, Google Duplex has made some great progress, gaining features like letting users book haircut appointments and even helping Chrome users fix compromised passwords. Google Duplex was initially limited to the US, but over time it has expanded its presence to multiple markets, including the UK, Canada, and Australia.

Screenshots courtesy: VentureBeat

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