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With the release of Android Q Beta 5, Google announced that they would be hosting a Reddit AMA, to answer our burning questions about Android Q and almost everything else Android related. That AMA took place this afternoon, with the Android engineering team providing fun and interesting tidbits about, among other things, Android Q and what may be coming with Android R.

Screen recording

In the early releases of the Android Q beta, it was possible, with only a minor Settings change, to enable a handy, built-in screen recording UI. Unfortunately, this screen recorder was short-lived, disappearing in the third beta, outside of a change via ADB.

One redditor asked when we should expect built-in screen recording to return, outside of “super sketchy apps.” To this, the product manager for Android UI, Allen Huang, shared that screen recording is just one part of what we should expect for Android R.

Given Dave’s signed us up for scrollable screenshots AND how often users are taking screenshots – we’re taking a close look at how we can improve the whole screen-[X] experience for R. We certainly think that these types of functions are things that should be core to the operating system.

Dark theme improvements

One of the hottest topics of Android Q has been native dark mode support. Naturally, it came up multiple times throughout today’s Android Q AMA. More specifically, a few redditors asked about Dark Mode being able to be triggered automatically.

One model Google had previously considered for switching to and from dark mode was based on sunset and sunrise time, but this was scrapped due to it requiring fairly accurate location data. Allowing users to set dark mode based on time of day is being considered, but will apparently not be possible in stock Android Q.

Privacy improvements

Having been asked a question about Play Store policy enforcement, product manager for privacy on Android, Charmaine D’Silva, shared an interesting statistic. You may recall last year that Google made a significant change, restricting permission to Android call and text logs almost exclusively to the primary phone call or texting app on your device. While that change was controversial at the time, D’Silva has shared the upside to that privacy change:

For example, last fall, we introduced the SMS and Call Log policies that limited the types of apps that could request for these permissions. As a result, today, the number of apps with access to this sensitive information has decreased by more than 98%. The vast majority of developers were able to switch to an alternative or eliminate minor functionality.

Open Source Wear OS?

As you may know, Google’s Wear OS, having once been called Android Wear, is based heavily on Android. However, unlike Android, Wear OS is not open source, meaning OEMs and developers are not able to read through the code to gain a deeper understanding of the system or even make changes.

When asked whether Wear OS would ever be open sourced, tech lead manager of the Android Open Source Project, Jeff Bailey, had “nothing new to share at this time.”

Changes to Android’s future development

As you may know, Google has a public bug/issue tracker where users and developers can share issues with Android — and certain other Google products — more or less directly with Google. However, while some issues posted may catch traction with some public attention, many go ignored for months at a time or are rejected in a confusing manner — this was the case for the original request for scrolling screenshots earlier this year.

A concerned redditor brought up the possibility of Google taking issues raised by developers and the public more seriously in the future. Jeff Bailey tackled this question first by pointing out that the issue tracker has high potential to be overwhelmed, as more tech-savvy people become aware of it. But he didn’t close the door on the idea, stating that it’s possible that some teams may work directly with “external” bugs in the future.

Google is adding an automated text-to-speech feature to the Phone app on Pixel devices, enabling a one-tap system to relay location information to medical, fire, or police responders without the need for speech.

The system is simple: when on an emergency call, the Phone app will now offer three additional buttons, labeled “Medical,” “Fire,” or “Police.” Tapping the button will activate a text-to-speech feature that will read out a message informing the operator that the caller is using an automated service, describing the kind of help the caller needs and the caller’s current location. Google says that the new feature is designed for situations in which someone needs emergency services but cannot verbally communicate with an emergency call operator due to injuries, a dangerous situation, or a speech disability.

It’s an expansion of a feature Google added to its default Phone app for Pixel devices back in 2017, which would automatically display a location card on the dialing screen when calling an emergency number like 911 to make it easier to relay that information to responders directly from the phone app. The new text-to-speech system makes that even simpler by cutting out the need for the person in an emergency situation to be able to read out that information at all.

The new feature is set to roll out to Pixel phones in the US in the coming months, with “select Android devices” set to get it, too.

Intel today introduced its first 10th-generation Core processors, codenamed Ice Lake. Built on a 10-nanometer process, the chips are designed for thin-and-light notebooks, meaning they could potentially make their way to future entry-level 13-inch MacBook Proand MacBook Air models.

Intel says the Ice Lake chips have increased board integration, allowing manufacturers like Apple to release notebooks with sleeker designs. The chips also feature Intel’s all-new Gen11 graphics architecture for up to double the graphics performance, and integrated Thunderbolt 3 and Wi-Fi 6, aka 802.11ax.

The lineup of 11 new processors includes six U-series chips and five Y-series chips:

Intel is also introducing a new processor number naming structure starting with this first set of 10th-generation Core processors, doing away with Y and U series identifiers and instead emphasizing graphics. The new structure is a bit confusing, but The Verge has a nice breakdown for deciphering them.

Intel expects the first notebooks with Ice Lake chips to be available in time for the holiday shopping season.

Most of you are running iOS 12. And that’s a good thing, because you’re getting a speedier experience with as many patched bugs and vulnerabilities as possible. It’s especially important, too, given that Google researchers recently disclosed six serious iOS vulnerabilities that Apple fixed up in the iOS 12.4 release earlier this month.

The problem? It’s twofold. First, there are still plenty of people who aren’t using iOS 12 for whatever reason—and likely not even iOS 12.4. Though Apple’s own statistics don’t break down specific iOS versions, the company shows that roughly 13 percent of all the iPhones and iPads purchased within the last five years are not running iOS 12. Given how many devices Apple sells (well over a billion iPhones alonebetween 2016 and 2018), 13 percent is a lot more devices than that number might imply at first glance.

Second, one of these “interactionless” bugs, as identified by the Google researchers, was not even fully fixed in iOS 12.4. They’re described as such, as all they require an attacker to do is send you a message—and that can be a text message, multimedia message, iMessage, email, or a Visual Voicemail, as Google security engineer Natalie Silvanovich notes.

Look at the message, and it’ll execute whatever unpleasant code the attacker has concocted—in four of the six published vulnerabilities. In the other two, it simply reads files off of your iPhone or iPad. Here’s hoping you don’t have anything incriminating or super-secret on your device.

Stop using older versions of iOS

Thankfully, you’re protected from five of these six vulnerabilities by updating to iOS 12.4. But you shouldn’t have to wait for us to convince you to check for iOS updates. Make a recurring calendar event every three months that says “UPDATE MY IPHONE” in large, annoying text. Or do what I do and pull up Settings > General > Software Update constantly, because you love living on the bleeding edge.

Heck, starting in iOS 12, you can even enable Automatic Updates—though, as Apple notes, you still might have to manually update your device from time to time. (Even though I have this setting enabled, I still check my iPhone for updates probably more than I should.)

If you’re holding out because you love the look and feel of your older version of iOS, you have to weigh that against the possibility that an attacker might come after your unpatched device. Are the odds low? Sure. Would I want to risk it and have a slower iPhone? No.

Many people keep their most important files on a mobile device without ever thinking about backing them up to a computer. That makes their phones a prime target for ransomware, and there’s a new attack spreading to Android phones right now. The new Android Filecoder.C malware uses weird “sex simulator” landing pages to trick people into downloading it, but you’ll pay for that click with more than your self-respect.

The Filecoder.C malware first appeared on Reddit and XDA Forums as spammy messages directing people to the aforementioned sex simulator. Yes, people clicked on the links, and at least some of them downloaded the app. Eset says the infection has spread mainly via text messages, but thankfully, the scale is still small.

Android has more robust system controls than Windows, which prevents apps from installing in the background when you visit a malicious website. Thus, the only way to become infected with Filecoder.C is to download the APK, bypass the download warning, launch the installer, turn on the system’s “unknown sources” feature, and tap through one more warning about app permissions.

After installation, Filecoder.C searches a device for documents, photos, videos, and various other files. It encrypts them and generates a private-public key pair. The private key gets uploaded to a command and control server, and the public one stays on the device. Unlike some other Android ransomware, Filecoder.C doesn’t lock down the entire device, and it doesn’t touch APK files. That suggests it was adapted from desktop malware like WannaCry.

As usual with ransomware, the program presents a payment screen that explains data has been encrypted. The only way to unlock the files is to pay some Bitcoin — in this case, the amount is randomly generated and falls between $94 and $188 at current prices. The malware promises to send the private key to the device for decryption after the victim pays.

While all this happens, Filecoder.C also sends SMS messages to all the victim’s contacts with some variation on the sex simulator message. It has 42 languages hardcoded and chooses the one that matches the device language setting.

Consider this just one more reason why you shouldn’t download suspicious apps on the internet. Security firm Eset says that is the first line of defense for users. Keeping backups of your files is a good idea as well. The malware makers don’t have leverage over you if you stand to lose nothing.

Google is levelling up its security for businesses. The company unveiled a host of new protections for its G Suite, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Cloud Identity customers at the Next Tokyo summit. G Suite Enterprise admins can choose to enroll high-risk employees in an advanced protection program, automatically receive anomalous activity alerts and enable one-click access to additional apps.

A version of the Advanced Protection Program it launched two years ago is now available to G Suite business clients who are high-risk for a targeted online attack, such as IT administrators, CEOs and those who work in security-sensitive roles in finance and government. To protect against phishing or account takeovers, the program would enforce the use of compatible two-factor authentication hardware keys like Google’s own Titan. Admins are even able to automatically block access to third-party apps that the company doesn’t trust.

Google has also made improvements to its G Suite security and alert center for admins, which it launched in beta back in April. The new alert center is now equipped with machine learning models that detect security risks such as unusual external file sharing or download behavior. Admins can now receive alerts of such “anomalous activity” in the G Suite alert center. It will also roll out support for password vaulted apps through Cloud Identity over the next few days.

Titan Security Keys, which only have been available in the US since last fall, are available starting today in Japan, Canada, France and the UK. The wireless Bluetooth-enabled key in the package has drawn criticism from the security community over safety concerns. Google recalled some of its Titan Security Keys earlier this year due to a minor security flaw.

Security concerns are a major reason why Google’s productivity platform isn’t quite taking off with bigger businesses, who tend to stick with Microsoft Office for that very reason. Earlier this year, the company launched several new security tools for G Suite clients, including a beta launch of advanced protection. By making this latest set of tools widely available, Google hopes to prove it takes the security of such high-profile clients seriously.

Few designs can be called timeless and iconic enough to translate well into miniature versions of themselves. Horses is obviously the main one, but the ThinkTiny, a miniature version the Lenovo ThinkPad comes pretty close. Created by Paul Klinger, the ThinkTiny uses the laptop’s iconic red TrackPoint nub as a joystick for classic arcade games like Snake, Tetris, and Lunar Lander.

The tiny laptop runs on an ATtiny1614 microcontroller and features a 128 x 64 OLED screen. It’s all housed in a 3D-printed case that’s complete with a glowing “Think” logo. Sadly, the ThinkTiny cannot runDoom or Crysis, but there is a neat little Mandelbrot fractal explorer.

Gizmodo says Klinger doesn’t plan to sell the ThinkTiny, which is understandable considering the toy’s production time, not to mention the fact that it could incur some tiny lawsuits from Lenovo. But if you want to try to make it yourself, Klinger has generously posted the entire code and design files on his GitHub page. The code can also be used to build a TinyPC, a gaming PC that runs most of the same games as the ThinkTiny, plus one extra Breakout game. This one lights up and changes colors as the games get harder.

The Google Pixel phones represented a major shift for Google back in 2016, as the Mountain View company sought to take a bigger role in the design of its phones. The results have been pretty neat to say the least, as the phone series delivers top-notch camera quality and lean, clean software.

However, Google’s Pixel phones haven’t always been ahead of the curve, as the company has often been seriously late to the party with several ubiquitous features. Let’s take a look at a few times Google Pixel phones had questionable missing features.

1. Water resistance

The original Google Pixel series was a landmark duo of phones for the firm. Gone was the beloved Nexus branding in favor of an all-new start. Google’s first Pixel had a great foundation, blowing competitors away with its camera chops and speedy updates, however, it wasn’t without a few missteps.

One of Google’s biggest omissions for the first Pixels was water resistance. This wasn’t necessarily a dealbreaker (the phones had splash resistance), but the feature was quickly becoming a must-have in the eyes of consumers. After all, Samsung’s all-conquering Galaxy S7 series and Sony’s Xperia flagships at the time both offered robust ratings. Google would go on to implement IP67 water/dust resistance on the Pixel 2 series and IP68 on the Pixel 3.

2. Optical image stabilization

Another missed feature for the OG Pixel series was optical image stabilization, as the original phones only offered electronic image stabilization. The software-based approach to stabilization isn’t necessarily a bad thing (as Google’s solution was pretty solid), but OIS is generally superior and was offered by many flagships in 2016.

Google would later add the feature to the Pixel 2 series, combining it with electronic stabilization to deliver better video stability and reduce blur in low light.

3. Wireless charging

Wireless charging is available on plenty of flagship phones today, and we’ve even seen fast wireless charging emerge as an option. But this is another area where Google lagged behind, missing the feature on the original Pixel and the Pixel 2.

The Mountain View company would finally bring wireless charging to the Pixel 3 series, topping out at a solid 10W via the Pixel Stand. One of the big downsides however is that you’ll need to use the Pixel Stand for 10W charging, as there are few (if any) third-party charging pads that are compatible with Google’s faster speeds. Otherwise, you’re stuck charging at a rather slow 5W if you’re using a third-party pad.

Google has also lagged behind when it comes to fast wired charging, as the Pixel 3 hits a maximum speed of 18W. This isn’t bad, but we’re seeing speeds of 27W and higher from Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi.

4. 6GB of RAM

One of the more notable recent complaints about the Pixel series has been Google’s stubbornness about sticking with only 4GB of RAM. This isn’t simply a case of wanting more RAM for the sake of it, as the Pixel 3 series suffered from aggressive RAM management. This meant you could only keep a few apps open at any time, as the phone killed off any more apps deemed unnecessary.

More RAM would definitely be welcome in the future. After all, there loads of manufacturers offering more RAM on phones with much cheaper price tags. Thankfully, the latest Pixel 4 rumors suggest that 6GB of RAM is going to be an option.

5. Dual cameras

Google uses its Pixel phones as a computational photography showcase, delivering features like Night Sight, HDR+, software-based portrait mode, and Super Res Zoom. But there’s no denying that the search giant is ridiculously late to the multi-camera party.

Or rather, Google is late to the multiple rear camera party, as the Pixel 3 series offers two front cameras (standard and wide-angle). But the search giant has stuck with a lone 12MP rear camera since the first Pixel phone, even though dual camera phones like the LG G5, Huawei P9, and iPhone 7 Plus were already available in 2016. Heck, triple camera smartphones are now a major factor in today’s smartphone landscape.

Fortunately, the Pixel 4 looks like it will feature two rear cameras at the very least, suggesting that Google is finally ready to move beyond the solitary rear shooter.

6. A budget option

There was a brief time when Google’s Nexus phones came in at a budget price, with the Nexus 4 starting at $299 and the much-loved Nexus 5 starting at $349. The company went fully premium with its Pixel series though — a key factor behind low Pixel 3 sales, which have been disappointing by Google’s own admission.

Fortunately, Google finally got its act together and launched a budget-focused Pixel this year, dubbed the Pixel 3a series. Starting at just $399, the phones predictably make a few compromises, but we still have key Pixel features here, including that sublime Pixel software experience, brisk updates, excellent photo quality, and Active Edge for speedy access to Google Assistant. The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XLeven have headphone jacks!

7. Face unlock

Google has announced that the Pixel 4 will offer 3D face unlock, which marks the first time the company has offered face unlock of any kind on its Pixel series. Up until now that’s been a disappointment, as the feature has been available on rival devices for a couple of years now as a quick and convenient authentication method.

It must be said that face unlock via selfie camera is one of the least secure authentication methods around, as you can circumvent the technology with a photo. We’re glad to see Google adopting the more advanced 3D option now that it’s finally jumped on this bandwagon.

AMD announced their Q2 2019 earnings yesterday and revealed a bunch of information on their upcoming 7nm products during the earnings call. The products that were highlighted include the Ryzen processor series and the Radeon RX graphics series for mainstream and high-end desktop PCs.

AMD CEO Confirms 7nm Navi High-End Radeon RX Graphics Cards For Enthusiast Desktop PCs and 4th Gen Ryzen CPUs For High-End Notebooks

During the Q/A session, the question was raised about the high-end 7nm Navi graphics cards and 7nm mobility processors to which AMD’s CEO, Dr.Lisa Su, replied that they are indeed coming.

Hans Mosesmann

“Great, And can you give us a sense if you can on 7-nanometer high-end Navi and mobile 7-nanometer CPUs, if you can? Thanks.”

Lisa Su

“Hans, you asked the good product questions, I would say they are coming. You should expect that our execution on those are on track and we have a rich 7-nanometer portfolio beyond the products that we have currently announced in the upcoming quarters.”

via Seeking Alpha

AMD has recently launched their 7nm Navi 10 GPU based Radeon RX 5700 series. Built as a next-gen replacement for their Radeon RX 500 series, the Radeon RX 5700 series offer good competition versus NVIDIA’s RTX 2060 and RTX 2070 series of graphics cards. However, NVIDIA’s top-end stack of graphics cards which include the GeForce RTX 2080, RTX 2080 Ti remain uncontested and AMD currently has no graphics card that competes with them. You could say that the Radeon VII exists but recent reports suggest that the card has gone EOL and the card has a relatively shorter supply compared to the RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 SUPER which have several custom designs available in the market.

With AMD confirming that the high-end 7nm Navi is definitely coming, we can finally see AMD back in action in the high-end graphics market too. It will be interesting if the high-end Navi GPUs will be placed against the $700 US RTX 2080 or the $1200 US RTX 2080 Ti. Regardless, it’s always nice to have more options in the $500 US+ market.

Currently, there are rumors floating around that AMD’s next Navi SKU would be Navi 12. In fact, two variants are in the works, Navi 12 which is supposedly the high-end design and Navi 14 that will serve the lower-end market. It is also said that Navi 12 could feature up to 4096 SPs that would suggest a 64 CU design compared to 40 CUs on the Navi 10 GPU.

We can’t say for sure how much of this would end up being true but what we do know is that AMD Navi and RDNA architecture is here to stay. We will be getting an advanced version of RDNA known as RDNA 2 based on 7nm+ architecture sometime in 2020. There were reports prior to the Navi launch that AMD’s high-end Navi graphics cards would launch in 2020 and would support ray tracing.

That is what AMD pretty much confirmed in their own slides. The first-gen RDNA based high-end cards may launch in the second half of 2019 but we have to wait for more information to arrive. Lisa also confirmed that AMD’s fourth-generation Ryzen family for notebooks will be coming soon.

Known as Renoir, the latest family will replace the current 3rd Gen Ryzen ‘Picasso’ CPU family and will feature 7nm Zen 2 cores and 7nm GPU architecture, all on a single chip package. Both, the high-end Navi graphics cards and the mobility Ryzen CPUs are great news for their respective platforms and we should know more about them in the coming quarters. Let us know in the poll where you think high-end Navi’s performance is going to land.

Google’s work on a “Play Pass” subscription first came to light last June. The company has now confirmed that it’s in active testing, with the first screenshots detailing a monthly service that provides “access to hundreds of premium apps.”

Thanks to images acquired by Android Police, we now know that “Google Play Pass” lets subscribers “Try new apps and master all your favorites, without interruptions.” According to these details, Google Play Pass features a “curated catalog” in the hundreds.

The service includes both applications and games, with Google’s copy touting “fitness trackers” and “premium music apps” as examples of the former. With Play Pass, non-entertainment software will also be free of ads and in-app purchases. This is in contrast to the upcoming Apple Arcade on iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, and Macs later this year. Currently unknown about Google’s service is whether it will be available on other form factors, namely Android TV.

That being said, games are clearly the focus and include “action hits to puzzles.” Stardew Valley — usually $7.99 — would be available for free to a Play Pass subscriber. All in-app purchases would also be unlocked to provide an annoyance free experience.

Accessible from the Play Store, an “Explore Google Play Pass” section shows “apps and games we think you’ll love.” Here, included apps and games are marked by a fast forward icon in the four Google Play colors. Store listings will also promote when a game is a part of Play Pass with a purple banner underneath the buy button.

Google confirmed to Android Police the existence and testing of the subscription, but provided no other Google Play Pass details, like availability. The current price is $4.99 per month, with a 10 day free trail offered.