Developers bring Android 10 and Project Treble to the HTC U11

HTC’s smartphone division might not be dead after all, but the whole software update situation around existing HTC phones is a big mess. The Taiwanese phone manufacturer is having a hard time delivering the Android 10 update to its phones, with the HTC U11 Life being an exception due to its Android One branding. The regular variant of the HTC U11, for example, is stuck with Android Pie. Thankfully, owners of this phone now have an opportunity to get the taste of Android 10. Courtesy of XDA’s brilliant development community, the HTC U11 can not only boot LineageOS 17.1, but the device has also become compliant with Project Treble.

HTC U11 XDA Forums

XDA Senior Member Golv, along with XDA Recognized Developer tomascus and XDA Recognized Developer Flinny, are currently maintaining the unofficial build of LineageOS 17.1 for the HTC U11. The ROM has SELinux in permissive mode and VOIP calling experience might be finicky, but otherwise, it’s quite stable to be a daily driver. Those running stock HTC Sense firmware have to format the data partition (which will delete the contents of the internal storage) before flashing this ROM, so do perform a complete backup.

Download unofficial LineageOS 17.1 for the HTC U11

The Snapdragon 835-powered HTC U11 was originally released with Android 7.1 Nougat on board, thus the phone is officially not compatible with Project Treble. In a mission to “Trebelize” it, XDA Recognized Developer mikalovtch and several other developers from Team Venom have decided to create a dedicated vendor partition for proper Project Treble & Generic System Image (GSI) support by altering the stock partition table. This mod essentially extends the lifetime of this phone, as future versions of Android can theoretically be ported to the smartphone with minimum effort.

Project Treble for the HTC U11 — XDA Download and Discussion Thread

Please keep in mind that repartitioning your device will wipe EVERYTHING, thus be prepared with adequate backups. Users are also advised to download the model-specific RUU package beforehand, in case you need to restore the old partition layout. Be advised that these mods are not for the average user and are recommended for experienced users only.

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Lenovo’s P-series ThinkPads and ThinkStation PCs are getting Linux options

Earlier this year in January, Dell unveiled the 2020 refresh for its XPS series of laptops. As part of the lineup, Dell released the XPS 13 2020 with 10th Gen Intel Ice Lake chips. Along with the regular Windows-based variants of the notebook, Dell also released a Ubuntu-based Developer Edition of the XPS 13 2020 featuring Ubuntu 18.04LTS. Up until now, Dell was one of the only major PC OEMs to officially offer Linux distribution options for its notebooks. However, Lenovo will soon be joining Dell by offering Linux-based versions of its P-series ThinkPad notebooks and ThinkStation PCs.

In a recent press release, Rob Herman, General Manager, Executive Director Workstation and Client AI Group at Lenovo, has revealed that the company is moving to certify its entire workstation portfolio for top Linux distributions from Ubuntu and Red Hat. As part of the move, the company’s portfolio of ThinkStation PCs and ThinkPad P-series notebooks will be certified by both Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Ubuntu LTS, enabling end-to-end support for enterprise users. This will include regular security patches and updates to keep the systems secure, verified hardware drivers, along with firmware and BIOS optimizations. On top of that, the company will also upstream device drivers directly to the Linux kernel to ensure stability and compatibility throughout the system’s lifetime.

In the Red Hat ecosystem, Lenovo has also partnered with the Fedora project to offer a pilot program with a preloaded Fedora image on the ThinkPad P53 and P1 Gen 2 systems. By certifying its entire workstation portfolio, Lenovo aims to prioritize the needs of specialized end-users and provide the best possible out-of-the-box Linux experience. The certified portfolio of workstations will also be fully customizable and configured-to-order, based on the needs of the end-user. Additionally, Lenovo will be providing complete web support, dedicated Linux forums, configuration guidance, and more to prospective buyers. The new Linux-based workstation lineup will roll out over the summer, starting with the ThinkPad P-series notebooks this month.

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Source: Lenovo StoryHub

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Google removes “Remove China Apps” from the Play Store, likely for violating policy on deceptive behavior

The anti-China sentiment in India has seen a steep rise in the last few weeks due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the India-China border stand-off. As a result, several call-to-action messages urging users to boycott Chinese products and uninstall Chinese apps have been circulating on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Capitalizing on the prevailing sentiment, Jaipur-based OneTouch AppLabs released an app called “Remove China Apps” on the Google Play Store on May 17th.

As its name suggests, the app is designed to help users uninstall apps from Chinese developers, which includes popular names like TikTok, ShareIt, CamScanner, and more. The app quickly rose to popularity soon after its release, reaching over one million downloads in less than two weeks and securing the second spot in the Google Play Store’s list of top free apps in India. However, the app’s popularity was quite shortlived as it has now been removed from the Play Store for allegedly violating the platform’s policy on deceptive behavior.

According to a recent report from Reuters, a Google spokesperson has confirmed that the “Remove China App” has been removed from the Play Store as it violated the app store’s policies. While the company itself hasn’t revealed exactly which policies were being violated by the app, a person familiar with the matter claims that the app violated policies that mislead users into removing or disabling third-party apps or modifying device settings or features.

As a report from TechCrunch points out, the app was likely violating the Play Store’s Deceptive Behavior Policy. This policy states that the Play Store doesn’t allow “Apps that encourage or incentivize users into removing or disabling third-party apps or modifying device settings or features unless it is part of a verifiable security service.” Since the app was just riding on the anti-China sentiment and wasn’t a part of a verifiable security service, Google ended up taking it down from the Play Store. The app was very likely matching the list of installed apps on the phone against a repository of popular apps with Chinese origin — unsurprisingly, the app failed to identify less popular apps, indicating that there was no real effort put into even towards its core purpose.

“Remove China App” developer OneTouch AppLabs has released a statement regarding the takedown on its website, thanking users for their support. The company hasn’t shed any light on the reason behind the takedown and did not respond to Reuters’ request for a comment on the matter.

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Sources: Reuters, TechCrunch

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Vivo X50, X50 Pro, and X50 Pro+ forums are now open

Vivo recently unveiled its latest flagship series, Vivo X50, in China. Succeeding the Vivo X30 and X30 Pro that launched in December last year, the new X50 series brings many notable updates to the table, ranging from a new gimbal camera system to higher refresh display panels.

We have opened XDA Forums for all three devices to let users discourse, share their experience, and engage in custom development activities.

Vivo X50

The base Vivo X50 offers a 6.56-inch AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, a big step up from the 60Hz panel of the X30. Where Vivo settled for Samsung’s Exynos 980 SoC on the X30 series, the X50 has gone back to Qualcomm, featuring the Snapdragon 765G chipset coupled with Adreno 620 GPU, 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and up to 256GB storage. On the camera front, the phone has a 48MP Sony IMX598 primary shooter, 13MP portrait camera, 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, and 5MP macro lens.

Vivo X50 XDA Forums

Vivo X50 Pro

The Vivo X50 Pro is perhaps the most interesting of the bunch. The main highlight of the device is the gimbal camera system, which promises improved stabilization and an 8MP periscope lens that offers up to 60x hybrid zoom. The X50 Pro features the same 6.56-inch AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, but it has a curved panel as opposed to the flat one on the standard variant. Just like the base model, the X50 Pro is also powered by the Snapdragon 765G SoC.

Vivo X50 XDA Forums

Vivo X50 Pro+

Finally, the Vivo X50 Pro+ is the real flagship and packs top of the line specifications. It features a curved AMOLED display, which is the same size as the base and Pro models but offers a higher 120Hz screen refresh rate. The phone is powered by the cutting edge Snapdragon 865 SoC and packs up to 12GB RAM and 256GB of storage. It also offers a faster 44W charging solution compared to 33W fast charging on the X50 and X50 Pro.

Vivo X50 Pro+ XDA Forums

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Facebook launches a tool to let you easily hide old embarrassing posts

Most of us have probably had our Facebook accounts for several years. It’s probably the place where some of us, counting myself as well, have spent our teenage years. But most importantly, though, we have all changed radically since we first opened our account. And everything we posted back then might seem highly embarrassing by now. The “memories” feature of Facebook has only made this worse: while it can bring back nice memories of your past, it also reminds you of the existence of these embarrassing posts. You’re able to delete them but it’s a chore. Facebook wants to make it easier, though.

A new tool called “Manage Activity” can help you manage these old, embarrassing posts more quickly and more efficiently. It introduces both an “Archive” feature that helps you hide, but not completely delete, these posts (exactly like the Archive feature on Instagram), and a “Trash” feature which allows you to throw posts to the “trash”: they will stay there for 30 days and if you don’t want to bring them back in that timeframe, they will be completely deleted. You can also manage these posts in bulk and filter them by date, or posts with specific people, so that you don’t have to look through all your 2010 posts and delete them one by one.

This feature is not rolling out yet, but according to Facebook, it will be rolling out first to mobile devices, and it will become available on the web version in the future. It is even making its way to Facebook Lite, Facebook’s lightweight app, as well in the long run. Facebook also says that they will continue building new functionality into the feature so that you can manage your personal identity online a little better.

If you’re interested in editing your profile so it accurately reflects who you are today, this might be the tool for you.

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OnePlus TV update improves Netflix connectivity and adds support for third party AirPlay service apps

At the OnePlus 7T (review) launch event late last year, the company officially unveiled its first Android-powered QLED 4K smart TV lineup. In our review, we found the new OnePlus TV to be a great premium offering in the Android TV space, however, it lacked a couple of software features that were available in TVs from other manufacturers. Soon after the launch, OnePlus rolled out a couple of updates for the TVs with new lighting effects for the soundbar and official Netflix support, along with a new remote with a dedicated Netflix button.

Earlier this year in February, the company rolled out another major update for the TVs which added Spotify, MX Player, Voot, and other content integrations to the software. Now, according to a recent post on the OnePlus forums, the company has started rolling out OnePlus TV OTA4, which brings improvements to Netflix connectivity and adds support for third-party AirPlay service apps.

Here’s the complete changelog for the latest OnePlus TV OTA update:

• Match the setting value of Color Space, Brightness and MEMC with actual display effect more accurately.
• Enhanced Ultra Smooth effect to make it more obvious in display.
• Corrected the version rollback issues of certain downloaded apps after OTA upgrade.
• Improved the experience around Netflix server connectivity.
• Fixed the MX Player installation error.
• Added support for third party AirPlay service apps.

Much like previous OTA updates for the OnePlus TV, the latest update is being rolled out in an incremental fashion and will only reach a small percentage of users initially. The OTA update should be available for all users over the next few days after OnePlus confirms that there aren’t any major bugs in the update. In case you don’t wish to wait for the broader rollout or want to help OnePlus test the latest release, you can share your TV’s serial number with Catherine W. from the OnePlus TV team to receive an early version of the OTA.

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Source: OnePlus forums

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India eases restrictions and plans $6.6 billion to boost smartphone manufacturing

In an attempt to attract more foreign investment from smartphone manufacturers during these trying times, the Indian government has dropped a few clauses from its production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme and has planned an incentive of about $6.6 billion. According to a recent report from the Economic Times, officials familiar with the matter have revealed that the government has dropped a clause that “evaluated plant and machinery brought into India at 40% of its value” which was opposed mainly by Apple.

Along with the aforementioned clause, the government has agreed to a few other changes to the PLI scheme which will pave the way for smartphone manufacturers to boost production in the country. These changes include giving investors a say in future changes to the PLI scheme, removal of various caps, and another clause which stated that the government would release the incentive despite the industry meeting its targets only if it had the money to do so. Additionally, a clause of force majeure has been added to the scheme which permits the companies to seek reliefs from the set targets during times of natural calamities such as COVID-19.

Furthermore, a separate report from Bloomberg reveals that the government is also planning financial incentives of about INR 500 billion (~$6.6 billion) to attract investments from more companies in the smartphone and related components sector. As per the ministry of electronics and information and technology, the government will initially target 5 global suppliers and extend an incentive of as much as 6% on incremental sales for goods made in the country over a period of five years. The government will also provide an incentive of 25% on capital expenditure for the production of electronic components, semiconductors, and other parts. The manufacturers will also be offered electronics manufacturing clusters with ready-to-use facilities.

During a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday, Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad, said that the move is expected to make India a global hub for mobile phone manufacturing and make smartphones the largest exported item out of India, while also generating half a million jobs. In a statement regarding the planned incentives, Amitabh Kant, CEO at Niti Aayog, was quoted saying, “The schemes will help India become totally self-reliant and penetrate global markets…It will bring global value chain and enable India to become a leader in electronics manufacturing.”

The updated PLI scheme and proposed investments come at a time when a number of US-based companies are exploring avenues to diversify smartphone manufacturing out of China under the ‘China plus one strategy’. It’s also worth noting that increased domestic production might also be beneficial for the Indian consumer, as it could result in smartphones getting cheaper in the country.

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Source: Economic Times, Bloomberg

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