The H.266/VVC video coding standard has been finalized, promising the same quality at half the size of H.265/HEVC

Video streaming makes up a massive chunk of the total traffic on the internet, with some estimates putting it at a whopping 80% of all internet traffic. With the proliferation of more video consumption devices, democratized videography, and a consistent move up on display resolution, this contribution is still expected to be a very large percentage in the coming years. Video coding standards thus become an important balancing tool in ensuring that video streaming does not choke our internet infrastructure, and nor does it adversely hamper the user experience. Now, Fraunhofer HHI has announced a new video coding standard called the H.266/VVC (Versatile Video Coding) that succeeds the H.265/HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding).

The Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, also known as Fraunhofer HHI, is the organization that develops video coding compression standards. Their latest announcement is for a new video coding standard. Called H.266/VVC (Versatile Video Coding), this video coding standard is claimed to have the same perceptual quality but half the size of videos encoded in its predecessor, H.265/HEVC. This means that video downloads and video streams can deliver higher-quality videos at lower bandwidths, thus lowering data use for consumers and also benefitting providers at the same time. For instance, a 90-minute 4K/UHD video encoded in H.265/HEVC could take 10 GB of data to transmit, while the same 90-minute UHD video encoded in H.266/VVC could take about 5 GB of data to transmit. That’s a lot of savings in terms of the percentage decrease in bandwidth, and it will amplify when you take into account the immense scale of video streaming.

But this scaling up has a few challenges along the way. If a device maker wants to add an H.266/VVC encoder or decoder, they will have to pay license fees since the new coding standard uses multiple patented technologies. Fraunhofer HHI promises a “uniform and transparent licensing model based on the FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) principle”. However, it will still be up to patent holders to decide how the technology is licensed. The cost could potentially run into hundreds and millions of dollars. This steep costing poses the obvious problem of inflating the cost of the end product/service, making it more difficult to break even as a company. For projects like Mozilla Firefox, this is simply out of the equation because of ideological, economical, and practical reasons.

The patent and costing puzzle is the reason why many stakeholders in the video coding community prefer royalty-free codecs. XDA Contributor Steven Zimmerman has written an excellent article on AV1, Google’s royalty-free answer to HEVC and the future of video codecs, back in 2017, and his analysis and predictions continue to hold ground today. We continue to see an uptick in adoption for AV1 among streaming platforms like YouTube, Netflix, Vimeo, Facebook, as well as SoC makers like MediaTek. It remains to be seen how H.266/VVC fares against royalty-free codecs like AV1.

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Source: Fraunhofer Newsletter
Reference X.266/VVC Encoder: Fraunhofer VCGit

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The Samsung Galaxy Note 20’s S Pen can reportedly act as a pointer

Samsung recently revealed that its next Galaxy Unpacked event will be held on August 5th. At the event, the company is expected to announce the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, the Galaxy Note 20 series, Galaxy Z Fold 2, and Galaxy Tab S7, along with accessories like the Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Buds Live. While Samsung hasn’t revealed any information about these upcoming devices, we’ve already seen quite a few leaked renders of the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, the Galaxy Note 20 Series, and the Galaxy Watch 3. We recently got our first look at live images of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, courtesy of tech YouTuber Jimmy Is Promo (@jimmyispromo), who has now released some exciting details about the new S Pen on the device.

On the outside, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra’s S Pen doesn’t look any different from the S Pen that we’ve seen on recent Galaxy Note devices. However, Samsung appears to have included a new software feature for the Galaxy Note 20 series. According to a recent tweet from Jimmy Is Promo, the Galaxy Note 20 series will let you use the S Pen as a pointer. As you can see in the attached image, the feature will be available under a new “S Pen pointer” section in the S Pen settings and it will let you customize the speed of the pointer, its color, and its trail.

S Pen can now act as a Pointer. Select your color and select icons on the screen, navigate around. Also can highlight an area. #Note20 #GalaxyNote20Ultra

ps.. Subscribe to my channel for more pic.twitter.com/ZNaxR4lEpo

— Jimmy Is Promo (@jimmyispromo) July 8, 2020

Once the feature is set up, you will be able to use the S Pen pointer to select icons on the Galaxy Note 20’s display, highlight any specific area, navigate around the device or to simply deliver presentations without requiring a laser pointer. The feature may even come in handy while using DeX mode by letting you easily point at anything on your monitor using the S Pen. The Galaxy Note 20 series is expected to ship with One UI 2.5 and we believe that the S Pen pointer won’t be the only new software feature to debut with the devices. We already know that One UI 2.5 will enable Google’s gesture navigation in third-party launchers and we expect to learn more from the company in the days leading up to the launch.

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[Update: Global rollout] Amazon finally adds Profiles to Prime Video like Netflix

Update 1 (7/08/2020 @ 02:25 AM ET):  Profiles in Amazon Prime Video are now rolling out globally. The article from March 23rd, 2020, has been preserved below.

Almost the entire world is under lockdown and social distancing can make you anxious. We’re fortunate to live in a time when digital entertainment is abundant and so easily accessible. Amazon Prime Video, one of the most popular sources of online cinema and long-form video content, is now adding the new Profiles feature which will make entertainment even more convenient for users. It lets you share your account with your family and friends without worrying about messing up your watch history and recommendations.

The Profile option has long been present on Netflix. It not only allows multiple users to use the same account to watch different content but also isolates their content feeds and seasons’ progress. Among the features that Amazon Prime Video borrows from Netflix, Prime subscribers can use the latest one to add up to six profiles. Out of these six profiles, at least one (admin profile) needs to be an adult while the remaining five can either be profiles for adults or kids under 12 years of age.

You can either create profiles from the Amazon Prime Video apps on Android or through the web portal. Tap on the “My Stuff” button with the blank avatar icon in the menu bar at the bottom of the screen. Then tap on your name and followed by the “Create profile” button from the drop-down menu. On the Prime Video website, you can access this menu directly from the top right corner of the web page. You can also tap on Manage Profile to rename profiles or delete them.

There’s also a Kids profile that filters content unsuitable for kids. On the My Stuff page, you can access the content you’ve downloaded or saved for watching later. Unlike Netflix, however, there is currently no option to change the avatar of Amazon Prime Video profiles.

The Profiles feature is currently limited to certain countries as per Amazon’s support page and is rolling out to users gradually.

Amazon Prime Video (Free⁺, Google Play) →

Via: Gadgets 360

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Update: Profiles in Amazon Prime Video now available globally

After rolling out Profiles to users in India and parts of Africa, Amazon has now launched the features for users worldwide including the U.S. The feature will be available via the apps on iOS, Android, Fire tablet, Fire TV and other smart TVs.

Via: TechCrunch

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OxygenOS 10.5.10 for the OnePlus 8 Pro fixes the Photochrom filter’s see-through issue

The OnePlus 8 Pro’s camera setup has been in the center of controversy of its own and this controversy actually has nothing really to do with the primary camera. Instead, it focuses on the auxiliary color filter camera, which was said to create the Photochrom filter. This secondary camera was written off entirely in early reviews, but was later found to be capable of seeing through thin plastic objects and very thin clothing too! Consequently, the camera was disabled in the next updates — first in China, and then even on global variants. The device even went on sale in India with the color filter camera disabled out of the box! The drama may be coming to an end as OnePlus has apparently “fixed” the Photochrom filter’s see-through issue with the OxygenOS 10.5.10 update — but there’s still a catch.

OnePlus 8 XDA Forums || OnePlus 8 Pro XDA Forums

OxygenOS 10.5.10 is rolling out for OnePlus 8 Pro users in Europe, and it brings along an “adjustment” for the Photochrom filter, seemingly patching the see-through capabilities of the sensor. But as multiple users on the XDA forums and on Twitter have spotted, OnePlus’s fix actually ports over the Photochrom filter to the wide-angle camera instead of utilizing the dedicated color filter camera hardware.

Multiple users today on XDA and Twitter (@linuxct and @niklasstrommen) have noticed that the Photochrom mode in the camera app seems to be using the wide-angle camera rather than the actual color filter camera. See this video by linuxct as a demonstration. pic.twitter.com/crXmMSpd4F

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) July 7, 2020

The end result is that users do get the Photochrom filter functionality back and it no longer can see through object layers. Win-win? But at the same time, this also places OnePlus into a conundrum: if the feature was possible through the wide-angle camera, what is the purpose of including a redundant camera sensor inside phones when space is an extreme premium? Further, can this feature also be ported over to other OnePlus devices that lack the dedicated camera filter hardware but still have the wide-angle camera? One can argue that the end-result of the filter is just novelty, but having an option to use it would still be appreciated by all.

Changelog for OxygenOS 10.5.10

The update is rolling out with the following changelog:

• System
  • Optimized the touch and interaction experience
  • Optimized the power consumption performance of the system, battery life extended to be longer than ever
  • Optimized the high temperature warning to improve user experience
  • Fixed the failure to full-charge when battery was charged to 90% and above in a few circumstances
  • Fixed the issue with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video unable to play HD video on some machines
  • Fixed known issues and improved system stability
  • Updated Android Security Patch to 2020.06
• Camera
  • Adjusted Photochrom filter (OnePlus 8 Pro only)
  • Improved the shooting experience with camera and improved stability
• Cloud service
  • Added the file disk section in file manager: now conveniently upload and store all your files on OnePlus Cloud seamlessly (India only)
• Network
  • Band 46 CA combo enabled for India Network (India only)
  • Improved the stability of communication
  • Improved the performance and stability of Wi-Fi transfers
  • Optimized network latency for online games and improved the smoothness

Download OxygenOS 10.5.10

The update should be gradually rolling out to all users. But in case you want to sideload the update, you can download it from the following links:

OnePlus 8

• India — OxygenOS 10.5.9
  • Incremental OTA from 10.5.8
  • Full update
• Europe — OxygenOS 10.5.8
  • Incremental OTA from 10.5.7
  • Full update

OnePlus 8 Pro

• Europe — OxygenOS 10.5.10
  • Incremental OTA from 10.5.9
  • Full update

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Further reading

• OnePlus 8 Review – Not Enough to Beat the OnePlus 7T
• OnePlus 8 Pro Review – Never Settle on Hardware
• OnePlus 8 Pro Display Analysis — Premium Hardware at a Cost
• OnePlus 8 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S20+ Review Comparison – The Quest to Attain Parity
• Download: OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are getting the Android 11 Beta

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Thanks to XDA Senior Member Some_Random_Username for the download links!*

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Google announces new developer features at the “Hey Google” Smart Home Summit

This week, Google is hosting its virtual “Hey Google” Smart Home Summit. This is a 2-day event focused on the new tools and features for the smart home developer community. At the event, Google is announcing a few platform tools and routines for developers to be aware of.

New Devices for the Smart Home for Entertainment Device (SHED)

In case you’re unaware, Google categorizes device types that can work with the Assistant. Each device type also supports certain traits, which are sets of commands related to those device types. Back in April, Google announced a set of Smart Home for Entertainment Device (SHED) types, and it included devices like set-top boxes, speakers, and consoles from brands like Xbox, Roku, Dish, and LG. Today, Google is making those APIs public for any smart TV, set-top box, or game developer to use. Furthermore, Google has announced that they are expanding the SHED options to include AV receivers, streaming boxes, streaming sticks, soundbars, streaming soundbars, and speakers. They’re also introducing a new trait called “Channel” to allow the Google Assistant to recognize commands to change the channel.

For more information on these new device types and traits, check out Google’s webpage under the Smart Home category of the Google Assistant docs.

Smart Home Controls in Android 11

Next, Google reiterates its work on the smart home Device Controls feature in Android 11. As you may know, the power menu in Android 11 can now display controls for smart home devices. With a long-press of the power key, you can quickly access these controls from anywhere. The controls are customizable and can be accessed from the lockscreen as well. It’s one of Android 11’s best features, in our opinion.

Improved state reporting and reliability

To coincide with the new Device Controls feature in Android 11, Google wants to make sure that smart home controls are accurately reporting the state of the connected IoT device. Google says that they will introduce more tools to measure your app’s reliability and latency to help improve and debug state reporting. Google says this will reduce query volume on your servers and “improve the user experience with an accurate device state across multiple surfaces.” Back in April, the company launched the Local Home SDK to support local execution of certain Assistant commands through the local network. The Local Home SDK supports both Chrome and Node.js runtime environments, and apps can be built and tested on local machines or personal servers. All developers can use the Local Home SDK through Actions on Google Console.

Improved discovery with AppFlip

Adding new smart home integrations can be useful to reduce user churn, but getting users to discover those new integrations can be a challenge. To that end, Google is launching “AppFlip” on the developer console to reduce the standard account linking flow to 2 steps. Users will be able to migrate from the Google Home app to your app without needing an additional sign-in.

Enhanced logging

Google also wants developers to know about recent enhancements to logging tools. The company integrated event logging and usage metric tools from Google Cloud Platform to give developers visibility into their smart home integrations. The Local Home SDK, account linking flow, and Smart Home events have received enhancements in project logging, and developers can analyze aggregated metrics from the developer console or build logs-based metrics to find trends. Developers can also create custom alerts in GCP to find production issues. Lastly, the Smart Home Analytics Dashboard in the developer console comes pre-populated with charts for metrics like Daily Active Users (DAU) and Request Breakdown. Developers can set alerts and get notified if an integration has any issues. This dashboard can be accessed from the “Analytics” tab in the Actions console or the Google Cloud console.

Updates to Device Access program

Last year, Google announced a change from the “Works with Nest” program to the “Works with Google Assistant” program. As part of that shift, Google created the Device Access program for partners to integrate directly with Nest devices. To support the Device Access program, Google will launch the Device Access Console, a “self-serve console that guides commercial developers through the different project phases.”

This console allows developers to manage their projects and integrations, provides development guides and trait documentation for all supported Nest devices, and allows for creating custom automations, but only for the homes they’re a member of.

Expanding routines

Lastly, as routines are a big part of smart home technology, Google is expanding what they can do. Later this year, more Google Assistant devices will gain presence detection so they can automatically trigger routines based on whether the user is at home or away, much like Nest devices. The new Lights Effect trait has also gone public to allow developers to slowly brighten or dim smart lights at specific times or when a morning alarm is triggered. Later this year, Google will also enable Gentle Sleep and Wake effects out-of-the-box for any smart light; Google first launched this feature on the Philips Hue last year.

Personal routines will be also extended with support for custom routines designed by smart home partners. Per Google, developers will be able to create and suggest custom routines that can even work with other devices in a user’s home. Users can browse and opt-in to suggested routines and then choose to have their Nest or other smart home devices participate in that routine.

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Be sure to tune into the “Hey Google” Smart Home Summit to learn more about Google’s smart home plans.

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Samsung officially announces its next Galaxy Unpacked event for August 5th

Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked events are some of the biggest product launches of the year. At the event, we finally get to see what Samsung, the largest smartphone brand in the world, has been working on for the last year. With the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy S20 having launched earlier this year, we’re now expecting to see the Galaxy Fold 2 and Galaxy Note 20 at the next Galaxy Unpacked event. Samsung usually hosts its Unpacked events in person, but this year the company has opted for an online-only event due to COVID-19. Today, Samsung has confirmed that its virtual Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on August 5th at 10:00 AM EST.

 

During the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Tab S7, and other devices like the Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Buds Live. We recently saw renders of both the Galaxy Z Flip 5G and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in the “Mystic Bronze” colorway as well as renders of the Tab S7 and Tab S7+. We haven’t seen images of the rumored Z Fold 2, but we’ve seen plenty of renders of the Galaxy Watch 3 already.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is rumored to launch with a 60Hz 1080p display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 865/Exynos 990, 25W fast charging, a 4,000 mAh battery, and a camera setup similar to the Galaxy S20. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is rumored to have a WQHD+ resolution display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 4,500 mAh battery, Qualcomm Snapdragon 865/Exynos 990, and an improved 108MP main sensor with laser autofocus. The Z Flip 5G is going to be a Galaxy Z Flip but with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 and 5G support, while the Galaxy Fold 2 is rumored to sport a major redesign with some much-needed improvements.

I’m personally really excited about the next Galaxy Unpacked and all of these new devices. The Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Fold are some of my favorite devices, so I’m hoping to see even better versions of them later this year. The Galaxy Note 20, too, seems to have all the improvements a new Note phone for this year should have. As we get closer to Galaxy Unpacked, keep an eye on the XDA Portal for more information on these devices.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Forums

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Source: Samsung

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The Samsung Galaxy A71 5G UW is Verizon’s cheapest 5G smartphone

As was announced last month, the Samsung Galaxy A71 5G UW is launching on Verizon this week. This device is special because it’s Verizon’s most affordable 5G device to date. Starting at $649, you can get access to Verizon’s Ultra Wideband mmWave network for much less than flagship 5G phones.

5G is what Verizon is touting, but the Galaxy A71 is a solid phone regardless of network. It sits at the higher-end of the A-series with a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC, quad rear cameras, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a 4,500mAh battery, and Android 10. It’s very close to being a flagship-level smartphone, but the processor downgrade is enough to keep the price down.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy A71 5G back in April and it launched in the US on T-Mobile in June. We got our hands on the LTE model at CES, which is essentially the same phone. We knew Verizon would eventually get the device and that becomes a reality this week. The phone will be available online starting on July 9th and it will be available everywhere on July 16th.

Samsung Galaxy A71 XDA Forums

As mentioned, the Galaxy A71 5G UW costs $649.99 or $27.08 per month for 24 months on Verizon Device Payment. For a limited time, Verizon is offering the phone for $15 per month for 24 months (online only) with a new line of service on a Premium Unlimited plan. Also, you can save 25% during the preorder period on all Galaxy A71 5G UW cases and screen protectors.

		Galaxy A71 5G
Display		6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Plus
		Infinity-O Display (1080×2400)
Camera	Rear	Quad Camera Main: 64MP, F1.8 Ultra Wide: 12MP, F2.2 Depth: 5MP, F2.2 Macro: 5MP, F2.4
	Front	Selfie: 32MP, F2.2
Body		75.5 x 162.5 x 8.1 mm, 185g
SoC		Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
Memory		6GB RAM
		128GB Internal Storage
		MicroSD Slot (up to 1TB)
Battery		4,500mAh (typical), 25W Super Fast Charging
Biometrics		On-Screen Fingerprint
Color		Prism Cube Black

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Source: Verizon

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