New European regulation could force Apple and Google to be fairer to app developers

Google and Apple are known for keeping a tight leash on what gets published on their respective app stores. However, at times, the companies have been found guilty of removing apps/games from their platforms without offering developers a clear reason behind the app’s removal. A new EU regulation aims to address this issue and promote a more transparent relationship between developers and the Google Play Store/Apple App Store.

The regulation in question was signed into law in the European Union on June 20, 2019, but per Article 19, it went into effect on July 12, 2020. As a report from gamesindustry.biz points out, the regulation brings new rights for European app/game developers and publishers against distribution platforms like the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The regulation pushes for a fairer process for removing apps/games from online stores, imposes new transparency requirements for the ranking criteria on such platforms, demands that any differential treatment for big-name developers and publishers be disclosed, implement better transparency for data access rights, and offer more understandable and predictable contract terms.

Fair app/game removal process

With the new regulation, platforms like the Google Play Store and Apple App Store will no longer be able to remove apps/games for arbitrary reasons. The platforms will be required to submit a statement highlighting why an app is being removed 30 days beforehand, thereby giving developers the opportunity to raise a complaint or make all necessary changes to avoid removal. However, the regulation doesn’t require app stores to provide 30-days notice to malicious, copyright infringing, or illegal apps.

Transparent rankings

The EU regulation also calls for a more transparent ranking system for online stores, however, the Commission hasn’t clarified how it intends to do so. The Commission is expected to publish more detailed guidelines on the transparency of ranking algorithms in the near future and we expect the guidelines to reduce the need for app store optimization services, thereby creating a more level playing field for indie developers and publishers.

Transparency of preferential treatment

There have been plenty of rumors in the past that accuse platforms of providing preferential treatment to big-name developers and publishers. In case there’s any truth to the rumors, the platforms will now have to disclose any such preferential treatment under the new regulation.

Improved transparency of data access rights

The new EU regulation will require platforms to be more transparent about what personal and non-personal data they collect from apps/games. They will also have to disclose what data they provide access to and what data they do not provide access to, which is expected to help evaluate data breach risks connected to the use of such platforms.

Simplified contract terms

The contract terms and conditions disclosed by online stores today can be difficult to understand, even for legal professionals. On top of that, platforms have the ability to change the terms and conditions without any prior notifications. With the new EU regulation, platforms will be required to draft their terms and conditions in plain and intelligible language, making it easier for developers and publishers to understand. Additionally, if the platform decides to make any changes to the contract terms, they will be required to notify developers 15 days beforehand to give them the opportunity to adjust their apps/games based on the new terms.

It’s worth noting that the new regulations only apply to platforms that facilitate direct transactions between developers and publishers, like the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The regulations will not apply to console manufacturers’ online stores as they enter direct transactional relations with players and don’t identify as “online intermediation services.” Similarly, the regulations won’t apply to services like Apple Arcade, where the contract between developers and the service provider are clearly negotiated.

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Source: EUR-Lex
Via: gamesindustry.biz

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Xiaomi’s next smartphone could come with Snapdragon 865, 48MP camera and 120W fast charging

All major OEMs have a whole bunch of smartphones in their pipeline at any point in time, and Xiaomi is no different in this regard. Earlier this month, we reported on one pair of Xiaomi’s upcoming smartphone, gauguin and gauguinpro, that are expected to arrive in multiple markets soon. And now, we have some information on another new smartphone from Xiaomi, and this one could have 120W fast charging technology as its major highlight.

Xiaomi Cas – M2007J1SC

Recently, a Xiaomi smartphone was spotted at 3C certification with the model number M2007J1SC.

Curiously, this smartphone was spotted with a 120W (6A x 20V) charger included in the box. As we know, Xiaomi has already demoed a 100W Super Charge Turbo technology last year that could charge a 4000 mAh smartphone within 17 minutes. However, this technology has not made its way to a commercial smartphone just yet, and Xiaomi reasoned back then that there were few limitations to the technology that needed to be ironed out before we can see a product in our own hands. It seems that the technology is now ready, as the 3C certification indicates that the phone will come with a 120W charger in the box. It isn’t immediately clear whether the M2007J1SC smartphone will have 100W charging or 120W charging as Xiaomi has not officially confirmed either specification — but we are inclined to believe it will sport 120W charging since the charger maxes out at that specification. Other OEMs like Vivo’s iQOO and OPPO have been working on their own 120W and 125W technology, so 120W for Xiaomi sounds about right.

We also have information on M2007J1SC beyond this 3C certification. As informed by XDA Member kacskrz, who is our frequent and trusted Xiaomi tipster, and XDA Senior Member Deic, this model number belongs to the Xiaomi device with the codename “cas“. Multiple code snippets within MIUI 12 indicate that “cas” is likely to come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC (though it could also come with the Snapdragon 865 Plus instead as this particular code snippet makes no distinction between the two). Further, cas was expected to come with a 108MP camera originally, but the code snippet was modified recently to indicate that the phone may finally come with a 48MP primary camera instead.

Further, Xiaomi “cas” is expected to come with an optical zoom camera as well as a “supermoon” mode. The phone will also have a wide-angle camera that can take macro shots. This means that the phone has at least a triple rear camera setup.

Unfortunately, it does appear that this smartphone may be a China-specific release as we could not spot any indications of a global release, unlike what we could ascertain for gauguin and gauguinpro. This does not mean that the phone will never be released outside of China — it just means that we have not spotted any clues for a global release at this stage. Xiaomi’s plans could change in the future.

Speculation

The jump down to 48MP camera on this smartphone may signal that Xiaomi is swapping out the high megapixel count 108MP sensor for a lower MP count but larger sensor — note that this information on a larger sensor is speculation on our end. Similarly, a “supermoon” mode indicates that the phone could have a high optical zoom factor — Huawei P30 Pro’s “moon mode” was enabled through the periscope zoom camera, so Xiaomi could be going for something similar here. Though, it could also be a much simpler setting within the Camera app instead. And of course, Xiaomi could also possibly add a fourth camera sensor, just because it can.

We also do not know what marketing name Xiaomi will adopt for this smartphone. It could be the next smartphone in the Mi Mix series, or it could be a successor in the Mi 10 series, or it could be an entirely new smartphone series — we don’t know yet.

Leaker Digital Chat Station pointed out that Xiaomi’s 100W fast-charging smartphone could see a launch in China in the next month. Xiaomi has not officially teased or confirmed a launch, so we are treating this as speculation at the moment. Other OEMs are also expected to show off their fast-charging products in August in China, and a launch in August also allows Xiaomi and other OEMs to take some attention away from Samsung’s Unpacked event. And seeing how the Xiaomi smartphone has been spotted at 3C, the reveal may not be that far off.

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OPPO unveils its 125W wired and 65W wireless fast charging technologies

The smartphone industry is evolving at an increasingly fast pace. The race to get to the top involves constant improvements in the processing capabilities, cameras, display technology, and battery life. Lately, as the batteries on smartphones have grown bigger, smartphone companies and consumers have been emphasizing on faster-charging solutions, inviting innovation from all directions. Almost every major smartphone brand is now implementing dependably fast charging solutions that couldn’t be imagined in the past. The current commercial solutions for smartphones go as high as 65W charging by means of independent solutions from Vivo, OPPO, Realme, and Xiaomi. The industry is now preparing for a significant leap as OPPO is announcing its technologies for 125W fast wired charging and 65W fast wireless charging. Along with this, OPPO is also announcing two new compact GaN chargers with up to 110W output.

This is not the first time we’re hearing of a viable charging solution with three-digit power output. Last year, Xiaomi demonstrated its 100W fast wired charging that could charge a 4000mAh battery in under 20 minutes. The technology, however, is yet to take off due to limitations in commercial implementation. OPPO surpasses this with the 125W solution that is claimed to charge a 4000mAh battery up to 41% in 5 minutes and fully in 20 minutes.

125W OPPO flash charge

OPPO is launching its 125W flash charge technology along with a 110W “mini” flash charger. The 125W flash charge technology also supports USB-PD at 65W and USB-PPS at 125W and is backward compatible with devices that support its previous SuperVOOC standard for 65W charging. The technology draws 6.25A current and relays it across a potential difference of 20V.

The supported battery will be split into two halves for parallel charging and will utilize 128-bit microcontrollers to optimize the voltage as well as the flow of current. OPPO will also be integrating ten temperature sensors to keep the temperature of the phone under 40ºC as well as a fuse for overvoltage protection to ensure safety and avoid any fire-related hazard. OPPO claims that supported batteries will retain 80% health even after 800 charging cycles.

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65W fast wireless charging

In addition to the superfast wired charging, OPPO is also introducing its 65W fast wireless charging. Along with the technology comes a new “conceptual” 65W AirVOOC wireless charging dock from OPPO that will be able to refill a 4000mAh battery fully in just 30 minutes. The company says it will achieve this fast charging rate by reducing the interference to the magnetic induction coil.

The conceptual charger will come with a glass surface and will be equipped with a semiconductor cooler and a fan to keep the temperatures of both – the phone and the charging pad – under control. In addition, OPPO will be using a dual-coil design for charging in parallel.

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110W and 50W mini fast chargers

Besides announcing the new charging technologies, OPPO has also announced two new compact chargers, including a 110W mini flash charger and a 50W mini SuperVOOC charger. Both of these are GaN (Gallium Nitride) chargers and allow for more efficient current transmission and space utilization. The 50W mini charger measures only 1.05cm in thickness and supports USB-PD at 27W and USB-PPS at 50W. The 110W is only 1.2cm thick and occupies the same space as an 18W charging brick.

OPPO has not commented on the availability of these technologies, nor has it mentioned the device that will first receive support. But their preparedness in terms of accessory support and a comprehensive action plan may appear far more convincing to users as compared to other brands. We hope to see at least one OPPO smartphone with support for 125W or 110W flash charge technology in 2020.

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Google Maps can now use Live View AR to calibrate location and orientation

Google Maps turned 15 earlier this year in February, and the company celebrated its birthday by giving the app a new look and additional features. The app, both on iOS and Android, received a significant update that included a new icon, a redesign for the bottom navigation bar, new transit features, and updates to the AR-powered Live View feature. In case you aren’t familiar with Live View, it’s an augmented reality feature in Google Maps that lets you view your surroundings in real-time with overlays highlighting the directions to your destination.

In the anniversary update, Google added a new capability in Live View, which lets you search for a destination on the app and see exactly how far and in which direction the place is. Then, in a following update, Google introduced another change in Live View, which gave users faster access to the AR navigation feature. The company added a Live View floating action button (FAB) right at the forefront, allowing you to open AR navigation with a single tap easily. Now, according to a recent report from 9to5Google, the company is adding yet another feature in Live View, which will help you calibrate your location and orientation in the app.

Traditionally, Google Maps makes use of a GPS signal and compass to calibrate your location and orientation in the app. However, GPS has some limitations, especially in dense, urban environments where there is high interference from buildings around you. This is why Google is now making use of the Live View AR feature, in combination with years worth of Street View data, to determine your location and orientation visually. The new feature pops up when you launch Live View, and it asks you to point at buildings, street signs, and other surroundings. This helps Google Maps understand which direction you’re facing.

To calibrate your location and improve the accuracy of the blue dot on the map, Google has introduced a new Calibrate with Live View feature. You can use the feature by tapping on the blue dot and selecting the ‘Calibrate with Live View’ option from the following screen. This launches the same camera UI used by Live View, and you have to pan the camera for a few seconds to calibrate your location. Once the calibration is done, your position in Google Maps should be highly accurate, and it won’t jump around. Additionally, the beam which shows the direction you’re facing will be replaced by a solid arrow.

If the new Live View feature sounds interesting, you should check it out on your device by downloading the latest version of Google Maps from the Play Store link below. The feature appears to be live on several Google Play Services for AR supported devices running both the stable and beta versions of Google Maps. The feature is currently not available on the iOS version of the app.

Maps - Navigate & Explore (Free, Google Play) →

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Via: 9to5Google

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Google Play Pass expands to 9 new countries and adds a $30/year subscription option

Google launched Play Pass in September of 2019 as a subscription service for apps and games without ads or in-app purchases. While the service has slowly gained more apps, it’s been exclusive to the U.S. this whole time. Finally, Google Play Pass is expanding to new countries and it’s also getting a yearly subscription option.

First, the good news for Android fans outside of the U.S. Play Pass is expanding to users in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, and the UK this week. Once available, users can try the service with a free one-month trial. After that, it’s $4.99 per month, or users can opt for the new subscription option.

Since Play Pass was launched last year, it has had a single monthly subscription option ($4.99). However, Google is now adding a new yearly subscription option. The yearly plan costs $29.99 per year. If you intend to keep the service for 12 months, the yearly plan works out to be half the price of the monthly plan. Apple Arcade, which is similar to Play Pass, but only for games, costs $50 per year (or $4.99 per month).

Lastly, it’s been a while since Google announced new content for Play Pass, but the company says over 150 titles have been added over the past few months. Check out the video below to get a taste of some of the new apps and games. What do you think of the new yearly plan? Does that make it worth it to you?

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Source: Google

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Carl Pei reveals the OnePlus Nord in all its glory

It’s not a OnePlus phone without a slow, dragged out release of small details leading up to the official announcement. The company loves to drip out information to build hype, and that’s certainly happening again with the OnePlus Nord. The latest information comes directly from OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei in his interview with Marques Brownlee (MKBHD).

We’ve gotten glimpses of the OnePlus Nord design, but nothing fully revealing the entire phone yet in the flesh. Last week, leaked renders and marketing materials revealed the triple-camera stack on the back. We’ve also seen the front of the phone and its dual hole-punch cutout. Today, Carl Pei showed off the phone even more and shared some of the company’s prototype designs.

In the interview above, Pei shows off the teal OnePlus Nord (starting around the 14-minute mark). Pei also shares some prototypes with more unique camera placements. He talks about how the Nord was originally seen as being more of an experiment, so they tinkered with some different ideas. However, they realized the phone could be more than just an experiment and ended up going with a more traditional design late in the process, which ended up delaying the phone’s launch by about a month.

Design aside, we learn a few more details about the OnePlus Nord from the interview. It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (same processor as the rumored Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G), has NFC, no official IP rating, Warp Charging, and a 90Hz AMOLED display. The battery capacity has also been confirmed to be 4115mAh thanks to an officially licensed dbrand skin.

Thankfully, we will know everything about the OnePlus Nord very soon. The company is scheduled to announce the device on July 21st along with the OnePlus Buds.

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The Android Device Security Database helps you compare the security of Android smartphones

Android users have numerous options when it comes to devices, with a varied combination of specifications, features, and different device budgets. We are spoiled by choice, but this confuses users when it comes to features that cannot be easily measured and compared. Take, for instance, the Android Security status. The current state of Android security is far from perfect, and the situation becomes even more complex across different OEMs and different regions. So if you had to compare two different OEMs on how well they have delivered security updates across their portfolio, the answer may not be easily found. A group of researchers has taken it upon themselves to remedy this situation by building a database of Android devices focusing on their overall security level.

At the virtual Android Security Symposium 2020 event, a group of researchers including Mr. Daniel R. Thomas, Mr. Alastair R. Beresfor, and Mr. René Mayrhofer presented a talk called the “Android Device Security Database”.

We recommend watching the talk to get a better idea of the intents and purposes of the database, but we will also do our best in encapsulating the information below.

The purpose behind the Android Device Security Database is to “gather and publish relevant data about the security posture” of Android devices. This includes information on attributes like the average patch frequency, the guaranteed maximum patch delay, the latest security patch level, and other attributes. The database currently includes smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S20 (Exynos), Nokia 5.3, Google Pixel 4, Xiaomi Redmi Note 7, Huawei P40, Sony Xperia 10, and more.

The talk brings up the issue of how smartphone OEMs currently have little in terms of motivation and quantifiable incentive to provide quick and relevant security updates across their smartphone portfolio. Smartphone after-sale support is still centered around the limits of Android version updates and device repairs—and overall device security is not given much importance. Security updates aren’t a metric that a marketing department can easily “sell” to most end consumers for future smartphones, so performance in this area remains lacking. And because of the huge variety of smartphones released and the innumerable updates to them over the years, collecting and quantifying this data is also a gargantuan task. For instance, Samsung has been doing very well in terms of providing security updates to its existing portfolio of devices, like the Galaxy S10, Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy A50, Galaxy Note 10 series, Galaxy A70, and the Galaxy S20 series—but there are still so many more devices left to assess and a larger security update progress chart is also missing to provide historical context.

The Android Device Security Database tries to fix this in a way. Back in 2015 when a similar initiative was undertaken, the team had measured the security of Android devices and given them a score out of 10. The old approach had a few limitations, as it focused heavily on assessing whether a device was susceptible to known vulnerabilities or not. The older approach did not consider other aspects of device security, so the current approach attempts to take a much more holistic look at overall device security.

One area where the team wants to explore much further is how pre-installed apps perform within the context of security and user privacy. Pre-installed apps often have elevated permissions that are pre-granted at the platform level. We’ve seen increased attention towards pre-installed apps in recent times—sometimes it manifests itself in the form of complaints about ads in pre-installed Samsung apps, and sometimes it takes the form of a nationwide ban against several pre-installed Xiaomi Mi apps. How does one exercise oversight over these pre-installed apps by OEMs?

The research team is tackling this question by recommending more transparency and accountability into what apps are pre-installed on a device and what they have permission to do. To do this, the team also wants to add an app risk rating into their database and eventually create a rating system to rank devices on this aspect. The research team also wants its methodology peer-reviewed and is seeking feedback from other security researchers into what aspects of security of pre-installed apps they should look into.

The database aims to become a benchmark for assessing the overall security of a device and the holistic security experience for an OEM. The initiative is definitely a work-in-progress at this stage, and future plans include developing an app that collects security attributes in an anonymous manner and presents it in a comparable manner to end-users—much like how current-generation performance benchmarks work. With enough users volunteering this data to the project, one can hope the project becomes a viable security benchmark that can be used to assess the overall security practices of an OEM. While past performance is certainly no guarantee towards future action, this database/benchmark would still simplify the opaque and complex mess that is currently the state of Android security as an OS.

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