Xiaomi’s MIUI 12 is getting Back Tap gestures like Apple’s iOS 14 and Google’s Pixel phones

Google was spotted working on a mysterious double-tap gesture that was initiated on the back of the phone. Seemingly, if the user double-tapped on the back of the device, they would be able to launch the Camera, Google Assistant, playing and pausing music, and more on Pixel devices with Android 11. The code for this gesture was expanded to make more actions possible, such as taking a screenshot and opening the recent apps overview. While we could spot Google working on this feature first, Apple actually beat Google to implementation and rollout, as iOS 14 managed to implement the feature and allow users to double and triple tap on the back of the phone to initiate various actions. It now seems that Xiaomi is also working on something similar, according to code that we have spotted within MIUI 12.

XDA Senior Member and our ever-reliable tipster kacskrz has spotted code within the latest MIUI 12 beta builds that suggests that Xiaomi is also working on a feature utilizing taps on the back of the device. These taps will be either double taps or triple taps and can have different actions assigned to both of them. The code within MIUI 12 suggests that the feature is in active development. Kacskrz could also manage to surface the new feature’s settings, but these did not work on his Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 yet.

The scope of back panel double tap and triple tap gestures currently within MIUI 12 appears to be limited to taking a screenshot, turning on torch, launching the control center, launching the camera, or opening the notification shade. However, since the feature is not available to the public yet, there is still scope that Xiaomi may expand this list to include even more shortcuts.

We do not know when Xiaomi will release this feature to end-users. But as was the case with other anticipated features such as sky replacement, we hope it goes live sooner rather than later.

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Thanks to XDA Senior Member kacskrz for the tip!

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Amazon Alexa app gets revamped with focus on personalization and first-party features

Amazon on Monday announced plans to roll out a completely redesigned Alexa app for iOS and Android, which will now offer users a more personalized home screen experience.

According to Amazon, the redesign will provide users with a list of personalized suggestions based on the services and features they use most often. So if you often use Alexa to launch Spotify, the Alexa app will anticipate your needs by surfacing your favorite playlist. The redesigned experience may also surface frequently accessed controls and features, such as alarms and reminders. The goal is to provide users with a more frictionless experience on mobile devices.

In addition to providing a more personalized home screen in the latest update, Amazon is also prioritizing first-party experiences such as shopping, media playback, and communications. Amazon has also moved the Alexa button to the top of the app so it’s easier to find; you will no longer see the current date or weather up top. From the above screenshots showing off the latest update, we can see that the new redesign is indeed much cleaner.

Meanwhile, in the “More” button found in the bottom menu, advanced settings such as Reminders, Routines, Skills, and Settings can be found. TechCrunch speculates that Amazon chose to move Alexa skills to this menu because they aren’t widely used in the app. This could be why the introduction of new skills has slowed down, too.

The revamped Alexa app will roll out in the coming weeks and should be available for everyone on iOS, Android, and Fire OS devices by the end of August. The app can be downloaded on Android devices from the Google Play Store link embedded below.

Amazon Alexa (Free, Google Play) →

Via: TechCrunch

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Sony Xperia 1 II update adds RAW capture support for all three cameras in Photo Pro mode

When the Sony Xperia 1 II was introduced, its purpose was very clear: To offer the best mobile camera experience on the market. With the rollout of a new July security update (58.0.A.3.88), the experience has gotten even better.

Users in the XDA Developers forums claim the update introduces RAW support in Photo Pro mode. This is great news for users who enjoy tinkering around with their photos.

Image credits: Redditor /u/h-nucleus

Taking pictures in RAW might not be important to the average user, but it’s awesome for post-processing. You have more room to edit the depth of a RAW image compared to the JPEG format. Combined with the Xperia 1 II’s Photo Pro mode, users get one of the most powerful mobile camera experiences on the market.

Image credits: Redditor /u/Kapil300

One thing to note is RAW (.DNG) images are much larger than a JPEG, so storage on your phone will be used up quickly. That’s probably why the device’s burst mode doesn’t feature RAW image support, as noted by those who have received the latest update. RAW photos will also always be saved in a 4:3 aspect ratio to the internal storage but can be manually moved to external storage media after capture.

The Sony Xperia 1 II feature three lenses: a wide, ultrawide, and telephoto, all three of which feature 12-megapixel sensors. The device also supports lightning-quick Dual Pixel phase detection autofocus and optical image stabilization. Most notably, the camera system also supports the ability to focus on human and animal eyes, so taking portraits should produce sharp, pleasing results.

Sony Xperia 1 II XDA Forums

The update appears to be rolling out to Xperia 1 II owners now, so keep an eye out and prepare for the goodness of RAW.

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Via: Reddit 1, 2, 3, 4

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Smart actions can now set reminders from notifications of other apps

One of Android’s best features is the contextual actions that show up in the notification shade. The smart actions can give you easy responses to messages, a shortcut to copy a code, quick access to Google Maps navigation, and many more things. Now, there’s a new button showing up to let you quickly create a reminder with your favorite apps.

A new smart action has been showing up for some users that allows them to quickly set a reminder. The shortcut appears when a notification is asking you to do something. For example, a Telegram message that says “don’t forget to buy milk.” You will then see a button to “Set reminder,” which can work with a number of apps.

If you have a couple of apps that can handle reminders, the button will take you to a pop up to select the one you want. For example, Google Keep and Google Tasks work with the action. If you only have one installed, the smart action will show the icon of that app. Whichever app you use, tapping the action will bring you to the app with the title of the reminder pre-filled in. Reminders created in Keep are synced with Google Assistant reminders as well.

Currently, this new smart action has appeared in notifications from Telegram and WhatsApp, but not for Messages, Gmail, or Twitter. The phrases that trigger this shortcut tend to demand action: don’t forget, please buy, or bring this, etc. Adding an exclamation point or more vague messages like “dinner tonight at 7 pm” don’t trigger it yet.

It’s not clear what made this new action start showing up. It may be limited to Pixel phones at this time. Also, there’s no guarantee the feature will stick around. Google could pull it just as quickly as they added it.

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Source: Android Police

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OPPO Find X2 and Find X2 Pro with Snapdragon 865 receive GPU driver update

Modularizing the internal components of an operating system is a monumental undertaking, but the result is that future software updates become easier to perform. Project Treble is the perfect example of such an effort in the Android ecosystem. While Google is exploring different ways to reduce fragmentation of the OS and kernel, chipmakers themselves are also working with OEMs to decouple low-level drivers from the Android OS itself and reduce update fragmentation. A handful of current-generation Qualcomm SoCs support updatable GPU drivers, which can be installed like standalone driver updates on PCs. Xiaomi has already adapted the design and published a “GPU Driver Updater” app on its Chinese app store, which is compatible with the Snapdragon 865-powered Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro, and Redmi K30 Pro. Following Xiaomi’s footsteps, OPPO has now released a similar Adreno 650 GPU driver updater app for the OPPO Find X2 and the Find X2 Pro.

OPPO Find X2 XDA Forums ||| OPPO Find X2 Pro XDA Forums

Just like Xiaomi, OPPO’s driver updater (labeled as “OplusGpudriver“) is available for download only in China as of now. The package name of the app is com.oplus.gpudrivers.sm8250.api29 and the version number of the latest build is 0.0474.0. Notable Android developer Isaac Chen, known on our forums as XDA Senior Member TingyiChen, managed to get his hands on the APK file, which contains a bunch of GPU drivers from Qualcomm along with OpenGL ES and Vulkan related libraries.

Although the APK file can be manually sideloaded onto the international variants of the OPPO Find X2/X2 Pro as well, users on our forums report that the OpenGL version isn’t being incremented. Thus, it appears that the graphics driver can only be updated on Chinese builds of ColorOS for the Find X2 series.

Decoupling the GPU driver from the base OS is undoubtedly a big step towards the full modularization of Android. It is exciting to see that more OEMs are utilizing the new driver update schema, even though it has yet to gain support for different hardware elements apart from the GPU.

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Access Dots now logs when your camera and microphone are accessed

Earlier this month, XDA Recognized Developer jagan2 released Access Dots, an app that alerts users when their phone’s camera or mic is in use. After some feedback, jagan2 has introduced an update that makes Access Dots even better for those who value privacy.

The update will now log when your camera and microphone were accessed, and for how long. Jagan2 explains in the release notes for the Access Dots update:

1. Added Access Logs, shows: Time at which cam/mic was accessed, foreground App during the Access initiation, and duration of access.
2. For Android 10+, devices with camera notch, Access Dots by default now sticks beside the camera cutout like iOS 14.
3. Added ‘Custom’ location options to specify location in X/Y coordinates
4. Stability, bug fixes.

That’s a nice update if I do say so myself, and jagan2 isn’t stopping there. Access Dots will also soon display a colored dot when both your microphone and camera are accessed, which comes in addition to showing colored dots when they’re accessed individually.

If you have yet to check out Access Dots, the app aims to bring awareness to Android users. With the app installed, you’ll know if an app is surreptitiously accessing your camera and microphone, protecting you from potential snooping.

Access Dots should work on all Android devices running Android 7.0 Nougat and newer.

Access Dots XDA Forums thread

Access Dots - iOS 14 cam/mic access indicators! (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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Collabora Office updates its office suite for Android with support for Chromebooks

Collabora Office is an online productivity suite based on Libre Office, one of the most popular open-source replacements for Microsoft Office. Collabora Office, much like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, lets users collaborate on documents, letting them work simultaneously. But it is available as part of an enterprise suite available via apps that allow both online cloud-based as well as offline editing. In addition to desktop apps on Windows and Linux, Collabora Office can also be accessed using mobile apps on iOS and Android. And now, the office suite optimized for Chrome OS is available for Chromebooks via the Google Play Store.

Chrome OS has witnessed significant improvements since its launch in 2010 as a web-oriented operating system. Besides Google itself, companies such as Samsung and ASUS have been pumping the Chromebook segment with premium and performance-oriented machines, and this shows the potential for the Chrome OS’ growth. The same inspires Collabora to launch its office suite for Chromebooks. Although Chromebook users could already use Collabora Office on their laptops by running the Android app, this version comes with more optimizations and better performance.

Besides a rich package of features, Collabora also banks on privacy. It allows users to sync their documents directly onto privacy-friendly cloud storage options such as Nextcloud and ownCloud for storing documents instead of Google’s or Microsoft’s cloud storage. The company also seizes bragging rights by launching its Office apps ahead of native Microsoft Office apps for Chromebooks.

Collabora supports a variety of formats for documents including DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, DOC, XLS, PPT, and ODF. Besides the desktop client, you can also use your enterprise account online in a web browser to view and edit documents. To try out the Collabora Office enterprise suite on your Chromebook, you can head over to their subscription page and request a demo. They have plans starting at 17€ per user for SMBs with special offers for bigger enterprises, schools, and NGOs.

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Source: Collabora

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