Samsung Galaxy S20 is getting December 2020 security patches in its latest One UI 3.0 beta

Remember when Samsung rolled out the November 2020 security patches even before Google published the corresponding security bulletin? It was possible because Android Partners are usually notified of all Android framework issues and Linux kernel issues at least 30 days before the bulletin is made public. Nonetheless, Samsung should be appreciated for integrating those patches on top of a heavy Android skin like One UI and pushing the OTA across the globe long before other OEMs. In fact, the company has done it again – the Galaxy S20 lineup is now receiving the December 2020 security patches, albeit through the beta channel.

Samsung Galaxy S20/S20+/S20 Ultra XDA Forums

Samsung has released firmware version G98xxXXU5ZTKA as the latest Android 11/One UI 3.0 public beta for the Exynos 990-powered carrier unlocked Galaxy S20 lineup. For users in the United Kingdom and India, the ZTKA build is beta 4. In Germany, however, this firmware is the sixth beta build of One UI 3.0 that the company has released so far. In both cases, Samsung bumps up the Android security patch level (SPL) to December 2020.

Apart from the new security patches, the changelog also mentions camera improvements. The latest build fixes a bunch of bugs that have been discovered by the beta participants, which suggests that the final release of One UI 3.0 for the Galaxy S20 may not be far off.

Due to the fact that this is a beta channel update, regular users will not get the update prompt on their phones. For those of you who want to get a taste of bleeding edge development without beta enrollment, you need to download the appropriate OTA packages for your model from this thread and sideload them using the stock recovery environment in proper sequence. It is highly recommended that you back up your data before proceeding, though.

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Thanks to XDA Senior Member Darbar1701 and Twitter user @iamMdUmar for the screenshots!

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This could be the upcoming Redmi Note 10 4G from Xiaomi

Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 9 series first hit the market earlier this year in March, when the company unveiled the Redmi Note 9 Pro and Redmi Note 9 Pro Max in India. The Redmi Note 9 Pro was then launched globally as the Redmi Note 9S in the same month. In April, Xiaomi launched the regular Redmi Note 9 and Redmi Note 9 Pro globally. And the company finally concluded the Redmi Note 9 series launches by bringing the regular Redmi Note 9 to the Indian market in July. Now that it has been a couple of months since the Redmi Note 9 series launches ended, Xiaomi is prepping up to launch the Redmi Note 10 series.

A new Xiaomi device was recently spotted on Chinese regulatory authority TENAA’s website (via XiaomiAdictos), and this phone could likely turn out to be the Redmi Note 10 4G. The certification filing reveals that the presumed Redmi Note 10 4G will go by the model number M2010J19SC, and it will measure 162.29 x 77.24 x 9.6mm.

The listing further adds that the Redmi Note 10 4G will feature a 6.53-inch LCD panel with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels and a massive 5,900mAh battery. Thanks to the large battery, the device will weigh around 198 grams. As far as the internal hardware is concerned, the Redmi Note 10 4G will pack in an unspecified octa-core processor clocked at 2GHz, which will be offered with three RAM/storage options — 4GB/64GB, 6GB/128GB, and 8GB/256GB.

Images of the Redmi Note 10 4G attached in the listing further reveal that the device will feature a triple camera setup on the back, placed within a rectangular camera island in the top left corner. Over on the front, it will include a single camera sensor within a waterdrop-style notch. It will feature a sunrise-style pattern on the back panel like the Realme C3, and large Redmi branding right underneath the camera island. The images also reveal that it will feature a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

In the software department, the Redmi Note 10 4G is expected to run MIUI 12 based on Android 10. Other features include an infrared sensor, FM radio, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The device will be available in a couple of different color variants, including black, blue, white, green, purple, red, and orange.

As of now, Xiaomi hasn’t released any information about the Redmi Note 10 series. But since one of the devices in the series has already received certification in China, the company may officially announce the series in the coming weeks. This particular device does not show any information related to 5G connectivity on TENAA, but that does not mean that Xiaomi is choosing to stick to 4G entirely for its Redmi Note lineup. There’s also bound to be differences between the phones launched in China, the phones launched in India, and the phones launched globally. We hope to learn more in the coming days.

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Google is working on Nest Audio integration with Chromecast

Nest Audio is the latest smart speaker from Google, replacing the original Google Home that launched all the way back in 2016. The Nest Audio not only offers much better sound quality, but it also looks aesthetically pleasing in its fabric-covered body. We rated the Nest Audio highly for its amazing sound quality in our review. While the speaker makes for a great choice for streaming music and listening to podcasts, you’ll soon be able to utilize Google’s new smart speaker for watching movies and TV shows.

Google has confirmed it’s working on making it possible to use Nest Audio as the primary audio output of your TV. The news comes from WSJ (via 9to5Google), which received a statement from Google saying that “the company is working on Nest Audio-Chromecast integration.”

Although Google Home/Nest owners could link their smart speakers with Chromecast to control music and video on their TV, it wasn’t possible to use them as the default TV speakers. Once the feature goes live, Nest Audio owners will be able to pair their speaker(s) with Chromecast to form a home theatre system. Google will be playing catch-up with Amazon, which has long supported this ability on the Echo speakers and Fire TV.

No other details about the Chromecast integration have been provided yet. The new Chromecast stick with Google TV will certainly be the first to get the new feature. However, it’s unclear if older Chromecast dongles, including Chromecast Ultra and smart TVs with Chromecast built-in, will support the integration. Similarly, it’s also unclear if the integration will be expanded to other Google Smart speakers such as Nest Mini, original Google Home, and Google Home Max, or it will remain exclusive to Nest Audio. Google hasn’t shared a timeline as to when it plans to roll out the Chromecast integration to Nest Audio. We’ll be sure to let you know if we hear more details from Google.

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These are the best PUBG Mobile accessory options

PUBG Mobile continues to be one of the top mobile games around the world. While the game is facing challenges in India due to the recent ban of 118 Chinese apps, it still has a massive audience from different parts of the globe. There is a massive community with professionally organized tournaments making it one of the biggest esports titles in recent times. Now if you are an avid player or new to the game and want to test your skills, then we have some highly recommended add-ons for you to try out. We have included some controller and trigger options as well as some finger sleeves if you love using the claw grip.

PUBG Mobile Controllers

Before we move on, allow us to break your bubble. PUBG Mobile does not support any sort of Bluetooth controllers on Android or iOS. Now, there are certain alternatives where you can tinker around with some plugins to enable this, but that comes at the risk of getting your account banned. Instead, if you really want to use a controller, you can go try using an emulator on your PC. By doing so you could easily map all the controls using the emulator itself. Speaking of which, we recently listed out some of the best emulators that you can use to play PUBG Mobile on your PC. We suggest that you use the Xbox One wireless controller if you are planning to take this route.

Xbox One Controller

The Xbox One controller is the best option to play PUBG Mobile but only if you are using an emulator on your Windows PC

$54.45 at Amazon

PUBG Mobile Triggers

Now there is another popular accessory for smartphones that can assist in improving your gameplay. Trigger controllers and attachments can be hooked on to your phone to offer physical buttons for up to 2-4 functions. All you need to do is attach the triggers to your phone and then align the controls from the game settings to match the placement of each trigger. Essentially these triggers just tap onto your phone’s touchscreen but add physical shoulder buttons for a more intuitive experience. These are fairly cheap and are offered in a variety of shapes and sizes. We recommend the COOBILE Gaming Grip that offers two triggers placed onto a gamepad-style chassis. It includes a built-in fan to keep your phone cool and can even charge your phone with its in-built 4000mAh battery. If you don’t want to add a lot of bulk to your smartphone, then you can also try the IFYOO Z108 Mobile Gaming Controller. These are independent triggers that can be attached as shoulder buttons for your smartphone. Trigger controllers do have a learning curve, but if you are used to playing on a gamepad with shoulder buttons, then you should adapt quickly.

COOBILE Gaming Grip

This comes in a controller style design with two triggers, a built-in fan and a battery to charge your phone.

$16.90 at Amazon

IFYOO Z108 Mobile Gaming Controller

These are simple triggers that attach to your phone to offer shoulder-style buttons while playing PUBG Mobile.

$10.90 at Amazon

Finger Sleeves

Sweaty hands hampering your performance? Then you need to get some finger-sleeves. They might look and sound ridiculous, but they are very effective. These are great for players who use three-finger and four-finger claw grip as they improve sensitivity and performance. Our recommendation is the Mobile Gaming Corps ClawSocks. These come with a total of six sleeves and feature 100% silver thread for the highest conductivity. They are also claimed to help in overcoming humidity, sweat, dirt, and oil. If you want a more affordable option then go for the Newseego Mobile Game Controller Finger Sleeves. These also come in a similar set of six sleeves with a slightly less premium finish.

Mobile Gaming Corp Clawsocks

These are the best and highly rated finger sleeves to offer improved precision and sensitivity while playing PUBG Mobile.

$12.99 at MGC Gaming Store

Newseego Mobile Game Controllers Finger Sleeve

Go for these if you are looking for affordable competitive finger sleeves for mobile gaming.

$6.99 at Amazon

Touchscreen Joypads

Lastly, we have touchscreen joypads that may or may not be to your liking, but you should definitely try these out. Basically, they attach to your smartphone’s touchscreen and the plastic nub on top rotates, just like a joystick on a controller. The only drawback to these is that you cannot leave them on permanently as it will cover a part of your display. So you need to attach these every time you want to play PUBG. Some of these do come with a reusable material, for instance, the Vakili Mobile Phone Game Joystick. According to the company, it can be fixed on any mobile phone or tablet, has excellent paste ability, and will not scratch the touch screen. Also, you need to note that this joystick is helpful for direction control only, so you make sure you have the sprint button activated.

Vakili Mobile Phone Game Joystick

These stick-on joysticks can attach to your phone's display allowing you add a physical joystick right on to your screen.

$6.99 at Amazon

Now, most of these accessories are intended to improve your gameplay. However, some of them might have a learning curve so make sure you understand your own needs before buying any of the recommended products. As for PUBG Mobile, the game is completely inaccessible in India following the ban by the government due to its Chinese ownership. PUBG Corp. has taken back all the rights and data of the game and will soon make a comeback with a brand new identity.

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Chromebooks and tablets exploded in popularity this year, according to Canalys

Google’s constant efforts to make Chrome OS a viable alternative to Windows and macOS finally seem to be paying off. According to a recent report from Canalys, Chromebooks were the best performing client PC product in Q3 2020, with a 122% YoY growth in shipments. Chrome OS-powered devices dominated the PC category (in terms of growth) with a total of 9.4 million shipments in just the last quarter alone. In comparison, ultra-slim notebooks saw 57% YoY growth in shipments and clamshell notebooks saw a 1% YoY growth, while desktop workstations saw a decline of 27% YoY, and tower and small desktops saw a decline of 33% YoY.

The report reveals that HP led the Chromebook market with 3.2 million units sold in the time period, with an annual growth of 116.9% and a market share of 34.1%. Lenovo took the second spot with an annual growth of over 300% and a market share of 18.9%. The remaining three spots in the top five were occupied by Dell, Acer, and Asus, in that order.

Talking about the sudden rise in popularity of Chromebooks in the quarter, Canalys Analyst Ishan Dutt noted:

“Chromebooks emerged as the centerpiece of the education segment’s digital response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Uncertainty in how school terms will proceed remains at the forefront of educators’ minds in the face of secondary lockdowns and protocols related to dealing with infections within a school’s population. As a result, institutions turned to Chromebooks to deliver a relatively budget-friendly and easy to manage contingency to ensure minimal disruption over the course of the school year.”

Along with Chromebooks, the tablet market also saw impressive growth in the quarter due to similar reasons. The worldwide tablet market saw a 43% YoY growth, with 44.3 million units shipped in Q3 2020. As expected, Apple led the tablet market with over 15.2 million units sold, a growth of 47% over last year.

Samsung took the second spot with an impressive 79.8% growth, and over 9 million units shipped in the quarter. Huawei, Amazon, and Lenovo took the remaining spots in the top five list. The tablet market has been on the decline since 2015, and the last two quarters were the only quarters of growth in the last five years, Canalys noted.

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Everything you need to know about Samsung Pay in 2020

Samsung has, over the years, launched a gigantic repertoire of their own in-house services. We have Bixby, which is Samsung’s own AI assistant that’s present in a number of their devices, including smart speakers, smartphones, and even home appliances, And then we also have things like Samsung Knox, a set of security features built into every Samsung smartphone and wearable. But one feature that doesn’t get the credit it deserves is Samsung Pay, Samsung’s own platform for payments which, as it turns out, is way more flexible than counterparts such as Google Pay and Apple Pay. But what exactly is Samsung Pay, and how does it stand out from the pack?

Well, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’re going to do a rundown on what exactly is Samsung Pay, and how it’s better than its alternatives.

Navigate this guide:

• What is Samsung Pay, and how does it work?
• Is Samsung Pay Safe?
• Is Samsung Pay better than Apple Pay or Google Pay?
• How do I set up Samsung Pay?
• Can you use it in stores and online?
• How much can I spend using Samsung Pay?
• Which Countries is it available in?
• Which Banks support it?

What is Samsung Pay, and how does it work?

Samsung Pay is a payment service and digital wallet developed by Samsung that lets Samsung users make payments using their Samsung devices. and it’s compatible with several Samsung phones and smartwatches. It was first launched in South Korea on August 20, 2015, and then rolled out to the United States on September 28th of that same year. It was first compatible with the company’s flagships at the time, which were the Samsung Galaxy S6 series and the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, and support then rolled out to other smartphones, both flagship and mid-range, as well as smartwatches and even the newest foldable smartphones launched by Samsung.

The service allows users to make contactless payments, but unlike other competing services, Samsung Pay supports both NFC payments as well as MST for magnetic stripe-only payment terminals. In countries like India, it also adds in support for the local payment systems such as UPI and allows for paying bills right from the app.

Is Samsung Pay safe?

Yes, Samsung Pay is safe. It leverages Samsung’s Knox security suite, which is built into all smartphones and smartwatches that support the service, and also makes use of ARM TrustZone for hardware-enforced isolation at the CPU level, further protecting transactions from external attacks. No card details are stored either at Samsung’s servers or the device itself.

The service makes use of tokenization like other platforms such as Apple Pay: a number or token is created that replaces your card details, which is stored in a secure chip within your device and is passed to the retailer or merchant once a transaction is initialized so the retailer in question never has access to your actual credit card details. Rest assured, your information is safe within your phone.

Is Samsung Pay better than Apple Pay or Google Pay?

It’s better in terms of overall support. It not only supports NFC but also supports MST with several devices. MST, or magnetic secure transmission, allows users to make contactless payments using terminals that don’t support NFC payments and otherwise only support magnetic stripe cards. MST emulates the swipe of the magnetic strip in a credit or debit card past a reader by generating the near-field magnetic waveform directly from the device. The contactless payment is detected by the point-of-sale as a regular, classic card with a magnetic stripe, and the transaction goes forward. Because of this, Samsung Pay can be used to pay in almost any place with a regular point-of-sale as long as it either supports NFC contactless payments or swiping cards.

It falls short in terms of devices supported, though, as it’s only supported on Samsung phones. Apple Pay, just like Samsung Pay, is exclusive to Apple’s own ecosystem. By contrast, services like Google Pay are available in almost any Android smartphone out there. MST makes this payment service from Samsung a very capable competitor, as it allows you to pay pretty much anywhere and everywhere that a card can be used.

How do I set up Samsung Pay?

First up, you need a Samsung device with support for Samsung Pay. If it’s a recent device, then it’ll most likely support it. From there, look for the “Samsung Pay” icon on your home screen and do the following:

• Tap Sign In (located in the lower-right) to sign in to your Samsung account. Have in mind that you’ll need a Samsung account for this, so if you don’t have one already, do so by tapping Sign Up.
• Review the Terms of Service, then tap Agree To All.
• If you want to use your fingerprint, tap Use Fingerprint and then follow the onscreen instructions. Alternatively, tap Skip and use Samsung Pay PIN to set up the PIN verification method.
• Enter a backup password, then tap Continue.
• Re-enter the password, then tap OK.
• If preferred, tap OK to use your fingerprint to unlock the device.
• Once the setup is complete, you can add your credit or debit card.

Can you use it in stores and online?

As we said before, you can pay in stores using Samsung Pay with either regular, old-fashion contactless payments through NFC as well as MST for any point-of-sale with a magnetic card reader. This makes it compatible with roughly 90% of terminals, retailers, and stores in the USA. And the fact that it supports several security features such as tokenization means that you won’t have to fear having your card information stolen.

Unfortunately, though, Samsung Pay is not available as an option for most online purchases. It’s available in Samsung’s own suite of apps, as well as a reduced number of third-party ones, of which ExxonMobil’s SpeedPass+ is the most notable one, but you can’t expect to pay for stuff using S Pay as you do with PayPal or even Google Pay for that matter.

How much can I spend using Samsung Pay?

Samsung Pay doesn’t impose any spending limits itself, and you can spend how much or how little you want as this app service only serves as an intermediary between your card provider and the merchant. Limits may, however, be imposed by your bank or card provider, and will mostly be the same limits your actual, physical card is subjected to. For information on limits, you’ll need to check with your bank or card provider.

Some retailers might also limit the amount of money you can spend with these app services on a single purchase. You might also need to check this with your retailer of choice before using Samsung Pay at one of their locations.

Which Countries is it available in?

Samsung Pay is supported in the following countries:

• Europe
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Switzerland
  • United Kingdom
  • Sweden
  • Russia
• Americas
  • United States
  • Canada
  • Mexico
  • Puerto Rico
  • Brazil
• Asia/Pacific Region
  • Australia
  • China
  • Hong Kong
  • India
  • Malaysia
  • Singapore
  • South Korea
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • Vietnam
• Africa/Middle Eastern region
  • South Africa
  • United Arab Emirates

Which Banks support it?

Samsung Pay is supported by a handful of banks in every country it’s supported. In the United States, for example, you can expect to use this service in most major banks, such as Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citibank, TD Bank, and Wells Fargo. You can also use it on smaller, community banks as well. In the United Kingdom, it’s supported by Danske Bank, Engage, First Direct, and HSBC, among others.

If you’re in the U.S, you can check out the full list of banks supported by Samsung Pay here.

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POCO X3 kernel sources are still not available, despite a promise of launch-day release

The POCO X3 NFC was launched back on September 7, 2020, bringing around a very high-value package at an affordable price tag. POCO repeated the same act with the POCO X3 in India, launched on September 22, 2020, but with slight differences from the globally launched variant: a bigger battery and no NFC. Two months on, the device remains one of the best purchases overall in the mid-range, for both the Global and the Indian variants. But what disappoints us is the fact that the kernel source for the device(s) has still not been released, despite a promise to release it on launch day.

If you tuned into the global launch event for the POCO X3 NFC (device codename: surya), you would have noticed POCO promising to release the kernel sources of the device right on the same day.

Get an overall smartphone experience that has #ExactlyWhatYouNeed with #POCOX3 NFC. pic.twitter.com/JwtemlQu4m

— POCO (@POCOGlobal) September 7, 2020

While POCO India did not make an explicit promise to release the kernel sources right on launch day for the POCO X3 Indian variant, they are still bound by the GPL like all other Android OEMs. The Indian variant has an internal codename “karna“, but MIUI 12 firmware packages are released for it with the “surya” codename tag and “in” region tag for India. The POCO X3 and POCO X3 NFC are very similar to each other, as the names would also imply.

GPLv2 requires companies to release any modifications to the ‘GPLed’ codebase (the kernel in this case) that they ship to the customers. Releasing sources is not just part of the spirit of Android and one of the foundations of a flourishing third-party development community, it is also part of the copyright/copyleft license associated with the kernel. Copyright holders of the GPL software can choose to enforce the GPL on the distributed/derivative works of the software, and it thus becomes a legally enforceable contract in several jurisdictions to release kernel sources. We can go further into the legalities of it, but long story short — if you ship a modification to a GPL software, you have to provide its source code.

Since it has been more than 2 months now since the phone has been released, there is very little excuse left on POCO’s end for not having released the source code. The phone is in the hands of consumers, and a fair few updates have also been delivered. Releasing kernel sources promptly should be something that every OEM does anyway. But POCO explicitly promised a very quick kernel release. And not releasing it so far trudges upon these claims of developer-friendliness and the trust of customers (and legal contracts, too).

The POCO X3/NFC remains an excellent value device in the age of rising flagship prices. While the phone is no flagship, nor does it pretend to be, it’s very easy to recommend to average users in the regions where it is officially sold. You get a lot of phone for the money. We hope POCO releases kernel sources as soon as possible, to keep up its promise to its fans. And while they’re at it, we hope they release kernel sources for the POCO M2 (device codename: shiva) and POCO C3 (device codename: angelicain) as well.

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