Google Chat now lets you pin conversations and schedule Google Calendar events

More and more people are relying on services like Google Chat to stay in touch. Whether you’re keeping in contact with family or collaborating with a team for work, Chat has become a critical part of Google’s suite of services, and new updates are making it even better.

The first change is the ability to pin conversations. Pinning a conversation will keep it at the top of your list view in Chat in Gmail. You might want to pin a conversation for a contact you talk to often, like a loved one or best friend. The feature is available beginning this week for a variety of customers, including Workspace Essentials and G Suite Basic.

A second update will allow users to schedule meetings in Calendar directly from Chat conversations. In the compose bar, there’s a new calendar icon, which users can click on to draft an event with the attendees from the chat. Users can customize the invite, including day, time, and attendees, and then send it right from the chat.

If you’re using Google Chat in mobile, drafting an event will open the Calendar app. If you’re drafting an event on the web while using Chat, Calendar will pop out in the side panel. Google said the feature is rolling out to Chat in the Android Gmail app and the Chat Android mobile app. It’ll be available to the Chat in Gmail on the web and Chat iOS app soon.

These releases don’t introduce any flagship features, but they do improve the usability of Chat in important ways. Being able to pin conversations is especially handy if you frequently interact with a lot of people but want to keep someone at the top of the list. The latest features join a recent update that unthreaded chat rooms to make conversations things easier to follow.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still spreading across the world, Chat has become an important tool for staying in touch. We’re glad to see Google continuing to improve the experience.

Google Chat (Free, Google Play) →

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Save over $50 on a 34-inch LG Ultrawide FreeSync monitor and enjoy the view

You know, I used to think ultrawide monitors were a bit silly. Do you really need that much desktop real estate, and for your field of vision in games to be that wide? Of course, I have two normal sized-monitors mounted side by side, so it became obvious that I was being a little hypocritical. I still haven’t made the jump to an ultrawide monitor yet, but I can now understand the appeal of having enough room to open all of the applications you need without the borders of two monitors messing everything up.

So it’s good news that ultrawide monitors have been becoming more and more affordable, and this is the time of year is the perfect time to save. On Amazon, the LG Ultrawide FreeSync monitor is down to $327, $53 off its MSRP. This 34-inch monitor is a great beginner’s ultrawide monitor–inexpensive enough to convince you to make the jump, but not a gigantic loss if you end up wanting to do pack to a normal 16:9 set-up. Both of my monitors combined cost more than the LG UltraWide FreeSync monitor!

What really makes this LG monitor stand out is the AMD FreeSync software. That, along with Dynamic Action Sync, three game modes, and 1ms motion response time means that it’s great for gaming. So if you’re even slowly building up your PC gaming set-up with various deals as they come around, this will be the perfect accessory to complete it. You can even hook up your game consoles to the monitor and use it, though you might want to go with a quality TV instead.

LG Ultrawide Freesync Monitor (34-inch)

With FreeSync and a 1 millisecond response time, this LG ultrawide monitor may be just what you were looking for! Right now, you can save over $50 and get this 21:9 monitor for just $327. That's cheaper than two 16:9 monitors!

Buy at Amazon

If you’re not convinced by this monitor, there is only another, 29-inch LG Ultrawide monitor on sale as well. It also has FreeSync and it’s available for the lower price of $229. But, if you’re going to go for an ultrawide monitor and have the space, I’d recommend the 34-inch model!

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Google to shut down the Expeditions app but plans to add VR tours to Arts & Culture

Google on Friday announced plans to shut down the Expeditions app, and instead fold the experience into the company’s Arts & Culture experience. Expeditions will be removed from Google Play and the iOS App Store on June 30, 2021.

When it launched in limited access in 2015, Google Expeditions allowed students to explore “far-away places, travel back in time or learn about cultures unlike their own” — all in VR. It was a more immersive way to learn about subjects compared to flipping through a book, innovating the way students learn.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to last.

Engaging students in the classroom has taken on an entirely different meaning this year. As schools around the world reimagine education from the ground up for a hybrid world, we’ve also been thinking deeply about how to adjust our tools to meet the moment and simultaneously build for the future.

On top of educators moving to hybrid learning programs, Google acknowledged that VR isn’t accessible to everyone. That’s why the company is turning to Arts & Culture, a free initiative that allows users to take 360 degree tours of museums, heritage sites and wonders of the world. Google said “most” Expeditions will be included in Arts & Culture once the changes take place.

Google called the changes a “product evolution” of Arts & Culture, and is the first step toward bridging the accessibility gap to providing everyone with a culturally enriching experience.

If you’re unfamiliar with Google Arts & Culture, the platform provides access to collections on Natural History, Black History and Culture, the road to equality for women’s rights, and more. In addition to simple 360 degree tours in the browser, Arts & Culture supports augmented reality, allowing students to project 3D models of exhibits into the real world.

Google Arts & Culture (Free, Google Play) →

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OnePlus 8T receives OxygenOS 11.0.4.5 with fixes for call stability, NFC, and more

The OnePlus 8T launched about a month ago, and so far the company has been doing a decent job keeping it updated. With multiple updates to OxygenOS 11 till now, a number of fixes have been added. In fact, the phone has just received a minor hotfix update that bumps up the OxygenOS version to 11.0.4.5.

OnePlus 8T XDA Forums

OnePlus 8T Review: The T upgrade that makes sense

OnePlus mentions that this update is aimed at fixing an NFC related issue along with improving call stability. You can read the whole changelog below, which seems to be pretty much identical to the last stable build (except for those two fixes). Unfortunately, the new build does not increment the security patch level for the device, so the OnePlus 8T still remains on the October 2020 security patches.

• System
  • Optimized the call stability
  • Improved system power consumption performance to reduce heating
  • Improved mis-touch prevention to offer better gaming experience
  • Optimized fluidity with some mainstream games to reduce lagging risks
  • Optimized user experience with Alert Slider by adding toast messages when switching among the 3 modes
  • Fixed the issue that the status bar kept hovering on the screen in landscape mode
  • Fixed the issue that NFC cannot be turned on in a small probability
• Camera
  • Optimized the imaging effect to bring you with better shooting experience
  • Improved camera stability
• Network
  • Optimized mobile network connection to improve the network intensity with signal
  • Fixed the small probability issue with network interruption while playing games

Thanks to OnePlus Community user ShreyasPatil_ for the screenshot!

If you were on the last public release of OxygenOS, the update will be just 105MB for you. Do note that the OTA is only being released for the Indian variant of the OnePlus 8T at the moment, but the company has confirmed that the European and North American models should follow soon after.

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Download: OxygenOS 11.0.4.5 for the OnePlus 8T

The update is rolling out in waves, so you will have to wait for it to reach your device. In case you want to sideload the build now, you can find download links for both the incremental update as well as the full ROM listed below. We will update the article with the links for other variants as soon as we get our hands on it.

• India (11.0.4.5.KB05DA)
  • Full OTA
  • Incremental OTA from 11.0.3.4
  • Incremental OTA from 11.0.2.3

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Thanks to XDA Senior Member Some_Random_Username for the download links!

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Magisk (Beta) v21.1 and Magisk Manager v8.0.3 bring along Pixel 5, Pixel 4a 5G support, and more

XDA Senior Recognized Developer topjohnwu has released Magisk (Beta) v21.1 and Magisk Manager v8.0.3, bringing support for the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G. Magisk provides users with an easy solution to root your Android device. TopJohnwu previously launched updates to its Magisk apps that brought support for Android 11.

Topjohnwu announced the new updates on Twitter today, saying the focus is primarily on stability improvements and bug fixes. But if you own one (or both!) of Google’s most recent flagships, Magisk (Beta) v21.1 will now work with those devices. Here’s the full changelog for Magisk (Beta) v21.1:

Magisk (Beta) v21.1 changelog

• [MagiskBoot] Support boot header v3 (Pixel 5 and 4a 5G)
• [MagiskBoot] Distinguish lz4_lg and lz4_legacy (Pixel 5 and 4a 5G)
• [MagiskBoot] Support vendor boot images (for dev, not relevant for Magisk installation)
• [MagiskInit] Support kernel cmdline androidboot.fstab_suffix
• [MagiskInit] Support kernel initialized dm-verity on legacy SAR
• [General] Significantly broaden sepolicy.rule compatibility
• [General] Add Magisk binaries to PATH when executing boot scripts
• [General] Update --remove-modules command implementation
• [General] Make Magisk properly survive after factory reset on Android 11
• [MagiskSU] Add APEX package com.android.i18n to LD_LIBRARY_PATH when linking libsqlite.so
• [MagiskHide] Support hiding apps installed in secondary users (e.g. work profile)
• [MagiskHide] Make zygote detection more robust

Magisk Manager v8.0.3 also includes some stability changes and bug fixes:

Magisk Manager v8.0.3

• Switch to the new Magisk Module Repo setup in preparation to allow 3rd party repos
• Add tapjacking protection on Superuser request dialog
• Stability changes and bug fixes

If you’re unfamiliar with Magisk, we have a full guide that walks you through how to root your device. If you run into any problems, you can file a bug report on the project’s GitHub repository. And don’t forget to refer to our Magisk XDA forums for the latest discussion on today’s release.

Magisk XDA Forums

Download Magisk (Beta) v21.1 || Download Magisk Manager v8.0.3

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Motorola’s Leak Sale has deep discounts on the Motorola Edge, G Power, and more!

What does a quality budget phone do during the holiday shopping season? They slash their prices and become even more affordable! Motorola couldn’t wait until Black Friday, so they’ve started their sales event early! With the Motorola Leak Sale slashing the prices of the Motorola Edge, G7 Power, and more, there’s a budget smartphone for everyone here!

Motorola’s Leak Sale is live on both Amazon and Motorola’s site. Amazon does have the advantages of Prime shipping, fuss-free returns, and payment plans if you have the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa, the online retailer is the better option to go with.

Perhaps the most impressive deal of the Leak Sale is the Motorola Edge, which is down to just $400. Normally $700, this unlocked phone is compatible with all US carriers. It’s even compatible with T-Mobile’s 5G network! The Edge’s battery lasts up to two days and can turbocharge, has a 90 Hz display, and a 64MP triple camera. In short, it’s a great higher-end budget phone!

Motorola Edge

The high-end option of Motorola's budget pics, the Motorola Edge is currently just $400 on Amazon.

Buy at Amazon

Looking for something even more budget-friendly during Motorola’s Leak Sale? Look no further than the Moto G7 Power! Down to a shockingly low $132, this is basically the phone to buy if you don’t need any fancy bells and whistles, or are worried about wear and tear ruining something more expensive too quickly. With a battery that can last over two days and a fingerprint reader, this phone gives you all the basics. Pretty much everyone knows someone that could use a smartphone that doesn’t overwhelm them.

Motorola G7 Power

Need a no-frills phone for the people in your life that gets overwhelmed by too many bells and whistles? The Moto G7 Power is just $132 right now!

Buy at Amazon

Finally, there’s the Moto G Power, which yes, is in fact newer and more powerful than the Moto G7 Power. It’s one of our picks for the best Android phones under $300! Think of it as a mid-way point between the G7 Power and the Edge. With 4GB od RAM, it should be able to run most non-gaming apps easily, and the 16MP camera will take some great pictures. It also has Dolby audio and is water-resistant! As a part of the Motorola Leak Sale, this phone is just $180, $70 down from the $250 MSRP.

Moto G Power

The Moto G Power is one of the best budget phones around, and right now, you can grab it for just $180!

Buy at Amazon

Looking for ever more deals? Check out the Motorola Leak Sale store page!

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The best courses on coding, data science, and cybersecurity on sale this week

While some industries are struggling right now, the tech sector is booming. If you want to start a new career or simply find a better-paid job, learning new skills is a smart move. Here are some of the best courses currently available, now with over 90% off full price at the XDA Developers Depot.

The 2020 All-in-One Data Scientist Mega Bundle

From financial forecasting to artificial intelligence, data skills have many uses. Featuring 12 courses and over 141 hours of content, this bundle helps you master a range of tools, including Hadoop, MongoDB, R, Tableau, and more. The training is worth $6,000, but you can get it today for just $39.99.

Pay What You Want: Complete Cyber Security Certification Training Bundle

Experts predict there will be 3.5 million unfilled jobs in cybersecurity by next year. This bundle helps you become a certified security expert, with 12 courses working towards top exams. You can pay what you like for two tracks; simply beat the average price paid to unlock the full bundle, worth $1,489.

The 2020 Java Bootcamp Bundle

This collection of 10 courses helps you start programming with Java, a language used to create software on many platforms. You get 10 hours of beginner-friendly lessons, and you get to build real programs for experience. Worth $990, the bundle is now only $35.99.

The 2020 Ultimate Web Developer & Design Bootcamp Bundle

Whether you want to code websites for clients or build your own startup, this bundle helps you acquire the necessary skills. It includes 11 courses, covering HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, Bootstrap, APIs, and much more. Order today for $39.99 to get lifetime access, worth $2,200.

The Deep Learning & Data Analysis Certification Bundle

Want to get ahead of the curve? This training bundle helps you understand the latest innovations in artificial intelligence and data science, with eight certified courses. Along the way, you get to build some pretty cool projects. Valued at $1,600, the training is now just $39.99.

The Complete Ruby on Rails 6 Bootcamp Certification Bundle

According to Indeed, the average salary for a Ruby on Rails developer is $120,192. This bundle helps you join this lucrative career path and build your own web apps, with 42 hours of hands-on video tutorials. Usually priced at $1,000, the training is now only $35.99.

The Ultimate Python & Artificial Intelligence Certification Bundle

Taught in most computer science programs, Python is another great language to learn. Through 38 hours of content, this bundle explores how the language can be used to handle data, develop for the web, and create artificial intelligence. Normally $1,791, the courses are currently just $39.99.

The 2021 Advanced Data Analyst Bundle

Covering Python, Excel, and Microsoft BI, this training library helps you analyze data like a pro. It includes 29 hours of tutorials, taking you from basic charts to advanced queries. Worth $450, the courses are now only $29.99.

Prices subject to change 

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