Here’s a sneak peek at Aurora Store v4, a big update to the open source Play Store client

The Aurora Store is a popular open-source client of the Google Play Store, allowing users to search, download, and update Android apps and games on any device running Android 5.0 and above. The app’s main highlight is that it doesn’t require GApps, MicroG, or Google service of any kind. Originally a fork of the Yalp Store, the app was later rewritten from scratch to offer a modern UI with Material Design.

The team behind Aurora Store is working on a major update that improves the app discovery and brings the user interface a step closer to the Google Play Store. XDA Senior Member Hb20032003 has shared some images — originally posted over at Aurora Store’s official Telegram group — giving us a sneak peek at what the fresh UI will look like. As you can see in the screenshots below, the new UI is clearly inspired by the Google Play Store, focusing on making it easier to discover new apps. The old Home, Updates, Categories tabs have been replaced by the Apps, Games, and Updates, and there’s now a floating search button instead of the top search bar. We also see new columns such as “For You,” “Top Charts,” and “Editor’s Choice,” along with proper app categories.

Whether you are on a mission to ditch Google services or have a phone without GMS, such as a Huawei phone, the Aurora Store lets you explore and download virtually all the apps available on the Google Play Store. Even if you don’t fall into those camps, features like the ability to spoof your device information and region are enticing enough to give the app a shot.

If you’re interested, you can download the latest stable version of the Aurora Store from the official XDA thread below. The new version of the Aurora Store is not yet available on F-Droid or GitLab, but should soon make its way over there.

Download the Aurora Store app from XDA

Be warned that using Aurora Store with your Google account may result in the deactivation or permanent ban as the app is in direct violation of Google’s Terms and Service 3.3. So proceed at your own risk or use the Anonymous account provided by the app.

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Check your video call settings in advance with Google Meet’s new green room

After rolling out live caption support in four more languages to Google Meet late last year, Google is now adding a new feature to the service that will let you preview your audio and video quality before joining a meeting. The feature adds a new ‘Check your audio and video’ button on the screen that appears right before you join a meeting to help you quickly check if your setup is working as intended.

Google announced the new feature in a recent Workspace Updates blog post, highlighting how it will help you catch audio and video issues. In the post, Google reveals that the new ‘Check your audio and video’ button will take you to a new “green room” page, where you’ll be able to preview your audio and video. This will help you catch issues like an unintentionally muted microphone, a secondary display monitor with a missing headphone or speaker connection, or other audio issues like poor sound quality before you join a video call.

As you can see in the attached screenshot, the Google Meet green room will show you a video feed from your webcam that will help you check your video quality at a glance. Beneath the video feed, you’ll find three device options that will let you choose your preferred microphone, speaker, and camera. Once you’re satisfied with the quality, you can click on the ‘Next’ button at the bottom to confirm the settings and then proceed to join the meeting.

The post further reveals that the feature has already started rolling out, and it should reach all Google Meet users in the next couple of weeks. It’s worth noting that the feature will be available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus users. Additionally, it will also be available for G Suite Basic, Business, Education, Enterprise for Education, and Nonprofits customers.

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Huawei’s new foldable phone launches this month, but don’t expect to get your hands on one

Huawei jumped on the foldable bandwagon with the Mate X back in February 2019. Now, two years later, the company is gearing up to launch its next foldable smartphone. The new foldable will simply be called the Huawei Mate X2, and it’s set to launch later this month in China.

The news comes from Huawei’s official Weibo account, essentially confirming rumors that have been circulating on the internet for the past few weeks. The announcement comes when we are also hearing reports about Huawei considering selling off its Mate and P series of smartphone brands to a consortium of government-backed investors. But this announcement of Huawei Mate X2 does restore some hope that the company might not go that route anytime soon — despite all the odds stacked against it.

The teaser shared by Huawei confirms the Mate X2 will be launched on February 22, 2021. The original Huawei Mate X never made it outside China, and that’ll most likely be the case with the Mate X2 as well. Foldables by their very nature are expensive and out of reach for many consumers. And as many of our readers are well aware, Huawei can’t ship Google apps on its new phones due to the U.S trade ban. So even if the company was to launch the device outside China, it will be a hard sell. Moreover, due to the same ban, contract chip fabricators such as TSMC and Samsung cannot manufacture HiSilicon chips, forcing the Chinese smartphone maker to use reserve Kirin 9000 or other chips they had ordered before the ban. Therefore, it’s likely that the Mate X2 will only be made in limited quantities and won’t be available outside of China.

We also don’t know which display vendor is supplying the display for the Huawei Mate X2. We recently reported that Samsung Display has begun supplying its foldable displays to Chinese OEMs, but Huawei is unlikely to be one of them. The original Huawei Mate X had a BOE panel, so it’s likely either them, or TCL’s CSOT will be providing the display. LG Display is another possibility since they supplied the panel for Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Fold.

As for what we can expect from the Huawei Mate X2 in terms of hardware, the recent leaks point at the device featuring an 8.01-inch internal display and a 6.45-inch outer panel. According to the well-known leakster Digital Chat Station, the Mate X2 could feature a quad-camera assembly, comprised of a 50MP primary sensor, backed by 16MP, 12MP, and 8MP sensors. The device is said to be powered by the Kirin 9000 chipset and a 4,400 mAh battery with support for 66W fast charging.

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Featured image: Huaewi Mate X

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PSA: If you use NoxPlayer to play Android games on PC, you should probably reinstall it

NoxPlayer users beware. A hacker group has gained access to the Android emulator‘s server infrastructure and has pushed malware to a few users in Asia. Slovak security firm ESET recently discovered the attack, and it has advised affected NoxPlayer users to reinstall the emulator to remove the malware from their systems.

For the unaware, NoxPlayer is an Android emulator that is popular among gamers. The emulator is primarily used to run Android games on x86 PCs, and it’s developed by a Hong Kong-based company called BigNox. According to a recent report from ZDNet on the matter, a hacker group has gained access to one of the company’s official API (api.bignox.com) and file-hosting servers (res06.bignox.com). Using this access, the group has tampered with the download URL of NoxPlayer updates in the API server to deliver malware to users.

In a report regarding the attack, ESET reveals that it has identified three different malware families that are being “distributed from tailored malicious updates to select victims, with no sign of leveraging any financial gain, but rather surveillance-related capabilities.”

ESET further reveals that even though the attackers had access to BigNox servers since at least September 2020, they didn’t target all of the company’s users. Instead, the attackers focused on specific machines, suggesting that this was a highly-targeted attack looking to infect only a certain class of users. As of now, the malware-laden NoxPlayer updates have only been delivered to five victims located in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka. However, ESET recommends all NoxPlayer users stay cautious. The security firm has laid out some instructions to help users figure out if their system has been compromised in its report.

In case users find an intrusion, they should reinstall NoxPlayer from clean media. Non-compromised users are advised not to download any updates until BigNox notifies that it has mitigated the threat. A BigNox spokesperson has told ZDNet that the company is working with ESET to investigate the breach further.

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Huawei’s Harmony OS 2.0 beta appears to be based on Android

Update 1 (02/02/2021 @ 03:18 PM ET): An extensive report outlines just how similar Huawei’s Harmony OS 2.0 beta is to Android. Click here for more information. The article as published on December 26, 2020, is preserved below.

Harmony OS is Huawei’s own first-party operating system, meant to take over the reins as the company’s current GMS-less Android software proves to be insufficient to propel the company’s smartphone prospects. Huawei recently began its long-shot transition away from the GMS-less Android with the first Harmony OS 2.0 beta for select smartphones and tablets. But while an independent operating system sounds like it would be great for the overall mobile ecosystem to break away from the duopoly of Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android, it seems that this first release of Harmony OS 2.0 is still based on Android after all.

One developer built a simple “Hello World” app targeting an older version of Android—specifically, Kitkat 4.4.4—and found that the app throws up a very similar error message on both Android and Harmony OS virtual devices.

Left: An Android virtual device in Android Studio running a “Hello World” app. Right: A Harmony OS virtual device in DevEco Studio running the same app.

The screenshot on the left shows the app installed on a virtual device based on a newer Android version, essentially throwing up the error that the app is built for an older version of Android and may not work properly on the new version. The screenshot on the right shows the app installed on a virtual device based on Harmony OS 2.0 beta, and the error message is practically the same, with the difference being just a simple swap-out of the word “Android” for “Harmony OS”.

XDA Senior Member hikari_calyx, known for his work on unlocking the bootloaders of Nokia phones, compiled and installed the famous Superuser app onto the Harmony OS 2.0 beta virtual device. Here’s what happened:

Furthermore, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to pass along instructions to the HOS virtual device. In doing so, one developer managed to extract most of the system partition from the virtual device, revealing the build contains the Android framework.

All of this presents an interesting conclusion: The first beta of Harmony OS 2.0 is apparently still based on Android.

Now, there are a few explanations that one can make here. One might presume that Harmony OS 2.0 is just a rebrand of Android and intends to stay that way, but we reckon that while this may be true right now, it won’t always be the case. Based on previous presentations, Huawei did mention that using AOSP would serve as a transitional step towards building its desired Harmony OS experience, essentially a way to bridge the gap for users and app developers alike. Leveraging the existing AppGallery and HMS ecosystem brings momentum, so such a transitional step would be just what Harmony OS needs to hit the road with full speed.

We could also be wrong in that there is more nuance to this release than we know of. Huawei’s press release for the launch of its Harmony OS 2.0 beta doesn’t mention Android or AOSP, but we haven’t been able to read all of the documentation or watch all of the developer videos that Huawei uploaded since it’s all in Mandarin. We’ve reached out to Huawei for comment and will update the article if we hear back from them.

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Update 1: “No discernible difference” between Harmony OS and Android

While our investigation into whether or not Harmony OS is simply Android was inconclusive, ArsTechnica came to a much more conclusive answer. In an extensive report, the publication says that there is “no discernible difference between Huawei’s ‘all-new’ OS and Android.” As we mentioned before, Huawei hasn’t made it easy for us to access the Harmony OS 2.0 beta. The emulator runs off of Huawei’s servers, is only accessible to Huawei-approved developers, and all the documentation is in Mandarin. Furthermore, Huawei’s registration process requires you to disclose some sensitive personal details (which to be fair may be due to Chinese regulations on international business), so we had to rely on third-party accounts from Chinese developers and incomplete firmware dumps when penning our original report. ArsTechnica‘s Ron Amadeo broke through these barriers to take a closer look at Harmony OS, leading him to the conclusion that the OS is essentially just Android under-the-hood.

ArsTechnica highlights how similar the Harmony OS 2.0 interface is to Huawei’s EMUI Android skin, which Huawei says is simply because they ported the EMUI look and feel to Harmony OS. Under-the-hood, though, there are lots of Android system components, including the “HarmonyOS System” app. This app is labeled as “version 10”, which is likely a reference to Android 10, the version of Android that ArsTechnica alleges Huawei’s OS is actually based on. Sample apps built with Huawei’s SDK are supposedly similar to Android APK files in that they can be unarchived like ZIP files, have a similar internal structure, and can be decoded with standard Android decompile tools. The publication further notes how feature-complete the beta seems to be in comparison to other in-development operating systems like Google’s Fuchsia or Samsung’s Tizen. Even after “hours of poking around on HarmonyOS”, ArsTechnica was unable to “point to a single substantive change compared to Android.” If Huawei’s plan is to change from “Android” to “not Android”, Ars contends, then how will they have enough time to do so given they plan to launch a phone with Harmony OS later this year?

Since Google owns the trademark for Android, it shouldn’t be surprising that there isn’t a single reference to it in Harmony OS itself, but Ars points out how odd it is that there’s no reference to Android in any of the official developer documentation. The documentation, as we noted, does not reveal much information about the underpinning of the OS. In fact, it raised more questions than it answers.

Is it possible that Huawei actually achieved a nearly seamless migration from Android-based EMUI to Harmony OS and that we’re only scratching the surface? Sure, it’s possible. We reached out to Huawei once prior to the original publication of this article, but we did not receive any concrete details about the architecture of Harmony OS 2.0, its kernel, ARK Compiler, or how the Android runtime fits into this. A few users in our comments have given possible explanations for the “Android-ness” of Harmony OS 2.0, but we have yet to see documentation or code that confirms this.

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Google Pixel 5 and LG Wing will get faster speeds on Verizon with an update

If you’re a Verizon subscriber and you own a Pixel 5 or LG Wing, your day is about to get better. That’s because these devices are allegedly set to receive an update that will  allow them to access C-band frequencies by the end of 2021 and early 2022.

According to recently uncovered FCC docs, via PC Mag, the Pixel 5 and LG Wing are among the devices sites to get access faster download speeds. The filings are a “class 2 permissive change,” which the FCC uses to authorize new radio abilities or frequency bands.

PC Mag offers a helpful guide to C-band technology. Essentially, C-band is all frequencies between 4 and 8GHz. “When US wireless geeks talk about C-Band, though, they’re talking about 3.7 to 4.2GHz—and specifically, in this case, the range from 3.7 to 3.98GHz.”

There was recently a bidding war for the licensing rights to C-band frequencies. U.S. carriers reportedly  spent more than 80 billion on the technology, although it’s unclear how much each carrier gets access to. PC Mag notes that C-band offers improved speeds over the nationwide 5G networks from Verizon and AT&T, and offer a longer range compared to Verizon’s Ultra-wideband 5G.

PC Mag notes that C-band is an important part of the 5G puzzle. It will add much needed bandwidth to existing cell sites, so carriers can offer better, more reliable 5G speeds.

It’s been reported that Verizon’s spent around $30 billion to license C-band airwaves, while AT&T spent $20 billion. Meanwhile, T-Mobile reportedly spent $11 billion, although it already has similar airwaves to what’s offered by C-band. The frequencies have already begun to be auctioned off in other parts of the world.

While the Pixel 5 was spotted in FCC’s database, there doesn’t appear to be any changes incoming for the Pixel 4a 5G. The Galaxy S21 series and iPhone 12 series, meanwhile, already feature C-band support in the U.S.

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You’ll soon be able to restrict device access in the Google Home app

Managing a household of smart devices and family members can be a challenging experience. Making things more difficult is the fact that you can’t really control the access someone has to certain smart home devices. With a platform like Google Home, it’s largely setup to be an all-or-nothing approach.

That means your kids either have access to things like smart lights, speakers, and displays, or they don’t. That could change, however, according to a few different new reports. Google is apparently making tweaks to Google Home that could provide household managers with the ability to restrict devices on a case-by-case basis.

According to Android Police, when you go into the Google Home settings and navigate to Household, you’ll see the usual list of all the people in your home. When you click on someone, however, you’ll see a new page where you can see what access level people have to the devices on your network.

As of now, it doesn’t appear as though Google Home allows managers to restrict access. But Android Police is speculating Google is laying the groundwork to change that. Meanwhile, 9to5Google previously spotted strings of code that hinted at such a feature being introduced.

“This person will have access to the selected devices during the following schedule,” the code said.

Android Police points to the Nest app as an example of how these features could work.

“Family accounts let other people share access to your home and your Nest products in the Nest app,” a Nest support page reads. “Depending on the level of shared access you choose, people you invite can add, remove, and control Nest products in the Nest app.”

Restricting access could be helpful if, for example, you’re a parent and you don’t want your kids controlling the lights or speakers in your room. The Google Home app has yet to address this, but recent changes and strings of code suggest these features are imminent.

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