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jeudi 4 février 2021

Let’s accessorize with Aukey webcams, Logitech mice, and more for today’s deals

It would be great if your computer accessories would last forever, wouldn’t it? But they don’t, and sometimes they don’t even last as long as you’d like. I know personally, as I’ve had to replace most of my computer accessories this year–which is lame, of course. I’ve come to realize that two brands don’t let me down, however: Logitech and Aukey. Aukey is also a regular brand in many of our smartphone accessories round-ups, so you know they’re good. The two brands also happen to be on sale a lot! So if you’re looking for some new accessories, these brands have you covered!

First up? Webcams. Webcams are almost essential in this new work-from-home world, and it took most of 2020 to get some of the better ones back in stock. But now they’re coming back in stock, and you’ll have a nice variety of webcams to choose from, depending on what you need. If you need something simple for work or school, Aukey’s FHD webcam will be perfect. It provides 1080 recording and a microphone, and it’s under $40! If you need something a little more quality, though, the Logitech C920S Pro with a privacy cover is $70. This is the one I use for streaming, and it’s pretty great! Finally, if you need to record yourself in 4K quality, the Logitech BRIO 4K Ultra HD webcam will be the webcam to purchase, and you can get it on sale at Lenovo for $160.

Now, you can’t do much with your computer without a mouse, nor is there anything more frustrating than a mouse on the fritz! Right before Black Friday, I was having trouble with my Roccat mouse–not a great time for issues as an e-commerce writer! So I picked up the Logitech G203 Lightsync mouse as a quick replacement, and I’ve been using it ever since. It’s a cheap, simple, and effective mouse, and only $25 right now. If you want something with a few more programmable buttons, the G502 Hero will be the better bet. With eleven customizable buttons and up to 25,600 dpi, it’s a really good gaming mouse for $49. Finally, The Aukey Knight is a good mouse that errs more on the simple side like the Lightsync, but it’s a little more customizable with the lighting for $25.

What better to complete your accessory refresh than with a new mechanical keyboard? No need to go with an expensive Razer or Corsair keyboard unless you want to because Aukey makes some fantastic keyboards at a fraction of the cost. I’ve given multiple a try myself, and these are keyboards that are built like tanks, are easily customizable with keycaps, and will save your wallet some pain. The only downside of an Aukey keyboard is that they only use Blue switches, so they’ll be on the louder side. But even when directly compared to Brown switches (known to be the quietest), it’s really not all that bad. The full-size Aukey black keyboard is $50 right now, with the tenkeyless version is under $40. There’s also a pink keyboard which is not on sale, but it’s really cute, so you might consider it anyway!

These are only some of the accessories you can grab for yourself today–Logitech’s store page and Aukey’s store page have plenty more deals for you to take advantage of!

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Google Fit update to turn Pixel phones into more advanced health tools

Forget your smartwatch: Google is adding a new feature to the Fit app that will allow Pixel phones to measure your heart rate and respiratory health. Google said that these new features take advantage of sensors that are already built into Pixel phones, including the microphone, camera, and accelerometer.

To measure your heart rate, place your finger on the rear-facing camera lens. Meanwhile, to measure your respiratory rate, place your head and upper torso in view of your phone’s front-facing camera and breath as you normally would. Google said these type of measurements are commonly used to assess overall health and wellness.

“Thanks to increasingly powerful sensors and advances in computer vision, these features let you use your smartphone’s camera to track tiny physical signals at the pixel level — like chest movements to measure your respiratory rate and subtle changes in the color of your fingers for your heart rate,” Google said in a blog post.

Google Fit respiratory health

Google said it completed initial clinical studies to validate the new features coming to Google Fit. Internal studies on Pixel phones apparently showed the respiratory rate feature was accurate within one breath per minute, the company said (via The Verge). Meanwhile, the heart rate feature was accurate within 2 percent.

The search giant is warning, however, that these new features aren’t meant to diagnose medical conditions. They’re being introduced in an effort to encourage users to track and improve their day-to-dat wellness, and to make more advanced health tools more accessible. Measurements that are made can be saved in the Google Fit app, which will monitor trends over time.

Google isn’t the first company to introduce heart rate monitoring support using a device’s camera. Last year, Xiaomi introduced a similar feature to its Mi Health app. While these features aren’t quite as helpful as a wearable device, which can continuously monitor your health, taking more regular measurements is better than no measurements at all.

The new features are coming to the Google Fit app on Pixel phones starting next month, with wider support for more Android devices soon.

Google Fit: Health and Activity Tracking (Free, Google Play) →

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Google paid out over $6.7 million in bug bounty rewards last year

Google shelled out a record $6.7 million in bug bounty rewards in 2020, breaking the last year’s record when the company paid $6.5 million for the same cause, the search giant revealed in a blog post. The single highest reward was $132,500, with 662 security researchers paid across 62 countries.

Google’s Vulnerability Reward Program (VRP), which has been going on for a decade now, spans across multiple Google products, including Android, Chrome, and Google Play. The program rewards friendly hackers, i.e., security researchers, who discover and report serious security flaws in Google products before they can be exploited or make it to the general users.

The incredibly hard work, dedication, and expertise of our researchers in 2020 resulted in a record-breaking payout of over $6.7 million in rewards, with an additional $280,000 given to charity

In the Android Vulnerability Reward Program, Google paid out $1.7 million with 13 working exploit submissions alone, representing $1 million in exploit reward payouts. Among the notables were 11 reports about the Android 11 developer preview and a 1-click remote root exploit targeting modern Android devices, submitted by Guang Gong and his team at Alpha Lab, Qihoo 360 Technology co. Ltd.

Google bug bounty program

 

Google says they have also launched several pilot rewards programs to encourage researchers to explore other areas of the Android ecosystem, such as Android Auto OS, writing fuzzers for Android code, and Android chipsets.

Chrome VRP payouts were up 83% from 2019, with $2.1 million cash prizes handed out to researchers across 300 bugs in 2020. Meanwhile, the Google Play Security Rewards Program and Developer Data Protection Program paid over $270,000 to researchers. Google says COVID-19 tracing apps and apps relying on Exposure Notification API were also qualified to participate in the program this year. Google also increased the maximum reward for qualifying vulnerabilities to $20,000.

Apart from bounty rewards, Google distributed $400,000 in grants to more than 180 security researchers. Besides Google, other notable tech companies that also run similar bug bounty programs include Qualcomm, Facebook, OnePlus, Microsoft, Reddit, and Mozilla.

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Fresh Paranoid Android 11 builds out for the OnePlus 8 and 8T, Xiaomi Mi A3, and Redmi Note 8/8T

Team Paranoid Android has just released new builds of Android 11 for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, OnePlus 8T, Xiaomi Mi A3, and Redmi Note 8 / 8T. The Paranoid Android Ruby Beta 2 builds are now available for the OnePlus 8 / 8 Pro and Mi A3, while the OnePlus 8T and Redmi Note 8 / 8T have received Ruby Beta 1 builds.

The Paranoid Android Ruby Beta 2 for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro comes from XDA Recognized Developer ZVNexus. The build seems to be stable enough for day-to-day use, but the developer mentions Miracast support is missing, and you might also run into calling issues if you’re using Google Fi. If you’re interested, you can grab the latest build from the linked thread below. Do note that the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro builds are no longer unified. If you’re coming from Beta 1, you can just sideload the OTA from recovery — everyone else must do a clean install.

Download Paranoid Android Ruby Beta 2 for OnePlus 8 / 8 Pro

ZVNexus also maintains the OnePlus 8T, and you can download the latest Paranoid Ruby Beta 1 for your device from the link below.

Download Paranoid Android Ruby Beta 1 for OnePlus 8T

The Mi A3’s Paranoid Android Ruby Beta 2 comes from XDA Senior Member Vishalcj17. Custom kernels are not supported at the time being, and you must be on the stock Android 11 firmware before migrating. If you run into any hardware related issue, the developer recommends reflashing the stock Android 11 firmware from fastboot. You can find the ROM zip and flashing instructions in the linked thread below.

Download Paranoid Android Ruby Beta 2 for Xiaomi Mi A3

Finally, the Redmi Note 8 / 8T has received Paranoid Android Ruby Beta 1 based on Android 11, courtesy of XDA Senior Member Adithya R. Before you flash the latest build, make sure you’re on the latest stable firmware (willow) or latest China Beta firmware (ginkgo). A clean install is required if you’re coming straight from another ROM or Paranoid Quartz builds. Hit the link below to grab the ROM zip.

Download Paranoid Android Ruby Beta 1 Redmi Note 8 / 8T

The post Fresh Paranoid Android 11 builds out for the OnePlus 8 and 8T, Xiaomi Mi A3, and Redmi Note 8/8T appeared first on xda-developers.



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Here are some of the best Galaxy S21 clear cases you can grab right now!

The Samsung Galaxy S21 series represents the best spec proposition from Samsung in quite a while. Not only does it continue the line that was established with the Galaxy S20 series and further refines some of its rougher edges, especially with the Galaxy S21 Ultra, we were also treated with things such as a price cut of $200. The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus, in particular, are noteworthy devices because not only do they take cues from their predecessors and the Note lineup, but they also take some of the things the Galaxy S20 FE did right as well. And one aspect that Samsung also publicized a lot is the colors. You probably want to protect your phone, but what if you want to show off that precious colorway? Then check out our list with the best Galaxy S21 clear cases money can buy.

If you’re looking for something that will give you a bit more protection, you should check out my other, more generalized, round-up of the best Galaxy S21 cases. If, on the other hand, you want something that gives you an extra layer of protection while not adding a lot of bulge and still showing your phone’s back design, then you’ve come to the right place. Let’s go!

    Samsung Galaxy S21 Official Clear Protective Cover

    For extra protection

    Samsung's official clear protective cover for the Galaxy S21 is as simple as it gets, but it comes with textured sides for added grip as well for extra protection.
    Samsung Galaxy S21 Official Clear Standing Cover

    Take a (kick)stand

    The official Samsung clear standing cover for the Galaxy S21 is just your average phone case with a kickstand: it's clear, provides protection, and allows you to place your phone upright.
    Samsung Galaxy S21 Official Clear Cover

    Barebones

    Don't need ribbed sides or a kickstand and just want an extra layer of protection? The official clear cover is as simple as it gets for an official accessory while still providing plenty of protection.
    Spigen Galaxy S21 Clear Case

    For cheap quality

    Official accessories are too expensive? We got you. This Spigen clear case is as quality as it gets on the cheap: it's durable, provides protection, and of course, it's clear: what else do you need?
    Ringke Galaxy S21 Clear Case

    As good as it gets

    Ringke is also a decent option for third-party cases and the Ringke clear case for the Galaxy S21 is no exception to this rule, providing good protection on the cheap.
    Coolden Galaxy S21 Clear Case

    Cheap protection

    This Coolden Galaxy S21 case is as basic as it gets, but that's not a bad thing here, as it provides drop and scratch protection while also showing off your back design.
    ESR Galaxy S21 Clear Case with Kickstand

    A cheaper kickstand

    This ESR Galaxy S21 case stands out from the pack of other cases as it features a handy kickstand while still keeping the sleek clear design that allows you to show off your back.
    Ferilinso Galaxy S21 Clear Case with TGSP

    Extra screen protection

    This Ferilinso Galaxy S21 case comes with extra screen protectors. Not only you can keep your phone looking exactly the way you want it to, but you can also protect the display at no extra cost.
    SPIDERCASE Galaxy S21 Clear Case

    Thin and light

    Want an option that is thin and light, and don't want to add too much bulk to your device? Well then, this SPIDERCASE clear case might just be what you're looking for.

These are our top picks for the best clear cases for the Galaxy S21. As you can see, we took the 3 official options Samsung gives us, and we also threw in several other third-party options that will be able to do the trick just fine. If you can afford to pay a premium for official accessories, then you really can’t go wrong with Samsung’s official cases, as they’re OEM-blessed and no one knows Samsung phones better than the company that makes them. If you can’t, though, then we recommend you to go with either Spigen or Ringke’s options as they’re reputable case makers with a lot of experience. Other, more unknown case makers also have their advantages, such as ESR, which has a kickstand, and Ferilinso, which adds two screen protectors as a bonus with your case.

The post Here are some of the best Galaxy S21 clear cases you can grab right now! appeared first on xda-developers.



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Samsung Galaxy A51 and Galaxy XCover Pro get updated to Android 11 with One UI 3.0

It’s been a busy period for Samsung as the Korean OEM continues to bring Android 11 with One UI 3.0 to its vast portfolio of devices. With another month is in the books, Samsung is spreading some cheer by releasing the latest iteration of Android to the Galaxy A51 and Galaxy XCover Pro.

It wasn’t long ago when Samsung started the One UI 3.0 public beta initiative for the Galaxy A51 5G in its home country, and now something much better in the form of the stable Android 11 update is being shown to the global 4G variant of the smartphone (model number SM-A515F). The new build carries the firmware version A515FXXU4DUB1, which is now rolling out in Russia. The update also includes the latest February 2021 Android security patches. While the OTA is only available on a limited basis, expect it to roll out to more markets soon.

Samsung Galaxy A51 XDA Forums

In addition to rolling out for the Galaxy A51, Samsung has also started a broadscale rollout of the One UI 3.0 update for the Galaxy XCover Pro. The “XCover” tag is reserved for the rugged lineup, and the Exynos 9611-powered device is not an exception. The Android 11 firmware is tagged as G715FNXXU7BUA8, and it ships with the January 2021 security patchset. The update initially popped up in late January in some regions, but now it should be available for download across the globe.

In case you have the Galaxy A51 or the Galaxy XCover Pro, but haven’t received the update notification yet, you can head over to the Software Update section in the Settings app to check if the OTA prompt is available for your device or not. Power users, on the other hand, can skip the queue and manually download the new firmware packages directly from the company’s update server.

While Samsung has been working to bring One UI 3.0 to more devices, the company is also continuing to develop One UI 3.1, which is currently available for some of its more recent flagship devices. For a breakdown of what One UI 3.1 has to offer, check out this post.

The post Samsung Galaxy A51 and Galaxy XCover Pro get updated to Android 11 with One UI 3.0 appeared first on xda-developers.



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Speedtest now helps you call out your network operator’s false coverage claims

OOKLA is rolling out an update for its Speedtest app on Android with more detailed coverage maps for network operators. The updated maps offer a significant improvement over the previous solution and help you easily identify any network coverage issues in your area.

The updated maps are rolling out with version 4.5.30 of the Speedtest app, and they offer detailed network coverage information for any given location. Android Police reports that the new coverage map lets you zoom in to the street-level in any city worldwide and check the available network connectivity from all providers in the area. As you can see in the attached screenshots, the color-coded map clearly shows None, 2G/3G, LTE, and 5G connectivity in a given area, as opposed to the older map.

OOKLA Speedtest new network coverage map OOKLA Speedtest new network coverage map OOKLA Speedtest new network coverage map

Speedtest’s new network coverage map is based on geolocated speed test data collected from users, which is calculated and displayed as an average across a 300 sq. ft. area. This means that the map should provide more accurate results than the ones shared by network service providers.

To use the new maps feature on your device, all you need to do is update to the latest version of Speedtest from the Play Store link below and then tap on the Map tab. This will bring up the network coverage map for your service provider. In case you wish to check the network connectivity offered by other providers in your area, you can swipe up on the card at the bottom and select a different provider from the list.

Do note that while the map is available worldwide, it will only show you the network coverage information for the top providers in your region. Also, the maps are currently only available for mobile networks and Speedtest hasn’t implemented a similar solution for home broadband connections.

Speedtest by Ookla (Free+, Google Play) →

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