Verizon is rolling out the Android 11 update to the LG V60

Verizon has confirmed it’s rolling out Android 11 to the LG V60. The newest update, version V600VM20a, also includes the January 2021 security patch.

The update spotted by Droid-Life brings several new features to the LG V60, such as conversation bubbles, new camera features, and additional settings in the quick setting panel like Focus Mode, Bedtime Mode, and Nearby Share. The update also includes some UI tweaks to the volume display and Quick settings pane.

As mentioned, Android 11 on the LG V60 introduces new camera features:

• Tutorial slider: The order of tutorial in the slider windows has been changed to Camera modes and Front/rear cameras. Also the background color has changed to black.
• Quick Video: Press and hold the shutter button to record a short video. Drag and hold the button for burst mode.
• Switch camera button: The button shape has changed in Photo, Video and Time-lapse mode.

The release notes also show that “Tap & pay” is now shown when NFC is on and disappears when NFC is off.

LG recently rolled out a stable build of Android 11 to the LG Velvet in Korea after a period of beta testing. Android 11 on the LG V60 arrives about a year after the device was first announced.

We shared our thoughts about the V60 not long after it was made available and found it to be a good option at a good price. One of the coolest aspects about the V60 is you can use it with a Dual Screen accessory, which more or less turns the device into a foldable.

To download the update, go into your phone’s Settings > About Phone > Software updates > Check for update. If it’s available, you can start downloading it straight away.

Verizon warns that V60 owners may notice some battery quirks during the first few days after updating, but things should normalize shortly after.

LG V60 ThinQ Forums

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Google Stadia reportedly failed to meet expectations by “hundreds of thousands”

It’s been a tough start to the year for Google Stadia. Earlier this month, Google confirmed plans to shut down Stadia’s internal game development division. Now, two reports have shed light on what it was like on the inside, with one report saying Stadia missed internal targets by “hundreds of thousands.”

Wired reports things were bad from the start. Stadia’s initial announcement was splashy and promised to revolutionize the world of gaming with a mix of first and third-party titles. But Google, a company famous for its services, apparently didn’t fully understand what goes into making a successful gaming studio.

“Three sources said Google created roadblocks on the very fundamentals of game-making, like withholding permission to use certain game development software (security issues, apparently),” Wired said in its report.

Sources also told Wired that Stadia employees felt the service felt like a beta at launch — a sentiment shared by multiple industry reviews. Some features shown off during Stadia’s announcement were missing at launch, while the service debuted with only a handful of big AAA games.

“It could have used more testing in different conditions and on different devices,” a source told Wired.

A source also said that it felt like Google was funding games to sell Stadia, rather than to sell games. While developers were struggling internally, the service failed to meet expectations in 2020, according to both Wired and Bloomberg, the latter of which said the service missed targets for “sales of controllers and monthly active users by hundreds of thousands.”

Google was so focused on getting games to sell Stadia, that it apparently shelled out tens of millions of dollars to get ports of big titles like Red Dead Redemption 2. Jason Schreier, who wrote the Bloomberg piece, said sources told him Google paid tens of million of dollars per Stadia port.

If true, that should be a particularly tough pill to swallow for former employees of Stadia’s now defunct in-house studio. Phil Harrison, who was picked to lead Google’s Stadia division, cited the exorbitant cost of game development when Google confirmed it was shutting down the service’s in-house studio.

Google has confirmed it plans to keep Stadia around, and there has been some good news over the past few weeks. Terraria is coming to Stadia after the developer resolved his personal Google account issues with Google. Journey to the Savage Planet was recently fixed on the platform, too. Plus, the platform just recently announced new games headed to Stadia Pro subscribers in March.

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Tasker’s latest beta lets you create a custom sleep tracker on Android

Google this week introduced a new Sleep API that will help developers build better sleep tracking apps. In response, the developer of Tasker wasted no time implementing the API into a new beta, allowing users to create a custom sleep tracker on Android.

For those of you who aren’t aware, Tasker is a popular automation app available on Android. You can create Profiles that launch Tasks consisting of Actions. These Profiles can be triggered based on user-defined States or Events. Because Tasker is so extensible, there are limitless possibilities for automation. And now with Tasker 5.12.3 beta, you can add sleep tracking automation to the mix. The latest beta uses Google’s new Sleep API to centralize sleep detection processing in a battery-efficient manner. The Sleep API uses an on-device machine learning model to infer the user’s sleep state based on input from your phone’s light and motion sensors.

João Dias, the developer behind Tasker, said he hasn’t had the opportunity to do any overnight testing of the new sleep tracking features, so your mileage may vary. Plus, since the Sleep API is part of Google Play Services and not Tasker, he can’t fix any issues with it if it breaks on Google’s end. With that out of the way, if you’re interested in taking control of your sleep data or making your own sleep tracker, check out the video above to see how you can use the new Sleeping state feature in the latest Tasker beta.

The full changelog for Tasker 5.12.3 beta is below:

• Added Sleeping state: track your sleep with Tasker
• Added helper in HTTP Request action’s Headers field to easily set commonly used headers
• Added ADB Wifi helper for easy setup of permission granting/revoking commands
• Made the Monospace-not-wrapped text in certain input fields optional (Preferences > UI)
• Fix Tick event not working reliably if the screen is off on some devices
• Try to fix clipboard change sensing on Android 11 on some specific devices
• If you search for something like Perform when adding an action and you have some tasks with the word “perform” in them, don’t use them to autofill the Perform Task‘s Name field
• Don’t show structured global variables with . in their name in the VARS tab
• Now when reading a structured output, if there’s no match and the variable has been marked as a structured variable, it’ll correctly evaluate in the “If Not Set” condition. If you use the variable with structure access, the literal value will be used.
• When reading HTML structure with the square bracket notation use curly braces for attribute matching eg. {attr=value} instead of [attr=value]
• Allow using an empty key when accessing a structured variable, eg. %json[]
• Check if a variable is of the specific type used in the “Set Variable Structure Type” action
• Fixed crash when adding certain events/states
• Fixed using setLocal() function in Scene WebView for project/profile/task variables
• Fixed setting project/profile/task variables from the “Java Function” action
• Fixed bug where if you select the “Perform Task” action based on a search for a task name, the priority would be incorrectly initiated to 5 instead of %priority
• Try to fix external SD card or USB OTG on Android 11+. Not fully working yet.

Tasker ($3.49, Google Play) →

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Framework is a new startup that is working on an upgradable modular laptop

A new startup by the name of Framework is working on an interesting project that takes modular tech to a new level. The Framework Laptop is a concept lightweight machine that is going to be unlike any laptop that you have seen on the market. The modular laptop is said to allow users to upgrade, customize, and repair parts all by themselves.

Early concept renders of the product showcase a very Apple MacBook-inspired design which shouldn’t be surprising as the co-founder, Nirav Patel, is an ex-Apple employee himself. According to him, “as a consumer electronics company, your business model effectively depends on churning out constant tons of hardware and pushing it into channels, and into market, and into consumers’ hands, and then sort of dropping it and letting it exist out there. It encourages waste and inefficiency, and ultimately environmental damage.” He also says that it is more than a product rather an ecosystem.

The laptop is planned to come with an aluminum chassis with a 13.5-inch 2K (2256 x 1504-pixels) display and Intel’s 11th-gen processor with up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM and PCIe Gen 4 NVMe storage of up to 4TB or even more. The laptop is also planned to feature a 1080p 60fps webcam and a 55Whr battery. When it comes to the upgrade possibilities, it’s said you’ll be able to swap the internals including the memory, storage. Wi-Fi card and battery. The Framework Laptop also brings the ability to upgrade external components including the keyboard, the I/O ports via an expansion card system, and the display along with the magnetically detachable bezels. The company also hopes to address the concern of users who don’t like carrying dongles or adapters with its variety of swappable port options. Expect these to come in USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, DisplayPort, microSD, high-speed storage, and even a headphone amp.

Framework is also planning to sell the modules via a centralized online marketplace which will be open for partners to build and sell compatible modules. This would help potential customers to easily find compatible replacements or upgrades without having to look around. The company aims to reduce electronic waste with its efforts by making its products last longer. The laptop will be made of 50% post-consumer recycled (PCR) aluminum and an average of 30% PCR plastic. Lastly, the company will also introduce the Framework Laptop DIY Edition, for those who want to completely assemble the laptop on their own and tinker around. The DIY version additionally offers the flexibility to install the OS of your choice be it Linux, Windows 10 Home, or Windows 10 Pro.

The concept of ‘modular tech’ hasn’t seemed to work for any of the major tech brands. We saw Google try its hand at a modular smartphone with Project ARA in 2014. However, by 2016, the project was canceled and all we got was some concept videos that never materialized. In 2015 we heard of a modular smartwatch concept by ‘Blocks’ which was an attempt to create a modular smartwatch with swappable modules. To date, we haven’t seen any modular smartwatch hit the markets. Similarly, Motorola launched the Moto Z in 2016 that brought the Moto Mods ecosystem, which had a decent start but eventually led to a lot of money going into research and development. Let’s hope that Framework has a more solid approach and can actually make this concept a reality.

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Save up to $100 on an M1 MacBook Pro, and more Mac deals today!

Looking for an M1 MacBook Pro, but scared away by the price point? I don’t blame you. Macs seem great, but they’re always really expensive, and when you can a high-end desktop PC for around the same price (or cheaper!), it’s really asking a lot. With rumors flying around about new MacBooks already too, it can be hard to tell whether or not to wait. But, Amazon has discounted the new MacBooks, to make the price a bit more palatable.

At Amazon, the M1 MacBook Pros are $80 off for the 256GB model, and $100 for the 512GB model. Given the respective MSRPs of $1,300 and $1,500, that’s not a huge discount, but if you were planning on buying an M1 MacBook, you’ll be able to save a bit! Also, if you have the Amazon Rewards Visa, you can split the prices into 18-month 0% APR chunks, making the cost much easier to process over time. $1,220 and $1,400 is still a fair chunk of change, but less than $100 a month is a lot more feasible for most people. And you get an M1 MacBook Pro! Finally, this discount applies to both the Silver and Space Grey colorways.

Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Chip (256GB)

View at Amazon

Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Chip (512GB)

View at Amazon

Maybe you don’t need an M1 MackBook Pro, though. Maybe you just need… a MacBook, and shelling out over $1,000 for one isn’t your cup of tea. Woot! has you covered, as their Daily Deal just so happened to coincide with the Amazon discount. Maybe it’s because Woot! is owned by Amazon? Some food for thought, there…

Anyway, refurbished MacBooks and MacBook Pros are on sale today and today only. These are MacBooks with Intel processors–so obviously a different level than the M1 MacBook Pro. But that doesn’t make these MacBooks super outdated. If you don’t need the bleeding edge technology of an Mi chip, then something like the Intel i7 MacBook Pro is going to work just fine at a fraction of the cost.

Of course, these MacBooks are refurbished, but they should work practically like new, and Woot! has a good reputation for refurbs. Just don’t mull on it too long–the best products in sales like these tend to go fast, and the sale itself ends at midnight CST.

Refurbished Apple MacBook Sale

Today only, save on refurbished Apple MacBooks! Find what you need without spending and arm and a leg.

View the Sale at Woot!

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Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2 can multitask even better with the One UI 3.1 update

Samsung is bringing One UI 3.1 to the Galaxy Z Fold 2, introducing new features and improved multitasking. The update builds on features we saw introduced to the foldable earlier this year.

With One UI 3.1, Samsung said the multitasking experience is simpler and more efficient. “On the Galaxy Z Fold2, users can now instantly return to up to three previously opened Multi-Active Windows on the Main Screen via the Recents tab,” Samsung said in a blog post. “Users can also bring two Multi-Active Windows directly from the Main Screen to the Cover Screen via the Recents tab.”

Image: Samsung

Samsung said that the update also allows you to launch Multi-Active Window directly from notifications in the Quick Panel. You can do this by long-pressing on a notification and dragging it to open apps with Multi-Active Window.

On the whole, Samsung said One UI 3.1 makes routine interactions easier on the Galaxy Z Fold 2. For example, you can turn off the screen by touching it with your palm or a double tap. That means you don’t have to strain yourself by reaching for the power button. Little improvements like making the screen easier to sleep add up to a much more pleasant experience.

One UI 3.1 also brings improvements to the Camera app. With a new “Flex mode,” you can adjust the position of the controls for greater comfort. Samsung said these changes come after listening to feedback from Galaxy Z Fold 2 owners. Samsung has also added a delete and share button to the preview windows in Flex mode.

Image: Samsung

Samsung said notifications in the Quick Panel are now categorized, and you can switch between media controls in the Quick Panel by swiping. The company said the weather widgets on the Cover and Main Screen have also been synced.

Finally, Samsung said when making video calls in Flex mode, Galaxy Z Fold 2 owners can fill the top half of the display with the video of the person they’re talking to. Samsung has also updated the Light and Dark themes to provide extra depth.

Image: Samsung

Samsung originally released One UI 3.1 for the Galaxy S21 series, before rolling it out to more Galaxy devices. The update should be rolling out to the Galaxy Z Fold 2 now.

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Google Recorder app can now backup and sync your audio recordings

After we first spotted evidence of automated backups coming to Google Recorder, an update to version 2.2 has made the feature official alongside the new web app we’ve been expecting. This new web portal will provide users with greater access to their recordings, making Google Recorder much more useful.

9to5Google was the first to spot the new web app go live earlier this week, which prompts people to backup their recordings.

“You can back up your recordings to your Google Account at recorder.google.com. Turn backup on or off anytime in Settings,” the web app explains.

A backup and sync option is now available in Google Recorder version 2.2.

Version 2.2 of the Google Recorder app is rolling out now to the Google Play Store. Once downloaded, you can enable the backup and sync functionality. The recordings are stored on your Google Account and will count toward your Google One/Google Drive storage.

Having your recordings in the cloud is helpful for a number of reasons, the biggest being able to access what you’ve recorded from other devices. This also gives users the option to easily restore recordings in the event they get a new device. Recordings that are backed up can be searched, played, and shared right from the web app. You can even create a shareable link to your recordings without needing to directly share the file with recipients.

Introduced with the Pixel 4, Google Recorder is an incredibly useful app that makes it easy to record audio, whether it’s an interview or a class lecture. Google overhauled the app in October 202, introducing a host of new features, including smart scrolling, audio editing, video clips, and text corrections. It’s a great tool for those who like to record and save audio.

We’re still waiting for the app to be made available to more Android devices. Currently, it’s only available on Pixel devices, but hopefully, with enhanced accessibility, Google will bring the app to more devices down the road.

Recorder (Free, Google Play) →

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