OPPO has reportedly cut roughly 20% of its staff in key software and device teams. The company recently merged its hardware R&D teams and software with its sister smartphone brand OnePlus, a move that comes amidst ongoing global chip shortages and COVID-19-induced economic setbacks.
Apart from economic reasons, Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, reports that there are other reasons behind the recent consolidation between the two companies. Apparently, OPPO expanded too rapidly when it kept hiring employees in an attempt to take some market share from Apple.
In an attempt to scale back, some of the positions that were cut include were from the ColorOS team as well as an IoT division that focuses on wearables such as smartwatches and earbuds. Apparently, the merger with OnePlus created some redundant positions, which led to OPPO making significant cutbacks in those teams. Currently, the company’s R&D team for smartphones and overseas sales positions haven’t been impacted by job cuts, according to sources speaking to Bloomberg. OPPO declined to comment officially to Bloomberg.
OPPO has heavily invested in markets like India, Southeast Asia, and Europe, but they failed to challenge both Apple and Xiaomi. Not only that, but slowing sales in China thanks to COVID-19’s resurgence means that the company was forced to make some changes.
“The company is spread thin across several fronts, attacking the premium market, making big regional bets and moving into wearables,” Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research, told Bloomberg. “The cuts are probably as much about cost savings as it is a change in tack around strategy.”
Update 2 (09/16/2021 @ 1:44 PM ET): You can now delete your advertising ID in Google Play Services. Click here for more information. The article, as published on June 3, 2021, is preserved below.
Previous updates
Update 1 (07/28/2021 @ 4:49 PM ET): Google has shared an image that shows what deleting your advertising ID looks like in Google Play Services settings on Android 12, and they’ve also revealed a new app set ID SDK for developers. Click here for more information.
Google Play Services generates an advertising ID for all users who opt-in for ad personalization. This ID not only helps Google push relevant ads to users, but it also comes in handy for analytics and fraud prevention. When you turn off ad personalization on your account, Google stops using your advertising ID to push personalized ads, but it still maintains it for other purposes. However, that’s set to change soon.
Currently, you can opt out of personalized ads by heading to Settings > Google > Ads or Settings > Privacy > Advanced > Ads on your Android device. Once you do so, Google Play Services will stop pushing personalized ad recommendations to your device, but apps on your phone will still be able to see the advertising ID. But a recent update on the Play Console Help page reveals that Google Play Services will soon delete the advertising ID when you opt out of interest-based advertising. The update states: “Starting in late 2021, when a user opts out of interest-based advertising or ads personalization, the advertising identifier will not be available. You will receive a string of zeros in place of the identifier.”
After this change goes live, apps on your phone will see a string of zeroes instead of your advertising ID if you disable personalized ads. Google Play Services will also alert all apps that have access to your advertising ID and related data, so that any existing data can be deleted. In a notice shared by developer kdrag0n, Google further reveals that “This Google Play services phased rollout will affect apps running on Android 12 devices starting late 2021 and will expand to affect apps running on devices that support Google Play in early 2022. In July, we will provide more details and an alternate solution to support essential use cases such as analytics and fraud prevention.”
At the moment, we don’t have any information about the alternate solution that Google will introduce for analytics and fraud prevention. We’ll update this post as soon as we learn more.
Update 1: More details shared during July 2021 policy update
In the company’s latest PolicyBytes video outlining the upcoming policy changes on Google Play, Google shared more details about what’s happening to the advertising ID and its replacement for analytics and fraud prevention.
For starters, Google showed off what the option to delete your advertising ID will look like, a feature that will roll out to Android 12 devices via a Google Play Services update later this year.
The company also updated its support page on the Advertising ID with some new information. For any developers that need to be notified when a user deletes their advertising ID, Google is letting you sign up for the notification system here. Google also says that apps updating their target API level to 31 will need to declare the following permission in their manifest to query the advertising ID:
Some SDKs may already declare this permission, but it should be noted that the Families Policy prohibits the use of the advertising ID. In that case, you must prevent the permission from being merged into your app by including this element in your manifest:
Next, Google has shared some details on the alternate solution for essential use cases such as analytics and fraud prevention. Called app set ID, this ID is a unique identifier for all apps by the same developer on the device. Google calls this a “privacy-friendly option” to correlate usage or actions across a set of apps owned by your organization, and it must not be used for ads personalization or ads measurement, be connected to any Android identifiers or any personal and sensitive data for advertising purposes, and its collection must be disclosed to the user in a “legally adequate privacy notification, including your privacy policy.”
The app set ID SDK will return an ID unique to the calling app itself if the app was installed from a source other than Google Play, if Google Play Services was unable to determine an app’s developer account, or if the app was installed on a device without Play Services installed. The app set ID is cleared automatically if the API hasn’t been accessed by the group of apps sharing the same ID for over 13 month, if the last app from a given set of apps is uninstalled, or if the user factory resets the device. The developer preview of this feature is now live, though Google warns that due to the potential for changes, the app set ID API shouldn’t be used in production apps.
For more information, read the full developer program policy update announced today or watch the “PolicyBytes” video embedded below which summarizes the most significant changes.
Update 2: Now rolling out
Google Play Services is now rolling out the ability to delete your device’s advertising ID, provided your device is running Android 12. One of our tipsters, @panduu221 on Twitter, told us they now have this feature. We checked our own Android 12 device and confirmed that the new “delete advertising ID” page is now visible. The roll out of this feature is likely controlled by a server-side flag, but for what it’s worth, our device has version 21.36.14 of the Google Play Services app.
You can now use the Google Home app to test the connection speed between your devices at home and your Nest Wi-Fi router, making it easier to pinpoint and troubleshoot connectivity-related issues. The feature was initially part of the Google Wifi app, but now Google has added the feature to the Google Home app — which has already absorbed many of the core features of the now-defunct app.
Introducing the Device Speed Test on the Google Home app, rolling out this week:
Measures how fast devices connect to your Google or Nest Wifi network Pinpoints where to focus and address connectivity slowdowns Helps optimize mesh point placement
To run a speed test, open up the Google Home app on your smartphone and tap on the Wi-Fi tab, select “Devices,” and from the list, choose the device you want to run the speed test for. On the device page, you’ll see a new “Device speed” section under “Info.” Clicking on the “Check device speed” button initiates the speed test, while the “Check all speeds” buttonwill test both the Internet speed and the connection speed between your device and the Wi-Fi network.
If your Google Nest speaker or other devices are acting up, running a speed test can quickly tell you whether your router or ISP is to blame.
Besides the device speed test feature, the Google Home app is also preparing to add a feature called “ISP access preference,” according to 9to5Google. The feature will allow your ISP to detect if your Wi-Fi network is offline, run speed tests, and change your Wi-Fi settings. When enabled, your ISP will also be able to gather details like your router’s online/offline status, software version and installation history of your router, and so on to help you troubleshoot issues.
The device speed test feature is rolling out with the Google Home app version 2.43.
The wait is finally over — Windows 11 is here as Microsoft has officially kicked off the Insider Preview program for the next generation of Windows. The company is also rolling out several updates on top of the base Windows 11 build in preparation for an eventual rollout via the stable channel. This article will serve as the central repository of knowledge base (KB) articles and download links for all updates related to Windows 11, including both the Insider Preview and the stable builds.
Windows updates are compressed in a special archive file format called Microsoft Cabinet (CAB) that supports embedded digital certificates used for maintaining archive integrity. When published via Microsoft Update Catalog, Microsoft often wraps them into the MSU (Microsoft Update) format.
The internal structure of a MSU package
The primary focus of this index is centered around the Cumulative Updates (also known as Monthly Rollups), which include both security and reliability updates that are packaged together. Since they’re cumulative in nature, the latest rollup package has the ability to update the target Windows version to the most recent build, regardless of what the previous build number was.
In some cases, one may need to apply a Servicing Stack Update (SSU) before installing the newest Cumulative Update (CU). The servicing stack is the code that installs other operating system updates, hence Microsoft usually bundles them with CUs before publishing a standalone MSU package. Power users or system admins may still prefer to deal with the CAB variant for ease of deployment. In that case, always install/integrate the SSU before engaging with the CU.
Microsoft also provides CUs for the .NET Framework portion of the Windows OS. Unlike the SSU, they’re distributed separately from the regular CUs.
Windows Feature Experience Pack is yet another type of update that delivers new feature improvements to customers outside of major Windows feature updates.
Then comes the Dynamic Updates (DU) that are meant for the Windows setup engine. They are being automatically downloaded and applied on the fly in order to fix the Windows recovery environment (WinRE), setup binaries, or any files that the Windows setup uses for feature updates. However, we decided not to include them in this index for the sake of avoiding clutters.
To have a clear idea about Windows update terminology, see the article about the types of Windows updates. Keep in mind that an inter-OS (e.g. from Windows 10 to Windows 11) or an inter-build (e.g. from Windows 10 November 2019 Update/Build 18363 to May 2020 Update/Build 19041) update is a way more complex scenario. Microsoft handles such upgrade paths using the Unified Update Platform (UUP), the details of which are not part of this tutorial.
To install a CAB update package, you need to use a built-in system utility called Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM). The command-line syntax should be as follows:
Since Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 21382, Microsoft has made a significant change in the Latest Cumulative Update (LCU) format. As a result, the end user can’t use the CAB file directly. To perform the installation using the built-in update module, the corresponding Patch Storage Files (PSF) package must be present. This is the exact reason one can find PSF files corresponding to each LCU in the Windows 11 UUP Dump. In case of an online installation, Windows Update only downloads and generates missing PSFX (PSF Express) payloads, while the CAB package only contain the manifests.
However, DISM alone can’t handle the PSF packages, which means we need to somehow combine the PSF and CAB files manually before trying to install them offline. Fortunately, there exists an open source tool named PSFX Repack for this job.
Extract the archive of the PSFX Repack tool to a folder with a short path (like “D:\PSFX_Repack\”).
Download both CAB and PSF files corresponding to the LCU and move them to the aforementioned folder.
Run repack_psfx.cmd to generate the combined CAB file.
Use DISM to install the latest SSU CAB first, then the resultant LCU CAB file.
MSU packages
The MSU variant, on the other hand, is somewhat standalone in nature due to the fact that one can simply double-click on it to install the package. Note that DISM can also install MSU files.
After the installation finishes, you will be prompted to restart the PC for the changes to take effect.
Verification
The Settings app in Windows 11 has an option to view the list of updates installed on your PC. Here’s how to access it.
Open Settings and click Windows Update.
Click/tap on “Update history”.
The good old “Programs and Features” applet in the classic Control Panel can also show you the list of installed updates.
Right-click Start, click Run.
Type appwiz.cpl and click OK. This opens the Programs and Features in the classic Control Panel.
Click View installed updates link on the left side. This shows you the list of updates along with the installation date column.
If command-line is your thing, then you can opt for DISM or Windows Management Instrumentation (WMIC) as well. You need to execute the command from an elevated instance of Windows Terminal.
We hope this article not only serves as a common update index for Windows 11 but also provides general installation instructions that can be useful for other Windows builds as well. We’ll be updating this guide with links to newer Windows builds, so check back again in the future!
Today, Microsoft is releasing Windows 11 build 22000.194 to the Beta channel. First of all, there’s not much that’s new. Windows 11 is launching on October 5; it’s safe to say that it’s feature-complete. One thing that you’ll find, however, is a bunch of Windows 11 app updates.
These include Snipping Tool, Calculator, and Clock with Focus Sessions. All of these have already been available in the Dev channel for a little while now. But if you’re in the Beta channel, you’ll start to see them show up.
Probably the most notable of them is Clock with Focus Sessions. The whole idea is that you can set times to focus, link it to your Spotify, and it even integrates with Microsoft To Do. The new Snipping Tool is really more of a UX overhaul, not so much offering a bunch of new features over its legacy predecessor.
Of course, Windows 11 build 22000.194 also has a whole bunch of fixes and known issues. Here’s what got fixed:
Windows 11 build 22000.194 Fixes
Addressed an issue where if you enable then disable a contrast theme, it would lead to artifacts in title bars, in some cases making the minimize/maximize/close buttons hard to see and use.
Fixed a crash with certain connected devices that could result in not being able to use Bluetooth.
Mitigated an issue that was resulting in subtitles not appearing when expected in certain apps, particularly Japanese language subtitles.
Fixed an issue that was causing certain PCs to bugcheck during modern standby.
Mitigated an issue when typing with certain 3rd party IMEs into the search box in Settings that could result in the candidate window being rendered elsewhere on-screen (not attached to the search box) and/or characters inserted into the search box not displaying.
We fixed an issue that causes PowerShell to create an infinite number of child directories. This issue occurs when you use the PowerShell Move-Item command to move a directory to one of its children. As a result, the volume fills up and the system stops responding.
This build includes a change that aligns the enforcement of the Windows 11 system requirements on Virtual Machines (VMs) to be the same as it is for physical PCs. Previously created VMs running Insider Preview builds may not update to the latest preview builds. In Hyper-V, VMs need to be created as a Generation 2 VM. For more details on the Windows 11 system requirements – see this blog post here.
Here’s what’s still broken:
Windows 11 build 22000.194 Known Issues
[General]
We’re investigating reports from Insiders in the Beta Channel where after upgrading to Windows 11, they are not seeing the new Taskbar and the Start menu doesn’t work. To workaround this if you are impacted, please try going to Windows Update > Update history, uninstalling the latest cumulative update for Windows, and the reinstall it by checking for updates.
We’re working on a fix for an issue that is causing some Surface Pro X’s to bugcheck with a WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR.
[Start]
In some cases, you might be unable to enter text when using Search from Start or the Taskbar. If you experience the issue, press WIN + R on the keyboard to launch the Run dialog box, then close it.
System and Windows Terminal is missing when right-clicking on the Start button (WIN + X).
[Taskbar]
The Taskbar will sometimes flicker when switching input methods.
[Search]
After clicking the Search icon on the Taskbar, the Search panel may not open. If this occurs, restart the “Windows Explorer” process, and open the search panel again.
Search panel might appear as black and not display any content below the search box.
[Widgets]
The widgets board may appear empty. To work around the issue, you can sign out and then sign back in again.
Widgets may be displayed in the wrong size on external monitors. If you encounter this, you can launch the widgets via touch or WIN + W shortcut on your actual PC display first and then launch on your secondary monitors.
[Microsoft Store]
We continue to work to improve search relevance in the Store.
[Windows Sandbox]
Within Windows Sandbox, the language input switcher does not launch after clicking the switcher icon on the Taskbar. As a workaround, users can switch their input language via any of the following hardware keyboard shortcuts: Alt + Shift, Ctrl + Shift, or Win + Space (the third option is available only if Sandbox is full-screened).
Within Windows Sandbox, the IME context menu does not launch after clicking the IME icon in the Taskbar. As workarounds, users can access the functionalities of the IME context menu with either of following methods:
Accessing the IME settings via Settings > Time & language > Language & region > (e.g., Japanese) three dots > Language options > (e.g., Microsoft IME) three dots > Keyboard options.
Optionally, you may also enable the IME toolbar, an alternative UI, to quickly invoke specific IME functions. Continuing from above, navigate to Keyboard options > Appearance > Use IME toolbar.
Microsoft also added the requirement for TPM on virtual machines, something that we reported on earlier today. In fact, VMs now have the same requirements as bare metal hardware.
As always, you can get today’s build via Windows Update, as long as you’re on the Beta channel. If you’re not, you can go to the Windows Insider Program tab in Settings to get started.
Microsoft has announced that the latest perpetual release of Office, called Office LTSC 2021, is now generally available for commercial customers on Windows and macOS. This is the first major release since Office 2019, but it’s actually coming three years after that release. Microsoft used to number its Office releases using the year after which each version was released, but now it’s using the current year.
LTSC stands for Long Term Servicing Channel, and it means that the version you buy today will remain the same forever in terms of features, and you only have to pay for it once. Once you’ve bought it, it’s tied to your device and it won’t receive any new features. If you want a version of Office that gets frequent updates, you have to get Microsoft 365, which is a subscription service you have to pay for annually or monthly.
If you’ve been using Office 2019, there’s quite a bit that’s new in Office LTSC 2021, but these are all features that were made available to Microsoft 365 subscribers over the past three years or so. These include the new functions in Excel like XLOOKUP, XMATCH, LET, and the new Dynamic Arrays feature that encompasses six functions, an improved slideshow recorder in PowerPoint that includes presenter video, new translation and inking capabilities in Outlook, and much more. You’ll find performance improvements and a refreshed visual design across all the apps included, support for automatically saving files in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, a new search box at the top of some apps, and more. You can check out all the new features in existing apps here.
Something else that’s new in Office LTSC 2021 is the inclusion of the Teams app, but that doesn’t mean you get access to the premium version of Teams. This only includes the free version of Teams, or the Exploratory version designed for businesses that already have Azure AD but no Teams license. If you want the premium version of Teams, you’ll need to pay for a subscription as well.
Despite all that, even at launch, you’re going to be missing features compared to Microsoft 365. This release already isn’t based on the absolute latest version released for Microsoft 365 subscribers, and with more updates being released every month, the long-term release will quickly be outdated in terms of features. But, of course, that’s the nature of these perpetual licenses and this way you don’t have to keep paying for a subscription.
Alongside the core Office apps, Microsoft also released Visio 2021 and Project 2021 today, but these two apps are sold separately.
For now, this release is only available for organizations through volume licensing. If you’re a consumer who wants to buy Office 2021 for personal or home use, those versions will be released on October 5th.
As manufacturers have tried to push the limits of bezel-less design, we’re now seeing the gradual rise of under-display cameras. Until that becomes mainstream, the hole-punch camera cutout will remain the most popular design choice among smartphone makers. However, the reaction to these display holes has been rather polarizing — some people want to hide it by using creative wallpapers; others want to use it as a way to show off the precision-cut within the display, by using apps like Energy Ring to turn the area around the display hole into a battery indicator. Now, the Energy Ring app has added support for Samsung’s newest foldable device duo, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3. Additionally, the newly released Google Pixel 5a has also joined the roster of officially supported devices.
With Energy Ring, you can now add a circle around the front camera lens on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, Galaxy Z Fold 3, or the Google Pixel 5a. There are a lot of customization options at your fingertips, such as configuring the width of the pixel area to be used around the camera cutout, switching the direction of depletion between clockwise, anti-clockwise and bi-directional, changing colors on the basis of battery level, and more. The developer, XDA Recognized Developer jagan2, claims that Energy Ring does not eat your phone’s battery unnecessarily and has a negligible load on the CPU.
Using in-app purchases, users can further unlock the ability to add gradients or multi-colored rings around the hole-punch camera. Energy Ring also shows cool animations every time you plug in the device for charging, and you can choose to hide the ring in apps which offer fullscreen content, such as in the case of streaming apps or games.
The developer maintains individual support threads on our device-specific sub-forums where you can contact him directly in case of a bug, or just for requesting additional features. You can find them linked below:
Measures how fast devices connect to your Google or Nest Wifi network
Pinpoints where to focus and address connectivity slowdowns
Helps optimize mesh point placement
