OnePlus 5 Gets Face Unlock via Android Oreo-based OxygenOS Open Beta 3

If you have ever had the chance to play around with OnePlus' latest smartphone, the OnePlus 5T, you might played around with its new Face Unlock feature. For me, personally, it is as convenient, if not more so, than the rear fingerprint scanner when it comes to unlocking the phone. Since it only relies on the front facing camera, owners of previous phones, like the OnePlus 5, have been hoping for the feature to be ported over to their devices.

Luckily, said user requests were finally heard when OnePlus announced that Face Unlock would, in fact, be coming to the OnePlus 5. And they soon followed through that announcement, as they are now rolling out a third Open Beta (based on Android 8.0 Oreo) shortly after the stable OxygenOS 5.0 release. Aside from bringing in December security patches, it also brings the long awaited face unlock feature to the OnePlus 5. It works just like it would on the OnePlus 5T: tap the power button, and the phone will immediately unlock and skip the lock screen as soon as it recognizes your face.

If you would like to try out Face Unlock on your device, you will need to be enrolled in the OxygenOS Open Beta in case you aren't already. Download the update package from the OnePlus Downloads page when it becomes available and install it manually on your device by following the instructions listed on the OnePlus website.

Users on the stable branch who are not comfortable with beta software will need to wait until the official update with Face Unlock rolls out, presumably sometime in January. While it's only coming to the OnePlus 5 as of now, Carl Pei has also teased that the OnePlus 3 and the OnePlus 3T may receive the feature, but there is no confirmation regarding any such update with face unlock for those devices as of now.

---

Source: OnePlus Forums

from xda-developers http://ift.tt/2DDa9uO
via IFTTT

OxygenOS 5.0.1 Adds aptX HD, Adaptive Screen Mode, and December Security Patches for the OnePlus 3/3T

Last month, OnePlus released OxygenOS 5.0 based on Android Oreo for the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T, and since then have continued to release incremental open beta upgrades for these devices. Now, the company has released OxygenOS 5.0.1 which upgrades the OnePlus 3 and 3T to the December security patch and brings some other improvements like support for the aptX HD Bluetooth audio codec, an adaptive screen calibration mode, and more.

You can view the full, official changelog below.

• Added support for aptX HD
• Added Wi-Fi hotspot device manager
• Added "adaptive mode" screen calibration
• Updated Android security patch to December
• General bug fixes and stability improvements

The upgrade to OxygenOS 5.0.1 is being sent out in the form of a staged rollout, meaning users will be receiving it over the coming days. Rooted users will have to flash the full zip file which will be downloaded through the on-phone updater, but it will replace the currently installed recovery and remove root access from the device once installed.

As for the December security patch, you can read our article about the fixes that it brought here. Most of the fixes pertain to the Framework, Media Framework, System, and Kernel. The OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T received an earlier update which patched the WiFi KRACK vulnerability.

You can check out the official forum post announcement for the update to OxygenOS 5.0.1 down below.

---

Source: OnePlus Forums

from xda-developers http://ift.tt/2C2XiSf
via IFTTT

The Ultimate Excel Bootcamp Bundle Helps You Master Spreadsheets and Work with Data

Microsoft Excel is one of the most powerful data analysis tools available. The problem is many of us are never trained to use the software to its full potential. As a result, you can waste frustrating hours on basic spreadsheets and end up missing all the best features.

With four in-depth courses and over 70 hours of instruction, the Ultimate Excel Bootcamp Bundle helps you crunch the numbers. It's an essential learning library for anyone who wants to work with data, and you can currently get lifetime access for only $49.

The instruction starts with a grand tour of Excel's basic features, before diving into specialist skills. For instance, the Business Analysis course helps you understand financial modeling theory and use forecasting tools like Moving Averages and Regression.

You can also learn how to use PivotTables to organize large data sets, while the Advanced Excel course looks at complex functions, advanced graphs, and powerful macros. Around 80 percent of jobs require you to work with spreadsheets, so these skills are valuable in any career.

The courses are worth $1,380 in total, but you can grab them now for only $49 and get lifetime access.

from xda-developers http://ift.tt/2zQjf4T
via IFTTT

Google Adds Brotli Compression to Deliver Faster OTA Android Updates

The size of an OTA update isn't something that most people really think about, since updates generally automatically download in the background over WiFi, but it's actually a big deal on the server back end. Saving even a few megabytes of data can make a huge difference since the gains are multiplied by potentially hundreds of thousands of users. To that end, Google has been working to bring its Brotli compression algorithm to Android for faster OTA updates.

What is the Brotli Compression Algorithm?

Brotli is a compression algorithm developed by a few Google employees that significantly improves the compression ratio over other algorithms such as GZIP while also demonstrating an impressive decompression speed. The downside is that compressing files with the Brotli algorithm is rather slow, so it's generally avoided when compressing dynamic content.

Compression Benchmarks. Source: Jeroen Ooms

On the other hand, any static content such as web pages are suitable to be compressed via the Brotli algorithm. This includes application files downloaded from the Google Play Store. Since there are well over 2 billion Android devices out there, shaving off even small amounts of data when serving a patch file from the Play Store can result in massive gains for Google. The Brotli algorithm, when used for Play Store app downloads, saves users 1.5 petabytes (1.5 million gigabytes) of data each day.

Brotli Compression Algorithm versus GZIP for Play Store Downloads. Credits: Google Student Blog

How will Brotli Improve OTA Updates?

Now, OTA updates aren't served to users as frequently as a Play Store app update, but they do tend to be much larger in comparison. For example, a full OTA package before compression can be 2GBs in size. Just how much data can be saved from an OTA package?

A LineageOS developer for the Motorola Moto G4 reports that they were able to save 50 Megabytes on an unofficial build. Considering the fact that the average Moto G4 LineageOS build is about 350 Megabytes, that's a pretty dramatic improvement. If even 10 MBs of data is saved on each OTA, then the overall reduction in bandwidth can be significant since Google needs to serve the update package to hundreds of thousands of users.

Furthermore, since Brotli also brings improved decompression speeds, that also means that OTA updates can be applied more quickly. OTA updates are sent to each device as an archive, so before the patches can be made via bsdiff, the archive needs to be decompressed. Since Brotli decompression is rather quick that means decompressing the archive will also be quick, resulting in faster patching of system files.

However, users on devices with A/B partition schemes such as the Google Pixel/Pixel 2, Essential Phone, Razer Phone, Moto Z2 Force, and Xiaomi Mi A1 probably won't notice this particular improvement since the updates are seamlessly applied on the inactive partition in the background. Still, even for these devices, the smaller OTA update package due to Brotli compression will result in reduced bandwidth for the user.

---

Thanks to XDA Retired Forum Moderator/Recognized Developer cybojenix for the tip!

from xda-developers http://ift.tt/2lwiBVg
via IFTTT

TWRP now supports the Xiaomi Redmi 5 & 5 Plus and Razer Phone

Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP for short) is the custom recovery software of choice for Android users. Besides providing the ability to backup/restore, flash images, or wipe partitions, the recovery also has a built-in file manager, ADB integration, and more. Getting a working TWRP build on a device is often the first step towards fostering a custom development scene, since it's risky to mess with your device without having a backup. And now, the custom recovery is finally available on the newly released Razer Phone, Xiaomi Redmi 5, and Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus.

---

TWRP for the Razer Phone

We've been following the development of the Razer Phone since its initial release. The Razer Phone is Razer's first consumer smartphone and the first smartphone sold in western markets with a 120Hz variable refresh rate display. Though Razer's products are typically marketed towards gamers, the Razer Phone's specifications are also appealing to Android enthusiasts with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC paired with 8GBs of RAM, 64GBs of internal storage (with microSD support), and a 4,000 mAh battery.

The device's kernel source code was released a little over 10 days ago which has allowed developers to build TWRP, but without official factory images, lack of a dedicated recovery partition, and unfamiliarity with building TWRP for A/B partition devices, few dared to mess with their device in case it wouldn't boot anymore.

However, that didn't stop dedicated members on our community from trying to figure this out. XDA Senior Member twelfth even went as far as buying a Razer Phone to send to the lead developer of TWRP, XDA Senior Recognized Developer Dees_Troy. Thanks to this, TWRP was finally made for the Razer Phone and it is now available at the following link, along with detailed instructions on how to install it.

Download TWRP for the Razer Phone

---

TWRP for the Xiaomi Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus are a pair of budget smartphones that were unveiled earlier this month. The Redmi 5 has a 5.7″ LCD display with a 1440×720 (18:9 aspect ratio) resolution and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC with 2GB RAM/16GB storage or 3GB RAM/32GB storage, and a 3,300 mAh battery. Meanwhile the Redmi 5 Plus has a 5.99″ 2160×1080 display with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC with 3GB RAM/32GBs storage or 4GB RAM/64GBs storage and a 4,000 mAh battery.

Both smartphones are pretty low end, but it's their price that makes them enticing to buy. The Xiaomi Redmi 5 retails for around $120/$135 depending on the variant, while the Redmi 5 Plus costs around $150/$196. At those prices, you might have a decent experience provided you have the right software. These smartphones run MIUI 9 based on Android Nougat, but thanks to TWRP and hopefully a fledgling community, other options may be available in the future.

We don't yet have a dedicated forum set up for the two phones, but we did notice that official support was recently merged in the TWRP gerrit, so that's how we know that the custom recovery is available for these two devices. You can grab them at the official website from the links below.

Download TWRP for the Xiaomi Redmi 5

Download TWRP for the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

from xda-developers http://ift.tt/2zPm866
via IFTTT

OxygenOS Open Oreo Beta Now Available for the OnePlus 5T

An open Oreo beta for OxygenOS was released Friday for the OnePlus 5T, bringing picture-in-picture (PiP) functionality, Smart Text Selection, system-wide autofill, and the December Android security patch to OnePlus's flagship smartphone. Though the open beta has been available for a while now for the OnePlus 5, those who got its newer, 18:9 display-touting sibling had to wait, since the two devices run different firmware despite having the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset.

If you want to join in on the Oreo fun, there are some caveats to note. For one, the beta might not be as stable as the standard over-the-air updates, and upgrading to a non-beta update won't return you to the stable channel — you have to completely wipe your system and data (including pictures, videos, and apps) and flash a full OxygenOS stable ROM in order to revert from the beta. And if you're coming from a custom ROM, OnePlus recommends you contact customer support before flashing the OxygenOS beta.

If none of that scares you, you can download the full ROM from the corresponding OnePlus forum post and flash it via the OnePlus 5T's system recovery menu. If you have TWRP recovery installed, you might want to consider flashing the recommended stock recovery, which is also available for download from the forum post.

---

Source: OnePlus

from xda-developers http://ift.tt/2EhUguU
via IFTTT

Xiaomi’s Yeelight Speaker Uses Alexa and Looks Like an Amazon Echo Dot

Smart speakers with voice assistants are becoming increasingly popular. Amazon leads the market with its Alexa-powered Echo lineup of speakers, and Google's close behind with the Google Assistant-powered Google Home, Google Home Mini, and Google Home Max. Xiaomi, on the other hand, doesn't sell a smart speaker internationally, but that won't be the case for much longer.

In July, Xiaomi took the wraps off the Mi AI smart speaker. Now, its subsidiary Yeelight has launched a spiritual successor, the Yeelight Voice Assistant, that it looks a little like the Amazon Echo Dot — complete with volume buttons on the top and a blue LED ring.

Xiaomi's calling the Yeelight Voice Assistant a "Dual AI" speaker: The Chinese model features Xiaomi's AI voice assistant, and the global model has Alexa. The speaker packs six microphones, a single 2-watt loudspeaker, and responds to voice commands given within a five-meter radius. It's powered by a quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU with 256MB of RAM, and sports 256MB of internal memory, dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity, and a Bluetooth Low Energy-enabled radio.

The Yeelight Voice Assistant can control of home automation products like smart LED lamps, table lamps, bedside lamps, and ceiling lights, as you might expect. It currently only supports Xiaomi devices, but expanded compatibility's said to be coming in an update.

The Yeelight Voice Assistant costs CNY 199 (about $30), which just about matches the price of Amazon's Echo Dot. Units are expected to begin shipping January 31 in China, but there's no word about the international release yet.

---

Source: MIUI Forums

from xda-developers http://ift.tt/2BUYLK7
via IFTTT