LG V20 Android Oreo update may arrive in August, kernel source code posted online

LG has been hard at work updating their devices after the launch of their software update center in South Korea back in April. When we learned that the LG G6 was being updated to Android Oreo, we were told that the LG V20 and the LG G5 would also see an update soon. Thanks to XDA Member cheeze.keyk, we can see that the kernel source code has been posted online. An August release of the Android Oreo update would make sense given the update timeline that Canadian mobile carrier Fido released (via GSMArena). The LG G5 recently also saw its kernel source code posted online, suggesting Android Oreo is coming soon for that device as well.

So what can we expect from the Android Oreo update on the LG V20? Android Oreo brings a number of system-wide improvements, including battery gains, performance gains, Autofill API, new features like Picture in Picture mode, and a whole lot more. The LG V20 launched in September 2016 with Android Nougat, so while it's great that it's receiving Android Oreo, we should hope this isn't the end of the road in terms of software updates. Sadly it may be, as it seems we are coming up on the standard two-year support window that most Android smartphone manufacturers seem to abide by.

It's interesting that LG chose to release their kernel source for the update well before it's meant to release, especially given some manufacturers have a habit of taking a few months to do so. It does mean that developers on our LG V20 forums can, in theory, get cracking on development already though. It's also worth pointing out that while it could arrive in August, with the kernel source code already being made available, we could maybe see it a whole lot sooner. The company certainly has a poor reputation in the Android community, but they're slowly turning that around with the huge amount of updates they've released recently. You can check out the kernel sources below.

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Download LG V20 Android Oreo Kernel Source Code

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Reliance announces the JioPhone 2 and Jio GigaFiber FTTH service

At its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has officially announced the JioPhone 2, the successor to last year's JioPhone. Secondly, registrations for Jio GigaFiber — the company's name for its much-awaited fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband service — will start on August 15th.

Let's take a look at both of the announcements:

Reliance JioPhone 2

The JioPhone was one of the first "smart feature phones." It was powered by KaiOS, a fork of Boot2Gecko, which is itself the community-driven successor to the now extinct Firefox OS. It was announced last year as a 4G VoLTE and Wi-Fi capable feature phone, and it had the capability to run Jio apps. Much was made about its "effectively free" pricing, with customers having to give a down payment of ₹1500 ($22), which would be refunded to them after three years subject to terms and conditions.

The phone itself gained Google Assistant capability, making it one of the first feature phones to run Google Assistant. Now, Jio has announced that WhatsApp and YouTube will also be available for JioPhone users from August 15th.

The JioPhone went on to become the most popular feature phone in India, and now it's getting a successor. The JioPhone 2 has a Blackberry-like design with a portrait QWERTY keyboard. It will be available alongside its predecessor, and it will be made available starting August 15th. The phone will cost ₹2999 ($44), and there is no mention of any down payment this time around, so the price is the full retail price.

The JioPhone 2 is a KaiOS-powered smart feature phone, and its specifications are noted below. It also has a dedicated button for voice command.

Reliance JioPhone 2	Specifications
Software	KaiOS
SoC	Unknown
RAM and storage	512MB of RAM with 4GB of storage; microSD card slot (up to 128GB expandable storage)
Battery	2000mAh
Display	2.4-inch QVGA LCD
Connectivity	VoLTE, VoWiFi, NFC, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM radio, microUSB port, dual nano SIM slots, 3.5mm headphone jack
Bands	GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100MHz FDD-LTE: Bands 3/5 TDD-LTE: Band 40 LTE Cat4 DL:150Mbps/UL: 50Mbps
Camera	2MP rear camera, VGA front-facing camera

The company also announced a "JioPhone Monsoon Hungama Offer" that will start from July 21st. It allows existing feature phone users to exchange their current phone for the JioPhone for ₹501 ($7).

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Jio GigaFiber

RIL announced the launch of Ji GigaFiber – the company's FTTH home broadband service — alongside the JioPhone 2 announcement. Jio GigaFiber FTTH services will be made available in 1100 cities in the country, although there was no specific time frame given for launch. Jio GigaFiber consists of the GigaFiber router along with the Jio GigaTV set-top box, which will allow users to make video calls to other GigaTV devices or mobile users on any network in India.

Jio GigaFiber has been in beta testing mode since last year, with consumers in select cities getting access to its Preview Offer with speeds of 100Mbps. JioFiber's official public announcement didn't come with any specifics about speed or pricing, although Jio has claimed speeds of up to 1Gbps in the past. It is expected to be the "biggest greenfield fixed line broadband service" in the world, according to the company, and it will be made available to homes, merchants, small and medium enterprises, as well as large enterprises.

Jio GigaFiber will enable customers to use services such as UHD entertainment, multi-party video conferencing, voice-activated virtual assistant, VR gaming and shopping, and smart home solutions. Users will be able to connect VR headsets to their Jio GigaFiber network and view 360-degree content in 4K resolution.

Registrations for Jio GigaFiber can be made from August 15th from Jio's website and the MyJio app. Reliance states that it will prioritize the roll-out of Jio GigaFiber in localities based on the interest the company receives from registrations.

Jio GigaTV will let users call other GigaTV users, as well as mobile users on other cellular networks. Subscribers will be able to use voice commands on a microphone-enabled TV remote to access the standard Jio suite of apps.

Finally, the company detailed some statistics. The Jio 4G LTE network that was launched in September 2016 has now gained 215 million users in 22 months. The company aims to bring India among the top five global fixed line broadband players, and it has invested over ₹250,000 crores ($36 billion) for creating better mobile and broadband connectivity.

Our view: The launch of Jio GigaFiber has the potential to transform the fixed-line broadband industry in India. Indian consumers have been struggling for years with slow broadband Internet speeds and high prices, so the arrival of affordable FTTH services can change the game entirely. However, a lot depends on pricing and availability of the service. If the execution is carried out well, Jio GigaFiber can be a service that finally brings back sense to the broadband industry.

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Via 1: Gadgets 360Via 2: Gadgets 360

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LineageOS 15.1 now available for the ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser/Selfie & Sony Xperia XA2

LineageOS 15.1 is now officially available for the ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser and the ASUS ZenFone 2 Selfie. It's also available for the Sony Xperia XA2.

LineageOS 15.1 is the latest version of LineageOS, based on Android 8.1 Oreo. It's the most popular AOSP-based custom ROM that contains many added features. Official builds of the ROM roll-out every week for supported devices. Version 15.1 of the ROM was announced back in February, and the first builds began to roll out for select supported devices in the same month.

Since then, LineageOS has continued to quietly add more and more devices to the list of supported devices. The community-driven open-source project has also released new features such as LineageOS Trust, while releasing a Device Support Requirements charter to maintain a high standard in official LineageOS builds. Recently, LineageOS added official support to A/B devices starting with the Motorola Moto Z2 Force.

Official support for LineageOS 15.1 means that owners of the ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser/Selfie and the Sony Xperia XA2 can flash an Android 8.1 Oreo custom ROM. In the case of the ZenFone 2 Laser and ZenFone 2 Selfie, this is the only way users can experience Android Oreo as their official software support has long since been finished. It's worth noting that the phones were released with Android 5.0 Lollipop.

The Sony Xperia XA2, on the other hand, is in a different situation. It was released earlier this year, and it runs Android 8.0 Oreo. Users can flash official LineageOS 15.1 to use a newer Android version with the latest security patches. It's great to see official LineageOS support for newer devices such as the Xperia XA2.

Users needing instructions to flash LineageOS 15.1 on their devices can find them here.

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LineageOS 15.1 for ZenFone 2 Laser (Z00L)XDA Forum for ZenFone 2 LaserTWRP for ZenFone 2 Laser
LineageOS 15.1 for ZenFone 2 Selfie (Z00T)XDA Forum for ZenFone 2 SelfieTWRP for ZenFone 2 Selfie
LineageOS 15.1 for Xperia XA2 (pioneer)XDA Forum for Xperia XA2TWRP for Xperia XA2

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How to enable Android P’s Dark Theme when Night Light is on

With the Google Pixel 2, Google added a partial system dark theme that gets applied when you have a dark-colored wallpaper. That feature came to the original Google Pixel and other devices with the Android 8.1 Oreo update and with the latest Android P Beta 3/Developer Preview 4, you no longer need to have a dark-colored wallpaper to use the dark theme. If you've ever wanted to make the dark mode a bit smarter, we figured out how to automate it so you can apply any condition before it's enabled. The best part is it doesn't require root!

For reference, the dark theme only themes parts of the SystemUI and Google Pixel Launcher such as the quick settings panel, volume panel, folder background, and app drawer background. The only way to get a full system-wide dark theme is to either remain on Android Oreo and use a Substratum theme or to root your Android P device to use Substratum. We realize that rooting your device isn't something that some of you may want to do, so we're always looking for customization options that don't require root. Thanks to the latest Android P beta, it's now possible to automate when the dark theme is applied so, for example, we can enable the dark mode only when Night Light is on.

Trigger Android P's Dark Theme with Night Light

A brief explanation on what we're doing. The latest Android P beta allows you to manually toggle the dark theme in Display settings. As such, a new Settings.Secure value was made by Google to hold the current value of this setting (Settings.Secure.theme_mode where 0 is automatic based on wallpaper, 1 is the light theme, and 2 is the dark theme.) Changing this value manually via ADB or with an application with the right permission allows us to change the theme. Using the latest Tasker beta version which allows us to monitor for changes in settings, we can monitor the Night Light state and then toggle the theme change at will.

Requirements

• You must be on Android P Beta 3/Developer Preview 4 for this to work without root. The release is available for the following devices at the time of publication:
  • Google Pixel
  • Google Pixel XL
  • Google Pixel 2
  • Google Pixel 2 XL
  • Essential Phone (PH-1)
  • Sony Xperia XZ2
• You will need to have the automation app "Tasker" installed and you need to be on the latest beta, v5.2.bf6.
• You will need to grant Tasker a special permission via ADB. Set up ADB as outlined here and enter the following command in a Command Prompt/PowerShell/Terminal after installing the latest Tasker beta.
  • Windows Command Prompt:

      adb shell pm grant net.dinglisch.android.taskerm android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS  

  • Windows PowerShell:

      .\adb shell pm grant net.dinglisch.android.taskerm android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS  

  • macOS/Linux Terminal:

      ./adb shell pm grant net.dinglisch.android.taskerm android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS  

Tasker ($2.99, Google Play) →

Instructions

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to set it up. At the end, I will also include a link to import it.

1. Open Tasker and create a new Profile. Name it "Automatic Dark Theme At Night."
2. Choose the State Context.
3. Pick the System category.
4. Select the Custom Setting option.
5. For the Type, pick "Secure". For the Name, enter "night_display_activated". For the Value, enter "1".
6. Enter the Task creation (no need to name the Task.)
7. Add an Action.
8. Pick the Settings category.
9. Choose Custom Setting.
10. For the Type, pick "Secure". For the Name, enter "theme_mode". For the Value, enter "2". This will enable the dark theme when Night Light is on.
11. Exit the Task creation and go back to Tasker's main screen.
12. Long-press on the Task you created and select "Add Exit Task."
13. Repeat steps 7-10 however for the Value in step 10, enter "1". This will disable the dark theme when Night Light is off.
14. You're done. Now Tasker will automatically toggle the dark mode whenever Night Light is toggled. You can either toggle Night Light manually, set it on a custom schedule, or set it to enable based on the sun cycle.

Click here to import the Profile above. Note: this is using Tasker's new URL import/export feature which is only available on the latest Tasker beta. The Profile won't work if you're not on the latest Tasker beta anyways.

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Google Duo works on some Chromebooks like the HP Chromebook X2

Yesterday we discovered that Google Duo received support for Android tablets and making and receiving voice and video calls on multiple devices. Today, we discovered that with this latest update Google has also added support for Google Duo on some Chromebooks like the HP Chromebook X2.

Our editor was able to install and use Google Duo on his HP Chromebook X2 today. This device is the first detachable Chromebook on the market, so it's no surprise to see it gain support given that Android tablets are now supported. However, it's shocking that support hasn't been enabled for other Chrome OS devices like the Google Pixelbook or Samsung Chromebook Plus/Pro.

In any case, Google Duo can be installed on the device through the Google Play Store and it has the same features as the tablet version. It even uses the same user interface as the tablet version of the app. You can make and receive both voice and video calls from Duo on Chromebooks.

Since Google has not officially announced this yet, we don't know when or if it will be making its way to other Chromebooks. We're assuming that other Chromebooks like Google's own Pixelbook will be able to install this very soon from the Google Play Store.

It really seems like Google is trying to push their multi-platform messaging to more users. Just last month Google Duo hit the half a billion download milestone on Android. Now we are now just waiting for Google to release Duo for desktop platforms like macOS and Windows for better multi-platform access. Google could make Duo's multi-platform feature work similar to Android Messages for Web that was just released or make it an entirely independent client. Either way, Google Duo really needs a desktop client to compete with the likes of Apple FaceTime or Skype.

Google Duo (Free, Google Play) →

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Start a Career in the Cloud with This AWS Training Package

The cloud has redefined how we manage, store, and transfer data. No longer must we rely on bulky and unpredictable hard drives to ensure that our information stays secure, and no longer must rely on antiquated transfer methods to get the information we need.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the undisputed king of cloud computing technology, and if you're interested in kickstarting a career in cloud services, tackling the ins and outs of this admittedly complex platform is essential. The AWS Cloud Development Bundle will teach you everything you need to know about AWS, and you only have to pay what you want.

With 12 individual modules that cover everything from the absolute basics of cloud computing and storage to the most advanced aspects of AWS systems, this bundle has everything you need to master this increasingly relied-upon platform.

You'll learn how to build reliable and scalable AWS applications, create new and secure domains for clients, implement complex database solutions using Azure, use OpenStack to automate tasks that can drain productivity, and much more.

Pay only what you want for the entire bundle, and if that's less than the average price paid you'll still take home something great. Beat the average price, and you take home the entire bundle.

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Tasker Beta lets you export to URL and monitor settings for changes

After acquiring the popular automation application called Tasker, developer João Dias has been hard at work on improving the application. His first beta release added the secure setting permission so users could automate any setting on their device. His first public release expanded on that by making it into an Action in the app, and he also modernized the app by adding runtime permissions and support for Magisk root. Now, the latest beta version of the app adds two new exciting features: The ability to export Tasks/Profiles/Projects to URLs for easy sharing and a new Event and State context that monitors settings for changes.

Export to URL

We're huge fans of automation on XDA. As an avid user of Tasker for many years, I've watched the app grow with many changes to the user interface and functionality. But one area where Tasker hasn't evolved is its backup and sharing function. It's a mess. Exporting and importing your work has always been a pain because you need to export your Task/Profile/Project as an XML file, share that file somewhere like a Google Drive account, have someone download that XML file, and then instruct them to open Tasker and manually import it. With the new export to URL feature, a lot of that work is removed as you only need to share a single URL for others to import your work. All a user has to do is click on the link from their device and it'll be imported!

Here's a sample you can try importing once you're on the latest beta:

Click here to import a sample Tasker Profile/Task

And here's a video by the developer showing this feature off:

Monitor Settings

This is a feature which I personally requested the developer to add and am really glad to see it finally be included: the ability to monitor the Settings.Secure, Settings.Global, and Settings.System tables for changes! On XDA, we've published many tutorials in the past that take advantage of these hidden settings tables. Some examples include: Enabling the "Turn on WiFi automatically" feature on Android Oreo, Customize the Battery Saver Trigger Percent, Reduce the Long-Press Delay beyond the lowest value, Enable System-wide Immersive Mode, Disable the High-Volume Warning, Customize Battery Saver on Android Oreo, and get rid of corner rounding and status bar padding on Android 8.1 Oreo.

If you've ever seen a setting on your device and wished you could add some additional action on top of it, this new feature is just for you! For example, I've figured out how to automatically enable the dark theme in Android P Developer Preview 4 whenever Night Light is turned on. Nifty! (I'll be sharing that soon.)

Setting it up is quite simple. All you have to do is create a new Profile or add an additional Context onto an existing Profile and select one of the new "Custom Setting" options. You can find it as a System Event or a System State. The State assumes you know what value you're looking for and hence doesn't give you a variable output in the Task, whereas the Event will store the result in the %evtprm array (with the most important information stored in %evtprm3.)

Once you've selected the Event or State Context, you need to specify whether the setting you want to monitor is a Secure, Global, or System setting. Then you put the name of the setting into the name part and optionally the value if you want the Profile to trigger on a certain value. For example, I put "night_display_activated" and set the value to "1" so my Profile triggers whenever Night Light is enabled.

How do you find out what settings are available on your device? It's highly device/OEM dependent so there's no master list anywhere. However, the best way for you to find settings is to hook up your device to your PC and run the following ADB commands:

  adb shell settings list system  adb shell settings list global  adb shell settings list secure  

It's up to you to figure out what each value means. A simple Google search will usually answer that for you, though!

Download Tasker Beta 5.2.bf6

If you want to download this version of Tasker, you'll first need to sign up for the beta program here. Then, purchase the app from the Play Store and make sure that you're downloading version 5.2.bf6 as that's the latest beta!

Tasker ($2.99, Google Play) →

Tasker Beta 5.2.bf6 Changelog

Here's the full changelog for those of you who are interested.

Added

• Export as URL: revolutionizing the way Tasker data is shared. Tasker/Profiles/Projects can be exported as URLs and to import them, user simply needs to click on the URL with Tasker installed
• Custom Setting State/Event: monitor Android's settings so you can react to their changes. For example, turn the volume down when night light is enabled
• Badges for new States and Events
• Option to keep wifi on with Wifi Tether
• More Custom Settings that will be automatically found

Changes

• SMS App action will now set it with no prompt if Tasker has the Write Secure Settings permission
• Updated support email address

Bugfixes

• Fixed Array Set not clearing previously existing array with the same name
• Ask for location permission in Wifi Connected and Wifi Near states
• Fixed opening file from a folder whose name started with "Tasker"
• Fixed Biometric Dialog not showing up when running from outside Tasker
• Fixed error message when running Create Directory action
• Fixed not being able to delete multiple profiles at once
• Fixed Wifi Tethering for Android P
• Don't exit Tasker if some other app opens while Tasker is in its main screen

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