Technology - Google News

[Update: Frequent Faces] Google Camera 7.1 preps ‘Dual Exposure’ controls, more [APK Insight] - 9to5Google
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite could be real and coming in two shades - TechRadar
YouTube Music being the default music app is great news for Play Music users - Android Central

[Update: Frequent Faces] Google Camera 7.1 preps ‘Dual Exposure’ controls, more [APK Insight] - 9to5Google

Posted: 10 Oct 2019 06:30 AM PDT

Just over a week ahead of the Google Pixel 4 launch, we've obtained what will likely be the official version of the Google Camera app to launch on the new phone. Google Camera version 7.1 preps the previously seen "Dual Exposure" controls, adds info on the downsides of saving depth data on the Google Pixel 4, and the exact apps compatible with "Social Share."

Update 10/10: Another new feature, "Frequent Faces," has been uncovered in an unexpected place.

About APK Insight: In this "APK Insight" post, we've decompiled the latest version of an application that Google uploaded to the Play Store. When we decompile these files (called APKs, in the case of Android apps), we're able to see various lines of code within that hint at possible future features. Keep in mind that Google may or may not ever ship these features, and our interpretation of what they are may be imperfect. We'll try to enable those that are closer to being finished, however, to show you how they'll look in the case that they do ship. With that in mind, read on.

Dual Exposure

Last week, we obtained exclusive video evidence of a new camera feature for the Google Pixel 4 that allows for taking "dual exposure" photos. As you can see in the video below, the Dual Exposure controls are two knobs that allow you to manually adjust the brightness and darkness of your shots.

Google Camera 7.1 significantly prepares for taking these kinds of pictures, but we weren't able to access the Dual Exposure controls from a Pixel 3. It's quite possible that Google Camera 7.1's Dual Exposure controls may be exclusive to the Pixel 4, but it's too early to say for sure.

<string name="brightness_knob_accessibility_description">Brightness knob</string>

<string name="brightness_knob_tooltip_description">Adjusts brightness</string>

<string name="shadow_knob_accessibility_description">Shadow knob</string>

<string name="shadow_knob_tooltip_description">"Adjusts only dark parts\n of image"</string>

<string name="brightness_ev_announcement">Brightness is now %1$s</string>

<string name="shadow_ev_announcement">Shadow is now %1$s</string>

Saving depth data

In the Google Camera 7.1 settings, a new option has been added that allows you to save depth data when taking photos on the Google Pixel 4. The setting description lays out that the main upside for doing so is that certain social media apps can make use of the depth info. While it doesn't expressly say so, this likely means Facebook's 3D Photos may support the Google Pixel 4.

The downsides of saving depth data, however, may outweigh the "social media" benefits for most, depending on whether you care about motion photos.

<string name="pref_depth_every_photo_title">Social media depth features</string>

<string name="pref_depth_every_photo_summary">Depth data will be saved. This data may be used by social media apps. Motion photos will be turned off and photos may take longer to process.</string>

Frequent Faces

The folks at XDA-Developers looked into the now separate Wear OS app for Google Camera, which also received the update to version 7.1. In it, they found, and we've confirmed, new strings pointing to an upcoming feature, "Frequent Faces," that didn't appear in the phone version of Google Camera 7.1.

<string name="pref_camera_frequent_faces_title">Frequent Faces</string>

<string name="frequent_faces_info">"When you take photos with multiple people, Camera will automatically focus on the people you photograph most.\n\nFrequent Faces data is only saved on this device, and can only be accessed by this Camera app.\n\nWhen you turn off Frequent Faces, faces data will be deleted.\n\nFrequent Faces will be available when you open Camera from the lock screen."</string>

<string name="frequent_faces_learn_more">Learn more</string>

<string name="frequent_faces_off">Off</string>

<string name="frequent_faces_on">On</string>

From the description, it seems that Google Camera will use some of its facial recognition technology to put emphasis on certain people in group shots over others, based on how frequently you take pictures of them. For example, when taking a picture of children playing, Google Camera will try to put special emphasis on your child.

For the security conscious, Google also notes that the feature works entirely offline using on-device facial recognition techniques, and that all the related face data is deleted any time you turn Frequent Faces off.

<string name="frequent_faces_on_notification">Frequent Faces is on</string>

<string name="frequent_faces_try_notification">Try Frequent Faces</string>

For now, we don't know whether this will launch with the Pixel 4 or sometime later, as most of these strings were promptly removed from Google Camera for Wear OS just two days later. XDA notes that Frequent Faces only briefly appears in the code for the phone version of Google Camera 7.1.

Social Share apps

Also in the strings, we've got a list of the exact apps and "share targets" supported by Google Camera's new "Social Share" features. Among the apps included in this list, we find a few interesting ones like alternatives to Google's own Messages app such as Textra and Verizon's Message+.

<string name="social_app_discord">Discord</string>
<string name="social_app_fb_add_story">Add to Your Story</string>
<string name="social_app_fb_messenger">Messenger</string>
<string name="social_app_fb_messenger_lift">Messenger Lite</string>
<string name="social_app_fb_your_story">Your Story</string>
<string name="social_app_google_chat">Chat</string>
<string name="social_app_google_messages">Messages</string>
<string name="social_app_groupme">GroupMe</string>
<string name="social_app_hangouts">Hangouts</string>
<string name="social_app_helo">Helo</string>
<string name="social_app_imo_messenger">Imo Messenger</string>
<string name="social_app_instagram_stories">Stories</string>
<string name="social_app_kakaotalk">KakaoTalk</string>
<string name="social_app_kik">Kik</string>
<string name="social_app_line">LINE</string>
<string name="social_app_sharechat">ShareChat</string>
<string name="social_app_signal">Signal</string>
<string name="social_app_skype">Skype</string>
<string name="social_app_snapchat">Snapchat</string>
<string name="social_app_telegram">Telegram</string>
<string name="social_app_textra">Textra</string>
<string name="social_app_tweet">Tweet</string>
<string name="social_app_verizon_messages">Message+</string>
<string name="social_app_viber">Viber</string>
<string name="social_app_wechat">WeChat</string>
<string name="social_app_whatsapp">WhatsApp</string>

How to update?

Google Camera 7.1 will likely roll out to Pixel phones following the release of the Google Pixel 4. In the meantime, we've uploaded it to APKMirror for your enjoyment.

Thanks to JEB Decompiler, which some APK Insight teardowns benefit from.

Dylan Roussel contributed to this article.

Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news:

[embedded content]

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite could be real and coming in two shades - TechRadar

Posted: 10 Oct 2019 02:14 AM PDT

Recently we heard rumors of a more affordable, likely mid-range Samsung Galaxy Note 10 model, which for now we're calling the Galaxy Note 10 Lite. Now, we've heard about it again, complete with color and availability information.

According to SamMobile, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite will launch in black and red, and will be available in Europe.

That still doesn't tell us much. We don't know, for example, which parts of Europe it will land in, or whether it will launch anywhere outside Europe. So US, Australian and even UK availability remains unclear for now – though if this rumor is right then there's a good chance it will land in the UK at least.

The source also doesn't specifically say that the Galaxy Note 10 Lite won't be available in other shades, just that it will be available in black and red.

That's all the information included here, but with multiple rumors now pointing to the phone's existence there's a fair chance it's a real thing.

No rumors as yet have mentioned the specs though, beyond apparently 128GB of storage, and it's those and the price that could make or break this S Pen-toting handset. As soon as we learn any more we'll be sure to update you.

Via GSMArena

Let's block ads! (Why?)

YouTube Music being the default music app is great news for Play Music users - Android Central

Posted: 10 Oct 2019 06:30 AM PDT

You'll be nothing!

Last week, Google announced that it would be YouTube Music, not Google Play Music, pre-installed as the default music app on all Android phones. Many people commented that this was terrible news for Play Music users and yet another nail in a coffin that must look like an iron maiden by now.

Actually, as a longtime GPM user, this news made me cheer. Now I can stop worrying as much about that nonsense device limit whenever I get a new phone!

For years, one of the first things I'd do on a freshly set-up phone I'd received to review was to disable Google Play Music so that it wouldn't authorize itself accidentally. GPM has a ten-device authorization limit, which is fairly normal, and a four device de-authorization limit, which is anything but normal. What made this worse was that while YouTube Music only counted devices you download offline music on, Google Play Music authorized any device you installed the app on, whether you were just streaming or downloading.

If you hit the de-auth limit, sometimes Google Support would reset your device limit, but many times it wouldn't. And if it wouldn't, then you better hope your current phones don't die, because you couldn't add any more for months. Being locked out of your own music at $10 a month for the privilege was just ten kinds of insane, and that's far less of a worry now.

This next section might be wishful thinking on my part — I am a hopeless dreamer, after all — but YouTube Music being the default should also mean that we see more and more efforts put towards getting it ready for global use, something YTM can't really say it is right now.

Apple Music is available far more places

YouTube Music is available in just over 70 countries right now, which seems like a lot until you remember that Apple Music is available in 115 and Deezer is available in 182. Setting aside the global availability, YouTube Music is still a hot mess and 18 months into this refresh you still can't even shuffle it while casting, to say nothing of how far we are from the feature parity we need before Google Play Music libraries and users can be migrated to the service.

YouTube Music is the service I use more these days because I've been swapping phones too often to risk burning an authorization on anything lately, but also because it really does music discovery and algorithms better than anyone else in the industry (at least for me) and its library is impossible to match. The core service is good if you're willing to live with its bugs, but it could be drop-dead awesome once the service is actually stable and full-featured.

Ready or not, here it comes

My colleagues think that feature parity isn't going to happen, that GPM's music locker users will get their music in a Drive folder and get kicked to YTM or the curb. I truly hope they're wrong — because Google Play Music was the last of its kind and I don't want to go back to having two separate libraries for purchased and streamed music — but YouTube Music being the app more people use and report issues with is the next step to YouTube Music getting where it needs to be.

Or it's the next nail in Google's coffin as being utterly and eternally incapable of delivering a quality music experience.

Let's block ads! (Why?)