Android 11 Developer Preview goes live, suggests multi-coloured quick setting icons, double-tap gestures on back panel and more

Yes, it’s that time of the year already when we begin to see signs of the next version of Android, Google’s popular mobile operating system. Yesterday, Google released the first Developer Preview for Android 11, which is known to be packed with references to new features that might make it to the final release version. According to reports by XDA Developers, one of those features could be a new quick settings panel with multi-coloured icons, while another could be double-tap gestures on the back of Pixel devices.

The report from XDA Developers suggests that Android 11’s quick settings panel could have multi-coloured icons for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, Battery Saver, etc. “The colors that you can pick currently include blue along with the aforementioned yellow, red, and green, though Google may add more colors in the future. The functionality of each Quick Setting tile doesn’t change—just the icon color,” the report says. Why Google is colouring its quick setting icons is not entirely clear at the moment. However, the possibility of Google creating its own version of UI themes cannot be dismissed.

Another report from XDA Developers suggests the presence of support for double-tap gestures on new and existing Pixel devices. Codenamed Columbus in the Developer Preview of Android 11, the feature could enable the user of a Pixel device to tap the “rear of the phone” to perform functions such as dismiss a timer, snooze an alarm, launch the camera app, open Google Assistant, play or pause media, silence an incoming phone call, etc. It could even let the user set a custom action, such as launch WhatsApp. Going by the report, no additional hardware is necessary for this feature to work.

Android 11 Developer Preview 1 reportedly contains references to other new features, which may or may not make it to the final release version. For example, Android 11 could feature screen recording and extended screenshots, both of which are already available on many smartphones in the market today. Android 11 is expected to come with improved app permission requests, which let the user have more control over their data. Android 11 could also get a ‘bubbles’ feature, which is similar to floating chat icons seen on Facebook Messenger. We expect to learn more about Android 11 in the coming weeks and months.

Inline image courtesy: XDA Developers

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Lenovo teases refreshed IdeaPad S540 with Intel 10th Gen CPU on Amazonin

Lenovo appears poised for the launch of a refreshed thin and light laptop as the teaser for a new IdeaPad S540 has popped up on Amazon.in. The one-page teaser reveals that Lenovo is about to drop on us a refreshed 15-inch model with Intel’s latest 10th Gen Core i5 CPU and Nvidia’s GeForce MX250 graphics card. The refreshed IdeaPad S540 comes with some new features, including an IR camera for face unlocking and eye-tracking. Lenovo has listed the new IdeaPad S540 on its official website with a price tag of Rs 69,990 but hasn’t mentioned when it will be available for purchase on Amazon.in.

Going by Lenovo’s teaser on Amazon.in, the new IdeaPad S540 measures 15.9mm in depth and weighs 1.3kg. It’s expected to have narrow bezels on all four sides of the display, a glass touchpad, and a backlit keyboard with an integrated numpad. The 15.6-inch screen is an IPS LCD unit that delivers up to 300 nits of maximum brightness. According to Lenovo, the laptop’s battery is good for up to 18.5 hours of continuous use and has support for rapid charge. The unit listed on Lenovo’s website has 8GB of RAM and dual-drive storage (256GB solid-state drive + 1TB hard drive).

Because the new IdeaPad S540 is equipped with an IR camera above the display and Lenovo’s proprietary software, the company is billing it as a laptop that is “powered by Lenovo AI”. The IR camera on board is expected to help the user log in to Windows more seamlessly via Windows Hello. It’s also expected to work with Windows 10’s inbuilt ‘eye control’ feature, which is currently available for preview. At any rate, the IdeaPad S540 is one of the very few laptops to offer eye-tracking in its price range. Lenovo also says that the laptop has a dual-fan cooling system, which is expected to work 20 per cent better than before.

The IdeaPad S540 that we reviewed late last year was powered by an Intel 8th Gen Core i5 CPU in combination with an Nvidia GeForce MX250 graphics card. It had 8GB of RAM and storage was handled by a 128GB PCIe NVMe solid-state drive along with a 1TB hard drive. In our review, we noted that its performance was good but not great. We especially liked its bright, colourful display and its responsive precision touchpad. But we weren’t a fan of its audio setup and its shallow keyboard setup. You can read our complete review of the Lenovo IdeaPad S540 here.

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PUBG V6.2 Update: PlayStation 4 Players Can Now Play Alongside Xbox One Players

Cross Party Play will allow Xbox One and PlayStation 4 players to play together in a team. It also brings the much anticipated 8v8 Team Deathmatch mode.

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Asus ROG Phone 3 to Come Pre-Installed With Google Stadia

Asus ROG Phone 3 is reported to come with Stadia game streaming service pre-installed. There is no word on when the phone is slated to launch, but the company has revealed this development for the next Asus ROG Phone.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip clamshell foldable phone launched in India for Rs 1,09,999

Samsung announced a new clamshell foldable phone at its Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event on February 11. While the device has been made available in the US, it was yet to be launched in India. However, the company has finally begun taking pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Flip in the country. The foldable phone is priced at Rs 1,09,999 for the sole 8GB + 256GB model. It is being offered in Mirror Black, Mirror Purple, Mirror Gold colour options. Users can pre-order the phone via Samsung e-store and select offline retailers.

Samsung will start delivering the Galaxy Z Flip pre-orders from February 26. The company is packing a free cover and AKG headphones inside the box. The open sale is said to start on a later date.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip features a foldable 6.7-inch full-HD (1080x2636 pixels) Dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex display with 21.9:9 aspect ratio and 425ppi pixel density. It has a secondary 1.1-inch (112x300 pixels) Super AMOLED display with a 303ppi pixel density. The handset is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ SoC. It comes with 8GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage. However, there is no option to expand the storage further with a microSD card.

As for the optics, the Galaxy Z Flip sports a dual rear camera setup: a 12MP wide-angle sensor (f/1.8, 1.4-micron pixels, 78-degree FoV) + a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.2, 1.12-micron pixels, 123-degree FoV, OIS). On the front lies a 10MP selfie shooter. The handset packs a 3300mAh battery and has a single mono speaker. 

The Galaxy Z Flip comes with a new Flex mode UI that lets the Galaxy Z Flip open at varied angles. The small screen also has a swipe-to-see notification feature for scanning through all important notifications without opening the phone. Moreover, Samsung has added small nylon fibres on the edges of the hinge to repel dust. The hinge is touted to open and close 200,000 times.

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Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 2: Top Secret Is Live - A Spy-Themed Affair With Deadpool, New Skins, Locations

Fortnite Chapter Season 2 has been dubbed ‘Top Secret’ and will be live for 10 weeks till April 30.

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Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 2 Promotions Include Real World Ads and Cryptic Messages

The campaign for Fortnite’s Season 2 is in full effect with people spotting cryptic messages on social media and the real world. They have reported hearing pre-recorded messages that mention agents, explosive specialists, and safes.

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