This has resulted in Xiaomi selling some of their smartphones in various offline retail outlets throughout India. We saw this with the Redmi 3S+ late last year, but they actually want to have their own offline retail presence. We’ve heard news reports talk about the company’s plans, but until this month nothing had officially opened up. Xiaomi has now officially announced their first offline retail store in India, and it is scheduled to be open to the public on May 20th at 9:00 AM IST.
The first of Xiaomi’s offline retail stores is located in the Phoenix Market City Mall in Bengaluru, and smartphones won’t be the only products that will be there. The press release tells us that Xiaomi will also sell power banks, headphones, fitness bands, air purifiers, and even “other ecosystem products” which the company plans to launch in India. For those interested in pre-ordering a phone before the store is open, you can do so next week at the company’s Indian landing page with a down payment of INR 1,000.
This won’t be the only Mi Home retail store for Xiaomi in India either. The company has plans to open 100 more locations over the next two years in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai. Xiaomi has found success in these offline retail stores in their home country as they currently have over 70 locations in Greater China.
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McAfee is a household name in the consumer security market since 1987. Intel announced they were acquiring the company back in 2010 and had plans to rename it to Intel Security, but ultimately backed out of this decision. McAfee’s security software is available on most major platforms including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android as well. This week the company announced they were extending their partnership with Samsung.
While the Galaxy S8 smartphone line is included in this partnership, the deal doesn’t end there. McAfee LiveSafe is a cross-device security product and this will be shipping on all Samsung PCs produced in 2017. This will come with a 60-day free trial and then the consumer will be offered a deal after the trial period ends. Samsung also sells smart TVs, and McAfee has a piece of software for this product line as well called McAfee Security for TV.
McAfee Security for TV is currently available on Samsung’s smart TVs which are sold in the United States and South Korea with no additional purchase being necessary. However, this extended partnership will bring this software on smart TVs from Samsung which are sold in additional countries throughout the first half of this year. Specific countries included in this agreement were not detailed in the official announcement though.
Last and certainly not least, McAfee VirusScan will be pre-installed on the Samsung’s Galaxy S8 line starting last month. This security application will also be available on Samsung’s Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and Galaxy Note 5, although availability may vary from market to market. I don’t see the application on my Exynos unit yet, but it could be coming in a future OTA update. As of right now, it’s unclear if this will be easy to uninstall, or if users will be forced to disable it or use a de-bloater to get it off their phones.
We at XDA are still skeptical of the need behind anti-malware software on Android devices, given the extensive permissions model that users can take advantage of to monitor applications on their own. However, many people unfortunately still put forth little effort into protecting themselves from malicious apps, so perhaps this partnership may be beneficial for those consumers. We’re not the arbiters of truth here, so do let us know your thoughts on this move by Samsung in the comments below!
Prepare yourself for the exciting industry of web development with this insane deal on a popular Developer Bootcamp. Right now this course from Udemy is 92% off of it’s regular price. Get The Web Developer Bootcamp for only$15.
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Throughout the course you will cover tons of tools and technologies including:
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This course is very well revived and has been used by almost 100,000 developers.
Purchases made through Udemy benefit XDA. Our sponsors help us pay for the many costs associated with running XDA, including server costs, full time developers, news writers, and much more. While you might see sponsored content (which will always be labeled as such) alongside Portal content, the Portal team is in no way responsible for these posts. Sponsored content, advertising and XDA Depot are managed by a separate team entirely. XDA will never compromise its journalistic integrity by accepting money to write favorably about a company, or alter our opinions or views in any way. Our opinion cannot be bought.
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Blackberry has long been known for its triumphs in software and security. Since the company’s 2015 decision to put its newest devices exclusively on the Android OS, Blackberry and Android’s software worlds have been settling in together, attempting to take the best from what the other has to offer. Recently, in an effort to bring some of Blackberry’s most popular features to non-Blackberry branded phones, XDA Senior Member, and creator of the Google Play Store port to Blackberry 10 OS, cobalt232 has released Blackberry Manager.
Blackberry Manager enables any Android phone, running 5.0 or higher, to download free versions of several Blackberry applications, patches them, and keeps them up to date. Root access is not needed in any capacity and the APK can be downloaded here.
Blackberry Hub is a central communication “hub” for your calendar, emails, text messages, and phone calls as well as third-party social media, messaging, and calling apps. This can include content from Whatsapp, Facebook, Slack, and more – creating a single point from which any of these communications can be composed or received. Adding to its value is the fact that the Hub’s functionality is not dependent on the use of Blackberry Contacts or Calendar. By default, Blackberry Hub uses the devices currently installed apps for each, though Blackberry Contacts and Calendar can of course be installed to take their place. While the convenience of Blackberry Hub is readily apparent, the added security, on which many Blackberry owners rely, is for now absent from non-Blackberry devices. Aside from lacking the hardware-level cryptography found in Blackberry handsets, the ability to send and receive encrypted mail is not yet supported on non-Blackberry phones, though the company’s website indicates this will be coming in a future update.
It’s also important to note that installing Blackberry Hub+ services is essential. For instance, the Blackberry Keyboard will not learn from your previous typing without it.
Blackberry Keyboard
Known for its innovative take on predictive typing, the Blackberry Keyboard’s signature feature simultaneously improves predictive accuracy while offering more options over other such implementations. By displaying word options over each of the predicted next letters for a given word – as it’s being typed – (determined by the current point in a word or sentence) the user can simply swipe up on the letter offering the correct prediction when it presents itself. Compared to predictive text on other software keyboards, the Blackberry Keyboard not only offers more words, but more accurate and dynamic suggestions. Even more impressive is its native ability to offer predictions and corrections in up to three languages at the same time.
Blackberry Universal Search
An app born of the need for useful local device search on Android handsets, Blackberry Device Search can quickly find contacts, tasks, calendar events, emails, passwords, text messages, files, and songs – all of which are searchable regardless of the default app used to access them, save for tasks and passwords. For instance, Blackberry Calendar doesn’t need to be installed for Device Search to find calendar events, though Blackberry Password-Keeper is required to make credentials searchable. Even content from third-party apps such as Google Docs and Facebook can be queried through the extended search function. Quite a useful tool for keeping track of various forms of data, regardless of the channels through which you receive it.
Blackberry Privacy Shade
More in the vein of Blackberry’s security obsession, Blackberry Privacy Shade transposes an opaque or translucent black shade over the entire screen – leaving only a small, movable window through which to view content. A nice feature for those who may need, or simply appreciate, such options for privacy. Enabling this is as simple as pulling down the notification center and tapping the corresponding widget.
Although there are already free alternatives that have been released on the Play Store which copy this functionality, Blackberry’s option works just as well, and will hopefully be kept updated for much longer.
Conclusion
Though Blackberry’s name does not ring the bells it once did, the company’s software is still showing useful innovation and rock-solid performance. Praise is also in order for cobalt232, as the patched versions found in the Blackberry Manager app gave no issues whatsoever during testing. While some of us still may not be ready to give Blackberry hardware another chance yet, the case which the company makes for itself through its software still proves to be a compelling one. One that may even have the most loyal [insert brand, app, or OS] fans feeling all kinds of crazy emotions…
Have you tried any of Blackberry’s universal Android apps? If not, will you? Please share your experiences in the comments below!
Check out a full list of Blackberry’s Android apps in the Google Play Store.
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In this Android Dev Weekly, we’ll cover updates from many areas of the Android enthusiast world including substratum, team GroundZero’s new application, the Bliss family of ROMs, and the Arise Family Feud.
substratum
Space integration management
The stock option letting users clearing substratum’s app data has now been disabled. This particular integration is currently under development. However, users can see the specifics of what can be cleared post-integration.
In order to clear data of the application, you will have to navigate to Settings -> Apps -> Substratum -> Storage -> Manage Space. Once in substratum, you will have to clear data from its special “Manage Storage Usage” screen.
Addressing the icon-pack support requests
Although a recent security patch has a TI6 update bundled into it, icon pack support has not been confirmed yet.
The feature is under heavy experimentation.
Substratum Auto Compile and Auto Overlay
Remember how with CyanogenMod Theme Engine, the applications installed after applying a certain theme would automatically adapt to the theme? Well, team substratum implemented the same feature in substratum.
However, direct implementation of this feature would mean more background processing. Hence, the feature has been implemented as an option into the substratum application. The following video will give you a more clear understanding:
Compiling profiles
Expanding on the concept of a #visualUI, the team plans to implement yet another feature. This time, the team has enabled creating profiles. Basically, profiles will compile all your themes automatically based on your previous setting – if the necessary themes have already been installed.
Recently, GZR executed a global roll-out for updated versions of all three of their Custom ROMs – Tesla, Validus, and Tipsy. The ROMs have been bumped up to Nougat version 7.1.2.
A new application
The team has been working on an application which ultimately released earlier in the month of April. The application is a collection of all the builds for the officially supported devices.
In order to receive timely updates on the progress of Ground Zero ROMs, you might want to consider joining the G.Z.R. Telegram channel.
BlissROMS
Introducing: The Bliss Family of CustomROMs
Team Bliss believes in the fact that helping each other and working together is the correct way to develop and create premium-grade software for various platforms.
Basically, the Bliss family is a collective of various Custom ROMs and app-related projects working together as a team. The respective projects all function as a unified team while sharing their respective knowledge and resources in order to build each other up and help the community as a whole.
Joining the Bliss family equals to having a share in resources that could potentially help you grow into a better developer. From access to exclusive chats encompassing talented and respected developers to actual build server rentals and hosting deals.
The family’s invitation is open for you – no matter what category of development you fall into. UI/UX designers, Custom ROM developers, concept designers, bloggers, you name it!
Keeping the community’s and the family’s primary goal – to improve development – in mind, TeamBliss decided to refrain from monetizing any of the services and content/support channels mentioned above. Their ultimate goal is to provide the Android Community with a free and open collaborative environment.
However, this does not limit members of the family. The members can freely work for and/or create any for-profit ventures that they want.
All you need to do in order to join the Bliss family is complete this form.
Other BlissROM Updates
The Bliss-CAF branch has been moved to Bliss 7.3 now with a constantly increasing number of features. Vendor implementation of the ARISE Sound System has already been pushed to the Bliss-x86 project. Also, Taskbar has been bumped up to version 3.3x. The team has their own gerrit server now, located right here.
XOSP
The team has now fixed all WiFi related issues that devices with arm-based processors were facing. Battery and notification light settings have now been implemented in addition to several tweaks and fixes for the Blur Personalization settings.
Dash charging support has also been added.
Official devices
Xiaomi Mi 4C (libra), OnePlus X (onyx), and Moto G3 (osprey) have been added to the list of officially supported devices.
XOSPApps
All the Xperia Frameworks have been updated and SemcEmail has successfully been fixed.
Arise Sound Systems
Quite recently, the Arise Sound Systems thread was declared to have the highest number of posts in the history of the XDA-Developers Forums. Humbled by the achievement of the community, the team decided to hold a competition known as the Arise Family Feud.
Family Feud™
ARISE Sound Systems™ Edition!
Following this link will present you with the first of two rounds in store for the participants. The first round, named “The Sound System that reigns supreme,” pitches team members of Arise Sound Systems against each other. The first round is based on a voting system, and community members have been given 30 days to cast their vote for the sound system they like the most.
With Round Two, things get a little more exciting. Round two is all about the community. Members of the community can submit their own custom made sound systems which would then undergo voting.
It should be noted that instead of the AROMA version of ARISE, this contest has been limited to the Modular version. The reason being that the AROMA installer is not supported by all of the devices ARISE users own. As the contest potentially involves members from all over the community, team Arise decided to use the Modular version as the set standard due to the fact that every device can flash and use it.
That’s it for this Android Dev weekly. Stay tuned for more news related to custom ROMs, mods, themes, and more from our forums!
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Flyme OS is one of the most popular Android-based operating systems in China. Produced by Meizu, Flyme is officially available on all of its own smartphone offerings, but recently the company has started to port Flyme 6 for other smartphones.
The first smartphone (apart from Meizu’s phones) that has received official support for Flyme OS is the OnePlus 3T. The full list of the compatible devices has grown much longer since then. Currently, the Chinese brand supports 13 other devices among the handful of devices they already support.
Flyme 6 is the latest version of the operating system by Meizu. The system includes a new search feature where a user can search anything on the Internet using the camera (reminiscent of Google Goggles or Samsung’s Bixby Vision). Uploaded photography is analyzed and the answer delivered if available. Meizu states that the database has over 65 million answers available to search through. Flyme 6 also offers a horizontal paginated multi-tasking screen, a game mode feature, and support for multi-profile access through different lock screen patterns among other features.
The download page is not translated into English, but for your convenience, we are listing the devices and the download link for each:
The installation procedure is pretty simple. You just need to install it like your favorite custom ROM. Just be warned that you’ll definitely need to perform a factory reset before flashing Flyme 6.
We’ve been thrilled by the reception of our first XDA Feed app for the OnePlus 3/3T, and we’ve just released a version for the Pixel/Pixel XL. Our Feed apps present a “feed” of the best stuff for your particular phone: ROMs, kernels, themes, icon packs, wallpapers, and more, all curated and sent to your Feed app multiple times per day.
Feed gives you granular control over which content categories you want to be “fed”, and the notifications are customizable based on frequency and type, ensuring you get just what you want, when you want it. Quite simply: it’s the best stuff, for your phone, from all of XDA. And you don’t need a Pixel/Pixel XL or OnePlus 3/3T to use Feed… some content, such as icon packs, homescreens, themes, and wallpapers are not device-specific.
This is Feed for Pixel/Pixel XL!
Here’s your Feed, just for your phone.
Full control over notification frequency and type.
