Month: March 2022

Android 12L is official as “Android 12.1,” rolling out now to Pixel phones

Google says actual 12L tablet hardware will be out by the end of the year.

Promotional image for electronic device updates.

Enlarge / Android 12.1, with the new taskbar UI at the bottom. (credit: Google)

Google's tablet-focused release of Android, Android 12L, is hitting production devices today as "Android 12.1." Google's tablet update is debuting in a rather awkward fashion with no actual tablet hardware to run on. Google says that tablet hardware will be coming "later this year" with Samsung, Lenovo, and Microsoft planning foldables and tablets with the new OS.

What we're getting today are Pixel phone releases for the Pixel 3a, Pixel 4, Pixel 4a, Pixel 5, and Pixel 5a. The Pixel 6 is once again not getting an update at the same time as other devices, though Google tells 9to5Google that a Pixel 6 update will be out later this month. Since almost all of the Android 12L features are tablet features, the release does little for phones.

The tablet notification panel, which weirdly is no better than the phone panel.

The tablet notification panel, which weirdly is no better than the phone panel. (credit: Ron Amadeo)

The big features of Android 12.1 are a new taskbar UI for tablets, dual-pane UIs for the notification panel and system settings, and a new recent-apps view for bigger screens. For normal-sized screens, you get the smallest amount of tweaks, like the ability to turn off Android 12's big lock screen clock and a new UI for quickly picking wallpaper.

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Lilbits: Kodi 19.4 released, Vivo’s first foldable leaked, and screenless MacBooks as DIY Mac Minis

Chinese phone maker Vivo could be preparing to launch its first foldable phone… which would be more exciting if Vivo wasn’t the umpteenth company to do so. Valve’s Steam Deck handheld game console appears to still be in hot demand: the company has shifted ship dates for new orders back to Q3, 2022 which means […]

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Chinese phone maker Vivo could be preparing to launch its first foldable phone… which would be more exciting if Vivo wasn’t the umpteenth company to do so. Valve’s Steam Deck handheld game console appears to still be in hot demand: the company has shifted ship dates for new orders back to Q3, 2022 which means that folks who place an order today probably won’t get one until the fall. There’s a new build of the popular Kodi media center out. And HMD has confirmed what was probably obvious to anyone paying attention: the company isn’t making flagship phones right now, instead focusing on budget and mid-range devices.

Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web – and not all tech news is about new devices. One of my favorite stories making the rounds today is about resellers in China who are taking the screens off of old MacBooks and selling the remaining hardware as a sort of desktop computer with a built-in keyboard and mouse. It’s like the C64 meets the Mac Mini via upcycling.

Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Twitter and Facebook and follow @LinuxSmartphone on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news on open source mobile phones.

The post Lilbits: Kodi 19.4 released, Vivo’s first foldable leaked, and screenless MacBooks as DIY Mac Minis appeared first on Liliputing.

LG launches a convertible Chromebook (in South Korea)

Last year an unannounced LG Chromebook showed up at the Bluetooth SIG website, suggesting that the South Korean company could be preparing to launch its first Chrome OS laptop. And now it’s arrived. The LG 11TC50Q Chromebook is now available in South Korea, and it’s a convertible notebook with an 11.6 inch touchscreen display, a […]

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Last year an unannounced LG Chromebook showed up at the Bluetooth SIG website, suggesting that the South Korean company could be preparing to launch its first Chrome OS laptop. And now it’s arrived.

The LG 11TC50Q Chromebook is now available in South Korea, and it’s a convertible notebook with an 11.6 inch touchscreen display, a 360-degree hinge, and an Intel Celeron N5100 quad-core processor based on Intel Jasper Lake architecture.

The notebook also features 4GB of DDR4 2933 MHz memory, 64GB of eMMC storage, a microSD card reader, a 47 Wh battery, support for WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1, and USB Type-A and Type-C ports, plus a microSD card reader and headset jack.

LG says the notebook weighs 1.44kg (about 3.2 pounds), and it’s rated IP41 for dust and water resistance, which means it’s splash-proof, but not entirely waterproof. There are front and rear cameras, and promotional images show a stylus, although it’s unclear if that’s a pressure-sensitive active pen or a capacitive stylus that basically acts like a fingertip, but pointier.

There’s no word on if or when the LG 11TC50Q will be available outside of South Korea, where LG is positioning the Chromebook as a device for the education market. With a price tag of 690,000 won (about $560), I suspect that the LG 11TC50Q wouldn’t be particularly competitive in the US though, where you can find plenty of Chromebooks with similar specs for significantly less.

via FoneArena

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Netflix Continues to Expand its Global Anti-Piracy Team

Netflix wants to expand its global anti-piracy team. To keep up with growth, the streaming giant has created a new position that brings together many facets of the company’s content protection work under one lead. Among other things, the ideal candidate will be required to support research on pirate streaming sites, cyberlockers, and other pirate platforms.

From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Netflix logoWhen Netflix had just started offering online video content years ago, it didn’t consider piracy to be a major issue.

However, now that the company itself is one of the largest content producers, this outlook has changed drastically.

Like many other rightsholders, Netflix now keeps a close eye on pirate sites and services. The company has its own in-house anti-piracy team with offices on several continents and also works with third-party anti-piracy vendors.

Increasingly, the streaming service is also teaming with other rightsholders to coordinate its enforcement efforts. Netflix is one of the founding members of the Alliance For Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and in 2019 it joined the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

New Anti-Piracy Manager

This week brings yet another expansion. This time the company is building out its internal anti-piracy team which, according to Netflix, is required to support the business as it continues to grow.

“Netflix has an ever-growing number of Originals and other key titles launching each month that need to be protected from piracy,” the company writes in a job listing.

“The Content Protection team leads these anti-piracy efforts on a global basis as part of the broader Public Policy team at Netflix. In order to better support the business as it scales, the Content Protection team is looking for a new Manager to lead our internal title protection and data analytic efforts.”

The person who takes the newly created role of “Title Coverage and Insights Manager” will have to lead several internal content protection initiatives. For this position, Netflix seeks candidates in Los Angeles, Amsterdam, and London.

In addition to the aforementioned cities, the anti-piracy team is also operating in Singapore, which shows that it has established a global presence over the past few years.

Responsibilities

These types of job listings can give a glimpse into the anti-piracy priorities at the streaming giant, which is always interesting to see.

For example, the “responsibilities” of the prospective manager include partnering with online platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, to ensure that Netflix’s content is properly protected.

In addition, the manager is required to build a dynamic and impactful coverage strategy, evaluate new technological solutions to tackle piracy online, while building relationships with other members of the MPA.

Netflix responsibilities

The anti-piracy strategy is in large part focused on data. This requires analyzing piracy insights and analytics, while also supporting data gathering on pirate streaming sites, cyberlockers, and other pirate platforms.

Leaks

In addition to pirate sites and services, Netflix will also need to protect content on the publishing side.

Over the past months, several high profile Netflix titles leaked early, including the season 2 premiere of “The Witcher” and “The Power of the Dog”, which leads the field of Oscars contenders this year.

Those who are interested in applying for a new job can find out more at Netflix’s official site. Please note that, ideally, candidates should have deep experience with takedown programs, analyzing piracy data, and leading a team.

From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Utah’s red rock towers shake and shimmy to a predictable beat

The fundamental frequencies of 14 red rock towers fall between 1 Hz and 15 Hz.

Eagle Plume Tower in Bears Ears, Utah. Geologists at the University of Utah have developed a mathematical model to predict the fundamental resonant frequencies of this and similar formations based on the formations' geometry and material properties.

Enlarge / Eagle Plume Tower in Bears Ears, Utah. Geologists at the University of Utah have developed a mathematical model to predict the fundamental resonant frequencies of this and similar formations based on the formations' geometry and material properties. (credit: Geohazards Research Group)

The striking red rock towers and arch formations peppered throughout Southern Utah and the Colorado Plateau are known to shake and sway in response to earthquakes, high winds, thermal stresses, and other sources of vibration, such as those from helicopters, trains, passing vehicles, and blasts. Being able to assess the stability of these structures, and detect any damage from vibrations, can be challenging. That's why geologists have been measuring the natural frequencies of these towers for several years now.

Led by University of Utah geologist Jeff Moore, the group of geologists maintains an entire webpage devoted to its seismic recordings of the natural resonances (vibrations) that come out of the Utah red rock towers and arches. The geologists have now used that data set to develop a theory that can predict the frequencies at which these formations vibrate and deform, described in a recent paper published in the journal Seismological Research Letters.

Overcoming hurdles

As we've reported previously, understanding those dynamics is crucial to being able to predict how the structures will respond in the event of an earthquake or similar disruption. Yet, there haven't been many ongoing efforts to do so over the years, despite a great deal of research on manmade civil structures. One of the major challenges has been gaining the access necessary to make those vibrational measurements in the first place. Either the formations are restricted (the better to preserve them for posterity), or it's simply too difficult to place sensors in hard-to-reach spots on the formations.

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Want to save rivers and coasts? Don’t burn rubber

Tires shed a lot of mass in their lifetime—what’s lost can end up in fish.

Image of a black tire skid mark down a road.

Enlarge (credit: Thomas Winz)

Throughout the lifetime of an average tire, 30 percent of it gets eroded away as cars zip around on city streets and brake for little old ladies. But the leftover particles don't remain as streaks on a road. One study found that 1.5 million metric tons of this tire debris end up flowing out into the environment as microplastics or their diminutive cousins, nanoplastics.

Some of these tiny bits of tire—made up of synthetic rubber, oils, filling agents, etc.—end up in rivers and estuaries. And according to two new research papers, they can wreak havoc among the fish and invertebrates living in those bodies of water. According to Susanne M. Brander, an assistant professor at Oregon State University’s Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences Department, much of the current research on microplastics on wildlife deals with the particles that come from a few different types of commercial plastics. Further, this field focuses more on microplastics—defined as anything under 5 millimeters—but “much less is known about nano-plastics,” she told Ars.

The researchers found that the presence of microplastics, nanoplastics, and the accompanying leachate—the chemicals released from them—hindered aquatic species’ ability to grow and impacted their swimming behavior, potentially making them more susceptible to predation.

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The long wait for a new Apple Thunderbolt Display may or may not be over soon

If you want an affordable-ish Apple-made monitor, hope springs eternal.

LG's 5K UltraFine is currently the closest thing to a 5K version of the old Thunderbolt Display. But Apple could change that sometime this year.

Enlarge / LG's 5K UltraFine is currently the closest thing to a 5K version of the old Thunderbolt Display. But Apple could change that sometime this year. (credit: LG)

It has been a long, sad decade for fans of Apple's first-party external monitors.

Apple's 2011 Thunderbolt Display was unceremoniously discontinued back in 2016 without being replaced. The 4K and 5K LG UltraFine displays that Apple will still sell you aren’t bad—the 5K option is still one of the only 5K monitors that even exists, and they have modern Thunderbolt 3 ports, USB hubs, built-in webcams, and decent display panels. But their thick, ugly bezels and boxy black designs are hardly a good aesthetic match for Apple’s sleek, silvery hardware. And then there’s the ProDisplay XDR, an unapologetically expensive screen that can cost between two and six times as much as the Mac you're connecting it to. 

But Mac multi-monitor enthusiasts haven't given up hope, and rumors have persisted that Apple is getting back into the displays-a-normal-person-could-conceivably-afford market. The latest iteration of these rumors comes via correct-more-often-than-not Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who says (via MacRumors) that Apple is planning a new, "more affordable" 27-inch display and may be planning to release it alongside a more powerful version of the Mac mini at some point in 2022.

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Netflix to leave Russia after defying order to carry state-run channels

Netflix to stop streaming in Russia, cut off all users when billing periods end.

A person's hand holding a TV remote control with a Netflix button.

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Christopher Ames)

Netflix is suspending its streaming service inside Russia amid the country's war against Ukraine and a new law that would require it to carry Russian state-owned channels.

"Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia," Netflix told Ars and other media outlets. Netflix stopped letting people in Russia sign up for new subscriptions and will prevent renewal of any existing subscriptions, a Netflix spokesperson told Ars. Once a subscriber's monthly billing period ends, the person's service will be halted.

Netflix previously said it would not comply with Russia's "Vitrina TV law," which would require it to carry 20 free-to-air Russian channels. "Given the current situation, we have no plans to add these channels to our service," Netflix told media outlets last week.

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Google releases Android 12L for Pixel phones, coming to tablets & foldables later this year

When Google first announced it was working on Android 12L, the company described it as an update focused on tablets and foldables thanks to new features optimized for large screen displays. But now that Android 12L is out of beta, guess which devices will be the first to run Android 12L software? Google’s Pixel phones. […]

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When Google first announced it was working on Android 12L, the company described it as an update focused on tablets and foldables thanks to new features optimized for large screen displays.

But now that Android 12L is out of beta, guess which devices will be the first to run Android 12L software? Google’s Pixel phones. You’ll have to wait until later this year for Android 12L to roll out to tablets and foldables from Samsung, Microsoft, and Lenovo that can take full advantage of the new operating system. But Google does have a some new goodies in store for more traditional phones.

The biggest changes in Android 12L include a new layout for use on large screen devices, with a taskbar on the bottom of the screen and support for multi-pane views for Quick Settings, notifications, and settings. This makes it easier, for example, to view Quick Settings and notifications at the same time in a two-column layout.

But Android 12L also brings a number of more subtle tweaks to smartphones that don’t have tablet-sized displays.

The operating system is rolling out now for the Pixel 3a and later, and Android 12.1 OTA images are available from Google’s developer site. And 9to5Google has a roundup of everything they could find that’s new, including:

  • App pairs feature that lets you group two apps in split-screen mode and quickly re-open that same pair of apps from the Recents view
  • User interface tweaks including an updated sound and vibration settings menu, larger widget selection pop-up screen, and a weather section in the widgets selection screen
  • Quick wallpaper switcher for the Pixel launcher
  • An icon in picture-in-picture videos that lets you keep the video running in split-screen
  • Airplane mode toggle that pops up when you tap the Internet Quick Settings shortcut when it’s enabled, allowing you to quickly exit airplane mode or keep it on and just enable WiFi

Keep in mind that some of these features may be exclusive to Google’s Pixel devices, while others may eventually make their way to other phones when Android 12L becomes more widely available.

Speaking o Pixel-exclusive features though, Google is also now rolling out a new Pixel Feature Drop for the Pixel 3a through 5a (with Pixel 6 feature drops coming later this month).

Among other things, the feature drop brings:

  • Pixel Battery widget with details for your phone and connected devices
  • Live Caption support in phone calls, with real-time transcription of the voice on the other end of a call
  • Interpreter mode for Live Translate on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, for real-time translations of conversations between English, Spanish, Italian, and French
  • Sticker integration with the Gboard keyboard app, with suggested stickers appearing as you type.
  • Support for Night Sight photography in Snapchat

Google says its Recorder voice recorder/transcription app can also now create transcripts in Italian and Spanish on Pixel 6 series phones, Google Assistant Quick phrases now support Spanish, Italian, and French on Pixel 6 devices, and Direct My Call and Wait Times now work for all Pixel 3a and later phones.

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