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mardi 30 juin 2020

YouTube TV is raising the monthly subscription to $65

Google launched YouTube TV in a select few U.S. cities for $35 per month back in 2017. Every year since then, the company has added more channels while also increasing the monthly subscription price. The first price increase bumped the cost to $40 per month, and the second price increase raised prices to $50 per month last year. Now, the service is seeing its biggest price hike yet: Up $15/month to now $65 per month.

As with every other price bump, Google is adding a bunch of new channels to YouTube TV. Whether you like these channels or not, you will now be paying for them. The channels include Viacom channels such as BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, TV Land, and VH1. BET Her, MTV2, MTV Classic, Nick Jr., NickToons, and TeenNick will be added later as well.

YouTube TV launched with around 50 channels and the list has grown to over 85. It’s not unreasonable to raise the prices for more content, but the price hikes only feel acceptable when the channels that have been added are ones that people have been asking for, are part of an optional package, or undercut competition live TV packages. With this price change, YouTube TV is starting to feel like just another cable TV package. People don’t like to pay for channels they won’t watch, and the more channels that are added the more people feel they’re paying too much. $65 per month is tough to swallow if you only care about a handful of channels.

The new price goes into effect today for new YouTube TV subscribers and existing customers will see the new price on bills after July 30th. Google did acknowledge that this is a considerable price jump and it’s “working to build new flexible models for YouTube TV users, so we can continue to provide a robust and innovative experience for everyone in your household without the commitments of traditional TV.” No further details were given, though.

Hulu with Live TV costs $55/month, AT&T TV Now starts at $55/month, Sling TV costs $45/month, and FuboTV costs $55/month, so there are definitely other options out there. Will you be paying $65 per month for YouTube TV?

YouTube TV - Watch & Record Live TV (Free, Google Play) →


Source: Google | Via: 9to5Google

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Google is hosting a “Hey Google” Smart Home Summit to unveil new Google Assistant developer tools

Google I/O 2020, which was scheduled for May, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many other tech companies, Google has been trying to make up for it with virtual events. The latest virtual event is the “Works with ‘Hey Google’ Smart Home Summit” on July 8th.

The Hey Google Smart Home Summit is an event focused on the new tools and features for the smart home developer community. Of course, a big part of the company’s smart home strategy revolves around Google Assistant, which will be a big focus of the event as well.

Google has shared the agenda for the 2-day event with the topics and speakers that will be featured. Things get started on July 8th at 1:45 PM ET with the opening keynote by Michele Turner, the Product Management director of the Smart Home Ecosystem. Some of the other speakers include executives from LG, Vizio, IKEA, and, of course, other departments within Google.

Registration for the Hey Google Smart Home Summit is free and the times of the panels have been scheduled to align with multiple time zones. Many of the panels will be viewable on-demand as well. If you’re a developer working on Google Assistant and smart home tools, this is an event you’ll want to “attend.”


Source: Google | Event Agenda

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Motorola Razr and Realme 3/3i Android 10 kernel sources are now available

Measuring the developer-friendliness of a particular Android OEM is a difficult task. However, their stance on kernel source code release is undoubtedly an important parameter in this regard. Android device makers are obliged to provide the source code – at least upon request – for any Linux kernel binaries that ship on their devices to comply with the requirements of the GNU General Public License (GPL) v2. Not every company goes by the book, though, as a handful of them regularly publish source code for all the updates they roll out.

Motorola is one of the most notable names in this field, and the OEM has now updated their official GitHub repository with the kernel source code release for the Motorola Razr (code-name “olson”). We are talking about the recent incarnation of this iconic clamshell phone, which was launched with Android 9 Pie for some weird reason. Fortunately, the newly released kernel source corresponds to the Android 10 update that rolled out last month.

The release is tagged as QPV30.106-27, which is the build number of the Android 10 firmware running on the European Motorola Razr units. Note that the Verizon variant of the phone received a different build (QDV30.106-27) as its Android 10 update.

Motorola Razr Android 10 Kernel Sources ||| Motorola Razr XDA Forums

Apart from Motorola, Realme also has a good track record of releasing kernel sources in a timely manner. The Chinese smartphone brand has now refreshed its official GitHub repo with the unified Android 10 kernel source code for the Realme 3 and the Realme 3i. The phone duo received their Android 10-based Realme UI update back in April, which means Realme is slightly late to update the existing codebase this time around.

Realme 3 XDA Forums ||| Realme 3i XDA Forums

Realme 3/3i Android 10 Kernel Sources

The availability of these packages should help the aftermarket development community to build custom kernels and ROMs for the aforementioned devices.

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Samsung Galaxy A51 5G and LG Velvet are both headed to Verizon

Back in April, Samsung announced the availability of the Galaxy A51 5G for the U.S. market. The original Galaxy A51 was a vast improvement over the original Galaxy A50 and A50s with upgrades such as a more modern Infinity-O display, quad cameras, a different design language, and more. The Galaxy A51 5G took it even further by bundling in a hot 2020 feature: 5G support. Likewise, the LG Velvet was also announced recently with a mid-range Snapdragon 765G processor for 5G-enabled markets. As it turns out, both devices might be coming to Verizon soon.

At the time of its announcement, Samsung did not disclose when the Galaxy A51 5G will go on sale, what carriers it will be available on, or what processor it will use. But there’s mounting evidence that it might come soon under the Verizon banner and with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The Wi-Fi Alliance has certified a Samsung phone with the model number SM-A516V, where SM-A516 is the Samsung Galaxy A51 5G and the V stands for Verizon. Likewise, the NFC Forum has certified the same model number, SM-A516V.

Another certification filing we’ve spotted reveals that the commercial name of SM-A516V is, indeed, “Galaxy A51 5G.” Since the name doesn’t mention “Galaxy A51 5G UW”, it’s possible the A51 won’t support mmWave 5G on Verizon’s Ultrawide Band 5G network (but rather Verizon’s upcoming sub-6GHz 5G network). However, this is merely speculation and there’s no concrete evidence one way or another. Next, multiple Geekbench listings for “SM-A516V” suggest that the device is running on Qualcomm’s lito platform, where “lito” is the code-name for the Snapdragon 765/765G. XDA’s Max Weinbach verifies that the build numbers submitted with these Geekbench filings are legitimate, though we can’t 100% confirm that the benchmark listing themselves are actually real.

What we can corroborate, though, is the fact that the Samsung Galaxy A51 5G is coming to Verizon and has a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. We spotted a “samsung_a51xq” model being added to an internal Verizon listing, where “q” normally indicates a Qualcomm model. However, we can’t confirm if this is the Snapdragon 765/765G or not.

This internal Verizon listing also reveals a device code-named “caymanlm”, which is the code-name for the LG Velvet. This indicates that LG’s latest smartphone will also be coming to Verizon soon. Notably, another 5G Samsung device, the Galaxy A71 5G, is also coming to Verizon with the Snapdragon 765G, which seems to be the go-to choice for 5G mid-range phones this year. While the Snapdragon 690 was announced recently, no phone is using it just yet.

LG Velvet Forums ||| Samsung Galaxy A51 5G Forums

Featured image: Samsung Galaxy A51 5G

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[Update: Windows app live] Amazon Prime Video finally gets a Windows app and may add live TV

Update (6/30/20 @ 11:25 AM ET): The Amazon Prime Video app for Windows is now live and users can sign in.

Streaming services are among the most popular applications on any platform, and that’s certainly the case for Microsoft’s Windows as well. While users on Windows have the option to stream videos from these services in a web browser, they can also opt for downloading dedicated apps from the Microsoft Store. Netflix and Hulu have apps available on the Microsoft Store, and it finally looks like Amazon will be joining the party with its own Prime Video Windows app. On top of that, a separate report from Protocol suggests that Amazon may be looking to add live TV to the mix.

Amazon Prime Video – Finally on the Microsoft Store

First, let’s talk about the Amazon Prime Video app for Windows. This is a UWP (Universal Windows Platform) app which means it is designed to not only be compatible with Windows desktops but also with tablets and Xbox consoles. That’s not major news for Xbox users, though, because there’s already a Prime Video app for Xbox and the Microsoft Store listing only lists “PC” under “Available on.” Netflix, another UWP app, for example, lists “Xbox One, PC, and Mobile device.”

Anyway, the app itself looks to be a pretty standard Amazon Prime Video client. The main screen features horizontal lists of shows and movies with a sidebar on the left. The sidebar can take you to the Amazon Store, channels, categories, “My Stuff,” downloads, and “Kids.” As the Downloads section suggests, the app does indeed support downloading videos to watch offline.

You can find the Prime Video app in the Microsoft Store right now and install it. At the time of publication, if you try to sign in you’ll get an error message. We expect Amazon to officially announce the app’s availability soon. Watching video in a web browser from primevideo.com (outside of the U.S.) or from Amazon.com was never a great experience, especially on Windows 10 on ARM devices like the Microsoft Surface Pro X, so we hope the UWP app provides a much better experience.

Live TV on Prime Video

The next bit of Prime Video news comes from Janko Roettgers at Protocol. According to the report, which cites both several job listings and unnamed sources, Amazon plans to add 24/7 live programming and linear programming to the service. 24/7 feeds would enable customers to watch streams of TV stations airing sports, news, movies, and more. This would make Prime Video a direct competitor to services like YouTube TV and Sling TV.

Prime Video has traditionally focused on on-demand streaming and rentals, though it has dabbled in live content before. Amazon has broadcasted NFL Thursday Night Football games and live Cheddar and ABC News channels in the News app. Users can also sign up for cable TV channels through the Amazon Channels feature.

Amazon’s combination of Prime Video on-demand content and live programming would make it a very attractive option in the streaming space. Even if it doesn’t have the same variety of channels as YouTube TV, it would be the cherry on top of an already popular service. Many people still watch linear TV channels and adding that to Prime Video would bring even more customers over. The fact that job listings for implementing this feature still up suggest that it could be a while before anything materializes, though.

Source 1: Microsoft Store | Via 1: Aggiornamenti Lumia | Source 2: Protocol


Update: Windows app live

Last week, the Amazon Prime Video app for Windows appeared in the Microsoft Store. The app could be installed, but it wasn’t possible to sign in. Amazon has now flipped the switch and users can sign in and use the app. You can download the app from the Microsoft Store link below. Go forth and stream!

Source: Microsoft Store | Via: MSPoweruser

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Amazon Prime Video’s “Watch Party” feature lets you watch TV shows and movies together

Every day, more of our interactions with others happen over the Internet. You can play video games with a friend across the country, watch your nephew’s soccer game at home, and do a video call with a group of people all around the globe. Amazon’s latest feature for Prime Video is called “Watch Party” and it allows people to watch TV shows and movies together over the internet.

Amazon Prime Video “Watch Party” is a co-watching feature initially coming to subscribers in the U.S. It’s included with a Prime membership and it allows people to watch content remotely with others, perfectly synchronized. One person is the “host” and they can start, stop, and pause video playback for everyone. It’s like watching a movie in the same room and one person has control of the remote.

Each Watch Party session can include up to 100 participants who must also have Amazon Prime memberships. The session also includes a built-in chat for text and emoji conversations. Watch Party currently only works on the desktop and it supports thousands of the TV shows and movies available through Prime Video. Content that can be purchased or rented is not included, however.

To start a session, simply navigate to the TV show or movie you want to watch and click the Watch Party icon. The host will then be given a link that they can share with friends and family. Clicking the link will join the session and the content will then be synced with the host.

We’ve seen similar features and third-party extensions for other streaming services, so it’s great to see Prime Video joining in. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic kept many people at home, watching movies and TV shows with friends over the Internet is something that many people enjoyed doing. Now it’s even easier for Prime members to do.


Sources: Amazon (1), (2) | Via: TechCrunch

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Qualcomm unveils the Snapdragon Wear 4100 for better performance and battery life on Wear OS smartwatches

Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 4100 smartwatch platforms, consisting of the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ and the Snapdragon Wear 4100. These new smartwatch SoCs are designed for next-generation connected smartwatches and based on Qualcomm’s ultra-low-power hybrid architecture. To provide better context to this news release, let’s delve into the background of Wear OS first.

The first Android Wear smartwatches were launched in 2014. For a while, Android Wear seemed the next big thing after big-screen smartphones. There was the much-hyped first-generation Moto 360, the halo Android Wear watch. There were popular watches launched by Huawei, ASUS, and others. Android Wear even arrived at the market a few months ahead of the Apple Watch. However, all of these early efforts fizzled out. The second-generation Moto 360 never received an official successor. Other companies withdrew from releasing new Android Wear watches. The Apple Watch was released in early 2015, and the rest is history. It is now by far the most popular smartwatch in the world, and the consensus of the industry agrees that Android Wear – re-branded by Google as Wear OS in 2018 – is far behind. While Apple is now the biggest watch company in the world, Wear OS watches suffer from the catch-22 issues of poor value, lack of consumer interest, lack of vision, and so much more.

Some blame for that lies on Google for failing to make Wear OS as good as it could be after showing promise in the beginning. But many reviewers would place a larger section of the blame on Qualcomm. All Wear OS smartwatches are powered by special low-power Qualcomm SoCs. The problem is that Qualcomm had been reluctant to innovate in the smartwatch SoC front. The release of the Snapdragon 3100 in 2018 was only a mild increment over the Snapdragon 2100 in 2016. The Snapdragon 3100 still featured relatively historical ARM Cortex-A7 cores manufactured on a relatively historical 28nm process, at a time when Apple’s smartwatch SoCs and Samsung’s low-power Exynos SoCs moved to much more efficient 14nm and then 10nm processes. Apple and Samsung are the two major players in the smartwatch market, and both of them use custom operating systems in the form of watchOS and Tizen respectively. Wear OS has been a second class citizen for too many years now, and user interest in new Wear OS smartwatches is lackluster, to say the least, but it still provides one of the better options that are compatible with Android smartphones.

Qualcomm, though, hasn’t given up on the smartwatch market yet.

Nearly two years after announcing the Snapdragon Wear 3100, the company has launched its successor in the form of the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ (yes, this is the chip we first thought was to be the Snapdragon Wear 3300). It’s the first Qualcomm smartwatch SoC to be made on a modern process node: 12nm FinFET. It’s also the first Qualcomm smartwatch SoC to adopt ARM Cortex-A53 cores, finally moving on from the 32-bit Cortex-A7.

The Snapdragon Wear 4100 platforms are said to bring super-fast performance and connectivity, a smarter co-processor, and an ultra-lower power platform. The substantial improvements in platform power have been achieved by moving to a 12nm process. This isn’t cutting-edge as Samsung’s Exynos 9110 is produced on a more efficient 10nm process, but it should still provide enormous improvements over the 28nm process that powers the Snapdragon Wear 3100.

Qualcomm notes that the wearable industry has seen strong growth over the last few years (even as Wear OS loses steam). According to IDC, the industry is expected to continue to grow at an accelerated pace. The growth has given rise to segments within the industry as we can now find a range of wearables for adults, children, and seniors, along with targeted applications for sports, health, communication, and fashion. Consumers’ importance of public health and well-being will drive accelerated growth in H2 2020 and beyond, according to the company.

The wearables segment requires a flexible architecture that delivers great experiences while also having extended battery life. Qualcomm believes the hybrid architecture with an A-Class SoC and an M-Class co-processor is best suited to help meet those requirements. To that end, the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ is a high-performance CPU with improved CPU, GPU, memory, cellular modem, and camera sub-systems in the 12nm low processor process, along with dual dedicated DSPs for modem, location and sensors, as well as audio.

The Snapdragon Wear 4100+ has an AON ultra-low power co-processor that offloads a series of use cases including display, sensor, maps, and time from the main CPU. It also features a stronger AON software interface to manage the interactions between the SoC and the co-processor.

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 4100+ makes an effort to distinguish itself from its middling predecessors. The company says the SoC’s architecture is engineered to deliver significant improvements in performance, connectivity, smartness, and power compared to its previous platforms. The smartwatch SoC is based on Qualcomm’s mobile Snapdragon 429 SoC. The key highlights of both platforms include the following:

Fast performance and connectivity. The SoC has quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU cores. The Cortex-A53 was launched as the successor of the Cortex-A7 back in October 2012 – it’s seven years old now. In the smartphone SoC space, it was succeeded by the ARM Cortex-A55 in May 2017. The Cortex-A53 is still an in-order core, but importantly, it’s a 64-bit core (AArch64). Thus, the next-generation Wear OS smartwatches will be the first to have a 64-bit CPU architecture. The Cortex-A53 also features decent IPC improvements over the Cortex-A7, so CPU performance will be faster. The cores are clocked at up to 1.7GHz. Overall, Qualcomm says the SoC delivers 85% performance improvements over its predecessor.

The Cortex-A53 cores are paired with the Adreno 504 GPU, succeeding the Adreno 304 GPU in the Snapdragon Wear 3100. Qualcomm says this brings 2.5x improvements in GPU performance, which shouldn’t be too surprising considering how old and weak the Adreno 304 was. The Snapdragon Wear 4100+ features faster LPDDR3 memory (750MHz) and dual ISPs with support for up to 16MP cameras, although the last specification is redundant.

The new IP enhances the Snapdragon Wear 4100’s overall user experience with faster app launches, concurrent use cases, smoother and more responsive UX, and richer photo and video experiences, according to Qualcomm.

Connectivity. Qualcomm says the 4G LTE mode of the SoC, based on 12nm technology, has been significantly improved compared to its predecessor, and it has a dedicated DSP, low power features such as eDRX, platform-level power management, support for Cat 4/3/1 and single/dual antennas.

Smarter Always-On (AON) Co-Processor. The enhanced AON co-processor supports better offloaded experiences. Qualcomm has partitioned memory and performance to enable up to 64K colors and has extended offload experiences to include continuous heart rate monitoring, sleep for health and fitness, faster tilt-to-wake responsiveness, step counting, alarms, timers, and haptics for a more capable traditional watch mode.

Ultra-low power platform. The low power optimizations include 12nm process technology, dual DSPs for optimal workload partitioning, support for dynamic clock and voltage scaling (DVFS), Qualcomm Sensor Assisted Positioning PDR Wearables 2.0, low power location tracking support, and an enhanced Bluetooth 5.0 architecture. Combined, these improvements are designed to deliver more than 25% power reductions across key use cases – bringing bring extended battery life to the platform compared to its predecessors.

“Richer, enhanced experiences.” The hybrid platform in the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ is said to bring rich, enhanced experiences across interactive, ambient, sports, and watch modes. Qualcomm details this by explaining that in interactive mode, the platform supports additional “immersive experiences” with camera, voice assistant, and voice/video messaging. In ambient mode, the increase in number of colors from 16 to 64K and number kerning is designed to improve readability and offer more exciting design options as well. In sports mode, offloaded maps enhance the on-the-go experience. Finally, the traditional watch mode includes features such as heart rate, steps, alarms, reminders, and battery indicator with a “minimal impact” on performance or battery life.

Qualcomm says the first Snapdragon Wear 4100 platform-based products will ship later this year. A few companies have announced smartwatches based on the Snapdragon Wear 4100 in concurrence with Qualcomm’s enhancement. This includes imoo’s next-generation Z6 Ultra smartwatch based on the Snapdragon Wear 4100. imoo is a leading brand for kid smartwatches, and the Z6 Ultra is expected to start shipping over the next month. It will be the first smartwatch to use Qualcomm’s new platform.

Mobvoi is also announcing its next-generation TicWatch Pro smartwatches based on the Snapdragon Wear 4100 platform. The company says it’s the first brand to announce its next watch based on the Snapdragon 4100 and Wear OS.

The Snapdragon 4100 platforms come in two variants. The Snapdragon Wear 4100+ includes the main SoC (SDM429w or SDA429w) and the AON Co-Processor (QCC1110), along with the companion chips including PMIC, RF for modem/GPS and Wi-Fi/BT, and RFFE (radio frequency front-end). The Snapdragon Wear 4100, on the other hand, consists of the main SoC along with the companion chips, which means it lacks the AON co-processor.

The Snapdragon Wear 4100 platforms support both AOSP and Wear OS by Google. They are available and shipping now to consumers. For more information about them, readers can head to Qualcomm’s website.

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Android’s AirDrop-like Nearby Share feature is rolling out in beta

Google has been working on a sharing feature similar to Apple’s AirDrop for a while now. Originally discovered over a year ago as “Fast Share,” it was eventually renamed to “Nearby Sharing” and finally just “Nearby Share.” The feature is getting very close to a public release as Google has confirmed it’s rolling out through Play Services beta.

So what exactly is Nearby Share? Basically, think of it as a sharing mechanism for nearly all Android devices. The magic of Apple’s AirDrop is it’s present on all Apple products, from iPhone to iPad to Mac. Apple users can easily share things with each other without any setup or thought. Nearby Share would work in the same way since it’s available through Play Services, which the overwhelming majority of Android phones have. There’s also evidence to believe it will work through the Chrome browser.

To get Nearby Share up and running, you’ll need to sign up to be a beta tester for Google Play Services. You can do that by simply visiting the Play Store listing and opting into the beta. After that, you’ll need to wait for a bit until an update appears. Once you have the beta installed, you should see “Nearby Share” in the share sheet when sharing from apps.

Nearby Share will show up differently depending on what you’re sharing. You will always see “Nearby Share” in the list of available apps to share with, but sometimes there will be a shortcut at the top of the sheet next to the “Copy” button. The first time you select Nearby Share you will be asked to turn it on.

Once you have it all set up, Nearby Share will look for other devices nearby that have it enabled as well. You can share files such as photos and videos, links, and other stuff as well. When a device nearby wants to share with you, a notification will appear and you can tap it to make your device visible. Both parties need to confirm before the sharing occurs. The Nearby Share settings allow you to adjust who can see your device and how things are shared (data, Wi-Fi only, without internet).

As mentioned, Nearby Share is currently rolling out via Google Play Services beta. On the three devices I tested, I was able to get it set up on one, so it’s not immediately available to everyone. If you do get it, you should see it in the share sheet immediately after installing the beta. It’s still early, but Nearby Share is shaping up to be a great feature.

Google Play services (Free, Google Play) →


Via: Android Police

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Google Play Services prepares to show earthquake alerts in California powered by ShakeAlert

With the Third Pixel Feature Drop at the beginning of June, Google added a bunch of new features to Android 10 on Pixel devices. Among these, Google added some improvements to the Personal Safety app by extending the Crash Detection feature from Pixel 4/4XL to Pixel 3 series and adding two new features – “Safety Check” to keep emergency contacts updated about your whereabouts if you don’t respond to scheduled check-ins and “Crisis Alerts” to inform you of natural disasters in your area.

Although Crisis Alerts are not for any specific type of natural calamity, Google is preparing to add an alert mechanism specifically for earthquakes. We spotted references in the Google Play Services 20.26.12 beta that the company added for earthquake alerts specifically in California. These alerts are powered by ShakeAlert, a service that provides early warnings about earthquakes specifically for the West Coast.

An APK teardown can often predict features that may arrive in a future update of an application, but it is possible that any of the features we mention here may not make it in a future release. This is because these features are currently unimplemented in the live build and may be pulled at any time by Google in a future build.

In an APK teardown of the Google Play Services 20.26.12 beta, we found the following strings hinting towards the features and its applications:

<string name="about">About</string>
<string name="about_details">Earthquake alerts and info are provided by Google &amp; ShakeAlert®.</string>
<string name="about_details_link">Learn more or change settings</string>
<string name="demo_take_action_title">Earthquake Demo</string>
<string name="distance_to_epicenter_km">%.1f km away</string>
<string name="distance_to_epicenter_mile">%.1f miles away</string>
<string name="google_setting_eew_nearby_notification">Earthquake Nearby Notification</string>
<string name="google_setting_eew_occurred_notification">Earthquake Occurred Notification</string>
<string name="google_setting_take_action">Take action alert</string>
<string name="google_setting_take_action_delay">Take action alert after 3 minutes</string>
<string name="local_map_source">Source: ShakeAlert®</string>
<string name="quake_notification_high_importance_channel_name">Earthquake Early Warning Alert</string>
<string name="quake_notification_low_importance_channel_name">Earthquake Early Warning Updates</string>
<string name="ealert_activity_debug_google_setting_title">EEW System Debug</string>
<string name="ealert_latest_update_search_word">earthquake near me</string>
<string name="ealert_local_map_magnitude">Est. mag %.1f earthquake</string>
<string name="ealert_more_safety_tips">More safety tips</string>
<string name="ealert_nearby_notification_text" formatted="false">Expect shaking. Estimated magnitude %.1f about %s away.</string>
<string name="ealert_notification_nearby">Earthquake nearby</string>
<string name="ealert_notification_occurred">Earthquake occurred nearby</string>
<string name="ealert_notification_sender">Google - ShakeAlert®</string>
<string name="ealert_occurred_notification_text" formatted="false">Estimated magnitude %.1f about %s away. Tap to learn more.</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_demo">See a demo</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_info_label">Earthquake safety info</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_1">Identify hazards and secure movable items</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_10">If you live in a coastal area, relocate as soon as shaking stops to avoid tsunamis</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_11">" "<li>"Don't touch downed or damaged utility lines"</li>"
"<li>"Don't use a damaged chimney. Approach downed or damaged chimneys with caution"</li>" "</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_12">You may receive an alert if an aftershock is expected</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_2">Create a disaster plan and decide how you will communicate in an emergency</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_3">Put supplies in convenient locations</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_4">Organize important documents, fix any structural issues on your property, and consider insurance</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_5">During an earthquake, take cover under a table and hold on</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_6">Evacuate if you smell gas or see building damage, help the injured, and stay away from anything that may fall</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_7">Reach out to others, take pictures of any damage, and contact your insurance</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_8">If water is shut off, use emergency supplies like a water heater or melted ice cubes</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_9">" "<li>"Put out small fires. If you can't, evacuate."</li>"
"<li>Check electric, water lines, and appliances for damage. If you see a broken line, shut off the main valve.</li>"
"<li>Clean up spilled medicines, drugs, or other harmful materials</li>" "</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_page_subtitle">Source: Earthquake Country Alliance</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_page_title">Earthquake safety steps</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_1">1. Secure your space</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_10">Move to higher ground</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_11">Avoid fallen objects</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_12">Expect aftershocks</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_2">2. Make a plan</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_3">3. Organize disaster supplies</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_4">4. Minimize financial hardship</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_5">5. Drop, cover, and hold on</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_6">6. Act quickly and cautiously</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_7">7. Reconnect and restore</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_8">Get your emergency supplies</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_9">Use caution when cleaning up</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tips_title">Learn earthquake safety tips</string>
<string name="ealert_settings_detected_text">"You'll get an alert with the estimated magnitude and distance from your location"</string>
<string name="ealert_settings_detected_title">When an earthquake is detected nearby</string>
<string name="ealert_settings_how_it_works_body_2_text">"Keep in mind:
"<li>Not all earthquakes can be detected</li>"
"<li>Magnitude and shaking intensity estimates may have errors</li>"
"<li>You may receive an alert before, during, or after shaking begins</li>"
"</string>
<string name="ealert_settings_how_it_works_body_text">Android uses your approximate location to send information about nearby earthquakes. Earthquakes are detected by ShakeAlert®.</string>
<string name="ealert_settings_how_it_works_title">How it works</string>
<string name="ealert_stay_safer_content_1">Before going anywhere, even to the next room</string>
<string name="ealert_stay_safer_content_2">"If you smell gas, turn off the gas main to the building. If you can't, evacuate."</string>
<string name="ealert_stay_safer_content_3">Check for cracks and damage. Evacuate if it looks like the building may collapse.</string>
<string name="ealert_stay_safer_title">Stay safer after an earthquake</string>
<string name="ealert_stay_safer_title_1">Get shoes</string>
<string name="ealert_stay_safer_title_2">Check gas</string>
<string name="ealert_stay_safer_title_3">Avoid damaged buildings</string>
<string name="ealert_take_action_cover">Cover</string>
<string name="ealert_take_action_drop">Drop</string>
<string name="ealert_take_action_hold">Hold</string>
<string name="ealert_take_action_magnitude">Estimated magnitude %.1f</string>
<string name="ealert_take_action_next_steps">Tap for next steps</string>
<string name="ealert_take_action_source">Google alert powered by ShakeAlert®</string>
<string name="ealert_take_action_title">Earthquake</string>
<string name="eew_share_link">Share</string>
<string name="eew_update_link">See latest updates</string>

The earthquake warning feature should share details including your distance from the epicenter, share tips on how to keep you safe as well as action points to follow in case you need to evacuate the premises.

Personal Safety (Free, Google Play) →

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The Realme C11 is a new budget smartphone with the MediaTek Helio G35

Following the launch of the new MediaTek Helio G25 and G35 chipsets, Xiaomi announced two new devices in the budget-friendly Redmi 9 series featuring the new SoCs. The new Redmi 9A and Redmi 9C, which were announced in Malaysia earlier today, are powered by the new chipsets and feature large 5,000mAh batteries, coupled with HD+ displays with a waterdrop-style notch. Now, Xiaomi’s biggest competitor Realme has also announced a new device, called the Realme C11, which is powered by the MediaTek Helio G35 SoC.

Realme C11: Specifications

Specifications Realme C11
Dimensions & Weight
  • 164.4 x 75.9 x 9.1 mm
  • 196g
Display
  • 6.5-inch HD+ LCD
  • 1600 x 720
SoC MediaTek Helio G35
RAM & Storage 2GB LPDDR4x + 32GB
Battery
  • 5,000mAh
  • 10W charging
Rear Cameras
  • 13MP f/2.2 primary camera
  • 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor
Front Cameras 5MP f/24
Android Version Realme UI based on Android 10

As revealed in recent teasers, the new Realme C11 is powered by MediaTek’s Helio G35 SoC and features a new design with a square camera module that resembles the recently launched Redmi 9C. According to a recent report from Malaysian tech news website Lowyat, the Realme C11 features a 6.5-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 1600×720 pixels and a waterdrop-style notch. The Helio G35 chipset is complemented by 2GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded using a microSD card.

Realme C11 specifications

In the camera department, the device features a 13MP f/2.2 primary camera on the back, coupled with a 2MP depth sensor. Over on the front, the device has a single 5MP selfie shooter. As mentioned earlier the device packs in a massive 5,000mAh battery which features support for 10W fast wired charging.

The device doesn’t feature a fingerprint scanner but it does support face unlock using the front camera. In terms of ports, the device has a micro USB port for charging and data syncing, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack. Other connectivity options include Bluetooth 5.0 and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi.

Pricing and Availability

The Realme C11 has been priced at RM429 (~$100) and will be available for purchase in Malaysia starting from July 7th via Realme’s official store on Shopee. Buyers who purchase the device on the first day will also receive a free pair of Realme Buds 2. As of now, the company has released no information regarding a global launch.


Via: Lowyat

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Redmi 9A and Redmi 9C launch with big batteries, notched displays, and new MediaTek processors

Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek just unveiled the new Helio G25 and Helio G35 chipsets for budget gaming smartphones. The new octa-core chipsets are manufactured on a 12nm fabrication process and feature 8x ARM Cortex-A53 CPU cores clocked at 2.0GHz and 2.3GHz, respectively. The chipsets are making a debut with Xiaomi’s new Redmi 9A and Redmi 9C, which have now been unveiled in Malaysia.

Xiaomi Redmi 9A and Redmi 9C: Specifications

Specifications Redmi 9A Redmi 9C
Dimensions & Weight
  • 164.9 x 77.07 x 9.0 mm
  • 194g
  • 164.9 x 77.07 x 9.0 mm
  • 196g
Display
  • 6.53″ LCD
  • HD+, 1600 x 720 pixels
  • 6.53″ LCD
  • HD+, 1600 x 720 pixels
SoC MediaTek Helio G25 MediaTek Helio G35
RAM
  • 2GB LPDDR4x
  • 3GB LPDDR4x
  • 2GB LPDDR4x
  • 3GB LPDDR4x
  • 4GB LPDDR4x
Storage 32GB eMMC 5.1
  • 32GB eMMC5.1
  • 64GB eMMC5.1
Battery & Charging
  • 5,000 mAh
  • 10W wired fast charging
  • 5,000 mAh
  • 10W wired fast charging
Rear Camera 13MP, f/2.2
  • Primary: 13MP, f/2.2
  • Secondary: 2MP, macro, f/2.4
  • Tertiary: 2MP depth sensor, f/2.4
Front Camera 5MP, f/2.2 5MP, f/2.2
Other Features
  • Micro USB
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor
  • Micro USB
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
Colors
  • Granite Gray
  • Peacock Green
  • Sky Blue
  • Midnight Gray
  • Sunrise Orange
  • Twilight Blue

As seen in previous leaks, the latest devices in the Xiaomi Redmi 9 series feature large 5,000mAh batteries, notched displays, and MediaTek’s new chipsets. The new Redmi 9A features a design reminiscent of older devices in the series and is powered by the MediaTek G25 chip. The device features a 6.53-inch HD+ display (1600×720 pixels) with a waterdrop style notch, up to 3GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and 32GB of eMMC 5.1 storage.

Xiaomi Redmi 9A

In the camera department, the device packs in a single 13MP f/2.2 camera on the back and a 5MP f/2.2 selfie shooter over on the front. As mentioned earlier, the device features a massive 5,000mAh battery that includes support for 10W fast charging using the included charging brick. In terms of ports, the device includes a micro USB port for charging and data syncing, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The device doesn’t include a fingerprint sensor, but it does support face unlock using the selfie camera.

The Redmi 9C, on the other hand, features a slightly different design with a square camera module on the back, instead of the vertically oriented camera module found on the Redmi 9A, and it’s powered by the MediaTek Helio G35 chip. The device includes the same 6.53-inch HD+ display (1600×720 pixels) with a waterdrop style notch, up to 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and up to 64GB of eMMC 5.1 storage.

Xiaomi Redmi 9C

In the camera department, the device features a triple camera setup on the back with a 13MP f/2.2 primary camera, a 2MP f/2.4 macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. Over on the front, the device features the same 5MP f/2.2 selfie shooter. Much like the Redmi 9A, the Redmi 9C features a 5,000mAh battery with support for 10W fast charging using the included charger. In terms of ports, the device features a micro USB port for charging and data syncing, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack. Unlike the Redmi 9A, the Redmi 9C does include a capacitive fingerprint scanner on the back panel.

Pricing and Availability

The Redmi 9A has been launched in Malaysia at a price of RM359 (~$84) for the 2GB+32GB variant. The device comes in three color variants — Granite Gray, Peacock Green, and Sky Blue — and will be available for purchase on Lazada and Shopee starting from July 7th. The device will also be available at all authorized Mi stores in Malaysia starting from 14th July. As of now, the company hasn’t released any information about the pricing and availability for the 3GB+32GB variant, except for the fact that it will be available in Indonesia.

Redmi_9C_and_Redmi_9A_Pricing

The 2GB+32GB variant of the Redmi 9C has been priced at RM429 (~$100) and it also comes in three color variants — Midnight Gray, Sunrise Orange, and Twilight Blue. The device will be available for purchase towards the end of July in Malaysia and, much like the Redmi 9A, the higher-end 4GB+64GB variant of the device will be launched in Indonesia.


Source: Xiaomi Malaysia Facebook (1,2)

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lundi 29 juin 2020

DiscoverKiller is an Xposed Module that replaces the Google Discover feed with whatever you want

The default launcher app on Google’s Pixel lineup and many other smartphones running close-to-stock versions of Android offers a handy integration with Google Discover. As the successor to Google Feed, Discover’s launcher integration allows users to swipe to the left of their default home screen and conveniently access the latest news stories, video recommendations, and more. This feature has been adopted by notable skinned versions of Android as well, such as ASUS’ ZenUI, Xiaomi’s MIUI, and OnePlus’ OxygenOS. However, some users have lashed out at Google for showing clickbaity content in Discover while also showing advertisements in feeds.

XDA Recognized Developer Quinny899 has now come up with an interesting mod to “replace the Google Discover page of your home screen with whatever you want”. Dubbed as DiscoverKiller, the mod is presented in the form of an Xposed module. When enabled, the module can seamlessly substitute the Discover page with the Google Assistant ‘Updates’ screen or virtually any other third-party app, depending on how you customize it.

discoverkiller_xposed_google_assistant discoverkiller_xposed_bbc_news

The Discover section is powered by the Google app, thus the module directly hooks into it instead of the launcher. This design allows DiscoverKiller to be compatible with any third-party launcher capable of showing the Google Discover feed without additional configurations. The module also offers a swipe-right-to-close option in case you choose to display the ‘Updates’ screen in place of the Discover page.

discoverkiller_xposed_settings

As a mandatory prerequisite for using this module, you need to install EdXposed with Riru Core after rooting your device using Magisk. Note that the initial version of DiscoverKiller is not verified by TaiChi. You can download the precompiled APK of the module from its XDA thread (linked below), while the source code is available on the developer’s GitHub profile.

DiscoverKiller Xposed Module — XDA Download and Discussion Thread

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Windows File Recovery is a new tool from Microsoft that may help you restore deleted files

Nothing is as frustrating as losing valuable information from your hard drive which can happen due to human error or hardware failure. There may still be a chance to recover some of those files, though, since a lot of file deletions involve deleting the file index until that block of storage is overwritten. Just a simple “delete” command in Windows, for example, is not enough to irrevocably make files unrecoverable. To do that, you need to securely wipe the drive by either writing a bunch of zeroes or other data to it over several iterations or physically destroy the drive. The point is is that if you’ve accidentally lost some of your valuable files, there is still a chance you can restore them. Microsoft just made that slightly easier to do with the release of the Windows File Recovery tool.

Windows File Recovery is available as a free app in Microsoft Store. Though, it’s not an app in the common sense of the term since it’s a command-line tool. Although it uses a CLI interface, it is still very newbie-friendly. After launching the tool, you have options to target files you want to recover by name, paths, or extensions. Microsoft says Windows File Recovery can recover data not only from the hard drive installed on your computer but from external storage, too. This means you can use the tool on USB drives, memory cards, external SSDs, and other storage devices, though Microsoft recommends using Signature Mode for recovering files from external storage. There are also Default and Segment modes for recovering files from NTFS-formatted drives. As of now, the tool supports drives formatted in NTFS, FAT, exFAT, and ReFS file systems and various file extensions such as PNGs, PDFs, MP3 and MP4s, and many more.

You can find more information about how to use the tool, what it’ll work on, and what files it can recover from Microsoft’s support page. You can download Windows File Recovery for free from the Microsoft Store linked below. Just make sure that you’re running Windows 10 2004 or later to install the app.

Windows File Recovery (Free, Microsoft Store) →


Via: Neowin

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Google Chrome’s media controls can soon be popped out into a floating overlay

Google has been working on revamped media controls for Chrome for a while now, and they recently went live in the Stable version earlier this year. The global media controls allow you to manage whatever media is playing right from the toolbar instead of navigating away from your current tab to the tab/window that’s playing the media. Soon, it looks like those media controls will get even handier.

Recently, a feature request for the global media controls was picked up and added to the Chromium code. The request simply states: “Add ability to drag a notification out of the dialog.” This would make it possible to detach the controls from the toolbar and put them anywhere on the screen. The request goes on to explain: “We want the user to be able to click and drag a notification out of the media dialog and into an always-on-top overlay.”

Credits: Chrome Story

The second part of the description is key as it will allow the controls to stay on top. This is important because otherwise, you would have to keep opening the global media controls every time you wanted to control media playback since the controls lose focus when you click away right now. The code for this feature has already been added to Chrome, and there will be a flag that will soon be able to enable this feature on the Canary channel. The flag can be found at chrome://flags/#global-media-controls. 

If you’re someone that keeps a lot of tabs open (which most of us probably are), Chrome’s media controls are a real time saver. Having the shortcut in the toolbar means you never have to worry about which tab is playing media. Putting the controls in a floating window saves you from that extra click. Is it a huge deal? Maybe not, but it’s a nice option. We look forward to seeing the feature rollout.


Source 1: Chromium Gerrit | Source 2: Bug Tracker | Via: Chrome Story

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Breaking: India bans 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, Mi Community, and Clash of Kings

The Government of India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT has just issued a press release announcing the ban of 59 apps that are “prejudicial to [the] sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.” The list of banned apps includes TikTok among others. As of today, here is the list of 59 Chinese apps that will be banned in India:

List of 59 Chinese-made apps now banned in India

  1. TikTok
  2. Shareit
  3. Kwai
  4. UC Browser
  5. Baidu map
  6. Shein
  7. Clash of Kings
  8. DU battery saver
  9. Helo
  10. Likee
  11. YouCam makeup
  12. Mi Community
  13. CM Browers
  14. Virus Cleaner
  15. APUS Browser
  16. ROMWE
  17. Club Factory
  18. Newsdog
  19. Beutry Plus
  20. WeChat
  21. UC News
  22. QQ Mail
  23. Weibo
  24. Xender
  25. QQ Music
  26. QQ Newsfeed
  27. Bigo Live
  28. SelfieCity
  29. Mail Master
  30. Parallel Space
  31. Mi Video Call – Xiaomi
  32. WeSync
  33. ES File Explorer
  34. Viva Video – QU Video Inc
  35. Meitu
  36. Vigo Video
  37. New Video Status
  38. DU Recorder
  39. Vault- Hide
  40. Cache Cleaner DU App studio
  41. DU Cleaner
  42. DU Browser
  43. Hago Play With New Friends
  44. Cam Scanner
  45. Clean Master – Cheetah Mobile
  46. Wonder Camera
  47. Photo Wonder
  48. QQ Player
  49. We Meet
  50. Sweet Selfie
  51. Baidu Translate
  52. Vmate
  53. QQ International
  54. QQ Security Center
  55. QQ Launcher
  56. U Video
  57. V fly Status Video
  58. Mobile Legends
  59. DU Privacy

Many notable apps are on this list. First of all, there’s TikTok, the video-sharing social media platform that has seen a surge in popularity since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Then there are multiple apps from Xiaomi, including Mi Community and Mi Video Call. Popular utility apps like Parallel Space, Xender, Shareit, and Cam Scanner are also mentioned. China’s Twitter alternative, Weibo, will also be banned. The incredibly popular “Clash of Kings” mobile game will also be banned in India. We’ve seen controversies arise around several of these applications in the past, most notably TikTok, Cam Scanner, and all the DU mobile apps, but to see a targeted ban like this from a major government is something we never quite expected.

The Government of India “has decided to disallow the usage of [these apps], used in both mobile and non-mobile Internet enabled devices.” This means that Indian users will not be able to access these apps and services through either the mobile app or through a website sometime after today, though it’s unclear if the government will force app stores to delist these apps on mobile app stores on top of blocking these services on an ISP-level.

India is citing section 69A of the Information Technology Act in its decision to ban these 59 mobile apps. Section 69A of the IT Act reads as follows:

69A. Power to issue directions for blocking for public access of any information through any computer resource.–

  1. Where the Central Government or any of its officers specially authorised by it in this behalf is satisfied that it is necessary or expedient so to do, in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above, it may subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), for reasons to be recorded in writing, by order, direct any agency of the Government or intermediary to block for access by the public or cause to be blocked for access by the public any information generated, transmitted, received, stored or hosted in any computer resource.

  2. The procedure and safeguards subject to which such blocking for access by the public may be carried out, shall be such as may be prescribed.

  3. The intermediary who fails to comply with the direction issued under sub-section (1) shall be punished with an imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years and also be liable to fine.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT notes “raging concerns on aspects relating to data security and safeguarding the privacy of 130 crore Indians” as a contributing factor in its decision. The ministry “has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India.” Because of “the compilation of [this] data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India,” the Ministry of Electronics and IT considers this matter “of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures.” Tensions between India and China have been escalating this month over border disputes which led to a major Chinese smartphone maker canceling its live online product launch and spurring consumers to voluntarily boycott Chinese-made apps and products. Today’s announcement is the latest escalation that has spilled over into the realm of smartphone technology.

We will keep an eye out on this news to see if the ban list is expanded, shrunk, or dismissed entirely in the coming days.

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[Update: Now in Search results] It’s now free for any business to list products on Google Shopping

Update (6/29/20 @ 10:50 AM ET): After allowing all businesses to list products on Google Shopping for free, these listings are now appearing in Google Search results.

While many people have probably used Google Shopping, it’s one of Google’s lesser-known services. On the surface, it seems like a simple aggregator for online shopping, but there’s actually more going on. Previously, businesses had to pay to appear in Google Shopping. Now, the company is letting any business owner list products for free.

It’s critical for businesses to get their products to appear in Google search results. Appearing in the more specialized Google Shopping results, where people are actively looking to spend money, is even more important. Google says they know “many retailers have the items people need in stock and ready to ship, but are less discoverable online.” This change means more exposure for those businesses and more options for shoppers.

The new free option will begin rolling out on April 27th in the US and worldwide over the next few months. Businesses can still pay for higher placement, but Google says the results will consist primarily of free product listings. Those businesses that were already paying to list products will immediately be able to list their full inventories. New users can apply for free listings through the Merchant Center.

As part of this news, Google is announcing a new partnership with PayPal to allow merchants to link their accounts and accept online payments. Google says this will speed up the onboarding process and “ensure we’re surfacing the highest quality results for our users.” The company is also working with Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce to make sure they can shift easily to Google Shopping.

Google says they have been working toward this change for a while. The COVID-19 pandemic and a huge shift toward online shopping accelerated those plans. This change puts Google Shopping more in line with Amazon, who similarly only charges merchants to promote products for higher placement. Obviously, Google isn’t doing any shipping, but it could mean more people starting to go to Google instead of Amazon to find products.

Google Shopping: Discover, compare prices & buy (Free, Google Play) →

Source: Google


Update: Now in Search results

In April, Google announced it was allowing all business owners to list products on Google Shopping for free. Now, Google is bringing those free listings to Google Search results. Not only will businesses be able to get their products in front of more Shopping users, but also the millions of people who use Search every day. These free listings will initially appear in a product knowledge panel that shows buying options for a particular item. Users can still go to the “Stores” tab in the panel for more buying options.

Source: Google

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