Google is adding ‘Nearby’ API to Chromebooks for connecting to BLE beacons

Google added its Nearby feature to Android phones back in 2015 and upgrading it to version 2.0 nearly a year ago. The premise is simple – your phone listens for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and inaudible sounds to find out if you are in the proximity of other capable devices. Shops or brands often use BLE beacons that broadcast information to supported devices, but it also has other uses too. You can play games, message your friends, and even share files. It's not just for commercial use, and as such, we'll be seeing support for it come to Chromebooks, according to two recent commits made on the Chromium Gerrit.

These commits both suggest the addition of the Nearby API to Chrome OS, something that users of Chromebooks may benefit from greatly. Not only are they portable and more likely to be brought out and about, but it allows them to communicate with Android devices too. Given the Android-ifying of Chrome OS in recent months with many new additions, that part isn't so surprising. You'll be able to get the same notifications as regular smartphone users do as well when you're out and about, which includes viewing BLE beacons.

What are other uses for the Nearby API? Not much, at present time. It could potentially recognize other Chromebook users nearby, but what you could do with that information is limited. Chrome OS isn't exactly used as a gaming platform, unlike Android where it could make sense. It's also not typically used as a messaging platform either – users resort to third-party apps for that. It could be useful for connecting to your own smartphone, as the Nearby API allows for file transfer too. It will need to be implemented correctly to be used at all by users, so we'll wait and see what Google does with it once it arrives. All going well, we'll see it make its way to a Canary build in the coming days. If there are no problems then we'll see it in a stable branch in a few weeks time.

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Discover the RhinoShield Case Options for the OnePlus 6

If you're looking for a quality case with a minimal design and maximum protection, RhinoShield has a few solutions for you to choose from. Owners of the OnePlus 6 will find that the CrashGuard and SolidSuit cases make a perfect companion for your phone. There are several different design and colors to match your OnePlus 6, whether you have the black or white version.

RhinoShield offers three different types of protection for the OnePlus 6. The SolidSuit is their full-body protection, the CrashGuard is their popular bumper design, and the screen protector is the best option for display protection in combination with one of their cases.

SolidSuit

The full-body protection of the SolidSuit case now comes in  Carbon Fiber, Classic Black, and Classic White. Pair your color choice up with your OnePlus 6 to have a phone-case combo that looks perfect. The ShockSpread design offers an impact protection of up to 11 feet, while still being ultra thin and lightweight.

Apart from the innovation in materials, the Honeycomb Structure (a hexagonal pattern lines the inner surfaces of the case, improving shock absorption by up to 10%) and the Raised Lip Design also help in protecting the phone.

CrashGuard

The minimal bumper design comes in both white and black color options. The same ShockSpread design is found in the CrashGuard bumpers, with up to 11 feet of impact protection. The snug fit of the bumper will ensure that your OnePlus 6 does pop out, even when you drop it. You can also rest easy knowing that your bumper will not become loose over time, like many other bumpers on the market.

Screen Protector

For screen protectors, you'll have the option of an Impact Protection Screen Protector, Impact Flex Back Protector, or Tempered Glass Screen Protector. Each solution is designed to work with your CrashGuard or SolidSuit case. If you have a CrashGuard bumper, you can also apply a back plate protective cover, so that every inch of your phone stays protected.

Previously, RhinoShield only offered a black bumper for the OnePlus 5. These new options come with their effort to offer more solutions to the OnePlus community. With five different cases and three different type of protective solutions, you'll be able to find a perfect case for your OnePlus 6.

Shop RhinoShield

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Nokia 3.1 now available in US for $159 from Best Buy & Amazon

Since acquiring the licensing rights to sell Nokia-branded smartphones we have seen HMD Global achieve great success in the market. While some OEMs opt for heavy customizations in their software, HMD Global has opted to join the Android One program for all of their devices and as such have been able to quickly roll out security updates. Nokia smartphones haven't been readily available in the United States barring a few options like the Nokia 6 2018 (AKA the Nokia 6.1), but today the Nokia 3 2018 (AKA the Nokia 3.1) goes on sale in the U.S.

HMD Global first announced the Nokia 3.1 smartphone at the tail end of May as their latest budget Android One smartphone. It is a successor to the Nokia 3 that was brought to market last year and it's pretty middle of the road when it comes to specifications. Here are the specifications:

	Nokia 3.1
OS	Android 8.1 Oreo
Display	5.2-inch 18:9 HD+ (1440×720) Gorilla Glass
Chipset	Octa-core MediaTek MT6750 8×1.50GHz Cortex A53
GPU	Mali-T860 MP2
RAM	2GB/3GB
Storage	16GB/32GB, MicroSD slot
Rear camera	13MP
Front camera	8MP
Battery	2990mAh
Charging	MicroUSB 2.0
Security	Passcode
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n Bluetooth 4.2, NFC OTG, 3.5mm jack
Dimensions	146.25 x 68.65 x 8.7mm 138.3g
Colors	Blue/Copper, Black/Chrome, White/Iron

The Nokia 3.1 is currently on sale at retailers including Best Buy, B&H Photo, and Amazon for $160. This segment is rather popular in the United States as it can offer some decent specs for the price point. Motorola has done very well for themselves in this segment thanks to the Moto G and we could see HMD Global doing the same.

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Source: HMD Global

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Samsung Galaxy On6 launched in India with 5.6-inch Infinity Display

In January, Samsung launched the Galaxy On7 Prime with Samsung Mall in India. The phone itself turned out to be a re-brand of the Galaxy J7 Prime, which was released in 2016. This meant that it could not compete with phones such as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro. The company then launched the Galaxy J7 Duos in May. In June, Samsung launched the Galaxy J6, Galaxy J8, Galaxy A6, and the Galaxy A6+ — its first "mid-range" phones to feature Infinity Displays. Now, the company has launched the Galaxy On6 in India.

Last week, it was reported that Samsung would launch a Galaxy On phone with an Infinity Display. With the Galaxy On6, the company has delivered, but it must be noted that the phone is a re-brand of the Galaxy J6 for the online market. The Galaxy On6 features intensifying competition in the lower mid-range price segment in the form of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1, and the Oppo Realme 1. Let's take a detailed look at its specifications:

Samsung Galaxy On6 – Specifications at a glance

 

Samsung Galaxy On6	Specifications
Dimensions and weight	149.3 x 70.2 x 8.2 mm,
Software	Samsung Experience on top of Android 8.0 Oreo
SoC	Octa-core Samsung Exynos 7870 (8x ARM Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.6GHz)
GPU	Mali-T830MP1
RAM and storage	4GB of RAM with 32GB of storage; microSD card slot
Battery	3000mAh
Display	5.6-inch HD+ (1480×720) Super AMOLED with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio
Wi-Fi	802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.2
Ports	microUSB port, dual nano SIM slots, 3.5mm headphone jack
Bands	GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz CDMA 800 and TD-SCDMA WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100MHz FDD-LTE: Bands 1/3/5/7/8 TDD-LTE: Bands 34/38/39/40/41
Rear camera	13MP camera with f/1.9 aperture, 28mm field-of-view Video recording up to 1080p at 30fps
Front-facing camera	8MP front-facing camera with f/1.9 aperture

The Galaxy On6 is the cheapest Samsung phone to have an Infinity Display. The phone's design is standard, with the fingerprint sensor being placed below the rear camera on the back.

The phone has a 5.6-inch HD+ (1480×720) Super AMOLED display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio and 293 PPI. The low resolution is perplexing to see, especially when considering the fact that AMOLED displays have a PenTile matrix, further reducing color resolution.

The Exynos 7870 system-on-chip, too, isn't new. In fact, Samsung has been using this SoC in its phones since 2016. This means that it can't match the performance or efficiency of newer SoCs such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (used in the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro) as well as the MediaTek Helio P60 (used in the MediaTek Helio P60).

Elsewhere, the phone is a standard Samsung budget phone. It's probable to expect it to lack basic sensors, unfortunately.

Samsung Galaxy On6 – Pricing and availability

The Samsung Galaxy On6 price in India has been set at Rs. 14,490. It will be exclusively available for purchase through Flipkart and Samsung Online Shop starting July 5. Customers purchasing the Galaxy On6 can avail a bunch of launch offers, including a complete mobile protection plan at Rs. 49, no cost EMI options starting at Rs. 1,610, and exchange offers. Additionally, customers with a Jio connection are entitled to receive a cashback worth Rs. 2,750 in their MyJio account on recharging with Rs. 198 and Rs. 299 packs. They would also receive a Double Data benefit on the first four recharges of Rs. 198 and above.

Samsung has offered a new 'Chat Over Video' feature that lets users chat with their contacts while watching a video by offering a translucent chat screen. There is also a preloaded My Galaxy Video app that lets users watch aggregated and curated video content from a list of content providers. The app includes curated playlists, original shows, and full-length Bollywood movies. Lastly, there is Samsung Pay Mini to enable easy payments through the smartphone.

 

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OnePlus 6 Red model with 8GB RAM & 128GB storage announced

With respect to color variants, the strategy of OnePlus has been to release a new phone with standard colors, followed by special color variants released at a later point in time. The special color variants for the OnePlus 3 and the OnePlus 3T were Soft Gold and Midnight Black respectively. The company later released a Soft Gold variant of the OnePlus 5. For the OnePlus 5T, the limited edition colors were Sandstone White and Lava Red, and with the OnePlus 6, OnePlus has already released a Silk White limited edition color.

Now, OnePlus has announced the red color variant of the OnePlus 6. This will debut across all OnePlus global variants. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau states that the company decided to produce a red edition "worthy of the OnePlus 6" after the success of the OnePlus 5T Lava Red. OnePlus evaluated "hundreds of colors," choosing a color that stood out among the rest to make the OnePlus 6 Red.

This is the #OnePlus6 Red. Available starting next week. https://t.co/QTDxIcWP5N pic.twitter.com/3Uwb1iZjVC

— OnePlus (@oneplus) July 2, 2018

The company states that it has been "relatively restrained" when it comes to adopting a new color variant, as it tends to reject elements that are "too assertive." The OnePlus 5T Lava Red was inspired by the color of cooling lava. With the OnePlus 6, OnePlus states that it didn't want the shade of red to be overly bright. The company's design goals were to achieve a "clear quality like amber," while having an enduring appeal lasting for years.

The company used a new film coating process that's "never been adopted before in the smartphone industry" to achieve an "amber-like" depth and clarity for the OnePlus 6 Red. Another challenge that it was faced was adequately increasing the brightness of the red coating. The design team included an evaporated layer of brightening film that cost around $5 to maintain a bright coating. The result is a sizable glossy transparent layer over the red coating.

The OnePlus 6 Red will be available in all OnePlus global markets next week in the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage configuration. It will be priced the same as the regular 8GB RAM/128GB OnePlus 6 variant. In India, it will cost ₹39,999 and will go on sale on July 16th.

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Source: OnePlus

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US Senator pushes government to stop using old VPN tech and use WireGuard

VPNs have played a pivotal role in today's age, allowing users to bypass geographical restrictions and keep their data relatively secure from prying eyes. While the use of a VPN is recommended against not using one at all when dealing with important information, some of the most popular VPNs have their own set of problems that make them a flawed choice despite their popularity.

Popular VPN solutions on Android such as OpenVPN and IPsec are extremely complex, making auditing these open source solutions difficult. OpenVPN also lines in userspace, making it quite slow, since every packet must be copied several times and incur several context switches. Here is a quick comparison of the complexity of popular VPN solutions in terms of the number of Lines of Code:

WireGuard VPN, however, is emerging as the more practical choice when it comes to VPN technology, offering ease-of-use, updated cryptography, and easier auditability. It also runs inside the Linux kernel and has received an endorsement from Linux kernel's stable maintainer, Greg KH. The lead developer of WireGuard, Jason Donenfeld, also known as XDA Recognized Developer zx2c4, is also hoping to have WireGuard integrated into the mainline Linux kernel at the next available merge window. The WireGuard port for Android is also working on all Android devices, and the ports for macOS, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD are also in good shape. The Windows port is also making good progress.

WireGuard can now add another endorsement to its list. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from the state of Oregon, wrote an open letter to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) discouraging the use of aging technologies like OpenVPN and IPsec for government use.

"In light of the serious cybersecurity issues with the two most widely-used VPN technologies, I urge NIST to work with stakeholders to evaluate appropriate replacements, including Wireguard, for government use. I also ask that once NIST finds an appropriate replacement, existing VPN guidelines and support should quickly be discarded in favor of the newer alternative."

U.S. Senator Wyden's Letter to NIST Regarding Government Use of Secure VPNs

If after the endorsement and recommendation to the government that WireGuard does get adopted, it would solidify WireGuard's position as a much-needed alternative to the existing popular solutions.

If you are eager to test out WireGuard on your device, you can also visit the official thread for more information or check out its Google Play store listing if you have an Android 5.0+ device. Alternatively, you can also follow along community submitted guides on how to use WireGuard on your Android, macOS, and Ubuntu device.

WireGuard (Free, Google Play) →

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ReadItToMe reads and lets you respond by voice to your Whatsapp, Telegram, and Hangouts messages

Part of the beauty of Android is that you can pretty much make an application for anything, though sometimes that does require root access. ReadItToMe reads your WhatsApp, Telegram, and Hangouts messages out loud for you when enabled, allowing you to respond entirely with your voice as well. It means that you won't have to look away from what you're doing. That's without even mentioning the potential accessibility improvements. We saw the application released way back in 2012, and since then it hasn't had much done by the way of updates.

XDA Senior Member crazyfool_1 has updated the application yet again, bringing a ton of bug fixes, a lot more stability and a much more intuitive UI and setup process. Another neat new feature is that you can have it switch on when connected to your home network. It should also be easier for him to add new features in the future as well! If you're interested, you can check out the Google Play Store link below along with his own thread here on XDA.

ReadItToMe - read sms, voice reply, handsfree (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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ReadItToMe XDA Thread

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