Tag Archives: Google Play

Android

Blackmagic Camera App Now Supports Android Phones Including the Google Pixel 6 & Samsung Galaxy Phones

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Blackmagic Design, one of the leading brands in professional video production equipment, has broadened the reach of its Blackmagic Camera app for Android. This update, released in July 2024, brings professional-grade mobile filmmaking capabilities to a wider range of users, including owners of the Google Pixel 6 series, Samsung Galaxy S21 and S22 lines, OnePlus 11 and 12 models, and Xiaomi 13 and 14 devices.

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Source: BlackMagic Design

Previously, the Blackmagic Camera app was limited to a select few high-end smartphones, primarily Apple’s iPhone, Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy flagships. This update brings more devices into the fold, allowing users better control of their smartphone cameras and expanding content creation horizons.

The Blackmagic Camera app transforms your smartphone into a powerful filmmaking tool. It goes beyond the limitations of native camera apps, offering features like:

  • Digital Film Profiles: Capture stunning visuals with professional-grade colour science, replicating the look of classic films.
  • RAW Recording: Record uncompressed video footage, offering maximum flexibility for colour grading and post-production adjustments.
  • Advanced Exposure Controls: Gain granular control over exposure with features like focus peaking, zebra stripes, and false colour monitoring.
  • Multiple Frame Rates: Choose from a variety of frame rates to achieve the desired visual effect, from smooth slow-motion to high-speed action sequences.
  • External Monitoring (via update): The latest update enables HDMI monitoring, allowing you to view your footage on a larger external display for more precise framing and focus control. (Availability may vary depending on the device)
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Source: BlackMagic Design

This feature set empowers users to capture high-quality cinematic footage on their smartphones, previously achievable only with dedicated cameras.

The update expands beyond device compatibility. It introduces several new functionalities that enhance the overall user experience:

  • 3D LUTs for Recording and Monitoring: Apply custom 3D LUTs (Look Up Tables) during recording and monitoring to achieve specific colour styles in real-time.
  • Pull Focus Transition Controls: Create smooth, cinematic focus transitions for a more polished look.
  • Blackmagic Cloud Integration: This update allows users to connect to Blackmagic Cloud for Organizations, facilitating collaboration and project sharing within teams.

These additions further elevate the app’s capabilities, providing users with greater creative control and streamlined workflows.

News

Supercell Busts a Move with Global Launch of Party Action Game “Squad Busters”

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Get ready to rumble – the party action game “Squad Busters” from mobile gaming powerhouse Supercell has officially launched worldwide! This follows a successful soft launch period that generated excitement and anticipation among gamers.

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Source: Supercell

“Squad Busters” throws you into a fast-paced, multiplayer arena where 10 players battle it out to collect and hold onto the most Gems. Don’t be fooled by the seemingly simple objective – the path to victory requires strategic thinking, teamwork, and a dash of chaos.

Unlike other battle royale games, “Squad Busters” emphasizes teamwork and cooperation. Players choose from a roster of quirky characters, each with unique abilities. The key to success lies in assembling a well-balanced “Squad” that combines attackers, suppliers, and speedsters. Think of it as picking your favourite superheroes for an epic brawl – except with cuter characters and a whole lot more gem-grabbing mayhem.

The gameplay in “Squad Busters” is anything but predictable. Dozens of different modifiers and constantly shifting character lineups ensure no two matches are ever the same. One minute you might be chasing down mischievous Loot Goblins, the next you’re strategically deploying a Royal Ghost to haunt your opponents. This constant variety keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting, encouraging players to adapt their tactics on the fly.

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Source: Supercell

“Squad Busters” isn’t just about mindless combat. There’s also a strategic layer that adds depth to the experience. Players can choose to play it safe by focusing on resource gathering or take a more aggressive approach and try to knock out other teams. This risk-reward dynamic adds another layer of excitement to the mix.

Supercell has built a reputation for creating polished and engaging mobile games, and “Squad Busters” is no exception. The game features vibrant, cartoony graphics and intuitive controls that make it easy to pick up and play, regardless of your gaming experience.

All you need to know about Squad Busters Soft Launch!

Whether you’re a seasoned gamer looking for a quick and chaotic party experience, or a casual player seeking a fun and accessible mobile title, “Squad Busters” has something to offer. The inclusion of fan-favourite characters from Supercell’s other popular games like Clash of Clans and Brawl Stars adds a touch of nostalgia for existing fans and a delightful introduction for newcomers.

With its global launch, “Squad Busters” is poised to become a major player in the mobile gaming scene. Supercell’s commitment to ongoing content updates and fresh challenges ensures a vibrant and ever-evolving experience for players worldwide. So, grab your friends, assemble your squad, and get ready to join the party in “Squad Busters”! It’s available on Google Play and iOS.

Android, Gaming, Mobile, News

Google Play Pass Sneakily Launched in Malaysia

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Google Play Pass – the company’s answer to Apple Arcade – has made its debut in Malaysia. Play Pass will allow users access to a curated collection of mobile games free from ads and in-app purchases. Think of it like Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass for your Android phone. It currently has over a thousand games available in the catalogue on the Play Store.

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Stealthily launched earlier this week in Malaysia, the Google Play Pass costs MYR10.99 per month. Your first month, however, is free. If you opt to subscribe to the Google Play Pass for a year, you’ll be getting a 25% discount with the plan renewing for MYR99 a year. The pass is shareable with up to five family members within a family group.

With the Play Pass, users gain access to games like Monument Valley 2, Stardew Valley, and more, all without ads and in-app payments.

Android, News

Android KitKat Takes Its Final Break as Google Play Officially Ends Support

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Google’s dessert-themed Android update has become stale. Well, not really. It’s just that Google Play is officially ending support for devices running Android 4.4 KitKat. This doesn’t come out of the blue as Google has been actively retiring support for older versions of the OS to ensure that the OS platform and the Play Store remain secure.

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Source: Google

Android 4.4, aka Android KitKat, has been around for nearly 10 years already. The update was one of the most significant updates for the Android operating system at the time. The update brought an overhaul and standardization to the design language of Android at the time.

According to the latest breakdown of Android versions on the market, Android KitKat stood at 0.5% of devices currently available globally. It seems like it’s enough for Google to finally end support for the version on the Google Play Store. The same report also indicated that Android 5.0 and Android 6 are at 1.8% and 2.3% respectively.

It goes without saying, if you have a device running Android KitKat you may want to update it before August 2023 if you can. Otherwise, you won’t be able to use the Play Store anymore. If there’s no official updates, many Android smartphones and tablets are well supported by the community with more updated versions of the OS based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) that you can sideload.

Android, Mobile, News

Google Play Saves Your Storage by Archiving Your Least-Used Apps Automatically

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Google just updated their policy just last week to ensure that users have more control over their own data on apps and account on their selected apps. This week, they are updating the app itself to add a little bit more automation on the app. While it may sound a little counter-intuitive especially with the whole initiative in giving users more control over their own smartphone and data, it is a good update for users.

Smartphones in the modern world allow you to have thousands of apps in your smartphone. In fact, you would install thousands of apps on your smartphone. All these takes up precious storage on your smartphone and when you find a new app you could use, you run out of storage space before you know it. To install the new app, you must clear up your storage by deleting things on your smartphone, uninstall apps. Thing is, you might want to keep those apps still because they could come in handy. You want to ensure that your app data is still in your smartphone in case you want to start running the app again. There is a way, thanks to Google’s latest update to Google Play.

You can now opt-in for Google Play’s new ‘auto-archive’ function. According to Google’s developer blog update, the function will help the user free up space on their smartphones without the need to manually uninstall apps from their smartphone. Google Play cleverly partially remove an app that you have not used for a long time on your smartphone to give way for newer and more functional apps. It is not really completely uninstalled though; the app’s data is still stored within the smartphone and you can re-download the app when you want to use it again as long as the app is still available on Google Play Store.

Of course, the function is not only an opt-in for the user, but also for developers. Their apps would have to have the function built into their app. They would also have to be using App Bundle to publish their apps on Google Play Store. Once their app enables the auto-archive function, the apps will be less likely to turn up on uninstall suggestions when users want to clear their smartphone’s storage.

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Source: Google Blog

For users to opt-in, a prompt will trigger when a user tries to install an app on their smartphone with full storage. The prompt will appear and ask if the user would like to enable auto-archive. Once the user enables auto-archive, Google Play will cleverly do its thing to archive apps you hardly use or have not been using for a long time to free up some storage space for the new app. No, you do not have to do much, just make sure your Google Play Store is up to date to get the function.

Android, Mobile, News

You Can Soon Delete Your User Data from an App Thanks to Google

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Data privacy and security is a big topic. It is also something Apple and Google, the world’s largest tech firms, have been working on for a long time. Over time, Google and Apple have both separately introduce new measures and policies for their developers to improve on security and giving more privacy access to their users. In their latest policy update, Google might make things easier for you if you wish to opt out or finally delete an app you no longer want to use.

As of yesterday, Google has introduced a few key initiatives for their Google Play store for 2023 and beyond. In their latest blog update, they are looking to achieve a few things with their initiative an policy update. Ads is still a big thing for Google, but they are looking to soften ads served to users. You are not getting any less ads, but Google seems to limit the amount of data that you share with apps and therefore shared across ad algorithms.

Google is also introducing a new Play Integrity API that is supposed to better protect their developers and the IP that comes with the apps. Alongside the enhanced API, Google is also introducing Google Play SDK Index so that developers have better overview over their SDK uses. In all this, they also look to balance the experience for developers and users by ensuring that there are better policies in place to ensure that data collection is done as responsibly as possible. At the same time, they want to make Google Play even safer for children and families, all through the updated policy.

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Source: Google

The biggest emphasis, at least according to another blog update, is allowing more data control for its users. It is not just about accessing and viewing more data than ever. While that is also a part of an improved transparency over users’ data, the policy update requires developers to allow their users to have even more control and deliberation with their own data on their selected platforms. It is also more than just allowing you to choose which data or hardware that the app gets access to.

Modern apps requires us to hold a virtual account with the provider’s platform to use. Even if you are using a Google account to sign into different apps, the platform technically creates another account for you just for their platform. If you wish to create a separate account, you can too via the apps. What most apps does not allow you to do though is to reverse that process. That is about to change.

In Google’s latest policy for developers, developers are going to be required to enable in-app account deletion or at least initiate the account deletion process via their apps. Google also requires the developer to allow the app deletion process and initiation to be done completely online too so that users do not have to reinstall an app just to delete their account. Since the account deletion process can be done completely via your app, you also do not have to access two different devices to delete your user data off their platforms.

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Source: Google

With the policy as well, Google states that any account deletion must also be accompanied with a complete deletion of a user’s data from their database. In that case, users also get an option to either keep or delete their data from a developer’s database when their delete their accounts. There are going to be cases where developers might require data retention for security, fraud prevention, or regulatory compliance. In that case, the developer must clearly state that they will have hold your data for whatever reason they cite.

Google is looking to enforce their policy starting December 2023. They are allowing for extensions for developers up until May 2024. That also means that you can expect all your apps to include your account deletion feature from 2024 onward. Of course, this policy will not just affect Android users with access to Google Play. This most likely will also translate to users of other platforms since the policy does affect most developers that are on both Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Lifestyle, News

Google Finally Looks At Optimising the Play Store for Wear OS

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Google seems to be taking its own OS for wearables seriously – FINALLY. With Samsung on the board with Wear OS, it would seem like Google finally deems it worthy of proper attention. Of course, the upcoming Pixel Watch could also be the impetus behind the company’s sudden commitment to the platform.

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Source: Google at Samsung Unpacked (YouTube)

At the recent Samsung Unpacked event, Google was given a small segment to discuss Wear OS. Google noted that the with the release of the Galaxy Watch 4 and the latest iteration of the OS, the number of users on Wear OS has more than tripled. Of course, to-date, the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 series is one of the only smartwatches with Google’s OS. So, it’s pretty evident that Samsung’s adoption of the platform is doing it some good.

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Source: Google at Samsung Unpacked (YouTube)

However, Google hasn’t done much in the years since it launched Android Wear back in 2014. That’s about to change with Google committing to revamp and optimise the Google Play Store. The revamp will put compatible apps front and center especially if you’re browsing the Google Play Store on your smartwatch. This will undoubtedly change the user experience on compatible devices.

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Source: Google at Samsung Unpacked (YouTube)

In addition to the optimised Play Store, Google is also bringing offline navigation to Wear OS. The new feature of the Google Maps app will allow users to use turn by turn navigation from their smartwatch without being tethered to a smartphone. The current version of Google Maps on Wear OS is pretty much useless without a smartphone. This functionality is slated for “later this year”. It wouldn’t surprise us if Google launches this together with the upcoming Pixel Watch.

Google’s Wear OS 3 is slated to arrive on more devices soon. Currently, Samsung has the Galaxy Watch4 series and the recently announced Galaxy Watch5 series on the market. Mont Blanc and Tag Heuer also have more premium smartwatches running Wear OS 3 available on the market as well.

Accessories, Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, News

BenQ Launches World’s First Portable LED Projector, the GV30 in Malaysia

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Having a projector at home makes a lot of sense. With enough surface area, you can have an entertainment display that is usually larger than regular TVs you find today. You can usually resize and change the placement of your projector at any time you want. You can stow it away too when not in use to have a much cleaner looking surface free of a blank TV screen. You can even use the projector at any flat surface you have in your home, which also means you can set up your entertainment hub anywhere in the home.

Obviously, there are some trade-offs. 4K resolution projectors are usually quite large and bulky, you hardly want to move them too much. To get the best sort of colours, you want an LED projector too, which also lasts long. Most of the LED projectors are not really made with portability in mind too though. Unless you go for BenQ’s GV30 projector, that is.

The BenQ GV30

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    Source: BenQ
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    Source: BenQ
  • GV30 right135 2.1channel
    Source: BenQ
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    Source: BenQ
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    Source: BenQ
  • GV30 right0 cradle
    Source: BenQ
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    Source: BenQ
  • GV30 rear0
    Source: BenQ
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    Source: BenQ
  • GV30 left0 cradle
    Source: BenQ
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    Source: BenQ
  • GV30 dongle installation
    Source: BenQ

The BenQ GV30 is the world’s first smart portable LED projector of its kind. It packs powerful 2.1-channel speakers as well so that you do not need to carry around a separate speaker set to get great audio anywhere you set the projector up. At the same time, the projector also offers up to 300 ANSI Lumens in projection brightness and up to 720p HD resolution at that. Colours should not be an issue too with CinematicColor and Rec. 709 colour gamut capabilities.

The LED light source is supposed to last up to 30,000 hours with minimal drop in brightness. Of course, it has multiple ports to sport all sorts of input like game consoles, smartphones, PCs, Blu-ray players, and even USB sticks. You do not need to carry a power cord with the projector as well, there is a built-in battery that allows you to use it anywhere with no fussy cables.

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    Source: BenQ
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    Source: BenQ
  • GV30 gallery 2
    Source: BenQ
  • GV30 feature 2
    Source: BenQ
  • GV30 feature 1
    Source: BenQ

You may not even have to plug anything to the portable projector. It comes with Android TV onboard which also means that you can operate it like a TV without any other inputs. You can directly download apps from Google Play store and stream movies on your favourite streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Videos, or even Disney+. If you wish so, you can even stream contents directly from your iOS or Android devices.

Price and Availability

BenQ Pre Order

The BenQ GV30 will be available June 2022 onward via BenQ’s official stores on Shopee and Lazada. You can also get your hands on one via BenQ’s official retailers across the nation. It will retail for MYR 2,688. If you do pre-order your BenQ GV30 projector between the 20th of June 2022 and 4th of July 2022, you can get your hands on one at an exclusive price of MYR 2,499. For more information on the BenQ GV30 mini portable LED projector, you can visit their website.

Android, Mobile, News

Soon, Every App on Google Play Store Will Be New Updated Apps

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Updating your apps is a hassle, so is finding the right app to do specific things you want for your Android or iOS machines. We live in an age where there is an app for everything, and it all started with the iPhone and then later expanded by Google’s Android ecosystem. To think that we almost do not get ecosystem with open-sourced apps is an odd one today.

Android’s foray into the app ecosystem game marks the start of a war between iOS and Android. The war of the app store, we call it. Who had better app support, who had better apps, and who had the biggest app store? We have reached a breaking point, however.

The world today, while still revolves around apps, cares more about the quality of contents each app delivers than how many apps you have on your smartphone. I, for one, want as little apps as possible on my smartphone but enough apps to perform everything I need from my smartphone. We do not need a million apps to do a million things. We want 10 apps that does 1,000 things well, and that is a problem for the app stores with millions upon millions of apps.

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Source: Google

While choices are good, Google deems that not all choices may be suitable for users. Of course, apps need to comply to Google’s security guidelines that changes with every new iteration of Android. That also means that apps that are on the Play Store should be updated to match the new security standards set by Google.

The problem is, while that is something that should be, it is not how it is in the current app stores. There are millions of apps in the ecosystem that has gone silent for years. These apps do not get updated and yet they still sit in the App Store. Granted, there are plenty of apps like these that are still being used by users. Developers of the app could have either given up on the project or have closed shop for a while. They still pose security risks for Android though.

In that case, Google is taking a step up in preventing users from downloading or coming across apps that have not been updated for longer than at least one generation of Android. That also means that if the apps on Google Play Store have not been updated for Android 11 currently, they app will be taken down from the Play Store, even if the ratings for the apps are high. When we say take down, they are not completely removed from the app store, more like downranked. If the app has not been updated for more than two generations, Play Store will not allow the app to be installed on your device at all.

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Source: Google

This system is completely dependent on the update cycle and age of your smartphone or tablet as well though. For example, if your device is still on Android 9, you will still be able to see apps that have been updated for Android 9, even if the said app has not been updated for Android 11 or Android 12. Once you update your device to Android 11 or 12 though, you may not see the app on the Play Store. However, if you already have the said app on your device, it will note affect your experience with the app at all. It will only affect new users to the said app.

The changes that are teased by Google is just that for now, a tease. It is expected that changes on the Play Store will start taking place on the 1st of November 2022 onward. It does give some time for developers who has not updated their apps for a year or two to prepare and update their apps before the implementation date. While it may seem odd that Google may be phasing out some of the higher rated apps just because they are old, it is also a good security measure for Android users with better compliance. It could also help new apps shine and get into the spotlight a little bit.