Google: A Fix for the Pixel & Pixel XL Camera Flare is Coming

At the launch event for the Google Pixel and Pixel XL, Google advertised that its camera would be the best camera currently available on any smartphone. They backed up their claim by citing a stellar early review score from DxOMark, but some people were still skeptical. As early hands-on reviews started going live from various Android and technology publications, it became obvious that Google was definitely onto something with the camera optimizations they had touted.

The camera on the Pixel phones is easily one of the best we've ever seen on a smartphone and many feel that it has finally knocked the iPhone off its throne. However, as time went on and as more people started using their phones on a daily basis, one issue repeatedly surfaced. Some users began to notice a lens flare/halo effect in some of their photos. This issue was even discussed here in our forums, and many others across the Internet who are using it have also noticed similar artifacts in their photos.

This issue was raised in Google's official product forums within the newly launched Pixel User Community Forums and a Google employee confirmed they are aware of the issue. At first, Isaac begins talking about how the flare is a property of all camera lenses, but then moves on to mention that the shape, color, amount, etc. of the flare is attributed to a large number of different parameters when it comes to the lens structure and inclement light.

However, the Googler states that the issue will be fixed due to the fact that many users find the halo effect undesirable. Isaac says they are working on some algorithms that will be able to recognize the halo/arc flare and will then subtract it from the image entirely. We're told that a software update to resolve the issue is coming "in the next few weeks," but that users will need to use HDR+ to see the benefits of the update.

In the meantime, he also states that users should not send the phone in for an RMA and that all Pixel phones will have the same flare characteristics.

Source: Pixel User Community

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Bootloader Unlock Achieved on Verizon-based Google Pixel

Back when the Google Pixel duo were still in the leak stages, there were reports that the Verizon based Pixel devices would come with their bootloaders locked, and with no way to officially unlock them in a straightforward manner. This created an important distinction between the carrier-unlocked Pixel as it was sold directly from Google, and the carrier-locked Pixel sold from Verizon, despite having virtually no differences in hardware.

In case you bought the Pixel from Verizon despite their past history with locked bootloaders, here is a bit of good news. The Firewater dev team has announced that they have managed to unlock the bootloader on the Verizon variant of the Google Pixel.

unlocking a verizon HTC, err "Google" Pixel is so easy its barely fun. @therootninja @jcase Maybe we'll release someday. Maybe. http://pic.twitter.com/elnq1kx2HP

— fire water (@firewaterdevs) October 26, 2016

Before you jump on and celebrate, do keep in mind that the dev team, known famously for their SunShine unlocks and S-Off solutions for HTC devices, has not yet released the unlock for the device. There is a "maybe" attached to their announcement, indicating that there is a possibility that this does not get released for the public at large.

There could be a few reasons why one would prefer buying the device from Verizon rather than from Google. One of the main draws for people often is the trade-in value that they receive when they hand in over their older devices, which can be as high as $200. This removes the hassle of selling a device which otherwise would not command such a high value in the second-hand market. The other reason often is staggered payment plans, but since Google is also offering the same with the Pixels in the USA, this does not stand as strongly.

The Pixel devices on Verizon do come with bloatware, but the bloatware can be disabled and uninstalled. Early reports mentioned that the Verizon based devices would have their updates routed through Verizon, though it was later clarified that both the Verizon and non-Verizon Pixels would receive updates at the same time. The locked bootloader still remains a valid concern for XDA readers, that is until the devs release their unlock solutions.

The reasons to not buy the Google Pixel from Verizon continue to shrink down. Still, I would personally avoid Verizon, just out of principle.

What are your thoughts on this development? Did you purchase your Pixel from Google, or from Verizon? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Twitter: Firewater Devs

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4G LTE Vulnerability Enables Eavesdropping on Conversations and all Data Traffic

For the privacy-minded readers on our forums, you probably steer clear of any open WiFi hotspot while you're out and about. If you're one of the lucky few who owns a select Nexus or Pixel device that is supported by Google's WiFi Assistant, then maybe you aren't so worried about using an unsecured network. But for the rest of us, we rely heavily on our carrier's 4G network to route any important financial, educational, or private data over the Internet. Unfortunately, though, it appears that our 4G LTE connection might not be as secure as we were previously led to believe. Wanqiao Zhang, a Chinese network security researcher from Qihoo 360, recently held a presentation at DEFCON 24 in August of this year describing the LTE vulnerability.

Source: Wanqiao Zhang

In the research paper, the team describes a method of forcing a targeted smartphone off of its LTE network and onto an unsecured, compromised network. The attack involves collecting the LTE device's IMSI and then tricking the device into connecting to a fake LTE network. Once the victim has connected to the compromised network, the attacker is able to perform a variety of malicious acts, including denial of service, redirection of calls/texts, or at its worst even sniffing on all voice and data traffic. Her team's demo specifically targeted the FDD-LTE networks that are currently operating in Britain, the United States, and Australia. However, Zhang says this type of attack is possible on any LTE network in the world, including TDD-LTE networks more commonly found in many Asian countries.

Sadly, the regulatory body responsible for overseeing and enforcing LTE standards had previously acknowledged this vulnerability all the way back in 2006 when they acknowledged the possibility of Zhang's man-in-the-middle attack. Recently in May, the 3GPP proposed a potential solution to the security vulnerability: refusing one-way authentication and dropping encryption downgrade requests from base stations. These measures would prevent a malicious femtocell from unilaterally hijacking your phone and downgrading its network security measures.

This vulnerability has not received much attention until security researchers wrote a paper about it last year (PDF). It was shortly after this paper was published that we saw the ACLU obtain documents that described the government's Stingray project had identical functionalities. Many still don't know exactly how the Stingray tracking devices actually operate, although people have started to draw similarities between the technology and the recently researched LTE vulnerability.

For those who want to keep their data and communications private, a VPN which uses OpenVPN and its TLS protocol will be able to keep your data private. You'll want to stay away from VPNs that use PPTP/L2TP/SOCKS connection methods as those could still be vulnerable to attacks. It's been over 10 years since the 3GPP was made aware of this issue and they have yet to implement updated LTE protocols to remedy this security hole. With readily available hardware that can pull off these attacks now, however, it will be up to you to keep your data private.

Source: The Register

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Xiaomi Unveils The Mi Note 2, The Mi MIX Concept Phone and Mi VR

It has been an eventful day for Xiaomi, as the company took the wraps off several products at an event in Beijing. While the Mi Note 2 is what most people were expecting out of the event, Xiaomi did surprise all by releasing their own VR headset called the Mi VR, and unveiling a "concept phone" called the Mi MIX.

Xiaomi Mi Note 2

Starting off with the Mi Note 2, the device is just about everything that the leaks built it up to be (but with a single rear camera). The Mi Note 2 builds up on the curved glass back of its predecessor Mi Note, and brings the curves onto the front sides as well by making use of a flexible OLED display. The mid-frame of the device is made of aluminum, and the back is made of glass.

When it comes to specs, the Mi Note 2 comes with a 5.7″ FHD OLED display, curved on the sides. The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC along with the Adreno 530 GPU. The device comes in two RAM (LPDDR4) + Storage (UFS 2.0) variants: 4GB + 64GB and 6GB + 128GB. There is a third variant as well, which is called the Global 4G+ variant although its memory specs are the same as the top variant. There is no support for microsd expandability on the device, though.

For extras, the Mi Note 2 has support for Qualcomm AQSTIC on-chip decoding with support up to 192kHz/24bit decoding. There is full NFC support, Bluetooth 4.2, 3.5mm headphone jack, fingerprint sensor (integrated on the home button on the front) and an IR Blaster, among other features. The Mi Note 2 also has a USB Type-C port, and a 4,070 mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support.

For the camera, the Mi Note 2 bears a single rear camera, with the 23MP Sony Exmor RS IMX318 sensor with an aperture of f/2.0 and support for EIS and PDAF. The front camera on the Mi Note 2 is the 8MP Sony Exmor RS IMX268 with an aperture of f/2.0.

The most interesting part about the Mi Note is the band support on the device. The device supports dual nano-SIMs, but 4G LTE is supported in the first SIM slot only. This is the first Xiaomi device with Global network support as it has support for 37 global bands, including 22 for LTE. However, although this information is not confirmed from Xiaomi, we suspect that the global band support is present on the aptly named "Global 4G+" variant only.

The Xiaomi Mi Note 2 will be available in Silver and Black colors. The Mi Note 2 will cost CNY 2,799 (~$415) for the base 4GB/64GB variant, CNY 3,299 (~$490) for the 6GB/128GB variant and CNY 3,499 (~$520) for the Global 4G+ variant.

The question then remains, when can you buy the Xiaomi Mi Note 2? The Mi Note 2 will be available from the first of November in China. Availability and pricing of the device beyond China is unknown at this stage. Since the band support on this device is rightfully suited for using around the world, we strongly suspect that this will be the first flagship smartphone that Xiaomi launches in the USA.

Mi MIX

The Mi MIX is an interesting device. Xiaomi is calling this a "concept phone", which is a very curious term to use for a device that is actually in production and scheduled to go on sale in the very near future, and that too, at a price that is not obscenely expensive.

Xiaomi is using the Mi MIX as a ground for giving consumers a taste of the innovation processes that they are undertaking. The Mi MIX is a virtually bezel-less device, with a 6.4″ edgeless FHD OLED display with an astonishing 91.3% screen-to-body ratio. The device frame and even the buttons are made of ceramic. The device also does not use any adhesives on the inside, relying on just connectors to hold everything in place.

Since the front is almost entirely dominated by the display, Xiaomi had to move around or innovate around a few parts like the front camera, the proximity sensor and the earpiece. The earpiece has been removed in favor of a Pizoelectric ceramic unit, that converts the sound into mechanical energy which the phone's metallic frame converts into sound. The infrared-based proximity sensor is replaced by an ultrasonic proximity sensor. The front camera module has been shrunk down and moved to the bottom right corner, though we doubt the practicality of the positioning.

The Mi MIX also gets rid of hardware-based keys in favor of software keys. The fingerprint scanner finds its place on the back of the device. The usual extras with Xiaomi flagships, like the IR Blaster, full NFC support, USB Type-C port and the 3.5mm headphone jack are also present on the MIX.

On the spec ends, the Xiaomi Mi MIX is no slouch either, which is what happens otherwise with niche and unique devices. The device brings the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC and comes in two RAM (LPDDR4) + Storage (UFS 2.0) variants — 4GB + 128GB and 6GB + 256GB. There's a hefty 4,400 mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support. The camera setup consists of a 16MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera.

The Mi MIX comes only in black color, and will be available for purchase in China from 4th November. The device will cost CNY 3,499 (~$520) for the base 4GB + 128GB variant, while the higher-end 6GB + 256GB variant will cost CNY 3,999 (~$590). The higher-end variant will also come with an 18k gold trim around the camera lens and fingerprint sensor. There is no word on global availability, and since this is a "concept" device, we would not be surprised if this remains restricted to China.

Mi VR

Xiaomi also made use of the event to unveil the second gen of their own VR headset. Dubbed the Mi VR, the headset builds up on the Mi VR Play by adding in a built-in dedicated motion sensor. The device also comes with a 9-axis inertial motion controller.

The Mi VR is compatible with the Mi Note 2, Mi 5s, Mi 5s Plus and the Mi 5. The device is priced at CNY 199, which comes out to be around $30.

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The Xiaomi Mi Note 2 and the Xiaomi Mi MIX were the main highlights of the event. We are particularly excited about the Mi Note 2, thanks a lot to its global band support. With LeEco already entering the US market recently, it was just a matter of time before Xiaomi rolled up its sleeves.

What are your thoughts on the new Xiaomi launches? Do you look forward to purchasing any of these devices? Let us know in the comments below!

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Google is Reportedly Working on a AR & VR Hybrid Headset

We have seen multiple reports about Google working on a standalone VR headset for a while now. However, in July of this year we also saw a report that claimed the company has cancelled its plans for a standalone unit. As with most reports and rumors, they should never be taken as fact since they likely do not have all of the information.

So it shouldn't come as a surprise that Google have decided to pivot from their previous VR headset plans to something a little different.

The latest report about this mysterious device is that it will incorporate eye tracking from the user. For a regular VR headset, eye tracking could be used as an additional interaction method (instead of controllers), but it's easy to see how software and games could use this data in their products too. On the same day that this report was published, we also saw an announcement about Google acquiring Eyefluence, a company that worked on eye-interaction software.

So with this report about Google's vision for a standalone VR headset, it's easy to see why they would be interested in a company like Eyefluence. The report goes even further though and talks about how this VR headset will "map out the real-world space in front of a user." This should sound familiar as this is what Google's Tango project can do. Instead of just a typical AR headset though, the report cites a source who describes it as "bringing the world into VR."

We are likely a long way from finding out exactly what Google's vision for this headset really is. It's been known that Google feels AR, not VR, will be more successful in the long run. They might feel this way because of the work they've already been doing with Tango, or they might have a different vision of how AR or "mixed reality" can be used in our everyday lives.

Source: Engadget

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[Winner Announced + Coupon Code] Win a Pixel XL from XDA and RhinoShield

We recently held a contest to giveaway a new Pixel XL thanks to our friends at RhinoShield. Their CrashGuard bumper case has some impressive engineering behind it to give your device tremendous drop protection, while staying super minimal since it does not cover the back of your phone like a traditional case. You can read more about the honeycomb structure that contains pockets of pressurized air as well as its custom-formulated polymer makeup in our CrashGuard explainer post. But without further delay, we wanted to announce the winner of the Pixel XL: Kyle Gospodnetich. He has already been contacted.

For everyone else, RhinoShield has provided a 15%-off coupon code to be used on their website for any of their awesome products. The code is "XDAFTW" and it is valid until November 10, 2016.

In the coming days, we're going to be putting CrashGuard to the test with some pretty abusive drop tests with a Pixel XL. Stay tuned.

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Neko Collector Brings Android 7.0’s Easter Egg to Android 4.0+ Devices

Want to try out the Android 7.0 mini-game easter egg, but don't have Nougat yet? Check out the open source Neko Collector app, which brings the mini-game experience to all Android 4.0+ devices!

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