Thanks to XDA forum user Albe95, you can now download and sideload many apps from the Note 4, including Task Manager, S Memo, S Health and more. It appears that Albe95 changed the build.prop file on his device to trick Samsung’s servers into sending him the updated apps, so you’ll still have to wait for a full system dump.
These apps are available as apk files that you can sideload on your device, as long as you have the “Install from Unknown Sources” option checked.
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
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The Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus could be made out of plastic. Only the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is rumored to come with a glass body. Samsung may be looking to use more plastic and less glass in the construction of its Galaxy S22 series of devices. According to a South Korean tipster (via ITHome), Samsung will use a “brand new processing technology” to create the back cover of the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus.
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A new patent suggests that Samsung is working on a movable camera design for smartphones. The movable camera system would enable multiple aperture values. It’s unclear if Samsung would ever use this system on a consumer-ready smartphone. Samsung is apparently working on a new movable camera design for smartphones that may enable variable aperture.
The design came to light in a recently published patent (h/t LetsGoDigital). The camera array, in its standard setup, sits horizontally across a smartphone’s back.
Cloud storage and cloud syncing seem to have crossed the border between fad and necessity. With many people losing their mobile devices daily (1 every 3.5 seconds, according to sources), backing up files to cloud servers is one step towards preserving your precious phone data in the case of catastrophes.
If some misfortune befalls your Android phone — for example, if you lose your phone or someone steals it, if someone you know accidentally reformats your phone, and other similar unfortunate events — you will not need to worry much if you’ve synced your files with G Cloud Backup.
Eric Zeman / Android Authority
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OnePlus has announced a new limited release OnePlus 9 Pro. Inspired by Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama, the device features a silver colorway and detailing. It goes on sale later this month in China. OnePlus has released a few one-off devices in recent years, from the OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk variant to the OnePlus Nord collector’s edition. Now, the OnePlus 9 Pro is the latest model to get the special edition treatment.
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Trouble focusing at work? Having a hard time getting to sleep at night? Brain.fm might be your salvation.
Brain.fm is one of the highest rated items on Product Hunt. The monthly subscription service provides you with AI-curated content combined with years of neurological research to stream the ideal background music for whatever you’re trying to accomplish: from studying to relaxing.
Google has been quietly removing the term ‘Google Cast’ for TVs and connected speakers that work with the Chromecast streaming media device family. Instead, Google will now refer to Google Cast as “Chromecast built-in”. Why the name change? It appears that Google simply wants to consolidate its streaming media branding under a more familiar name, and that might be the best thing to do. The name ‘Google Cast’ might cause some confusion among consumers who want to buy a TV or speaker that works with a Chromecast.
Nokia phones are finally coming back to the U.S. After a killer 2018 with a device per month on average, HMD Global has finally announced it will bring two devices, the Nokia 3.1 Plus and Nokia 2 V to U.S. carriers. While the 3.1 Plus has been out for awhile elsewhere, we haven’t seen the 2 V before in any form.
The Nokia 2 V isn’t a flagship device. This is absolutely a phone for the highly budget conscious, who just need something that works on their network.
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Project Sophia is Razer’s concept modular gaming desk PC with an OLED screen attached. It comes with a custom PC with an Intel CPU and an Nvidia GPU and has 13 modules for various functions. Razer also revealed a haptic gaming chair called the Enki Pro HyperSense. Razer yesterday announced a refresh to its popular Blade lineups of gaming laptops. While the refresh was a rather significant upgrade, it wasn’t the most exciting CES 2022 announcement Razer had for us.
If you’ve ever wished for a Samuel L. Jackson Alexa voice, then Santa has come a bit early for you. Starting now, you can incorporate Jackson’s voice into your Amazon Alexa-powered devices and communicate with him at any time.
And yes, Jackson’s voice is available in both clean and dirty versions, so you can hear him say “motherf***er” when you ask him for something such as the time of day.