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Google has announced that Real Tone filters are now available on Google Photos. These filters are made with more diverse skin tones in mind. One of the Pixel 6 line‘s standout features was its focus on accurately capturing more diverse skin tones. Google announced at I/O 2022 that it would maintain this focus with so-called Real Tone filters in Google Photos, and we didn’t have to wait long to see them.
We’re nearing the end of the first month of 2015 and a lot has happened. CES 2015 showed us some new tech and everyone’s looking forward to the next few months as new phones and products are announced and launched. There were also some great apps and games released. Here are the best new Android apps and games from January 2015.
Adobe Lightroom Mobile [Price: Free (requires Creative Cloud subscription)]
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20-year-old college student Joel Ortiz faces 10 years in prison for SIM hijacking crimes. Ortiz was convicted of stealing over $5 million in cryptocurrency from several victims. This will be the first jail time sentencing for a SIM hijacker, setting a harsh precedent for future convictions. In a landmark legal win (via Motherboard), a judge will sentence 20-year-old college student Joel Ortiz to 10 years in prison for his SIM hijacking crimes.
Update (05/01): Following yesterday's substantial leak, the Nokia 6 (2018) has now been announced. The device will be officially known as the Nokia 6 (second-generation) and, as was hinted at yesterday, it will feature most of the same specs as the previous handset and arrive with the 13-month-old Android Nougat OS. The biggest changes to this edition of the Nokia 6 are the inclusion of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chip (the previous model had a Snapdragon 430), OZO Audio recording technology, and a “Bothie"
HMD Global
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Nokia is launching the G20 in the US on July 1 for $199. The phone mates a 6.5-inch screen with a huge 5,050mAh battery and a 48MP camera. It could be a good value if you’re happy with a modest MediaTek G35 chip. One of the most important models in Nokia’s reworked phone lineup is headed to the US. HMD Global’s Nokia brand has revealed that the G20 will be available stateside on July 1 in “night” and “glacier” colors for a price of $199.
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ZTE confirmed plans to release more phones like the Axon M. The company confirmed it hopes to eliminate the Axon M’s middle bezel and make the display more seamless. As such, ZTE also plans to eventually move away from dual displays. ZTE‘s dual-screen Axon M might not have won awards in 2017, but it was a valiant effort at something different. That effort does not appear to be a one-off attempt, as ZTE vice president of marketing Jeff Yee confirmed there is more in store from ZTE.
Realme Buds Air 2The addition of active noise-cancelling has elevated the Realme Buds Air 2 from being an otherwise ho-hum pair of earphones. The bass emphasis, in particular, makes it appealing for fans of electronic music. I wasn't a big fan of the bling-heavy design but your mileage may vary. Overall, the Realme Buds Air 2 stand out more for the affordability, than the quality of the product.
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Lenovo has revealed its new midrange phone, the S5 Pro, in China. The dual rear camera, with 2x optical zoom, looks outstanding considering the phone’s price. Whether the photos are representative of the real-world experience, we can’t yet confirm. Lenovo has launched the S5 Pro, a new midrange handset wielding dual-cameras on the front and rear. The company announced the phone in China last week after previously teasing it on Weibo alongside some impressive, purportedly real sample shots.
Nowadays, it’s taken for granted that user reviews are a terrible metric for quality. Everything from restaurant reviews on Yelp to product reviews on Amazon can easily be faked, driving up (or down) aggregate review scores.
When it comes to the Google Play Store, these fake reviews can play a huge role in the success of any given app. Due to the way Google’s algorithm works, there’s a big incentive for developers to turn to the dark side, even if it means their app could be removed from the platform — or worse, a massive fine from the FTC.
Google has updated its dedicated Wallpapers app with a feast of new images and you can get them on any Android phone running 4.1 Jelly Bean and up (though certain functionality will require a later version).
The Google team itself chooses which wallpapers appear, so you can expect a certain level of quality and variety. As well as fairly typical landscapes and geometric shape images, there are some fascinating shots of astral phenomena and some mind-expanding artworks.