Here's what's new in Android 8.1 Dev Preview for Pixel and Nexus Devices

 By Vaibhav Jain on October 25, 2017       

Android 8.1 Oreo Developer Preview is now Official and is readily available for the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel C, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P. The latest Android version comes with tons of new features, fixes and improvements. Google also shared the Android 8.1 Oreo change-log, which some of you will find rather interesting.

Neural networks API

The Neural Networks API (NNAPI) provides apps with hardware acceleration for on-device machine learning operations. The API supports on- device model creation, compilation, and execution. Apps typically do not use NNAPI directly; instead, NNAPI is meant to be called by machine learning libraries, frameworks, and tools that let developers train their models and deploy them on Android devices.

Notifications

Apps can now only make a notification alert sound once per second. Alert sounds that exceed this rate aren't queued and are lost. This change doesn't affect other aspects of notification behavior and notification messages still post as expected.

Improved targeting for low-RAM devices

Android 8.1 (API level 27) adds two new hardware-feature constants, FEATURE_RAM_LOW and FEATURE_RAM_NORMAL, to Package Manager. These constants allow you target the distribution of your apps and APK splits to normal- or low-RAM devices. 

These constants enable the Play store to promote a better user experience by highlighting apps especially well-suited to the capabilities of a given device.

Autofill framework updates

Android 8.1 Developer Preview (API level 27) provides several improvements to the Autofill Framework that you can incorporate into your apps.

Programmatic Safe Browsing actions

• You can control whether your app reports known threats to Safe Browsing. 
• You can have your app automatically perform a particular action—such as going back to safety—each time it encounters a URL that Safe Browsing classifies as a known threat.

WallpaperColors API

Android 8.1 Developer Preview (API level 27) adds support for managing wallpaper colors. This feature lets you create a WallpaperColors object from a bitmap, a drawable, or by using the first three most visually representative colors. You can also retrieve details of the first three noticeable colors of a wallpaper.

Shared memory API

Android 8.1 (API level 27) introduces a new SharedMemory class. This class allows you to create, map, and manage anonymous shared memory that can be used by multiple processes or apps.

Source: Android Developers

Google announces Android 8.1 Developer Preview

 By Vaibhav Jain on October 25, 2017       

Google has announced Android 8.1 Oreo's first developer preview with the final release coming in December. It is readily available for the Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Nexus 5X, and Nexus 6P.

Android 8.1 system images are available to download for the above mentioned devices, but that requires an unlocked bootloader. There's also an other option, you can enroll your device in automatic OTA system updates through the Android Beta Program. Once enrolled, your device will receive regular over-the-air (OTA) updates of all milestone builds in the Android 8.1 Developer Preview. When the next version of Android is released, your device will automatically update to the final version. 

You can also un-enroll your device at any time. The device will receive an OTA update to the most recent production version of Android available for that device (for example, Android 7.1 Nougat). The update requires a full device reset, so user data on the device will be removed.

Download Android 8.1

How To Download and Install Stock ROM/Firmware on Moto X4

 By Vaibhav Jain on October 25, 2017       

Recently announced Moto X4 comes with Android 7.1.2 Nougat OS and will soon get Android 8.0 Oreo update. Today, I'll guide you how you can Download and Install the Stock Firmware on Moto X4.

Benefits of Flashing Stock Firmware:

• You can revert back to old Android version.
• In case if you bricked your device, then you can bring it back (Unbrick) by flashing the Stock Firmware.
• You can upgrade or downgrade your device's Android OS anytime.

The below Guide will work on both Android One Edition Moto X4 (Project Fi) and Standard Moto X4.

Before Proceeding, Note -

• Don't flash other variant firmware
• It will wipe all your data 
• It will Bring your Phone to Stock new condition .
• Firmware is only for Moto X4 (Payton)

How to Install Stock Firmware on Moto X4 -

Step 1. First Download the Drivers, Fastboot and Moto X4 firmware images from below.

Step 2. Install the drivers. Extract the firmware into the Fastboot folder.

Step 3. Boot the Moto X4 into Fastboot mode by pressing both the volume buttons and power button at the same time.

Step 4. Connect your Moto X4 to your Desktop via Original USB cable.

Step 5. Open cmd in Fastboot folder (By pressing shift key and right mouse click.)

Step 6. Paste this command-

fastboot flash partition gpt.bin
fastboot flash bootloader bootloader.img
fastboot flash logo logo.bin
fastboot flash boot boot.img
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.0
fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.1
fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.2
fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.3
fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.4
fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.5
fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.6
fastboot flash system system.img_sparsechunk.7
fastboot flash modem NON-HLOS.bin
fastboot erase modemst1
fastboot erase modemst2
fastboot flash fsg fsg.mbn
fastboot erase cache
fastboot erase userdata
fastboot reboot

Downloads -

Moto X4 Firmware - Download Here

Moto X4 (Android One) Firmware- Coming soon

Motorola Drivers - Download Here

Minimal ADB and Fastboot - Download Here

Why We Need to Understand Aging

 By Vaibhav Jain on October 25, 2017       

Young people today are understood like no other generation before. Their likes, dislikes, reading habits, political affiliation, routes, check-ins, friends, and shopping habits are categorized and stored by the big Internet giants like Google, Facebook, and more. Young people’s habits are known, the data has been stored, and they can be studied. It is not young people that we need to understand, it is the seniors of our population. Aging is an inevitability that we all face, and there are multi-billion industries that work towards prolonging youth and defying aging at every turn.

What we need to do, however, is understand aging. We need to understand the sociological impact for the betterment of our society. We need to understand how to take care of our aging population. We need to know more about aging, because we are living longer than ever, and we are living beyond their savings. What do we do with our aging population?

We need to understand aging so that we can prepare our society and our infrastructure for the future if every young person today is looking at a life of a century or more. With the amount of money and research going in to stopping or even reversing aging through stem cell research and beyond, it’s possible that we will live longer than that. As such, we need to make changes to our society. We need people who are qualified and have doctorates in the process of aging. We need people with gerontology PhDs such as these at https://gradschool.cuchicago.edu/academics/doctoral/edd-phd-gerontology-leadership/.

We need specialists who will help direct businesses, city planners, and politicians towards building a future that takes into account our unprecedented lifespan. We have millions of seniors who will outlive their savings and need to rely on Medicaid. This isn’t just a problem for the seniors of today, but every person alive and every person who will be born.

We need everyone to be aware of this issue, and everyone needs to have an understanding of gerontology. It isn’t just a degree that will help you take care of our senior population, it’s a degree that will help direct our society to a more sustainable future.

Our parents and grandparents are going to need more help as they age. We need people who will be there to help us learn how to take care of them and their advanced medical and social issues. We also need people to help us find them housing, support, and more. We need people who have studied gerontology to take care of our seniors, and we need them to produce studies that will help create cities and technologies that address our aging population.

Studying gerontology isn’t just about taking care of our elders, it’s about making the future a place we can all live. Advancements have changed the face of our earth entirely, and we need to be innovative and forward thinking if we are going to have a bright and happy future.

Android Oreo Beta coming soon to Nokia 3, 5, 6, and 7

 By Vaibhav Jain on October 25, 2017       

Now that Google has released the next version of Android, Android 8.0 Oreo, the wait for the devices to get the update has already started.

Nokia today announced that the company will provide Android Beta preview before the final update. Additionally, Android Oreo beta for the Nokia 8 is already live, so users could test Android Oreo before Public roll-out.

But, what about the Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6, and Nokia 7? Well, HMD's Chief Product Office on his twitter handle announced that the Nokia 3 , Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 will be soon getting Android Oreo Beta. The recently announced Nokia 7 will be added to the list pretty soon.

Once you migrate to the Beta path, you will continue to receive Open Beta OTAs. You will NO LONGER receive the regular Official Stable OTAs.