The next ASUS ROG Phone will come pre-loaded with Stadia

Google’s Stadia is one of the most high-profile cloud game streaming services. Its competitors include NVIDIA’s GeForce Now, Microsoft’s Xbox Live, and Sony’s PlayStation Now. The paid version of Stadia (Stadia Founders’ Edition) launched in November 2019 for the Google Chrome browser, the Google Pixel phones, and any Chromecast-connected TV. It received its fair share of criticism as many reviewers didn’t find the performance to be satisfactory, and a few features were missing. The service is also limited to only a few developed markets. However, the premise of Stadia still remains enticing for those users who don’t have gaming consoles or a gaming PC. A free version of the service is also scheduled to release this year. While the Google Pixel-only limitation proved to be a limiting factor for Stadia’s adoption on smartphones, this is set to change this week as many more phones are now compatible with it, including Samsung’s Galaxy flagship phones, and a few gaming phones from the likes of ASUS and Razer. Now, ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has announced a partnership between Stadia and the ROG Phone.

ASUS states that the Stadia app will be pre-loaded onto every next-generation ROG Phone in participating territories. The next-generation ROG Phone will release in 2020 as the successor of the ASUS ROG Phone II. The Stadia partnership with ROG covers the following territories: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States. The partnership runs until 2021.

ASUS notes that with Stadia, users can stream the latest games via Wi-Fi directly to any ROG Phone, including the upcoming next-generation ROG Phone, without needing to download them. (Users still need to buy the games.) Stadia supports gaming at up to 4K at 60fps, with HDR and 5.1-channel surround sound support. It’s a good match for the hardware of the ROG Phones. According to ASUS, it cements the position of the ROG Phone as the most desirable gaming phone on the planet. While a lot of this is marketing speak, ASUS did achieve first-mover status here, as competitors such as the Nubia Red Magic series and the Black Shark series haven’t announced any partnerships with Stadia yet.

We don’t know much about the upcoming next-generation ROG Phone (ROG Phone III) yet. It’s a certainty that it will have the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC, though, as most flagship Android phones this year will have the chip. It can also be expected to have a big 120Hz display and a 6,000mAh battery, just like its predecessor.

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The next ASUS ROG Phone will come pre-loaded with Stadia

Google’s Stadia is one of the most high-profile cloud game streaming services. Its competitors include NVIDIA’s GeForce Now, Microsoft’s Xbox Live, and Sony’s PlayStation Now. The paid version of Stadia (Stadia Founders’ Edition) launched in November 2019 for the Google Chrome browser, the Google Pixel phones, and any Chromecast-connected TV. It received its fair share of criticism as many reviewers didn’t find the performance to be satisfactory, and a few features were missing. The service is also limited to only a few developed markets. However, the premise of Stadia still remains enticing for those users who don’t have gaming consoles or a gaming PC. A free version of the service is also scheduled to release this year. While the Google Pixel-only limitation proved to be a limiting factor for Stadia’s adoption on smartphones, this is set to change this week as many more phones are now compatible with it, including Samsung’s Galaxy flagship phones, and a few gaming phones from the likes of ASUS and Razer. Now, ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has announced a partnership between Stadia and the ROG Phone.

ASUS states that the Stadia app will be pre-loaded onto every next-generation ROG Phone in participating territories. The next-generation ROG Phone will release in 2020 as the successor of the ASUS ROG Phone II. The Stadia partnership with ROG covers the following territories: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States. The partnership runs until 2021.

ASUS notes that with Stadia, users can stream the latest games via Wi-Fi directly to any ROG Phone, including the upcoming next-generation ROG Phone, without needing to download them. (Users still need to buy the games.) Stadia supports gaming at up to 4K at 60fps, with HDR and 5.1-channel surround sound support. It’s a good match for the hardware of the ROG Phones. According to ASUS, it cements the position of the ROG Phone as the most desirable gaming phone on the planet. While a lot of this is marketing speak, ASUS did achieve first-mover status here, as competitors such as the Nubia Red Magic series and the Black Shark series haven’t announced any partnerships with Stadia yet.

We don’t know much about the upcoming next-generation ROG Phone (ROG Phone III) yet. It’s a certainty that it will have the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC, though, as most flagship Android phones this year will have the chip. It can also be expected to have a big 120Hz display and a 6,000mAh battery, just like its predecessor.

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Google Nest speakers will soon be able to intelligently adjust volume with Ambient IQ

Way back in October of 2019, Google announced a feature called “Ambient IQ.” This is not to be confused with Ambient EQ, but it is a similar concept. While Ambient EQ is about color temperature, Ambient IQ is all about volume. The feature looks to finally be on its way to the Google Nest speakers.

Ambient EQ intelligently adjusts the color temperature of the display on the Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max, and Pixel 4, based on the surrounding lighting conditions. Similarly, Ambient IQ can adjust the volume when outside noise interferes. For example, you may be listening to a podcast while getting dressed and your hairdryer drowns out the speaker. Rather than manually adjusting the volume yourself, Ambient IQ will do it for you.

One important thing to note is Ambient IQ is only for spoken audio content such as podcasts, audiobooks, and news. Music is not supported as Google says people enjoy music in a variety of ways, not always in the forefront. People like to use music as background noise, but spoken audio, such as a podcast, is usually listened to with more focus. The new support page for Ambient IQ lists the Nest Mini, Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max, and Nest Wifi as devices that can use the feature.

We’re not sure if this feature is rolling out right now or coming soon, but when it’s available you won’t have to do anything to make it work. I tested it on a Nest Mini and it didn’t seem to work yet. Do you think this is a useful feature for smart speakers?

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Via: Android Police

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Google Nest speakers will soon be able to intelligently adjust volume with Ambient IQ

Way back in October of 2019, Google announced a feature called “Ambient IQ.” This is not to be confused with Ambient EQ, but it is a similar concept. While Ambient EQ is about color temperature, Ambient IQ is all about volume. The feature looks to finally be on its way to the Google Nest speakers.

Ambient EQ intelligently adjusts the color temperature of the display on the Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max, and Pixel 4, based on the surrounding lighting conditions. Similarly, Ambient IQ can adjust the volume when outside noise interferes. For example, you may be listening to a podcast while getting dressed and your hairdryer drowns out the speaker. Rather than manually adjusting the volume yourself, Ambient IQ will do it for you.

One important thing to note is Ambient IQ is only for spoken audio content such as podcasts, audiobooks, and news. Music is not supported as Google says people enjoy music in a variety of ways, not always in the forefront. People like to use music as background noise, but spoken audio, such as a podcast, is usually listened to with more focus. The new support page for Ambient IQ lists the Nest Mini, Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max, and Nest Wifi as devices that can use the feature.

We’re not sure if this feature is rolling out right now or coming soon, but when it’s available you won’t have to do anything to make it work. I tested it on a Nest Mini and it didn’t seem to work yet. Do you think this is a useful feature for smart speakers?

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Via: Android Police

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Firefox releases an Android app for its VPN service

Mozilla Corporation, the organization that is primarily known for developing the free and open-source Firefox web browser, has been slowly releasing its own paid VPN service, known as the Firefox Private Network VPN, for more than a year now. It was launched as a full-device paid VPN service for Windows users, and now, Mozilla has released an Android app for it. The service still requires a closed invite as the beta nature remains, and it costs $4.99 per month. This differentiates it from free VPN services packaged with browsers such as Opera VPN.

The Firefox Private Network VPN is powered by Mullvad VPN. Mullvad VPN claims that it won’t log and monitor user data, unlike many other VPN services. Mozilla’s rationale for making its VPN service a paid one is to ensure that it doesn’t profit from user data, while still managing to have a revenue source. Firefox VPN uses Mullvad VPN’s servers that are located in over 30 countries, and all traffic is encrypted and private. Up to five simultaneous connections are supported.

The Firefox Private Network uses the new WireGuard standard instead of offering traditional protocols such as OpenVPN or IPsec. For more details on WireGuard, check out our past coverage on the standard. WireGuard offers performance, power efficiency, and privacy benefits over protocols such as OpenVPN, but it’s not in a stable form as of yet. Most commercial and free VPNs, therefore, don’t support WireGuard as of now. This is the primary differentiating factor for the Firefox Private Network.

Firefox’s VPN currently costs $4.99 per month, which sounds quite steep, but competing services that have the same functionality actually have similar prices. It also only works in the US for now, as Mozilla says expansion to other regions is coming later. It also notes that this is “limited-time beta pricing.” This note doesn’t make much sense as users are still asked to ask for an invite for a paid beta service, which is quite strange. Regardless, users can try their luck by downloading the Android app for the service.

Firefox Private Network VPN (Free, Google Play) →

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Via: Android Police

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Firefox releases an Android app for its VPN service

Mozilla Corporation, the organization that is primarily known for developing the free and open-source Firefox web browser, has been slowly releasing its own paid VPN service, known as the Firefox Private Network VPN, for more than a year now. It was launched as a full-device paid VPN service for Windows users, and now, Mozilla has released an Android app for it. The service still requires a closed invite as the beta nature remains, and it costs $4.99 per month. This differentiates it from free VPN services packaged with browsers such as Opera VPN.

The Firefox Private Network VPN is powered by Mullvad VPN. Mullvad VPN claims that it won’t log and monitor user data, unlike many other VPN services. Mozilla’s rationale for making its VPN service a paid one is to ensure that it doesn’t profit from user data, while still managing to have a revenue source. Firefox VPN uses Mullvad VPN’s servers that are located in over 30 countries, and all traffic is encrypted and private. Up to five simultaneous connections are supported.

The Firefox Private Network uses the new WireGuard standard instead of offering traditional protocols such as OpenVPN or IPsec. For more details on WireGuard, check out our past coverage on the standard. WireGuard offers performance, power efficiency, and privacy benefits over protocols such as OpenVPN, but it’s not in a stable form as of yet. Most commercial and free VPNs, therefore, don’t support WireGuard as of now. This is the primary differentiating factor for the Firefox Private Network.

Firefox’s VPN currently costs $4.99 per month, which sounds quite steep, but competing services that have the same functionality actually have similar prices. It also only works in the US for now, as Mozilla says expansion to other regions is coming later. It also notes that this is “limited-time beta pricing.” This note doesn’t make much sense as users are still asked to ask for an invite for a paid beta service, which is quite strange. Regardless, users can try their luck by downloading the Android app for the service.

Firefox Private Network VPN (Free, Google Play) →

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Via: Android Police

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Storage Redirect is a root app that isolates storage access for bad Android apps

If you have ever browsed through the file directory of your phone, you probably would have noticed a huge pile of dormant folders and files that essentially serve no value. Many apps don’t follow the best practices and leave behind a large number of files after you uninstall them from your phone. To give users more control over their storage and limit app clutter, Google introduced Scoped Storage access in Android 10, which restricts how apps can access the external storage. While implementing Scoped Storage isn’t mandatory for apps targeting Android 10, Google will fully implement this new change in the next major release: Android 11. 

But you don’t have to wait for Android 11 to take control of your device storage. Storage Redirect is an app that works on the same principle as Scoped Storage and lets you manage how apps use your storage. With Storage Redirect, you can choose which apps you want to isolate and which apps you want to give full access to the shared storage. Once an app is isolated, it can only access files from within its own directory and files generated by the app will also remain in the isolated storage. 

Here’s what you can do with Storage Redirect: 

• You can control which of your private files the app can use (by folder)
• Files created by the app will remain in isolated storage
• Isolated storage will be automatically deleted after uninstalling the app
• You can create your own rules to decide which important files to “synchronize” from the isolated storage to the shared storage space

Storage Redirect requires root access to perform its magic so make sure you meet this requirement before giving it a try.

Storage Isolation (Storage Redirect) (root) (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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