XDA

jeudi 3 décembre 2020

Razer launches the Hammerhead True Wireless Pro earbuds with ANC and THX certification

Razer is primarily known for its gaming laptops, accessories, and peripherals. But the company also offers lifestyle products, from an ergonomic mouse to a wireless mechanical keyboard — two devices that would fit nicely in a work from home setup. To further round out its lifestyle portfolio, Razer has unveiled new true wireless earbuds called the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro that support active noise cancellation (ANC) and feature THX certification.

Razer already offers an array of wired and wireless audio accessories, including last year’s Hammerhead True Wireless earbuds and this year’s Opus over-ear headphones. The company’s previous earbuds offered a “Gaming Mode” for minimal latency, a sleek all-black design, and up to three hours of use per charge. About the only premium feature the Hammerhead True Wireless earbuds lacked was ANC, which has been added in the new Hammerhead True Wireless Pro.

Razer’s new earbuds promise the same Gaming Mode for a minimum latency of 60ms—the actual latency may be higher depending on the particular device and OS the earbuds are paired to. They also feature the same convenient on-ear touch controls. But that’s where the similarities end; the Hammerhead True Wireless Pro includes a number of other improvements that make these earbuds a big step up over the original model.

Razer says the Hammerhead True Wireless Pro feature “Advanced Hybrid ANC” with two external microphones and two internal microphones. One microphone is used for voice chat, which is located at the bottom so it’s closer to your mouth.

Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro

Each earbud supports independent playback, making it easy to listen to audio with one earbud on and the other one off. You can’t, however, connect to multiple Bluetooth audio sources simultaneously. There’s a Quick Attention Mode that allows users to hear what’s happening around them without taking the earbuds off. This feature essentially uses the ANC mics in reverse.

Speaking of Bluetooth, the Hammerhead True Wireless Pro headphones support Google Fast Pair for quick pairing. The earbuds, however, do not support the full set of Google Fast Pair features, such as showing the individual battery life of the L/R earbud and case or the location in the “Find My Phone” app. They do support Razer’s own QuickConnect feature, which makes it easy to quickly connect to another audio source that you previously paired up with. The feature is available in Razer’s mobile app, which also offers equalizer settings, the ability to remap touch gestures (up to 5 different gestures), and an earbud fit test.

Razer Hammerhead True Wireless (Free, Google Play) →

In addition to ANC, the Hammerhead True Wireless Pro features 10mm drivers and THX certification, which promises superior noise isolation, 20-20kHz frequency response, and no frequency distortion at high volumes. By featuring THX certification, Razer is aiming to offer users sound playback “as the creators intended.” The headphones feature two of THX’s patented audio technologies: THX AAA amplifier technology and THX Spatial Audio technology. On the other hand, the Hammerhead True Wireless Pro does not support audio codecs like aptX, aptX HD, aptX-LL, or LDAC, so you’re limited to just SBC and AAC.

Razer also made some important design changes to make the Hammerhead True Wireless Pro worthy of the pro name. There are seven different ear tips to choose from; the default size is medium. There are also three ear tips that are called “SecureSeal,” which feature translucent silicone that provide a more stable fit for activities like working out. The other three are called “SmoothComfort,” and promise to be comfortable over extended periods.

Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Plus eartips

The Pro model promises about four hours of battery life for each earbud with ANC enabled, with 20 hours of total battery life with the case. The case will offer roughly four top-ups, so you won’t need to worry about finding an outlet over a busy workday. You can charge the case using a USB-C cable, though the charging time will depend on the power brick or charging source as a power brick is not included in the packaging. Unfortunately, the case doesn’t support Qi wireless charging.

The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro earbuds retail for $199.99 / €209.99 and can be purchased starting today. You can find them on Razer’s website and Razer retail stores in the U.S., Canada, EU, China, and Asia Pacific countries. Razer is also selling a protective THS durable TPU carrying case with a carabiner clip for $29.99 / €34.99.

Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro Specifications

Headphones

Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20kHz
Impedance: 16 Ohm
Drivers: 10 mm
Approximate weight: 53 g (5g x 2 earbuds, 43g charging case)

Microphone

Frequency response: 100 Hz – 10 kHz
Signal-to-noise ratio:60 dB
Sensitivity (@1 kHz): -42 dBFS
Pickup pattern: Omnidirectional

Touch controls

Music Controls: Play, pause, skip, previous
Call Controls: Answer, reject, switch, end
General: Pair, power, activate gaming mode and smartphone virtual assistant

Battery

Battery life: Up to 20 hours (with included charging case)*

* May vary depending on usage

Compatibility

Devices with Bluetooth audio capability
Smartphone application available for Android and iOS devices

Supported codecs: SBC, AAC

Certifications

THX Certification

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Google Podcasts now lets you subscribe to RSS feeds for private shows

Google Podcasts has added a feature that allows users to subscribe to RSS feeds for private shows. Gabe Bender, Product Lead & Head of Growth, unveiled the news on Twitter.

“Important milestone in our mission to help creators grow their audience and build sustainable business — in whichever ways work best for them!” Bender said.

Important milestone in our mission to help creators grow their audience and build sustainable businesses — in whichever ways work best for them!

Add your own RSS feed on Google Podcasts here: https://t.co/Koiqsx2Iex pic.twitter.com/RzcVTrt1EB

— Gabe Bender (@GabeBender) December 3, 2020

Zack Reneau-Wedeen, Head of Product for Google Podcasts, added that new feature is a perfect solution for premium shows. Many networks, including Patreon and Slate, allow creators to reach audiences through private channels, and the ability to add an RSS feed allows listeners to stay updated on the latest episodes.

To add a show to your RSS feed, access the activity tab in the Google Podcasts app, then scroll over to the Subscriptions tab. Tap on the plus symbol and you can add an RSS feed.

There are a lot of podcast apps on the market that already support this feature, so Google Podcasts is a little late to the game. However, it’s nice that the option was finally added. It’s a convenient way for creators to easily share podcasts that are behind a paywall.

Earlier this year, Google Podcasts received a major redesign that added auto-downloads and episode alerts. The latest feature further establishes the app as a worthwhile alternative to products like Pocket Casts and Overcast.

Google Podcasts: Discover free & trending podcasts (Free, Google Play) →

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Vietnamese VinSmart plans to bring its flagship phones to the US

After bagging a major manufacturing contract from an undisclosed US carrier earlier this year, Vietnamese smartphone manufacturer VinSmart has now revealed plans to debut its own Vsmart brand of flagship devices in the country. During a recent discussion session, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, General Director of VinSmart’s Mobile Division, announced that the company will focus on the US market in 2021 and launch phones in collaboration with major telecom service providers and through its own distribution channels.

In case you’ve never heard of VinSmart before, the company is a subsidiary of Vietnam’s biggest private conglomerate Vingroup, and it’s the third-largest smartphone manufacturer in Vietnam. The company offers some noteworthy devices, like the Vsmart Aris Pro, which is one of only two devices in the market today that feature an under-display camera.

Other than the innovative camera technology, the Vsmart Aris Pro features Qualcomm’s mid-range Snapdragon 730 chipset, coupled with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The device packs a 6.39-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, a quad-camera setup on the back with a 64MP primary sensor, and a 20MP selfie shooter hidden under the display. It includes a 4,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging, and it runs VinSmart’s custom Android skin VOS 3.0 based on Android 10. The Vsmart Bee Lite is another noteworthy device from the company, which offers an Android Go experience at a sticker price of around $26 in Vietnam. This makes it one of the most affordable Android Go devices in the market today.

If all goes according to plan, you might soon be able to purchase these devices and other upcoming VinSmart flagships in the US. Along with these devices, VinSmart also plans to develop and launch a new range of affordable 5G devices in the US in collaboration with Qualcomm. The company has announced that it will also bring this new 5G lineup to Vietnam as soon as telecom service providers launch 5G services in the country.

The post Vietnamese VinSmart plans to bring its flagship phones to the US appeared first on xda-developers.

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Google officially announces Connected Photos mode for Street View contributors

Google has officially announced a Connected Photos Mode add-on for Google Street View, allowing users to add photos of their travels without the need for a panoramic camera. We first reported on the feature last month, when it was spotted in testing under the name “Driving Mode”, but this morning, Google’s Keyword Blog took the covers off its official launch.

The service is made possible using Google’s AR-Core functionality, which is able to stitch together multiple photos on the fly, and match up overlapping photos, even if they were taken by different users at different times. The result is that users can contribute to the 360-degree panoramas of the Street View service, without the need of a mapping car, or even a 360-degree camera. Instead, AR-Core stitches everyone’s photos together and uses them to plug holes in its own data.

In the blog, Google explains that “Now that anyone can create their own connected Street View photos, we can bring better maps to more people around the world, capturing places that aren’t on Google Maps or that have seen rapid change. All you need is a smartphone—no fancy equipment required. ”

Public contributions to Google Street View are, in and of themselves, nothing new. The big change here is that, for the first time, there’s no special camera required, and Google will accept that would have previously been considered “incomplete”. Where Google has already mapped an area, that will appear as the primary source. If your view switches to a contributed view, this will be delineated by a blue dotted line.

To begin with, the service is available to users of AR-Core compatible devices in Toronto, Canada; New York, NY; Austin, TX; Nigeria; Indonesia and Costa Rica, with more regions being added ‘soon’. To access it, simply check you have the latest update for the Google Street View app, pop your phone in a dashboard-mounted phone holder, and map the world!

Google Street View (Free, Google Play) →

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Samsung rolls out stable One UI 3.0 update with Android 11 to the Galaxy S20 series

Samsung recently published its One UI 3.0 update rollout plan on the Samsung Members app. According to the roadmap, the Galaxy S20 lineup should receive the latest iteration of One UI on top of Android 11 within December. Making good on its promise, the company kicked off the One UI 3.0 update distribution yesterday for the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S20 series on Verizon’s network. Now, the Korean OEM has started rolling out the stable version of One UI 3.0 to the Exynos-powered Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, and the Galaxy 20 Ultra across Europe.

Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra XDA Forums

Those who participated in the beta testing phase as well as regular users in several countries have now started receiving the first stable build of Samsung’s latest software update on their Galaxy S20 units. The firmware version is G98xxXXU5CTKG, and the OTA is live for both the 4G and 5G models. As with the previous releases, the update brought all the new features introduced in Android 11 to the devices, along with a handful of notable improvements to Samsung’s own Android skin.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Exynos One UI 3.0 Android 11 Stable

Thanks to XDA member henklbr for the screenshot!

Unsurprisingly, Samsung also ships the December 2020 security patches in this build. The bootloader version, however, remains the same as the final Android 10-based firmware. As a result, experienced users have the freedom to perform a manual downgrade, but we would still advise caution before doing so.

In case you haven’t received the update notification on your Galaxy S20 yet, you can head over to the Software Update section in the Settings app to check if the FOTA is available for your device or not. Power users, on the other hand, can opt for Frija or Samloader, which makes it a lot more easier to download the new build directly from the update server without waiting. Samsung is expected to release the update in other markets in the coming weeks but, as of now, the company has released no official information regarding the same.

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