Android 12L finally restores Widevine L1 certification on affected Pixel phones

After months of beta testing, Android 12L is officially out, and as always, Google’s Pixel lineup is the first in line to try out all the new features and improvements that the point release brings along. It appears Android 12L also resolves one of the most annoying issues that has been haunting some Pixel owners since last year: the Widevine L1 bug.

Reports of Pixel users being downgraded from Widevine L1 to L3 level date back to February 2021. That meant some Pixel phones couldn’t stream content in HD quality on Netflix, HBO, Disney+, and other streaming services. For starters, Widevine is a proprietary DRM solution from Google that’s used by many popular streaming services to prevent content privacy. There are three Widevine security levels: L1, L2, and L3. In order for a device to support full HD and above streaming, it must support L1.

If your device gets downgraded to Widevine L3, it can only play content in 480p quality. And this is exactly what many Pixel owners have been facing for over a year. When the issue was first reported, Google promised it was working on a fix. While that fix never arrived in 2021, it looks like the latest Android 12L update has finally restored the Widevine L1 status on some Pixel units, as reported by multiple Pixel owners on Reddit.

How to check if your Android device supports Widevine DRM

Subsequently, Google has confirmed to Android Police that the latest Android 12L March Feature Drop update includes patches for the Widevine bug. According to some reports on Reddit, if your Pixel phone still shows L3 level even after installing the Android 12L update, performing a factory reset might do the trick. You can check the Widevine status of your phone by installing the DRM Info app from the Play Store. Alternatively, you can also use Netflix’s built-in Widevine info checker.

DRM Info (Free, Google Play) →

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Via: Android Police, r/GooglePixel

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Android 12L finally restores Widevine L1 certification on affected Pixel phones

After months of beta testing, Android 12L is officially out, and as always, Google’s Pixel lineup is the first in line to try out all the new features and improvements that the point release brings along. It appears Android 12L also resolves one of the most annoying issues that has been haunting some Pixel owners since last year: the Widevine L1 bug.

Reports of Pixel users being downgraded from Widevine L1 to L3 level date back to February 2021. That meant some Pixel phones couldn’t stream content in HD quality on Netflix, HBO, Disney+, and other streaming services. For starters, Widevine is a proprietary DRM solution from Google that’s used by many popular streaming services to prevent content privacy. There are three Widevine security levels: L1, L2, and L3. In order for a device to support full HD and above streaming, it must support L1.

If your device gets downgraded to Widevine L3, it can only play content in 480p quality. And this is exactly what many Pixel owners have been facing for over a year. When the issue was first reported, Google promised it was working on a fix. While that fix never arrived in 2021, it looks like the latest Android 12L update has finally restored the Widevine L1 status on some Pixel units, as reported by multiple Pixel owners on Reddit.

How to check if your Android device supports Widevine DRM

Subsequently, Google has confirmed to Android Police that the latest Android 12L March Feature Drop update includes patches for the Widevine bug. According to some reports on Reddit, if your Pixel phone still shows L3 level even after installing the Android 12L update, performing a factory reset might do the trick. You can check the Widevine status of your phone by installing the DRM Info app from the Play Store. Alternatively, you can also use Netflix’s built-in Widevine info checker.

DRM Info (Free, Google Play) →

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Via: Android Police, r/GooglePixel

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Gboard’s Emoji Kitchen gets 2000 new emoji mashups

Gboard is easily one of the best Android keyboard apps out there, and because it’s a Google app, it’s always getting better. One of the coolest and perhaps the most underrated features of Gboard is Emoji Kitchen, which lets you combine two emoji to create unique stickers. When Google first introduced the feature, it only worked with a handful of emoji. But over time, Google has continued to add more emoji mashups. And that trend continues as we’re getting thousands of new emoji mashups with the latest update.

In a recent blog post, Google announced it’s adding more than 2000 new Emoji Kitchen stickers. While Google hasn’t provided a comprehensive list of the newly added combinations, it lists examples like raining burgers, using the sparkle emoji in “an endless array of messaging possibilities,” and sharing your love for pretzels. The Emoji Kitchen feature works in most instant messaging apps. To try it out, open Gboard’s emoji picker and put two emoji together; you’ll see all possible sticker combinations appear in a carousel just above the keyboard.

In addition, Gboard is also adding Emoji Kitchen-style text stickers. We recently spotted this feature being rolled out to some users. Gboard identifies the text and converts your words into colorful stickers built with your exact text as you type your message. Google has now confirmed new text stickers are now available for Google Pixel phones. There’s no word on when the feature will make its way to everyone.

Finally, Google says the new grammar correction feature is officially expanding to all Android phones. Earlier the feature was exclusive to the Pixel 6 series. As the name suggests, the grammar correction tool automatically catches your grammatical errors and provides corrections and suggestions. The feature works locally on your phone “to preserve your privacy.”

All these new features are now available in the latest version of Gboard. To try them out, update your app from the Play Store or sideload the latest APK from APKMirror.

Gboard - the Google Keyboard (Free, Google Play) →

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Source: Google blog

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Gboard’s Emoji Kitchen gets 2000 new emoji mashups

Gboard is easily one of the best Android keyboard apps out there, and because it’s a Google app, it’s always getting better. One of the coolest and perhaps the most underrated features of Gboard is Emoji Kitchen, which lets you combine two emoji to create unique stickers. When Google first introduced the feature, it only worked with a handful of emoji. But over time, Google has continued to add more emoji mashups. And that trend continues as we’re getting thousands of new emoji mashups with the latest update.

In a recent blog post, Google announced it’s adding more than 2000 new Emoji Kitchen stickers. While Google hasn’t provided a comprehensive list of the newly added combinations, it lists examples like raining burgers, using the sparkle emoji in “an endless array of messaging possibilities,” and sharing your love for pretzels. The Emoji Kitchen feature works in most instant messaging apps. To try it out, open Gboard’s emoji picker and put two emoji together; you’ll see all possible sticker combinations appear in a carousel just above the keyboard.

In addition, Gboard is also adding Emoji Kitchen-style text stickers. We recently spotted this feature being rolled out to some users. Gboard identifies the text and converts your words into colorful stickers built with your exact text as you type your message. Google has now confirmed new text stickers are now available for Google Pixel phones. There’s no word on when the feature will make its way to everyone.

Finally, Google says the new grammar correction feature is officially expanding to all Android phones. Earlier the feature was exclusive to the Pixel 6 series. As the name suggests, the grammar correction tool automatically catches your grammatical errors and provides corrections and suggestions. The feature works locally on your phone “to preserve your privacy.”

All these new features are now available in the latest version of Gboard. To try them out, update your app from the Play Store or sideload the latest APK from APKMirror.

Gboard - the Google Keyboard (Free, Google Play) →

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Source: Google blog

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MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 will reportedly arrive this year

Apple revealed a handful of new devices on Monday, including the new iPhone SE with 5G connectivity, an iPad Air with an M1 chip, the Mac Studio, and an updated Studio Display. However, there are apparently even more new Mac computers on the horizon, if a new report is accurate.

9to5Mac is reporting that Apple is working on a new MacBook Air with an Apple Silicon M2 chipset, codenamed J413. The in-development M2 chip is supposedly based on the Apple A15 (which is already shipping in the iPhone 13 series, 2022 iPhone SE, and 6th-generation iPad Mini), with eight CPU cores and 10 GPU cores. It’s not clear how the new chip will perform, but it will likely be comparable to the base M1, instead of the higher-power M1 variants that were released afterwards.

There’s also supposedly a new 13-inch MacBook Pro in the works, with a codename of J493. The laptop will reportedly have a similar design as the existing 13-inch MacBook Pro, but with the same M2 chip as the rumored MacBook Air upgrade. However, there have been rumors that Apple could drop the ‘Pro’ branding, which would make this new model simply a ‘MacBook’. Apple’s most recent product with the MacBook name that wasn’t an Air or Pro was the 2017 12-inch MacBook.

The current-generation 2020 MacBook Air was one of the first Mac computers to be updated with an Apple Silicon chip, alongside the M1 Mac Mini, so it’s definitely due for an upgrade. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 arrived later, with the same base design as the previous Intel-powered models (complete with a Touch Bar). The newer 14 and 16-inch models from last year have an updated design, a higher-quality display, and more connectivity options. We’ll have to see if those upgrades trickle down to the 13-inch, but so far, that doesn’t seem likely.

Source: Google

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Microsoft could finally be bringing tabs to the File Explorer in Windows 11

It’s probably one of the most requested features in Windows, but Microsoft just might be bringing tabs to the File Explorer in Windows 11. The feature isn’t even publicly available in the Dev channel of the Windows Insider Program yet, but developer Rafael Rivera discovered it under the hood.

File Explorer tabs are back! (Windows 11 22572, feature 34370472) pic.twitter.com/U3t10Affdq

— Rafael Rivera (@WithinRafael) March 9, 2022

If this happens, it’s a big deal. If you look in the Feedback Hub app and search for File Explorer suggestions, the top result when sorted by upvotes is tabs, with 3,285 votes. The second one has to do with the layout, with 51 votes. It’s a big difference.

It’s a no-brainer how much tabs have improved the experience in browsers, and they stand to make any other app that much more productive. Microsoft even had a feature at one point called Sets, which was going to allow you to put apps in groups of tabs. Sets was killed off before it ever shipped outside of the Insider Program, unfortunately. Presumably, it was just duplicating too much of the functionality that already exists in the taskbar.

If you like tabbed applications, there are third-party utilities that you can use. Stardock makes one called Groupy.

It’s also worth noting that this might never see the light of day. Even if it goes public in the Dev channel, it might never ship. Microsoft was clear about this, that the Dev channel isn’t tied to a specific release, and it’s for testing new features that may or may not ship. And this feature isn’t even readily available.

It is possible to enable though. As noted in Rivera’s tweet, there is a feature flag that can be turned on. Of course, Microsoft does not recommend that you enable features that it didn’t enable for you.

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Unsurprisingly, Apple’s Studio Display has limited functionality when used with Windows

At this week’s Apple event, the company showed off an all new Studio Display to accompany the Mac Studio. Starting at $1,599, this isn’t just a monitor. It’s a 27-inch 5K screen that basically has an iPhone 11 build into it. It has its own A13 Bionic processor and 12MP Ultra Wide camera with features like Center Stage.

And according to Apple’s spec sheet, it’s only compatible with modern Macs and several new iPads. However, you can use it with Windows, albeit in a limited capacity. In a statement to The Verge, an Apple spokesperson confirmed what works and what won’t.

The short answer is that this is going to work like most accessories that are made for a specific product. When you use Apple’s Studio Display with a Windows PC, it’s pretty much going to be a dumb product. It will be like using any 5K monitor with a 12MP webcam and speakers. Those things will all work, the one caveat being that you need Thunderbolt 3 or 4 to connect it and get the full resolution.

Key features that won’t work are Center Stage, Spatial Audio, and of course, “Hey, Siri”. Obviously, Apple just builds this stuff out to work with macOS, and it simply hasn’t put any work into making it compatible with Windows. The Cupertino firm probably isn’t even anticipating a lot of Windows users buying a Studio Display, especially given that Apple Silicon Macs don’t have Boot Camp.

After all, if you’re a Windows user that’s looking for a high-resolution monitor with a webcam and speakers, you might want to check out the Dell UltraSharp Conference Monitor, which is 31.5 inches and has a built-in 4K webcam that will move the field of view to focus on you, just like Center Stage does. It doesn’t have Hey, Siri, but if you really want that as a Windows user, you can just put a HomePod on your desk or something.

Source: The Verge

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