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The Samsung Galaxy S21 might support biometric Bixby voice unlock
Could come as part of One UI 3.1, but details are sparse
The Samsung Galaxy S21 shouldn't be too far out if previous generations are any indications. As such, more and more details about the series consisting of three phones are surfacing — our own Max Weinbach was one of the first revealing tons of specs. Now SamMobile has come forward with additional information on the software. Its sources claim that the Galaxy S21 will come with biometric voice unlock powered by Bixby.
OnePlus fixes its application form for unlocking T-Mobile 8T bootloaders
OnePlus had similar issues with the T-Mobile OP8
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The OnePlus 8T is available to purchase from T-Mobile and OnePlus' own online store, though the phone differs slightly depending on where you bought it from. The T-Mobile includes an IP68 rating and various software tweaks, and just like most phones you buy through carriers, it requires a special code to unlock the bootloader. Now, after some early troubles, T-Mobile 8T owners can apply to obtain those unlock codes.
Asus revealed the Zenfone 7 and 7 Pro last month, following months of rumors and speculation. If you don't plan on sticking with the stock ROM, Asus has now released the bootloader unlock tool for both phones, as well as kernel source code packages for developers to try out.
For a while now, you've been able to set up what Google calls Voice Match with the Google Assistant. It recognizes your voice and gives you personalized results, both on smart speakers and smartphones. It would also let you unlock phones to perform actions like making phone calls and sending text messages just by saying "okay, Google" — but that feature isn't available on the Pixel 3.
After the Android P DP1 hit, a few people reported running into difficulty unlocking their bootloader if it wasn't already prior to flashing the developer preview. Turns out, there is a fix, and you don't have to wipe your device. Simply disabling whatever lockscreen security setting you might have is enough to fix things.
Even though face unlock has been a part of Android since Ice Cream Sandwich, several Android manufacturers have been working on improved versions over the past year, mostly in response to the iPhone X. The ill-fated Note7 had an iris scanning feature, the OnePlus 5T includes face unlock, and the Galaxy S9 has a hybrid of the two features. Starting with the next Android release, it might be easier for OEMs to add iris scanning to their devices.
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- It was bound to happen sooner or later, but it looks like the loophole has been patched in the latest update for the Pixel 2. If you've updated your device to the Verizon-exclusive build OPM2.171019.016, then you'll no longer be able to unlock your bootloader.
The biggest disadvantage to picking up the smaller Pixel 2 on Verizon's network is the locked bootloader. Big Red dictates that the phones it sells have to be locked down tight. That's a problem if you're into ROMs or if you'd like to root without an exploit. However, the folks over in the XDA forums have discovered a trivially simple way of unlocking the bootloader which is every bit as easy as the typical method for non-carrier locked Pixel 2 phones.
Have you noticed that it takes just a bit longer to unlock your Pixel 2 XL when you use the fingerprint reader? If so, you aren't alone. In the last few weeks since the update, there have been multiple reports that the Pixel 2 XL takes about a second longer to unlock the device when using the fingerprint reader. The good news is that Google is looking into it.
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Many people, like myself, look at Google's phones for one specific reason: they have an easily unlocked bootloader. That means when software support runs dry, or you get the itch to root/ROM, you can modify things without having to compound any potential security concerns with additional issues like exploits or undocumented software. If that's your motivation too, this news could be a small concern. Some Pixel 2s purchased directly from Google seem to have locked-down bootloaders.
Microsoft's services can be hit or miss, but when it comes to OneNote, it's most certainly a hit. The note-taking application has been, quite deservedly, at the top of most productivity lists for a long time. And a recent update to the Android app has made it even easier to keep your notes secure, too. Now you can add passwords and use your fingerprint to unlock sections.
This flew under our radar back at I/O, but it's big news. On compatible devices, the new Verified Boot changes in Android 8.0 Oreo will prevent a device from booting should it be rolled back to an earlier firmware. The new feature is called Rollback Protection. So if your phone is flashed with older software, you (and your data) are protected from whatever potential security vulnerabilities may have been present in earlier versions.
Over the last week Samsung has updated their Samsung Flow app on Google Play and the Windows Store to work with more devices and to support a new authentication method. It might sound uninteresting, but it means that your Samsung phone can now unlock your Windows 10 device. At least, when using the corresponding app for both Android and Windows 10. So even if your computer doesn't have a fingerprint reader, you can now use the one on your phone to unlock it.
Here in the US, unlocking policies are pretty lackluster. Sure, they've improved over time, but these regulations still aren't something we can be proud of. But up in the Great White North, the CRTC (Canada's telecom commission) is hard at work. Starting on December 1st, 2017, all mobile devices will have the capability of being unlocked for free, and all new devices will be unlocked out of the box.
Back in 2015, LG officially started allowing customers to unlock bootloaders of select LG phones. You would still void your warranty, but you had the option. Now the bootloader for the 'H840' variant of the LG G5 can be officially unlocked.
Join, by joaomgcd of many Tasker plugins and automation apps fame, has been in beta for nearly two months now. When I tried it out at launch, it already had a lot of its functionality covered, allowing your phones and computers to share things with each other: links, SMS messages, screenshots, media files, copied text, and more. The app has been getting frequent updates since then, adding Tasker integration and making it possible to send SMS from any browser without the need for a Chrome extension. You could say that Pushbullet's little brother has grown up to actually compete against it.
Sunshine 3.1 Adds S-OFF Support For HTC One M9 And Automatic SIM Unlock For Most Of HTC's GSM Phones
New smartphones are rolling off the line pretty regularly, and that means the tools we use to work with them have to update, too. Last month, Sunshine v3.0 emerged with support for an extensive collection of HTC and Motorola handsets, and now an update to v3.1 is about to build on that list. With the latest release, Justin Case and Beaups have added support for almost every variant of the HTC One M9, except Verizon's. Expanded compatibility isn't the only new treat for users, Sunshine has also added the capability to automatically SIM unlock most of the GSM-based phones manufactured by HTC.
Back when Google Play Services 7.0 rolled out, we noticed partial support for something called Trusted Voice. As a smart lock entry, it was fairly obvious that the option would allow users to unlock devices with their voice, but the necessary setting in the Google app wasn't visible just yet.
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If you're going to do any serious modding on your Android smartphone, your first step is going to be unlocking the bootloader. This is a simple procedure on Nexus devices and a few other handsets, but many of the top OEMs have added security measures to prevent regular users from mucking about with their stock software. For these devices, there's a tool called Sunshine by recognized developers Justin Case (jcase), beaups, and friends. Version 3.0 just came out, and it can unlock the bootloader and acquire S-Off with almost every modern Motorola and HTC smartphone on the market.