Hacking Emperor

It was a long time coming, but Android finally has built-in scrolling screenshots, and they come courtesy of Android 12. Now that extended screenshots are integrated into Android by default, you can delete those third-party apps you've been using in the meantime, which were necessary on Android 11 or lower, whether stock or thinly skinned by OEMs. However, if you own or have owned an Android device from a third-party manufacturer with a customized OS, you might be surprised that scrolling screenshots are new to Android. That's because smartphone makers, for some time now, have implemented... more http://dlvr.it/SBH3MB

Google's new Material You theming engine in Android 12 adds a personal touch to your user interface. The main colors of your wallpaper dynamically affect the colors in menus and apps, essentially putting you in control of the overall theme. But there's another new design element for app icons that's hiding in your settings. It's called "Themed icons," and it's currently an Android 12 beta feature for the Google Pixel 3 and newer models. By default, app icon colors on your Pixel's home screen are not affected by your wallpaper choice, and that's not surprising given that each app will want to... more http://dlvr.it/SB79hk

When you start up your new Google Pixel 6 or 6 Pro, one of the first things you should do is unlock the hidden "Developer options" menu. Don't let the word "developer" scare you because there are little-known features in this secret Android 12 menu that every Android user can enjoy. If you haven't gotten a Pixel 6 or 6 Pro yet, you can still unlock the "Developer options" menu on another Pixel model, and you can even do so on other devices from OEMs like Samsung. I'll be showing how to do it on Android 12, but the process is generally the same on older Android versions if you haven't updated... more http://dlvr.it/SB3Wzg

The new Material You theme engine with its fancy widgets is a sexy change for Android, but there's another new Android 12 feature that's more than just pretty colors and curves. Android 12 has a powerful on-device search engine that makes it easier to find people and conversations, execute routine commands within apps, and adjust settings. The new tool, called AppSearch, enables developers to "index structured data and search over it with built-in full-text search capabilities," according to developer documentation. It even works when you're offline. Don't Miss: Will Your Smartphone Get... more http://dlvr.it/SB37R8

Android 12 was released to the Google Pixel devices on Oct. 19, 2021, so anyone with a Pixel 3 or newer model can install the new operating system with an over-the-air update. The AOSP version of Android 12 was released a few weeks earlier on Oct. 4, so that OEMs can use or modify the source code on their smartphones. So, what devices have or will have Android 12 then? So far, not many. The Pixel lineup are the only devices that support Android 12 at the moment, but that's going to change as soon as other device manufacturers add Android 12, either modified or unmodified, to their devices... more http://dlvr.it/SB01zn

You've probably connected your Android device to dozens of Wi-Fi networks since you've had it, and your phone or tablet remembers each of them. Whether it's a hotspot at home, school, work, the gym, a coffee shop, a relative's apartment — or even from a friend's phone — each time you type in a Wi-Fi password, your Android device saves it for safekeeping and easy access later. The trouble comes when you want to actually see the password for one of the networks you've connected to before. Perhaps you want to connect a second device to a saved wireless access point, or maybe you're with a... more http://dlvr.it/S9Vyt2

Today is the 10-year anniversary of the death of Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs. To commemorate the occasion, Apple has posted a message and a mini-documentary on its website. But beyond Jobs' visionary accomplishments, this anniversary is also an opportunity to peer into the possible future of what Apple has in store in the first decade after the passing of its passionate, trailblazing leader. • Don't Miss: Facebook's Big Smartglasses Mistake—Not Pairing Ray-Ban with Instagram Instead In this area, there's really only one direction in which to look: augmented reality... more http://dlvr.it/S8zpKN

On Monday, the social media giant Facebook suffered a massive outage that, as of this writing, is still in effect. The company's flagship services, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are all currently inaccessible. But one unexpected development is that this outage is also hurting Facebook's "metaverse" products, including Oculus Quest users and Ray-Ban Stories smartglasses users. • Don't Miss: What Is the Difference Between Facebook Ray-Ban Stories, Snap Spectacles, & Amazon Echo Frames Smartglasses? Currently, if you turn on your Oculus Quest 2 headset, after the device powers on... more http://dlvr.it/S8w7RX

The beginning of autumn has delivered a number of new augmented reality developments, and we're on top of it. This week, NASA launched several major new initiatives that involve AR as an essential piece of the puzzle. Also, Magic Leap's history turned a major new corner, while one mainstream retailer move could hint at an early advantage in the growing smartglasses wars. Speaking of smartglasses, this week we offered a comprehensive breakdown of the leading players, how they stack up against each other, and which ones are right for certain users. Finally, the folks at Vuzix gave the world a... more http://dlvr.it/S8lnGM

Although the enterprise use cases for the Microsoft HoloLens 2 continue to impress, the arts community just can't stay away from the best augmented reality headset on the market. The latest example comes from a new exhibit that highlights one of Earth's most powerful but vulnerable sea creatures: orca whales. • Don't Miss: Microsoft's HoloLens Morphs Paris Museum Model of Mont-Saint-Michel into Masterpiece of AR The exhibit, which is called "Critical Distance," is being hosted by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. The team behind the new immersive... more http://dlvr.it/S8lnDT