Samsung enhances its built-in photo editing with a more precise object eraser

• Samsung’s Object Eraser tool gets an upgrade with the new Magnetic Lasso feature.
• This feature allows for a more precise selection of unwanted objects you want to remove from your photos.

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Samsung’s One UI 6.1 update introduced a suite of AI-powered photo editing tools under the Generative Edit banner. However, powerful editing capabilities existed even before this update, including the Object Eraser feature in Samsung’s native Photo Editor app.
Designed to remove unwanted elements from your photos seamlessly, Object Eraser is now even better with the addition of the Magnetic Lasso option (via SamMobile).

This new feature is included in the latest Samsung Photo Editor app update (v3.4.21.43) and offers improved precision for object removal. Previously, Object Eraser offered two somewhat limited methods for object selection and removal, namely tapping for automatic object detection or manual outlining.

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The Galaxy Tab S8 Plus just got its first $350 discount

Another day, another incredible Android tablet deal. We’re not obsessed with tablets, but these offers are impossible to ignore. Now is the turn of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus, which is $350 off for the first time ever. While stocks last, you can pick up the 128GB model of the slate for just $549.99.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus for $549.99 ($350 off)

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Your Roku TV could soon show you ads every time you hit pause — even on other devices

Credit: Adam Birney / Android Authority

• Roku has filed a patent that could allow it to inject ads into your viewing experience, even if you’re using a non-Roku streaming device.
• The patent describes sophisticated ways to detect when you’ve paused your content and analyze what you’re watching to show relevant ads.

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Roku could be looking to expand its advertising reach beyond its own platform. A recent patent filing discovered by Lowpass reveals the company’s exploration of ways to inject ads into video feeds from third-party devices connected to Roku TVs.

This means even if you’re playing a game on your Xbox or streaming from an Amazon Fire Stick, your Roku TV could automatically detect when you pause the movie or game and then display targeted advertisements on the screen.

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Google says two scammers duped it into hosting 87 fake crypto apps on the Play Store

Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority

• Google is suing two scammers it says have threatened the integrity of the Play Store.
• The two fraudsters are accused of uploading a total of 87 fake crypto apps to the marketplace.
• Over 100,000 people worldwide were affected by the scams.

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The Google Play Store implements a variety of measures to protect users from harmful apps. Despite this, it appears two app developers were still able to get a large number of their fake apps on the marketplace. Now Google is suing the developers for ruining the integrity of the Play Store.

Business Insider reports that Google has filed a civil lawsuit in New York federal court against two app developers. The firm accuses the two of being crypto scammers who tricked it into hosting fraudulent apps in its app store.

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Google Search may no longer be entirely free

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

• Google is reportedly exploring ways to offer AI-powered Search features for a fee, potentially within existing subscriptions.
• The traditional ad-supported Google Search would remain available for free.

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Google, the tech giant synonymous with online search, could be considering a radical change to its business model. According to a Financial Times report, the company is exploring ways to offer premium, AI-powered features within its core search product for a fee.

According to the report, sources familiar with Google’s plans suggest these advanced AI-powered search features could become part of Google’s existing subscription services like Gemini Advanced or Google One. Notably, the report indicates that even the premium tier of Google Search will continue to include ads, while the traditional version will remain free to use.

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Android 15’s Private Space is getting more features to hide your apps and notifications

• Google is preparing a Private Space feature for Android 15 that creates a separate profile for you to save apps to.
• This Private Space feature was first spotted in an Android beta a few months ago.
• Google has continued to work on this feature, recently adding new settings to automatically lock your private space as well as hide sensitive notifications on the lock screen.

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Google will be releasing Android 15 later this year, and it’ll be chock full of useful new features. One of the most anticipated new features in the upcoming update is Private Space, a feature that lets you install apps in a separate, locked profile that can be hidden at any time. When I first documented the feature last year, it wasn’t fully implemented at the time. While the Private Space feature still hasn’t gone live yet, I can now share more details about its setup process and functionality.

With the release of Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.1 earlier this week, more details have emerged about the upcoming Private Space feature within the OS. For starters, the setup flow has been revamped to include more information about the feature as well as a recommendation to create a new Google account dedicated to Private Space.

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Galaxy Note 20 series will continue to receive monthly updates for now

Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority

• Samsung has reinstated the Galaxy Note 20 series to monthly security updates.
• Earlier this week, the Galaxy S20 series and Note 20 series were demoted to quarterly security updates.
• The Galaxy S20 FE will also continue receiving monthly security updates.

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Samsung has built a reputation for providing some of the best software support among Android phone makers, but things weren’t always this good.

Samsung’s 2020 flagships, including the Galaxy S20 series, have already received their final major Android OS updates. However, they were still included in the monthly security update cycle until recently. A few days ago, Samsung finally demoted them to quarterly security updates — a typical step as devices reach the end of their software support lifecycle.

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WhatsApp will boost locked chats privacy and status updates with new features

Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority

• WhatsApp is working on extending its locked chats feature to linked devices.
• WhatsApp is also testing the ability to privately mention specific contacts in your status updates.

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WhatsApp, the widely-used messaging platform, is preparing to roll out some significant updates designed to optimize user privacy and engagement. WaBetaInfo discovered these features in recent beta builds of the app.

First off, WhatsApp is working on enhancing chat privacy by bringing its locked chats feature to linked devices. This feature was spotted in the WhatsApp Beta for Android 2.24.8.4 update, which is available on the Google Play Store.

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Google Messages hints at satellite texting for more than just emergencies

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

• Lines of code in the Google Messages app explain how satellite messaging will work.
• One line mentions “You can message with anyone, including emergency services.”
• The line suggests users will be able to use satellite messaging for more than just emergencies.

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Last month, we reported on seeing lines of code in the Google Messages app directly referencing satellite messaging. Those strings were followed by simpler strings that included the words “emergency” and “emergency demo,” which suggested that satellite messaging could be used for emergencies. Now new lines of code suggest satellite connectivity could be used for messaging anyone.

In an APK teardown, conducted by 9to5Google, lines of code that explain how satellite messaging will work in the Google Messages app were discovered in beta version 20240329_01_RC00. According to the outlet, these strings say:

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Android 15 prepares revamped status bar with new icons and haptics

• Google might be changing up the designs of status bar icons in Android 15.
• The design of these status bar icons hasn’t changed for a long time.
• The new OS may also add haptic feedback to the Quick Settings and volume panels.

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Thanks to the first two developer previews, we already have a good idea about what new features the upcoming Android 15 update may bring to the table. While it’s likely that Android 15 will bring a lot of new, useful features, it’s unlikely that it’ll also bring major UI changes. That’s not to say there won’t be any UI changes, though, as we previously reported that Android 15 may revamp the volume panel. In addition, we can now report that Google is working on revamping the status bar icons as well as adding haptic feedback to more parts of the system.

The status bar is one of the most recognizable parts of the Android OS, and its design hasn’t significantly changed over the years. It’s the UI element at the top of the screen that displays icons for various information. While the position of some status bar elements has shifted over the years to accommodate changes in phone design, the basic design of most status bar icons hasn’t changed in years. The icons for Wi-Fi signal strength, mobile data signal strength, and battery in Android 14 look very, very similar to the icons from Android 5.0 Lollipop released in 2014, if you can believe it.

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Apple may be forced to make a massive change to how iPhones handle photos

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority

• A comment made by European Commission head Margrethe Vestager could require Apple to do a massive rewriting of iOS.
• Vestager’s remark suggests that iPhone owners should be able to uninstall any app and change the default, including the Photos app.
• The Photos app is system-level software that’s integrated throughout the entire OS.

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The Digital Markets Act (DMA) has had major implications on how Apple’s products operate in the EU. For example, Apple was forced to give iPhone owners in the EU the ability to install and use third-party marketplaces on the platform. A recent remark from European Commission head Margrethe Vestager could now fundamentally change how iOS handles photos.

The European Commission recently published remarks from two of its leaders Margrethe Vestager and Thierry Breton in regards to noncompliance with the DMA. Spotted by Daring Fireball’s John Gruber, Vestager brings up how Apple has failed to fully comply with the regulation.

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Samsung Galaxy S20 series no longer eligible for monthly updates

Credit: Adamya Sharma / Android Authority

• Samsung has moved the Galaxy S20 series to its quarterly update schedule.
• The S20, S20 Plus, S20 Ultra, and S20 FE will no longer receive monthly security patches.
• The Galaxy Note 20 lineup will also now receive updates quarterly.

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Samsung has finally demoted the Galaxy S20 series to quarterly updates instead of monthly ones. This means that if you have a Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, S20 Ultra, or Galaxy S20 FE, you’ll no longer receive monthly security patches from Samsung. Instead, you’ll now get them once every three months.

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Google releases Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.1 with extensive bug fixes

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority

• Google releases Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.1, delivering fixes for a wide range of bugs and glitches.
• The update addresses issues like launcher crashes, charging problems, app freezes, and more.

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Google continues its efforts to squash bugs in the latest Android 14 QPR3 (Quarterly Platform Release 3) with today’s rollout of Beta 2.1. This update focuses heavily on fixing a range of issues that have been plaguing the beta version of the operating system.

While a new major Beta 3 update is expected in a few weeks, Google is pushing an interim update to address numerous issues. These include frequent app crashes, charging problems on Pixel Tablets, glitches with screen navigation, and display errors, among others. Here’s a detailed list of all the bug fixes mentioned in the release notes:

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Samsung addresses screen burn-in issue with One UI 6.1 update

Credit: Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority

• One UI 6.1 has restored a burn-in prevention feature that was absent from One UI 6.
• The feature works by subtly shifting pixels to prevent permanent image retention.

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Samsung’s best smartphones are known for their beautiful OLED displays, and the new One UI 6.1 update introduces a key feature that should help extend their lifespan.

OLED displays, renowned for their vibrant visuals, are not without vulnerabilities. One such issue is screen burn-in, a phenomenon in which static images left on the screen for extended periods can cause permanent discoloration.

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Google agrees to ‘destroy’ data it collected to settle Incognito mode lawsuit

• Details are now emerging from Google’s settlement of a class-action lawsuit over Chrome’s tracking of Incognito mode users.
• The company has agreed to destroy “billions of data points” it improperly collected.
• Google will also update its data collection disclosures and maintain a setting in Chrome that blocks third-party cookies by default.

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Filed back in 2020, a class action lawsuit alleged that Chrome’s Incognito mode does not fully protect users from internet tracking. In December 2023, it was reported that the tech giant had agreed to settle the dispute rather than let the lawsuit go to court. Now new details about that settlement are starting to emerge.

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Google has agreed to destroy “billions of data points” it inappropriately collected from people using Incognito mode. In addition, it will update data collection disclosures for the browser. The firm also agreed that it will maintain a setting in Chrome that blocks third-party cookies by default for the next five years.

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Motorola’s upcoming flagship flaunts its curves in latest leak

Credit: Evan Blass

• The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra has shown up in what appear to be leaked marketing videos.
• The phone features a curved display panel, bucking the flat panel trend of current flagship phones.
• The device could launch on April 3 alongside the Motorola Edge 30 Pro.

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Motorola is possibly readying three new phones for an April 3 launch. The global launch event is being held for the first time in India and will introduce the company’s new Edge 50 lineup to the world. Motorola is heavily marketing the Edge 50 Pro right now, but the star of the show could be the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra, a flagship phone sporting the new Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 platform. This device could later launch in the US as the Edge Plus (2024).

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Samsung says ChatGPT-like AI smarts could come to Bixby

• Samsung may equip Bixby with Generative AI features.
• The company is “working hard” to deliver these new capabilities to its core digital assistant.
• Samsung says the update could “redefine the role of Bixby” on its devices.

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Samsung could smarten up Bixby with Generative AI abilities. The information comes from a high-ranking Samsung executive who confirmed the company’s plans to CNBC in an interview conducted last month.

“With the emergence of generative AI and LLM (large language model) technology, I believe that we have to redefine the role of the Bixby so that Bixby could be equipped with Generative AI and become more smarter in the future,” Won-joon Choi, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile business told the media outlet.

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AT&T confirms data of 73 million customers leaked on dark web, investigation ongoing

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

• AT&T has confirmed that data of 73 million existing and former customers has leaked on the dark web.
• The company has denied any breach of its systems.
• The carrier has also initiated a mass reset of customer account passcodes.

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On Saturday, AT&T confirmed that customer data of 73 million users has been leaked online. The compromised personal information includes social security numbers, AT&T account numbers and passcodes, and contact details of existing and previous customers.

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What is 5G Advanced and when will it release?

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority

Even though we’ve only just started taking 5G plans for granted, another cellular upgrade is already on its way. Dubbed 5G Advanced, the new technology promises not just faster data speeds, but also better reliability and power savings. And unlike 6G networks, the first smartphones with 5G Advanced support have already hit store shelves. So what exactly does the 5.5G or mid-generation 5G Advanced update mean for you and me? Let’s break it down.

What is 5G Advanced or 5.5G and why do we need it?

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Best deal yet on the Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus at $131 off

A holiday weekend has delivered a delicious new deal on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus, with the mid-range tablet dropping to $469 for the first time ever. We spotted that the $130 markdown is only available on the silver model of the device, which often indicates that you won’t have long to catch this record-low price.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus for $469 ($131 off)

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