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Monday, 2 July 2018

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Best Headphones 2018

Here are the best headphones and earbuds, including models with active noise cancellation, waterproofing and wireless (Bluetooth) capability.

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How to install Android P on your phone — a step by step guide

how to install Android P

There are two ways to install Android P on your phone. The first one is super easy, as all you have to do is sign up for the Android Beta Program and get the update over the air (OTA). The second method is to flash the beta build of the OS to your smartphone, which is a bit more complicated.

To get started, the first thing you need is a device on the list. If you own a different handset, you’ll have to wait for the release of the final version of Android P to try it out — if it makes it to your phone at all.

Compatible smartphones:

Keep in mind the OTA method for getting Android P on your phone is only available for the Pixel phones. To get the software on any of the other supported models, you’ll have to flash it.

Method 1: Android Beta Program

how to install Android P

To try out Android P on your Pixel, head over to the Android Beta Program website and click the “Devices” tab on top. This will take you to the page with the option to join the beta program, though you have to be signed into a Google account your Pixel device is associated with for it to show up. Then just select your device, opt in to the beta, and follow the instructions to complete the process. You should get the update within 24 hours.

Step-by-step instructions:

  1. Visit the Android Beta Program website.
  2. Sign in a Google account associated with your Pixel device — if you aren’t already.
  3. Click the “Devices” tab on top.
  4. Select your device and join the beta program.
  5. Follow the instructions that pop up to finish the process (the update will arrive within 24 hours).

Google says you can expect between three and six updates over the course of the program, in addition to the final update to the stable public release. You will not receive monthly security updates while on a beta build.

Related

Android P update tracker: Here are all the phones that run Android P

The next major version of Android, Android 9.0, is slated to arrive sometime in Q3 2018. Before that, you can actually test out a beta build of the software if you have a compatible smartphone. Below, …

There’s a good chance you’ll come across various bugs that can affect the normal functioning of your device, so installing Android P on your daily driver might not be the best idea.

You can leave the beta program at any time you want by choosing the “Opt-out” option on the Android Beta Program website. You’ll get an update within 24 hours that will install the latest stable public version of Android on your device. It will also wipe all the data from your phone — so make sure to back it up first.

Method 2: Flashing Android P on your device

how to install Android P

Flashing Android P on your device takes more time and work than the first method (OTA) and is slightly different for each compatible phone. We show you how to do it for Pixel devices below, but we’ve also linked to instructions for all the other models further down.

Here’s what you need to get started:

  • A compatible Pixel device and a USB cable to connect it to your computer.
  • The Android SDK installed on your machine with ADB and Fastboot command successfully working — check the tutorial here.
  • Factory image for your device, which you can download here.
  • 7zip or a similar program that can handle .tgz and .tar files.
  • An unlocked bootloader on your phone.

Unlocking your phone’s bootloader

how to install Android P

Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. The first thing you have to do is unlock your phone’s bootloader by following the step-by-step instructions below. It’s easy to do and does not require lots of technical knowledge. Unlocking the bootloader will wipe all the data off your device, so make sure you back it up first.

Step-by-step instructions:

  1. Turn on developer options by going to “About Phone” and tapping “Build Number” seven times.
  2. Enable USB debugging and OEM unlock on your device in the “Developer options” section.
  3. Plug in the Pixel to your PC with a USB cable.
  4. Open the command window on your PC.
  5. Boot your Pixel device into bootloader mode using the following command: adb reboot bootloader (if it requests you to authorize this, say yes).
  6. When your device boots into bootloader mode, type in this command: fastboot flashing unlock.
  7. A confirmation screen will pop up. Press the volume up key to highlight yes and the power button to start the bootloader unlocking process.
  8. Once unlocked, your device will reboot into bootloader mode. Now you simply need to type in fastboot reboot to finish the process.

Flash Android P on your Pixel device

how to install Android P

Flashing Android P on your smartphone is pretty straightforward, but you can still run into problems if you don’t carefully follow instructions listed below.

Step-by-step instructions:

  1. Head into the bootloader menu to test that your device and PC are communicating by typing in fastboot devices — if it comes back with your device’s serial number, you’re good to go.
  2. Prepare the factory image you downloaded earlier. Use 7zip to extract the .tgz file you downloaded and then again to extract the .tar file you extracted from the .tgz. This will create a folder with several files in it.
  3. Copy all those files and paste them in the platform-tools folder in the Android SDK on your computer. You should find it in the Program Files (x86) folder on Windows.
  4. There are two flash-all files. Windows users should double-click the one that has the gear logo and says “Windows Batch File” on the right. If you’re on Linux, double-click the flash-all.sh.
  5. A box will pop up and you should see the installation taking place. While this is going on, do not unplug your device for any reason!
  6. When the installation process has finished, your device will automatically reboot. You can then disconnect your device from your computer and start playing with Android P.

What if the Flash-all method didn’t work?

For whatever reason, not everyone has luck with the Flash-all scripts. If they fail for you, there’s another way. It’s actually pretty simple. First, make sure you are still in the proper bootloader state and connected to your PC. On your PC you’ll want to type the following:

  • First we flash the bootloader with the following command: fastboot flash bootloader <bootloader name>.img
  • Next type: fastboot reboot-bootloader
  • Now we flash the radio with the following command: fastboot flash radio <radio file name>.img
  • Next type: fastboot reboot-bootloader
  • Flash the image with : fastboot flash -w update <image file name>.zip
  • After this your device may reboot automatically, if not type: fastboot reboot

How to install Android P on other phones?

how to install Android P

As already mentioned, the flashing process can be a little bit different for other compatible devices. Here are guides for the Essential Phone, Oppo R15 Pro, and the five other handsets below. Some have been prepared by Android Authority, while others are listed on manufacturers’ websites.

So that’s how to install Android P on a compatible device. Any thoughts or questions? Leave them down below in the comments section.



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New Gameplay Today – Bomb Chicken

Kyle Hilliard has a reputation for being a bit of a pyromaniac, in addition to being known for his love of consuming vast quantities of poultry. It only makes sense that he'd be into Bomb Chicken, an upcoming Switch game where you control a chicken who solves puzzles with a little help from her explosive leavings.

Join Kyle, Leo, and me as we watch Kyle deftly solve some of the most fiendishly tricky puzzles we've ever seen. OK, that part may be a little hyperbolic. Look, he starts from the beginning, so it's not like Nitrome is out to break anyone's brains immediately. Consider it a slow burn! Kind of like... fried chicken? Aaaaaand we're done.

Bomb Chicken is coming to the Nintendo Switch on July 12.

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Can You Transfer Pokemon Quest Switch Saves To Mobile Phones?

Ever since the game made its Nintendo Switch debut back in May, loads of Pokemon Quest players have spent hours making progress in their Pokedex and evolving their Pokemon. Now that the game is available on iOS and Android devices, many trainers have been wondering if they can transfer their Pokemon Quest save data from the Switch to a mobile phone. As it turns out, The Pokemon Company has addressed this concern directly, though players likely won't be too thrilled with the publisher's response.

Can You Transfer Pokemon Quest Saves To Phones?

Even though mobile devices and the Nintendo Switch can interact through functions in other titles, notably the upcoming Nintendo Switch titles Let's Go, Pickachu and Let's Go, Eevee, it appears that there's no way for Pokemon Quest players to transfer their Nintendo Switch save files to iOS or Android phones. According to a post made over on the official Pokemon website, the publisher advises players to "be aware that save data from the Nintendo Switch version of Pokemon Quest cannot be transferred to the mobile versions nor vice versa."

It's a little sad, but as it stands now, there appear to be no plans to implement any kind of save file transfer function to Pokemon Quest. Fortunately, players on any current platform can still take the game with them wherever they go, as mobile phones and the Nintendo Switch are all uniquely suited to portable play.

Despite there being no way to transfer Pokemon Quest save data between the Nintendo Switch and mobile phones, there's still a lot of content for fans to enjoy. We've got helpful guides for players looking to learn more about cooking ingredients and example recipes, plus a comprehensive list of all Pokemon Quest evolution levels and evolved forms. Trainers can also stay up to date on all of the latest developments by heading over to our Pokemon Quest home page or by checking out all of our Pokemon coverage.



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Valve Working to Develop Viable SteamSpy Replacement

Valve is currently hard at work on a replacement for SteamSpy, following April's rollout of privacy policy changes to Steam. After the changes made it nigh-impossible for SteamSpy to continue operating as it had in the past, users were left scrambling to find another service that offered a similar, comparable set of tools. As it turns out, Valve is actually working right now on something to replace SteamSpy.

During a Q&A session at St. Petersburg's White Nights games conference, Valve Head of Business Development Jan-Peter Ewert commented that the company is actively "working on new tools and new ways of getting data out of Steam" that Valve hopes will in fact be "more accurate and more useful than what SteamSpy previously offered." Those are pretty lofty goals, but we're all for something to replace SteamSpy, especially since it was extremely useful, after all.

Ewert explained that Steam's position for gamers is to offer open APIs for users to fill in the gaps when Valve doesn't provide everything the consumers are looking for, though he went on to shade SteamSpy somewhat, stating that its methods lead to "a broad variance in how accurate it was. It was very accurate for some things but very inaccurate for others."

Now, Ewert has clarified that Steam should be working on something even better than SteamSpy was, so that's what we should be seeing in the future. If you religiously depended on SteamSpy's various tools, hopefully we'll see that come to fruition in the near future.



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New Gameplay Today – Bomb Chicken

Kyle Hilliard has a reputation for being a bit of a pyromaniac, in addition to being known for his love of consuming vast quantities of poultry. It only makes sense that he'd be into Bomb Chicken, an upcoming Switch game where you control a chicken who solves puzzles with a little help from her explosive leavings.

Join Kyle, Leo, and me as we watch Kyle deftly solve some of the most fiendishly tricky puzzles we've ever seen. OK, that part may be a little hyperbolic. Look, he starts from the beginning, so it's not like Nitrome is out to break anyone's brains immediately. Consider it a slow burn! Kind of like... fried chicken? Aaaaaand we're done.

Bomb Chicken is coming to the Nintendo Switch on July 12.



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You can manually switch between light and dark themes in Android P beta 3

  • In Android P beta 3, you can control the application of either a light or dark theme in Android.
  • Previously, your only option was for Android to control which theme you used.
  • Although the dark theme changes certain features of Android, it is not a “blanket” dark theme.

A dark theme that’s native to the operating system has been something that Android users have wanted for years. It looks like we all might finally get our wish — partially — when the stable version of Android P drops, but beta users can see the changes now in the latest Android P developer’s preview.

In Android Oreo, people using the Pixel Launcher can toggle a setting that will automatically change their phone’s theme from light to dark depending on the color tone of the home screen background. If your background is dark you get a dark theme, and if it’s light you get a light theme.

But in Android P beta 3, you can manually control the dark theme yourself regardless of your background. Simply head to Settings > Display > Device theme and then select from the three choices: automatic (based on wallpaper), light, or dark.

Editor's Pick

Android P update tracker: Here are all the phones that run Android P

The next major version of Android, Android 9.0, is slated to arrive sometime in Q3 2018. Before that, you can actually test out a beta build of the software if you have a compatible smartphone. Below, …

Also, keep in mind that this dark theme is not a “true” dark theme, in that it only alters certain aspects of Android. The notification shade, quick settings tiles, app drawer, and folders will all go into “dark” mode when you turn it on. However, the settings pages and other elements of Android will not change.

It looks like users wanting a “blanket” dark theme in Android P will still have to turn to custom ROMs and other unofficial tweaks to get it. Still, this manual dark theme setting is a good start after all these years.

NEXT: Your older Chromebook might not get Android P



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