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Here Comes Project Treble: A Modular Base for Android

Here Comes Project Treble: A Modular Base for Android

Project Treble to be launched by Google’s Android

Google is on the continuous prowl for ways to make Android better. This time they are in the process of launching project treble, which will supposedly make updating to a new version of OS much easier. While at present the entire process of updating an android phone to the latest version is time consuming and costly, project treble aims to remove these impediments.

All users of Android O and above will be getting this new feature that will supposedly make app developers and the silicon and device manufacturers kind’s life all the more simpler. Project treble is poised to be the “biggest change to a low level system to date” in the words of Google.

Understanding an Android’s release and how Project Treble is going to help:

Step one- Android or the team behind it to be more precise, publishes an open source code to the world. Then silicon manufacturers or the chip makers, take that code and modify it to support their own chip’s hardware. From there it is onto device makers or the makers of smartphones and such, that again modify that code to suit their own device’s hardware. Finally, the device makers in close collaboration with carriers, test the new code and finally release it to the public.

So, this is where project treble comes in. Google’s project treble is all set to make this entire process much faster and less costly for all those involved in bringing the updated OS to the ultimate user.

Making it all standard for vendors with Project Treble:

When android was first released back in 2007, the team behind android wanted to make a structured framework that would be followed by app developers worldwide. This would make apps standardised across all android devices and all devices that use the android framework.

This is what treble aims to do but in this case it is the source code rather than app’s API that will be standardised. This will essentially separate the original source code released by the Android team from the vendor’s modified versions.

How will Project Treble be Implemented?

A new vendor interface will be launched by Android that will lie between the original Android OS and the vendor’s implementation of it.

The vendor’s interface will be validated by a vendor test suite which is basically do the same thing as a CTS except for the OS code. This vendor test suite will test the vendor’s source code to ensure that it will be forward compatible.

What is the current situation without Project Treble?

At present without project treble, a lot of code needs to be updated when a new version of Android is released, making it a very expensive and time- consuming affair.

Now, with treble, vendors will have access to hardware specific parts, this means that device makers can deliver the latest in an Android release without requiring specific work from silicon or chip manufacturers. Project Treble is running on the developer preview of O currently.

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Software

How to get the Windows 10 October 2018 Update

How to get the Windows 10 October 2018 Update

Microsoft Windows 10 October 2018 Update brings cool features to compete with rising Android

For last few years Microsoft has seen itself withering and dealing with countless setbacks. The sudden demise of the Microsoft branded smartphones along with the so called obsolete Windows Mobile OS and the inability to position surface range as definite measure against the popular Apple iPads are just to name a few. However the latest Microsoft update to Windows OS brings new cool features which might give some completion to the competitors. With Windows 10 October 2018 Update Microsoft has again taken upon itself to finally come with a reliable solution to provide a seamless experience for the users between the laptops and mobile devices.

When Windows 10 October 2018 Update will be available

Windows users were eagerly waiting for the update which so far went by the name ‘Redstone 5’ but now it has been officially released as the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. This updated had officially launched on 2nd October but it will be made broadly available to users across on October 9 which happens to the ‘Patch Tuesday’ for Windows users globally.

Pair your Windows PC with Android devices

With Windows 10 October 2018 Update users will be able to pair their devices with the Android smartphones with ease. Thereby users will be able to text right from their PC, transferring photos between the two will become more simple and smart activity. Copying files from one smartphone to PC will become just like the usual drag and drop exercise. This would be beneficial for a number of users across the globe that still rely on emailing pic of their own to get it across multiple devices.

Windows has brought the Windows 10 Timeline feature which effectively shows what you had done on your phone so far by using any of the Microsoft app. Microsoft is making it easier for the users to bring the desktop like features on the phone and vice versa. But it still gets a stiff competition from the Android which is slowly emerging as the dominant and most preferable operating system globally.

Windows 10 October 2018 Update brings Office 365 enhancements

Microsoft most popular Office 365 applications get the much needed upgrades. Now both the MS Word and PowerPoint will support handwritten bulleted lists along with flowcharts and diagrams. Users will be able to draw freely on the chart or icon and the app here in question will make of the AI feature to understand the content and put it in the presentation in a better fashion.

Windows Server 2019 is coming soon

Microsoft is also expected to launch the Windows Server 2019 in this month. Users will be made aware of its launch via blogpost in the coming days and they will be able to download it via the Azure Marketplace or Volume Licensing Service Center.

Microsoft had certainly a number of heads turns by bringing a revamped search experience with Windows 10 October 2018 Update. This update also brings some great info to the user disposal like the battery details of the Bluetooth devices connected with the system.

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Software

5 Things You Need to Know about Android P

5 Things You Need to Know about Android P

Android P is the next version of Android and Google is set to release a preview for developers this month. The Android P preview will be associated with the changes which will affect the developers and not intended for consumer use. Since the focus is on the developers, it is recommended that you do not install the Android P on your main Smartphone. In 2018 Android P will be launched as Android 9.0, but the name will be announced only in summer.

The most important feature of Android P is the built-in support for simulating a notch into the display at the top of the screen. The developers have the opportunity to test how the full screen apps will function with notches with the tools Google will be releasing.

The Android 9.0 will have a new look for the Quick Settings panel and the Notification bar which will have rounded corners. The notifications from the messaging apps too will have a new look. Recent lines from your conversation will appear and you can reply inside the notification itself. In addition to this, the apps will be able to include “Smart replies”, probably provided by Google, images, stickers in the notification itself.

The Android 9.0 will have a new look with a colourful Settings menu. The settings icon for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc will be inside circles which will be coloured when in use and will turn gray when switched off.

New Features in Android P

Android P will prevent suspicious apps running in the background from accessing your microphone and camera and restrict access to all SensorManager sensors from apps that are not being used. Any of the background apps that are idle will not be able to access the microphone.

It will provide built-in support for more video and image codecs, including the HDR VP9 Profile 2 and HEIF.

There will be the multi-camera API, whereby an Android app can get info from more than one camera sensor at once.

With the Android 9.0 , users will be able to block numbers that have no ID or are not in the contact list.

The Android 9.0 comes with a better Autofill feature which enables the password managers to enter your password for you so that you do not have to switch apps to copy and again switch apps and paste.

However, what we can expect from Android 9.0 is that Google will remove access to unofficial APIs which are not part of the official SDK which may not go down well with some developers.

When can we expect to get the Android P?

Android P will be released in August 2018, but will not be available to all Android devices. At the outset, The new Android update will be available to Google Pixel devices and at the IFA 2018 show in September; the new phones will come with Android P.

Nokia has confirmed Android P updates for all the 2017 phones and in late 2018 or early 2019, Samsung, LG, Sony and HTC will roll out Android P.

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SoftwareUncategorized

Microsoft to Add New Windows 10 Home Edition to Its Line-Up

Microsoft to Add New Windows 10 Home Edition to Its Line-Up

 Microsoft is set to bolster the Windows 10 Home  Edition

With the commencement of New Year Microsoft is planning to come up with more new Windows 10 Home edition to expand it OS line-up. Since the launch of the Windows 10 there hasn’t much happened which is worth talking rather than incremental updates offered to the core OS to boost its functionality and usability.  Microsoft is looking forward to shake up the shake up the OS market by offering more variants of its ever popular Windows 10 Home edition.

It is being expected that Microsoft will be launching three different variants named Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Home Advanced and Windows 10 Home in S Mode.  All of the new Windows 10 Home edition will launch simultaneously on the April 1 as per the information retrieved from the internal Microsoft documents.

Different timelines for rollout

New Windows 10 Home edition will come with separate rollout dates but no further details has been offered by the Microsoft. Windows 10 Home Advanced will be rolling out in the month of May. There is no information whether this variant will be new OS version or simply an upgrade over the existing Windows 10 Home running on the high end PCs. It is still to be seen whether the Advanced comes with some new and nifty features which aren’t a part of the lower Windows 10 Home variants.

Microsoft tryst with Windows 10 S

The other new Windows 10 Home Edition namely Windows 10 Home in S Mode has already a brief appearance on February 2. It is worth pointing out that Microsoft has made no official update about the release of the upcoming new Windows 10 Home Edition variants. Secondly the Windows 10 in S Mode isn’t happen to be a completely new OS rather it has been present simply as a mode in the high end Windows 10 Pro variant for quite some time. Microsoft has aimed towards establishing the Windows 10 S as a proper standalone operating system but it has been unsuccessful so far in its approach.

Just a year ago Microsoft had unveiled its Windows 10 Enterprise happens to be the S mode variant. With running the Windows 10in S Mode the upcoming devices will remain limited to simply running the Universal Windows Platform apps. Apart from this Microsoft is also eagerly working with partner OEMs to come up a plan of allowing customer to unlock the devices as per their need. Currently customers can unlock their devices but it comes with a price and a certain number of limitations.

Why Microsoft is focusing on more variants?

When Microsoft decided to come up with a single Windows OS for the entire platform just a few years it has left everyone stunned. Now it is aggressively looking forward to add more tiers to its ever popular Windows 10 Home Edition has left everyone puzzled. Microsoft major business comes from selling its OS on the PCs and in order to boost its sales Microsoft is leveraging towards offering such OS which offers features and functionalities than ever before. Thr4efore having massive tier of Windows OS will help in justifying the high price quoted by the pricier new Windows 10 Home Edition.

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Software

ATSC Tuner: What You Need to Know About the Future of Television Broadcost

ATSC Tuner: What You Need to Know About the Future of Television Broadcost

What is ATSC Tuner?

The Advanced Television Systems Committee is the name of the stations that use the digital television system. An ATSC tuner or HDTV tuner receives digital television signals broadcasted by these stations and allows viewers to watch programs on their television sets.

Function

An ATSC tuner receives signals from over-the-air television broadcasts. In order to convert the signals to fit the television screen, it uses one or more of the following functions: analog-to-digital conversion, audio / video synchronization, decompression, demodulation, error correction, reformatting or demultiplexing means transport flow.

Types

ATSC tuners can be built in different electronics. They can come directly inside a TV box, DVR, VCR or DTV. Televisions with ATSC tuners will need a TV antenna system, while DVRs, VCRs and DTVs all act as decoders to receive signals from the channels.

Considerations

The United States government requires that all televisions built after March 1, 2007 include an ATSC tuner, since all television operators must now broadcast only digital signals on all receiving televisions. Owners of television can still use decoders, but that will not have any additional impact on image quality.

An “ATSC tuner” is the technical name of a digital tuner. ATSC stands for Advanced Television System Committee, which is the committee responsible for creating the standards used to transmit and receive digital television signals in the United States. In order to watch broadcast television, you must have either a set-top box or a television equipped with an internal Advanced Television Systems tuner that decode digital TV signals. ATSC tuners must be programmed before they can be monitored.

Connecting an external Advanced Television Systems tuner to an analog TV

Connect the output of the ATSC tuner box to the corresponding input on the TV. ATSC tuners generally have two output options — RF and AV. Therefore, it is possible to use a coaxial cable or a set of AV cables to make this connection. When using AV cables, remember to insert each AV plug to the AV jack corresponding to its color.

  • Connect the coaxial cable from the TV antenna to the ATSC tuner “RF In” terminal, named with the letter “Antenna In”.
  • Connect the ATSC tuner to a power source.
  • Turn on the TV and the Advanced Television Systems tuner.
  • Tune the TV to channel 3 if you have used a coaxial cable. Set the video input channel of the TV to the AV source if you used an AV cable set.

External Program ATSC Tuner

  • Turn on the TV and the ATSC tuner.
  • Press the “Menu” button on the remote control of the ATSC tuner.
  • Select the automatic option “Search for channels”.
  • Connect the coaxial cable from the TV antenna to the RF “Antenna In” terminal on the back of the TV.
  • Turn on the TV.
  • Open the “Menu” screen of the TV.
  • Press the “Menu” button on the TV’s remote control.
  • Go to the Channel Configuration menu and select the automatic option “Search for channels”.
  • Monitor ATCS Tuner
  • Turn on the TV and the Advanced Television Systems Committee tuner (if applicable).
  • Touch the channel buttons on the TV to browse and watch the channels picked up by the TV’s internal ATSC tuner (if you are using a digital TV).
  • Touch the channel buttons on the Advanced Television Systems Committee tuner to browse and view the channels picked up by the external ATSC tuner (if you are using an analog TV).

Tips and warnings

Just connect an external ATSC tuner to a television if the TV is analog.

Check the specifications of the television, which can be found in your user manual if you are not sure if the TV is analog or digital.

 

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SoftwareTechnology News

Tacotron 2: Generating Human Like Speech from Text

Tacotron 2: Generating Human Like Speech from Text

Tacotron 2: Google simplifies the process of teaching AI how to speak like human

Developing the perfect language translation tool has been a difficult challenge for the scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs and others alike for quite some time. Google has made some lead with its translation services but when it comes to AI based speaking almost everyone comes out as robotic voice which can be easily differentiated from a human voice. Google has developed a new method which will aid developers in training neural network to produce realistic speed with Tacotron 2.

This Tacotron 2 will help in bringing realistic kind of speech to the translators through analysing the text and even without the need of any grammatical expertise in the said language. This method is making use of two different speech generation projects namely the original Tacoron and the WaveNet.

The earlier voice generators

During the early days WaveNet left everyone speechless by offering eerily convincing speech but with one audio sample at a time. This was a great achievement but it wasn’t effective when it came to language translation or text to speech translation objectives. In order to get into the world of voice generation WaveNet had to accumulate a great range of metadata relating to the every aspect of the language from the right pronunciation to the key linguistic features. But this problem was overcome with the launch of the first Tacotron which helped in getting high end linguistic feature absolutely but it wasn’t the best enough to be used directly in the speech products of the time.

How Tacotron 2 works?

The Tacotron 2 makes of both the pieces of text and narration in order to get to the right way that particular language is spoken by the natives. In short it specifically calculates all the linguistic rules which might apply to the given text in order to render a human like voice. In essence this method helps in converting the text into very peculiar Tacotron style mel-scale spectrogram which helps in identifying the rhythm and emphasis. It shouldn’t come as surprise that the words are formed using this WaveNet style system for better realistic appeal. The resulting speech with Tacotron 2 is extremely convincing as a realistic human voice but it always happens to be quiet chipper than the usual.

Overcoming the challenges with Tacotron 2

This technique of Tacotron 2 still have a number of shortcoming to overcome before it renders human like voice for language translation in the future. Researchers have stated that this technique faces immense difficulty when it comes to pronouncing difficult words like decorum and merlot. In some cases it freaks out by generating some really eerie and strange noise. The second major shortcoming with this technique is that it isn’t able to translate and generate voice in real-time. Thirdly researchers can’t even control the tone of the generated voice or compel it sound happy or sad. But rigorous research is being undertaken by the team to overcome these challenges on the Tacotron 2 and bring the worlds first realistic voice generator to the masses.

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Software

Google Introducing Android Oreo (Go Edition) with the Release of Android 8.1

Google Introducing Android Oreo (Go Edition) with the Release of Android 8.1

Google brings the new Android Oreo (Go Edition) to the Android devices

Google’s Android has been on the mission of bringing advanced and optimum computing to everyone. In its bid Google has been successful in establishing the Android Oreo to over 2 billion devices all across the globe. It has the highest amount of Android users in India rather than in the Unites States of America. The recent rise in the shipment and adoption of the low cost smartphone with entry level specification has prompted it come with the Android Oreo (Go Edition) OS. This edition of OS brings the best of Android with new and rei-magined apps which can run smoothly and crisply on the lower end affordable Android smartphones.

Android Oreo (Go Edition) : Google brings best of Android to billions

At this year’s developer conference Google had unveiled the Android Go project which was aimed at bringing the best of the android to the bullions of the smartphone users on the planet. Google is launching the Android Oreo (Go Edition) as an exclusive part of Android 8.21 release. This OS edition will be seen working like a charm on the devices with 512 MB RAM to 1GB RAM along with the whole set of Go optimizations. This Android Oreo (Go Edition)  focuses on three major attribute of the OS experience:

  1. The OS: It brings vast improvement on the performance and storage front along with data management features and high end security benefits.
  2. Core Google Apps: Google brings a whole new set of its core apps with lighter design and equipped with relevant features to satisfy the needs of billions.
  3. Google Play Store:  A tuned and optimized version of Google Play Store will allow users to download and install apps quickly.

Android Oreo (Go Edition), Focus on performance

Google main focus is performance and agility on the Android Oreo (Go Edition) which can run flawlessly on the entry level smartphones. For an entry level smartphone it is necessary to offer such an operating system which brings faster and reliable performance. With this new OS entry level phone owners will be able to see a definite 15 percent faster performance of their apps which wasn’t the case earlier. Apart from the speed this OS also offers a range of customization which can help in boosting the overall performance of the app and OS as a whole.

The major issue with the low cost smartphones is that it has a pathetic low storage space which is used by both the OS and the preinstalled apps. It is highly frustrating for the users to squeeze in more space to upload all of their music, photos and apps. Secondly the core Google apps are preinstalled on this OS and they tend to take 50 percent less space. Android Oreo (Go Edition) comes with Google’s data saver which helps an average user in saving more than 600MB data per year. It helps in saving more data through actively managing the background data usage by different through controlling how data is used specifically.

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Software

Poly: Google’s New Clip Art

Poly: Google’s New Clip Art

Google is Building a New Kind of Clip Art Poly

From someone’s grand mom to their aunty we have all used emojis or know what they are. Before that there was clip art, which was everyone’s favorite tool to use. Google has now taken digital art to a whole new level. Google has created Poly, which is a platform for 3D art. Have you ever wondered about the objects that can be viewed from various angles in a game and how they came to be? They are all digitally created by putting in a lot of time and effort. Now with Poly all that is not necessary as Google now allows users to get the object they are looking for directly from their new version of clipart:Poly.

Poly

Uses of Poly:

Google initially thought of Poly for virtual reality and augmented reality worlds. But the site can provide for a host of other uses as well. Poly is the new form of Clip art. Poly is a library of 3 D objects where you can find everything from a 3D burger to a 3D cat. There is even a search bar which yields multiple results for items that are looked for.

Ease in using Poly:

Google’s Poly is a library of 3D art created by various artists commissioned by Google as well as what users can upload themselves. Some are open for common sharing while those for AR and VR apps are rights- protected. By downloading 3D objects in this way, app developers are able to bring down the risk and cost in making their apps, not to mention this move will essentially lessen the time it takes to make an app.

How 3D Objects are created in Poly:

Google Clip Art takes objects that are created on Google Blocks and Tilt Brush. If you want to incorporate a 3D object into a scene in VR, you can also use Google Blocks or Tilt Brush to do the same.

Future Direction of Poly:

In the future Google plans on allowing third party apps to have access to Ploy which basically means that AR or VR apps that are yet to be created can directly import 3D objects from Poly into their apps. At present since these are just the initial stages of the 3D platform, Google is taking things slow, the money aspects of the 3D objects library will come later.

The whole idea in creating Google Clip Art is to create a platform where VR and AR app developers can use to create their virtual worlds. Without objects to fill in those worlds whether it is a building or the area’s denizens, those worlds will not really exist.

Right now the worlds of AR and VR has not really taken off in the market but as with clip art, google is testing the field and who knows maybe in the future this step may seem to be a good strategic decision for Google.  Google Clip Art also creates new direction for other companies in creating their own platforms, not to mention the ease with which VR and AR app developers will have in making their own apps.

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Software

Apple iOS 11.1 Release, It’s A Big One

Apple iOS 11.1 Release, It’s A Big One

iOS 11.1: These are the novelties of your first beta

While it is true that with the new update of its operating system, iOS 11, Apple promises to improve the user experience on the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, it is normal that during the download process there are some problems.

Recently Apple has officially released the iOS version 11.0.1 of the mobile operating system for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. And now, the company has just released the first beta version of iOS 11.1.

After the company released this version, some users have reported on social networks delays in the update as well as errors in the operation of the system. It is common for long terms to be presented at the time of downloading in the first hours, taking into account that the update is launched worldwide, so that servers tend to become slow due to the amount of demand. While iOS 11.0.1 focused on bug fixes and stability improvements, iOS 11.1 will bring great news with small features and features for iPhone and iPad. As iOS 10.1 did with Portrait Mode.

In this article we will talk about the official launch of the first beta version for iOS 11.1 developers and we will tell you how you can download and install the software on your mobile device.

News from iOS 11.1

There are many features of iOS 11 that did not come with the release of this version of Apple’s mobile operating system. Therefore, it is likely that iOS 11.1 finally offers Apple Pay mobile payments in iMessage and iCloud support.

In addition, Apple is expected to add new emojis very soon.

According to the details of the iOS 11.1 update, this beta release will provide some improvements in ARKit, TrueDepth, storage and Location services. On the other hand, push notifications will be processed more frequently.

Likewise, some users have reported slowness when using the ‘apps’ and inconveniences with sound, with the redesigned App Store, as well as the operation of Siri. This type of errors also tend to occur at the beginning and Apple is expected to make the correction, very likely, with an update of iOS 11.0.1.

We will update all information as it becomes available.

How to download and install iOS 11.1

If you want to download the first beta version of iOS 11.1 you will have to go to the Apple Developer Center. If you are not a registered user, you will have to register through a few simple steps. Next, you can download iOS 11.1 from Settings> General> Software update.

Anyway, Apple is expected to publish the first public beta version of iOS 11.1 this week.

Compatible devices

iPhone

Iphone 5s

Iphone 6

iPhone 6 Plus

iPhone 6S

iPhone 6S Plus

iPhone SE

iPhone 7

iPhone 7 Plus

iPad

iPad Mini 2

iPad Mini 3

iPad Mini 4

iPad (2017)

iPad Air

iPad Air 2

9.7 “iPad Pro

iPad Pro 12.9 “(1st generation)

iPad Pro 10.5 ”

iPad Pro 12.9 “(2nd generation)

iPod

iPod touch (6th generation)

iOS 11 has marked a before and after in the internal software system for iPhone and iPad. It has a high level of customization, all kinds of new features and multiple improvements in its native applications. What do you think about iOS 11?

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Software

Android Oreo Will Receive Rootless, System-Wide Theme Support

Android Oreo Will Receive Rootless, System-Wide Theme Support

Android Oreo set to receive rootless, system –wide theme support by this weekend

Whenever Google releases the new version of the Android OS then a number of users opt to root their device. Rooting devices isn’t an impossible task for those who know it but it always bring one common problem which relates to enabling the rootless system-wide theme support. This particular aspect was earlier managed using the easy-to-use CynogenMod Theme engine but its demise has brought this task in the hand of the Substratum theme framework.

In the past couple years the team behind Substratum has done an incredible job of bringing support for the widest range of devices. This support has been specifically done on the ROM level which will ensure that users will be able to run its frame without worrying about the root access. Just before the launch of the Android Oreo this team gave themselves of bringing a rootless system-wide theme which can be implemented on any Android device.

rootless theme-1

Features of the rootless system-wide theme support by Substratum

In order to make use of the Substratum ADB shell users will be required to make use of its desktop application which happens to be quite light-weight and simple.

This application will help in granting elevated privileges to the Substratum which in turn allows user to manage the installed Substratum themes on their device. The best thing about Substratum is that all the themes will remain installed unless a user wishes to remove it by uninstalling.

While working with Substratum users should keep in mind that the privileges granted to it are transient in nature. In other words all the privileges to Substratum will be lost upon performing a full reboot. This means that users will have to again go through the whole process of running the desktop program, adding, removing or modifying the Substratum theme.

Users can certainly make use of the different themes present in the Substratum by going to the Setting followed by Display then going to the Developer Preview’s theme option.  This is the best way to switch between different rootless system-wide themes with ease and simplicity.

rootless theme -3

Ramping up the availability of Substratum

The rootless system-wide theme offering Substratum will make its debut on the Android 8.0 devices which currently only includes the Google Pixel and Nexus variants namely Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Pixel and Pixel XL.

These devices will be making use of the Substratum within less than a week but it isn’t guaranteed by the developers as it is still under the development process. At the moment Substratum team is only working on developing the interface exclusively between the Substratum app and unrooted devices.

Development of Substratum app has been taken joyously by the Android enthusiasts but sadly this app will debut as a paid application for the unrooted Android Oreo devices. Pricing has been kept under the wraps by the Substratum team and it will be better to wait for the Google to come with a dark theme for the OS or else users will have to spend some dollars for the app.

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