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Android 11 has a bunch of goodies.

Google released the first public beta of Android 11 this week. There are plenty of under-the-hood features for developers to take advantage of, but regular users aren't left out either. You can install the first beta right now as long as you have a Pixel 2 or newer. I signed up to participate in the beta program on a Pixel 4 XL ($799 at Amazon) and have been digging through the update.

We're big fans of the new quick controls page that's easy to access and incredibly helpful, along with the revamped media controls, while app suggestions and Bubbles will take some getting used to.

While we're sure Google has more Android 11 surprises in store for us, here are five features we have tried and know you'll love when it's released later this year.

Android 11's quick controls are my new favorite controls.

The first thing you should do after installing Android 11, whether it's the beta or when it's officially released, is long-press the power button on your phone to bring up the new quick controls screen. On the Pixel, at least, this screen gives you power control options along the top, provides shortcuts to your Google Pay cards and boarding passes, and then below that you'll find my favorite feature of Android 11 -- quick controls for smart home devices.

My phone automatically picked a few devices I've linked to Google Assistant, like the Nest thermostat in my office and my Nest video doorbell. I can even view a livestream from my doorbell directly on this screen, without having to open the Nest app (which is slow and a pain to use). It's great.

You can add or remove smart home devices from this grid by tapping on the menu button and selecting add or edit controls.

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Bubbles look all sorts of useful.

Remember Bubbles? This feature was supposed to be part of Android 10, but Google pulled it at the last minute. Well, they're back.

Bubbles are similar to Facebook Messengers "chat heads" feature. When activated, a small avatar -- or Bubble -- on your screen that is visible no matter what app you're using. Tap on the avatar and it will open a small window for you to read and send new messages in that thread, without fully opening the app. You can drag the Bubble around your screen, or drag it to the bottom of the screen to delete it.

In the first public beta, the only app that seems to work with Bubbles right now is Facebook Messenger. Even then, it doesn't fully work. We expect Google will work out the kinks before the full Android 11 release.

In order to use Bubbles for a conversation, there will be a small Bubbles icon in the bottom-right corner of the notification. Tapping on it will immediately enable Bubbles for that thread.

Another way to activate Bubbles for specific conversations is to long-press on its notification and mark it as a priority. Doing so will not only turn on Bubbles for that thread, but it will also allow that conversation to break through Do Not Disturb ensuring you don't miss any messages.

App suggestions on the home screen are new.

Immediately after installing the public beta and unlocking my Pixel 4 XL, I was greeted with an option to enable app suggestions on the home screen. Unsure of what exactly that was, I reluctantly agreed. Turns out, it's pretty darn cool.

Previously, Android made suggestions in the app drawer of apps it thought you'd want to use, depending on the time of day and other mysterious factors. In Android 11, there's now a row of app suggestions on the bottom of your home screen where your main app dock would normally show up.

The apps have a glowing border around them, and frequently change when you return to your home screen as you use your phone. You can long-press on any of the app icons to pin that suggestion to your home screen.

You can also block apps from showing up as suggestions if you don't want something like Gmail showing up even though you use a different email app.

To access App Suggestions and tailor how it works for you long-press on your home screen and select Home Settings then Suggestions. There you can control suggestions in the app drawer and on the home screen or block apps from showing up on the list.

The new media controls sure look nice.

In the blog post announcement for the Android 11 public beta, Google showed off a new music control interface that looked amazing. Instead of playback controls looking more like a pending notification, they're placed in the Quick Settings panel at the top of your screen. And when you interact with them, there's a new option to control where the music is playing.

For example, if you have Google's new Pixel Buds 2 and a Nest Hub ($89 at Crutchfield), you can quickly switch between the two devices with a couple of taps.

If you install the Android 11 beta, the feature is nowhere to be found when you begin playing music. Don't get discouraged -- it's there, but it's hidden.

You'll need to enable Developer Options on your phone by opening the Settings app and going to About phone. Scroll to the bottom of the screen where you'll find Build Number. Tap on it until you see a small notification show up saying something like "Congrats! You're now a developer."

Next, we'll need to go into Developer Options in Settings > System. Once there, find Media resumption, turn it on, and then reboot your phone.

The next time you start playing some music, the new media controls will be available.

You can finally record your screen with an official Google tool.

Screenshots are a quick and easy way to capture something on your screen, but there are times when a recording is better suited to the task at hand. For example, if you want to show off your gaming skills, or highlight the steps to reproduce a bug -- screen recording FTW!

You can find the Screen Record tool in the Quick Settings panel after installing Android 11. If it's not visible, tap on the pencil icon to add it to your panel.

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Tap on the Screen Record icon and select whether you want your microphone to record audio and if you want your touch interactions to be highlighted in the video. To stop recording, tap the Screen Record notification. The video will be saved to your camera roll where you can then edit and share the recording.

We're going to keep digging into Android 11 and see what other goodies are hidden or added throughout the rest of the beta process. In the meantime, if you just can't wait for Android 11 to launch later this year, you can install it right now.

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5 best new features in Android 11 and how you'll use them - CNET

Scott Jennings, Opinion contributor Published 6:14 a.m. ET June 9, 2020 | Updated 9:20 a.m. ET June 9, 2020

Mayor Greg Fischer had said he wasn't attending protests to avoid being a distraction. On Tuesday, he spoke and answered questions from the crowd. Louisville Courier Journal

Eighty percent of Americans in this weekends NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll said the United States is out of control. The easy analysis will revolve around President Donald Trumps handling of recent crises, but depending on your political perspective, you might think things are spiraling for different reasons.

Take Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, for instance, whose administration is out of control for the first time since taking office nine years ago. His performance has been shaky at best in the wake of the Breonna Taylor and David McAtee killings, and his constituents are letting him know.

WFPL reported Fischer was confronted by a group of young African Americans on Sunday who asked pointedly: Why were you silent for two months on Breonna Taylors murder? Another leveled a biting accusation: Youve been using us for photo ops for years.

And Fischers recent meeting with Louisvilles police officers didnt end well, either. Dozens of cops walked out on him because they feel completely unsupported and disrespected, according to Fraternal Order of Police president Ryan Nicholas.

Oof. You can feel the confidence draining out of City Hall, but at least Fischer succeeded in uniting the demonstrators and police on something.

More: Fairness Campaign yanks support for Mayor Greg Fischer after police 'gas his own city'

Kentucky Gov.Andy Beshear must feel a bit out of control, too. After months of scolding Kentuckians with his folksy-yet-aggressive yall cant be doing that edicts and enjoying high approval for it, he did a complete 180 when thousands took to Louisvilles streets in full violation of his ban on mass gatherings. After essentially confining Kentuckians to their homes for months, Beshear praised the demonstrators for their supposed adherence to anti-COVID-19guidelines.

You've got better compliance in these demonstrations than we do just about anywhere, Beshear said. Out loud. With a straight face.

For any Kentuckian who lost a job, turned their home into a school, missed their graduation, couldnt hold a funeral or comfort a dying loved one, put off a wedding, or shut down a restaurant, Beshear thinks the demonstrators are doing a better job than you in preventing coronavirus spread.

Beshears contemptuous attitude is made all the more laughable by his repeated claims to be done with politics in his effort to save lives. He sold out his entire message on coronavirus to curry favor with Louisvilles demonstrators and rioters, despite the public health scoldings hes given Kentuckians who dared question him.

But the governor is now boxed in. If theres a COVID- spike because of the demonstrations, Beshears pandering will look even more foolish. If there isnt, a whole bunch of Kentuckians aregoing to ask: Whatwere we doing for the last several months, dude?

Beshear, in full defensive mode to head off the same pressure Fischer is under, pandered further last week by announcing that he favored removal of the Jefferson Davis statue from Kentuckys Capitol Rotunda.

Joe Gerth: Jefferson Davis statue must be removed from Kentucky Capitol. NOW.

If Beshear really cared about removing the symbol that divides us, it would already be gone. It sits outside of his office, after all, and he could have had it removed any day since taking office. (And dont give me any static about the Historical Properties Commission. They guy just put 40% of Kentucky out of work via executive order and closed every church. If he wants to move a statue, he can move a statue.)

His father, former Gov.Steve Beshear, left it in the Rotunda for a full eight years.

But the clan Beshear saved old Jeff Davis for a political rainy day, which has assuredly come. The governor is not worried about the symbolism, of course, just the politics. (For what its worth, Kentuckys top Republican, Sen.Mitch McConnell, has steadfastly favored removal since 2015, as has this columnist).

These marches have made for fascinating politics. Defund the police is making its way rapidly into mainstream Democratic thought and comes on the heels of Joe Biden telling black Americans they arent actually black unless they support him.

And many conservatives have been wondering what would happen if people marched for different reasons, perhaps ones not so en vogue with the mainstream media?

Scott Jennings, columnist(Photo: photo courtesy Scott Jennings)

What if there were pro-life or pro-Second Amendment marches? What if Donald Trump held a campaign rally?

What would the media and Democratic political narrative be? Would they imply these righteous causes had imbued their supporters with coronavirus immunity, as Beshear and other Democratic leaders have done for police and race demonstrators?

Of course not. They would label them selfish grandma killers.

Interestingly, demonstrators at the White House this weekend were photographed with anti-Trump bunker bitch signs, which has nothing to do with policing or racism. Im no doctor, but their righteous cause immunity may not be as strong as they think.

News: Following fatal shootings, Fischer announces 'top-to-bottom' review of police department

Indeed, the world feels out of control to many conservatives, too. We mourn and demand justice for George Floyd. We want police reform. And we want jobs for black adults, over half of whom are out of work thanks in large party to the COVID-19 lockdown. We pray for the health and safety of demonstrators who are now at risk for contracting coronavirus, which has disproportionately affected African Americans already.

But we want one more thing: an end to the doublespeak and double standards that define the coverage and treatment of our national political discourse.

Scott Jennings is a Republican adviser, CNN political contributor, and partner at RunSwitch Public Relations. He can be reached atScott@RunSwitchPR.comor on Twitter@ScottJenningsKY.

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Opinion: What's 'out of control' is Greg Fischer's administration and Andy Beshear - Courier Journal

Snapchat will soon respond to your voice and help you find new places to hang out, all inside an app with a new way to navigate. During the annual Snap Partner Summit on June 11, Snap Inc. announced a long list of new features heading to the app, including several that build on the social networks fundamentals, from replying to Stories to adding a hashtag-like feature called Topics.

First, a new action bar that adds shortcuts at the top of the app makes getting around a little simpler, Snapchat says. The new navigation bar changes based on what screen you are in. While Snapchats gesture controls are one of the biggest hurdles for new users trying to find all the different features, Snapchat users have complained loudly over major design changes in the past.

But users will also soon simply be able to ask Snapchat for what they are seeking. Voice Scan is a voice search for different lenses, where users can just say, Snapchat, make my hair pink, for example. The voice control is activated by touching and holding on the camera screen.

Another camera tool, Scan, will allow users to tap and hold to use a different type of Lens that helps recognize whats in the photo. The feature is starting with PlantSnap, which can identify 400 different plants and is activated by pressing and holding on the screen. Other camera-focused updates include the addition of Local Lenses designed for a specific neighborhood and enhancements to Lens Studio, the desktop app for building a Lens.

Snapchat Places aims to help users find popular hangouts in the community or when traveling. While Snap Map typically shows where friends are, Places adds businesses to that map, including details like hours, the address, and reviews from Tripadvisor and FourSquare. Snap Inc. says that food ordering from Postmates, DoorDash, and Uber Eats will also be added to Places soon.

Stories, a major part of Snapchat that many apps have now copied, adds two new features. Story Replies allow users to add comments to Stories from Snap Stars, which can then be turned into stickers. The platform says replies will be filtered for bullying and hate speech.

Topics functions like a hashtag designed for Stories. Using a Topic sticker in a Story submits the content for potential inclusion in a topic-wide Story. Snapchat users can browse through topics to find interests, with topics like Life Hacks and Oddly Satisfying.

In a move to expand news on the platform, Snap Inc. also announced Happening Now, a spot for watching breaking news in Story format. It has partnered with trusted news organizations for the feature, with journalism coming from The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Reuters, NBC News, ESPN, NowThis, E! News, BuzzFeed News, and others. The section will also include publicly submitted Snaps from the community, Snapchat said. Snapchat didnt go into detail on the process to get those Snaps included in a way that prevents fake news. The feature also includes local weather and personalized horoscopes.

The list of announcements also includes several new ways other apps are building Snapchat integrations and vice versa. Snap Minis are HTML5 snippets that power functions directly inside a chat room. With the Move Tickets by Atom Mini, for example, friends can choose a showtime, seats, and pay for tickets inside of a chat, along with watching trailers together. The original list of Minis powers features from studying with a friend to planning a festival.

Third-party apps will also be able to integrate Snapchats camera and lenses with updates to the Camera Kit. Apps from Nike, MLB Ballpark, Squad, and Triller are among the first expected to bring a Snapchat camera into their own apps.

For gaming, Bitmojis can soon be used in 3D inside third-party games on mobile devices, PCs, and even gaming consoles. The first games and companies integrating the feature include Scrabble Go, SingHeads, and Uno. Snap Games is also adding 10n new titles.

Snapchat also announced new Snap Originals and expanded features in the Here For You feature designed to support mental health.

Some of the tools, such as Places and Story Replies, are already rolling out to iOS and Android today, while other announcements are glimpses of whats heading out to the app next.

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From voice control to Story replies, heres everything in Snapchats big update - Digital Trends

Last April, I received a forwarded message from my friend. It was a TikTok video of a fruit vendor moving stuff in his cart, apparently a Muslim. An appalling statement followed: If I could, I would slaughter these type of people, they are the real virus. This was from a well-educated person. In this case, as with many others in Nepal, the clip was found to be fake, clickbait media. But it spread with urgency; it was sharedirrespective of age, gender and education statusfairly quickly and without any cross-verification. This raises some pertinent questions. What is fake news and why does it occur? Why do we fall victim to it? And most importantly, how can we save ourselves from it?

Understanding the problem

One might argue that the cases of fake news in Nepal has not reached a point of concern; but if learning from our southern neighbour is anything to go by, we are on the way there. If this goes unchecked, the consequences will be severe. Without the need to present evidence to back up claims, the fake news industry has become all-pervading even putting lives at risk.

Fake news and doctored videos are a cause for concern globally. The term 'infodemic' has even been coined during this crisis, referring to an information pandemic. Creators of fake news have a huge incentive in its spread. Viewership increases, increasing advertisement revenue. Viral journalism is the new trend. Politicians have a lot to gain by endorsing fake news or creating some. Social media spreads opinions faster, whether substantiated or not. Party propaganda, jingoism and fascism, all these in some way may be attributed to a rise in the culture of fake news and its spread.

Another major but less discussed consequence occurs on health. Random things are advertised to reduce cancer, random herbal products help you lose weight, and unverified processes help to tone your skin. These concern people directly and thus spread faster. Fake news has been used by many to validate their most improbable claims, like a debate on climate change, the impact of the fashion industry on climate change, the nature and cause of philanthropy and so forth. This has created confusion among people, and more importantly, diverted attention away from causes that needed serious action.

For the most part, social media has been a boon, connecting people, sharing ideas, connecting the dots, and promoting ideas and culture. With the advent of fake news, the line has become thinner. It is good that social media companies like Twitter have acknowledged the issue of fake news and promised to take action to counter it. Sadly, the effort has not been able to control the deluge of information created.

Generally, this has mostly impacted the older generation. They have a hard time believing that one can write 'news stories' without substance. At some point, we have all been offended by news stories shared by relatives on social media. Even millennials and Generation X fall victim to fake news of a more sophisticated nature. We classify news as fake or credible based on our experience, our interest, our horizon of knowledge and prejudice. News items shared by friends and family are thought to be bona fide.

So, how can we break this chain? How can we help ourselves and people who are victims to come out? How do we mitigate the impact? The answers are not that straightforward. The media is rightly touted as the fourth pillar of democracy, so curbing media activities comes with a consequence. Restricting the media would make matters worse, as it increases the risk of the media becoming controlled by those in power.

The most plausible action would be to increase literacy among consumers. We can run effective campaigns to make people aware of fake news, their sources, their impacts and their consequences. The government, media houses, journalists and regulating agencies should first acknowledge this as a serious problem and be on the same page to mitigate its impact. More importantly, friends and family, schools and non-governmental organisations have a bigger role to play in this. Media literacywith critical thinking, reflection and ethical behaviour at its coreis a key part of what it means to be educated in todays world.

Random news sites

Lets say that without restricting the media, the government passes a law making it mandatory for any site claiming to be a news site to be registered. And it tells people to consume news only from those sites registered with the government (with some technique like a tick for validity). This way, news from sites other than validated ones will be considered as opinion. This will make the media more credible and reduce the chances of people consuming fake news from random news sites. Additionally, government vigilance against fake news will help.

The government should try to contact social media giants like Facebook and YouTube to discourage the circulation of fake news. WhatsApp itself turned to print media to make people aware of false news and information by printing ads in newspapers in India. The government should coordinate with Facebook and ask it to pull down fake news and information and disable fake accounts. Fake news has been there since the birth of mass media. But the impact has never been so severe as now with communications happening at lightning speed. If left untreated, this will make matters even worse. We better start acting now.

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Spreading faster than the virus - The Kathmandu Post

Extreme problems require extreme solutions may be an overused clich, but we do have an extreme situation on the India-China border. Even the most friendly and moderate media voices concede that weve had the most serious military stand-off with the Chinese since 1962. We need an extraordinarily extreme man to fix the Chinese for making extraordinary efforts to send infiltrators into New India.

We need a new Raksha Mantri.

Most strategic experts will readily concede that in recent years, our optimal pursuit of maximum national security has been critically weakened because we have had an unfortunate string of inadequate defence ministers. Starting with A.K. Antony (compulsively indecisive ), Arun Jaitley (part-time), Manohar Parrikar (unwell, unexcited, un-engaged), Nirmala Sitaraman ( fish out of water), and, now, Rajnath Singh, a mofussil man, locked in the political rhetoric of 1990s. And they all have one common trait: they have all been reactive.

Rajnath Singh may once have been a senior political figure but is now completely without any weight. The rise of Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh has been so choreographed as to hack away whatever clout the defence minister may have once had. And, the generals, always good at reading the political leaves, do not take him seriously. Nor can he take them on for the Chinese ingress into our territory. The Krishna Menon precedent need not necessarily be re-activated but surely everyone agrees we need a change of guard at the Ministry of Defence.

We need to convert our current adversity into an opportunity to give New India a proactive, activist, and perhaps interventionist defence minister. And Amit Shah is the very man for the moment.

He is tough, even tougher than the prime minister. And, what is more, he can easily handle defence in addition to his current responsibility at North Block. In fact, he is today quite underworked as he has fulfilled all the promises the BJP made in its 2019 manifesto, that too in just one year. In any case, home is a status-quo ministry and as home minister, Shah has ensured that the juggernaut of coercion and control remains well-oiled. His surplus energy and time can thus be better utilised in South Block rather than getting squandered in virtual rallies for a no-contest in Bihar, so many months away.

Whereas the Chinese have posed a-here-and-now challenge that needs to be dealt.

Chinas Galwan valley grab is designed to weaken us psychologically and damage our morale. As it seeks an assertive global role for itself, Beijing wants to deter India from its resolve to become a vishwa guru.

True, the Chinese leadership may have a civilisational claim to Sun Tzu, but we also have the historical heritage of Chanakya. And, Amit Shah has more than once proven himself to be the rightful legatee of that heritage. Repeatedly, the best and the brightest among our media have anointed him Modern-day Chankaya.

It helps that Amit Shah has two other qualities: he is obsessed with infiltrators, and is a nibbler par excellence. If Chinese infiltrators can nibble our territory, we also need to have a minister who is adept at the art of nibbling. A man who can nibble Congress MLAs in state after state can be confidently relied upon to start playing the nibbling game with the Chinese. It is an enterprise that admits of no restraint, no moral qualms, and no second thoughts.

The idea of the same man presiding over the home and defence ministries may not be all that palatable to the Lutyens lobby but it is an idea whose time has come. India needs to think out of the box on how to bring about maximum symbiosis between the tools of internal security and the instruments of external security. We need the strategic convergence of four Ss, as Modi might put it: Shakti (strength), Suraksha (security), Samanvaya (harmony) and Samajhdari (insightfulness). The man to bring about this convergence is Amit Shah.

He will bring to the job a raw energy. He will know how to make the generals respect the political leadership. Perhaps the corrosive juglabandi between mediocre ministers and mediocre generals will finally be disrupted.

And there is more. Amit Shah brings in an uncluttered clarity. If violence is deemed to have a curative, beneficiary effect at home in taming opponents as well as in firing up the partisans then, why should we be so squeamish about the use of force against our national enemies?

As home minister, Amit Shah had, on August 5, 2019, undone one of Jawaharlal Nehrus follies, Article 370; now, he can be tasked with the responsibility for undoing the consequences of Nehrus greatest folly of trusting the Chinese. He is perhaps the only man who has the Chankayan cunning to divine the adversarys deepest design and then to move to neutralise the enemys ill-intent.

An additional benefit perhaps a totally intended consequence of a joint home-defence minister will be that Amit Shah would take on the role of Indias security czar. He will acquire a decisive voice in the conceptualising and conducting of our foreign policy. And that may not be all that bad, because it would put an end to the undeserved and unnecessary importance the Ministry of External Affairs gets accorded in our scheme of things

The new India has to recognise that it is time to drain out the Nehruvian politeness that has got institutionalised in the MEAs organisational blood-stream. This effete mandarinate thinks that etiquette and protocol are a solution to an aggressive China. Too much importance is attached to diplomacy; it got us nowhere with Islamabad, and finally it was only surgical force that made the Pakistanis read the message on the Modi wall.

In recent times, the prime minister has repeatedly and earnestly assured the nation that it is time to take bold reforms. A new Raksha Mantri, a new Security Czar is the boldest reform possible. It will send an unmistakable and unambiguous message across to all of Indias enemies, internal and external.

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Why Amit Shah Should Take Charge of the Defence Ministry As Well - The Wire