How to enable Google Feed in any country

Google reworked Now Cards almost a year ago and rebranded it to Google Feed. Unfortunately, those cards are not available in all countries. Google really restricts a lot of stuff for non-US citizens, but's that's a topic for another day. So, how can you activate Google Feed if you live in an unsupported country? Here's how.

For rooted users

If you're rooted, you can install Google Now Enabler application from XDA Senior Member aliuwr. Just head to this thread, download the APK file, and install it. It just takes one click to enable Google Feed. The application is tested by me personally and it worked on Android Marshmallow, Nougat, and Oreo, so you should not have any problems. The only downside is that it requires root.

For non-rooted users

So, what if you don't use root? Well, then you have to do it in a slightly more difficult way.

1. First of all, download any free (or premium, if you use one) VPN application. I suggest using VPNhub just because it worked perfectly for me.
2. Go to your phone's Settings > Apps > tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner and tap Show system.
3. Scroll down and find Google Services Framework.
4. Tap on it, then go into Storage section and tap on Clear storage.
5. Go back. Now find Google application and tap on it.
6. Tap on Storage > Clear Storage > CLEAR ALL DATA > OK.
7. Go to home screen and open the VPNhub app we downloaded earlier.
8. Make sure that United States is selected as a 'Server Location' and then tap on a lock icon to activate VPN.
9. Close the app and launch Google application.
10. That's it! Now you can use Google Feed/Google Now Cards without any problems!

You can now disconnect VPN, restart phone, connect to another network, whatever. Google Feed will stick and it won't be disabled ever again.

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Microsoft has reportedly agreed to buy GitHub

You're probably well acquainted with GitHub. After all, it's the go-to place for developers on our forums to upload the source code for their applications, custom kernels, custom AOSP-based ROMs, and much more. On the off-chance that you aren't familiar with GitHub, it's the most popular hosting service for Git repositories where you can upload the source code for your project and manage it with collaboration features such as bug tracking, commits, feature request, wikis, and more. GitHub has remained independent for the entirety of its existence, but that could change as Microsoft has reportedly agreed to purchase it.

It's a stunning move if you consider Microsoft's early history with regards to Linux, but less surprising given the company's more recent history. Microsoft has slowly shifted their stance towards open source projects, even going so far as open sourcing core components of .NET, PowerShell, and Chakra Core. According to Bloomberg, which broke the story, Microsoft agreed to buy GitHub under thus far undisclosed terms (GitHub was last valued at $2 billion back in 2015, though, so we expect the 2018 valuation to be in the same ballpark). As a company, GitHub has had revenue and internal leadership issues for some time, and they've been looking for a new CEO for about 9 months. Under Microsoft, new leadership could turn things around for GitHub, at least financially.

It's unclear how the acquisition will affect the service and the direction of the company both in the short run and the long run. We caution against panicking at the Microsoft acquisition unless there's cause to do so—still, it's always a good idea to never put all of your eggs in one basket and consider looking at alternatives if things go awry. One of the most popular competitors in the space, GitLab, is taking advantage of this news to tout their own service. GitLab has even published a well-timed tutorial on how to migrate your project from GitHub.

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OnePlus 6 Silk White Hands-On: A Luxurious Pearlescent Design at the Same Affordable Price

OnePlus has a well-documented release strategy for its devices: launch a few colors, and then release flashier designs throughout the device's six-month lifespan. Last year's OnePlus 5T is a tough act to follow, not just because of its specs, but because it introduced the blindingly-bright Lava Red and the nostalgia-inducing Sandstone White. Just a month after the release of the OnePlus 6, the company is finally ready to release their first limited edition color variant with the OnePlus 6 Silk White.

While the OnePlus 5 and 5T sported a few interesting color options, including the return of Soft Gold, they were ultimately rather boring in their overall design. With the OnePlus 6, the company is already pushing design forward by adopting all the latest trends (for better or worse,) including minimal bezels, a display notch and glass back, and improving upon their constructions and build materials. It's no secret that design was a big part of this latest release, its keynote, and marketing strategy, something made all the more apparent with the new "Designed by OnePlus" inscription on the back of every OnePlus 6. This means that we should probably expect even bolder color variants to roll out for the OnePlus 6 and/or its inevitable OnePlus 6T sequel coming later this year. So how does the first of such releases stack up in a world with flashy devices such as the Twilight Blue Huawei P20 Pro or the company's own Mirror Black variant? Let's go hands on.

OnePlus 6 Silk White Specifications

Category	Specification	Category	Specification
Dimensions & Weight	155.7 x 75.4 x 7.75mm 6.2 oz/177g	RAM	8GB LPDDR4X
Design & Colors	All-Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 5) Midnight Black, Mirror Black, Silk White	Storage	128GB UFS 2.1 Dual-Lane
Display	6.28-inch 2280 x 1080 (19:9) AMOLED display. Supports sRGB and DCI-P3. 84% screen-to-body ratio.	Battery	3,300 mAh (non-removable)
Camera (Image)	Front: Sony IMX 371 (16MP, f/2.0, 1.0μm) with EIS. Rear (Primary): Sony IMX 519 (16MP, f/1.7, 1.22μm) with OIS and EIS. Rear (Secondary): Sony IMX 376K (20MP, f/1.7, 1.0μm). Dual LED Flash	Charging	Dash Charge (5V 4A)
Camera (Video)	Front: 1080p@30, 720p@30 Rear: 4k@30/60, 1080p@30/60, 720p@30 Rear (slow motion): 1080p@240, 720p@480	Ports	USB 2.0 Type-C 3.5mm headphone jack Dual nano-SIM slot
Software	Android 8.1 Oreo-based OxygenOS 5 with early access to the Android P beta	Audio	Bottom-facing speaker. Audio tuned by Dirac HD Sound. Dirac Power Sound.
System-on-chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 CPU (4x 2.8GHz Kryo 385 + 4x 1.8GHz Kryo 385) with Adreno 630 GPU	Multimedia Codec Support	Audio Playback: MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, WAV, FLAC, APE, OGG, MID, M4A, IMY Audio Recording: WAV, AAC, AMR Video Playback: MKV, MOV, MP4, H.265(HEVC), AVI, WMV, TS, 3GP, FLV, WEBM Video Recording: MP4 Image Viewing: JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF Image Output: JPEG

OnePlus 6 Silk White Connectivity and LTE Band Information

Category	Specification
Connectivity	Wi-Fi: 2×2 MIMO, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz/5GHz Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0, with Qualcomm aptX & aptX HD support NFC: Yes Positioning: GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo
LTE Features	Supports 4xCA, 64QAM, 256QAM & 4x4MIMO. Supports up to DL CAT16 (1Gbps)/UL CAT13 (150Mbps) depending on carrier.
LTE Bands – NA/EU	FDD LTE: Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/29/30/32/66/71 TDD LTE: Band 34/38/39/40/41 TD-SCDMA: Band 34/39 UMTS(WCDMA): Band 1/2/4/5/8/9/19 CDMA: BC0/BC1 GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
LTE Bands – CN/IN	FDD LTE: Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/29/66 TDD LTE: Band 34/38/39/40/41 TD-SCDMA: Band 34/39 UMTS(WCDMA): Band 1/2/4/5/8/9/19 CDMA: BC0/BC1 GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

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OnePlus 6 Silk White Hands-on

You already know the powerful specs, but you can expand the table above if you want a detailed overview. Quick refresher: you get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor that squeezes out excellent performance (review), a 6.28-inch 19:9 Optic AMOLED display that's crisp and color accurate (review), a 3,300mAh battery, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (only configuration for this variant). What reviews haven't been able to tell you about yet is how visually stunning this new color is, from its oh-so-slight rose gold frame to its matte glass back. And speaking of the back, let's not waste another sentence not talking about it.

This is the real star of the show, a pearlescent white matte glass cover that OnePlus calls Silk White. It's not "truly" white, like the matte back of a Google Pixel 2 XL for instance, and instead it's this pearly white that's reminiscent of the pearl white color featured in high-end luxury cars. Under most lighting, the back is an off-white that neatly reflects greens and blues deep in its color, but mostly under intense light sources. When under shadows, it's more of a bone color with yellow undertones (refer to the images above and below). It really is a color that you have to see in person to truly appreciate, given it has many sparkly subtleties that digital media can't quite convey in full detail. But almost as interesting as the color is the actual texture of the back. It's very soft, weirdly so—if you have ever held the frosted lighting on bathroom vanities, it's something like that. OnePlus also keeps all the FCC information off the phone, as the back has only two labels: the familiar OnePlus logo, and a "Designed by OnePlus" inscription, both residing below the glass.

Surrounding the back of the glass is the rose gold frame which offers you a small silver chamfer around the display edge as well, adding a subtle glint that also makes the display pop regardless of whether it's on or off. It almost looks like the silhouette phone companies use in their reveal photos (like the XDA Labphone.) The Rose Gold tone is ultimately not as extreme as that of the Apple iPhone 8+, which was a lot more colorful, and it's not quite like the Soft Gold of the OnePlus 3 either (which I was secretly hoping for.) Luckily, the frame is also not coated like on so many current devices on the market, meaning it feels like proper metal and not like paint and the chamfer is something we aren't seeing quite as often these days and makes a welcomed return.

In terms of build quality and construction, OnePlus totally nailed the action of their buttons, and they might even be a little too hard to press. The end result, though, is that they have absolutely zero wiggle to them, and they depress with a solid click. I haven't heard XDA's Mario Serrafero complain about the phone's buttons at all, which is a first in around two years, and my unit seems just as good with zero complaints. The now-placed-on-the-right alert slider also has never felt so good, with a firm dedicated snap as it clicks into each set, and the button texture also still helps you never mistake it for the power key (more important than ever with its new positioning). "Satisfying" would be an adequate one-word-summary to describe these buttons, though of course there'll always be some variance when looking at the set of all consumer units.

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So, should you get this color if you are considering a OnePlus 6? Well, if you are looking for something that isn't the "standard" black, white, or gold but also want something that's more subdued than the Red HTC U12+ or the Twilight Blue Huawei P20 Pro, then the OnePlus 6 Silk White might suit your needs. It doesn't scream for attention like those other two phones, for instance, and it has a thoroughly-classy aesthetic. This is also a limited edition phone which is something worth considering, though we don't actually know just how limited it'll be nor how much demand there is for this color.

While the Midnight Black OnePlus 6 is impressively good at mimicking the look of old aluminum OnePlus phones and the Mirror Black variant is flashy and interesting, the OnePlus 6 Silk White variant offers more of a departure from both the "Soft Gold" of previous phones and the "Rose Gold" or white variants featured by competitors. It's a beautiful color with many subtleties that I have personally never seen on a piece of tech before. It looks like it belongs on a vanity more than on a desk, and on display rather than in your pocket. The OnePlus 6 Silk White is a phone that looks as good as it performs, and it's a package at a price that really can't be beaten right now.

OnePlus 6 Silk White Hands-on Video

Also check out my video hands-on over on the XDA-Developers YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRKMxdqAtog

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OnePlus 6 Silk White Pricing and Availability

The OnePlus 6 Silk White will go on sale starting 10:00 EDT June 5th for a price of $579/€569/£519, and it only comes in one variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. This is a limited edition device so if you are considering one, be sure to head over to the OnePlus website once it goes on sale. Stay tuned to the XDA Portal for more OnePlus 6 coverage!

Check out XDA's OnePlus 6 Forums! >>>

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Google Assistant & Amazon Alexa may be coming to the Xbox One

It appears that Microsoft's Xbox One console will support both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, according to a leaked screenshot obtained by Windows Central. While you can currently use Cortana on the Xbox One, it has a number of limitations. Not only is it of much poorer quality than both the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, using it requires a headset or a Kinect sensor. It's fairly impractical, as not every person is using a headset to play games or watch TV and even fewer will have the Kinect sensor laying around.

After enabling third-party digital assistants on the Xbox One, you'll then have to search for Xbox in the assistant app of your choosing. According to Windows Central, the screenshot comes from a reliable source who is familiar with current discussions between Microsoft and Amazon. We don't know what features you'll be able to take advantage of, but it's likely that you'll have access to the thousands of assistant features from both platforms. Thanks to the growing number of integrations that Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are both gaining, this will greatly improve the Xbox One's use as a home entertainment center.

But the good news isn't over. As previously reported by Windows Central, a deal between Microsoft and Amazon to integrate Cortana with Alexa may have been struck. This would mean Microsoft would allow access to Amazon Alexa on most of its products. Similarly, perhaps they've struck a deal with Google to integrate Google Assistant as well. It's a bit of a strange addition, but there's not much to complain about when our existing devices become smarter. It's unknown when the update to the Xbox One will arrive, but it's likely to come sooner rather than later if we're starting to see leaks of it. There's also a chance that the deal falls through and it never comes to fruition, so don't get too excited.

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Source: Windows Central

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Nokia 6.1’s May security update is causing major Wi-Fi issues for many

The Nokia 6.1 is HMD Global's first Android One device to launch in the United States. Hardware wise, it's identical to the Nokia 6 (2018) which launched in China earlier this year. The U.S. version, of course, has near stock Android software due to the Android One program, and thanks to HMD Global's speed at rolling out security patches the Nokia 6.1 already has the latest May 2018 security patches. The May security patch update for the Nokia 6.1 has been causing a ton of problems for some users, however, with multiple reports on the Nokia support forums stating that the Wi-Fi is a bit broken right now.

Users are reporting frequent disconnects and very poor signal strength that only started occurring after the latest update. The cause of the bug is unclear, as it only seems to affect some devices but not others. If a system update is required to fix it, then that'll be trouble for users who can't connect to Wi-Fi at all. On the support forums, users are being told to factory reset or go to a nearby service center.

Some users say that their Wi-Fi is working on the Nokia 6.1 when the device is placed in close proximity to the router. If that's the case, a rollback software release may be possible for these users. Regardless, if you buy the Nokia 6.1 then we recommend you hold off on installing the May update until this Wi-Fi has been resolved.

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Enable Google Chrome’s new design with one Chrome flag

The Google Chrome browser is open source, so we can track progress on its development quite easily. We've seen how Chrome is getting more optimized for touchscreen devices like the HP Chromebook X2 and the Acer Chromebook Tab 10, how a major Material Design revamp is underway, and how Chrome OS is receiving Android P-esque user interface changes. We cover the most interesting new Chrome flags that we discover, but it can be annoying having to dig around and enable multiple flags just to test all of the latest features. Google will be making that easier for us by consolidating all of Google Chrome's new design behind one Chrome flag.

What Google Chrome's new "Touchable Refresh" interface looks like. Touchable Refresh combines the touch optimizations and the new Material Design changes. Enable it at chrome://flags#top-chrome-md

The flag, called "uifood", is already available in the latest Chrome Canary and Chromium nightlies. You can enable it by pasting chrome://flags#uifood into the address bar. The Chrome flag is available for Mac, Windows, Linux, and Chrome OS.

Currently, enabling it doesn't do much. We've been tracking progress on this flag since it first popped up in the Gerrit Code Review, and you can see how the Chrome team is slowly starting to wire support for all of their new UI features into this one flag. If you are interested in testing the latest Chrome design changes on your device, then we recommend enabling this flag to make things a bit easier for you to keep up with!

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Ordering from Starbucks, Applebee’s, & Dunkin’ Donuts now available in Google Assistant

At Google I/O 2018, Google announced that food delivery and more restaurant services would be making their way into Google Assistant. The services mentioned such as Starbucks, Applebee's, and Dunkin' Donuts are now rolling out support for ordering food via Google Assistant on all supported Assistant devices.

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Starbucks

The Starbucks action in Google Assistant is an action that will allow you to order your favorite drink or food from Starbucks then pick it up in the store. Starbucks currently has mobile orders through their own app with the same features. This new action will allow you to tell Starbucks what you want to order and where you want to pick it up. After you do that it will be ready when you get to the store. The action supports Google Home devices, the assistant on phones, tablets, headphone, and Chromebooks.

 

To set up the Starbucks action on your phone assistant, you are going to need to say "talk to Starbucks." It will then link you to sign into a Starbucks account to get started. You will need a payment method in either Google Assistant or Starbucks to be able to make purchases. It will find the Starbucks nearest to you and ask you if you want to order your drink and food for that location. It will be based on your address, but it allows for you to go to a Starbucks in a different location if you don't want to order from that store.

Starbucks also has a few new pages on their support site involving Google Assistant. Here are the support pages and their topics:

• Every time I try to place an order using Google Assistant, it asks me for my password to confirm payment. What do I do?
• Can I redeem a Starbucks Rewards with Google Assistant?
  • The answer is no, at least not at this time.
• I know exactly which store I want to order from using Google Assistant. Can I just tell it which one to choose?
  • Initially, no. But it will offer up to 3 nearby locations to pick from.

This feature seems useful for me. With routines now supporting the addition of custom ones, you could set a routine to order Starbucks and get directions to work in the morning when you get in your car.

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Applebee's:

The Applebee's action works by letting you order your favorite meal through Google Assistant. You can then have your meal delivered through Applebee's. The action connects to an Applebee's account that then allows you to order food through there. It will use your address on your Google account to get a delivery address. You can say "Ok Google, talk to Applebee's" to learn more and order your own food. You can also save your favorite meal and reorder it easily. This action works on any device Google Assistant is available on.

 

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Dunkin' Donuts:

Dunkin' Donuts works just like Starbucks. You order your food and coffee through Google Assistant and you can pick it up at the store without needing to check in. You just walk in and pick it up. With the Dunkin' Donuts action, you can order those donuts and coffee on your way to work with a routine to order it then pick it up on your way.

 

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The other food-service partners mentioned during I/O such as Domino's Pizza and Panera Bread are also now supported. Try these out and let us know if you find these integrations useful!

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