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OnePlus OxygenOS 11 will be ditching the stock Android design

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Almost all major Android manufacturers have their own custom Android user experience, a customization that has long been blamed for the slow rollout of updates. That is why OEMs that stick to a more or less pure Android experience have always been held in high regard, especially considering how few of them there are. Along with the now-defunct Essential and HMD Global’s Nokia, OnePlus has long been one of those touted to be faithful to the stock Android UI. That, however, won’t be the case anymore soon and OnePlus is explaining why its OxygenOS is making such a big change.

OxygenOS 11, the company’s next big iteration of its own Android UX, is getting more than just a simple facelift of icons and themes. It is rearranging UI elements in such a huge way that it no longer matches the stock Android layout that you’d see, for example, on a Google Pixel or Nokia phone. Unsurprisingly, the changes haven’t been sitting well with some long-time OnePlus fans and the company is now explaining why it’s making a potentially controversial change.

In a nutshell, OnePlus is pointing to the trend of larger Android screens as the main reason for the changes. It also notes that stock Android isn’t suited for such large screens, despite Google having launched its own “XL” size phones. Not only is there a lot of unused space (that doesn’t add to the “breathability” of the UI), it’s also not easy to reach important parts of the UI given how most people hold and use their phones.

The company’s studies showed that most users hold their phones from the bottom, which means that the range of flexible motion and reach is mostly confined to the bottom half of the screen. Because of that, OnePlus decided to move many of the important parts of the interface, like tabs or even the scrollable area, to that area of the display for easier one-handed use.

To some OnePlus users, the new OxygenOS 11 design is pretty much a copy of Samsung’s One UI. That wouldn’t be surprising since Samsung also based its redesign around those very same principles and goals. Needless to say, it isn’t sitting well with some OnePlus fans who stuck with the manufacturer exactly because of its stock Android experience but there are also those that seem to be excited for it as well.

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Jeep’s Wild Wrangler Magneto 3.0 Concept EV Is Going Out With A Bang

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To go with that, Jeep has added Dynatrac 60 front axles (5.38:1 ratio) and Dynatrac 80 rear axles (5.38:1 ratio), along with 20-inch off-road beadlock wheels and 40-inch mud terrain tires. The whole thing is lifted by three inches compared to a standard Wrangler. The result, the automaker says, is an EV that excels in off-road situations, not least because of how controllable the power delivery is.

“When you’re rock crawling, you need to be very neat and clean with your driving,” Mike Allen, Jeep Design Chief, says, “especially if there’s a cliff next to you, you need to be very controlled with that.”

To help, Jeep has added a power selection switch. On the one hand, you can have the maximum 650 horsepower and 900 lb-ft of torque; alternatively, the standard setting tamps it down to a more conservative 285 horsepower and 273 lb-ft. Allen says the range is around 150 miles, though that — nor charging times —was never meant to be the Magneto concept’s focus.

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The Best Mods & Upgrades That Can Give New Life To A C4 Corvette

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Replacing your restrictive and likely corroded factory exhaust with a new cat-back exhaust is one of the best power adders that you can do to your C4 Corvette. The term “cat-back” refers to the section of the system that is downstream of the catalytic converter, a device that removes harmful emissions from exhaust gases.

An aftermarket exhaust with modern muffler technology will reduce backpressure, allowing more air to flow into the engine, which increases horsepower. According to the popular aftermarket exhaust manufacturer Corsa, a cat-back system for the L98 engine (the most common C4 engine) adds 14 horsepower and 16 foot-pounds of torque to an otherwise stock powerplant — all while adding a deep, muscular exhaust note that’ll make your C4 sound like a Corvette should.

Returning to catalytic converters for a moment, they’re typically long-lasting but may eventually fail by becoming contaminated, clogged, or overheated, leading to decreased horsepower. In the process of installing a cat-back exhaust, it’s worth inspecting or proactively replacing the catalytic converter itself. High-flow performance converters are available which will boost horsepower beyond the cat-back exhaust alone, yet still keep your vehicle compliant with the emissions guidelines of the EPA and local authorities.

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6 Easy Ways To Unlock Your Android Phone Without A Password

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For years, fingerprints have been the de-facto phone unlock method because of the method’s incredible convenience and relative security. While a bad actor can, in theory, replicate your fingerprint, and while some Android phones have had fingerprint reader bugs, the majority of the time it’s secure enough to trust while allowing you to access your device in less than a second.

Many modern Android phones utilize an under-display fingerprint sensor that uses either an optical light sensor or ultrasonics to analyze registered fingerprints, while others place a trusty capacitive sensor on the back of the phone or the power button.

Importantly, optical sensors are the easiest of the three to fool in the event someone gets access to your fingerprint. Law enforcement can be especially aggressive should they invent a reason to search your device, having once tried to use a dead man’s finger to do so. However, Android stores fingerprint data in a Trusted Execution Environment, an encrypted section of the phone’s memory that cannot be accessed by the main CPU or by apps.

Setting your fingerprints up can be a bit of a hassle, as some Android phones can be finicky. It may be a good idea to register the same fingerprint twice if you find that your phone’s fingerprint sensor has a hard time recognizing your preferred digit.

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