Google Adds A/B Testing to Firebase as a First Class Feature

For a long time, A/B testing has been a bit of a pain to perform in Firebase, requiring manual segmentation of user groups in order to decide who to send each version of the app to, and requiring manual parsing of the data you received to find out which version was prefered.

Today at the 2017 Firebase Dev Summit in Amsterdam, Google announced that they will be integrating native support for A/B testing into Firebase itself. Google hopes that by making A/B testing easier, it will become more accessible for new developers, and more useful for experienced developers.

As part of this integration, if you use the native A/B testing support Google will automatically split the two versions of the app or notification to subsets of the group that you select to send it to, and will collect the major data points, and report back once it has statistically significant results. All you need to do is create an experiment with Remote Config or FCM, define what variant values and population sizes you are looking to test on, and set what goal you’re looking to accomplish with your test.

If you want to start using Google Firebase’s new A/B testing support right away, you’ll be able to give it a try at this link very shortly.

Have you attempted to set up an A/B test through Firebase before? Are you excited to try it now that it is easier to do? Have you found a good workaround in the past that may still work even better? Let us know in the comments!

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Google Launches Firebase Predictions for User Segmentation Using Machine Learning

Today in Amsterdam at the 2017 Firebase Dev Summit, Google launched Firebase Predictions, their attempt at helping you predict what your users are going to do, before your users actually do it.

Trying to figure out how to target promotions within your app has historically been an absolute pain, up until now requiring manual segmentation of your userbase in Firebase in order to decide who to send each promotion to. It required you to attempt to figure out what your users were likely to do with the limited information that you had available to you. With Firebase Predictions, Google is aiming to permanently change the way this works on all platforms that Firebase is with.

As with many of Google’s products that have been integrated with machine learning recently, Firebase Predictions uses Google’s custom built hardware and cutting edge software to attempt to take the raw data that we receive, and turn it into something useful and useable. Firebase Predictions currently works by looking at all the small things that users do to attempt to sort them into one of four categories:

• Users who are predicted to churn in the next 7 days
• Users who are predicted to stay engaged with your app
• Users who are predicted to spend money
• Users who are predicted to not spend money in the next 7 days

Using that segmentation, you can use Remote Config to target promotions or ads to specific subsets of your userbase that you are interested in. This will reduce the number of people who see your promotions that you are not interested in showing the promotions to (avoiding any annoyance that might come with showing an ad to the wrong person), and help ensure that the promotions get to the right users.

Firebase Predictions will also allow you to target for any custom Analytics conversion event you want, allowing you to segment based on users that seem likely or unlikely to hit that target, and send different in-app promotions with Remote Config to each group. One example that Google gave for a game would be to target it based on reaching a specific level in your app if you find that people who reach that level are likely to stay with your game long term. Once you define that custom Analytics conversion event, Google will use machine learning to try to predict which users are likely to hit that target, and which ones are likely to fall short, and allow you to aim your in-app promotions accordingly.

This can have a major impact on user retention, as a well timed promotion to the users that are likely to churn in the next 7 days can help turn them into users who are likely to stay engaged with your app. One of Google’s launch partners for this feature, Halfbrick Studios, found that by targeting their promotions, they saw a 20% increase in their 7 day retention rate. 20% may not sound like much out of context, but that is a substantial uptick in long term users, and is great to see. It should be interesting to see the affect it will have in the future as more developers get their hands on this tool, and have a chance to test it out for themselves.

For more information about Firebase Predictions, check out the Firebase Predictions webpage later today when it goes live, or check out the Youtube Video down below which talks a bit more about it.

Will you be using Firebase Predictions in your app? What do you think of the application of machine learning to user segmentation? Have you been successful with user segmentation in the past? Let us know in the comments!

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Paranoid Android 7.3.1 Released with KRACK Vulnerability Patches, Anti-Shake mode in Camera, and more

After a long hiatus, Paranoid Android made a solid return to the custom ROM scene back in May of this year, bringing Android 7.1.2 Nougat-based builds with carefully-crafted features like Pie Controls and Color Engine to a range of supported devices. Over the course of the past four months, we have seen multiple updates to the ROM, mostly adding new features and refinements as well as updating the security patch level and fixing critical bugs.

The last update released by the Paranoid Android team was version 7.3.0, which brought a number of improvements and fixes including a new camera app, more launcher customization options, and the latest September security patches to name a few. The team said at the time that the 7.3.0 would be the last major release to be based on Android Nougat, adding that the next update would be mostly centered around fixing critical bugs before they start working on Android Oreo.

As such, today the Paranoid Android team announced Paranoid Android 7.3.1, the final release of Android Nougat as the team shifts all its focus to work on Android Oreo. The 7.3.1 update mostly focuses on improvements to the Paranoid Camera app, which was launched in the last update and PA’s announcement post notes that pretty much all user-reported bugs have been fixed in this update.

The new update also addresses the recently-discovered KRACK vulnerability and brings along the required patches for all supported devices. And since this is the last Nougat update, the final translations from Crowdin have also been added in this update, with a promise to add support for more languages in Android Oreo.

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Changes affecting all devices in Paranoid Android 7.3.1

● Add Anti-Shake mode to Paranoid Camera

● Fix compatibility issues with third-party camera apps

● KRACK Vulnerability patches

● Various improvements to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity

● Performance and efficiency improvements for Pocket Lock

● Launcher improvements and fixes

● Various performance and battery improvements

● Other minor improvements and fixes

● Final update for translations

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Device Specific Changes:

Google​ ​Nexus​ ​5:

● Patched BlueBorne kernel vulnerability

Google​ ​Nexus​ ​5X:

● Fixed Paranoid Camera issues

Google​ ​Nexus​ ​6:

● Merged latest Google security patch

Google​ ​Nexus​ ​6P:

● Fixed Paranoid Camera issues

Google​ ​Pixel​ ​/​ ​Pixel​ ​XL:

● Merged upstream scheduler changes

● Various kernel improvements

Le​ ​Eco​ ​Le​ ​Pro​ ​3:

● Updated all the proprietary blobs from latest EUI

● Imported IR remote Controller App and SDK from EUI

● Updated the Kernel against the latest CAF tag available.

● Updated F2FS

● Migrated F2FS GC mechanism to Kernel, reaching efficiency and compatibility improvement

● Adjusted audio platform configuration with N blobs

● General improvements to battery consumption.

● Big improvements in boot times, about 7 seconds faster

● Enhanced power supply mechanism to be safer and faster (QC 3.0)

● Fixed fingerprint sensor when pocket detection is enabled

OnePlus​ ​3/3T:

● Fixed ogg handling issues, fixes Google Assistant compatibility

● Majorly improved photo quality and processing time

● Improved GPS lock time

● Improved Wifi power consumption

● Improved Wifi stability

● Updated SRGB calibration

● Migrated F2FS GC mechanism to Kernel, reaching efficiency and compatibility improvements

● General performance improvements

● General improvements to power consumption

● General stability improvements

OnePlus​ ​X:

● Patched BlueBorne kernel vulnerability

OnePlus​ ​One:

● Patched BlueBorne kernel vulnerability

Nextbit​ ​Robin:

● Fixed fingerprint sensor not working for some users

● Improved Wi-Fi calling capability

Xiaomi​ ​Mi5:

● Updated to MIUI 7.9.22 Global dev blobs and configs

● Patched BlueBorne kernel vulnerability

● Other minor enhancements

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Paranoid Android hasn’t yet provided any timeline as to when we should expect Android Oreo builds to start arriving, but we expect to hear more on that in the coming weeks.

The Paranoid Android 7.3.1 builds are now live for all devices! As always, you can check out the official downloads page to grab the latest build for your device, and you can also check out their Github, Gerrit and Official G+ community page to stay up-to-date with their latest development efforts.

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Have you been enjoying Paranoid Android so far? Let us know in the comments!

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Action Launcher v30 Update Brings “At a Glance” Search Widget, Colored Search Box Icons and More

Custom launchers have always been popular on Android. Although Nova Launcher probably still remains the most popular third-party launcher, Action Launcher’s popularity has been accelerating quickly, thanks to its timely adaptations of Pixel Launcher features as well as unique functionality which it has had for years. It has now been updated to v30, bringing the “At a Glance” widget from the Pixel Launcher of the Google Pixel 2. The widget displays the date, weather and any upcoming calendar appointment.

In the v29 update, Action Launcher gained the Pixel 2-style dock search box. While the dock search box had limited customization capabilities in v29, the v30 update significantly expands the customization capabilities available. It does by introducing a dedicated icon editor that allows theming of dock icons with “en-vogue Google colors.”

The new dock dock search box in Action Launcher v30

In addition, the dock search box has been refined to more closely match the size of the new Pixel Launcher, and it now has better support for Google Assistant.

In the v28 update, AdaptivePack was launched as a companion for Action Launcher, bringing Adaptive Icons to Lollipop, Marshmallow and Nougat devices. Today, the companion app has also received a substantial update. The icon count in AdaptivePack increases by 250, meaning it now supports over 2200 apps. Dynamic calendar support is also now available, which enables the Google Calendar app to display the current date. Action Launcher itself has also added support for the TouchWiz icon style, and the dynamic clock icon supports Adaptive cons.

According to the developer of Action Launcher, the v30 update includes the usual bug fixes and stability improvements. Also, compatibility with the Galaxy S8 and Note 8 devices is said to be markedly improved.

The detailed breakdown of the features and fixes of v30 can be found at the source link below. The latest update for Action Launcher is now available on the Play Store. It contains a Plus in-app upgrade which unlocks many features.

Action Launcher - Oreo + Pixel on your phone (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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Source: Action Launcher
Via: Android Police

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Report: Android Oreo Update Worsened Android Audio Latency Issues

Android has had an audio latency issue that has negatively affected the operating system’s reputation among audio and music creators. Many professional musicians have preferred to work on iOS devices when they needed to as opposed to Android for years, but this was something Google was aware of. Not only were they aware of it, but they were making progress to reduce the audio latency issue with their recent versions of Android. However, a new report from Superpowered shows that the audio latency issue has actually gotten worse with the Android 8.0 Oreo update.

The folks over at Superpowered recently tested the latency of audio from a Nexus 6P that was updated to Android 8.0 Oreo. They used Google’s own “Rick’O’Rang app” (source and APK) and their in-house Latency Test (source and APK) applications. Their measurement methods are in fact different, but history has shown that the results have always been virtually identical. However, when testing the Android 8.0 Oreo update they noticed their own testing application was behaving strangely.

Normally they would do their tests and the logs would report “in, out, in out, in out” as they tested round-trip audio latency. However, with the Oreo update it was more like “in, in, in, in, out, out, out, out, in, in, in, etc.” This raised some concerns as both the Google and the Superpowered latency applications were using only one buffer. But one buffer is not enough to cover five, therefore all measurements, on both apps become erratic and inaccurate.

Recommended Reading: Android’s Audio Latency Problems

Their app showed a latency value fluctuation while Google’s own application displayed good, plausible, and moreover, low latency values. Although, Google’s glitch measurement feature suggested that something was wrong, many users simply overlooked this since it didn’t raise enough concern. The folks over at Superpowered implemented a fix for this in their testing application and if Google decides to implement it, then theirs will be updated in the near future.

As you can see, on both the Nexus 6P as well as the Pixel XL, we’re seeing much higher audio latency on Android 8.0 as compared to Android 7.0. This could be hardware related or vary across devices, as Reddit member u/sylocheed tested Superpowered‘s application on their Pixel 2 XL with their results showing that it was a little faster than the Nexus 6P and Pixel XL results, but it was still slower than Android Nougat’s OpenSL ES.

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Source: Superpowered

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Google Tez has Gained 7.5 Million Users in 5 Weeks in India

Google made its foray into the ever-growing mobile payments sector in India on September 18^th 2017 by launching its mobile wallet app Google Tez. Google Tez is a mobile payments service by Google based on the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) platform developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). UPI is a government-run platform for all mobile transactions, powering payment services like PhonePe.

Tez works on a huge array of smartphones (with apps for both Android and iOS). The Android app supports a variety of Indic languages such as Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu. “Tez” is the Hindi/Urdu word for “Fast”.

A Google account and a bank account-linked mobile number are required to use the Tez app. The app itself is protected by a Google pin and your device’s security method (fingerprint, pass code or pattern unlock). The transactions on Tez are secured by ‘Tez Shield’ which detects fraud, prevents hacking, and verifies identity. As an added layer of security, the app refuses to work on rooted phones. 

With Tez users can pay/transfer money directly from their bank accounts. Tez users can transfer the money without requiring the bank account details of the recipient. The UPI ID of the recipient is used as a substitute for the account number and IFSC code, thereby simplifying money transfers. Unlike most other wallet apps, it does not require money to be stored in the app to make digital payments.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai proclaimed to investors and analysts that the Tez app had clocked 7.5 million installs within 37 days after its launch and was able to register 30 million transactions within 5 weeks during a quarterly enarnings call. Figures from Google Play show that the app has been downloaded between 5 to 10 million times.

Mr. Pichai further added: “I’m really excited about the potential this brings for India’s mostly cash-based economy”. Tez is expected to add support for card payments by the end of this year by integrating the technology of Google’s global mobile payment platform, Android Pay.

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Source: MediaNama

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Xposed for Nougat Updated with Better MIUI Support

Many of us within the enthusiast Android community waited patiently for the Xposed Framework to be updated with Nougat support and that day arrived as an early Halloween gift this month. Since then, we’ve seen XDA Senior Recognized Developer rovo89 push out a quick compatibility update for Samsung device.  Today, the developer has announced an update to Xposed Framework that brings it up to v88.2 with its big addition including better support for MIUI devices.

As Xposed Framework for Nougat has been released, we’ve seen a number of popular Modules updated for it. For those who are interested, be sure to check out our tag to see all of the modules we’ve talked about here on XDA. The first quick bugfix update of Xposed did improve MIUI compatibility issues, but there were still some who had been reporting issues with it. For a while, people were using an unofficial release from XDA Senior Member Psy_Man which allowed version 88.1 to work on MIUI 7.9.21+ deodexed ROMs.

Earlier today before lunch rovo89 announced a new update to Xposed Framework that brings it up to version 88.2 and improves the framework’s support for MIUI devices. There is still a current issue open for these devices, but they recommend you try disabling resource hooks in the installer if you still get bootloops. We’re hopeful that this issue will be resolved in the near future but it’s not something that we should expect to happen immediately.

This new update also brings some other changes though, including another fix for Samsung devices that were bootlooping (specifically the Galaxy Note 8), and a fix for an odd bug that caused a crashes on OnePlus devices when they were at 100% battery. The new update will also attempt to detect an outdated (and therefore incompatible) Xposed Installer as well.

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Check out this update in our Xposed forum

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