Latest news with #LiveUpdates
News24
2 days ago
- Sport
- News24
Currie Cup: Sharks v Cheetahs
Live updates from the Currie Cup match between the Sharks and Cheetahs at Sugar ...
NDTV
04-07-2025
- NDTV
Android 16 Introduces Live Updates, Google's Answer To Apple's Live Activities
Google has officially begun rolling out Live Updates with the stable release of Android 16, offering a glimpse at its long-awaited answer to Apple's Live Activities. Live Updates are a new class of notifications designed to provide real-time updates for ongoing activities like food delivery, ride-hailing pickups, navigation, and timers. These notifications come with elevated permissions, enabling them to appear above standard alerts - including in the status bar and on the lock screen. However, the initial rollout of Android 16 only supports Live Updates in a limited capacity. Full system-level integration is expected later in 2025, ahead of support for Wear OS devices. In its current form, Android 16 allows apps to generate Live Updates using progress-style notifications, but the system doesn't treat them any differently from standard notifications. As a result, these alerts lack a fully expanded view that sets Live Updates apart. Notably, Google didn't provide a firm timeline for full Live Updates integration. The feature's absence in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 cast doubt on its rollout, but signs of progress emerged in QPR1 Beta 2 and 2.1. Android analyst Mishaal Rahman, writing for Android Authority, noted that Google is adjusting the underlying requirements for what qualifies as a Live Update - a move that may explain the staggered release. Full support is still in development, but Android users can expect the polished version of Live Updates to arrive in upcoming updates later this year.
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First Post
04-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Africa News Live Updates: Two South African engineers released from Equatorial Guinea after two years in detention
Africa News Live Updates: Welcome to our live blog covering the latest from across Africa. Follow real-time updates on political transitions, security and peacekeeping operations, regional integration efforts, economic innovation, climate impacts, migration trends and grassroots activism. Track the continent's evolving stance on global affairs and its efforts to tackle internal and external challenges across sectors read more Welcome to Africa News Live Updates for Friday, July 4. We're tracking major developments across the continent, from political shifts and human rights milestones to public health insights and judicial rulings. In Equatorial Guinea, two South African engineers have been released after over two years in detention, ending a prolonged diplomatic and legal ordeal. Meanwhile in Nigeria, the head of the country's human rights commission has been elected to lead a key West African network, pledging reforms across the region's institutions. In other Nigerian news, a court handed down convictions in both cybercrime and illegal mineral possession cases, while the electoral commission received a dozen new applications for political parties—hinting at a more crowded political landscape ahead. Elsewhere, the FCT minister has authorised funds to address a teachers' strike in Abuja, and new wildlife footage from Uganda offers fresh clues on how deadly viruses can move from bats to other species a significant find in the context of global pandemic preparedness. Stay connected to Africa throughout the day: New video footage from a national park in Uganda shows a variety of predatory species feeding on and dispersing fruit bats, which are known natural reservoirs of infectious diseases, according to a report in The New York Times. The footage provides visual evidence of a potential pathway for zoonotic spillover, where viruses can leap from bats to other animals and potentially to humans. This observation is significant for understanding the mechanisms of disease transmission in the wild and informs global efforts for pandemic preparedness and surveillance. Nyesom Wike, the Minister of Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has approved the use of 10% of the internally generated revenue from the six area councils to settle outstanding dues owed to striking primary school teachers, Premium Times says in a report. The decision is a response to an ongoing strike by teachers, who have accused the council chairpersons of failing to implement the new national minimum wage and other previously reached agreements. Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received 12 new applications from groups seeking to register as political parties between June 23 and July 2, according to a report in Premium Times. The receipt of these applications marks the first step in the commission's process for vetting potential new parties to ensure they meet the country's legal and constitutional requirements for official registration. A court in Nigeria's Kwara State has sentenced one individual to jail for the illegal possession of solid minerals and convicted three others in separate cases of internet fraud, according to a report in Premium Times. The individual jailed for the minerals offense, identified as Basit, was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in June 2024 in the Asa Local Government Area for transporting the resources without the required documentation. The convictions are part of a broader Nigerian government effort to address economic crimes, including illegal mining and cybercrime. The head of Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has been elected to serve as the president of the Network of National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa, according to a report in Premium Times. The new president stated that a primary focus of the tenure will be on enhancing the capabilities of the national institutions across the region. This includes addressing persistent challenges related to resourcing, governance structures, and the operational effectiveness of the member National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs). Two South African engineers have been released from jail in Equatorial Guinea after being detained for more than two years, Daily Maverick says in a report. The release concludes a prolonged period of incarceration for the two nationals in the Central African country. Welcome to Africa News Live Updates for Friday, July 4. We're tracking major developments across the continent, from political shifts and human rights milestones to public health insights and judicial rulings. In Equatorial Guinea, two South African engineers have been released after over two years in detention, ending a prolonged diplomatic and legal ordeal. Meanwhile in Nigeria, the head of the country's human rights commission has been elected to lead a key West African network, pledging reforms across the region's institutions. In other Nigerian news, a court handed down convictions in both cybercrime and illegal mineral possession cases, while the electoral commission received a dozen new applications for political parties—hinting at a more crowded political landscape ahead. Elsewhere, the FCT minister has authorised funds to address a teachers' strike in Abuja, and new wildlife footage from Uganda offers fresh clues on how deadly viruses can move from bats to other species a significant find in the context of global pandemic preparedness. Stay connected to Africa throughout the day:
Android Authority
03-07-2025
- Android Authority
Android 16's Live Updates won't work with your favorite music player, and that's a bummer
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Android 16 introduces Live Updates, a new feature that elevates ongoing notifications to the status bar, but it excludes media playback notifications. This is because media apps use a dedicated 'Media style' template, which is not one of the specific styles that can be promoted to a Live Update. Switching styles would cause media apps to lose key playback controls and features, a trade-off developers are unlikely to make for this new functionality. Listening to music, audiobooks, or podcasts is one of the most common smartphone activities, which is why Android gives media notifications special treatment. Instead of lumping them in with other alerts, Android prominently displays media notifications under the Quick Settings panel, on the lock screen, and even on the always-on display. Still, you have to pull down the notification shade just to see the current track's name. A new feature in Android 16 introduces status bar chips that could solve this, but sadly, it won't work with your favorite music player. Here's why. You're reading an Authority Insights story. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. These reports reflect developments at the time of writing. Some features or details uncovered in leaks may change before official release. Android 16 brings a new notification feature called Live Updates, which are basically Android's version of Live Activities on iOS. Live Updates are special notifications that the system elevates to appear prominently on the lock screen, always-on display, notification panel, and in the status bar. By design, they are always fully expanded and cannot be collapsed by the user. On the lock screen and always-on display, Live Updates remain fully expanded even when other notifications are minimized. In the notification drawer, they appear at the top, while in the status bar, they become tiny chips with an icon and a short snippet of text from the app. Google An example of Live Updates from the Uber Eats app on the AOD (left), lock screen (left middle), status bar (right middle), and heads-up notification (right). For an app's notification to qualify as a Live Update, it has to meet several key criteria: It must have a special permission . The app has to request the new POST_PROMOTED_NOTIFICATION permission added in Android 16 QPR1, which the user can grant or revoke at any time from Settings. . The app has to request the new permission added in Android 16 QPR1, which the user can grant or revoke at any time from Settings. It must be explicitly requested . The app must ask the system to promote its notification to a Live Update, either by setting the EXTRA_REQUEST_PROMOTED_ONGOING flag or using the requestPromotedOngoing API. . The app must ask the system to promote its notification to a Live Update, either by setting the flag or using the API. It must be ' ongoing .' This tells the system that the notification is for a background task the user is 'actively engaged with,' which prevents it from being dismissed. .' This tells the system that the notification is for a background task the user is 'actively engaged with,' which prevents it from being dismissed. It must follow specific formatting rules. The notification must have a title and a priority higher than the minimum. It cannot be a group summary, embed custom content, or use a custom background color. Although the previous requirements are straightforward, there's one final, crucial limitation: the notification's style. Only notifications using one of four specific templates can be promoted to a Live Update. Standard : This is the basic notification template with no special features. : This is the basic notification template with no special features. BigText : This template is used for notifications containing a large block of expandable text, like an email. : This template is used for notifications containing a large block of expandable text, like an email. Call : Tailored for incoming call alerts, this style often features a large contact photo and provides call-specific actions like 'answer' or 'decline.' : Tailored for incoming call alerts, this style often features a large contact photo and provides call-specific actions like 'answer' or 'decline.' Progress: New in Android 16, this style is designed for any task that needs to display a progress bar. So, why can't media notifications become Live Updates, especially since they often have progress bars? The answer is that they don't use Android 16's Progress style. Instead, music, audiobook, and podcast apps typically use the dedicated Media style template. As mentioned earlier, they do this to receive the special treatment Android provides for media playback notifications. If they were to switch to the Progress style, their notifications wouldn't be pinned to the Quick Settings panel or show the media output switcher, among other things. Ultimately, media apps would have to sacrifice essential functionality just to gain access to the Live Updates feature — a trade-off they're unlikely to make. Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority This begs the question, then: Why can't Google just make Media style notifications appear as Live Updates anyway? After all, Samsung has already done something similar in One UI 7, making media notifications appear as 'Live Notifications' by default. This would be a great user experience, allowing you to see the current track and access media controls with a single tap on the status bar chip, eliminating the need to swipe down. Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority As far as we can tell, there's no technical reason Google can't do this. It seems the company simply doesn't consider media playback a valid use case for Live Updates. According to Google's documentation, the feature is for activities that are 'actively in progress, with a distinct start and end' and require the user's attention 'throughout the activity.' Appropriate uses include 'active navigation, ongoing phone calls, active rideshare tracking, and active food delivery tracking,' while inappropriate uses include things like 'chat messages, alerts, upcoming calendar events, and quick access to app features.' So, while media playback isn't explicitly disallowed, it doesn't fit Google's 'time-sensitive' model, which explains why the Media style isn't automatically promoted. That's a shame, though, because we think showing ongoing playback info in a status bar chip would be a fantastic feature — and at least Samsung seems to agree. Hopefully, Google sees what its partners are doing and reevaluates its position. For those who want to try the Live Updates feature, you'll need to install the Android 16 QPR1 beta on a compatible Pixel device , as the feature isn't active in the stable release. You will also need to find a supported app, like Google's own sample app. Developers interested in supporting Live Updates can check out Google's official documentation and experiment with the latest alpha release of the Jetpack core library. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Android Authority
02-07-2025
- Android Authority
Android 16 QPR1 adds full support for Live Updates, but apps will need changes
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Google is preparing to launch 'Live Updates,' a feature similar to iOS's Live Activities that prominently displays progress-style notifications. Once live, these special notifications will appear fully expanded on the lock screen and as a persistent chip in the status bar for at-a-glance updates. The feature is already fully functional in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta, suggesting it will likely roll out in the next quarterly update. Google's stable Android 16 update, released last month, brought many under the hood changes, but most of its major user-facing features aren't live yet. A key example is Live Updates, Android's version of iOS's Live Activities. These are a special type of notification designed to be prominently displayed on the status bar and lock screen. While the stable Android 16 release adds preliminary support by allowing apps to create these notifications, the OS doesn't yet treat them any differently from standard ones. However, full support for the Live Updates feature is just around the corner, as it's already active in the latest beta release and could arrive in the next quarterly update. You're reading an Authority Insights story. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. These reports reflect developments at the time of writing. Some features or details uncovered in leaks may change before official release. The stable release of Android 16 provides the foundation for Live Updates by introducing a new 'progress-style' notification template. This template simplifies the process for developers to add progress bars to their app notifications — something especially useful for rideshare, food delivery, and navigation services. While this isn't entirely new functionality, as apps like Uber already use custom-built progress bars, the new template means developers no longer need to build them from scratch. Currently, Android 16 treats these progress-style notifications just like any other. However, the Live Updates feature will elevate them. Once active, progress-style notifications will appear fully expanded on the always-on display and lock screen, eliminating the need to wake the screen or pull down the notification shade. Furthermore, apps supporting Live Updates can push short messages to an always-visible status bar chip. Tapping this chip will reveal the full progress notification, offering a quick glance at an update without interrupting your workflow. Google An example of Live Updates from the Uber Eats app on the AOD (left), lock screen (left middle), status bar (right middle), and heads-up notification (right). While Google confirmed that full support for Live Updates will arrive on Pixel phones later this year, the company never specified exactly when. When the first Android 16 QPR1 betas rolled out, the feature appeared to be disabled, as neither our test app nor the Android 16 Easter egg triggered the full experience. The reason, it turns out, is that Google changed the requirements for a notification to be promoted to a Live Update. Previously, I demonstrated that notifications needed to meet three criteria to qualify as a Live Update: they had to use the new progress-style template, be marked as ongoing, and provide a short summary for the status bar chip. With these in place, a notification would become a Live Update, assuming the feature was enabled in the OS. The Live Updates feature is disabled by default in the stable Android 16 release but is active in the QPR1 beta. However, for a notification to be promoted in the beta, it must now meet additional criteria. The two main changes are that the app must declare the new POST_PROMOTED_NOTIFICATIONS permission and call the requestPromotedOngoing API . While there are other minor requirements, these two additions are the key changes from the stable release of Android 16. Using a lightly modified version of Google's sample app on my Pixel 9 Pro running Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2, I was able to get the full Live Updates experience working. The feature functions exactly as expected, with the notification appearing fully expanded on the lock screen and as a chip in the status bar. Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority It even looks quite nice on the always-on display; the notification is presented as a clean outline, which helps it stand out against a wallpaper. Managing Live Updates is also straightforward. You can press and hold a notification and tap 'Turn off,' or you can disable the feature from the app's main notification settings page. Given that Live Updates is fully functional in the Android 16 QPR1 beta, a formal announcement from Google likely isn't far off. Developers need to know that the feature is live so they can add support for it, so the longer Google waits to announce it, the longer users will have to wait for their favorite apps to roll it out. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
