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Tag: Samsung

  • CES 2020: LG Intros New Smart TVs, Apple TV Integration

    CES 2020: LG Intros New Smart TVs, Apple TV Integration

    LG has unveiled 14 new OLED TVs at CES 2020, using artificial intelligence to push the envelope in terms of picture quality and features.

    “At the heart of the latest 8K and 4K LG OLED and 8K LG NanoCell TVs are a number of advanced core technologies, most notably the new α (Alpha) 9 Gen 3 AI Processor. This advanced processor leverages upgraded processing power and artificial intelligence deep learning algorithms to improve on LG’s renowned picture quality and enable a host of specialized features for various types of content including movies, games and sports, taking the user experience to new heights.”

    As an added bonus, LG will support the native Apple TV app. Despite Apple’s claim “the Apple TV app is everywhere,” Samsung was the only major manufacturer with native, on-TV support. Other devices and TVs required using AirPlay to broadcast content to the TV.

    “LG’s award-winning webOS smart TV platform will bring 2020 LG OLED and LG NanoCell TVs a plethora of programming from the constantly-growing number of top global content providers through apps and services such as Disney+, Netflix and CBS All Access. New for 2020, the Apple TV app allows customers to subscribe and watch Apple TV+ and Apple TV channels as well as access their iTunes video library and buy or rent more than 100,000 films and TV shows. Customers with 2018 and 2019 LG TV models will also be able to enjoy the Apple TV app this year.”

    LG’s adoption of Apple TV, as well as the other streaming apps, is welcome news as more and more consumers are looking to cut the cord.

  • Samsung Shipped 6.7 Million 5G Phones In 2019

    Samsung Shipped 6.7 Million 5G Phones In 2019

    PC Magazine is reporting that Samsung has announced it shipped 6.7 million 5G phones in 2019, giving 53.9 percent of the global market.

    As PC Magazine points out, this figure is somewhat surprising since there were only a grand total of 327,696 5G phones sold in the U.S. as of early December. When looking at the other markets where Samsung has a presence and 5G is being rolled out, it’s hard to come up with the numbers the company is touting.

    A likely explanation is the emphasis on the word “shipped,” as opposed to “sold.” By touting the number of shipped devices, Samsung can count units sitting in carrier warehouses or store shelves. The number says very little about how many phones have actually made their way into customers’ hands.

    Even so, its a promising start for the 5G revolution, which should see significant uptick in 2020.

  • Samsung Planning to Unveil Artificial Human at CES

    Samsung Planning to Unveil Artificial Human at CES

    Artificial intelligence (AI) may be the next battleground technology, but Samsung is taking it a step further with the planned unveiling of an artificial human.

    According to the Korea Herald, Samsung has been teasing a project called “Neon.” Its official website says very little, other than a countdown to the unveiling at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The Korean Herald says Neon is an AI platform that was developed by Samsung and Advanced Research Lab.

    As the Korean Herald reports, “a recent tweet on the unit’s official Twitter account said, ‘Neon = Artificial Human.’ Artificial human is a new AI concept referring to hardware or software designed for companionship, including robots and digital pets.”

    Some have speculated that Neon is a replacement for Bixby, Samsung’s current AI platform. The company has indicated, however, that Neon has nothing to do with Bixby and is unlike anything anyone has ever seen.

    Whatever Neon is, there will be plenty of attention on Samsung during CES 2020, with all eyes on the big unveiling.

  • Samsung Lists 5G Galaxy Tab S6 On Its Website

    Samsung Lists 5G Galaxy Tab S6 On Its Website

    Apple’s iPad has long enjoyed the top spot among tablets, with 31.4 percent of the market in the third quarter of 2019. Despite attempts by Microsoft, Samsung and Google to dethrone Apple, the iPad has continued to dominate.

    According to Samsung’s website, however, the Galaxy Tab S6 may have what it takes to challenge the iPad: 5G. The 5G-enabled tablet is showing up with a “coming soon” label.

    Details are sparse, with no information on release date, price or specifications. It’s a safe bet the device will command a premium, though, much like the 5G versions of its popular phones. It is also unclear what 5G bands the device will support: low-band, mid-range or the fastest mmWave.

    What is clear is that Samsung may, at least in the short-term, give Apple a run for its money with the 5G Galaxy Tab S6.

  • T-Mobile Delivers 5G Network Days Ahead of Schedule

    T-Mobile Delivers 5G Network Days Ahead of Schedule

    T-Mobile originally announced it was unveiling its nationwide 5G network on December 6. It seems the carrier has beat expectations, unveiling 5G today, four days ahead of schedule.

    According to Engadget, the network T-Mobile has turned on is its 600 MHz low-band spectrum. Unlike millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G, which offers speeds measured in gigabits instead of megabits, low-band spectrum offers speeds similar to 4G LTE.

    The benefit of low-band spectrum is that it has far better range and building penetration. In contrast, mmWave 5G has extremely limited range and doesn’t penetrate windows or buildings very well. While T-Mobile’s new network doesn’t offer the speeds of Verizon’s, it will have far better coverage.

    Coinciding with the network’s launch, TechCrunch is reporting T-Mobile has opened pre-orders on two 5G-capable phones.

    “The OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren Edition, at least, is a T-Mobile exclusive here in the States.

    “It’s a premium as far as OnePlus goes, but still arrives at the (relatively) low price of $900. Compare that to the $1,300 Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G. Both are officially going on sale on Friday, and should be able to connect to the new network at launch.”

    As the 5G battle heats up, it will be interesting to see what advantages—speed vs coverage—customers prefer.

  • Amazon Announces Voice Interoperability Initiative—Leaves Out Apple and Google

    Amazon Announces Voice Interoperability Initiative—Leaves Out Apple and Google

    There’s no doubt that virtual assistants and AI-based voice services are one of the next big things in the technology industry. Long the stuff of science fiction, voice-based computing represents the next leap in computer interface and usability paradigms. As a result, virtually all the major players are pushing ahead with development.

    It should come as no surprise that Amazon, one of the biggest players in the voice-enabled market, has announced the Voice Interoperability Initiative. The initiative is an effort to standardize how voice-enabled products work and “is built around a shared belief that voice services should work seamlessly alongside one another on a single device, and that voice-enabled products should be designed to support multiple simultaneous wake words.”

    Already, more than 30 companies have signed on to the initiative, including the likes of Microsoft, Salesforce, Logitech, Qualcomm, Libre, Intel, Spotify and others.

    “Multiple simultaneous wake words provide the best option for customers,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “Utterance by utterance, customers can choose which voice service will best support a particular interaction. It’s exciting to see these companies come together in pursuit of that vision.”

    While the initiative’s goals look good on paper, there are some challenges. Notably, the idea of having multiple voice services working on a single device may not fly with some of Amazon’s competitors. Indeed, Apple, Google and Samsung are noticeably absent from the initiative.

    In the case of Apple, given their strong pro-privacy stance, it’s unlikely they will want to put Siri on hardware made by a competitor. Similarly, Google may be hesitant to give up the control that comes with their Google Home hardware.

    Whatever the outcome, one thing is clear: Voice-enabled services is shaping up to be another technological battleground between some of the biggest names in the industry.

  • Android Flaw Lets Rogue Apps Spy On You, Accessing Camera and Mic

    Android Flaw Lets Rogue Apps Spy On You, Accessing Camera and Mic

    Security firm Checkmarx has announced a serious flaw in Android that allows rogue apps to access the camera, as well as the microphone.

    Director of Security Research Erez Yalon and Senior Security Researcher Pedro Umbelino authored the post detailing their findings. In short, rogue apps on Google and Samsung phones, and in the Android ecosystem in general, could access the camera, take photos, record videos, access stored photos and videos, as well as use the GPS metadata in photos to locate a user.

    “After a detailed analysis of the Google Camera app, our team found that by manipulating specific actions and intents, an attacker can control the app to take photos and/or record videos through a rogue application that has no permissions to do so. Additionally, we found that certain attack scenarios enable malicious actors to circumvent various storage permission policies, giving them access to stored videos and photos, as well as GPS metadata embedded in photos, to locate the user by taking a photo or video and parsing the proper EXIF data. This same technique also applied to Samsung’s Camera app.

    In doing so, our researchers determined a way to enable a rogue application to force the camera apps to take photos and record video, even if the phone is locked or the screen is turned off. Our researchers could do the same even when a user was is in the middle of a voice call.”

    That last part is especially concerning, as it means rogue apps can access the camera without the user realizing it. This opens up a world of possibilities for surveillance, both visual and audio, comprising a person’s privacy at best and corporate or government security at worst.

    The researchers were quick to praise both Google and Samsung for their quick and professional response, and both companies have fixed the issue with their devices. Unfortunately, other vendors are also affected and it is unknown to what extent they have addressed the vulnerability.

  • Apple Predicted To Take 5G Crown With iPhone In 2020

    Apple Predicted To Take 5G Crown With iPhone In 2020

    Strategy Analytics is predicting that Apple will take the top spot among 5G smartphone manufacturers in 2020.

    Despite being late to the 5G field, Strategy Analytics believes Apple will leap-frog the competition, chiefly in the form of Samsung and Huawei. Apple is widely believed to be releasing multiple 5G iPhones in 2020 and Strategy Analytics believes that, as long as Apple maintains the current upgrade price, those new iPhones will quickly take the lead.

    “Currently Samsung is the undisputed market leader in 5G smartphones,” said Ville-Petteri Ukonaho, Associate Director at Strategy Analytics. “But with the two largest 5G markets in 2020, China and the USA, dominated by Huawei and Apple respectively, these two vendors are set to lead in 5G next year.”

    Ultimately, as 5G matures and becomes more widespread, Samsung is expected to retake the crown.

    “Despite the strong showing that is expected for Apple in 5G in 2020,” adds Ken Hyers, Director at Strategy Analytics. “In the longer term Samsung will regain the 5G crown. As more markets cut over to 5G, Samsung will capture the majority of that share by virtue of its dominance of the overall smartphone market and a broader portfolio of 5G devices across more price-bands.”

    Meanwhile, while Huawei will likely remain a dominant force in China, the bans and restrictions it faces in other parts of the world will limit its ability to compete effectively on the global market.

    As a result, in the short-term at least, “2020 will be Apple’s time to grab bragging rights in 5G.”

  • T-Mobile Will Turn On Nationwide 5G December 6

    T-Mobile Will Turn On Nationwide 5G December 6

    T-Mobile has rolled out 5G in six cities but, according to CNET, the company is about to unveil nationwide 5G on December 6.

    Many 5G deployments fall into two types: low-band and high-frequency. High-frequency 5G offers the highest speeds, but at the cost of range and ability to penetrate obstacles, such as trees and buildings. Low-band 5G, in contrast, is not as fast but offers far superior range and penetration, while still be significantly faster than 4G.

    T-Mobile’s deployment-to-date has used high-frequency, millimeter-wave spectrum, the same kind of 5G that Verizon and AT&T are deploying. On December 6, however, the network T-Mobile will be activating will rely on their low-band spectrum. That difference will allow the company to provide service to upwards of 5,000 cities and towns throughout the country. It will also give T-Mobile an edge when it comes to building penetration in those cities.

    T-Mobile has assured customers that existing plans will automatically have access to the new 5G service—with compatible phones—without any additional fees or plan changes.

    Initially, the only two phones supporting the new spectrum are the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G and the OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren, but it’s a safe bet that other manufacturers will be quick to incorporate support in their next models.

  • Qualcomm Chips Central to Wave of 5G Home Internet Devices

    Qualcomm Chips Central to Wave of 5G Home Internet Devices

    While Apple may be looking to end their dependence on Qualcomm, the future is looking bright for the semiconductor company. In a press release issued today, Qualcomm announced that Netgear, LG, Sharp and Samsung are among 30+ companies building plug-and-play home internet gear based on Qualcomm’s 5G chips.

    According to the FCC, some 19 million Americans still lack access to broadband. One of the most anticipated benefits of 5G deployment is the ability to offer broadband-class home internet wirelessly, otherwise known as fixed wireless access.

    5G home broadband holds the promise of gigabit-per-second speeds, far greater than the speed of current 4G technology, as well as many traditional broadband providers. The wireless tech is also a boon for established neighborhoods, since it doesn’t require excavation of roads and yards to lay fiber optic lines.

    “Our comprehensive Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System architecture, which supports virtually any combination of 5G spectrum bands and modes, from sub-6 to extended-range mmWave, will empower global mobile carriers and OEMs to offer best-in-class 5G performance to homes and businesses, including those in previously underserved areas,” said Cristiano Amon, president, Qualcomm Incorporated. “The widespread adoption of our modem-to-antenna solution translates into enhanced fixed broadband services and additional opportunities to utilize 5G network infrastructure for broad coverage in urban, suburban and rural environments. Due to the development ease of our integrated system and industry movement toward self-installed, plug-and-play CPE devices, we expect OEMs will be able to support fixed broadband deployments beginning in 2020.”

  • 5G to Change the Form Factor of Devices, Says Qualcomm President

    5G to Change the Form Factor of Devices, Says Qualcomm President

    Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon sees enormous potential for 5G to change the form factor of devices. “The most important thing is as you change your experience with 5G you’re going to want a different type of device and a different type of screen size and resolution,” says Amon. “The apps are also going to become way more powerful and you will actually have more powerful hardware that goes along with.”

    Cristiano Amon, President of Qualcomm Inc., discusses how 5G is going to prompt changes to the form factor of mobile devices in an interview with Bloomberg Technology at MWC Barcelona 2019:

    5G to Change the Form Factor of Devices

    I feel that there’s enormous potential for 5G to change the form factor of devices. We’re very proud of this partnership with Samsung and how they have been a great partner pioneering this new technology with us. We also see a number of different devices being announced and we see a potential for form factors to change. The most important thing is as you change your experience with 5G you’re going to want a different type of device and a different type of screen size and resolution. The apps are also going to become way more powerful and you will actually have more powerful hardware that goes along with.

    Bigger screens are here to stay. I think you will see the opportunity for larger screens as you have flexible OLED technology. You’re also going to see devices that are more specialized for more capable gaming because 5G will allow you to have mainstream gaming on 5G devices. You’re going to see devices there are going to converge between productivity. Over time, we expect to see virtual reality or augmented reality devices as well as a companion to your phone that is going to be using 5G technology. We hope that they look like eyeglasses.

    Qualcomm 5G PowerSave Technology

    One of the big announcements we’ve made at the show (MWC Barcelona 2019), we’re very proud of it, is the Qualcomm 5G PowerSave technology. That is actually a technology that is allowing the first generation of 5G phones to allow you to have all-day battery life. We have a very mature smartphone base today and users won’t settle for any less than we have on your phones currently. I think that’s the bar for those new 5g flagships. We’re happy a number of OEMs announced phones at this show with this technology.

    I will do a comparison because I think sometimes we forget about what happened in 4G. When we were about this time launching 4G technology, that was over a decade ago, we had two operators and four devices. Look where we are right now. We have 20 operators and 30 devices. It’s an order of magnitude different. Actually, it’s a proxy about how much faster 5G is going to get deployed.

  • Verizon CEO: 5G Will Transform the Enterprise

    Verizon CEO: 5G Will Transform the Enterprise

    There will be real-time enterprise solutions based on 5G, says Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg. He predicts that this is a way to transform an enterprise. Vestberg also says that 5G will continue to aggressively roll out this year and that there will be a Motorola and Samsung 5G phone possibly released within the next six months.

    Hans Vestberg, CEO of Verizon, discussed on Fox Business at Davos 2019 the advent of 5G and how it will spark massive innovation and technological change:

    5G Will Transform the Enterprise

    With business, we are already global as well as with our media strategy with our Yahoo brands, etc. With the consumer, we are only in the US and that is where we are focusing right now. With the 5G coming up that’s, of course, opening up new markets for us that we hadn’t had before. When it comes to wireless consumption for consumers there’s not so much more growth to do. What we see with 5G are so many other use cases. Consumers get the best service now and with 5G they will get even better service than they have today.

    We also have 5G Home which is a market that we don’t address today. Then, of course, there will be real-time enterprise solutions based on 5G. This is a way to transform an enterprise. It can be the production floor or a business campus that you transform with 5G. We see other use cases beyond consumers when we go to 5G. We will always take care of our consumers. We are the best network and we have the best performance and that will continue as well.

    5G Phones Coming Very Soon

    5G phones are coming soon. I have already announced that we will have two 5G phones coming out this year, preferably in the first half of the year. They will be from Motorola and Samsung. What it’s going to mean for consumers is when we have the 5G Ultra Wideband you are going to have 10X throughput and speeds.

    I’m sure you are wondering about new use cases with 5G. Remember when 4G came, we didn’t know. I can tell you that when there are so many people on 5G phones people are going to innovate new services with the speed, the throughput, and the low latency. Our plan is to work with the different developers using our platform or our network service in order to get the innovation on top of it. That’s going to create a lot of new services.

    5G Home Launching in More Markets

    The home service has been predominantly a cable or fiber service. Nowadays, we can see that you can also do that with wireless. You can get it quicker and we also see an increase in cord cutting. We want to give optionality to our customers. If they want a wireless offering they should be able to have that as well.

    We see that as a good opportunity. We already launched 5G Home last year in four markets and this year we want to launch in more markets.


  • Siri Co-founder: I Would Have Liked to See Siri Evolve to Doing More Things

    Siri Co-founder: I Would Have Liked to See Siri Evolve to Doing More Things

    The Co-Founder & former CEO of Siri, Dag Kittlaus, says that he “would have liked to see Siri evolve to doing more things, greater capabilities to become a bigger part of your life.” Siri was acquired by Apple in 2010.

    In 2012 Kittlaus co-founded another AI company, Viv, an artificial intelligence platform that enables developers to create an intelligent, conversational interface to anything. Viv was acquired by Samsung in 2016.

    Dag Kittlaus, Co-Founder of Siri and Viv, recently discussed Siri and Viv on Bloomberg:

    Has Siri lived up to your expectations?

    On the positive side, it’s gotten a lot faster, the speech recognition got a lot better. I would have liked to see Siri evolve to doing more things, greater capabilities to become a bigger part of your life merely because it’s doing so many more things for you.

    That was really the idea for the next company that we started, was how do we make it go from, not a novelty, but from a basic utility in your life to something much bigger, a paradigm in itself that you are really relying on in your everyday world.

    Why Hasn’t Apple Gotten There and is it Apples Fault?

    To some extent, but I just think they had a different focus from where we started it originally. I would have liked to see Apple open up to a third party ecosystem much earlier. That’s something that we are doing now. We think that is the big missing piece.

    The Apple app store is actually a perfect metaphor for this. The iPhone actually launched in 2007 with just a few Apple apps on it, weather and some very basic things. When the app store opened and unleashed the creativity of the developers around the world that changed the world.

    About Viv from the Original Announcement:

    For consumers, Viv is going to be the intelligent interface to everything you’re going to be talking to all different kinds of things it’s going to be doing all sorts of things for you. For developers, Viv is going to be the next great marketplace. You’ve got app stores today but the thing that comes after app stores is this new type of marketplace. This is a marketplace that works for all the different kinds of devices that the Internet of Things will in use cases that they’ll generate and a marketplace that will become the next big area.

     

  • Amazon Helps Samsung Printers Order Your Toner Before You Run Out

    Amazon Helps Samsung Printers Order Your Toner Before You Run Out

    Amazon announced the launch of new Dash Replenishment integration with Samsung printers so users won’t be left without toner when they need it. As the company notes, this could save you a potential jam on a time-sensitive project.

    Samsung was announced as a partner for the service back in October, along with GE, August, Gmate, Obe, Oster, Petnet, CleverPet, Sutro, Thync, and Sealed Air. Amazon noted at the time that Samsung laser printers would order toner cartridges.

    Now, the functionality is available for select models, and customers can sign up for Dash Replenishment through Samsung’s Mobile Print app, which lets users wirelessly print from their mobile devices or via Samsung’s Easy Printer Manager, a device management console for Windows and Mac.

    The user can select which toner is automatically ordered when a replacement is needed, and the printer will then monitor toner levels. Before it runs out, an order will be placed and shipped by Amazon.

    “Let’s face it, there’s never a good time to run out of toner,” said Andrew Sivori, Vice President, CE-IT Product Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “Through our collaboration with Amazon and integration of Amazon Dash Replenishment, we can ensure that our valued customers never experience lost time or productivity due to an empty toner cartridge. Samsung is committed to improving small office productivity through advanced technology.”

    “Amazon Dash Replenishment prevents the ‘oh-no’ moments of running out,” said Daniel Rausch, Director of Amazon Devices. “A Samsung printer using Dash Replenishment automatically orders toner when it’s needed, so customers don’t have to think or worry about how much is left and they won’t ever run out of the toner supplies needed to stay productive.”

    Earlier this year, Amazon announced additional Dash Replenishment devices including Brother printers, a GE washer, and a Gmate SMART blood glucose monitor. The program also includes Purell soap and hand sanitizer devices and the Whirlpool Smart Dishwasher.

    Image via Amazon

  • Microsoft And Others Work on IoT Standards For Companies And Developers

    Microsoft And Others Work on IoT Standards For Companies And Developers

    Tech heavyweights including Microsoft, Samsung, Intel, Qualcomm, Cisco, ARRIS, Electrolux, CableLabs, and GE Digital announced the formation of the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) aimed at helping to unify Internet of Things (IoT) standards so businesses and developers can create IoT solutions and devices that cooperate with one another.

    According to the announcement, the OCF, which unifies the former Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) with various companies, will work to accelerate industry innovation and collaborate on specifications, protocols, and open source projects so that a wide range of consumer, enterprise, and embedded devices and sensors from a variety of makers can seamlessly (and securely) work together.

    The goal is to make it so that billions of connected devices, appliances, phones, computers, and industrial machines can communicate with one another regardless of manufacturer, operating system, chipset, or transport.

    Terry Myerson, EVP, Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft said, “The OCF will help consolidate industry attention and create opportunity, via an agreed upon set of protocols that move the world forward. We are designing Windows 10 to be the ideal operating system and Azure to be the best cloud companion for Things, and for both of them to interoperate with all Things. Windows 10 devices will natively support the new OCF standard, making it easy for Windows to discover, communicate, and orchestrate multiple IoT devices in the home, in business, and beyond. We look forward to seeing the innovation this new standard will enable for all customers and the endless opportunities it will create for developers.”

    “OIC has been working to develop a standard specification for IoT devices, and at the same time developing IoTivity as an open source reference implementation,” said SeungHwan Cho, Executive Vice President and Deputy Head of Software R&D Center at Samsung. “We welcome these leaders in their fields to OCF, which we believe will become the most diverse global organization developing IoT standards and code.”

    You can learn more about the Foundation and peruse various resources here.

    Image via OCF (Twitter)

  • Samsung on Galaxy Note 5 Design Flaw: ‘Just Don’t Stick the Stylus In the Wrong Way, Guys’

    Samsung on Galaxy Note 5 Design Flaw: ‘Just Don’t Stick the Stylus In the Wrong Way, Guys’

    It looks like Samsung has something akin to antennae-gate on its hands. Pen-gate?

    Android Police found a pretty alarming design flaw in the company’s new Galaxy Note 5 – one that can cause permanent or at least hard-to-reverse damage.

    Apparently, it’s incredibly easily to insert the stylus the wrong way into the device, and this could lead to serious problems.

    From Android Police:

    The flaw stems from Samsung’s new S Pen slot design on the Note 5, and you may have read about this already elsewhere, but here’s our take on it. Basically, on previous Galaxy Note smartphones, attempting to inset the S Pen in the device in the wrong direction resulted in obvious futility – they won’t fit, or if they do, they require substantial force to get into the S Pen slot the wrong way, enough that you’d immediately realize you were doing something wrong.

     

    On the Note 5, inserting the S Pen the wrong way provides exactly as much resistance as inserting it the right way. Which is to say: basically none at all. Once you insert the pen far enough in the wrong direction (again, which causes no strange resistance or feel than putting it in the right way), it will get stuck. It doesn’t even have to “click” in. At this point, of course, you will panic. And you will try to get it out – and most likely, you’ll succeed. The problem is that if you do succeed, there’s a very real possibility you’ll break whatever mechanism the device uses to detect whether the pen is attached or detached from the phone.

    Of course, the Note 5 knowing that the S-Pen is attached can screw up some the device’s features.

    Samsung has responded, kind of.

    “We highly recommend our Galaxy Note 5 users follow the instructions in the user guide to ensure they do not experience such an unexpected scenario caused by reinserting the S-Pen in the other way around,” said Samsung in a statement.

    That doesn’t sound like much more than well, don’t put it in the wrong way guys.

  • Samsung Galaxy S6 Bends When You Bend It, Just Like the iPhone 6 Plus

    Samsung Galaxy S6 Bends When You Bend It, Just Like the iPhone 6 Plus

    In things are going to bend when you bend them news, it appears that Samsung might want to build a time machine, go back in time, and not make fun of Apple for its bendable phones.

    Third-party insurance company SquareTrade has a new video out, and it’s making the rounds. In the video, various new smartphones are put through a pressure test – and lo and behold, when enough pressure is applied the metal frames begin to buckle.

    The point of note here, however, is that the new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is just as bendable as the iPhone 6 Plus. Both took about 110 pounds of pressure to start bending.

    The only difference is that the Galaxy S6 Edge also started shattering. So, while an iPhone 6 Plus might bend in your pocket, a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge might leave you with a pocket full of glass. Check it out:

    I’ll just leave this comment from reddit here with no additional comment from yours truly

    Comment from discussion Bendgate returns Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

    #Bendgate2015

    Image via SquareTrade Inc, YouTube

  • Watch a Guy Watch His Son’s Birth Live in Virtual Reality

    Watch a Guy Watch His Son’s Birth Live in Virtual Reality

    If you don’t pay attention to the incredibly odd promo image above, Samsung has done something pretty cool – for the first time (it’s claiming), someone has watched a birth live-stream in virtual reality.

    Make no mistake, this is a six minute ad for Samsung’s Gear VR. But it is a neat use of the technology. It might pull at your heartstrings a little bit – if you’re inclined to have those tugged on occasion.

    The story goes like this: Jason and Alison were about to welcome their third child, but Jason’s work took him all the way across Australia and made it impossible for him to be there at the birth. This was terrible and depressing, naturally. Then, Samsung swooped in and saved the day by setting up multi-directional cameras in the delivery room and giving Jason a Gear VR headset.

    “Sometimes barriers like distance keep people from being part of experiences that no one wants to miss. So we decided to help two people come together in a completely new way to let them share one of life’s most profound moments. Welcome to the world’s first live virtual reality birth using the Samsung Gear VR,” says Samsung.

    You can watch a father watch the birth of his son in virtual reality below:

    Image via Samsung

  • CES: Netflix Reportedly Prepares For HDR 4K Streaming

    CES: Netflix Reportedly Prepares For HDR 4K Streaming

    Last year, all of the talk was about 4K Ultra HD, but now that Netflix offers that, it’s on to the next best thing, which is apparently HDR or high dynamic range 4K streaming. And Netflix will reportedly launch this eventually.

    Steven Tweedie at Business Insider reports from the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas that he was “ushered into a dark room to see the new way to watch Netflix,” and that “it’s gorgeous.” He got a look at Netflix original Marco Polo this way as well as the movie A Million Ways to Die in the West Tweedie writes:

    Samsung showed off some impressive HDR 4K televisions at CES this week, but LG is arguably further along, with an official partnership with Netflix that will introduce HDR streaming later this year.

    …

    Once Netflix officially launches HDR streaming, Netflix will “talk” to your TV, checking to see whether your TV is equipped for HDR. Your TV will enable the feature and handle all the HDR processing, so you won’t have to worry about Netflix being slower just so you can see some extra color.

    Of course, you’ll need a high-end HDR 4K TV to be able to get the experience.

    Image via Netflix

  • Galaxy Note 4 Becomes VR Headset With Latest Hardware

    Galaxy Note 4 Becomes VR Headset With Latest Hardware

    The Galaxy Note 4 has already been established as one of the best “phablets” to be released this year. Now the device can also be one of the first commercial VR headsets on the market.

    Samsung and Oculus announced today that the Gear VR Innovator Edition is now available. The virtual reality headset attaches to the Galaxy Note 4 and transforms the device into a mobile VR headset through the mini-USB port. The hardware, much like the Oculus Rift, is intended for developers to start making virtual reality applications for mobile devices. Oculus believes that everybody should have access to virtual reality and this is another step in that direction. After all, who doesn’t want to watch movies in VR on their smartphone?

    “With Gear VR Innovator Edition, Samsung is putting the device in the hands of creators to craft amazing experiences, as we define this new mobile category together,” said Justin Denison, vice president, Product Strategy and Marketing, Samsung Telecommunications America. “This is a great opportunity for the enthusiast community, developers and Samsung to get feedback and continue to innovate in this exciting new space.”

    If you do end up buying the Gear VR, it will come with a number of applications already built for with mobile VR in mind. The three games available are HeroBound, Anshar Wars and theBlu. The latter is the most interesting as its an underwater exploration title. There are a number of similar exploration titles built for the Oculus Rift on the PC and has proven to be one of the more popular applications. It may end up being the same on mobile devices, but time will tell.

    Here’s a better look at the hardware:

    The Gear VR is available now for $200 either at Samsung’s or AT&T’s online store. The Galaxy Note 4 is available for $300 under contract at AT&T. The Gear VR is built specifically for the Note 4 so you shouldn’t buy one unless you already own or plan on buying Samsung’s latest phablet.

  • Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Is A Decided Improvement Over Its Predecessor

    Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Is A Decided Improvement Over Its Predecessor

    The Samsung Galaxy Note 4, like clockwork, released six months after this year’s disappointing Galaxy S 5. Like every note before it, the Note 4 is positioned as the phablet alternative to Samsung’s mainstream S series. The concern this time around is that the Note 4, much like the S 5, isn’t changing enough to keep up with the competition. Well, now that the phone has been out on the market for more than a month, what do the professionals think?

    To start, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is a beast of a device. It sports a 2.7GHz quad-core CPU, 3GB of RAM, a 1440×2560 5.7-inch display, 32GB of on-board memory and a 32 MP rear camera. In other words, you’re not going to find yourself lacking in power with the device. Its power was pretty much a given at this point though. What about everything else?

    In reviews, the Note 4 is praised for its display, included software and power. Much the same could be said of the Galaxy Note 3. What sets this phone apart from the previous device besides the bump in specs? Trusted Review draws attention to the build quality and additional hardware, such as the fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor, as the major additions over its previous incarnation. Other publications agree that the Note 4 is a worthy successor to the Note 4 and definitely worth the upgrade.

    When compared to other devices, it isn’t as clear. It’s not that any one phone is obviously superior to the other, but rather a matter of preference. Does it bother you that Samsung still uses plastic on the backs of its phones? While the company has made some improvements to the back of the Note 4, it still lacks the full metal backing of the iPhone 6 Plus. When compared to other Android devices, the Note 4 comes a bit more favorable as its closest competition – the LG G3 – has an inferior display and cameras.

    If you found yourself disappointed by the Galaxy S 5, the Galaxy Note 4 may be the Android phone for you this year. It has improved upon everything found in the Galaxy Note 3 while retaining everything that makes the Note line shine. Besides, Samsung is marketing the device with cute animals – everybody loves cute animals:

    The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is available from every major carrier in the United States and it retails for $749.