On the fence? Try the Samsung Galaxy S6 Experience app
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The Samsung Galaxy S6 is now available globally and for many, it’s an excruciating task to choose between the Galaxy S6 and its age-old rival, its HTC counterpart, the HTC One M9. To help you perhaps swing their way, Samsung has once again released an app that showcases the features from its latest flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Experience app. Like its previous iterations, the Experience app takes you through a virtual tour of the major selling points of the Galaxy S6. Samsung has even included a “Lifestyle Curator” which, after answering a few questions, will help you decide what accessories are available to the Galaxy S6 that match that particular lifestyle.
Whether or not apps like this actually help with device sales, it’s undeniable that the Galaxy S6 probably doesn’t need the help after multiple reports that the Galaxy S6, and its more expensive brother, the Galaxy S6 Edge, are selling like hotcakes everywhere. Then again, if you are on the fence, then maybe this app will convince you. To check it out, you can hit the Play Store link below and try it out for free.
Source: TalkAndroid
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Internal Document Shows Google’s Side of EU Antitrust Case
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As we reported earlier, the European Union is preparing to file antitrust charges against Google as of tomorrow. Well according to an internal document leaked to re/code, we now can roughly expect what the search engine conglomerate’s defense can be. The memo leaked to the media outlet quotes as follows.
“The competition is just one click away… and it’s growing. People can use Bing, Yahoo, Quora, DuckDuckGo, and a new wave of search assistants like Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana, as well as more specialized services like Amazon, Idealo, Le Guide, Expedia, or eBay. In addition, users increasingly turn to social networks like Facebook and Twitter to find news and suggestions… where to eat or which movies to watch.”
This is followed up by several charts and graphs, one reference, in particular, was ComScore, sighting ongoing and tough competition from the likes of Amazon and Ebay.. Also from the memo…
“Competition online is thriving… despite what many of the complainants in this case allege. Indeed, if you look at shopping, it’s clear that there’s a ton of competition (including from Amazon and eBay) that has not been harmed by Google’s own shopping service.”
The reference information is focused on online shopping, with a few exceptions. Google also expects that the European Union will want to investigate the Android operating system as well, but according to the documents, they’re pretty confident that they have a good chance to prevail. If you would like to read the full document at the source, check out the link below. We’ll be here when further news develops.
Source: Re/code
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Pocket enhances its web interface with new design and features
Do you remember the time when Pocket was called Read It Later? Apparently, it’s been three years since the name change, and Pocket wants to celebrate it (and the $7 million it’s just raised from investors, including Mr. Lenovo, Ashton Kutcher) by giving its web interface an overhaul. The company has rebuilt its web UI to scale fit all screen sizes, from phones and phablets to laptops and big-screen desktop PCs. Pocket has also added a progress bar and a title at the top of the interface, as well as tweaked its dark mode to turn the whole UI background black. You’ll also find a fixed menu on the left-hand margin of the interface for quick access to Favorites, Tags and Inbox, as well as a Bulk Edit icon on the top left corner. These changes will arrive soon, if they haven’t yet, and could make the web interface your go-to option if the apps aren’t doing it for you.
Filed under: Misc
Source: Pocket
Sky’s digital movie and DVD combo store is now open to everyone
If you want to buy the latest movies digitally, where do you go? There are countless storefronts to consider, including iTunes, Google Play and Blinkbox Movies. But Sky has a simple reason to choose its ‘Buy & Keep‘ service over the others: purchase a movie from us, and we’ll throw in the DVD too. Before the offer was only available to Sky TV customers, but now anyone can use Buy & Keep through Sky Store. You can order movies through skystore.com or the Sky Store apps, before watching them on a mobile device, or Roku, YouView, Now TV or Sky+ HD box. Four devices can be registered to a single account and two devices can stream the same movie simultaneously — useful if you watch a lot of movies on the go. A new “follow me” feature means you can also pause a film on your smartphone or tablet and pick up where you left off on your big-screen TV.
The prices aren’t cheap: new releases are £13.99 and older titles are £7.99. But you’re also getting the DVD, which Sky promises to deliver within five working days. It’s a smart play, because owning a physical copy means there’s no risk of losing your film collection, should ‘Buy & Keep’ ever shut down or you decide to switch to a different platform. Sky says it’s still keen to bring TV and movie boxsets into the fold, but refrained from giving any sort of time frame. An option to buy a Blu-ray over the DVD would be nice too. Just saying.
Filed under: Home Entertainment
Via: Sky
Source: Sky Store
Europe accuses Google of abusing its monopoly in mobile and search
It’s been coming for what seems like an eternity, but today’s the day that Europe finally hits Google with an official investigation into its business practices. The European Commission has announced that it’ll open an antitrust probe into Android, and has laid out its objections following a similar probe into Google Shopping. In essence, regulators believe that the search giant has “abused its dominant position,” or playing favorites with its own products and crowding competitor’s products out of the market.
The complaint regarding Google Shopping boils down to the fact that, when you compare products, its own price comparison tool is prominently displayed on the search screen. The potential risk, as far as watchdogs are concerned, is that you might not get the best, or cheapest result, but the one Google profits from. Another complaint levied at the company is that its own shopping service isn’t subject to the same up and down rankings other (non-Google) sites get, even if it’s not performing well. That’s considered to be “systematic favourable treatment,” and to solve the problem, the company should treat Google Shopping as it would any other comparison shopping service.
Commission adopted Statement of Objection. Our preliminary view: Favourable treatment of Google Shopping is an abuse of dominant position.
– Margrethe Vestager (@vestager) April 15, 2015
Meanwhile, the newer complaint, regarding Android, centers around the way Google ships the software and if that somehow creates a monopoly. For instance, handsets that ship with access to Google Play are required to ship with Gmail and Chrome pre-installed, theoretically making AOSP handsets second class citizens. Regulators are concerned that bundled access to Google’s services crowds out potential rivals and harms their development. In addition, commissioners are worried that withholding privileges for AOSP and forked versions of the OS is “illegally hindering the development” of rival mobile operating systems.
CONFIRMED: @vestager confirms to @POLITICOEurope that she & Commission are willing to take Google complaint thru to fines stage (up to €6bn)
– Ryan Heath (@RyanHeathWriter) April 15, 2015
The tl;dr explanation of all of that is that the European Commission is worried that Google’s got a monopoly on Europe’s smartphone and price comparison market, and wants to dig deep to confirm if that’s the case. Should the allegations turn out to be true in the eyes of the regulator, Google could be slapped with a fine totaling $6 billion. Europe’s competition chief, Margrethe Vestager has said that she’d prefer to work with Google than against it, and invites the firm to take all opportunities to avoid the fine.
@vestafer also strikes a canny constructive tone: invites Google to take all opportunities to avoid fine, confirms she likes their products
– Ryan Heath (@RyanHeathWriter) April 15, 2015
For its part, Google’s Policy Blog has already responded to the complaints by saying that it isn’t the 800 pound gorilla it’s made out to be. Google VP Amit Singhal points out that competition in the European price comparison market is thriving, and Google Shopping is dwarfed by other sites, including Amazon and eBay. In another post, Android’s Hiroshi Lockheimer, meanwhile, says that Android is a “key player in spurring this competition and choice” in the modern world of smartphones. He also throws a sharp elbow towards Apple, saying that “there are far fewer Google apps pre-installed on Android phones than Apple apps on iOS devices.”
There’s no deadline to how long this investigation can take, and considering how long it took for the Commission to decide on the bundling of Internet Explorer, don’t hold your breath for a speedy resolution of this one.
Source: Europa, (2), (3), Google Policy Blog, (2)
Samsung publishes the Galaxy S6 Experience app to the Play Store
You would have to have been living on the moon if you weren’t already aware of the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones, and even then, there’s a chance you might have seen something. In case you are unsure what the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge handsets are all about, Samsung has published the Galaxy S6 Experience app to the Google Play Store for you to browse through.
As you can see from the images above, the Galaxy S6 Experience app runs through the various software and hardware features of the handsets, from the metal and glass design to the accessories you can buy to complement it. If you were wondering about the S6 or S6 Edge but haven’t managed to get to a retailer to handle one in the flesh, the app gives you a great idea of what the S6 and S6 Edge have to offer. You can download the app to your device by scanning the QR code or clicking the Google Play link below.
Source: Google Play Store
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Samsung has reportedly formed a dedicated team to build displays for Apple products
Samsung has reportedly created a team of around 200 employees to work exclusively on display technology for Apple products, as well as strengthening relations between the two giants.
Maaxi lets you share a taxi across London with up to five strangers
Uber is still pushing for world domination, but in London regular black cabs are still one of the most popular ways to get around town. Ride-sharing is also on the rise, but Uber is yet to launch either UberPool or UberPop in Britain. Spotting a gap in the market, newcomer Maaxi is launching a similar offering with the aid of regular black cabs. The app lets you book individual seats, which means you can share your journey with up to five people in order to cut down your fare. Maaxi says, at least to begin with, it’ll be focusing on journeys that follow public transport routes. Drivers will deviate for specific pick-ups and drop-offs, but the idea is to focus on the areas of London with the highest demand from passengers. After all, this kind of service will likely thrive or die based on the number of people using it — if you find yourself travelling solo for most journeys, the app’s key selling point is moot.
When you launch the app on your smartphone, you can set various parameters (price, time, exclusive or shared ride, etc.) and review a live “departures board” to see which rides are available. With 2,000 taxi drivers signed up for the service, the hope is that it shouldn’t be too difficult to find an option that suits. But again, it’s the demand from users that will ultimately decide whether the service is actually useful. If you need a ride immediately, but the next available car-share is 30 minutes away, the app is useless. Still, the concept is unique for London and should help Maaxi stand out against the likes of Uber and Hailo.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Maaxi
AT&T two year contract rumored to be history
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T-Mobile’s uncarrier movement may have begun to sprout legs. For a lot of AT&T customers, the two-year contract has been the bane of consumers desire to jump into a better deal offered by the carrier.
We’ve all been there.. time after time, current and former customers who saw a commercial for a better smartphone, or data plan, would walk into AT&T, along with places such as Verizon or Sprint, wanting to get the deal they had seen on TV, radio, or even through their own email.. Only to find out that due to the fine print on the contract, they can’t get it. In Verizon’s case, it might be because you have a subsidized contract, and you have to be a customer for a year or more before you can get on EDGE.
Well, if the rumors about AT&T are to be believed, as of the next few months, the contract as we know it might just become a part of history. Although nothing has been confirmed, a recent report has hinted at PROJECT ALICE a plan to eliminate the two-year contract and the carriers current NEXT plan, that is similar to Verizon’s EDGE, will be the only type of service contract that the smartphone network will offer. Given the fact that it’s difficult to get on with the service behemoth, it could have the opposite effect the carrier might be looking for.
Currently, any potential customers who start with AT&T, the carrier representative tries to get a customer on to a NEXT plan, however if credit reports don’t qualify, the soon to be customer has no choice, other than go elsewhere, but the normal two-year contract. However, since NEXT plans are very difficult for customers to be qualified for, the details of any alternative credit checks would be crucial to any such sales plan. Remember, currently this is only a rumor, but a solid one. If we hear anything else, we’ll be sure to pass it along.
Source: Android Authority
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Galaxy S6 gets teardown treatment, proves fairly difficult to repair
As per usual with new devices, iFixit has torn apart a brand new Galaxy S6 to see how easy it’ll be to fix it in case you break it or your non-removable battery goes bad. While it’s all theoretically possible, the process looks bad for DIY phone repairs.
The (only) good news about the S6 here is that many of its components are modular. This is great for replacing individual things instead of replacing the entire device. That’s where the good news ends, though. Everything else about the device is tough to repair, especially since the front and back of the device is cased in glass.
Without the removable back, actually getting into the device is a feat within itself. Everything is pretty firmly sealed up, including the battery, but once everything is open, taking the battery out to swap it for a new one doesn’t look like it’ll be too difficult.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but pretty much everything inside the device is identical to the Galaxy S6 Edge with just a few slight differences. The camera modules are the same and the placement of most of the components on the motherboard are strikingly similar. There aren’t many surprises inside, as we know all about the USB 2.0 ports and fingerprint scanners that Samsung built into the device.
Overall, Samsung’s latest flagship scored a paltry 4 out of 10 on the repairability scale thanks to how difficult it is to get inside the device. It doesn’t matter how easy things are to replace inside the phone if you nearly destroy the device getting inside of it. iFixit noted that replacing the glass on the phone would likely be impossible without breaking the display, further adding to the costs of repairs.
If you want to see the full teardown process, hit the link below.
source: iFixit
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