Samsung offers iPhone owners a test drive of their flagship devices
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Channeling T-Mobile’s popular Test Drive program, Samsung is coming out with one of their own. Under T-Mobile’s version you can request an iPhone to see if their network works for you but under Samsung’s new promotion iPhone users can rent one of Samsung’s flagship devices for a month with no obligation to buy. The cost is only a dollar for the month of use and you can select from the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge or Galaxy Note 5. It’s open to all 4 major carriers but some devices aren’t available yet. A colleague tried to sign up to get a Note 5, and presumably because it hasn’t been widely released, it’s not available under this new program yet.
This is another ploy to move Apple users into the Samsung category by the South Korean giant. The redesigned Galaxy S and Note lines have been widely criticized for leaving behind features that made them popular (removable battery, micro sd card slot) but the strategy has been clear so far. Build a better and higher end version of the iPhone for Android users who want Apple like quality without giving up the OS they love and tempt iPhone users to switch sides. With a glass back and 7000 series aluminum casing, it’s hard to argue that the newest releases from Samsung aren’t the most beautiful Android phones on the market.
If you’re interested in the promotion head over to SamsungPromotions.com from your iPhone to look around and sign up. If you try to sign up on anything but an iDevice it’ll kindly ask you to switch over to your iPhone. The program will run for 30 days and cost your $1 for the use of the phone. You’ll have a few days to return it with a return label provided by Samsung or you can keep the device and pay full price for it. Samsung promises “some love” for those who go on to buy a Samsung device after the test drive but what that is hasn’t been disclosed. In the fine print Samsung makes you agree to only renting one device at a time and once you rent that device, it cant be rented again so my dreams of paying $12 a year for flagship Samsung device are unfortunately dashed. You must provide a valid credit card to Samsung to sign up for the program and if you damage the device you’ll be charged $100.
What do you think about Samsung’s plan? Will it really be enough to cut into Apple’s sales?
Source: Samsung Ultimate Test Drive
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Samsung’s Ultimate Test Drive to loan the Galaxy Note 5, S6 Edge+ to iPhone users for $1
Samsung’s year to-date has seen release precious pair of premium products. It has also seen removal of solid staples that have sat silently for many years. Last week’s formal announcement of the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5 continue with the new status quo, ergo microSD and removable batteries are obviously a major no-show. The debated reasoning for such drastic decisions are largely centered around increased competition in Asia and a desire to provide a more streamlined product, akin to something Apple might offer.
Indeed Samsung is quite eager to capture the hearts of iPhone users it seems, for it has just announced a new promotion that will allow anyone using one to rent the Galaxy Note 5 or Galaxy S6 Edge+ for 30 days at an impossible-to-turn-down price of just $1. From now until December 31st, interested applicants who reside in the USA, and are of 18 years of age or older, need simply register for the promotion on an iPhone and can get their [new] phone on.
Samsung’s Ultimate Test Drive literally gives you the ability to do this…for just $1.
The devices will apparently ship with an activated SIM card, though no details are provided as to the specifics of what that entails. There are a lot of legal issues involved with this venture, not to mention the question of just what kind of service will be provided. Given that these phones are LTE devices, it would follow that a sizable amount of data would need to be included so that the testers could get a “feel” for the device and how it operates.
Likewise calling functionality is seemingly also relevant and thus the prospect of Samsung taking out an entire contract in the name of the test user seems like quite a generous offer, though until more details are disclosed ultimately we can only assume this is the case.
Of course the promotion does have a few caveats: a valid credit card is required to avoid those who might otherwise try to keep the device, and there are at least two surveys required in addition to Samsung having liberal rights to metadata collected during the rental. A clause about agreeing to receive telephone calls related to this trial is also mentioned. Additionally, there are specific terms and stipulations provided for the conditions in which the device is to be returned:
EQUIPMENT WHICH IS RETURNED OR REPAIRED IN ANY MANNER OTHER THAN AS SPECIFIED ABOVE SHALL RESULT IN CUSTOMER BEING CHARGED THE FOLLOWING:
| Cost for Damages | Types of Damages |
| $0 |
|
| $100 |
|
| Replacement Cost |
|
For reference,
- With respect to a Samsung Galaxy S6, the replacement cost shall be Seven Hundred and Twenty Dollars ($720.00);
- With respect to a Samsung Galaxy S6 edge, the replacement cost shall be Eight Hundred and Twenty Dollars ($820.00);
Indeed this promotion is potentially a fantastic idea for Samsung, one that would seemingly feel right at home were John Ledger to have announced it for T-Mobile. As the Galaxy series has matured, the amount of potential interest from Apple customers has arguably increased along with it, due in no small part by Cupertino’s restricted, “walled garden” approach to its mobile OS. While many US carriers offer liberal return options such that an “experiment” of this nature would be possible, Samsung has seemingly made it almost effortless to do so.
It is particularly interesting to read through the above return conditions, namely for the fact that (1) the trial user can apparently keep all the accessories and not be subject to a penalty. Even a major problem such as a scratched screen or water damage which typically command repair prices equal to a quarter of the device’s actual cost (if not more) is covered by a very reasonable $100.
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Samsung’s intent for this trial undoubtedly has something to do with the success Apple has seen with the iPhone 6 Plus, not to mention the profit picture painted by the press. Even the timing of the Unpacked event itself was allegedly because of a fear of Fruit. With this new trial, the Korean OEM may have just discovered a new way to get the iOS crowd to see just why Android is such a fantastic platform, and why Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 in particular, is the very epitome of the phablet form factor Apple so reluctantly, yet finally, chose to emulate.
What are your thought on this new experiment? Do you know any iPhone users that might be eager to test it out? Do you have an iPhone that you would consider registering with just to test drive the latest and greatest? Let us known in the comments section below.
Full Terms and Conditions can be found here.
UK orders Google to kill links to ‘right to be forgotten’ stories
The whole point of the European Union’s “right to be forgotten” laws is to remove links to irrelevant or outdated data about a persons life from Google, but a vicious cycle of news about the removal of links to news is making that impossible. Think about it: Google removes links about your sordid past from its search engine, but then adds a news story about that link removal that still includes your name and the old misdemeanor. Yeah, it’s kind of messy — which is why a UK court is ordering Google to remove links to stories about removing links that can be found by searching for the original complainant’s name.
Google initially refused to remove search results to stories about the “right to be forgotten” law, explaining that the censorship of this content is “a matter of significant public importance.” The UK Information Commissioner’s Office actually agrees, but with the caveat that the specific case in question is hanging a non-public figure’s laundry out to dry for no good reason. “Content relating to the decisions to delist search results may be newsworthy and in the public interest,” the Commissioner’s Office writes. “However, that interest can be adequately and properly met without a search made on the basis of the complainant’s name.”
The Commission has given Google 35 days to remove the offending links, though Google has the right to appeal the order. It’s a tough issue. What’s more important — the right to be forgotten, or ensuring that access to relevant news about search censorship is available? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
[Image credit: Maurice Savage / Alamy]
Filed under:
Misc, Internet, Google
Source:
ICO
Tags: delisting, EU, google, removalrequests, RightToBeForgotten, UK
Tesla will give free chargers to select Airbnb hosts
Tesla is teaming up with Airbnb to give customers staying for a vacation in the West Coast some peace of mind. The automaker plans to give free chargers to over 100 Airbnb hosts in the region, particularly those renting out premium properties. There are already 12 entries in the list of Tesla-ready houses, but Airbnb’s still accepting applications from those who want to install one. Only candidates that are renting out whole properties, have had at least five bookings and a four-star rating are eligible, though, and even then they might not be among the 100 hosts chosen for the project. That said anyone who gets picked will still have to shell out a few hundred bucks: neither Tesla nor Airbnb will cover the $200 to $900 installation fee.
Range anxiety is a real thing, and no doubt it’s keeping a lot of people from making the leap to electric vehicles. Tesla’s been working to make charging stations available in more locations in an effort to serve present and future customers. In addition to its partnership with Airbnb, the automaker is also installing chargers in Manhattan garages and has updated its software to be able to plot routes along its charger networks.
Now Tesla owners have more awesome destinations with the launch of @AirBnb Tesla charging http://t.co/WZiAjEiPuo pic.twitter.com/mNaLq9KFTf
— Tesla Motors (@TeslaMotors) August 20, 2015
Filed under:
Transportation
Source:
Airbnb
Tags: airbnb, tesla
Samsung’s next big thing is a free trial program for iPhone owners
You know Samsung isn’t afraid to taunt Apple with ads. But now, in the name of marketing, the South Korean company is introducing a program that aims to lure users away from the iPhone. With Ultimate Test Drive, Samsung’s giving owners of Apple’s smartphone the chance to try its new Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+, at no cost and for 30 days. Samsung says the devices will include a data plan and be compatible with any US carrier, though right now it’s unclear what customers are expected to use as collateral. “We want to give people the chance to try out Samsung’s latest and greatest smartphones firsthand without any obligation through our Ultimate Test Drive,” says Elizabeth Solomon, vice president of marketing at Samsung.
If you recall, T-Mobile offers a similar option for the iPhone 5s, letting customers try the device free of charge for a week. We’re trying to find out more details about how exactly Samsung’s Ultimate Test Drive works, so we’ll let you know as soon as that info comes in.
Update: You can learn all about the program right here.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Samsung
Source:
Samsung
Tags: Apple, GalaxyNote5, galaxys6edge+, GalaxyS6EdgePlus, iPhone, mobilepostcross, Note5, s6edgeplus, Samsung, UltimateTestDrive
Samsung Launches Free Trial Program for iPhone Users
Samsung today launched a new promotion called Ultimate Test Drive, a program designed to get iPhone users to switch away from their Apple devices to Samsung ones (via Engadget). The Test Drive coincides with the launch of Samsung’s newest devices, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+.
For just one dollar, you can try one of our latest Samsung phones for 30 days with no obligation. Your test drive kit will come with the phone of your choice, an activated sim card, and a step-by-step guide to help you start your test drive.
To sign up for the promotion, iPhone users have to visit SamsungPromotions.com on their device and select their phone. Samsung tells Engadget that the promotion is compatible with any U.S. carrier. It’s unclear whether Samsung will put a hold on trial-goers credit cards and, if so, how much that hold could be.
Last year, T-Mobile launched a trial program for users to test out its network with an iPhone 5s for a week. T-Mobile placed a $699.99 hold on a user’s credit or debit card, charging it if the phone wasn’t returned at the end of the trial.
Following the launch of both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Samsung has seen a significant profit drop in its mobile division as some of its customers opted to switch from Samsung devices to the larger-screened Apple devices. Before the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, screen size was one of the major differentiators between Samsung and Apple’s smartphones, but now Samsung must find other ways to differentiate from Apple. Thus far, the Korean company has focused on faster charging and the S6 Edge’s curved display screen. The Ultimate Test Drive is Samsung’s latest attempt to win back some customers.
Microsoft updates Bing app to offer “snapshots on tap” ahead of Google Now
Microsoft has opened up their knowledge and action graph APIs for developers to use to help integrate Bing’s snapshot feature into more and more apps. The API will allow Bing to quickly show relevant information to users according to what’s on their screen, essentially imitating Google’s Now on Tap.
So long as an app supports it, users will be able to use Bing to pull up info about movies, travel destinations, and all kinds of things without ever having to leave the app they’re in. Data about locations and movie tickets and everything in between will pop up on screen in its own window, skipping the actual searching part of searching for information.
The API will be rolling out to any developer that wants it in the next few months, so Google should expect some pretty serious competition from Microsoft when Now on Tap releases with Android Marshmallow.
Personally, I’m becoming a pretty big fan of Microsoft’s software on my Android devices. Now that they’ve shifted focus to apps and services instead of flatlined smartphones, they’re creating some pretty compelling reasons to buy into Microsoft’s Windows ecosystem.
source: Bing
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: Microsoft updates Bing app to offer “snapshots on tap” ahead of Google Now
Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV stick are receiving HBO Now
HBO Now, HBO’s subscription streaming service, is coming to Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire TV stick today. You can now watch all of HBO’s movies, TV shows, and documentaries for $15 per month.
HBO Now was previously an Apple TV exclusive, but later opened up to Google Chromecast.
Amazon Fire Tablets already had access to HBO Now for over a month now, but they are expanding the service to the Fire TV products.
Come comment on this article: Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV stick are receiving HBO Now
Google officially merges Google Views with Google Maps
Google Views was a lesser known place where people could upload their own photos or photospheres to Google Maps for all to see. Whenever you were in Google Maps and saw photos at the bottom of the screen, those were all taken from Google Views contributors. Unfortunately, that service has been officially shut down by Google.
The good news is Google is now moving all that Views data into Google Maps. Google Maps now has a Contributions button inside the navigation drawer where you can look over all of your Google Views photos or reviews that you have contributed over the years.
In my opinion, this was a smart move from Google as Google Views being separated, yet still a huge part of Google Maps, didn’t really make much sense. Now everything should be much smoother and cohesive. The only problem is at the moment Google does not allow anyone to contribute photos or photospheres to Google Maps. They have also taken away a lot of old features that made Views so great such as showing dots on the map that show where you took a photo.
It is unfortunate that many Views features have vanished and you can’t upload any new photos, but Google says that is only for now. Over the next year they will be slowly adding back in those features to Google Maps to create one cohesive experience.
Source: Google Maps (Google+)
Come comment on this article: Google officially merges Google Views with Google Maps
FCC to build an open source video platform for ASL users
The FCC is developing a video access platform that will allow American Sign Language (ASL) users to communicate with businesses and government agencies more easily, Chairman Tom Wheeler announced on Thursday. With it, users will be able to make video calls as well as send text and audio to the person on the other end of the line. What’s more, the platform will not only enable the creation of function-specific desktop and mobile apps that, say, allow users to connect with FCC reps through a relay service staffed by people fluent in ASL. It will also serve as an interoperability standard for existing IP-based video conferencing apps like Skype or Google Hangouts. And, since the code is open source, any developer will be able to integrate this functionality into their app.
“It is time for people who speak with their hands and hear with their eyes to enjoy modern advancements in communications technologies,” Wheeler stated during the announcement. “It’s time for you to be able to have your video products work together, so you can call whomever you wish, whenever you wish, from anywhere.” The FCC plans to have a beta version ready by the end of this year and release the final version by next spring.
[Image Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Filed under:
Internet
Source:
FCC.gov
Tags: AmericanSignLanguage, ASL, FCC, FederalCommunicationsCommission, hangouts, skype, VideoConferencing, Wheeler
AIVAnet 