Samsung to cut nearly 10,000 jobs

When Samsung finally became a major player in the smartphone arena, it was with the original Galaxy S phone. The Galaxy S blatantly copied the iPhone’s shape and launcher design. By doing that, they launched themselves onto the forefront of the Android phone market.

The Galaxy S, while somewhat copying the design of the iPhone, brought a larger 4″ screen, removable battery, and expandable memory to the table. This made Samsung the first real competitor to Apple in the smartphone arena.

This continued on as Samsung brought software enhancements to the table with each successive device launch. In late 2011, Samsung launched the Galaxy Note and forever changed the face of the smartphone market. The Dell streak was technically the first phablet, but it wasn’t until the Note, that the large screen phablet market blew wide open.

Samsung moved away from the iPhone styling and began to make their phones distinct. Their phones became faster and their screens grew larger. Their advertising focused on the things that the Galaxy phones could do that the iPhone could not. More importantly, their profits soared sky high.

Fast forward to present day. The Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 sales are not quite up to par. 5 straight months of declining sales have wiped out $40 billion in Samsung’s market value. Their smartphone shipments have been reduced by more than 3 percentage points. They also lose their top spot in China, which is the world’s largest cell phone market.

Samsung’s reaction to all this is to cut 10% of their employees at their headquarters in Seoul. They will focus primarily on workers in their human resources, public relations, and finance departments. As of June 30, 2015, Samsung had nearly 100,000 employees at their headquarters. Do the math. Almost 10,000 people will lose their jobs.

So what changed? What happened that Samsung would fall so far and so fast that they would need to make such drastic changes? I would propose that Samsung has a selling problem, not so much a spending problem, and why aren’t they selling? I would guess that it has something to do with alienating their core fan base. I was a pretty strong Samsung fan and advocate, but two things happened.

The first was that my Samsung Galaxy Note II on T-Mobile was stuck on Android 4.2 Jellybean at the same time that other phones were already getting Android 5.0 Lollipop. The Note II, as all the Note phones have been, was very expensive, yet Samsung a year later comes out with the Note 3 and forgets about everyone who purchased the Note II. After all why release Lollipop or even KitKat when the consumer could just spend more on the newest model?

The second was that Samsung removed 2 huge features that Samsung’s fan base had grown to love. Those 2 features were the removable battery and the expandable memory. I understand why they did it. They had positioned themselves as the premium Android phone, but their devices lacked the finesse and build quality of the iPhone and even other Android phones. So in trying to compete with build quality, they alienated a large part of their fanbase, including myself.

In my opinion, Samsung needs to return to their roots. There is no reason why they can’t offer another version of the Note 5 or S6 with an expandable memory slot and a removable battery. This way they can cater to the iPhone crowd while not alienating their original fan base.

This was originally supposed to be a news piece and it morphed into an editorial hybrid of sorts. You may have a different opinion. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

via Bloomberg

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Netflix is coming to Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea

Netflix only just launched in Japan last month (that’s the Japan office pictured above), and it’s already lining up its next destinations in Asia. In early 2016 the streaming video service is coming to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea, although no exact dates or pricing are specified. It’s planning to bring the usual suite of features and even Ultra HD streaming to these countries when it lands, thanks to their existing broadband infrastructure. Where it might go after that (China?) is still unknown, but its plan for global availability by the end of 2016 is apparently still on track.

[Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]

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Tags: asia, global, hdpostcross, HongKong, international, internetvideo, Netflix, Singapore, SouthKorea, streaming, Taiwan

Misfit releases new Android app called Misfit Link, allows you to take selfies and more

Misfit have just released a new smart button and now a new Android app to go with it called Misfit Link. With it you can use any Misfit device to take a selfie with your phone camera app, control your music, or advance slides in a presentation.

Just a simple touch can do so much. The music changing, for example, can be used to change not just your personal music, but also Spotify, Pandora, Soundcloud, or Google Play Music. Best part is it can do all this starting at only $19.99. At that price, it just might be worth checking out.

Please note the app is only for Android 5.0+ devices with BLE capability.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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JAWBONE unveils the new UP2, includes new features like automatic sleep tracking

Jawbone has updated their popular UP fitness trackers. The UP2 has been redesigned with new designs and clasps. The UP3 now comes in different colors and designs of their touchpad. The final update to all of them is their apps have been updated to allow for automatic sleep detection and passive heart rate monitoring (UP3 and UP4 only).

The UP2 has a redesigned strap to make sure it stays on the user’s wrist, while also making it look more like a stylish bracelet. The clasp has also been changed to work and look well with the new strap.

The UP3 receives new colors and different designs. However, the colors and designs are also for the UP3 and UP2.

Jawbone updated the software to include improved heart rate monitoring, which is thanks to passive heart rate monitoring. The way it works is by checking your heart rate throughout the day when you aren’t moving. This feature is only for the UP3 and UP4, as those are the two bands with heart rate monitors.

The UP2, 3, and 4 are all getting automatic sleep detection. Now the devices will automatically track sleep and users will not have to touch the trackpad in order to sleep or wake the device.

• Automatic Sleep – UP will automatically track and log your zzzs. Understand the duration, quality and stages of sleep without switching to sleep mode.

• No More Tapping – Say goodbye to the hassle of switching modes. You can still dismiss alarms and alerts, but band-side mode switching is a thing of the past.

• Passive Heart Rate (UP3 and UP4 only) – See a more complete picture of your heart health. UP will now measure your heart rate throughout the day when your body is still.

The app update will be coming out on Android slowly. If you would like to purchase the new UP2 or UP3, you can do so by visiting the Jawbone store.

Source: Jawbone (1), (2)

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Verizon’s millennial-targeted video streaming service expected this week

Sometime this week, Verizon should be announcing a new video streaming service that will be targeted at millennials. The service, known as Go90, will call upon viewers to turn their phones 90 degrees in order to start watching television shows. G090 will not have any advertisements, instead generating revenue from advertisements.

Both live and on-demand programming will be available through G090. The content, however, will not include everything that a television network has to offer. Select shows from Comedy Central, Discovery, ESPN, NFL Network, and Food Network are offered in addition to online series from AwesomenessTV, Machinima, Tastemade, and Vice. Having ESPN’s programming offered is probably the most surprising; however, Verizon negotiated mobile rights for individual shows with its partners rather than going for an all-in-one deal. The live programming will primarily come from NFL games and concerts.

The New York Times explains Verizon’s decision in not associating the Big Red brand with Go90:

Executives made a conscious decision not to include the word Verizon when choosing a name for the new service, in part to appeal to as broad an audience as possible. That is important as Verizon seeks to bolster its mobile ad business and deliver to advertisers big audiences that watch premium content. Go90 also could serve as a marketing tool to attract new customers to Verizon’s wireless service.

Verizon’s Marni M. Walden pointed to G090’s target market, people ages 18-34, watching 70% viewing on mobile before any other form factor to prove that there is an “enormous opportunity.” The company wants viewers to talk about Go90 on social media. Because that’s exactly what millennials do, right?

Since this video streaming service is ad-supported, viewers will not have to be Verizon customers.

Source: Go90
Via: The New York Times

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Space whisky really does taste different

When Scottish distiller Ardbeg launched whisky into space to see whether or not the drink ages differently in microgravity, it came across as little more than a publicity stunt… which, admittedly, it still is. However, the company has finally published its results, and it’s clear that this liquor was changed by its stay in the International Space Station. Going into orbit altered the ratios of acids and other chemicals, which had a pronounced effect on the taste. While the Earth-based whisky is dry, with notes of “woody” flavors” and “sweet smoke,” the space whisky recalls “smoked fruits” and carries an aftertaste that reminds Ardbeg of “antiseptic lozenges” and “rubbery smoke.” You won’t be breaking this out to celebrate a special occasion, then, unless you like recalling the smell of burning tires.

That’s not to say that the experiment was a bust. Ardbeg believes that this could lead to a database that establishes the “normal” ratios of wood extractives, helping verify dodgy claims about the age of a whisky. It also offers the potential for new whisky flavors that hadn’t been considered until now. This is really just a first step, the company says — there may be more low-gravity tests in the future.

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Tags: alcohol, ardbeg, beverage, drink, internationalspacestation, science, space, whisky