Samsung Galaxy Note 7 to make a return to emerging markets following refurb program

Korean news outlet Hankyung (via ZDNet) has reported that Samsung will refurbish its faulty Galaxy Note 7 smartphones and sell them in India, Vietnam and other emerging markets. Of course, the Note 7 phones will be sold without the exploding batteries inside. It’s believed the phones will be refurbished by the end of May for them to go on sale in June.

• Samsung Galaxy S8: Release date, rumours and everything you need to know
• Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus: Release date, rumours and everything you need to know

The refurbished devices are unlikely to make a return to the US or European countries after they were banned from being put on sale before being recalled.

Hankyung says that 98 per cent of the 3.06 million Galaxy Note 7s sent out to markets have been called back in, 200,000 of which have been used for extensive testing. It means Samsung has around 2.5 million Note 7s sitting around doing nothing losing the company money, so selling them on – a price hasn’t been quoted just yet – makes good business sense.

Reselling the phones will also help Samsung avoid a hefty environmental fine if any unsold and unused units are not disposed of properly.

The battery in the original Galaxy Note 7 units was to blame for the recall and eventual cease in production, so those 3,500mAh units will be replaced with either 3,200mAh or 3,000mAh units instead.

The report also says the core components will remain but the phones will get new cases, so it’s possible they won’t be marketed as Galaxy Note 7s but instead be given a new name.

Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: What’s the rumoured difference?

Motorola is rumoured to be announcing the G5 and G5 Plus at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at the end of February. We’ve heard a little less about the standard Moto G5 compared to its larger brother, but a recent retailer leak has given a good indication as to what we can expect from both devices.

Which will be the Moto for you? Here is the difference between the Moto G5 and the Moto G5 Plus, based on the speculation.

• Motorola Moto G5 and G5 Plus rumours

Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: Design

• Moto G5 Plus likely to be bigger and heavier
• Both expected to have headphone jack
• Both expected to have fingerprint sensor

Based on the leaks, the Motorola Moto G5 and G5 Plus will share a very similar design, more so than the Moto G4 and the G4 Plus. It looks like they will both offer a metal build, or at least what will look like a metal build, along with the signature “M” below the Moto Z-like large circular camera housing on the rear that encompasses both the lens and the flash module. The images show the G5 Plus could have a slightly protruding rear housing, while the G5 doesn’t appear to.

The leaks also show the headphone jack for the G5 will be on the top of the device, while the G5 Plus is reported to have it on the bottom of the device. Both devices seemingly have a fingerprint sensor on the front within some sort of button, which looks more like what HTC offers on its devices rather than the square found on the G4 Plus and they both seem to have the volume rocker and power button in the same place.

The G5 measurements haven’t been leaked, but the G5 Plus is reported to measure 150.2 x 74 x 7.9mm and weigh 155g, which we suspect will be a little larger and heavier than the standard model.

• Motorola Moto G4 review

Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: Display

• Moto G5 Plus should have larger display
• Moto G5 will likely have sharper display
• Both expected to be IPS LCD

The Motorola Moto G5 is said to be coming with a 5-inch display while the Moto G5 Plus is rumoured to be coming with a slightly larger 5.2-inch display.

Both screens are reported to offer a Full HD resolution, which would put their pixel densities at 440ppi and 423ppi, respectively. This means the smaller G5 will theoretically have a sharper, crisper display but a difference this small wouldn’t be noticeable to the human eye.

The Moto G4 and G4 Plus use an IPS LCD display so chances are the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus will do the same. It is also likely they will both be protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4.

• Motorola Moto G4 Plus review

Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: Camera

• Moto G5 Plus expected to offer better camera functionality
• Both rumoured to come with 5MP front camera
• Moto G5 Plus rumoured to offer PDAF

The Motorola Moto G5 is said to be coming with 13-megapixel rear camera with phase-detection autofocus, while the front-facing camera is claimed to be 5-megapixels. If this is true, it would be offering the same specs as the Moto G4, but with the addition of phase-detection autofocus.

The Moto G5 Plus on the other hand is said to be coming with a 12-megapixel rear camera with dual autofocus pixels and the same 5-megapixel front camera as its smaller sibling. Despite having a lower resolution, the leaked specs for the G5 Plus claim it will have the most advanced camera in its class, meaning it should be better than the G5.

According to the rumours, the G5 Plus’s rear camera will have an aperture of f/1.7, which is the same as what the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge offer on their 12-megapixel rear snappers.

• Motorola Moto Z review

Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: Hardware

• Faster processor expected on Moto G5 Plus
• Both rumoured to offer 2GB of RAM
• Moto G5 Plus expected to have larger battery capacity

The Motorola Moto G5 is claimed to be coming with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chip, while the Moto G5 Plus is thought to be coming with the slightly faster and more capable Snapdragon 625. Both are rumoured to be coming with 2GB of RAM, though it wouldn’t be too surprising to see different RAM options when the devices launch.

The G5 is said to be coming with 32GB internal storage as standard and a 2800mAh battery, while the G5 Plus is claimed to be coming with 64GB as standard and a 3000mAh battery. Both are said to be coming with microSD support for storage expansion up to 128GB.

Based on the leaked images, it looks like both devices will have a 3.5mm headphone jack, as we mentioned previously. It also looks like they will be charged via Micro-USB rather than USB Type-C but fast charging is expected to be available on both.

Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: Software

• Both expected to launch on Android Nougat
• Same experience likely

The Motorola Moto G5 and G5 Plus are both set to launch on Android Nougat, or so the leaks suggest. Traditionally, Motorola has offered very little bloatware on top of Android’s software meaning users get a more refined experience than some other manufacturers.

The Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus are likely to offer identical software so there shouldn’t be any difference in terms of user experience. 

Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: Price

• Moto G5 Plus expected to be more expensive

It has been reported that the Moto G5 will be available for €325, while the Moto G5 Plus is rumoured to be a little more expensive at €440. If accurate, this should mean around £275 and £375 respectively.

Motorola Moto G5 vs G5 Plus: Conclusion

Based on the speculation, the Moto G5 Plus will have a larger display, faster processor, better camera, more internal base storage and a slightly larger battery capacity over the Moto G5. It is also likely to be more expensive however, as the G4 Plus was over the G4.

Nothing is confirmed as yet though so don’t jump to any final conclusions as to which is the better device on paper just yet. We will update this feature as soon as we have the official details.

Engadget giveaway: Win a Portal WiFi router!

Not only do many of us tax the limits of our bandwidth and routers, but if you’re in a crowded environment and scan networks, you’ll often see a long list of neighboring ones all up in your space — Bill Wi the Science Fi anyone? Portal has come up with a method to avoid the noise by using more channels of the 5GHz WiFi spectrum than other devices. These FastLanes, as they’re called, help your data move along without any neighboring interference, making them ideal for crowded environments. Plus, the onboard WiFi AutoPilot continuously monitors your network and optimizes data lanes to avoid congestion.

A Portal WiFi router is capable of covering 3,000 square feet on its own, but since they’re mesh network-capable, you can easily expand your coverage area with additional units. This week, Portal has provided us with three of its breakthrough devices for a trio of lucky readers. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning a Portal WiFi router.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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• Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
• Winners will be chosen randomly. Three (3) winners will each receive one (1) Portal WiFi router ($199 value each).
• If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
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• Entries can be submitted until Feb. 22nd at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!

Intel and Qualcomm are steadily gearing up for 5G

We’re still years away from a finalized 5G standard, and it’ll be even longer before we get compatible devices in our hands, but we’re seeing plenty of companies readying themselves for speedier networks. In particular, Qualcomm and Intel are hoping to play essential roles in the 5G ecosystem, which is poised to be at least ten times faster than existing networks and offer features like near-instant latency. While 5G started to seem more real at last year’s show, now the companies are focused on refining their new hardware to be ready for the rollout of new networks in a few years.

Intel already debuted a 5G modem at CES, after making it clear last year that it was betting big on the standard. At MWC, Intel is unveiling its first gigabit LTE modem — the XMM 7560 — which will go head-to-head with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X20 modem. Both devices will take advantage of upcoming LTE network upgrades ahead of full-fledged 5G rollouts. The XMM 7560 is Intel’s first modem built on its 14nm process, and it supports upload speeds up to 225Mbps. It makes sense to invest in improving existing standards support, since LTE won’t be going anywhere for a while. Carriers could conceivably light up 5G capabilities around their evolving LTE setups, instead of replacing them outright.

Additionally, Intel also announced its third-generation 5G trial platform, which lets carriers and other companies test out an end-to-end 5G network with speeds up to 10Gbps. It’s not the sort of thing that a consumer will ever see, but it’s helpful for carriers to test out new network technology in controlled environments. Intel says the new trial platform will be available in the second half of this year, and it’ll compatible with the 3GPP NR specification (which will be the driving force behind 5G) by the fourth quarter.

Qualcomm, meanwhile, is touting its first 3GPP NR connection with its prototype hardware (above). The company currently has its prototype working between 3.3GHz and 5GHz frequencies, which is meant to show off the possibilities of sub-6GHz 5G capabilities (basically, much faster speeds and lower latency than 4G). Qualcomm says it’ll be closely tracking the 3GPP’s evolving specification over the next year, which will be key to being ready for the finalized 5G standard. Again, that’s not relevant to consumers today, but it’s going to be a useful tool for testing the upcoming specification.

There’s no doubt that Intel, Qualcomm and practically every other company with a toe in the world of networking will start hyping up 5G soon. What’s more important is recognizing which companies are actually helping to make the dream of 5G a reality.

Next iPhone might have depth-sensing front camera

It’s that time of year, folks. Rumors of what the next iPhone will be like are coming in hot and heavy. Last week, well-connected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted that the new handsets would nix the home button for a touch-friendly “function area.” Now there’s another bit of info. In a KGI Securities report detailed by 9to5Mac, the analyst explains that the upcoming OLED iPhone will feature a “revolutionary” front camera that’s capable of sensing 3D space via infrared.

More specifically, the report explains that the newfangled camera can combine depth information with 2D images for things like facial recognition, iris recognition and, perhaps most importantly, 3D selfies. Given the previous report about the home button being put out to pasture, there will need to be a replacement for Touch ID. Rumors indicate that either facial recognition or a fingerprint reader embedded in the display would assist with unlocking the device. This new report would point more to the former method.

The report also explains a bit about how the 3D front-facing camera would be used in gaming scenarios. The camera could be used to replace an in-game character’s head or face with that of the user and those 3D selfies could be destined for augmented reality.

It’s no surprise to get word of potential depth-sensing camera tech from Apple. The company nabbed PrimeSense in 2013, an outfit that co-developed the original Kinect for Xbox. This latest KGI report says PrimeSense algorithms will allow the hardware to depth and location of objects in its field of view. An earlier report from Fast Company explained that Apple was working with Lumentum to use its 3D-sensing tech on the next iPhone.

While the 3D camera will only be on the front side for now, Kuo says Apple will eventually employ the tech on around back as well. The report also explains that the company is way ahead of Android as far as 3D algorithms go, so a depth-sensing camera would be a unique feature for a couple of years. Of course, if the early rumors are true, you can expect to pay $1,000 for the 10th anniversary iPhone when it arrives.

Source: 9to5Mac

UPS wants UAVs to cover its ‘last mile’ deliveries

Drone-based deliveries are quickly moving out of the realm of science fiction. Amazon, 7-11 and a host of startups are already toying with the idea. Now, UPS, one of the biggest parcel delivery services on the planet, is testing a system that will drop packages at your door while the driver moves on to the next house.

The “last mile” isn’t just an issue for broadband service providers. That last bit of distance between a UPS driver’s van and the recipient’s door is the least efficient portion of the entire shipping process. In fact, UPS figures that if it can cut just one mile from the 66,000 routes its drivers cover every day, the company could save upwards of $50 million annually.

To do this, UPS has designed a specially-equipped diesel-electric delivery van that houses a swarm of UAVs. Rather than grab a package and walk to the front door, the driver instead pulls over, hops in the back of the van, drops the package in a delivery drone’s carrying cage and launches it through the van’s retractable roof. The drone then flies up to the drop off location, releases the package and autonomously returns to the van. What’s really cool is that the driver doesn’t have to wait for the drone to return, they can just head off to the next delivery location.

“Our drivers are still key, and our drones aren’t going to be replacing our service providers, but they can assist and improve efficiency,” says Mark Wallace, senior VP of global engineering and sustainability, told Wired.

This system was developed back in 2014 by the University of Cincinnati in conjunction with the Workhorse Group, an Ohio-based company that builds electric delivery trucks. The drones themselves, weigh just under 10 pounds and can fly for up to 30 minutes at a time before needing to return to the van and recharge. Unfortunately, UPS still needs to get approval from the FAA before we’ll get drones dropping packages at our doorsteps and that could take a while.

Source: Wired

Google’s VR painting app lands on the Oculus Rift

Tilt Brush, Google’s virtual reality painting app, is available today on the Oculus Rift, complete with a few tweaks to make your 3D art take shape as naturally as possible. Tilt Brush landed on the HTC Vive in April 2016 and it’s generated some awe-inspiring work.

To use Tilt Brush on the Oculus Rift, artists will need the system’s $200 Touch controllers — accessories that we found to be incredibly comfortable, responsive and essential for experiencing all the Rift has to offer.

Google has customized the Oculus Rift version of Tilt Brush in a few ways: One, while in-app, rest your finger on a button of the Touch controller to see what function it serves. Two, artists are now able to rotate and resize their work. And three, the Rift’s built-in headphones offer unique audio feedback for each tool of artistry.

“Different brushes create different sound effects, and they become a vivid part of the experience through your headphones,” Google writes. “We love using audio reactive mode with Rift headphones and seeing strokes come to life with light and sound.”

Google recently unveiled the Tilt Brush Toolkit, an open-source toolset that allows artists to use their 3D sketches in Unity, adding animations, interactive elements and music to their doodles.

Source: Google VR

News Organizations Refocus FBI Lawsuit to Question Cost of San Bernardino iPhone Hack Tool

A trio of news organizations — consisting of the Associated Press, Vice Media, and Gannett — have petitioned a judge in the United States to force the FBI to reveal the exact amount of money it paid for the technology used to crack open an iPhone used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook (via BBC).

The same group of news organizations sued the FBI last September to gain more information about how exactly the FBI entered the iPhone, what “outside party” helped with the process, and how much the government paid for it. The new filing appears to tone down that original lawsuit with a focus on the amount spent on the hack tool, and not how it works or who exactly provided it.

Although the FBI never confirmed the rumors, it was widely reported that Israeli mobile software developer Cellebrite was hired to get into Farook’s iPhone 5c. A price for the developer’s services has only ever been speculated upon.

According to the court filing acquired by the BBC, the three news organizations claim that there is “no adequate justification” for the FBI to continue to withhold the information related to the cost of opening the iPhone. The information they ask for is also specified as not a risk to national security if it does become public, as they simply want “to learn more about the circumstances surrounding the event.”

“While it is undisputed that the vendor developed the iPhone access tool, the government has identified no rational reason why knowing the vendor’s identity is linked in any way to the substance of the tool, much less how such knowledge would reveal any information about the tool’s application,” lawyers for the news organisations wrote in the filing to the US District Court in Washington.

“Release of this information goes to the very heart of the Freedom of Information Act’s purpose, allowing the public to assess government activity – here, the decision to pay public funds to an outside entity in possession of a tool that can compromise the digital security of millions of Americans.”

Back in the midst of the story’s development, the identity of the contractors for the iPhone hack was said to be a closely held secret within the FBI, with FBI director James Comey even in the dark as to who exactly was hired to break into the iPhone. While many reports referenced Cellebrite, another suggested it was instead done with the help of “professional hackers,” consisting of a “gray hat” researcher who sells flaws to governments, black market groups, or companies that create surveillance tools.

Even though the case is still one of interest among both parties, towards the end of the drama last year the FBI claimed that it found “nothing of real significance” in Farook’s iPhone, stating that it answered a few questions about the San Bernardino shooting but provided no new leads.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: Apple-FBI
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Apple Releases Third iOS 10.3 Public Beta to Public Beta Testers

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming iOS 10.3 update to public beta testers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the second public beta and one day after providing the third iOS 10.3 beta to developers.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple’s beta testing program will receive the iOS 10.3 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on their iOS device.

Those who want to be a part of Apple’s beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to both iOS and macOS Sierra betas. Betas are not stable and include many bugs, so they should be installed on a secondary device.

As a major 10.x update, iOS 10.3 introduces a new “Find My AirPods” option to help users locate a lost AirPod. Located in the “Find My Friends” app, the Find My AirPods feature keeps track of the last known location where AirPods were connected to an iOS device via Bluetooth, and it allows the AirPods to play a sound to make finding them nearby easier.

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Along with a Find My AirPods feature, the update also includes a shift to Apple File System (APFS). First introduced in 2016, APFS is optimized for Flash/SSD storage and includes strong encryption and other important features.

Apple recommends all users make an iCloud backup before installing iOS 10.3, as the update will cause the iPhone’s file system to switch over to Apple File System.

iOS 10.3 also introduces a tweaked app animation, a new Apple ID profile in the Settings app, a better breakdown on how iCloud storage is being used, SiriKit improvements, new iCloud analytics options, Verizon Wi-Fi calling on iCloud devices, 32-bit app alerts, and more. The third beta introduces an “App Compatibility” section in the Settings app, letting users see if they have outdated apps that won’t work with future versions of iOS.

Related Roundup: iOS 10
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Apple Releases Third macOS Sierra 10.12.4 Public Beta for Public Beta Testers

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra 10.12.4 update to public beta testers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the second public beta and one day after releasing the third 10.12.4 beta to developers.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple’s beta testing program will receive the third 10.12.4 macOS Sierra beta through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

Those who want to be a part of Apple’s beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to both iOS and macOS Sierra betas. Betas should not be installed on a primary machine due to the potential for instability.

macOS Sierra 10.12.4 brings iOS’s popular Night Shift mode to the Mac, allowing users to cut down on blue light exposure in the evening. Believed to affect sleep by upsetting the body’s circadian rhythm, blue light is thought to be more harmful than yellow light.

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With Night Shift, the Mac’s display automatically shifts from cool to warm at sunset and then shifts back at sunrise. Users can also set custom times for the display’s colors to shift, or toggle the effect on manually. A Toggle to turn Night Shift on is available in the Notification Center, and Siri can also be used to activate the feature.

macOS Sierra 10.12.4 also includes Shanghainese dictation support, cricket scores for Siri, improved PDFKit APIs, and iCloud Analytics options.

Related Roundup: macOS Sierra
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