There’s reason to be skeptical of Samsung’s new ‘commitment’ to monthly security updates

A generic form response from Samsung’s ‘security team’ does not mean what you think it means.

Building on the frustration of the U.S. unlocked Galaxy S7 still not having Nougat while other models are updated, a story is swirling this week about Samsung Mobile Security saying in an email that it will “commit” to updates every month for unlocked phones. As great as it would be, there’s plenty of reason to be skeptical about the possibilities of Samsung flipping the switch to a full-on commitment to release these updates monthly — even for a single device in a single country.

Going back as far as August 2015, Samsung has made a commitment to streamlining the security patch update process, going so far as to list devices that would receive the updates and start surfacing the patch level in its software. We were rightfully excited back in 2015 — then everyone forgot about it as things got back to normal and various phones and tablets skipped patches for months at a time.

Samsung’s simple Mobile Security website, which has been around since shortly after that 2015 announcement, lists the same information it always has. You’ll find the latest security patch information — including March 2017 patches — plus a list of devices slated to get updates and what specifically was fixed in each update. The wording is explicit, and has been there for well over a year now (emphasis mine):

In order to meet your expectations and continue to keep our products secure, Samsung will release monthly and quarterly security updates on selected Samsung devices listed below. Monthly and quarterly security updates will include patches for Android OS related security issues released by Google, as well as, patches for Samsung-specific security issues.

The list of devices includes the Galaxy S7 series, Galaxy S6 series, Galaxy S5 series, Galaxy Note 5 and more. Unfortunately for all of us, things aren’t that easy, and there is always a disclaimer letting Samsung off the hook (again, emphasis mine):

Please note that in some cases regular OS upgrades may cause delays to planned security updates. However, users can be rest assured the OS upgrades will include all up-to-date security patches when delivered. While we are doing our best to deliver the security patches as soon as possible to all applicable models, delivery time of security patches may vary depending on the regions and models.

The disclaimer has to be there for multiple reasons, not the least of which being the logistical hurdles that keep Samsung from actually fulfilling the promise of keeping so many phones updated month after month. It seems downright improbable at this point that Samsung could update a single phone — like the U.S. unlocked Galaxy S7 — every single month, let alone the full cadre of models listed above that it already says it will update monthly.

Samsung has ‘committed’ to monthly security patches since August 2015.

Considering that update schedules for Samsung phones have varied dramatically by model, but also region, country and carrier (or lack thereof), it would be a substantial change in protocol for Samsung to start painting with such a broad brush as to fully commit, without reservation, to monthly security patches for a set number of phones, whether they’re unlocked or carrier branded. It would be cause for celebration, in fact; not something to keep internal and choose not to make a triumphant announcement about.

Samsung may have recently placed a renewed sense of importance on monthly updates internally — and Nougat’s new seamless updates may make the monthly cadence easier for normal users to handle. But none of that means we should all of a sudden expect to see security patches every single month, as Samsung has been unable to do so with a single model to date despite making it a point of emphasis.

Until the wording on its official pages changes, and we start seeing patches arrive month after month on Samsung phones — from much-maligned U.S. unlocked Galaxy S7 to any other new phone — there’s reason to be skeptical that anything has changed since August 2015.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus

• Latest Galaxy S8 rumors!
• Galaxy S8 announcement coming March 29 in NYC
• Galaxy S8 release date set for April 28
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Netflix really wants to be a legitimate movie studio

Netflix has been producing original movies at a steady clip, sure, but, despite its best efforts, earning any prestige has proved elusive. In an effort to attract more big name stars like Will Smith, and directors such as Martin Scorsese, Deadline reports that the company has hired someone with deep ties to Hollywood to lead its original movie ambitions: Scott Stuber. While his name might not be very familiar, the movies he’s worked on should be.

He’s produced the Jeremy Renner journalism thriller Kill the Messenger, Ted and its sequel Ted 2 from Seth McFarlane and Peter Berg’s recent Boston Marathon bombing picture, Patriot’s Day.

Essentially, this hire fully reveals Netflix’s hand: it wants to become a movie studio and be a major player in Hollywood. But, as Bloomberg reports, one of the disadvantages it faces is that many filmmakers develop their projects with a theater experience in mind — not the streaming service where it will eventually end up. Netflix’s day-and-date streaming and theatrical releases have had had staunch opposition from theater owners. And unlike one of its competitors, Netflix doesn’t have any Oscars under its belt either, which makes attracting talent harder yet.

Comparatively, Netflix’s rival Amazon Prime Video gives its movies a theatrical run before they stream. What’s more, Jeff Bezos’ film wing has two Academy Awards under its belt (best actor and best original screenplay) and a handful of nominations for last year’s Casey Affleck-starring Manchester by the Sea. Perhaps hiring well-known indie producer Ted Hope (21 Grams, The Ice Storm) in 2015 helped bring those statues home. In that light, it makes perfect sense for Netflix to try doing the same.

But whether or not it can replicate the success of its TV department is anyone’s guess. So far, Netflix’s approach to TV has just been signing whatever original projects it can just to boost the amount of original programming on offer. Some of it hits with viewers and critics, but a lot of it certainly does not. In terms of movies, for every Beasts of No Nation on the service, there are four in-house Adam Sandler movies on offer. Stuber’s role here could help reverse that reputation.

Source: Deadline, Bloomberg

Warner Bros. is reportedly considering a ‘The Matrix’ relaunch

In 1999, a small sci-fi movie called The Matrix made its debut, featuring not just a focus on hacking and a slick action aesthetic, but also the use of “bullet time” special effects. Its success meant that those elements would quickly become (over)used elsewhere, but its place in cinema history is secure. Tonight, reports indicate that the studio behind it is considering revisiting that universe. The Hollywood Reporter cites sources claiming Warner Bros. is in talks with writer Zak Penn (Ready Player One, Alphas, X-Men 2, The Incredible Hulk) to write it, and considering Michael B. Jordan to star, but also says it’s far from being ready.

Meanwhile, Deadline reports that the studio wants to “create a writers’ room of scribes” to come up with ideas for a relaunch, and there’s no word on whether the Wachowskis, who wrote and directed the original movies, would be involved.

The final movie in the series, The Matrix Revolutions, came out in 2003, and a lot has changed in science fiction, movie viewing and special effects since then. Now, even “bullet time” is obtainable enough that it’s used for real-time sports highlights. The Matrix was the first movie I bought on a DVD, and if physical media is truly on its way out, maybe another movie in the series could be the last.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline

How much does Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S3 cost? Best Buy reveals all

It’s been a month since Samsung unveiled its Galaxy Tab S3 with no word on pricing, but now, we know how much it costs.

Best Buy has listed the 32GB model at $599 – and that includes the S-Pen accessory. The retailer also listed the folio case for $59 and the keyboard add-on for $129, both of which you have to purchase separately. So, if you get the tablet and all the stuff that it works with, expect to pay close to $800, which is quite a bit more than the $499 (£399) price tag of the 9.7-inch Galaxy Tab S2.

• Will Samsung finally show its Galaxy X foldable smartphone at IFA 2017?

In other words, the Tab S3 is kinda expensive, but it’s still cheaper than Apple’s comparable 9.7-inch Pro, which sells for $599 (and its stylus and keyboard case retail for $99 and $149, respectively). The Galaxy Tab S3 comes with a 9.7-inch display with a 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution. It features a Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage with microSD for storage expansion.

We still don’t know when the tablet will launch. Best Buy only listed it as “coming soon”. In the mean time, check out Pocket-lint’s Tab S3 guide for more details about it.

Samsung

Lowe’s is using AR and VR to make how-to easier

Last year home improvement chain Lowe’s teased what it was doing with Google’s Tango augmented-reality technology, and now the company is ready to debut the next wave of its high-tech initiatives. First up is the outfit’s new In-Store Navigation app, which it says is Tango’s first retail indoor-mapping application. To use it, you’ll need to snag a Lenovo Phab 2 Pro from a blue-vested employee. Then you can use the slate to navigate around the store and hopefully find exactly what you’re looking for in no time flat. It’s something Lowe’s showed off recently in tandem with a VR project to illustrate how tech can make DIY easier.

More than just AR, the company is utilizing virtual reality to help people as well. It’s taking the existing Tango-powered Holoroom and upping the ante with “Holoroom How-To” which, as its name suggests, teaches folks how to go about various home improvement projects, using an HTC Vive.

One example is showing trepidatious customers what it’ll be like to tile a shower without actually getting their hands dirty. “From mixing the mortar to laying the pattern, the simulation walks the user through each step of the process,” the press release reads.

So far, the franchise says that its limited tests have been successful at boosting customers’ confidence at tackling do-it-yourself projects, well, themselves. In the video below, Kyle Nel, executive director of Lowe’s Innovation Labs, says that versus someone who only watched a YouTube how-to video, customers who went through the Holoroom How-To program had 36 percent better recall of the skills they learned. “People learn by doing,” he says. “It’s just how we’re built.”

The next step is analyzing feedback from this larger test pool before potentially adding the tech to more stores. If you’re in Framingham, Massachusetts you can check out the latest version of Holoroom right now. Lowe’s says that customers in Burlington, Canada and Beloeil, Quebec will be able to demo the VR experience over the next “several weeks.” Perhaps even more than gaming, this type of implementation for VR will show mainstream users exactly what the medium is capable of — especially when it can save them some money and frustration.

Source: Lowe’s

The iBus dongle could help you restore your Apple Watch Series 1 by yourself

Why it matters to you

If your Apple Watch experiences software issues, it can be a real pain to fix them and it often involves taking a trip to the Apple Store.

Apple devices are known for being consumer friendly but when they break down, that isn’t necessarily true. Case in point: When the Apple Watch has software issues that aren’t fixed with an over-the-air update, you are forced to bring your device to an Apple Store to have the issue resolved. Not anymore! Well, maybe.

A company called MFC claims to have built a solution to the issue. The device is called the iBus Data Cable and it’s basically a small dongle that plugs into the Apple Watch’s maintenance port that sites behind the watch strap. Most Apple Watch owners don’t even know that the port exists and speculation suggests that it is mostly built for Apple use — but MFC says that through the port, the dongle can completely restore the Apple Watch’s software.

More: The Apple Watch Series 3 could launch with two major improvements

The iBus Data Cable comes in two separate parts — the dongle itself, and a two-in-one adapter pilot pin. That adapter pilot pin connects to the iBus data cable on one end and your Mac on the other end.

It’s important to note that there are a few caveats here. For example, the device only works with the Apple Watch Series 1 and the company may not provide the actual software files you’ll need for the device, but you can find a few links to use in the comments section on the MFC website. There is another issue here, though. Apple only makes the software files available for an over-the-air update and you will need a file that is currently approved by Apple.

In other words, most people will still want to take their device to the Apple Store but the more tech-advanced among us may have a simpler way of doing things. Assuming they have an Apple-signed copy of the Apple Watch software, that is.

The iBus itself comes at $90 but keep in mind that we have not verified how well it works or if it works at all. If you really still want one, you can get one from the MFC website.

Want an original working Apple-1? Then check out the auction in May

Why it matters to you

If you have a few hundred thousands dollars to spare, then can bid on this this original working Apple-1.

Apple has come a long way from its roots when Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak collaborated on the design and sale of the company’s very first computer. The Apple-1 was one of the most important early machines and not only kicked off one of the most successful companies in history but also helped kick-start the nascent PC industry.

There aren’t many Apple-1 machines remaining, given that only 175 were originally sold at the ominous-sounding price of $666.66 in 1976. In fact, at most, there are 60 left, of which only eight are thought to still be in working condition, and one of them will be available for purchase in May, Macrumors reports.

More: Rare Apple-1 computer built by Jobs and Wozniak in 1976 sells for $815,000

The Apple-1 in question is owned by Auction Team Breker, a German auctioneer, and the sale includes all of the original documentation including the user manual. If that is not enough to entice prospective buyers, the auction also includes the motherboard and cassette recorder’s original sales receipt, along with a paper record of phone conversations with both Apple founders.

Breker

Judging by past auctions of Apple-1 machines, this iteration could bring a middle to high six-digit bid. For example, Sotheby’s auctioned a working Apple-1 in 2012 and netted a cool $374,500, while Breker successfully moved another machine in May 2013 for $671,400. The record, however, was an Apple-1 auctioned off by Bonhams that brought $905,000.

If you have a few hundred thousand dollars to put down on an original and functional Apple-1, then note that you will be getting only the rare “NTI” motherboard and cassette recorder. The machine never did get an official case from Apple and other necessary parts, such as the keyboard, monitor, and power supply, were also up to buyers to procure. Breker has made things a little easier this time around, though, for anyone with upward of a million dollars to spend.

RIP Windows Vista: Microsoft is ending support on April 11

Why it matters to you

Vista still exists but Microsoft has now decided to end support for the unpopular OS once and for all.

Microsoft is ending support for Windows Vista in a month’s time, on April 11, so anyone who is actually still using the much-maligned operating system will need to finally make the upgrade.

Should you continue to use Windows Vista after April 11, you’ll be much more susceptible to security threats, especially as Internet Explorer 9 is no longer supported either.

“Also, as more software and hardware manufacturers continue to optimize for more recent versions of Windows, you can expect to encounter more apps and devices that do not work with Windows Vista,” said Microsoft in its announcement. Vista’s antivirus suite Microsoft Security Essentials will only have “limited effectiveness,” it added.

The latest figures on operating system market share show that Vista has just 0.78 percent of the pie. And while that may barely be a blip on the screen, if you’re one of those users, you have about a month to get updated and secured.

More: Windows 10 appears to be poised to hit 24 percent market share by end of 2016

Vista was released in 2007 as the follow-up to Windows XP. Although it was a long time coming, it failed to meet expectations, and suffered from buggy features. Instead of replacing XP it did the exact opposite and encouraged more users to stick with the predecessor. Windows XP’s market share remained strong for many years.

This led Microsoft to work away at Windows 7 and 8 to try and get people to move away from the now unsupported XP.

Despite this history, Vista has still been receiving critical updates all these years. That’s all about to change.

Windows 10 is of course Microsoft’s pride and joy these days and unsurprisingly, the firm is pushing the last remaining Vista users to update to the flagship OS. Microsoft is gradually ending support for its older operating systems so that Windows 10 eventually becomes all that’s left.

A new Windows 10 Creators Update build is available, but it’s just bug fixes

Why it matters to you

If you’re a Windows Insider, you can download the latest preview build to fix a few nagging bugs.

Windows 10 has an important update coming soon, with the Creators Update scheduled for release for PCs on April 11, 2017. While the latest update isn’t as massive as last summer’s Anniversary Update, it’s still going to bring some new features that will be welcome to Windows 10 users.

If you’re a Windows Insider, then you’re well aware of what’s coming. In fact, you’ve likely noticed that Windows 10 Creators Update is feature complete at this point, with the latest Insider builds bringing mainly bug fixes. That’s definitely the case with Build 15058, released today on the Fast Ring.

More: Windows 10 users will reportedly receive the Creators Update on April 11

One of the more notable bug fixes in the latest build is that the Windows Store will now update apps. You might have noticed that updates failed in the previous build, including the Windows Store app itself, which was a bit of a pain.

Here’s are some other fixes:

• The Settings app will no longer crash when accessing Wi-Fi settings.
• UWP apps should no longer show the app package name rather than the app name in the title bar.
• Edge should now stop navigating back when its windows is snapped to smaller than half screen.
• You should stop losing the mouse pointer when watching fullscreen video in Microsoft Edge.
• If your machine is set to lock on sleep, the current desktop session should no longer crash after locking, leaving users with a “Can’t log in: The number of connections to this computer is limited and all connections are in use” error.

As usual, there are a few known issues remaining in this build — although only a few, as can be expected with so little time remaining until Creators Update will officially release. Here are a few highlights:

• If you’re running Build 15002 or higher, your PC may fail to update and display a “SYSTEM_PTE_MISUSE” error.
• For new user accounts created on Build 15031, some apps and games may crash due to a problem with the configuration of advertising ID from a prior build. If you’re comfortable working with the Windows 10 registry, then you can delete this registry key: HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionAdvertisingInfo.

If you want to check out all of the details on what’s been fixed and what remains broken in Build 15058, then you can check out Microsoft’s blog post. The Windows 10 Creators Update is coming soon, and if this list of bugs and fixes is any guide, the update is close to being ready to roll out.

Chrome 57 will help your laptop battery last a bit longer

It’s no secret that Chrome can be a very power-hungry browser on a laptop.

Google is constantly evolving Chrome to be less power hungry while also offering increased performance, and the latest development arriving in Chrome 57 focuses on power savings from further background tab management. With the latest version, tabs open but not currently in use will be more aggressively throttled to save power.

Chrome will accomplish this by more aggressively limiting the rate at which timers in the pages can fire when it notices that those particular tabs are consuming more power than they should. Chrome 57 will delay timers to keep average CPU load under 1% of a core in order to save power. Of course if a tab is playing audio or has a real-time connection like a video call it won’t be limited.

In Google’s testing, Chrome 57’s new policies on background tabs has initially led to 25% fewer busy background tabs. Ideally, the Chrome team hopes that webpage developers will adjust their behavior to rely on new APIs for service workers to do background tasks rather than simply forcing a tab to stay active.

The end result, both in the short- and long-term, is longer battery life when using Chrome on your laptop. And all you have to do is keep your Chrome browser up to date.