Samsung Galaxy Note 8: News and rumors

Why it matters to you

The Galaxy Note 7 was an excellent device, save for one serious, deal-breaking flaw. Samsung will look to win back your confidence with a successor.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was an absolute disaster. Sure, the phone itself was beautiful, but the device was plagued with exploding battery issues, as well as a pair of rocky recall processes. So, it makes sense that Samsung would want to forget about the Galaxy Note line altogether.

Samsung has officially confirmed, however, that it won’t get rid of one of its most popular phones that easily. In fact, we could see a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 before the end of 2017. According to the most recent reports from SamMobile, the Galaxy Note 8 is internally code-named “Great,” and bears the model number SM-N950F.

But what will the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 bring? Here’s everything we know about the potential device so far.

Display

The Galaxy Note range means a big screen, but how big will Samsung go for the Note 8? According to reports, it’s not just the size, but the pixel count that will standout. with rumors it may have a 4K resolution. Some might see that as overkill, but the point of it isn’t for normal use — it’s for virtual reality, in which the phone is placed right in front of your eyes. Using a 4K display will help make VR much more realistic.

A Weibo post in May reported the Note 8 will receive a 6.3-inch screen with an aspect ratio of 18:5:9. For comparison’s sake, the Galaxy S8 Plus features a 6.2-inch display with the same aspect ratio, which is wider than the standard 16:9 on most devices. The defunct Galaxy Note 7’s panel was 5.7 inches.

Camera

For the Galaxy S8, Samsung didn’t upgrade the camera much from the Galaxy S7; but it may be saving itself for the Note 8. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, better known for his insights into Apple’s future plans, is speculating the Note 8 will have the dual-camera setup many wanted to see on the Galaxy S8. He claims the phone will have 12-megapixel and 13-megapixel sensors, the second providing a 3.0x optical zoom function. That’s beyond Apple and Huawei’s 2.0x zoom mode. He also mentions dual optical image stabilization, and a six-piece lens construction.

Samsung intends to beat the iPhone 7 Plus with the Note 8’s dual-lens camera, according to Kuo, and match the camera likely to feature on the iPhone X. This suggests Samsung is planning a late 2017 launch for the Note 8, to take on the challenge from Apple’s iPhone 7S Plus and the rumored iPhone X special edition.

Design

What could be our first look at the Galaxy Note 8 comes to us via Leakspinner on SlashLeaks. The image shows a device which resembles a larger Galaxy S8 Plus featuring seemingly sharper rounded corners and slightly slimmer top and bottom bezels, along with an S-Pen by its side. The phone is displaying Bixby software, and if you look closely, there’s an S-Pen icon near the bottom and what appears to be a transparent UI pullout on the right side of the screen, near one of the hardware buttons.

As for the validity of this leak, it’s believable that Samsung would merely enlarge the Galaxy S8’s design for the next-gen Note. However, this shot doesn’t show a compartment for the S-Pen, which calls its credibility into question. At the time of this writing, the image is currently sitting with an 18 percent trust score on SlashLeaks, which indicates most people aren’t convinced by it.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 confirmed

While it was possible that Samsung was going to end the Note line altogether in favor of something else, we now know that to not be true. In fact, in an interview with CNET, Samsung’s mobile chief D.J. Koh officially confirmed that the Note line would continue with a Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

“I will bring back a better, safer, and very innovative Note 8,” Koh said in the interview.

The move will certainly be risky for Samsung — the company and the Note were tarnished during the Note 7 exploding debacle. However, during the entire process the company found that there were a lot of loyal Note fans, Koh said.

Bixby

Prior to the Galaxy S8’s launch, we were hearing rumors that Bixby would also be a part of the Note 8 as well. Back in January, a report from Business Korea indicated Bixby would feature prominently in Samsung’s flagship phablet. The report also highlighted that Samsung was choosing to work on a successor to the Note 7 despite damage to the brand, which was later confirmed by Samsung itself.

Bixby is a work in progress for Samsung, and although it’s not a reason to buy the Galaxy S8, the feature may have increased in usefulness by the time the Note 8 arrives.

Not much else is known about the Galaxy Note 8 yet, but we will update this post as we find out more.

Updated on 05-16-2017 by Adam Ismail: Added rumors of a 6.3-inch display.

Logitech MK850 Performance Wireless Mouse and Keyboard Combo review

Research Center:
Logitech MK850

Unless you buy an upscale gaming or some other specialized PC, chances are the keyboard and mouse that comes with your new computer is boringly and often uncomfortably basic, and more than likely wired via separate USB cables for both devices. If you spend a lot of time typing and mousing around, you might want to consider something easier on your wrists and fingers, such as the Logitech MK850 Performance Wireless Mouse and Keyboard Combo we’re reviewing here today. The MK850 lists for $100, but is frequently sold for $80.

If you’ve done any shopping around, then you already know that the array of available products, either keyboards and mice sold separately or combo products, is dizzying. Not only does Logitech offer several combos, including the Wireless Keyboard K350 & Performance Mouse MX Bundle ($135), but so does Microsoft, such as its Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop ($130) and the Wireless Discomfort Desktop 5050 (which we’ll be reviewing shortly).

While many of these input peripherals have been designed to maximize comfort and convenience, the MK850 has the uncommon ability to pair with up to three separate computing devices and switch between them with the touch of a button.

Simple Encroaching Elegance

The MK850 combo is a knockoff of the Logitech K780 Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard, as well as the M720 Triathlon Multi-Device Wireless Mouse, two existing products that the company released a while back. While the K850 keyboard doesn’t look much like the K780, it has much the same functionality, which we’ll get into momentarily. The keyboard deck and keys are encased in dark gray (almost black). Combined with the cloth covered palm rest along the bottom, it measures about one inch high, by 17 inches wide, by 8.3 inches from top to bottom, and it weighs 1.6 pounds.

William Harrel/Digital Trends

William Harrel/Digital Trends

William Harrel/Digital Trends

William Harrel/Digital Trends

The underside of the keyboard is encased in off-white plastic and, in addition to several rubber feet, you’ll find a compartment that houses two included AAA batteries, as well as two sets of stands for adjusting tilt angles to either four or eight degrees. In addition, the deck and keys are arranged in a raised ergonomic contour profile designed for comfortable prolonged typing.

Except for the right and left buttons and scroll wheel, the mouse is covered with a comfortable, rubbery material, and it measures two inches high, by three inches across, by five inches from front to back, and it weighs just under five ounces. The right and left buttons, as well as the buttons along the right side where your thumb goes, and yet another small button just above the scroll wheel (for adjusting scrolling speed), are all made of the same dark gray plastic as the K850’s keys and keyboard deck. The scroll wheel is made of chrome-colored plastic, with a dark gray grooved strip encircling the edge. The underside, where you’ll find an on/off toggle and a small compartment that houses an included AA battery, consists of the same off-white plastic that’s on the bottom of the keyboard.

Multi-Device Functionality

Over the past few years, Logitech has offered a few “multi-device” input peripherals, including the K780 keyboard and the M720 Triathlon mouse mentioned earlier. A key feature of these peripherals is their ability to pair with up to three computing devices– such as, say, your Android smartphone, iPad tablet, and desktop PC or Mac. Once paired, you can switch back and forth between them with the press of a single button.

The deck and keys are arranged in a raised ergonomic contour profile, designed for comfortable typing.

As do Logitech’s other multi-device keyboards, the K850 remaps the keys corresponding to the current operating system (OS). The Windows’ Alt key, for instance, becomes the Command key when you pair with a Mac. When you pair with an Android device, the first four function keys become Home, Menu, Back, and Search.

The mouse buttons, too, assume the appropriate roles according to the paired OS. A primary difference, though, between the K780 multi-device keyboard and the K850, is that the former has a groove across the top for holding your mobile devices, such as your smartphone or tablet, upright.

Comfort and Other Considerations

Compared to some other so-called ergonomic keyboards, we found the raised contour somewhat shallow, and the keys themselves a little cramped, though not so much to make typing uncomfortable. The palm rest is appropriately cushioned, and the cloth over it feels pleasent. The chiclet-style keys are slightly concaved, and their plunge and travel feels just about right to allow for intuitive touch typing. Aside from the three Bluetooth pairing buttons mentioned earlier, the key layout is conventional. There is no backlight.

William Harrel/Digital Trends

As for the mouse, it traveled across our mousepad quite smoothly. It felt pleasantly balanced, and its finger grooves and palm contours were comfortably arranged. In addition, the combo supports Logitech’s DuoLink feature, which allows you to modify the behavior of mouse movements and gestures by holding down the function key on the keyboard.

Holding the function key down while moving the mouse right can, for instance, cause the screen to scroll right, and vice versa, depending on how you configure it. DuoLink configuration, and other functionality, such as remapping keys and mouse button behavior, is controlled from Logitech’s downloadable Options software.

Logitech MK850 Compared To

Logitech K780

Aukey KM-G3

Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming…

Microsoft Universal Foldable…

Logitech G213 Prodigy

Steelseries Apex M500

Razer Turret

Razer Blackwidow X Chroma

Cougar Attack X3 gaming keyboard

Razer Deathstalker Chroma

Logitech K400

Microsoft Wireless Desktop 5000

Logitech iPad 2 Keyboard Case by…

Cherry JK-0300

Logitech K750 Wireless Solar…

In addition to the batteries, which Logitech says should last for about two years or two million keystrokes, the box includes the company’s multi-device Bluetooth dongle, which lets you pair up to seven Logitech peripherals, as well as a USB extension cable for relocating the dongle to a more suitable position, if required.

Warranty information

Logitech warrants the K850 one year under normal use. That is typical for a new keyboard or mouse.

Our Take

The Logitech K850 Performance Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo is a well-designed set of replacement input peripherals for users who desire maximum comfort and the convenience of wireless connectivity. Its ability to pair and switch between devices makes using it on multiple platforms and flipping back and forth between computing devices a snap. Compared to some other ergonomic keyboards, such as the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic, we found the keys a little cramped, but not enough to hinder performance significantly, if at all.

Is there a better alternative?

You’ll be hard-pressed to find another keyboard and mouse combo with the ability to pair and switch back and forth between devices and operating systems with the ease of the Logitech MK850 Performance. On the other hand, some other combos, such as the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop, provide better comfort.

The DT Accessory Pack

Rolodex Mesh Collection Mobile Device and Tablet Stand

$6.79

Belkin WaveRest Gel Mouse Pad

$8.95

How long will it last?

Keyboards and mice typically outlast most computing devices. Even though the components in this combo are made of plastic, during our time with them they seemed well-built, durable, and in it for the long haul. While there is no way to tell for sure, we found no reason to believe they won’t outlast their warranty and then some.

Should you buy it?

If you’re looking for wireless connectivity among multiple devices and reasonable comfort, the MK850 combo is a good choice.

Dell Thunderbolt Dock TB16: Our first take

A system dock should disappear when it’s working correctly, but Dell’s makes a bit too much fuss.

With the advent of Thunderbolt 3, and its massive power and data capabilities, docks are going from bulky, awkward stands to slim, powerful connectivity extenders. Dell’s TB16, for example, includes a swath of wired connection options, and charges compatible Dell laptops over a single Thunderbolt 3 cable. Yet it’s small enough to easily hide away on a desk.

That kind of simplicity doesn’t come cheap, and the TB16 carries a $300 suggested retail price — not so cheap when you consider the cost of a Dell laptop on top. Is the TB16 the accessory you’ve been waiting for, or is a generic dock a better option?

Short cable provides little relief

While the idea of a dock that the computer doesn’t physically attach to might seem odd, it’s quickly becoming the norm. The Dell TB16 is a bit larger than an Intel NUC. It sports a pair of USB 3.0 ports, and a 3.5mm audio out on the front. The back holds the rest of the ports, of which there are many. For video outputs, there’s one each of VGA, HDMI, DisplayPort, and Mini-DisplayPort, plus two USB 2.0 ports, one more USB 3.0 Type-A, USB 3.0 Type-C, and 3.5mm audio in.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The main issue we have with the design is the Thunderbolt 3 cable itself. It’s very short, at just 18 inches long, and it extends permanently from the dock’s left side. The Thunderbolt 3 port on our test system, the Dell XPS 15, is also on the left side. The only good way to connect them, then, is by setting the dock directly behind where the computer sits. It also has a rather large power brick, though that means it will charge compatible Dell laptops.

We also took issue with the TB16’s need for software support. The dock leans heavily on Dell’s drivers and software to handle its myriad outputs, so it often takes some time to load after waking up the system some sleep, and may not work at all on a restart until the user logs in, and the driver kicks in.

Warranty information

Purchased on its own, Dell’s TB16 dock carries a one year warranty against manufacturer defects, as well as regular wear and tear. Purchase it with a compatible laptop, however, and the dock’s warranty is automatically extended to match the laptop’s warranty. Some Dell laptops offer warranties of three to five years.

Conclusion

Dell’s TB16 Thunderbolt 3 dock doesn’t set itself apart from the pack, unless you’re buying it alongside a Dell laptop. The charging power and extra warranty coverage are solid value adds, but its competitors from other mainstream OEMs manage to slide in under the $200 price point. That said, there aren’t many of them, and many are system specific. It makes sense to purchase one with a new XPS 13 or XPS 15, particularly if you can find a deal below $250. Otherwise, it’s not better than any other dock.

Highs

• Solid connectivity
• Charges laptop

Lows

• Short leash
• Software reliant
• Awkward cable position

Close to the Metal Ep. 43: If you build it, will they come?

Microsoft’s Build developer conference might not be the most exciting event, but the Redmond team often announces a slew of features and updates that regular users will see in very tangible ways.

Windows 10 will soon have an expanded timeline feature, which will allow users to save and jump right back into sessions, like one might with a modern browser. This interesting new feature compliments advanced clipboard utilities, with cross-platform support for copy and paste tools with multiple options.

Next up, Story Remix brought the once-dead Windows Movie Maker back to life in a more modern form, with lots of automated systems designed to take the work out of video editing. It includes a swath of special effects, facial recognition, and collaborative tools. If Microsoft can uphold that promise, Story Remix will be an exciting new wave for home videos.

There will also be improvements to OneDrive later this year, with deeper integration into Windows Explorer that will allow OneDrive files to sit anywhere in an existing file system. For those who utilize Microsoft’s cloud service, this is a step in the right direction.

Finally, the most exciting part — new mixed reality controllers. The Redmond team has been pushing hard to bring mixed reality to life, but this is the first time we’ve actually gotten to see the consumer implementation, even if it was just a promotional video.

Microsoft made some promises at this year’s Build, and the bigger question of how well it can deliver will be answered in the coming months.

Close to the Metal is a podcast from Digital Trends that takes a deep dive into computing and PC gaming topics. Each show, we’ll focus in on one topic, and leave no stone unturned as we show off the latest in hardware and software. Whether it’s the latest GPU, supercomputers, or which 2-in-1 you should buy,  we break down the complicated jargon and talk about how user experience is affected in the real world. Please subscribe, share, and send your questions to podcast@digitaltrends.com. We broadcast the show live on YouTube every Tuesday at 1pm EST/10am PST.

Forget 20 fps, Sony could soon give robots the ability to see in 1,000 fps

Why it matters to you

Robots and automated machinery can’t respond quickly if they cannot see quickly, which is why Sony gave the traditional industrial sensor a massive speed boost.

Sony’s new a9 mirrorless camera may track moving subjects at 20 frames per second — but that technology will soon allow robots to see potentially fatal mistakes at 1,000 fps. On Tuesday, May 16, Sony announced the launch of the IMX382, a high-speed sensor for industrial applications that’s 33 times faster than the usual sensor.

The sensor is designed for giving robots and other automated machinery the ability to track fast-moving objects. In applications such as monitoring production lines, Sony says that speed could mean the sensor picks up on potentially fatal manufacturing defects instantly, making it possible to quickly stop production to correct the error. In robotics, incorporating the sensor into the design could allow the bot to detect movement in the surroundings in real time — and respond.

Like the a9, the industrial sensor gets its speed from a stacked design that separates the light-gathering pixels and dedicates an entire layer to processing that data, which creates a significant speed increase over conventional sensors. A back-lit design also gives the chip high sensitivity for monitoring differences in the scene, using data such as color and brightness to detect and follow objects. Typical industrial sensors like this top out at 30 fps, Sony says.

By putting both the tracking and imaging power on a single chip, Sony says it will also allow companies to build both cheaper and more compact solutions.

In robotics, Sony suggests that the speed of the sensor means that machines could be trained to react automatically to their surroundings. Robots traditionally move by specifying a set of coordinates, but Sony says the speed of its latest sensor could make it possible to design an autonomous robot that responds to the movement of surrounding objects.

Sony is currently the market leader for the production of imaging sensors, and as the digital camera market shifts, the company says it’s working to pioneer new applications for imaging sensors.

Developers will have access to the 1,000 fps sensor to test within their own systems as early as October 2017.

Think you’re emoji-ready? Google now lets you turn a selfie into a unique sticker

Why it matters to you

Emojis may be a fun way to express yourself, but they’re not necessarily all that unique. Google wants to change that by helping you turn your selfies into emojis.

If you spend (too much) time contemplating the rise of the emoji, you might discover that the phenomenon may represent a regression in terms of human communication. Because really, did we spend the last couple millennia developing alphabets and the written word just to return to hieroglyphs? But fret not — we are in fact getting more advanced. After all, could our ancestors have turned photos of ourselves into new emojis? Because now we can.

Thanks to a new tool from Google, you can apply the magic of machine learning to your face, generating a custom emoji sticker from a selfie. The feature can be found within Allo, Google’s machine learning-based app. And starting today, you’ll see a new option when you access the sticker collection — “Turn a selfie into stickers.”

It does exactly what it suggests. First, you take a photo of yourself and then let Google’s intelligent algorithms parse your face. Co. Design explains that this maps “each of your features to those in a kit illustrated by Lamar Abrams, a storyboard artist, writer, and designer for the critically acclaimed Cartoon Network series Steven Universe.”

You’ll never create the same face from your face twice, as Google notes that there are somewhere around 563 quadrillion combinations of eye, nose, and face shapes that could ultimately be pulled together to form your unique emoji.

Once the initial emoji has been created, you can make adjustments as you see fit, like changing your hair color or donning a different pair of glasses. Once that’s complete, Google’s new feature creates 22 custom stickers of the “you” derived from your selfie.

Really, it’s an exercise in self-identity, Jason Cornwell, Google’s communication projects UX lead told Co.Design. “How do you make something that doesn’t just convey what you look like but how you want to project yourself?” he asked. “That’s an interesting problem. It gets to ML and computer vision but also human expression.”

Ultimately, Cornwell said, “The goal isn’t accuracy. It’s to let someone create something that feels like themselves, to themselves.”

Think you’re emoji-ready? Google now lets you turn a selfie into a unique sticker

Why it matters to you

Emojis may be a fun way to express yourself, but they’re not necessarily all that unique. Google wants to change that by helping you turn your selfies into emojis.

If you spend (too much) time contemplating the rise of the emoji, you might discover that the phenomenon may represent a regression in terms of human communication. Because really, did we spend the last couple millennia developing alphabets and the written word just to return to hieroglyphs? But fret not — we are in fact getting more advanced. After all, could our ancestors have turned photos of ourselves into new emojis? Because now we can.

Thanks to a new tool from Google, you can apply the magic of machine learning to your face, generating a custom emoji sticker from a selfie. The feature can be found within Allo, Google’s machine learning-based app. And starting today, you’ll see a new option when you access the sticker collection — “Turn a selfie into stickers.”

It does exactly what it suggests. First, you take a photo of yourself and then let Google’s intelligent algorithms parse your face. Co. Design explains that this maps “each of your features to those in a kit illustrated by Lamar Abrams, a storyboard artist, writer, and designer for the critically acclaimed Cartoon Network series Steven Universe.”

You’ll never create the same face from your face twice, as Google notes that there are somewhere around 563 quadrillion combinations of eye, nose, and face shapes that could ultimately be pulled together to form your unique emoji.

Once the initial emoji has been created, you can make adjustments as you see fit, like changing your hair color or donning a different pair of glasses. Once that’s complete, Google’s new feature creates 22 custom stickers of the “you” derived from your selfie.

Really, it’s an exercise in self-identity, Jason Cornwell, Google’s communication projects UX lead told Co.Design. “How do you make something that doesn’t just convey what you look like but how you want to project yourself?” he asked. “That’s an interesting problem. It gets to ML and computer vision but also human expression.”

Ultimately, Cornwell said, “The goal isn’t accuracy. It’s to let someone create something that feels like themselves, to themselves.”

Apple’s attention to tiny details extends beyond phones to — pizza boxes?

Why it matters to you

The great minds at Apple have contributed so many inventions to the world — yet when it comes to the one concerning pizza, they saved it for themselves. Disappointing.

By now, you’ve surely heard lots of stories about Apple’s brand-new Cupertino, California, headquarters.

That every single element of the design — from the massive curved sheets of glass to the polished concrete ceiling tiles, to the ventilation system and even the door handles — was crafted with an obsessive level of detail echoing the company’s products.

That its construction, which was not completed on schedule and, according to multiple sources, cost about $5 billion, drove contractors and local officials mad.

That the facility can actually articulate in response to an earthquake, thanks to giant shock absorbers that shift the building five feet in any direction and allow it to continue to function perfectly.

Given all the stories that have been told,  it’s not surprising to hear that Apple Park, as it’s formally known, even has its own bespoke, patented pizza boxes.

This tidbit comes courtesy of Wired, which published a look inside the ring-shaped building that has excited and angered so many. The patent itself isn’t new — it was actually filed seven years ago, and has been used at Apple’s other corporate facilities for some time now. But it’s fitting it should start getting noticed now because it’s a microcosm of the company’s ambition to shape each and every facet of the world within its walls.

So what makes this pizza box so special? Contrary to what you might expect from an Apple-developed food container, it’s actually its most obvious feature: holes. The box allows for ventilation, so all the heat and moisture inside can dissipate, keeping the crust crispy. That’s really it.

The box is fashioned entirely from recycled materials, according to the patent, and is formed entirely in one piece, so no assembly is required. The invention is attributed to Francesco Longoni, the head of the company’s food service department.

The cafeteria seems to have been one of Apple’s primary considerations in the development of the new headquarters, as it’s one of the places employees are expected to have the most chance interactions. To that end, the area features a pair of massive glass doors, weighing 440,000 pounds each, that run the entire height of the four-story structure to let a little (or a lot of) light in.

Learning every minute aspect of Apple’s gargantuan spaceship on Earth over the past several years has been equal parts interesting and confounding. But we can’t help but feel that even in the company’s infinite wisdom, it may have missed an opportunity: Why hasn’t the pizza box been remade to look like a miniature replica of the building? Then it really would be the perfect microcosm.

DocuSign email breach opens its customers up to phishing attacks

Why it matters to you

The DocuSign breach is our latest reminder to be extra careful with questionable links or documents if you want to avoid being a victim of a phishing attack.

When it comes to our technology, It seems like we’re under constant attack lately. From the recent massive ransomware attack to the NSA’s cache of exploits to MacOS joining Windows as a more frequent target, not a day goes by that we’re not facing yet another assault on our privacy and information.

The latest threat comes by way of a data breach at document validation company DocuSign, as Tom’s Hardware reports. DocuSign was looking into a nefarious email campaign that targeted its customers when the company discovered that someone had hacked into its systems and grabbed some email addresses.

As Tom’s Hardware points out, having access to email addresses by itself is more of a nuisance than a dire circumstance when it is only the email address and no other personal identifying information is involved such as names, addresses, credit cards, and the like. However, having email addresses for a distinct group such as DocuSign customers creates the perfect opportunity to create an effective phishing campaign. Attackers can use DocuSign’s own branding to trick people expecting email from the company into clicking on unsafe sites or opening infected documents.

DocuSign said that its own eSignature document verification service hasn’t been breached and its customers’ documents are safe. But as we saw with a recent phishing scam that utilized Google’s own authentication system to infect users, cybercriminals are aided greatly by the ability to target specific victims who are likely to believe that an emailed link or document is legitimate.

If you’re a DocuSign customer, then be sure to check out the company’s Trust Center for more information. Its security staff has implemented a plan to secure its systems and has notified law enforcement. In the meantime, it offered up some steps to take to further ensure you are not affected. Here are those steps directly from DocuSign’s Trust Center:

• Delete any emails with the subject line, “Completed: [domain name] — Wire transfer for recipient-name Document
• Ready for Signature” and “Completed [domain name/email address] — Accounting Invoice [Number] Document Ready for Signature.” These emails are not from DocuSign. They were sent by a malicious third party and contain a link to malware spam.
• Forward any suspicious emails related to DocuSign to spam@docusign.com, and then delete them from your computer.
• They may appear suspicious because you don’t recognize the sender, weren’t expecting a document to sign, contain misspellings (like “docusgn.com” without an ‘i’ or @docus.com), contain an attachment, or direct you to a link that starts with anything other than https://www.docusign.com or https://www.docusign.net.
• Ensure your antivirus software is enabled and up to date.
• Review our whitepaper on phishing available

The usual tactics for avoiding phishing attacks apply as well. Never open attachments unless you know exactly who sent them and why, and don’t click on links in emails unless the address is valid and trusted. Make sure your browser is up to date and check that a site looks legitimate before entering any personal information.

Glympse can now track your friends, food orders from a Samsung Smart TV

Why it matters to you

You can now track the locations of your family and friends, all from the centralized hub of your Samsung TV.

Imagine that you’ve sat down to watch the game, and are waiting on your friends — or the food you ordered — to show up. Instead of having to pull out your phone to check their ETA, you’ll now be able to get live updates directly on your TV, thanks to a deal between Samsung and the location-sharing service Glympse to bring the app to select Samsung Smart TVs.

Glympse lets users send a link to their contacts via short message service (SMS) technology that enables real-time tracking of their location, and will even offer suggestions for the best possible routes for driving or public transportation. Glympse is also used by companies like Comcast to send customers updates to better gauge arrival times for technicians.

To begin getting Glympse notifications on their Samsung Smart TV, users can simply download the app to their TV and link their phone number. The TV will then display Glympse alerts received from their contacts — no more having to whip out your phone to double check if the Pizza Hut delivery is on its way. While the app is required in order to send SMS messages containing Glympse links, the links themselves can be opened without having to have the app installed.

Glympse users can also group their various devices, including their Samsung Smart TV, into Glympse family groups, which allow users to check in with their current location, sending a notification to all other devices included in the group. This can be set up directly on the TV by sending invitations using contacts’ phone numbers.

While Glympse is now available on numerous Samsung devices, including the Galaxy S7, Gear S2 and S3, and Family Hub devices, this marks the first time the service will be available on smart TVs. These devices join a growing number of other devices and services that now offer support for Glympse’s service, including Google, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Garmin, and even car manufacturers like Mercedes, Land Rover, and more.

Glympse is available now from the Samsung TV app store.