Samsung Pay finally launches in the UK

It took it’s sweet time, but Samsung Pay is now available in the UK. If you own any device in the Galaxy S6, S7 or S8 family, as well as the Galaxy A3 or Galaxy A5, you now have the option to pay for things without cards or cash. The company has teamed up with Visa and Mastercard to enable the option, but only customers who bank with MBNA, Nationwide and Santander are currently able to try out Samsung’s answer to Android Pay and Apple Pay.

If Samsung Pay isn’t installed on your device, make sure you grab it from the Google Play Store. You’ll then be asked to authenticate your fingerprint and add one of your supported cards. Once added, you only need to swipe up on your phone’s screen to select your card and confirm the payment via fingerprint, iris scan or passcode. Then it’s a simple case of touching your phone to the payment terminal.

Samsung Pay’s journey across the Atlantic has been a painful one. The NFC payment platform originally debuted in Korea in August 2015 before making its way to the US a month later. It took another year for the service to reach Canada, after which Samsung confirmed that the UK wouldn’t see anything until 2017. The smartphone maker neglected to explain the reasons behind the delay, but reports suggested that negotiations with UK banks were to blame.

While only newer Galaxy and A-series smartphones currently support Samsung Pay in the UK, Samsung says the Gear S3 smartwatch will be added to the roster “soon.” American Express, first direct, HSBC and M&S Bank are also expected to join the platform

Zenimax turns on Samsung after victory in Oculus VR suit

Zenimax and Oculus aren’t quite done duking it out in court, but the former has already taken on yet another adversary. The software company has filed a lawsuit against Samsung for infringing on its copyright, since it uses Oculus tech to power the Gear VR. It’s accusing the Korean giant of continuing with the device’s development despite knowing about the details of its lawsuit against the Facebook-owned firm. Samsung, it says, didn’t even ask for permission knowing full well that it sued Oculus for stealing its technology and even released an updated version of the Gear VR after the court awarded it a partial victory.

If you’ll recall, Zenimax sued the VR company for $4 billion for stealing trade secrets, among other things, when it hired John Carmack, the co-founder of one of its properties called id Software. It accused Carmack of taking the technology he was developing with him to Oculus when he transferred. In the end, the court ruled that Oculus must pay Zenimax $500 million for copyright infringement and because its co-founder, Palmer Luckey, broke an NDA. The jury determined, however, that Oculus didn’t steal any trade secrets, so the plaintiff didn’t get the $4 billion it was asking for.

In addition to accusing Samsung of knowingly infringing on its copyright, Zenimax said Carmack came up with the idea for a mobile VR when it was still with id Software. The exec reportedly snuck former id creative director Matt Hooper into the company’s offices one night and came up with an “attack plan” for mobile VR. Hooper then called his contacts at Oculus and told them about the project they plan to work on when they transfer.

Zenimax’s new lawsuit is seeking royalties, damages and profits from the sales of infringing works and use of trade secrets. The decision the court came up with for its previous lawsuit could affect the outcome for this one, though it’s worth noting that Oculus is till fighting that decision and has maintained its innocence from the start. Carmack also has an ongoing case against Zenimax for unpaid acquisition money: he says the company still owes him $22.5 million for id Software’s acquisition from way back in 2009.

Via: The Verge

Source: Polygon

The first television with Amazon Fire TV built in is just fine

Sure, you can get a Fire TV stick with an Alexa remote and plug it into your existing television set to make it smart. But that setup can’t pull in streams from all the devices you have connected, like your PlayStation, antenna and whatever else you have stuck in your HDMI ports. Nor can it integrate all those inputs seamlessly into the OS. But if a central hub for all of your streaming content is important to you, and if you have money just laying around, consider the new Element Fire TV Edition. It’s the first television with Fire TV OS built in, thanks to a collaboration between Amazon and TV maker Element. Starting at $449 for a 43-inch version, the Edition adds a few conveniences to the existing interface that you won’t get with only the stick.

First, since this system is integrated natively, it can detect the devices you’ve hooked up to your TV and display them in what Amazon calls a “content row”. That’s the row of thumbnails you’ll see representing each TV show, or in this case, input device, on the home page. This layout makes it easy to see what you have playing on each satellite device, and lets you quickly jump back into what you were watching before. During my demo, there was no lag during playback, and Element’s rep was able to jump between input channels smoothly.

Another difference between the Edition and a Fire TV stick is the former’s ability to manage live content. With an HD antenna connected, you can pull broadcasts into the OS and see what’s streaming without having to leave the home page. Live channels show up as another content row, and you can see what’s on the air. A progress bar also indicates how long each particular show has been playing, and how much of each is left. As you are watching something live, you can also pause playback for up to 90 seconds and rewind to pick up where you left off. That 90-second-window can be expanded if you pop in an SD card, but it’s not clear how much extra time you gain.

Amazon also baked in a channel guide interface that lets you view up to 14 days of live programming information. You can favorite specific channels and filter the table to only show your preferred outlets. And because it’s an Amazon device, you can also summon Alexa to help you find your favorite show, no matter where it’s playing. Say, for instance, you want to watch Empire. Tell Alexa, “Play Empire,” and it will find a version that you have access to, whether it’s streaming on Hulu or on broadcasting Fox. This is particularly helpful when there’s a movie you’d like to stream, but don’t want to shell out for it. Alexa can look up versions available now, but it will also show you when that title is next playing for free on TV, so you can set yourself a reminder to watch it then.

Just like on the Fire TV stick, Alexa can also control your smart home devices, like your Philips Hue lights or thermostat. Amazon has also tailored the interface to display visual aids when you’re interacting with Alexa on the TV so you can see restaurant ratings and reviews when you look up the best dining locations around you. Unfortunately, you’ll have to press a button on the Fire TV remote to talk to Alexa, as the Edition will not be always-listening for the wake word. Those who are more security-conscious may find this a blessing, but people who want the convenience of not having to speak into a remote control to use a voice assistant will be disappointed.

Everything I described worked smoothly during my brief time with a 65-inch unit of the Edition, which also comes in 50- and 55-inch models. All options have are 4K, and based on the vibrance and clarity of my demo unit, the TVs are bright and colorful enough to do your favorite movies justice. Of course, the quality doesn’t compare to the high-end OLED sets from Samsung and LG, which had more stunning and saturated images. The Edition’s onboard speakers provided ample volume for both onscreen dialogue and music playback, too. In the meeting room we were in, though, the overhead lights were frequently reflected by the screen, causing a glare in some spots and also making it extremely difficult to take a nice picture of the Edition.

The TVs are available with Element or Westinghouse branding, with no difference in price between the two, since they are, well, the same company. Aside from the logos below the screens, the devices from both labels will be identical. Prices start at $449 (for the 43-inch model), through to $549 (50-inch), $649 (55-inch) and $899 (65-inch). Those who pre-order on Amazon starting today will also get an AmazonBasics indoor HD TV antenna — all the better to make use of those new live TV feature with, right?

In my short time trying it out, Amazon and Element’s collaboration appears well-executed, but whether consumers are willing to buy the Edition for its live TV and input integration features, over more established (or cheaper) TV sets is another question altogether.

The latest ‘Pokémon Go’ event is all about rock

With the one year anniversary of Pokémon Go approaching, Niantic and the Pokémon Company have launched (another) in-game event called Adventure Week. From May 18th until May 25th, trainers will encounter an increasing number of Rock-type Pokémon, including Omanyte, Kabuto and their “Evolutions.” Players will also be more likely to see rare Rock critters, including Aerodactyl, Onix and Sudowoodo, the companies say.

On top of the whole Rock thing, more items will be available at each PokéStop, and Buddy Pokémon only have to walk a quarter the usual distance to find Candy. The company has also launched a new avatar wardrobe item, the Aventurer’s Hat, available to all trainers for free.

The Adventure Week, which mirrors other recent events, should keep the game’s user base satisfied for now. After second generation pokémon reignited interest in the game, players are now anticipating big new changes, possibly in time for the first anniversary. Niantic is reportedly working on new gym changes to make battles more interesting, and introducing “raids,” legendary pokémon and more. Despite the falloff in play, there are reportedly still 65 million users around the globe, so the franchise is still a big moneymaker for Niantic.

Instagram apes Snapchat yet again with face filters

At this point, it’s probably easier to note the features Instagram and Facebook haven’t swiped from Snapchat. Those tools already include the likes of Stories, stickers and more. Today, the filter-driven photo app announced a slew of new features, one of which looks quite familiar: face filters. That’s tight, the goofy headwear, animal noses, glasses and more you know and love on Snapchat are now available for your selfies on Instagram.

Are these exactly the same at Snapchat’s version? Instagram says they’re different. At TechCrunch Disrupt, the company’s product head Kevin Weil explained why. “You’ll see as you use them, there’s a level of craft and detail with each one of the eight face filters that I think is unique,” he said. Weil used the example of the koala ears filter and how they twitch like a real bear’s ears naturally do. In other words, Instagram is making the case that their face filters are more realistic and life-like than Snapchat’s selfie lenses. Of course, we’ll put out selfie experts on the case to be the judge of that.

.@kevinweil explains how @Instagram face filters are different than Snapchat selfie lenses #TCDisrupt pic.twitter.com/2n0RDmWA0I

— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) May 16, 2017

Instagram isn’t stopping at face filters in this update though, it also added the ability to play videos backwards with the camera. There’s a new “Rewind” option that site right beside Boomerang in the camera window that will play whatever footage you capture in reverse. There are also new hashtag stickers that you can customize with whatever subject matter to need to include on your images and clips. Lastly, a new eraser brush drawing tool will allow you to scribble away letters from a solid color to reveal your photo underneath.

Source: Instagram

Apple Pay May Launch in Italy as Soon as Tomorrow

Apple Pay could arrive in Italy as soon as tomorrow, according to Italian tech blog MacPost.it. The imminent launch of Apple’s mobile payment system in Italy has been rumored for several weeks now, but the website claims to have spoken to three different sources from the retail and banking sector who independently confirmed that Apple Pay is set to go live on Wednesday throughout the country.

The exact time of the launch remains unknown, according to the sources, but the general expectation is that Apple Pay will be announced in the morning. Meanwhile, in another indication of the impending launch, the Apple Maps app has started listing Apple Pay as “accepted” at certain retail outlets in Italy, as the following image provided by MacPost.it shows.

Last week, MacRumors noted that an Apple support document shows Italy highlighted on a map which is supposed to indicate Apple Pay participating banks and card issuers. Apple’s regional Italian website has listed Apple Pay as “coming soon” since March. Now it looks like it may be only hours away. The contactless payment service is expected to be available in the country through UniCredit, Carrefour Bank, and Boon.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
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MacOS Sierra 10.12.5 eases Windows 10 Creators Update Boot Camp install

Why it matters to you

You can now install Windows 10 Creators Update in MacOS Boot Camp without jumping through hoops.

Apple’s Boot Camp feature is the easiest way to use a Mac to run both MacOS and Microsoft Windows. Boot Camp typically supports the latest version of Windows, although it can take Apple some time to enable the utility to install Windows updates.

Such was the case with Windows 10 Creators Update, which was released on April 11 to Windows users. Boot Camp supported the update, but with a caveat: Users could not clean install Creators Update, but rather needed to first install Anniversary Update via a USB flash drive and then run the update process from there.

Apple has now made the process much easier with the latest version of MacOS, Sierra 10.12.5. As Apple points out in its update notice, support has been added for media-free installation of Windows 10 Creators Update using Boot Camp.

Additional updates include the following fixes and enhancements, as listed on Apple’s update page:

• Fixes an issue where audio may stutter when played through USB headphones.
• Enhances compatibility of the Mac App Store with future software updates.
• Adds support for more digital camera RAW formats.
• Resolves an issue, affecting some enterprise and education customers, that may cause the system date to be set to the year 2040.
• Prevents a potential kernel panic when starting up from a NetInstall image. This fix is available when starting up from a NetInstall image created from the macOS 10.12.5 installer.

In addition, Apple issued a number of security updates in MacOS Sierra 10.12.5, along with updates for El Capitan and Yosemite. Highlights include:

• A fix for a flaw that allowed malicious networks with 801.1X authentication to capture network credentials.
• A fix for a bug in the accessibility framework that could allow an application to gain system privileges.
• A fix for an error in the HFS that allowed applications to read restricted memory.

The list of security fixes is fairly extensive, and so if there’s a particular vulnerability that you’re worried about then be sure to check the list. Given that MacOS has been the target of a number of recent exploits, applying this security update as soon as possible is an important step in keeping your Mac safe and secure. Follow the instructions here to update to MacOS Sierra 10.12.5.

Verizon’s Galaxy S8 picks up update to fix red tint display issue

Verizon is the latest carrier to roll out an update to fix the red tint issue on the Galaxy S8.

Verizon has started rolling out an update to the Galaxy S8 and S8+ that fixes the red tint display issue. After installing the update, you’ll be able to fine-tune the colors by adjusting the display settings to eliminate the red tint.

Samsung has been proactive in rolling out the update around the world, with units in South Korea, India, the UK, and Canada already receiving the update. T-Mobile and AT&T also issued the update last week, and Verizon is the latest carrier to roll out the OTA in the U.S.

The update bumps the version number to NRD90M.G950USQU1AQDF for the S8 and NRD90M.G955USQU1AQDF for the S8+, and includes additional bug fixes and performance tweaks. The changelog for the update lists Bixby Vision, but that particular feature was added in a previous update that rolled out weeks ago.

If you’re rocking a Verizon-branded variant of the Galaxy S8 or S8+, head into your phone’s settings to download the update.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

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How to add a second Google account to your Android

How do I add a second Google account to my Android device? This is how.

Updated May 2017: Made sure the process works as described for the latest version of Android.

Instead of trying to keep all of your Google accounts in order on multiple devices, why not have everything on one device? Android has made it easy to add accounts, sync accounts, and remove accounts — here’s how.

• How to add a second Google account to your Android
• How to remove a Google account from your Android

How to add a second Google account to your Android device

Launch Settings from your Home screen, the app drawer, or the Notification Shade.
Swipe up in the Settings menu to scroll down.

Tap Accounts.

Tap Add Account.
Tap Google.

Type in your email address in the provided field. You can also create a new account to be added.

Tap Next.
Type your password.

Tap Next.

Enter the 2-Step Verification code if you have it enabled and tap Next.
Tap Accept to agree to Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Tap a billing information option.

Tap Continue.

How to remove a Google account from your Android device

Swipe down from the top of the Home screen.
Tap the Settings button. It looks like a gear.

Swipe up in the Settings menu to scroll down.

Tap Accounts.
Tap Google.

Tap the Google account you’d like to remove.

Tap the Menu button. It looks like three vertical dots.
Tap Remove account.

Tap Remove account to confirm the account removal.

When you remove any Google account, all the data associated with it is deleted from your phone. Your account isn’t deleted from the cloud, so things like contacts or paid apps can be retrieved if you re-add the account or use the account on another device, but all your local data (like messages or app settings) is gone forever. You’ll see a warning about data deletion before you finish the process.

HTC U11 coming to Canada in early June for $899 with no carrier backing

HTC’s latest phone is coming to Canada for nearly a grand, but it could be a good deal.

The HTC U11 is, as we’ve learned, shiny and squeezy, and it’s also reasonably priced — at least down in the U.S. — at around $650 U.S. And while it’s not going to burn the barn doors down with a single carrier partner, Sprint, it’s certainly better than nothing.

That nothing is exactly what Canadians get when looking for carrier options; the HTC U11 will only be available unlocked directly from the company’s e-commerce site, for the spendy price of $899 CAD. It will be shipping in early June according to the company.

While that’s not quite as expensive as the HTC U Ultra, which debuted in Canada earlier this year to little fanfare, it’s still not cheap, and without carrier support may damper its appeal to the average Canadian.

That said, the unlocked price is still in line with current US – CAD exchange rates, and is considerably lower than the equivalent unlocked Galaxy S8, which goes for $1,035 CAD.

Here are a few things to note about the unlocked Canadian version:

• It is compatible with Freedom Mobile’s Band 66.
• It comes with support for Rogers, Bell, Telus, Videotron, Eastlink, SaskTel, BellMTS, Freedom Mobile, and practically every other Canadian network, out of the box.
• It technically supports VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling, though it’s unclear whether that will translate to real-world capabilities given that none of the carriers have explicitly optimized the phone.
  The same is true of the theoretical support for 3x Carrier Aggregation which, despite technical support by the phone’s Snapdragon 835 chip, needs to be carrier-optimized in the software.
• Unlike the U.S. version, there is no mention of Alexa support — for obvious reasons.
• The phone will be available in dark blue, light blue, and black — for now.

Obviously, the value proposition of the HTC U11 is untested right now, but its pedigree is excellent, and HTC has a very good track record of keeping its unlocked devices updated in Canada. The phone is also shipping with Android 7.1, so it’s ahead of the Galaxy S8 and LG G6 from the start. It’s unclear whether the Edge Sense gimmick — the ability to squeeze the phone to initiate actions — will turn into anything worth using on a consistent basis, but the hardware is otherwise quite sound.

The Snapdragon 835 and UltraPixel 3 camera alone should make for a great shooter, while the inclusion of water resistance and a pair of high-fidelity headphones (at the expense of a headphone jack, natch) increases the value of the phone, too.

Are you interested in the HTC U11 in Canada? Give us a shout in the comments!

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HTC U11

• HTC U11 preview
• HTC U11 specs
• Manufacturing the U11: Behind the scenes
• Where to buy in the U.S.
• Join our U11 forums
• HTC U11 vs Galaxy S8
• HTC U11 vs LG G6