Samsung Addresses Note 7 Customer Concerns in Video Message Apology
Amid a global recall of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones which have been identified as a potential fire hazard, Samsung has taken the unusual step of directly addressing customers in a video message posted on its website.
In the video, Samsung America president and COO Tim Baxter admits that “we did not meet the standard of excellence that you expect and deserve”.
Samsung America president and COO Tim Baxter addresses customers.
For that, we apologise, especially to those of you who were personally affected by this. To those of you who love the Note, the most loyal customers in our Samsung family, we appreciate your passion and your patience. We take seriously our responsibility to address your concerns about safety. And we work every day to earn back your trust, through a number of unprecedented actions and with the extraordinary support of our carrier partners, suppliers, and the United States Consumer Productions Safety Commission.
Here are the facts: the CPSC has worked closely with us to develop, expedite and execute a plan to protect American consumers. We notified them of a potential defect in the original Note 7 batteries and then issued a global directive to stop sales immediately. To date, we have already exchanged a 130,000 units – a fast and meaningful start. And with the CPSC’s partnership, we will continue implementing corrective steps to exchange every single Note 7 on the market.
To be clear, the Note 7 with the new battery is safe. The battery cell issue is resolved. And this finding has been affirmed by a recognized independent lithium-ion battery expert. To our Note 7 owners, if you have not yet replaced your original Note 7, please, please, power it down, and return it.
The video was timed to coincide with an official CPSC announcement of the recall that came on Thursday, which prohibits by U.S. federal law the sale of Note 7 handsets.
The directive comes 13 days after Samsung first acknowledged the magnitude of the problem and Consumer Reports urged the company to prevent all sales of the potentially dangerous phone, which has caused 55 recorded cases of property damage and 26 burn cases so far.
According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. officials say that the company has “exacerbated the situation in the way it has communicated with regulators and consumers” by offering initially “conflicting information”. The video appears to be a response to that charge.
Samsung promises that replacement phones will be ready for exchange no later than next Wednesday, September 21.
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Samsung exec explains ‘facts’ of the Galaxy Note 7 recall
As Samsung tries to navigate through its Galaxy Note 7 mess, an executive is speaking directly to customers. In a message posted tonight, Samsung America President & COO Tim Baxter puts a personal face to the recall, continuing Samsung’s promise that new, less-volatile Galaxy Note 7s will be available “no later than September 21st.” We’ll see if the company is able to stick to that, but according to Baxter, an unnamed outside lithium battery expert affirmed Samsung’s findings on the safety of battery cells in the new units. The 92
Once those new phones hit the streets, ZDNet reports that you’ll be able to tell the difference because the battery indicator at the top right corner of the screen will be green instead of white. In Korea, exchanges are supposed to begin on the 19th, the first business day back after the local Thanksgiving holiday.
Source: Samsung News, Galaxy Note 7 Recall information
Galaxy Note 7 replacements hit stores on September 21st
If you’ve turned in your Galaxy Note 7 (like you should!), you’ve probably been wondering when Samsung would start getting replacement devices out the door. Turns out you won’t have to wait too long: the company just announced that “most retail locations” in the US will have the phone available on September 21st. This news comes as the US consumer safety group officially recalled the product, a move that Samsung already made a few weeks earlier.
In case you haven’t been paying attention to Samsung’s issues, the company recalled the Galaxy Note 7 after reports of the battery overheating and, in some cases, exploding. It’s been a tough few weeks for the company since, as it lost a huge amount of market value and had to suffer such indignities as the NYC MTA telling consumers not to use the phone on the subway and the FAA warning against using the Note 7 on airplanes.
The good news is that replacement phones will be out in the wild and in consumer’s hands less than a month since these troubling reports first started coming in. If you own a Note 7, you can either turn it in and get a new one when your preferred retailer has stock, swap it for a Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge and get a refund for the price difference or get a full refund. It looks like Samsung will have this embarrassing incident behind it before long, but it’ll certainly feel the impact when the company reports its financials next month.
Source: Samsung (BusinessWire)
US consumer safety group recalls the Samsung Galaxy Note 7
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has officially recalled the Galaxy Note 7, noting that its lithium-ion battery can overheat and catch fire. This follows a recall that Samsung itself implemented in early September. Shortly after this initial rollback, the CPSC published a statement urging anyone with a Galaxy Note 7 to power it down and stop charging it, and Samsung said it was working with the safety group on an official government recall.
Samsung says that the overheating issue affects just 24 per 1 million devices, but the company isn’t taking chances. On top of a global recall of 2.5 million devices, the company plans to launch a software update on September 20th that limits the Galaxy Note 7’s battery to a 60 percent charge.
Since news of the fire hazard broke, the Federal Aviation Administration and New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority have warned against bringing the Galaxy Note 7 on both planes and trains, respectively. Samsung lost $26 billion in market value in the weeks following the recall.
Developing…
Source: CPSC
Oculus makes achievements a part of Gear VR and Rift games
Oculus is joining the ranks of Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, Steam and even GameCenter. That’s right: Rift and Gear VR games are adding achievements. They’re live in a handful of games now including Minecraft and Hitman Go and it’ll only be a matter of time before they become the rule rather than the exception. As The Verge writes, the update will be rolling out over the next few weeks, and you’ll be able to opt out of sharing the meta-challenge activities if you want. You know, if you’re ever embarrassed of playing the inevitable Candy Crush VR in the future.
Source: The Verge
New York: don’t use your Galaxy Note 7 on the subway
Samsung just can’t catch a break. On top of aviation regulators and safety officials warning against using pre-recall versions of the Galaxy Note 7, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority now says that Note 7 owners are “urged” against using or charging their phone on buses and trains. You should turn it off before entering the station, the MTA says. This isn’t a formal ban, but it’s safe to say that you’ll be a persona non grata if the Authority catches you using the fire-prone handset on the subway.
There haven’t been any reported fires on MTA rides. This is really more of a precautionary measure than anything. However, it illustrates the increasing fear surrounding the Note 7. Despite the relatively low number of fires, institutions don’t want to take any chances — they’d rather issue blanket warnings (or in some cases, bans) than risk an incident on their home turf.
MTA customers are urged not to use or charge their #Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile device on trains and buses.
— MTA (@MTA) September 13, 2016
Via: Tom’s Guide
Source: MTA (Twitter 1), (2), (3)
Samsung guarantees its latest SUHD TVs won’t suffer burn-in
If the constant fear of screen burn-in was keeping you from making a big television purchase, then Samsung’s new guarantee might make you reconsider. The electronics giant announced today that it is providing a lifetime guarantee against the dreaded screen burn-in for all of its 2016 SUHD Quantum Dot TVs. Should your brand-new, ultra high-def, HDR+ set suffer burn-in (from “normal consumer use,” of course) Samsung will replace it for free.
For the uninitiated, “burn-in” happens when a TV is left showing a single image or scene for an extended period of time, leaving the image permanently “burned” into the screen. It is commonly associated with older Plasma and OLED sets, but LCD panels can be prone to it as well.
The guarantee covers all Samsung’s “8” or “9” series SUHD Quantum dot sets sold in the US and proud new owners of those panels will want to be sure to properly register there purchase with Samsung. And while you’re at it, you might want to return that new Samsung phone as well.
Source: BusinessWire
VR documentary puts you inside the 2016 NBA Finals
The National Basketball Association began experimenting with virtual reality last year, when it used the medium to stream the first game of its 2015 season. Now, the league has teamed up with Oculus on a VR documentary about last year’s championship matchup, between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. Titled Follow my Lead: The Story of the 2016 NBA Finals, this 360-degree video experience aims to take you where traditional TV can’t, giving you a first-person look at the action on and off the court.
The 25-minute story, created by Brooklyn-based production company m ss ng p ecess (“missing pieces,” get it?), is narrated by actor Michael B Jordan (Friday Night Lights, Creed). And it doesn’t just focus on Game 7, which Cleveland won at Oracle Arena in Oakland, but rather the entire series. I had the chance to check it out and walked away fairly impressed. The best part about it is that, unlike watching a film on my TV or phone, the VR headset gave me the option to explore and focus on whatever I wanted to.
I spent most of the time paying attention to highlights of the basketball games, but it was nice to also be able to spin my head and watch how fans in the arena celebrated a LeBron James dunk. In general, though, that’s the beauty about virtual reality experiences — they’re different for everyone. Here’s a perfect example of the value of this kind of storytelling: remember that cameraman who, during Game 6, fell down as he followed LeBron to the locker room? Well, here you can see it actually happening, whereas on TV you only knew because of the botched camera shot.
So whether you want to see crowd reactions or something else entirely, chances are your experience won’t be the same as mine. At first, I was worried about the length of the documentary, thinking by the end of it I would have a massive headache. You know, after “coming back.” But, thankfully, that wasn’t the case. If you have a Samsung Gear VR headset, you too can watch Follow my Lead: The Story of the 2016 NBA Finals starting today. Better yet, it’s a free download from the Oculus Store.
Engadget giveaway: Win a Samsung Gear 360 and video software courtesy of CyberLink!
Want to step into the 360-degree video editing arena at an affordable price? CyberLink just launched Director Suite 5, its $300 consumer-level editing bundle for fine-tuning your video captures in full 360-degree splendor. CyberLink’s True360 tech allows users to work on their content with tools like PowerDirector 15 for finessing titles and transitions, and ColorDirector 5 for a wide range of color enhancements that even track along with moving objects. This week, CyberLink has provided a Samsung Gear 360 camera and its newest video-editing bundle, Director Suite 5 (including four programs), to get one lucky reader started recording, editing and sharing experiences in the round. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this creative video package from CyberLink.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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- Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) Samsung Gear 360 camera and CyberLink’s Director Suite 5 (including PowerDirector 15 with 360-degree video editing, PhotoDirector 8, AudioDirector 7 and ColorDirector 5).
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- Entries can be submitted until Sept. 14th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
It takes two: A visual history of dual-camera mobile phones
With the recent launches of the iPhone 7 Plus and the LG V20, the dual-lens smartphone camera is once again a hot topic. Of course, many other companies will want to remind you that they were there first, except some have long since given up on the technology. So what happened? And why isn’t this yet a standard feature on all flagship smartphones? For those intrigued, it’s worth taking a trip seven years back in time.
AIVAnet 