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Posts tagged ‘Samsung’

8
Aug

LG joining Samsung and Google to combat Stagefright


LG has announced that it will join Samsung and Google in an effort to combat Stagefright.

Stagefright is a vulnerability in Android that exploits how the operating system handles MMS. When an MMS is sent, some messaging apps automatically download the video files as soon as they are received in order to make them immediately ready to be opened. And while the OS does this, the system involved with processing video can be attacked.

In relation to the issue, LG stated,

LG will be providing security updates on a monthly basis which carriers will then be able to make available to customers immediately. We believe these important steps will demonstrate to LG customers that security is our highest priority.

This is certainly welcome news, and hopefully, other OEMs will take part in this initiative against Stagefright. However, how effective will this be with carriers involved? After all, carriers are known for being slow with OS updates, which provide their own improved security over those currently installed, until they are certain their own services function properly.

Should you be concerned about this uncertainty, check out this post for how to detect if you have Stagefright and how to defend yourself against it.

Source: Droid-Life

 

The post LG joining Samsung and Google to combat Stagefright appeared first on AndroidGuys.

8
Aug

Awkward looking keyboard cover for the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus is awkward




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There are plenty of accessories in the mobile world that we don’t understand (selfie sticks come to mind), but a keyboard cover for the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus that was leaked by leaker @evleaks today has us scratching our heads more than usual. As you can see in the photo below, the keyboard cover wraps around the bottom half of the S6 Edge Plus, providing physical keys where you would normally only have on-screen keys – to say the least, it looks kind of awkward.


However, despite how it looks, I can definitely see a use for such an add-on – there is likely a large segment of the market who struggle with on-screen keys and the lack of tactile feedback, even with vibration. For those people, this physical keyboard is perfect. From the photo, it appears that the homescreen will also shrink to fit the remaining screen so that the keyboard cover isn’t obscuring anything. Obviously, this won’t be for everyone, but Samsung has obviously decided there is a business case for this otherwise they wouldn’t have made it. Or not.

What do you think about the keyboard cover for the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Twitter via Phone Arena

The post Awkward looking keyboard cover for the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus is awkward appeared first on AndroidSPIN.

8
Aug

Meizu’s upcoming high-end smartphone rumored to be powered by Samsung’s Exynos 7420 SoC


Meizu MX5-8

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Meizu recently released its MX5 smartphone, which we told you in our full review is a pretty great handset in terms of both design and performance. Up until recently many consumers were hoping to get their hands on a slightly higher-end version of the device, the MX5 Pro. But according to a new rumor that supposedly comes from Meizu VP Li Nan, the company is planning on scrapping the MX5 Pro handset in favor of a more premium smartphone line, which will be put in place to directly compete with the Xiaomi Mi Note series.


OPPO R7 Plus vs Oppo R7-30Related: Young guns: 10 up and coming phone brands out of China2310861

To compete with the Mi Note line, it’s obviously important for Meizu’s new mystery smartphone to pack a punch on the performance front, which is why the company might be planning on using Samsung’s Exynos 7420 processor instead of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810. Smartphone analyst Pan Jiutang recently took to Weibo to announce this information, though he unfortunately didn’t reveal any reasoning behind Meizu’s decision to use a Samsung SoC this time around.

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Samsung uses its in-house built Exynos 7420 processor in the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.

Previous rumors suggest that this new premium smartphone line will feature a double-sided glass build along with an aluminum frame. The first smartphone to come out of this line is also rumored to launch in China for over 3000 Yuan (~$483 USD), which would make this one of the most expensive devices to come from Meizu.

8
Aug

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ may have a keyboard case option


As we approach Samsung’s Unpacked event and ever closer to the heavily rumoured Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+, the leaks and speculations continue to pour out.

galaxy-s6-edge-plus-keyboard-case-leak

The latest is rather an odd one, courtesy of @evleaks, that shows the Galaxy S6 Edge+ sporting a rather old looking keyboard case, reminiscent of something from back in the Sony Ericsson days. The case adds physical keys to the device by snapping onto the back of the phone and then resting against the front of the device.

Nope, I don’t know why you’d want this either…

The post Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ may have a keyboard case option appeared first on AndroidGuys.

7
Aug

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus might have a keyboard case accessory


samsung galaxy s6 plus keyboardThe famous Android leaker, Evan Blass or Evleaks, has just posted a photo of what he says is a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus with a new keyboard case. Not sure if the picture is of the actual keyboard case or just a mockup, but it is a new approach from Samsung.

On August 13th, Samsung is holding their Unpacked event where they are said to reveal the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge Plus. Maybe we will see a new keyboard accessory as well?

From the looks of it the case seems to be the standard Samsung Clear Cover case that they released for the S6 Edge, but now the keyboard attaches to that. There is also a little button on the top left of the keyboard which I would assume is to take it off. Also, the keyboard covers the bottom half of the screen and has had to add a multitask button, back button, and of course home button. Since the case is blocking the home button I guess that means no fingerprint reader capabilities while it’s on?

What do you think? Are you feeling a keyboard case or should they just stick to the normal on-screen keyboard? Tell us in the comments below.

Source: Evleaks

Come comment on this article: The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus might have a keyboard case accessory

7
Aug

Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge+ Specs Leak Out


It’s just a few days until Samsung’s 2015 “Unpacked” Event, and after numerous leaks and renders, a full spec sheet has been released by jarir.com. While no photos were shown (that’s for the final treat), we can get a good idea of what to expect. Don’t rely on these specs to be final, as Samsung is yet to confirm the real thing.

For the Note 5, we can expect the device to feature a Quad HD Super AMOLED screen, coming in with 1440 X 2560 pixels. The 5.7 incher will be protected by Gorilla Glass 4. On the inside, we’re expected to see 4GB RAM coupled with Samsung’s Exynos 7422, an upgrade compared to the S6’s 7420. The Octa-Core powered phone comes with 32GB/64GB variants storage wise. And yes, expect room for a MicroSD card, as the 16 Megapixel shooter could make some hefty photos. The front facing camera is expected to be 5MP. Running Android 5.1, the device will weigh 169 grams and have a thickness of 7.6mm. The best part? The flagship should have a whooping 4100mAh battery.

Specs-for-the-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-5

Note 5 specs leak

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Note 5 specs leak

Middle-East-store-posts-specs-for-the-Samsdung-Galaxy-S6-edge-and-the-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-5 (3)

Note 5 Specs leak

The S6 Edge+ will have the same screen: Quad HD, 5.7 inch Super AMOLED with Gorilla Glass 4. The same chipset that powers the S6 and S6 Edge, the Exynos 7420, is expected to power this one alongside 4GB RAM. The storage is again 32GB/64GB with the same camera combo, a 16 Megapixel back shooter with a 5 Megapixel front camera for those selfie lovers. However, under the expandable storage, it just says “Not specified”, so we may need to fear the worse and expect that it doesn’t come with a MicroSD slot. It is however said to be thinner than the Note 5, showing off a 6.9mm waistline and weighs 156 grams.

Specs-for-the-Samsung-Galaxy-S6-edge

S6 Edge+ Specs leak

 

Note 5

S6 Edge+ Specs leak

Middle-East-store-posts-specs-for-the-Samsdung-Galaxy-S6-edge-and-the-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-5 (1)

S6 Edge+ Specs leak

While we’re talking about the Note 5, we should also point out that Sammy has hinted at improvements at the S Pen.

The S Pen is already in its fourth edition. It is exciting to consider how it will continue to evolve and improve as time goes on.

Samsung Blog Post

While we expect Samsung to continually improve S Pen, it seems obvious they are working hard at it. Is there anything special on the way? It’d be great to see how they are innovating against competition.

 

The post Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge+ Specs Leak Out appeared first on AndroidGuys.

7
Aug

Costco is getting ready for the Verizon variants of the Turbo 2, Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus


cosco-droid-turbo-2We have heard so many stories about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Plus, but here is another. A new leaked document from Costco confirms their names and shows they are gearing up to launch the Verizon variant of the Turbo 2, Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.

The image also shows that there will be a new Droid phone coming too. The Droid Turbo 2 and another Droid phone were said to be coming to Verizon before, but this is only more confirmation.

Unfortunately the image doesn’t show any confirmation specs for any of the phones. However, we will get confirmation soon on the Samsung phones as they are holding an Unpacked event on August 13th.

Source: Android Central

Come comment on this article: Costco is getting ready for the Verizon variants of the Turbo 2, Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus

7
Aug

Samsung is testing an 18.4-inch tablet


Screen Shot 2015-08-07 at 10.58.48

Whenever I hear the word phablet, Samsung is the brand that instantly pops to mind. The South Korean manufacturer has been at the top of the oversized smartphone market for as long as I can remember and now it looks like they’re set to be the first to create a tablet that’s bigger than most laptops currently available.

Earlier today, an unidentified ‘Sample Samsung Tablet PC’ entered India purely for testing and evaluation purposes. The device was transported from Samsung’s hometown by Delhi Air Cargo and has simply been described as an 18.4-inch slate that must be destroyed after all the relevant testing has been done.

So as it stands, it would appear that the company is working on a tablet that’s bigger than any of Apple’s current MacBook offerings. With such a huge screen, the device will be entering a very niche category and we can’t see it being used in any environment other than a commercial one.

Pricing information included in the import document lists the value of the unit at INR 32,371, which is approximately $510.

Source: NoWhereElse

Come comment on this article: Samsung is testing an 18.4-inch tablet

7
Aug

Samsung’s latest blog post talks S-Pen and the evolution of the writing implement




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The Samsung S-Pen stands at the pinnacle of stylus design, combining form and function to achieve something that nobody in the mobile industry has yet to come close to. To this end, Samsung has thought to reflect on the evolution of pens, naturally seeing its ultimate evolution as the S-Pen. However, it makes an interesting point about how writing implements have stamped their place in humanity’s history:

“…it was the rise of the pen that made writing a ubiquitous part of civilization”

To make its point, Samsung talks us through history, from the calligraphy brushes of Ancient China, to the quills of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, and to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who used fountain pens to write his Sherlock Holmes stories. The history lesson ends with technical pens and ballpoint pens which we all use on a daily basis – though perhaps not as much as a few years ago.

Of course, Samsung makes the case that the S-Pen “has evolved to meet the needs of users”, citing its trademark features like its multifunction button, use of gestures, and of course, its Air Command menu which is by far the most useful part of the S-Pen equation. As if to suggest that we didn’t know the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is only a week away from being announced, Samsung concludes its post:


“The S Pen is already in its fourth edition. It is exciting to consider how it will continue to evolve and improve as time goes on.”

Isn’t it just?

Check out the full Samsung post about the S-Pen here.

Source: Samsung Tomorrow via SamMobile

The post Samsung’s latest blog post talks S-Pen and the evolution of the writing implement appeared first on AndroidSPIN.

6
Aug

Using Glovebox with the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is a perfect match


gloveboxThe Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is one of the best smart phones ever made and features two curved edges that set it apart from anything else on the market. Unfortunately, Samsung hasn’t fully utilized these curves to their full extent. Only a few small features for time, contacts, and notifications are present.

Just because Samsung hasn’t fully embraced the edges doesn’t mean you can’t use them to their true potential. There are a few pretty cool apps out there that maximize the edges’ effectiveness. One that I have been using is called Glovebox.

Glovebox is available to anyone with an Android device but the app is especially useful if you have the Galaxy S6 Edge. It allows you to swipe over from the edge of your device and launch any app, folder, or quick action. All you have to do is add whatever apps you want and start sliding from the edge to launch them.

I have been using it ever since I purchased the Galaxy S III years ago and it’s one of favorite apps today. Now, using the with the Galaxy S6 Edge, Glovebox is even better. The edges make it seem so natural to slide out from. Unlike Samsung’s People Edge feature, you are not limited to sliding out from one side or the other. You can set it to slide out from the left, right, top, or bottom to suit your needs.

Recently, many manufacturers and secondary launchers are including a higher level of customization. The great part about Glovebox is you can customize the way it looks to match your favorite theme. You can even use any icons you download from the Play Store to match it even better.

There are so many features to Glovebox, but it is quite easy to setup and start using today.

How it actually works

Basically you swipe out and slide your thumb around towards what app you want to launch. Once you stop on the app you want to launch take your thumb off and the app will launch. This will work from any screen including the camera app.

How to add apps

The first thing to do, once you have downloaded and installed Glovebox, is add your most used apps.

Glovebox guide 3

Make sure you are on the hand icon at the top left. Here you can add or remove whatever apps you want. The free version offers a maximum of 8 apps while the pro version offers many more as well as a few other features. Select the plus button at the top right and a list of all the apps on your phone will appear. Just choose the check box next to the ones you want and they will be added to the list.

Once you have selected the apps you want, press the back button to head back to the screen before. It looks like the picture above. The far right icon on the apps if held allows you to drag the apps around to re-order them. Say you want your most important apps at the top, just slide them there and it’s done. Making changes is easy and quick.

If you would like to add folders, widgets, actions, or shortcuts, you can do so by following the same steps above only after you select the plus button swipe over when the applications screen pops up. More on folders later on.

How to remove apps

Removing apps is easy but was a little tricky to figure out on my own. All you have to do is literally swipe them away just like you would a notification in the notification drawer. There was no obvious way to figure this out until you actually do it and realize it is the most obvious way.

Customize names and icons

Changing the app name is done by selecting the app and manually renaming it. To change the icon, select it and choose a new icon from an icon pack or reset it to the default icon.

Glovebox guide 4

As you can see from the picture, I am using the Iron Man theme on my Galaxy S6 Edge. It has dark circular icons as the default and Glovebox automatically changes the icons to match my theme.

Choose which side you want

With Glovebox, you can slide from the left, right, top, or bottom. Perfect for people that are lefty, righty, or even ambidextrous. Go to the gear icon at the top and select “Trigger.” From here you select “enable sides”, and select which side or sides you want the bar to appear on. You can select just one or multiple. I will be sticking to just the right side for this guide.

Change the sensitivity

The sensitivity is a lot more important than you may think. If it’s too strong you may accidentally swipe it out when you don’t want to and if it’s too weak it won’t swipe out when you do want it. Also, many apps have slide out menus themselves and Glovebox may interfere with it. Finding the correct balance for you will take some trial and error.

Still in the “Trigger” section select “Trigger area editor”. From here you can adjust the start, end, and sensitivity level. The blue bar shows exactly where the bar is and how it will look based on your changes. Depending on which side you have Glovebox set to will determine which trigger you need to change. For example, if it’s the right side, the first screen will be changed, but if it’s the left side swipe over and change the left side. The same applies to the top or bottom triggers.

Of course there are haptic feedback and pause in landscape too, but those are pretty self-explanatory on what they do and remain optional.

Change the actions with Sidebar

Do you want to show notifications, override the status bar, or something else? One area I do want to talk about is the Full swipe action. When you swipe your thumb and Glovebox slides out you, can slide it around to select which app you’d like. However, if you slide it all the way to the opposite side of the screen, a new action can take place. You can have nothing happen, return to the home screen, cancel, launch recent apps, or set it as a back button if you are rooted. I have mine set to return to the home screen.

Under that we have the Quick swipe action. When you swipe Glovebox out really fast, what happens? Do you just want the bar to close or keep the bar in an open position? If it’s selected to open you can slide really fast and have the bar stay open allowing you to look at the apps in the bar. This is helpful when you just want to glance at how many notifications you have or forgot the placement of an app. Now you don’t have to hold your thumb on the screen to see the bar.

Glovebox guide 1

Under the “App Info” section it says “show app info popup”. I suggest you have this checked as it will pop out the name of the app in the side bar making it a lot easier to tell what app you are currently selecting and about to open. The picture above shows the name pop out.

Changing the icons/bar look in Personalization

The personalization menu is where you can change the look of the bar, the icons, the transitions, as well as much more. It works by using Themes. You can select just the icon, just the sidebar, or both. Select the picture to see a pop up of what the bar will look like if applied. If you scroll over, it will show you what the icons will look like. They have some very unique looks from Ubuntu to grass themes.

Glovebox guide 2

Sidebar density is basically how close everything is together. This is all a matter of preference based on how well you can see and if you want more space when using Glovebox.

Fade effect is pretty cool, too. When you swipe the bar out the screen will go dimmer allowing you to focus more on the apps in the bar. If you have it unchecked the bar will slide out, but the app you are in won’t change.

Folders

You have two different ways to add folders. One is the same as adding apps only after you hit the “plus” button swipe over one to “Folder”. From there, hit the gear icon and the plus button to name the folder. Check off the ones you want added to that folder and hit the back button.

The second way is be under the gear menu at the top and select “Folder”. After that it’s the same way to add apps to the folders. If you would like to delete or rename a folder press the little red trash icon in the bottom right corner of the folder.

That is just to add apps to a folder; however, adding a folder to the Glovebox bar is another step. Be under the hand icon at the top, hit the plus, and swipe over to “Folder” and you should see all the folders you have created for you to add.

Blacklist

Certain apps can pause Glovebox and this section gives you some control over that. You can have your phone vibrate when it’s being paused, show messages when it’s paused, or add apps to the blacklist to not pause Glovebox.

Conclusion

glovebox_app_icon

I have been using Glovebox for years now and it truly is a must have. The app is there, ready to be called upon even when not seen. The little swipe actions always impress people as they have no idea how you did that and wish their phones could do it too. As I mentioned from the start: it’s already a great app on any phone, but basically mandatory if you own the Galaxy S6 Edge. Samsung should of actually partnered with Glovebox and had the app pre-installed. Unlike most of the other pre-installed apps, this one would remain enabled.

Play Store Download Link

Come comment on this article: Using Glovebox with the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is a perfect match