Samsung: Please, somebody, make mobile apps for Tizen
Samsung is eager to get developers to build applications for its Tizen smartphones. In an effort to drive up interest, the company has created the Tizen Mobile App Incentive Program, which will offer $9 million in cash prizes from February through October of 2017. According to Samsung, devs with apps that end up in the top 100 chart can earn $10,000 per app — definitely not a bad way to lure people in. Those who want to participate in the program can register starting in “early” January.
While Samsung obviously wouldn’t admit to it, it’s easy to wonder whether the company is doing this as a reaction to Google making its own phones. Because let’s face it, without the Note 7 around, the Pixel and Pixel XL are the Android handsets to beat. Sure, Google’s never said it plans to leave mobile partners behind, but it still makes sense for Samsung to want to further invest on its own ecosystem.
Either way, if you’re a developer who wants to give it a shot, the tech giant says target devices are the Samsung Z1, Samsung Z2 and Samsung Z3, as well as other undisclosed Tizen smartphones expected to launch next year.
Via: VentureBeat
Source: Samsung
Samsung files patent for a bizarre folding smartphone
Samsung has filed a patent with the Korean Intellectural Property Office for a smartphone with a that could be folded in half like a flip phone. The device would also have a secondary screen, presumable on the outside, that’s activated when it’s folded shut, according to the claims. The screen even has a complex “semiautomatic” powered folding action as one of the options. Of course, patents don’t usually lead directly to products, but this one stands out because Samsung is reportedly working on smartphones with bendable OLED screens.
Even if the patent leads nowhere, it’s fun to see what a company’s engineers are dreaming about. For instance, bendable screens once seemed like a silly idea, but Samsung eventually deployed them in its popular curved-screen Galaxy S6 Edge and S7 Edge products. Lenovo is also playing with the idea, and developed a smartphone you can bend around your wrist.
Unlike a split-screen phone or tablet à la Sony’s crazy Tablet P, the device would work with a flexible OLED screen that also folds, either midway or further down. It looks an awful lot like the mockup phone Samsung showed off for its flexible Youm display back in 2013 (see the tacky video, below). A device like that would certainly be fun, but at this point Samsung’s probably just making sure it doesn’t mess up its next Galaxy S8 smartphone release.
Via: The Verge
Source: Korean Patent Office
Samsung launches Android 7.0 beta program for S7 and S7 edge
If you have a Galaxy S7 or S7 edge, you might be able to give your device an Android Nougat refresh before everyone else. Samsung’s Galaxy Beta Program is now available for S7 users, but only in the US, the UK and the company’s home country of Korea, though it will soon launch in China, as well.
You’ll have to apply for the privilege to be one of the first — and fast, since it’s first-come, first-served — by making a Samsung account and then downloading the Galaxy Beta Program or the Samsung Members app. Since the Korean conglomerate introduced the program for Android Marshmallow last year, you might already have either app. In case you do get early access to Nougat, you’ll obviously be able to preview Samsung’s updated user interface and provide feedback on anything you think needs fixing.
Take note that that if you somehow managed to snag a limited edition S7 edge Olympic Games or an S7 edge Injustice Edition, you won’t be able to participate in the beta. Further, you’re only eligible in the UK if you have an unlocked device. In the US, on the other hand, you’ll have to be a Sprint, T-Mobile or a Verizon subscriber. If you can’t participate in the beta or end up not getting a slot, Sammobile has some screenshots of Nougat on a Galaxy S7 so you can get an idea of what it would look like on your device.
Source: Samsung
Samsung Runs Full-Page Ads Apologizing to Consumers for Note 7 Fiasco
Samsung has issued a full-page ad in three major U.S. newspapers and published an open letter on its website apologizing to its customers for the Galaxy Note 7 debacle (via The Verge).
The print letter was signed by Gregory Lee, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America, and appeared in Monday editions of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
Full-page apology ads are the future of print media: pic.twitter.com/fBAZ9uXFmD
— Rurik Bradbury (@RurikBradbury) November 7, 2016
“An important tenet of our mission is to offer best-in-class safety and quality. Recently, we fell short on this promise. For this we are truly sorry. We will re-examine every aspect of the device, including all hardware, software, manufacturing and the overall battery structure. We will move as quickly as possible, but will take the time needed to get the right answers.”
The online letter was signed by Y H Eom, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics Europe, and apologized similarly to “a small number of affected customers” on the continent, where the Note 7 had yet to go on general sale.
Samsung still doesn’t know exactly what caused some Note 7 handsets to spontaneously combust, but says it will continue to investigate the device’s design and manufacturing process to determine what went wrong.
Released in August ahead of Apple’s latest iPhone, the Note 7 quickly found itself at the center of a quality control crisis after reports emerged of phones setting on fire, causing injury and property damage.
Samsung permanently discontinued the phone after replacement units started exploding as well. Samsung says about 85 percent of all devices have now been returned. Analysts believe the recall will cost the company $5.4 billion in profit through the first quarter of 2017.
Samsung’s letter of apology also covers reported issues with various models of top-load washing machines, which have also been subject to a company recall. According to Bloomberg, 2.8 million machines in the U.S. were recalled by Samsung last week after it was found that the top could become detached from the chassis during use.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said there had been nine related reports of injuries and that Samsung had received more than 700 reports of faulty machines since the problem came to light.
Tags: Samsung, Galaxy Note 7
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Samsung buys full-page apologies in US newspapers over Note 7 recall
Samsung took out full-page apology ads in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and The Washington Post in an effort to reduce the damage done after its botched recall of the Galaxy Note 7. “An important tenet of our mission is to offer best-in-class safety and quality. Recently, we fell short on this promise. For this we are truly sorry.” It’s not just its phones, however. The company has also had to issues a a recall for nearly three million washing machines, due to poorly fitted lids that could loosen and fly off during use — it mentions this within the apology ad too. Samsung has already reported a 30 percent drop in profits last quarter due to the Note 7 recall. “Safety remains our top priority.”
Full-page ad from Samsung: “We are truly sorry” about the Galaxy Note7. pic.twitter.com/ADAM0A0TOP
— scott budman (@scottbudman) November 7, 2016
The apology continues: “We will re-examine every aspect of the device, including all hardware, software, manufacturing and the overall battery structure. We will move as quickly as possible, but will take the time needed to get the right answers.” Hopefully in time for its AI-powered smartphone next year.
Source: France24
Samsung Galaxy owners can print from their phone with ease
If you own a Galaxy smartphone or tablet, Samsung is about to make it easier for you to print pictures, documents and other files from it. Today, the company announced that its Print Service app for Android now supports the Mopria Print Library, letting you pair your mobile device to over 88 million printers without any extra drivers, apps or similar software. This means you don’t have to worry about what brand your host printer is, saving you the headache of having to search for specific tools from different manufacturers.
Naturally, Print Service will give you the option to select print features like color mode, number of copies, orientation paper size, page range and more. Samsung says the update is rolling out now and works with Galaxy S4, S5, S6 and S7. Meanwhile, those of you with another Android device (running version 4.4 or later) can download the Print Service plugin directly from Google Play.
Source: Samsung
Samsung Pay starts rolling out in Canada
Canadian iPhone owners have had Apple Pay for a while, but what if a Samsung phone is your weapon of choice? You might be set after today. Just a couple of weeks after the company revealed that Samsung Pay was coming to Canada in November, Galaxy phone owners are reporting that the tap-to-pay service is going live. You currently have to sideload the Samsung Pay app and framework on a compatible phone (typically a Galaxy S6, S7 or Note 5), but you may not have to take your wallet out after that. A formal launch should come soon.
The big catch: Samsung Pay only works with “select” Visa credit cards from one bank, CIBC. You’re out of luck if if you pay with debit or prefer to stash your money elsewhere. More banks and cards are coming, but the service won’t initially be as ubiquitous as Apple Pay (which supports debit and most Canadian banks). At least you won’t have to worry as much about where you shop. Samsung Pay has the advantage of working with virtually any payment terminal, so you won’t have to reach for old-school plastic as often as you might otherwise.
Via: Android Central, MobileSyrup
Source: Reddit
The Morning After: Monday, November 7, 2016
While you were weekending, you might have missed Roku’s cheap, entry-level video streamer, our first 24 hours with Olympus’ intriguing new camera and Samsung’s attempts to hype up its next smartphone way in advance. What’s going on this week? Well, there’s a certain election happening on Tuesday…
The time is now for cheap set-top boxesReview: Roku’s new $30 player is more intriguing than its high-end siblings
The Roku Express is a streaming marvel thanks to its low price. If you can live with some speed issues, it’s perfect for bringing streaming video to screens all over your house — and could well be your first set-top box.
The Mark II is all about speed, image stabilization — and heft24 hours with Olympus’ new OM-D E-M1 Mark II
After a day of using Olympus’ OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Edgar Alvarez says capturing moving subjects is a breeze, especially compared to its aging predecessor. He’s crediting the performance to the new AF system and improved tracking performance. However, a bigger battery ensures it’s heavier than the original E-M1. Intrigued? Then take a look at the sample images — and expect a deeper rundown later this week.
Samsung starts to hype up its next smartphone‘Forget about the Note 7, let’s talk about the Galaxy S8!’
It’s unusual for Samsung to start discussing its future smartphones months in advance. However, given its recent exploding phone issues — it’s not hard to see why the company is already teasing what’s coming next. Following the purchase of Viv, an AI platform from the makers of Siri, it looks like artificial intelligence will be a major feature of Samsung’s next flagship phone.
Tips and cheats, but only for a weekendNintendo is reviving its NES’ hint phoneline
Alongside the launch of the NES Classic Edition on November 11th, Nintendo is resurrecting its Power Line tips hotline next week weekend. Call 425-885-7529 between 9AM and 10PM Eastern each day (until the night of the 13th) and you too can pretend that the internet doesn’t exist, and listen to hints for “several” NES games as well as tales from those who manned the phone-lines back in the day.
But wait, there’s more…
- Pokémon Go’s daily bonuses begin! (And it’s expanded its ‘Nearby’ test areas.)
- In this week’s After Math: Politics in numbers
- US is totally ready to hack Russia if it interferes with the election
Samsung Galaxy S8 to Debut ‘Viv’, the AI Assistant From the Creators of Siri
Samsung said on Sunday it will launch its first AI virtual assistant in next year’s Galaxy S8 smartphone, based on technology gained through its acquisition of Viv.
Viv is the AI firm run by Dag Kittlaus, co-creator of Apple’s Siri. Last month, Samsung bought Viv with the intention of allowing it to operate as an independent company, while providing Samsung with a readymade AI solution that will enable it to go toe-to-toe with Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon’s Alexa.
Siri co-creator Dag Kittlaus’ Viv AI will appear in Samsung devices
According to a Reuters report, Samsung now plans to integrate the AI platform into its Galaxy smartphones and expand voice-assistant services to home appliances and wearable devices.
Samsung hopes the AI technology will help revive its momentum in the smartphone industry following the recall and discontinuation of this year’s flagship Galaxy Note 7, which will cost the company $5.4 billion in profit through the first quarter of 2017.
Samsung didn’t mention what types of services the AI would offer in its Galaxy S8, which is due to go on sale next year, but Viv features enhanced contextual understanding which allows it to understand the intent of a user’s queries and create its own programs on the fly.
“Developers can attach and upload services to our agent,” said Samsung Executive Vice President Rhee Injong during a briefing, referring to its AI assistant. “Even if Samsung doesn’t do anything on its own, the more services that get attached the smarter this agent will get, learn more new services and provide them to end-users with ease.”
With the preponderance of AI assistants in consumer devices – most recently in Google’s Pixel smartphones – Viv is a technology that Samsung is eager to exploit, and is likely to make its way into the company’s non-mobile devices, like washing machines, refrigerators and TVs.
In May, it was reported that Apple was planning on introducing a next-gen natural language API in its rumored Amazon Echo competitor. The technology behind the API is the work of VocalIQ, a natural language outfit purchased by Apple in October 2015. The API has the ability to do “session-based” contextual responses similar to Viv.
Tags: Samsung, Siri, Viv
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New Zealand carriers will block the Galaxy Note 7
If you think that Samsung’s constant software reminders to return the Galaxy Note 7 aren’t enough to make stubborn owners change their minds, you should book a trip to New Zealand. All of the country’s wireless carriers will block the discontinued smartphone on their networks as of November 18th. Essentially, they’re turning the Note 7 into a paperweight. You can use it on WiFi, but it won’t be very useful as, well, a phone. New Zealand is expected to rely on the same IMEI (hardware identifier) blocking that telecoms use to render stolen phones useless, so you’d have to jump through hoops to have any hope of restoring cellular functionality.
There aren’t many Note 7s left in the country. Its Telecommunications Forum reckons that the number of holdouts has dwindled to the “low hundreds.” Clearly, though, local providers don’t want to take chances. They’d rather not be held responsible if an owner decides to keep the device and watches it go up in flames. You won’t necessarily see other countries follow suit, but it won’t be shocking if that happens. Eventually, the only users left are likely to be those who refuse to give it back — network bans could convince them that it’s not worth the risk just to say that they have a collector’s item.
Via: 9to5Google
Source: Stuff
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