Good Lock update (version 24.0.12) brings support for the Galaxy Note 7 and its integrated iris scanner

Samsung has today updated its Good Lock application to version 24.0.12 in the Galaxy Apps Store. The upgrade introduces compatibility for the recently-announced Galaxy Note 7 and its integrated iris scanner; giving users the facility to unlock a handset that’s running the replacement lock screen using their retina should they want to.

It’s worth noting that this update brings a handful of other major changes to Good Lock, too, including: the option to include Keep notifications when using Backup, the introduction of unlock animations and the facility to display status bar icons of categorized notifications in one category icon. It also addresses a plethora of bugs and introduces a patch for the problematic “SystemUI restart” issue.

The full changelog can be seen below:

• Supporting Note 7
• Add option to include or not Keep notifications when using Backup
• Supporting center aligned Clock Widget on Lockscreen
• Display the status bar icons of categorized notifications into one category icon
• Supporting Iris concept (Note 7)
• Enhanced swipe up interaction of Widget List for closing it
• Supporting Routine location radius setting
• Add unlock animation of Lockscreen
• Supporting option to remove or not Apps when remove all on list type Recent Apps

To install the upgrade, head into the Galaxy Apps Store, tap the search field, type in Good Lock, select the application presented at the top of the results page, then click the button entitled Update.

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Samsung creating new stock trading system which will use the Galaxy Note 7′s iris scanner for authentication

Samsung Securities is a big financial business unit that operates under the Samsung Group umbrella. It has said that it’s developing a new stock trading system which will rely on the Galaxy Note 7′s iris scanner for user authentication. Other financial institutions like banks are said to develop apps that require it for authentication as well but it appears that Samsung believes in the concept of charity beginning at home which is why one of its units is likely going to make the first stock trading app that lets users authenticate themselves via an iris scan.

An official for Samsung Securities has confirmed that authentication through the Note 7′s iris scanner along with the public digital authentication certificate is going to be available soon on Samsung Securities’ mobile trading app. Other stock brokerages in South Korea like Kiwoom Securities are also reportedly preparing to release stock trading apps that also use the iris scanner. We can expect similar solutions to come up in most major markets where the Galaxy Note 7 is being sold but it’s going to take some time before they are ready for public consumption.

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Samsung will introduce new Quantum Dot curved gaming monitors at IFA 2016

Samsung today confirmed that it’s going to introduce new Quantum Dot gaming monitors – the CFG70 in 24- and 27-inch as well as the CF791 in 34-inch – at its IFA 2016 press conference that’s scheduled for September 1 at 11am. Both monitors provide brilliant colors across a 125-percent sRBG spectrum. This luminance brings up a variety of game details that are otherwise hidden in both dark and light settings.

The company says that to further enhance the details in advanced games the Quantum Dot monitors go through rigorous factory calibration before shipment. Various settings are optimized in this treatment which ultimately lets gamers enjoy a sharp and brilliant picture. “By enhancing our pioneering curved gaming monitors with quantum dot technology, our CFG70 and CF791 displays further surround players and make them feel as if they are part of the game. We are excited to demonstrate this futuristic and immersive gaming environment at IFA 2016,” said Seog-gi Kim, Senior Vice President, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.

The CFG70 is described as a “multi-sensory gaming destination” with features like 10800R curvature aligned with sound interactive LEDs which lets players experience the thrill of victory. It’s also the first curved gaming monitor to offer 1 m/s moving picture response time with a rapid refresh rate of up to 144 Hz. It also includes Samsung’s Gaming UX OSD interface which is basically a one-stop shop for all essential settings.

With a 1500R curvature the Samsung CF791 is currently the most curved gaming monitor available now. It features AMD FreeSync technology and a 100 Hz refresh rate in an ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio. The display features a boundless design that helps players focus on what really matters, they can also customize the monitor’s alignment to match their ergonomic needs through a vertically adjustable stand.

IFA 2016 attendees will be able to experience the new Quantum Dot gaming monitors from Samsung in an interactive gaming zone set up in the company’s booth.

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Samsung’s TVkey solution enables users to access pay-TV services directly on TVs

Samsung has created a next-generation security solution which enables users to access pay-TV services directly on their TVs by simply plugging in a low-cost TVkey USB dongle. It ensures content protection without needing a set-top box or a second remote. Samsung has developed TVkey with NAGRA which happens to be the world’s leading independent provider of content protection.

TVkey features the terrestrial, satellite and cable tuners of Samsung TVs to provide users a reliable connection. Samsung says that it provides the “highest level of content protection” at an affordable price. “By partnering with NAGRA on TVkey, we are setting a new standard for the industry, enabling pay-TV providers to securely deliver premium UHD content directly to consumers,” said Jong-hee Han, Executive Vice President, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.

TVkey meets strict Hollywood requirements for protection of HDR and 4K content. It enables pay-TV operators to add new subscribers and increase their existing business models while reducing customer acquisition costs. TVkey is going to be available for purchase by the end of this year in the United States. Launches in other markets are expected by early next year. Samsung and NAGRA plan on developing TVkey into an open market solution that’s fully accessible to the wider TV industry later in 2017.

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Fiat Chrysler CEO sees Samsung as a possible strategic partner

We reported about a month ago that Samsung was in talks to acquire a subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles called Magneti Marelli which specializes in developing and producing high-end automotive parts. Samsung is believed to be interested in Magneti Marelli’s capabilities in lighting, entertainment and telematics. If a deal does go through it’s reportedly going to be worth around $3 billion. Samsung has not really said anything about a potential deal but Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has dropped a hint which suggests he’s not personally opposed to Samsung acquiring Magneti Marelli.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Marchionne said that he views Samsung as a potential strategic partner even though multiple suitors have shown interest for the company’s automotive parts subsidiary. “We have a very good relationship with Samsung, both as a supplier and as a potential strategic partner,” Marchionne said, adding that he himself has a good relationship with Samsung given that he and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae Yong both serve on the board of Exor SpA which happens to be the biggest shareholder in Fiat Chrysler.

Samsung’s apparent willingness to spend billions of dollars on an auto parts company ties in with its recent moves in developing technology for smart cars. It’s doing all sorts of things to further establish its footing in the automotive market, taking steps like collaborations with German car firms to creating tracks to test self-driving cars on. Samsung is still believed to be in advanced talks to acquire some or all of Magneti Marelli. Lee and Marchionne are expected to talk more about a potential deal when the former visits Europe for Exor’s next board session.

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Samsung Galaxy Folder 2 flip phone’s promotional images leaked

We first reported a couple of months ago that Samsung was testing a new Galaxy Folder flip phone with a 3.8-inch display. It was later spotted at the FCC with a 2,000mAhbattery. The handset has since received its Bluetooth and TENAA certification which not only revealed some specifications but also indicated that a launch is just around the corner. Now, promotional images for Samsung’s Galaxy Folder 2 flip phone have now leaked out of China.

The images show that the Galaxy Folder 2 is an ultra-slim flip phone that does look quite similar to its predecessor. We had previously seen images of this handset in gold color in the TENAA files and the promotional images confirm that it will indeed be offered in a gold hue. The Galaxy Folder 2′s reported specifications include a 3.8-inch touchscreen display, a 1.4GHz Qualcomm processor with 2GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage.

An 8-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front camera, 2,000mAh battery, microSD support and Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow are also said to be on board. The handset should cost around $250 when it’s released and it’s unlikely to be sold outside of China.

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Samsung Pay Indonesia launch not ruled out

Samsung has gradually been rolling out its mobile payment service in more markets across the globe. Earlier this year it gave us a list of seven countries that it will be expanding into in 2016 and while it’s to be expected that Samsung would eventually want to offer this service wherever its handsets are sold, it won’t happen in a day. Though not on that list, Indonesia might be one of the countries where Samsung Pay is launched in the future.

Samsung Electronics Indonesia IT and mobile marketing director Vebbyna Kaunang said earlier this week that while it can’t be confirmed at this point in time precisely when Samsung Pay might go live in Indonesia, as long as the company can implement it in the country it will bring Samsung Pay to Indonesia. “Based on the development, we still cannot confirm when [Samsung Pay] will be launched in Indonesia. [But] as long as we can implement it, we will bring it [here],” she said. Indonesia is believed to have the technological infrastructure required to launch Samsung Pay but the company does require support from carriers, financial institutions and other relevant parties before it can roll out the mobile payments service. It’s unclear how long Samsung will make users in Indonesia wait for Samsung Pay.

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Exclusive: Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 (2017) in the pipeline

Samsung officially announced the Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 (2016) around nine months ago. The second iteration of this mid-range handset lineup got a huge improvement over its predecessor, the handsets got a metal and glass design much like the Galaxy S6, fingerprint scanners as well as cameras with optical image stabilization. We can now confirm that Samsung has the 2017 iteration of the Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 in the pipeline.

The model numbers of the 2017 iteration of this lineup include SM-A320F, SM-A520F and SM-A720F for the Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 respectively. The SM-A520F has also been spotted in import listings, it has been imported into India for the purpose of testing. Other handsets in this lineup are expected to follow suit soon.

Benchmark results for the Galaxy A5 (2017) show that it may be powered by the Exynos 7880 processor coupled with 3GB RAM. Further details about the specifications of the smartphones in this lineup will likely be available soon. It’s unclear at this point in time when Samsung will be launching the 2017 iteration of the Galaxy A series.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 7 to get Action Memo next month

If you picked up a Galaxy Note 7 recently, you might have noticed that the Action Memo feature is missing from the newly released Samsung Notes app on smartphone. Action Memo is one of the most used feature of the Galaxy Note series devices. It lets you do things like jot down notes, numbers, email addresses, locations, and more, and take action on them.

After buyers became angry due to the removal of Action Memo from the Galaxy Note 7, giving one-star ratings to the new Samsung Notes app in the Play Store, Samsung responded stating that the feature would be introduced with an update next month. The Action Memo feature would make a return through an update v1.2, which would be pushed before late September.

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Samsung’s high-end Dolby Atmos soundbar is now available in Europe

After releasing two Dolby Atmos soundbars in the US, Samsung has announced that the top-end variant of those soundbars is now available in Europe. The HW-K950, which is a 5.1.4 channel system with a total of 15 speakers, is Dolby Atmos certified. Dolby Atmos is a technology that simulates overhead sound by projecting sound on the ceiling. The new soundbar system also features 4K passthrough, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.

Samsung’s latest soundbar was announced during CES 2016 earlier this year. It can be controlled through a smartphone using the Samsung Multiroom app, which can stream audio from all the sources including local music as well as from streaming audio services. Samsung has also announced an updated version of its Multiroom app, which allows a seamless audio experience.

Jurack Chae, Senior Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, said, “With our HW-K950 soundbar supporting wireless surround sound and featuring Dolby Atmos® technology, Samsung gives consumers a supreme audio experience. By combining the HW-K950 soundbar’s surround sound, the premium picture quality of the SUHD TV with Quantum dot display and the latest content available through our Ultra HD Blu-ray player (UBD-K8500), we’re proud to offer our consumers a complete 4K entertainment experience.”

Samsung is the leader in the soundbar space this year a market share of 24 percent. The company will showcase a full range of 4K entertainment products with a grand exhibition during IFA 2016. Samsung’s booth will be open on Level 2 of City Cube Berlin from September 2 through 7 for IFA 2016.

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Samsung’s Dolby Atmos soundbar systems are now available for purchase in the US

Samsung introduced two Dolby Atmos certified soundbars during CES 2016 five months ago. Now, these soundbars are available for purchase in the US.

The HW-K950 and the HW-K850, which cost $1,499 and $999, respectively. The former is a complete package which includes a soundbar, two satellite speakers, and a wireless subwoofer. All the speakers project sound upwards to simulate the overhead sound, which Dolby Atmos promises for true-to-life surround sound.

The HW-850, which costs $500 less than the HW-K950, includes just a soundbar and a subwoofer. However, you can buy a couple of Radiant360 speakers from Samsung later to pair them with the HW-K850 to make it a complete package. Both the soundbar systems feature Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity so that you can play tunes from your smartphone.

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Here’s the first look at the beta version of the Gear Manager app for iOS

Samsung had promised during the launch of the Gear S2 that it would make it compatible with iOS devices. The company recently introduced a beta program to test iOS support for its latest smartwatch. YouTuber macfacile has been, who has been testing the Gear Manager app for the Gear S2 on iOS has uploaded a video.

From what we can see, the beta version of the Gear Manager app has a UI similar to that of its Android counterpart. Users can receive notifications from all the apps installed on the connected iOS device. Calendar entries can be synced from Apple’s calendar app to the Gear S2. Track fitness and activity is present too through the inbuilt S Health client. Images from the iPhone’s gallery can be set as watch faces on the Gear S2. Currently, only free apps from the Gear Apps store can be installed on the smartwatch connected to an iOS device.

The beta testing program for the Gear Manager app on iOS will be live until September 19 after which, Samsung might release the final version of the app for iPhones. Samsung might be readying the Gear Manager app for iPhones just before the release of the upcoming Gear S3 series of smartwatches.

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Samsung releases Galaxy Note 7 in China with ‘just’ 4GB RAM

Despite many rumors claiming that a variant of the Galaxy Note 7 with a whopping 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage space would be released in China, Samsung didn’t do it. The South Korean smartphone giant has released the Galaxy Note 7 in China with ‘just’ 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage.

The Galaxy Note 7 launched in China comes equipped with a Snapdragon 820 processor and is priced at CNY 5,988 (around $899 or €799 at current exchange rates) in the country. The phone can now be registered (which is not the same as pre-ordering the device) by interested consumers, and it will become available in China on September 1.

It is being said that Samsung will observe Apple’s next iPhone launch and then decide whether to launch the 6GB variant of the Note 7 in China. If Samsung does so, it could make a lot of Note 7 buyers from other markets around the world angry as they didn’t get to choose the 6GB variant of the phablet.

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AT&T pushes Android Marshmallow to the Samsung Galaxy S5

Along with the Galaxy S5 Active, AT&T has also pushed the Android Marshmallow update to the Galaxy S5 (SM-G900A) this week. The carrier has released this update to the Galaxy S5 units on its network three months after its competitors At-Mobile and Verizon did it in the US.

The update carries a build number MMB29M.G900AUCU4DPH2 and updates the Galaxy S5 to Android 6.0. The update is being pushed over the air and has a file size of anywhere between 938MB to 955MB. AT&T requires you to download the update only through Wi-Fi. You can check for the update on your device by navigating to Settings » About device » Software update menu and hitting the Check now button.

Changelog:

Android OS 6.0 (Marshmallow)
Wi-Fi Calling
Video Calling
Android device security enhancements

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