Samsung will launch premium home appliances under the Dacor brand

Samsung confirmed last month that it had acquired luxury home appliance company Dacor. The California-based company is best known for its professional-quality cooking ranges for homes as well as its in-home ventilation hoods. Samsung didn’t immediately reveal why it had decided to acquire Dacor. It was initially said that following the completion of this acquisition Dacor would instantly start operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics America while maintaining its corporate identity and brand. Dacor will continue its US-based manufacturing operations as well. However, the purpose was made clear at IFA 2016 where a company official reveal precisely what Samsung is planning on doing with its latest purchase.

President of Samsung’s consumer electronics business Yoon Boo-keun told reporters at IFA 2016 that Samsung is going to launch new premium home appliances under the Dacor brand. This acquisition will help Samsung expand its presence in the ultra-premium home appliances market in the United States. It was also confirmed that premium appliances launched under the Dacor brand will also be released in Europe.

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Samsung says Galaxy Note 7 recall will cost a ‘heartbreaking amount,’ analysts predict $1 billion hit

Samsung has shipped more than 2.5 million units of the Galaxy Note 7 ever since this smartphone was released in the third week of August. The company is now having to recall those units because of a battery cell issue that Samsung has identified. It’s going to voluntary replace all Galaxy Note 7 units or give them full refunds if they no longer want to use the company’s latest flagship. Naturally, there’s a cost associated with this exercise, and while Samsung wouldn’t confirm how much it expects to spend on the recall the head of its smartphone business Dong-jin Koh would only say that it’s a “heartbreaking amount.” He made this comment when asked about the financial impact of the Galaxy Note 7 recall at a press briefing last week.

Analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg suggest that Samsung is going to take a $1 billion hit on the Galaxy Note 7 recall. However, many hold the view that any short-term financial loss would be easier to bear for the company than any long-term damage to its brand. It’s easy for analysts to predict a dollar amount that will impact Samsung but only the market will dictate whether or not there’s any lasting damage to Samsung’s brand because of this recall. Some concerns have already been raised about the way Samsung is handling the Galaxy Note 7 recall but for its part, the company seems to be convinced that it would rather spend a billion dollars than try making excuses for an issue which could potentially damage its brand in the future.

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Samsung showcased some new C-Lab projects at IFA 2016

Samsung’s Creative Lab (C-Lab) innovation program was introduced last year. Through this program Samsung allows its employees to develop their own business ideas and it gives them the time and resources they need to develop that idea into a product. Just three months ago Samsung announced that 18 employees who were working on a total of five C-Labs projects officially resigned from Samsung to create proper companies based on the ideas they started working on in the C-Lab.

Samsung used the IFA 2016 stage to showcase some of the projects that are part of the C-Lab. MOPIC is one of them. It eliminates the need to use 3D glasses when viewing 3D video. With a simple device that attaches to a phone like a protective case does it enables 3D viewing on the mobile device without requiring glasses.

Prinker is another one. It’s a 3D printer that’s capable of printing on human skin. Users can select the design they want to print from the Prinker Online Art Gallery or create their own using the Galaxy Note 5 or Galaxy Note 7. This wireless mobile printer will then transfer that design to the skin through direct contact. It uses a safe, non-toxic ink which is water resistant and can last on the skin for up to two days.

Samsung first showcased the Entrim4D project at its developer conference earlier this year. It’s a new take on virtual reality which adds another layer of reality to the experience. Entrim4D uses a conventional VR headset like the Gear VR while the headphones work with a combination of algorithms and Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation to send electric signals to a nerve in the ear. It basically tricks the part of the ear which regulates balance and motion, thus providing an even more immersive VR experience.

Sgnl is a new C-Lab project. It’s a smart strap which lets users easily answer phone calls with their fingertip. They just need to place their fingertip to their ear as they speak using an embedded microphone. This enables them to keep their phone secure in the pocket or bag where it’s out of sight and can continue taking calls. Sgnl is a Kickstarter project now seeking to raise $50,000 to go into production. It has already raised $332,091 with 33 days still to go.

WELT is a C-Lab project that has been previously showcased as well. It’s a smart belt which measures the waistline and sends alerts when the user overeats. It also has additional activity tracking and fitness features and comes in fashionable designs for both men and women. It has also been launched as a Kickstarter project that seeks to raise $30,000. It’s just $6,000 short of the goal and still has 31 days to go before the crowdfunding campaign ends.

Mopic

Prinker

Entrim4D

Sgnl

WELT

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Samsung’s handling of the Galaxy Note 7 recall raises concerns

You might have heard by now that Samsung has issued a voluntary recall of the Galaxy Note 7. It’s going to replace every single unit shipped to customers since the device was released on August 19. Samsung was quick to look into reports of the Galaxy Note 7′s battery exploding, it identified a battery cell issue and said that while it had only received 35 reports of the battery cell malfunctioning, it was issuing a voluntary recall anyway. Sales of the handset have now been suspended and some might say that the steps Samsung has taken are good enough, but federal officials in the United States are concerned with the way Samsung is handling the Galaxy Note 7 recall.

When a product is normally recalled in the United States because of safety issues the recall is handled in collaboration with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission which is a federal agency. Samsung has not teamed up with the CPSC and has launched its own global recall program instead which covers customers in the United States as well. An unnamed federal official tells Recode that working with the CPSC ensures proper consumer rights as they can then clearly understand the risks of continued use of a product that has been recalled aside from their rights. Galaxy Note 7 sales would then be declared illegal under such a recall. The US CPSC has not officially commented on this matter but the official said that the US government would prefer to see a more traditional recall announcement.

Consumer Reports – a consumer rights group – has also raised concerns about how the Galaxy Note 7 recall is being handled by Samsung. It has called on the company to work with the CPSC on this. It says that even though Samsung’s retail and carrier partners have stopped selling the Galaxy Note 7 it can still be purchased from third-party retailers and resellers. This poses a potential safety issue. It merits mentioning here that while Samsung has said that it’s going to replace all Galaxy Note 7 units that have been shipped it hasn’t said if it’s safe for consumers to continue using the Galaxy Note 7 before their unit is replaced.

However, Samsung is giving customers in the United States an option to immediately exchange the Galaxy Note 7 with a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge and get a refund for the price difference. Its partners are also offering full refunds for the device and promise to replace existing units for those who want to exchange for a new Galaxy Note 7 as soon as they receive inventory from Samsung. The company says that it’s going to provide replacement inventory as early as next week.

What’s your point of view on this? Do you think that Samsung is adequately handling the Galaxy Note 7 recall or should it take more steps to ensure consumer safety? Get a discussion going in the comments below.

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Galaxy Note 7 recall does not affect customers in China

An issue with the Galaxy Note 7′s battery cell has forced Samsung to recall millions of Galaxy Note 7 units shipped since the handset was launched on August 19. Samsung will work with its carrier and retail partners to offer voluntary replacement of all units while customers also have the option to get a full refund or exchange their Galaxy Note 7 for a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge. Customers have obviously been concerned following reports of the Galaxy Note 7′s battery exploding but the company says that customers in China have nothing to worry about.

Samsung officially launched the Galaxy Note 7 one week after it was shipped in other markets. It was announced on August 26 and released on September 1. Despite rumors to the contrary, China got the same 4GB RAM version of the Galaxy Note 7. A statement from Samsung China has confirmed that the inventory sent for customers in China uses batteries from a different supplier which is why the Galaxy Note 7 recall does not affect customers in the People’s Republic. Customers elsewhere have not been that lucky so they will either have to get a replacement or a refund, depending on how they feel about the Galaxy Note 7 now that the issue has been acknowledged and a recall has been issued.

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Samsung’s S Note now in beta mode at Google Play, Samsung calls for testers

Samsung is no stranger to releasing proprietary apps over at the Google Play Store. Over the last year, the company has brought apps such as S Health, Wi-Fi Transfer, Samsung Music, Samsung Voice Recording, and even the Galaxy Note’s most cherished application, S Note, to Google’s app store for the larger Android user base. The goal has been not only to get non-Galaxy Android users to interact with Samsung’s software and give feedback, but to make it easier to update these apps when the time comes.

S Note was released to the wider Android community back in May, but the app is now back in beta mode due to a new update that, apparently, looks to bring some significant changes. To prepare the S Note update for primetime, Samsung is now looking to enroll beta testers who will give feedback and respond to changes that will make S Note more appealing to Android users at large.

Now, before you happily tap the Play Store app and prepare to sign up for the S Note beta testing program, understand that Samsung has said the S Note beta app will have bugs. This means that there are things that may and may not work correctly, but your job as a beta tester is to give good constructive feedback. Some consumers are not early adopters because they prefer a smooth experience over a “buggy” one, but I happen to think it fun to be part of the “ironing” process.

You should have the S Note application installed from the Play Store, and, upon enrolling, should receive the new beta update (though it could take up to a few hours, at worst, to receive it). If you’re not afraid of diving in, head on over to the Play Store and prepare for your S Note beta app. When you finish signing up, come back here and let us know you did, and give us some first impressions on how you like the S Note beta experience if it’s made its way to your device yet).

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