الأربعاء، 1 فبراير 2017

Wallpaper Wednesday: Space

Welcome to the latest edition of Wallpaper Wednesday. This week we’re focusing our attention on six space-themed backgrounds. All images are available in a FHD resolution, which is a perfect fit for the Galaxy S7Galaxy S7 edgeGalaxy Note 5 and other flagships, but they can, of course, be used on different smartphones too.

If any of the following images float your boat and you want to download and set one as your wallpaper, simply tap on a photo to maximise it, then click and hold to save it. Once the picture is stored locally, open up Settings, locate and select Wallpaper, then just tap the newly-saved image to set it as your background.

Alternatively, you can download a ZIP file containing all of this week’s backdrops by hitting the Download button at the very bottom of this post.


Galaxy

Galaxy


Moon

Moon


Nebula

Nebula


Orbit

Orbit


Shooting Stars

Shooting Stars


Solar System

Solar System


Download

Note: We’ve tried our best to identify the creators of all of the wallpapers featured in this week’s column. However, the images appear to lack copyright information, artist signatures or any real trace of origin. If you created a wallpaper we’ve posted and would like credit, or would rather we remove the image, kindly contact us.



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Seeing the Big Picture: Samsung’s upcoming QLED TV completes home décor

TVs are purchased for their picture quality, size, audio, and so on, and it makes sense: after all, the TV is considered to be a factor of creating a relaxing home atmosphere. And yet, there has been a fragmented approach to buying televisions in the past: there’s “the furniture,” the couch/sofa, table, carpet, curtains, etc., and then there’s the TV. One can have a color scheme in the home that matches his or her design or style, and then have a TV that completely violates the color scheme. TVs of the past have rarely added anything to overall home décor.

But, over the last few years, flat-screen TVs have become more common. Their design attests to their utility: they’re flatter and thinner so that they’re easier to carry and move around the home. And yet, home decorators are not fond of the utility by which tech is approached; they want something more fashionable, to have Smart TV makers think of TVs in the same way they’ve come to think of smartphones and smartwatches: high-tech gadgets with fashion and flair. TVs, like smartphones and smartwatches, can be designed with style in mind.

This is why Samsung has designed a QLED TV that could be mistaken for a favorite home portrait, a TV that, as Samsung says, will become a lifestyle product, a device that is made for living, a device that will give new meaning to “electronic device.” It does; it goes against the common notion of tech and electronics as utilitarian devices that take the typical “fashion, be damned” approach that is so common in the tech sector. Outside of devices like smart glasses, smart rings, or wearables as a whole, electronics are perceived in a utilitarian manner where greater emphasis is placed on what they can do, their functionality, not their fashionability or how well they can blend into a home setting.

It is a new approach to electronics. It goes against common thinking on the subject that has persisted for so long, but it makes sense for the more fashion-centric among us. I myself have always believed that tech could be fashionable, provided that the “tech” isn’t lost in the process. And with this new portrait-styled QLED TV, tech isn’t lost in the process but merged with a fashionable home look that almost lets you mistake the TV for a typical portrait or piece of artwork hanging on the wall.

This is why we didn’t see Samsung unveil another curved TV monitor at CES 2017: because Samsung plans to help TVs blend into the home setting, not stick out in them. It also makes sense that Samsung unveiled its new optical cable at CES that seems “barely there” in the TV setting without the usual mess of cables and wires that surround the TV:

Now, let’s talk about how these TVs fit in your home: after all, TVs are getting bigger, so they need to have a clean design aesthetic. So today, we are taking a big step in that direction. The new QLED will quite literally blend into your décor. We have designed a slimmer bezel and a single, nearly-invisible optical cable that connects your TV to our one connect box. No mess of wires or clunky equipment, just one cable connecting every device to the TV. This is innovation made for living…

Now, I want to show you how we’re taking another major step in home entertainment and design. We challenged our team of engineers and designers to create a TV that goes beyond what we thought a TV could do and what it could look like, a TV made just for those people who care just as much about the design and aesthetic as the entertainment they are watching. We wanna share with you a sneak preview of this very special TV that we are showing the world for the first time today. This is a TV that will transcend the definition of “electronic device,” and become a true lifestyle product. And, it has already been named the winner of the 2017 CES Best of Innovation Award. – Joe Stinziano, CES 2017, Samsung Press Conference (bold mine)

Sure, with TVs, time around the device should be spent “seeing the big picture,” the screen, but home décor demands that we “see the big picture” as well: that of the home and living room setting. And home decorators have seen little attention given to that “big picture” for so long. The new demand of elegance in style with the best in innovation is the reason why your future TV will give a sense of completeness and wholeness to your living room and make home design a true masterpiece.

Now, the TV of the future will truly be part of home furniture. The attention in design that started with the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge has now trickled down to the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, Gear S2 and Gear S3, as well as Samsung’s Smart TVs. Tech can be beastly in its specs and beautiful in its appearance without compromising either.

That’s what seeing the big picture is all about.



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Samsung releases January security patch for the Galaxy S6

Samsung has slowly been rolling out the January security patch to more of its devices and now it’s the Galaxy S6′s turn. The 2015 flagship is finally receiving the January security patch, nevermind the fact that it has been released in the first week of February. What’s important here is that the patch is finally being rolled out for this handset in Europe. It bears version number XXU5DQAG.

The latest security maintenance release features fixes for 67 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) in the underlying Android operating system as well as 28 patches that are exclusive to Samsung’s software.

Given that Samsung has started rolling out this patch for the Galaxy S6, it’s only a matter of time before the Galaxy S6 edge gets it as well. Bear in mind that this has only been rolled out for the unlocked variants so if you own one that’s locked to a carrier, you may have to wait a bit longer for this security patch to arrive. This same patch was already released for the Galaxy S6 edge+ last week.



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Samsung to show off the Galaxy S8 at MWC 2017

Earlier today, Samsung sent out invites to the press for its Mobile World Congress 2017 appearance. The company has already confirmed that it’s going to break from tradition and not unveil the new Galaxy S flagship at MWC. What we do know is that Samsung is going to launch the Galaxy Tab S3 on February 26.

We’ve now spotted a rather interesting report out of South Korea. It suggests that even though Samsung won’t be unveiling the Galaxy S8 at Mobile World Congress 2017, the company is going to give audiences a glimpse of its next flagship smartphone by showing them a short one-minute video. It’s unclear what the company is going to show in that video without actually giving away the entire thing, but if it’s going to go through with this, we can expect veiled references to the features of the Galaxy S8 as well as subtle glimpses of its design.

Keep in mind that this is only speculation at this time so we can’t really be sure if this is going to happen. We’ll find out for sure when Samsung’s press conference kicks off on February 26.



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Samsung starts rolling out January security patch for the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 (2016) in South Korea

Samsung is now pushing out this month’s security maintenance update for the unlocked variant of the first-generation Galaxy A5 and the LG Uplus-branded model of the Galaxy A7 (2016) in South Korea. This release is identical to the upgrade that started making its way to the Galaxy S5 yesterday, bringing fixes for a total of 67 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) in the Android OS and an additional 28 patches for the firm’s latest smartphones.

As we’ve said time and time again, the update (version A500F1U1CQA1 and A710LKLU1BQA4, respectively) is being pushed out in stages. If you’re feeling impatient and would like to manually scan for it, open up the Settings menu on your device and select the relevant option from the Software Update section under the About Device subheading. Alternatively, if it’s not ready for your device just yet, you can grab a copy of the software package from our firmware database.

Model SM-A500F1
Model name GALAXY A5
Country Korea
Version Android 6.0.1
Changelist 10340293
Build date Mon, 09 Jan 2017 07:00:15 +0000
Security Patch Level 2017-01-01
Product code KOO
PDA A500F1U1CQA1
CSC A500F1KOO1CQA1

 

Model SM-A710L
Model name Galaxy A7
Country Korea (LG Uplus)
Version Android 6.0.1
Changelist 10299896
Build date Wed, 04 Jan 2017 05:48:11 +0000
Security Patch Level 2017-01-01
Product code LUC
PDA A710LKLU1BQA4
CSC A710LLUC1BQA4

 



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Daily Deal: Pick up a pair of Gear Icon X wireless earphones for 27% off

For a limited time only, you can bag yourself a pair of Samsung’s Gear Icon X wireless earphones for just $145 (27% off). That’s a fantastic price to pay for a set of earbuds that are packed full of useful features, including real-time voice feedback on workout progress and 4GB of integrated storage for phone-free music playback.

If you like the sound of the Gear Icon X and want to take advantage of the deal, simply hit the Buy Now button below. You’ll need to hurry, though, as Amazon has only assigned a small amount of inventory for this specific promotion. We should also note, however, that only customers in the US will be able to purchase the earphones for the reduced price.

Buy Now



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Nougat Tip: Double tap on Always On Display notifications to launch the relevant app

We’ve been sharing Nougat tips as we dig deeper into the Android 7.0 update for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge. The latest tip is for those who rely on the Always On Display to keep themselves informed of all their notifications. With Nougat, Always On Display is capable of displaying notifications for both first-party native apps as well as third-party apps.

All you need to do is double tap on a notification icon on the Always On Display screen to immediately launch the relevant app. This holds true for first-party native applications like contacts and messages. The behavior is a bit different when it comes to third-party apps such as Gmail. If you double tap on a third-party app’s notification icon on the Always On Display, it’s will simply expand the relevant notifications on the lockscreen. For those who don’t want to see any notifications on the Always On Display screen, the feature can be turned off entirely in the Settings » Display » Always On Display » Layouts menu.

We should point out that those who tried out the Nougat beta for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge might be aware of this feature as it was present in the beta. Nevertheless, this serves as a reminder that the feature will make your life that much easier once you’re running Nougat on your flagship device.

Read MoreHere’s a list of all the new features that Nougat brings to your Galaxy-branded smartphone



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Samsung refuses to cut TV sales targets despite global economic slowdown

Samsung’s hoping that improved product lineups and advanced supply chain management will help it keep its title of the world’s No.1 flat-screen TV manufacturer for the sixth consecutive year, reveals The Korea Times. Rivals including LG and Sony have cut sales targets, warning of a toughening marketing situation in Europe and the United States as consumers are unwilling to purchase big-ticket items.

The economic slowdown hasn’t scared Samsung, though. The firm’s TV segment head Yoon Boo-keun has announced that it will keep its sales target of 45 million for the year. He then went on to add that “prices are dropping and that’s a problem. But Samsung thinks the global TV market will rise 10% this year from 2010″ — so it goes without saying that he believes the company will achieve this year’s objective.

To help maintain demand, Samsung plans to unveil a variety of Internet-enabled TVs with improved online functionality. There’s no doubt that consumers have concerns about the lack of applications available for their so-called Smart TVs (Heck, I can’t even access Amazon Video!), but Boo-keun is reassuring customers that there will be at least 1,000 additional apps available on the store by the end of the year.



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Samsung shipped fewer smartphones in India last quarter as Chinese rivals gain ground

The final quarter of 2016 was an interesting one for the Indian smartphone market. Local manufacturers were pushed out of the top five rankings as Chinese contenders continued to gain ground in the country’s lucrative smartphone market. Despite being the top smartphone vendor in the country for many years, even Samsung is feeling the pinch as data shows that it shipped fewer smartphones in Q4 2016 compared to the same time a year ago.

Data from market research firm Canalys shows that Samsung shipped 7.0 million handsets in Q4 2015 and accounted for 25 percent of the market as opposed to shipments of 6.2 million and a 22 percent market share in the same quarter last year.

On the other hand, Xiaomi has improved its position in the Indian market considerably. It’s estimated to have shipped 3.0 million units last quarter with an 11 percent market share against shipments of 0.9 million and 3 percent market share during the same period in 2015. That’s an impressive growth of 232 percent. Four of the top five smartphone vendors in India in Q4 2016 are Chinese and given the pace at which they’re going, it will be very tough to catch up to them.

Samsung surely has a lot of work to do if it wants to keep holding on to that lead.

samsung-india-q4-2016



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Samsung Galaxy S8 schematics surface, shows a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor

A lot of Galaxy S8 renders and alleged images have leaked over the past few weeks. Most of those renders and pictures showcased a device who’s front is mostly covered by the screen, and there was no sign of a front-mounted physical home button. Now, CNET Korea has released schematics of a device that’s believed to be the Galaxy S8.

According to CNET Korea, Samsung will remove the ‘edge’ moniker from its smartphones this year, mostly due to both the Galaxy S8 variants – 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch – featuring curved screens. Moreover, the report says that the Galaxy S8 will use on-screen navigation buttons. The fingerprint sensor will reportedly be placed beside the camera sensor, and there would be an additional physical key on the right edge of the device.

CNET Korea states that they have rendered the schematics in its report based on the information from a Galaxy S8 eyewitness. Apparently, Samsung has decided to preserve a 3.5mm headphone jack in the Galaxy S8, but it is also working on Apple AirPods-like completely wireless earphones. It will also feature a USB Type-C port. What do you think about these schematics?

s8

s8p_all1

s8p



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Optus hopes to start rolling out the Nougat update for the Galaxy A5 this month

Australia’s largest carrier Optus has updated its website with some fresh information on the long-awaited Android 7.0 Nougat update for the first-generation Galaxy A5. Originally expected to make its way to the handset sometime around the end of January, the operator has now revealed that the firmware is still undergoing tests and should start being distributed by the end of this month.

Unfortunately, an exact release date wasn’t provided. We do, of course, hope that it starts making the rounds sooner than later, though, as the firm has a number of other smartphones in its lineup — including the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge — that are eligible to receive the update, but won’t until it’s successfully arrived on all its carrier-branded variants of the Galaxy A5.

Read more: Here’s a list of all the Galaxy devices that should receive the Nougat update

Screen Shot 2017-02-01 at 08.31.44



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T-Mobile testing Android 7.0 Nougat for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge

It has been a couple of weeks since Samsung officially released Android 7.0 Nougat for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge. The update is gradually being rolled out across the globe but those who own a carrier-locked device in the United States are out of luck. They have to wait for their carrier to test the update first before sending it out. While it’s unclear when the four major carriers in the United States will follow through, it’s evident that T-Mobile has started testing said update for the 2016 flagships.

T-Mobile’s software updates page lists the devices that will receive a software update at some point in the future. It includes devices from manufacturers like LG and HTC aside from Samsung. The Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are all included in the list.

The status has been updated for the 2016 flagship and it confirms that T-Mobile is currently testing the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge. The status of other Samsung devices is currently listed as “manufacturer development” which makes sense given that Samsung hasn’t released Nougat for any other device as yet. This means that T-Mobile will soon be done with testing Nougat for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge and will hopefully send it out soon to subscribers.

galaxy-s7-t-mobile-nougat



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Samsung invests in a company that’s working on AI to rival Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant

After a decade’s worth of research and development, SoundHound launched its voice assistant platform Houndify for iOS and Android in March last year. The company is constantly working to improve its artificial intelligence assistant so that it can better compete with the likes of Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant. It develops what it calls “Collective A.I.” which is basically a powerful platform that enables developers to bring voice-enabled artificial intelligence to any app or service without having to create their own underlying libraries or an entirely new speech engine.

It has now raised $75 million in a new funding round that’s led by Samsung Catalyst Fund and NVIDIA. If recent moves are any indication, this investment is likely going to have implications in the connected car race. SoundHound will put this investment to good use by expanding its AI technology to more markets across the globe and improve it in more ways than one.

There’s no hiding the fact that Samsung is very serious about AI-powered voice assistants. It recently acquired a company started by the founders of Siri for the purpose of launching a new AI assistant called Bixby with the Galaxy S8. Reports suggest that Bixby will be capable of doing much more than its rivals can. It also goes without saying that the assistant will gradually be expanded to other Samsung products as well. Its $8 billion acquisition of Harman International also shows just how serious Samsung is about competing in the connected car segment.



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Samsung is testing its VR technology in hospitals for pain management

As new legislation at the state and federal level in the United States seeks to cut down on opioid prescriptions due to chronic pain symptoms that can lead to addiction, healthcare providers are looking for alternative methods of pain management. Samsung is testing its VR technology in hospitals for precisely this purpose and it has teamed up with a startup called AppliedVR which has created a platform with interactive games and relaxing landscapes to draw users attention away from pain. The idea is to manage pain using the Gear VR headset while reducing dependence on pain medications.

Samsung and AppliedVR are working with a group of hospitals in the United States to validate the technology for children and adults. One such randomized controlled trial is underway at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to ascertain the clinical utility of virtual reality for inpatient pain management and its effect on length of stay, narcotic use and patient satisfaction. The study is recruiting up to 120 hospitalized adults currently.

“Clinical findings from Cedars-Sinai and AppliedVR have shown that VR results in a 25 percent reduction in pain, in many cases obviating the need for narcotics, and a 60 percent reduction in stress and anxiety,” said Dr. David Rhew, Samsung’s chief medical officer.

He also said that Samsung is exploring the possibility of running similar pilot programs with other healthcare organizations and hospitals. The company hopes that as it continues to validate the clinical utility of its VR technology it will see greater adoption of this technology and improved outcomes.



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Second Tizen .NET developer preview brings support for TV apps

Samsung has released the second preview of Tizen .NET today. It’s an app building tool for developers which previously had mobile support only. Samsung announced a partnership with Microsoft late last year on .NET open-source projects like .NET Core and Xamarin.Forms. It released the first preview with mobile support and has today released the second which brings support for TV app development. An official version of this developer tool will be released in the second half of 2017.

“Samsung is excited to release the second preview of Tizen .NET, and will release newer versions of previews every two months until the official version is shipped later this year,” said Hong-Seok Kim, the Vice President of Samsung’s Software R&D Center.

In the second preview, Visual Studio Tools for Tizen has been improved with new features such as project creation wizards, emulator managers, manifest editors, an emulator control panel and a certificate manager. Tizen .NET developers can use their skills with C#, standard APIs, Visual Studio, and Xamarin.Forms to build apps for Tizen-powered smartphones and TVs.

samsung-tizen-apps



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جميع الحقوق محفوظة لمدونة الغريب 2013