الخميس، 14 يونيو 2018

Samsung to bring back customized text message ringtones in an update

With every Android update, users gain some features and lose some. It may be either due to the decisions taken by Google or by an OEM while customizing the update. Samsung’s Android 8.0 Oreo update is no different on this issue. While the update brings many new features that users love on the Galaxy devices, it also takes away some functionality they care about.

When Samsung started pushing out the Oreo update in February this year, starting with the Galaxy S8 and S8+, users observed that the shiny new update disabled the functionality to set contact-specific ringtones for text messages in the default Messages application. The move infuriated many users who care about the ability to identify incoming text messages based on audio cues, and they flooded the company’s help forums to vent their frustration. The forum moderators confirmed that the Oreo update disabled this functionality and promised to forward the feedback to the concerned team.

Offers no timeline

After weeks of waiting, one of the moderators on the company’s European help forum finally confirmed that Samsung would bring back customized text message ringtone feature in a future update. The moderator didn’t offer any timeline as to when this feature will roll out, but given that it’s a minor change, it should be included in one of the security updates in the near future. If you are impatient to wait any longer, you can use one of the third-party SMS apps like Textra or Android Messages on Google Play Store that support this feature.

It is possible Samsung might have removed the feature based on the usage metrics but decided to backtrack due to the feedback from a vocal set of users. It is not often that you come across Samsung listening to the customers and making course corrections. In this regard, the company has done well, at least on this specific issue.

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Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 launched with upgraded internals

Samsung announced the Chromebook Plus at the Consumer Electronics Show in January last year and released it the following month. It was one of the few Chromebooks on the market at that time that came with the Google Play Store installed out of the box. Samsung today launched the successor to this device and while it doesn’t bring any major design changes, it does come with upgraded internals which includes a more powerful processor.

As far as the design is concerned, Samsung hasn’t really made any changes to the Chromebook Plus V2 so it looks quite similar to its predecessor, not that it’s something that would deter you from purchasing this Chromebook.

Samsung Chromebook Plus V2

Gone is the 2GHz ARM processor of its predecessor which has been replaced by a more powerful Intel Celeron 3965Y that’s paired with 4GB of RAM and Intel HD Graphics 615. It ships with 32GB of storage that can be expanded up to 400GB with a microSD card. The Chromebook Plus V2 also features a 39Wh battery.

The front camera has been upgraded to 1-megapixel while there’s a 13-megapixel camera next to the keyboard as well which serves as the rear-facing shooter when the device is in tablet mode. Other specs include two USB Type-C ports, one USB 3.0 port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a built-in stylus.

Last year’s model had a 12.3-inch 3:2 aspect ratio 2400×1600 pixel resolution display but it has been swapped on the V2 for a 12.2-inch 16:10 aspect ratio 1920×1080 pixel resolution display. Make that what you will of it, many would have preferred if Samsung had actually improved the device’s display. All of this is packed inside an aluminum alloy chassis that measures 11.34 x 8.19 x 0.63-7.0 inches and weighs 2.93 lbs.

Samsung has confirmed today that the Chromebook Plus V2 is going to be available for purchase starting June 24 from BestBuy.com and the retailer’s physical stores. It’s charging $499 for the Chromebook. It has already launched a slightly refreshed model of the Chromebook Pro which features a backlit keyboard.


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Samsung’s doing it again: No security updates yet for unlocked Galaxy S9 in the US

It’s been nearly three months since the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ hit retail stores across the globe. Samsung has released a couple of software updates for its latest flagships in that time, including security updates that are expected to be released for the S9 and S9+ on a regular basis in the foreseeable future. Well, that’s unless you happen to own an unlocked Galaxy S9 or S9+ in the US, in which case you’re probably wondering why your phone is still on a security patch that’s four months old. And, as it turns out, you’re not alone.

Unlocked Galaxy S9 security updates missing in action

Samsung seems to be ignoring owners of the unlocked Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ in the US at the moment, just like it initially did with the unlocked Galaxy S8. A few publications have written about it, and we have been receiving emails from our readers complaining about the same. Samsung is yet to release a single security update for unlocked versions of its newest flagships in the US. Unlocked units continue to be on the February security patch, and even carrier variants have received updates sparingly, with at least AT&T yet to release a single security update.

When questions were raised about the Galaxy S8 Oreo update for unlocked units, Samsung made the claim that updates for unlocked units take longer because they have to be tested to work properly on all supported networks. But three months is a long time for testing security updates, which are significantly smaller than a major OS upgrade, so it’s a rather poor show of support by the Korean giant for owners of unlocked Galaxy S9s in North America.

Unlocked units on a quarterly update schedule, perhaps?

Now, Samsung does note in the terms and conditions over on its dedicated website for security updates that some carriers may follow a quarterly schedule even for devices that are supposed to get monthly updates. It’s possible, then, that we could see an update for the unlocked Galaxy S9 and S9+ in the coming weeks. But nothing is certain unless that update starts making the rounds, and one should hope the Korean giant won’t be displaying the same callousness when it comes to the Android 9.0 update.

We have reached out to Samsung for a comment on this matter and will update the story when we hear back. Have you bought an unlocked Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+ in the US?

The post Samsung’s doing it again: No security updates yet for unlocked Galaxy S9 in the US appeared first on SamMobile.



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[Poll] How are you liking Oreo on your Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge?

At this point, Samsung has rolled out the Galaxy S7 Oreo update in most countries around the world. The company put Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge owners through a rather excruciating wait for what is supposed to be its last major upgrade. Perhaps that’s the reason Samsung took its time, wanting to make sure it doesn’t leave S7 and S7 edge users with a sour taste by letting problems slip through on the newer software. In any case, the delay has disappointed many, especially since Samsung didn’t take so long to release the last major update for the Galaxy S6.

How’s the Galaxy S7 Oreo update working for you?

But the Galaxy S7 Oreo update is now available for many, so here’s what we wanted to know: How are you liking Oreo on your Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge? Has the wait been worth it, or does the update not offer nearly as much as the time the company took to make it official? Are there bugs or issues you’ve faced, perhaps with performance or battery life, or is everything running well enough that you’re ready to forgive Samsung for taking so long?

Tell us how Oreo is working for you on your S7 or S7 edge by voting in the poll below (you can select multiple answers) and expanding on your experience in the comments section (for example, if there’s a bug you’re facing, give us a few details on what it is).

How are you liking Oreo on your Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge?
Results

The post [Poll] How are you liking Oreo on your Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge? appeared first on SamMobile.



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Samsung NEXT announces Q Fund to invest in unconventional AI startups

Samsung NEXT, the venture capital arm that focuses on investing in software and services to complement Samsung’s hardware, has announced the creation of ‘Samsung NEXT Q Fund’ to invest in next-generation AI startups and ideas. The fund will provide seed and Series A funding for ‘non-obvious’ and ‘forward-thinking’ AI ideas.

According to the press release, Q Fund will invest in areas such as “learning in simulation, scene understanding, intuitive physics, program learning programs, automl, robot control, human-computer interaction and meta learning.” The fund is focused on unconventional approaches to AI problems that are immune to traditional methods. It has recently invested in Covariant.AI which applies novel approaches to teach new and complex skills to robots.

Revenue models are not the top priority

The Samsung NEXT team will work with many leading researchers in the field to identify the right investment opportunities for Q Fund. Since the fund is focused on more futuristic and complex AI challenges, revenue models are not the top priority. Samsung NEXT is taking a long-term view of the Q Fund investments considering the global economy is barely scratching the surface of what AI can accomplish in the future.

“For the past ten years, we’ve watched software eat the world. Now, it’s AI’s turn to eat software. We’re launching Q Fund to support the next generation of AI startups who look to scratch beyond the surface of what we know today,” said Vincent Tang, Samsung NEXT Ventures.

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Samsung is aiming to rely solely on renewable energy in the US, Europe, and China by 2020

Samsung has quite a few goals that it wants to achieve by the year 2020, but perhaps the most important goal among those is the company’s move towards renewable energy as its only source of energy. The company has announced that it plans to generate 100 percent of the power required for its factories, offices, and facilities in the US, China, and Europe from renewable energy sources by 2020. Samsung has chosen these specific markets/regions because they are “well-equipped with infrastructure for the development and transmission of renewable energy.”

Efforts begin at Samsung’s Suwon headquarters

Samsung is aiming to rely solely on renewable energy in the US, Europe, and China by 2020

Samsung’s first step in its efforts to go green will begin at the Digital City, its headquarters in Suwon, where the company will install solar panels in an area that spans 42,000 square meters in the coming months. It will then add “solar arrays and geothermal power generation facilities” in a 21,000 square meter radius in its Pyeongtaek and Hwaseong campuses in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Samsung’s calculations say the power it will generate from solar energy by 2020 will be similar to the yearly energy consumption of 115,000 four-person Korean households.

Samsung isn’t just making its own facilities environment-friendly. The Korean giant says it will be working with its top 100 supply chain partners to help them reduce their dependency on non-renewable energy sources once it has joined the Carbon Disclosure Project Supply Chain Program, which is a UK-based organization that helps companies take account of their impact on the environment. A pretty major commitment, one that Apple has already completed thanks to the lower number of businesses and product categories it dabbles in compared to its South Korean rival.

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Samsung will reportedly announce the Gear S4 along with the Galaxy Note 9

According to a report from Korea, Samsung will announce the Gear S4 along with the Galaxy Note 9 in August. The last two generations of the Gear smartwatches were announced at IFA in Berlin. Samsung has not yet announced the official launch date for the Galaxy Note 9, but reports from Korea point towards August 9.

Samsung will be reportedly using Panel Level Packaging (PLP) to build the application processor (AP) for the Gear S4. Apart from being cheaper, the new process can also apparently help Samsung in making the devices thinner. The report says Samsung is commercially experimenting with the new technology starting with the Gear S4.

Will have a bigger battery?

Interestingly, popular leaker from China, Ice Universe, stated in a Weibo post yesterday that the Gear S4 will have a bigger battery than its predecessors. It makes us wonder if this is in anyway related to the alleged benefits of PLP chips. Whatever may be the magic Samsung is using, it is always heartening to see manufacturers opting for larger batteries instead of slimmer devices.

With the Galaxy Note 9, Gear S4, Galaxy Tab S4, and Bixby 2.0 rumored to launch at the same time, the impending Unpacked event is shaping up to be an exciting ride for fans. Let’s hope Samsung brings something more than incremental changes to the table.

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