الغريب

الأربعاء، 10 يناير 2018

Galaxy A5 (2017) receives January update in the Netherlands

Samsung has just released the January update for the unbranded Galaxy A5 (2017) in the Netherlands. As expected, Samsung is kicking things off by rolling out the latest security patch for a mid-range device. The company is yet to release the January patch for any of its flagship handsets.

Galaxy A5 (2017) security update

The December update we saw for this device was rather hefty. It bolstered a suite of new camera features for both 2017 Galaxy A devices including Selfie Focus, a single camera play on Samsung’s flagship feature Selective Focus, in addition to Snapchat-esque augmented reality stickers and stamps.

This update is rather miniscule weighing in at 22MB and updating the firmware to version A520FXXU4BRA8. The always improving security patch for this month includes 91 Google fixes for the Android OS itself, as well 13 fixes coming directly from Samsung for the Samsung Experience OS.

As previously stated the update is available for unbranded devices, meaning non-carrier branded models. If you’re currently rocking a Galaxy A5 (2017), you can check to see if the update is available for your phone by going into the Settings app, then tapping the Download updates manually option in the Software update menu. It’s going to be a while before it becomes available in all markets.

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Samsung beefs up security on their 2018 Smart TVs with Knox

Though appreciated for their performance and design, Samsung Smart TVs don’t have the best reputation when it comes to privacy and security. Instances like CIA developing tools to spy on people using Samsung Smart TVs and the fear-inducing Smart TV privacy policy have made some people apprehensive about Samsung Smart TVs

Knox comes to your Smart TV

Being aware of the problems, Samsung is now trying to beef up the security of its Smart TVs by bringing the Knox technology to its Smart TVs. Samsung Knox is an enterprise mobile security solution available on Samsung smartphones and tablets. Now, Samsung is bringing the same Knox technology to its Smart TVs by optimizing it for the Smart TV environment. Samsung says its new Knox based security solution for Smart TVs can detect and remove malicious apps which can steal sensitive information from other apps.

Samsung is also acquiring certifications from global institutes to prove the security credentials of its Smart TVs. Samsung boasts its Smart TVs are the first in the industry to receive the Common Criteria (CC) certification for three consecutive years. CC is a reputed certification system for computer security used for government evaluations and procurement. Samsung Smart TVs are also certified by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) for its ‘Checkout’ payment service. This should offer increased protection while buying products and services from the TV by encrypting credit card information.

In addition to these in-house security solutions, Samsung has also worked with McAfee to develop McAfee Security for TV, a security application designed specifically for TVs. It has been shipping on all Samsung Smart TVs since April 2017

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How Bixby will change the way you watch TV

CES 2018 has been full of television related news from Samsung. We were introduced to ‘The Wall’, Samsung’s first modular microLED TV which has a commanding real estate of 146 inches. We were also introduced to the 85-inch QLED Q9S, which boasts unique artificial intelligence technology that upscales any content into 8K. Samsung has now detailed how Bixby, present on select 2018 Smart TVs, will change the way you watch TV.

Bixby Smart TV integration

Bixby’s command-driven interface creates a smarter and simpler approach to controlling not only your TV, but every device within the Internet of Things ecosystem. Instead of having to pick up the remote to change the channel, or walking to the dryer to see how long is left, or find out what’s in the fridge, you can simply command Bixby to do it for you.

This integration will enable seamless transition of video from a Bixby-enabled smartphone directly to the TV. When your favorite show is about to come on, Bixby will then push a notification to your smartphone, and allow you to instantly tune in to the correct channel. Bixby will even help with tasks as simple as weather forecasts.

Samsung has been on a mission to simplify the entire TV viewing experience, and this only further supports that narrative. In 2017, we saw the release of the One Remote Control with minimal buttons. With Bixby Smart TV integration, Samsung has made it simpler to control the TV experience.

All in all, keep in mind this will only be available for select 2018 Smart TVs, which have not been outlined yet.

Let us know below if you plan on purchasing a 2018 Smart TV for this new capability alone!

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Samsung to activate smartphone FM chips in the US and Canada

Every smartphone market around the world has its own quirks. Locking down FM chips in the smartphones in one such quirk of the smartphone market in the US and Canada. Though this practice may sound strange to smartphone users in other parts of the world, it is a common practice for smartphone manufacturers in these markets.

According to the FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, only 44 percent of the top-selling smartphones in the US had their FM chips activated, compared to 80 percent in Mexico. This anti-consumer move is often driven by the financial considerations of the carriers who want the customers to use mobile data to stream content.

Public safety measure

Thankfully, the situation will be changing soon. Many smartphone manufacturers have decided to activate the FM chips in their smartphones. LG, Motorola, and Alcatel have already made progress in this regard.

Samsung is the latest smartphone manufacturer to join the list. The company plans to activate the FM chips in their upcoming smartphones in the U.S. and Canada. Samsung has partnered with TagStation, the company that owns the NextRadio app, as part of the move to activate FM chips. Although the TagStation’s press release mentions upcoming Samsung smartphones, the list of supported models on their website shows many current Samsung smartphones as well.

This move seems to be triggered by the recent natural disasters in the US. There was pressure on the phone manufacturers to activate the FM chips in their smartphones as a public safety measure. The FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, also voiced his support for the move.

Having FM chips activated in smartphones may come in handy during natural disasters. When cellular networks are down or congested, local radio stations can relay important information to those in distress. This move also helps smartphone users to listen to their local stations without relying on mobile data or WIFI, thereby reducing cost and battery usage.

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Samsung showcases Bixby food calorie counting ability at CES 2018

Samsung has been unveiling a multitude of new things at CES this year. Among the many new and exciting unveilings is a new trick that Samsung is teaching it’s personal assistant. Bixby has quietly been learning how to count the calories in your food via Bixby Vision.

Bixby may count calories in the future

Samsung says the feature works by pointing the camera directly at an individual food item, which Bixby will then identify, analyze, and then calculate the amount of calories using generic data for the food item.

Obviously, many people have their own recipes for specific dishes, therefore it will not be entirely accurate, but it will give a basis for understanding. Representatives did mention that the data collected via Bixby Vision will be synced with Samsung Health to not only allow one to track their calorie intake but compare it with their daily calorie burn.

This would definitely simplify the process of scouring Samsung Health for each of the ingredients within your food, which I have experienced firsthand. It would also be a nice addition to the growing suite of features Bixby offers.

The feature is in experimental stage currently and Samsung has not confirmed when or if this feature will indeed make it to Galaxy smartphones. Nonetheless, it is nice to know that Samsung is actively working to improve Bixby as evidenced by this unveiling and last month’s acquisition of South Korean startup Fluently.

Image credit: Chris Velazco/Engadget

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Samsung to send Game Recorder+ to the graveyard next month

I am sure those who make use of the app Game Recorder+ noticed that there was an update for the app listing today. But, I assume this was not the update you all have been waiting for since November. The update was to let us all know that Samsung plans to send the app the graveyard on February 28th, 2018. Game Recorder+ was launched back in 2015.

Game Recorder+ to get the boot

Those of you who are not familiar with what the app does, it is rather self-explanatory. The app allows one to record the screen as well as internal audio from the game, or external audio from the microphone.

Samsung has been cleaning up some of their unnecessary proprietary apps lately, and Game Recorder+ is the latest to go. Samsung hasn’t said precisely why it’s pulling this app. It could be that it never developed the kind of userbase that the company would have wanted for it.

Game Recorder+ users will no longer be able to record games from February 28th. They should back up the videos previously recorded via the app. If the app is deleted before backing up the videos then they will be deleted. The videos can be backed up by tapping on the save button on the recorded video. They will be saved in the Game Record folder on the handset.

For the heavy gamers into streaming, Samsung still has Game Live, which allows you to do just that; stream your gameplay using your Samsung device. Samsung’s other gaming-focused apps include Game Launcher and Game Tools.

Game Launcher neatly organizes all of your games in one place, allows easy downloads of new and popular games, as well as optimizes your device’s performance specifically for gameplay. Game Tools are in-game settings that allow you to block alerts during gameplay, screen record, screenshot, and eliminate accidental capacitive button presses.

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Check out a few Galaxy A8 (2018) Live Focus (bokeh) selfie samples

There’s a lot to like about the new Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018), but the dual front cameras are the highlight on Samsung’s latest mid-range phones (or can we call them mid-range flagships at this point?). The 16-megapixel and 8-megapixel front cameras combine to allow one to take selfies with background blur through the Live Focus feature, just like the dual rear cameras on the Galaxy Note 8. Dual selfie cameras are a first for Samsung smartphones, so naturally, we’ve been playing around with them a bit since getting our hands on a Galaxy A8 earlier this week.

Galaxy A8 (2018) Live Focus selfies come out well

We’ll be testing the phone inside out in the coming days before publishing our full review, but for now, we thought we’d put up a few Live Focus selfie samples to give our readers a glimpse of what the dual front cameras on the A8 can do. We can’t offer a conclusion yet, but the feature seems to work quite well with selfies, even managing to blur out the edges around the hair and ears properly. Well, the real test would be with longer hair, and the selfies aren’t too sharp (especially when you see the full-size versions on a PC), but we’re impressed with the results overall. In fact, with the Samsung boxes on our office wall as the background, the result is slightly better than with Live Focus on the Note 8’s rear cameras.

It’s also worth noting that on the Galaxy A8, you can not only adjust background blur in Live Focus pictures after they’ve been taken, but also change the area of focus. That’s similar to what we could do with the Selective focus camera mode on single-camera Samsung phones, and it looks like the company has managed to bake the feature in with Live Focus on the A8. The Note 8 doesn’t allow this with Live Focus pictures, but we’re hoping Samsung will add the functionality with a software update in the future.

We’ll be publishing our hands-on experience with the Galaxy A8 and A8+ soon, so keep an eye out for that. For now, check out the samples below and let us know what you think. We have also added a comparison of a photo taken with maximum and minimum background blur at the bottom.