Samsung releases March 2018 security patch for the Galaxy A8 (2018)

Samsung detailed the March 2018 security patch merely two days ago and as expected, it’s starting the rollout with a mid-range device. The company has now released the March 2018 security patch for the Galaxy A8 (2018). Launched late last year, this device was previously known as the Galaxy A5 but Samsung didn’t stick with that moniker for this iteration.

Galaxy A8 (2018) March security patch

The security maintenance release for the month of March 2018 fixes nine critical vulnerabilities that were discovered in the Android operating system aside from countless moderate-risk and high-risk vulnerabilities. Samsung has also fixed five Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVE) that were discovered in its own software with this patch.

Samsung is now rolling out firmware version A530FXXU2ARB9 for the Galaxy A8 (2018). The firmware is being rolled out gradually so it’s going to take some time before it’s available for users in all markets. It’s already available for download from our fimrware section. We can also expect the patch to be released for the Galaxy A8+ (2018) in the near future as well.

It’s possible that we’ll see Samsung be quick with the March 2018 security patch release as it couldn’t really focus on last month’s security maintenance release because of its preoccupation with the Android 8.0 Oreo update for the Galaxy S8. It’s also possible that some devices that didn’t receive last month’s patch will be jumping straight to the latest release.

While Samsung has promised to release monthly security updates for the Galaxy A8 (2018), it has decided to relegate the Galaxy A8+ (2018) to a quarterly update schedule for some odd reason, so it really can’t be said for sure right now when the latest patch would arrive on this particular handset.

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Best VPN for Samsung and why you should use one

If you’ve ever wondered what’s a good VPN for Samsung devices then you’ve come to the right place. This list includes deals for some of the best VPN options that you should consider for your Samsung smartphone or tablet.

What is a VPN

One can never be too safe online as threats continue to evolve. One of the simplest ways people protect their privacy online is by using VPNs or Virtual Private Networks. For the uninitiated, a VPN acts as a secure tunnel between two or more devices which helps protect users against snooping and censorship.

VPN ciphers the user’s actual IP address and online activity so that it remains unidentifiable. The added security lets you use public Wi-Fi networks with a reasonable expectation of privacy as the free options don’t offer encryption and are thus susceptible to man-in- the- middle attacks. A VPN is also a great resource for bypassing state-imposed web censorship, restrictive networks at work or school and regional restrictions placed by music and video streaming services.

Why use a VPN

There are a lot of reasons for using a VPN, most of them related to protecting your privacy. We’ve listed the top reasons why you could use a VPN service

1. Netflix: With lots of content available for the US alone, you’re missing out. Using a VPN can bypass this as you appear to visit from the US.
2. Privacy: You’re harder to trace or hack, especially when you use hotel or public Wi-Fi.
3. P2P file sharing: Torrenting (p2p) can be a great way to share files. However, as companies are actively monitoring these kinds of activities you want to get back your privacy.
4. Bypass censorship: As governments can block sites or services, you might want to bypass it to visit news sites or social media. A VPN makes this possible for you.

Best VPN for Samsung devices

NordVPN

NordVPN is a popular VPN service and with good reason. It offers a double encryption system that’s quite unique in that it applies military-grade ES-256- CBC encryption to both incoming and outgoing data twice. It uses the IKEv2 security protocol that delivers a 30 percent performance gain compared to the previous generation.

Supported security protocols include OpenVPN, L2TP and IKEV2. No user information is stored making it perfect for those who are extra conscious about their online privacy. Up to six devices can be connected to NordVPN with a single account, it has more than 1,400 servers available in dozens of countries across the globe.

Those are some of the reasons why NordVPN is among our top picks on the list of best VPN for Samsung smartphones and tablets. New subscribers can take advantage of a great deal that NordVPN is offering. They get three years of security for $99 which works out to just $2.75 per month. That’s a very small price to pay for online privacy.

PureVPN

With more than 750 servers in 140+ countries, PureVPN promises complete security by not involving any third-parties in the process and not storing any logs of user activity. It encrypts the entire connection with up to 256-bit high-grade encryption to protect user data. It hides the real IP address and location with a secure, encrypted tunnel that also prevents ISPs from inspecting the user’s data such as website URLs and more.

Available for a variety of platforms, PureVPN is a good fit as the best VPN for Samsung devices. A subscription costs as low as $2.87 per month and is currently being offered at a 74 percent discount. Those who might be hit by buyer’s remorse after they put money down for this VPN will be pleased to know that all customers are given a 7-days money-back guarantee.

SaferVPN

Another contender on our list of best VPN for Samsung smartphones and tablets is SaferVPN. With its 256-bit encryption, this VPN service promises to protect all of your valuable data and personal information when you’re connected to the internet. It offers more than 34 server locations across the globe thus allowing users to change their IP address and use the internet as if they were in that particular country.

SaferVPN supports multiple protocols such as OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec and PPTP. It’s a particularly great option for those who want to anonymously pay for a VPN service as SaferVPN accepts bitcoin.

You can get a two-year subscription to SaferVPN for $78.96 which works out to just $3.29 per month. Buying the subscription gets you a 63 percent discount compared to paying monthly for the service.

CyberGhost VPN

Last but certainly not the least on our list of best VPN for Samsung devices, CyberGhost VPN is a robust solution for those looking to secure their online presence. It encrypts online activity with strong 256-AES bit encryption and provides top-class protection for up on five devices with a single account. You can access more than 1250 servers worldwide and rest assured that no logs are being kept by the VPN service. It even offers a 30-day money-back guarantee to new subscribers.

Those still on the lookout for the best VPN for Samsung devices can subscribe to CyberGhost VPN for two years at a 71 percent discount. They will be billed $84 every two years which is $3.50 per month.

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Now you know why it’s always going to be in your best interests to use a VPN service when you’re online. One should be particularly used when accessing the internet through shared or public Wi-Fi networks. You can never be too safe on the internet so it’s always best to do whatever you possibly can to ensure your privacy.

These are some of the best VPN for Samsung options that are available now. What’s your preferred VPN service to use on your Samsung smartphone and tablet? Let us know in the comments below.

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New Samsung Internet Beta features Protected Browsing to keep you safe online

Samsung today introduced the latest version of its Samsung Internet Beta app that brings a couple of changes including Protected Browsing which aims to keep you safe online. Samsung Internet Beta version 7.2 gets an upgraded engine as well as new user interface features and improved performance on devices with low memory.

New Samsung Internet Beta

Samsung has upgraded the beta version’s engine to Chromium M59 which brings improved Web Platform features such as Intersection Observer, WebGL2 and Web Assembly. They will go a long way in improving graphics in online games and speeding up websites.

One of the main features included in the new Samsung Internet Beta is Protected Browsing. This feature is going to prevent users from going to websites that might be using deceptive methods to steal their information or to install malware on their device. The feature will display a warning message when a user is about to be directed to such a site.

It knows when to display the warning message as the Protected Browsing feature works by checking a hash of the URL with a database of websites that are known to be dangerous. If the feature detects an unsafe website it will suggest the user go back to the previous page but if they think that there has been a mistake, they can just tap on “visit the site” to go ahead and visit it anyway.

Additional privacy-focused updates include content blocker improvements. Users can install content blockers directly within the new Samsung Internet Beta. However, since this one-tap feature uses the Samsung Galaxy Apps store, it’s only available on Samsung smartphones and tablets. The Samsung Internet Browser has been available for non-Samsung devices since last year. On non-Samsung devices, the browser will provide a direct link to the Google Play Store from where the content blocker can be installed.

Some user interface improvements have been made in the latest version of Samsung Internet Beta as well. The URL bar has been revamped to free up more space for website-specific ambient badges. When the browser detects a web app it will automatically show the “Add to homescreen” button which will let users instantly install the Web App with one tap. The “Reader mode” badge will be displayed on news articles to reformat the article for easy reading.

The new Samsung Internet Beta is now available for download from the Google Play Store and our APK page.

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Galaxy Note 8 Oreo release date possibly revealed by Samsung Turkey

Samsung is yet to confirm the Galaxy Note 8 Oreo release date but since the company has released the update for the Galaxy S8, it’s only a matter of time before Oreo makes it to Samsung’s flagship phablet. An official Samsung website has now possibly revealed that Galaxy Note 8 Oreo release date and if the information is taken at face value then it appears that this handset will receive the Oreo update later this month.

Galaxy Note 8 Oreo release date

Güncelmiyiz is a legitimate website owned and operated by Samsung Turkey. It uses the website to provide details about upcoming firmware updates for Samsung devices. It has been updated to reflect that Android 8.0 Oreo is the next major OS update for the Galaxy Note 8 and the firmware is in the test phase right now with a “planned update date” of March 30.

Aside from revealing the Galaxy Note 8 Oreo release date, the website also mentions that Android 8.0 Oreo is in the test phase for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge with a planned release date of April 13. Similar information is also offered for the Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 (2018) all of which are listed to receive the Oreo update on May 25 this year. Samsung Turkey may also release said update for the 9.7-inch Galaxy Tab S3 on May 4. We did report not too long ago that Samsung has started developing the Oreo update for the Galaxy S7, Galaxy A5 (2017) and the Galaxy Tab S3.

As previously mentioned, Güncelmiyiz is a legitimate Samsung website and functions as its local update portal for users in Turkey so there just might be some truth to this information after all. However, given Samsung’s track record with firmware updates, it would be wise not to hope that the Oreo update for the aforementioned devices will be rolled out on the very days mentioned on the website.

As far as the Galaxy Note 8 Oreo release date for other markets is concerned, we can expect the Oreo update to be rolled out for the phablet and the other devices a few days before or after the update is released in Turkey.

Thanks, Emre!

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Samsung Q1 2018 operating profit expected to fall slightly

Samsung had a stellar year in 2017 as far as profits go but it appears that the company might find it a bit difficult to maintain momentum in the new year. According to a new report, Samsung’s Q1 2018 operating profit is expected to fall slightly compared to the previous quarter. The company posted $14.10 billion in operating profit for the quarter ending December 2017.

Samsung Q1 2018 operating profit

Market analysts based in South Korea predict that Samsung’s operating profit is going to slightly fall by 4.8 percent in the January-March quarter compared to the preceding quarter.

The company might see lower profits due to its display division. A recent report has already suggested that Samsung itself expects to make less money from OLED panel sales this year because the OLED boom that it was relying on hasn’t happened yet.

There have also been reports recently that Samsung will ship half the units planned of the iPhone X’s OLED display to Apple because its rival’s flagship smartphone hasn’t sold as well as the company might have hoped. Samsung will surely take a hit on its revenues if there is truth to reports of Apple cutting down iPhone X production in response to slow demand.

While it’s expected to be a tough quarter for Samsung’s display division, the company’s mobile and semiconductor divisions are expected to do the heavy lifting this quarter. Prices for DRAM chips continue to rise and Samsung’s position of dominance in this market enables it to take full advantage of that. Samsung’s mobile division is expected to post a 21 percent surge in operating profit for this quarter on the back of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+.

The company hasn’t released its official earnings guidance for the quarter just yet and probably won’t do so for a couple of weeks so we’ll have to wait for that to be absolutely sure of just how well its various business divisions have fared in the first quarter of the new year.

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‘The Wall’ 146-inch modular MicroLED TV goes on sale this August

Two months ago at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Samsung unveiled an enormous 146-inch television. The world’s first modular MicroLED television set was dubbed The Wall as it is literally the size of one. The LEDs are comprised of self-emitting micrometer scale LEDs that are much smaller than the typical LEDs used for TVs. The technology within allows for a thinner panel and easier manufacturing while still maintaining deep blacks and high contrast ratios similar to OLED panels. Samsung has announced todaythat the world’s first modular TV will go on sale this August.

‘The Wall’ goes on sale this August

Although a price has yet to be announced, one can anticipate the price to be quite high. The Wall’s bezel-less, modular nature that allows a seamless resize of the TV to conform to your desired size will see to that. This may be the beginning of a new era as Samsung has steered away from OLED panels altogether and moved the focus to quantum dot technology. Light emitting diode (LED) technology eliminates the need for a backlight as each sub-pixel illuminates itself. Without this technology, Samsung would not be able to achieve the deep levels of black and high contrast ratios.

The Wall is set to go on sale in August. 2018 is going to be a memorable year for Samsung as they release their first TV lineup that includes their personal assistant, Bixby. Samsung’s 2018 television lineup will include new QLED TVs, UHD TVs, Premium UHD TVs, and TVs in sizes of up to 75-inches and beyond. Select 2018 smart TV models will receive Bixby and give you greater control over your television set.

Be on the lookout as we hope to be able to update you with a purchase price as soon as it is announced. The Wall is certainly going to cost a pretty penny.

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Samsung 2018 TV lineup unveiled, brings Bixby and other enhancements

The Samsung 2018 TV lineup has been revealed today at the company’s First Look event in New York. The lineup consists of new QLED TVs, UHD TVs, Premium UHD TVs and TVs with extra-large screen sizes of 75-inches and up. Samsung has introduced new technological advancements with this lineup alongside design innovations and feature enhancements.

The flagship Q9F 2018 QLED TV models use Direct Full Array contrast technology to deliver amazing brightness levels of no less than 2,000 nits. This contrast technology works by using accurately controlled LEDs to ensure strong contrast in all images on the screen.

Samsung 2018 TV lineup

The feature enhancements include new additions such as Ambient Mode which ensures that the TV looks beautiful even when it’s not switched on. The mode itself determines how the room looks and then adjusts the screen in standby so that it’s no longer just a black screen but a beautiful object that lifts up the ambiance of the space. The TV can also detect when someone enters the room and can thus activate the screen and display relevant content about news and weather. The screen switches off automatically when nobody is in the room again.

The company had previously revealed that the Samsung 2018 TV lineup will feature Bixby. Select new Samsung smart TVs will feature Bixby and it will change the way users interact with their TVs. The Easy Set-Up feature will enable them to connect to Wi-Fi and install apps much faster than ever before.

The Samsung 2018 TV lineup contains models in sizes up to 82-inches with both flat and curved displays. The flagship Q9F QLED TV will be available in 55-inch, 65-inch and 75-inch sizes. All models bring improved colors and contrasts, HDR10+ compatibility, Game One, One Invisible Connection and ship with the No Gap Wall Mount.

Samsung will also be selling ultra-large screen models of its 2018 lineup with sizes of 75-inches and larger.

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