Samsung Invites You to Try to Hack Their Devices

In the world of technology security is king! So much so that most of the major tech giants have already launched security programs aimed at rewarding would be hackers if they share their exploits with the company before they become a major issue. Today Samsung has become the latest player in the game with the launch of their very own rewards program.

In an attempt at making sure sure that its smartphones, such as the Galaxy S8, S8 Plus and the Galaxy Note 8, are safe to use by the public, Samsung has officially the Samsung Mobile Security Rewards Program. The program invites members of the security community to assess the integrity of Samsung’s mobile devices and associated software to identify potential vulnerabilities in those products.

“As a leading provider of mobile devices and experiences, Samsung recognizes the importance of protecting users’ data and information, and prioritizes security in the development of each of its products and services,” said Injong Rhee Executive Vice President and Head of R&D, Software and Services of the Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “As part of our commitment to security, Samsung is proud to work in close partnership with the security research community to ensure that all of our products are monitored closely and continually for any potential vulnerabilities.”

The program will cover all of Samsung’s mobile devices currently receiving monthly and quarterly security updates, currently a total of 38 devices. In addition, the program will reward submissions for potential vulnerabilities in the latest Samsung Mobile Services, including Bixby, Samsung Account, Samsung Pay and Samsung Pass, among others. Dependent upon the severity of a given submission, as well as the researcher’s ability to provide proof of concept, Samsung will issue rewards of up to $200,000.

The Mobile Security Rewards Program is effective immediately. For additional information, including terms and conditions visit the Samsung Mobile Security page.

Want to Keep Using Your Galaxy Note 7 You Better Not Upgrade It After December 19th!

Samsung is fairly adamant about the fact that they don't want any of the remaining Galaxy Note 7 devices out there to cause issues. So much so that they have confirmed plans to release an update to the devices that will essentially make them useless!

In their announcement Samsung states:

Consumer safety remains our highest priority and we’ve had overwhelming participation in the U.S. Note7 Refund and Exchange Program so far, with more than 93 percent of all recalled Galaxy Note7 devices returned.

To further increase participation, a software update will be released starting on December 19th that will prevent U.S. Galaxy Note7 devices from charging and will eliminate their ability to work as mobile devices.

If you have not yet returned your device, you should immediately power it down and contact your carrier to obtain a refund or exchange.

With about 93% of US sold Note 7 returned Samsung still has about 133,000 phones unaccounted for. Meaning that despite all of the warnings and offers Samsung has made., some of you are opting to hold on to your devices and run the risk of the defective batteries causing issues. While I personally wouldn't opt for that option and would have returned by device following the recall. I can understand wanting to hold on to your phone. Especially since there just isn't anything out there to fully replace it.

If you are one of the bold few that don't want to heed Samsung's warnings and don't want to take advantage of Samsung's full refund and up to a $100 bill credit from select carrier or retail outlets. Then you better avoid any future software updates as it looks like they are going to do their best to brick your phones.

Update: Verizon has just confirmed that they will not be pushing the update during the holiday season as they are concerned that it may leave some customers without a device to use. they are further concerned that the update may make it impossible to contact family, first responders or medical professionals in an emergency situation. They are however, still urging everyone to take advantage of the current offers for a full refund, exchange and/or the $100 credit.

Samsung Invites Galaxy S7 Owners to Test Drive Android 7.0 Nougat

For owners of Samsung's Galaxy S7 you now have a chance to test out the latest Android operating system offered by Google, Android 7.0 Nougat. Samsung has opened the doors to a new ‘Galaxy Beta Program’ which will give users a sneak peek into what Samsung and Google have in store for the new operating system.

The Galaxy Beta Program, opens today, and will be open to all Galaxy S7 and S7 edge users residing in the U.S., U.K., and Korea, with users based in China being able to participate in the program shortly. Applicants are currently being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Throughout the Galaxy Beta Program period, users can get a feel for Android 7.0 Nougat with Samsung’s latest UX, and can provide feedback on performance, reliability and usability. Users’ responses will in turn help Samsung develop reliable, high-performing software and provide an improved and optimized experience to all Galaxy users.

Users that have an active Samsung Account and meet program requirements may apply for the program by downloading the Galaxy Beta Program app through Galaxy Apps or the Samsung Members app which is available through the Google Play store or Galaxy Apps depending on their country of residence.

What is Galaxy Beta Program?
Samsung conducts the Galaxy Beta Program which is owned, managed and operated by Samsung independently for providing a better experience and reliable software based on user feedback. If you participate in the Galaxy Beta Program, you have an opportunity to experience new features and the latest UX based on Android 7.0 Nougat first. During the Galaxy Beta Program, you can directly send us your feedback and experience about performance, stability and usability which will help us to improve software.

**This Beta software is not the official version so it may cause unexpected errors or malfunction. Also it may not contain the full feature set compared with the final official software.**

If you run into issues and need to you, can re-install the official release version of the latest Android software by using the Smart Switch PC software. (You can download it from this link - http://www.samsung.com/us/smart-switch) Please connect your phone to your PC and launch Smart Switch PC software, then you can find the menu option ‘Update’ or ‘Device Initialization’ for restoration.More → Emergency software recovery and initialization → Device initialization).

For questions about joining the Galaxy Beta Program you can read the Galaxy Beta FAQs and for anything further related to software installation, registration and all other related inquiries, you can  contact Samsung directly at galaxybeta@samsung.com.

Apple's Newest Innovations Seem To Be Samsung's Old Gimmicks

As Apple took the stage today to introduce their revamped MacBook Pro lineup, a lineup that hasn't seen any major changes since the introduction of Retina displays back in 2012 and hasn't seen an upgrade since 2015, two things become abundantly clear. Apple has lost sight of what made the MacBook Pro what it was, and they have lost all sight of any true innovation instead relying on gimmicks and minor upgrades to try to drive their products lines!

When updating means leaving your target audience behind!
Apple's MacBook Pro has long been the standard for a great deal of you professional geeks out there. Pretty much anyone who is anyone in video production, commercial graphic design and advertising has at one point in another relied on a MacBook Pro to get things done and rightfully so. They are work-horses through and through! When coupled with Apple-centric design software, there really isn't much that can be accomplished.

Unfortunately though it looks like Apple has forgotten the needs of those professional users that have for years showed the company a great deal of loyalty. Year after year Apple has failed to upgrade the MBP line-up and when they have they have done so (in typically Apple fashion mind you) at the expense of the user and end user usability.

Today's new MacBook Pros are thinner and lighter than any previous model, with the 13-inch model weighing 3lbs and the 15-inch model coming in at 4lbs. The 13-inch model is 14.9mm thick, the 15-inch version a hair larger. In keeping with Apple’s design priorities, Apple has made the decision to remove all of your standard ports that you design professional might need, instead opting Thunderbolt 3 ports, using the latest USB Type-C connector.Unfortunately this means for most of you, you'll now need to carry around an army of dongles to get things done.

Imagine if you will trying to do a presentation at a client's site. They have HDMI, you'll need a dongle for that. No optical drive, means not having the ability to take client optical media or burn a disc to leave...without an external drive. No standard USB means no reading client flash drives without a dongle...as you can see this is quickly becoming a dongle nightmare!

Touch Bar gimmicks!
Perhaps one of the most talked about features we've seen today is the new “Touch Bar.” Apple has ditched all of the function keys at the top of the keyboard for an OLED strip that will offer users several different options based on what apps you’re running. Apple believes the new Touch Bar will be used as a productivity tool, since users can still easily access the tools and controls they need

If you’re in a music player, for instance, you will see several controls for music selection, volume ect. Switch over to Photoshop, and you could call up a variety of your favorite to use tools. When you’re browsing the web, it shows a search field and navigation buttons. It works in Pages, Keynote, Garageband, Terminal, and XCode. And of course, it makes the perfect home for an emoji keyboard.

The added functionality of the Touch Bar comes with a hefty price tag to the tune of a $300 upgrade! The 13-inch MacPro Pro without the touch bar costs $1,500. The new feature brings that price up to $1,800.

If this all sounds familiar, it is very very similar to the sidebar functions  Samsung introduced with the Galaxy Note Edge a few years ago. Yes a feature that, much like water-resistant phones, many Apple users called a gimmick at the time! Unlike the Edge screen on Samsung's phone the Touch Bar will be all about tools. Apple has already set guidelines prohibiting what the Touch Bar displays. App developers are prohibited from using the bar to display alerts, messages, scrolling content, static content, or anything else that commands the user’s attention or distracts from their work on the main screen.

Apple still demands a premium!
It wasn't all about gimmicks for Apple today. They did offer a complete update to the MacBook Pro lineup, though those updates still leave much to be desired especially given the hefty price tags Apple has attached to the laptops!

For processor, the new 15-inch MacBook Pro has a quad-core sixth-generation (NOT seventh-generation) Intel Core i7 chip and 2,133mHz memory. It has an ATI Radeon Pro graphics card with up to 4GB of RAM. You can get up a 2TB SDD and up to a (paltry by today's standards) 16GB of RAM. The 13-inch model has either sixth-gen Core i5 or i7 processors and Intel Iris Pro graphics. It has the same faster memory as the larger model, but only has 8GB of it.

Pricing starts at $1,499 for a standard, Touch Bar-less, 13-inch model and quickly increases to $1,799  with the Touch Bar and better CPU. The new 15-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,399 and tops out at $2,799 for a slightly better equipped unit. All three models can be ordered starting today, but only the low-end version is shipping immediately. The Touch Bar models will ship in two to three weeks.

Don't Fly With Your Galaxy Note 7, Exchange It At The Airport Instead

By now you should be aware of the fact that the Galaxy Note 7 is one of the biggest tech flops in history. You should also be aware of the fact that it has been recalled, is no longer going to be sold and has even been banned from air travel by most airlines and several countries around the world! If by chance you haven't heard the news, or have been putting off getting a new phone but still have to travel, well Samsung is going to help you out!

When the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued their second recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, affecting both old and new replacement models, the FAA stepped in and took a more drastic measure by banning the fire-prone devices from flying on any US based flights. The measure soon took hold with a large number of global airlines following suite and announcing  similar bans on Samsung's Galaxy Note 7. Included in  list are Qantas, Air Berlin, Air Canada, Air Canada Express, Emirates, Lufthansa, Finnair, Singapore Airlines, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, T, AirAsia, El Al, EgyptAir, Air New Zealand, Etihad Airways, HK Express, Cathay Pacific, Tigerair, Dragonair and Hong Kong Airlines.

With the Note 7 officially categorized as a "forbidden hazardous material" owners can be charged with several crimes, which vary by country, no matter what state the device is in. This includes having the device powered off, the battery removed ect. In short, the Galaxy Note 7 can not travel on an airplane at all. To combat the ban and make life easier on passengers that may not know they can not travel with their recalled devices, Samsung has taken to airports across the country, setting up exchange kiosks.

The trade-in booths are showing up in South Korea, Australia, as well as the U.S., allowing passengers to return their Note 7s for another Samsung device. To facilitate the exchange Samsung has customer service representatives on hand at these booths to transfer user data from the Note 7 to their new devices.

According to Samsung Australia the company is "working with airlines and airports in Australia to arrange customer service points within high-traffic terminals where customers, who are unaware of the Galaxy Note 7 ban on flights, can arrange an alternative device at the airport." Travelers can leave their handset at the pop-up booths and obtain a loaner for the duration of their trip. Upon returning to the airport they can pick up their prohibited handset. For those leaving Australia for an extended period of time—or permanently—Samsung will, "where possible," exchange the Note 7 for another Samsung phone—either at the terminal before departure or at your destination.

Samsung's mobile chief Koh Dong-jin has said that the company will do everything in its power, no matter the cost, in order to "find the exact cause" behind exploding Note 7s and to "restore the trust of consumers so that they can use Samsung products without any safety concerns." It certainly looks like the company is trying their best to make good on that promise!

Samsung's Battery Problem May Go Much Deeper Than The Galaxy Note 7

Now that Samsung Electronics has formally discontinued production of the company's Galaxy Note7 smartphone, which has been plagued by battery problems that caused fires and even explosions, one may wonder what is next for the world's largest cell phone provider. Well unfortunately things aren't looking good at this point!

All indications and reports conclude that as of right now Samsung still has no idea exactly what was causing the issues to begin with, and that they may have made the matter worse by incorrectly assuming it was merely an issue with the batteries used in the Note7.

According to The New York Times, Samsung tasked hundreds of its own engineers and employees to figure out why the smartphone battery was suddenly exploding. Unfortunately it appears as though the employees were unable to replicate the exact issue forcing the company to conclude that it must have been because of faulty batteries coming from Samsung SDI. This in-turn led the company to issue their initial recall with the company deciding to continue shipping new Galaxy Note 7s containing batteries from a different supplier.

As we now know this further compounded the issue as reports soon surfaced that some of the replacement devices were blowing up too. The New York Times spoke with a person briefed on the test process who says company engineers went back to the drawing board and that as of this week Samsung’s testers were still unable to reproduce the explosions.

The life of the Note7 was short. Sales first began in the U.S. on Aug. 19. Samsung recalled 2.5 million Note7s globally on Sept. 2, with a formal U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission recall on Sept. 15. Then, on Oct. 5, an apparently recalled Note7 began billowing smoke aboard a parked Southwest Airlines jet. The plane was evacuated; no one was injured. When more reports came in of recalled Note7s in recent days, several U.S. carriers decided to halt sales and exchanges. 

Samsung has received at least 92 reports of Note 7 batteries overheating in the United States, with 26 reports of burns and 55 reports of property damage, according to information posted by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Whether or not Samsung actually knows what the problem is the question will be can they actually fix it. Many industry pundits are speculating that Samsung's battle with Apple, and their desire to pack as much innovation and power into a device as they can, could have been the root cause of the devices overheating. Samsung, and many other Android manufactures have had a long history of devices heating up and overheating, so this isn't new. The problem is that we may have reached a point now that the tech these manufactures are using it just too much for the small devices to handle.

This creates an issue for Samsung going forward. The Galaxy Note7 may have just been the tip of the iceberg. If they don't figure out the issue, and can't resolve it, then they may have to reign in and possibly even delay production of a Samsung Galaxy S8 (their next purported release) and may have to discontinue the Note line-up (for now at least), until they can get it resolved. Of course this all comes at a critical time for Samsung, and Android for that matter, as we have seen signs of the smartphone market slowing and Samsung in particular facing tougher and tougher competition.

The one up-side here is that Samsung has numerous devices on the market right now that have had no issues. The downside is that the Note series is generally the top-tier and showcases much of what we should see (power and specs wise) in the coming 2017 Galaxy models.

DJ Koh, Samsung Mobile’s chief, has today pledged to restore consumer faith in the Samsung brand following the discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7. Mr Koh said that he would “at any cost find the exact cause (of the faulty Galaxy Note 7) to restore [the] trust of consumers so that they can use Samsung products without any safety concerns,” reports The Korea Herald.

Analysts have pegged the overall cost to Samsung at $5 billion to $7.5 billion, not including the hard-to-estimate impact on the Samsung brand. Some analysts, including Credit Suisse, said the lost sales on up to 19 million Note7 phones is about $17 billion. Samsung themselves recently cut Q3 profit estimates by $2.4 billion, and its Q3 revenue estimates by $2.2 billion.

How severe do you think the aftershocks will be for Samsung? Is this the end of the Note brand?

Your New Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Has Been Recalled What You Need to Know! [Update]

[Update: If you own A Samsung Galaxy Note 7 stop using it immediately!! Samsung, with cooperation from US Consumer Product Safety Commission is issuing a full and total recall of over one million Galaxy Note7 devices. ]

Yes you've heard that correctly, Samsung is recalling every Samsung Galaxy Note 7 that the company has shipped worldwide do to an issue with faulty batteries and charging that has resulted in at least 35 incidents of batteries exploding.

The problem is estimated to affect one device in every 42,000 units. Samsung says it shipped around 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 units so far, so if the estimate is correct, only a few dozen phones sold worldwide are at risk. So the risk is actually pretty minimal, but it is always best to err on the side of caution. 

At this time Samsung has officially halted all sales and shipments of the Galaxy Note 7 and the phones have been recalled worldwide. Samsung is working on preparing replacement units for the affected devices as well as working with each carrier on how to handle the recall and replacement process, which as of now will take about two weeks, according to the company.

Full Samsung statement:

Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously. In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue.

To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7.

For customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks.

We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible.

 At this time if you want to keep and use your Galaxy Note 7 you should be fine. However, you may want to use a few of these common sense precautions in order to keep safe, which really are valid for any electronic device.

• Stop charging your phone it if becomes too hot.
• Stick to official Samsung chargers.
• Don’t charge your phone in bed or anywhere it might not dissipate heat.
• Be mindful of where you charge your phone, don't leave it in a hot car window, hot area ect.

How will the recall process work?

At this time we have no specifics on the exact details of the recall, and each carrier seems to be handling things a little different. So here is what we have gathered so far (we'll update as we get more info).

• Sprint has said it will offer customers loaner devices, while Verizon is waiving its restocking fee for customers who want to return the Note 7 and get another phone altogether.
•  AT&T has reportedly stated that they are in the process of determining the exchange process for their customers and how they can replace their current Note 7 as quickly as possible. The company promised more information later on today.
• T-Mobile is offering customers full refunds to use toward another device or a replacement Note 7, which it said it expected to have available within two weeks. Plus, it said, customers can keep the free Netflix subscription it had been bundling with Note 7 purchases.

[Update from Samsung]
The US Product Exchange Program will offer consumers the following choices:

1. Exchange current Galaxy Note7 device with a new Galaxy Note7 (as early as next week)
2. Exchange current Galaxy Note7 for a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge and replacement of any Note7 specific accessories with a refund of the price difference between devices

As a gesture of appreciation, consumers will receive a $25 gift card or bill credit from select carrier retail outlets when choosing a Galaxy S7 family device or the Galaxy Note7 within the exchange program.

Galaxy Note7 owners can contact or visit the retail outlet where they purchased their device or call 1-800-SAMSUNG to initiate a product exchange and to resolve any other questions or concerns.

Samsung Wants Serbia's Youth to ‘Be Like Tesla’

In celebration of the 160 birthday of one of our all time favorite inventors and all around geeks, Nikola Tesla, Samsung launched a new initiative aimed at getting Serbia's youth interested in science and technology. The ‘Be Like Tesla’ project as it is dubbed incorporates multiple program elements designed to raise appreciation for Tesla as well as instill a passion for innovation among Serbian students.

Samsung Electronics Adria (SEAD) in cooperation with the Museum of Nikola Tesla in Belgrade, as well as the Institute for Educational Quality and Evaluation, recently organized the ‘Be Like Tesla’ project which first kicked off at the end of 2015 with the ‘Be Like Tesla’ caravan. A team of representatives from the supporting organizations along with popular young Serbian actor Biojan Dimitrijevic, who playing the part of Nikola Tesla, toured 17 cities across Serbia over a one-month period. The caravan housed interactive lectures for students utilizing the technology tools of the Samsung Digital Classroom.

The lecture and demonstrations were used to teach the children about the life and achievements of Tesla. In total, over 3,000 students visited the caravan during its tour throughout Serbia. In addition, a demo of the Samsung Digital Classroom was also organized at Kalmegdan featuring exhibits from the Museum of Nikola Tesla leveraging Samsung VR and other technology.

In 2016, the ‘Be Like Tesla’ project included a national competition for Serbian primary school students during May and June. Students were tasked to develop an invention inspired by the works of Nikola Tesla with about 150 schools from across Serbia taking part in the competition.

On July 10, the 160th birthday of Nikola Tesla, more than 5,000 people gathered at Kalmegdan to celebrate the winner of the national school competition. For the grand prize, primary school Mihajlo Pupin from Zemun, Belgrade was awarded for its project “Carousel.” The project featured operation of a toy carousel with a smartphone and sound recognition technology, leveraging wireless data transmission, one of Nikola Tesla’s inventions. As an award, the school and students received a fully-equipped Samsung Digital Classroom.

Following announcement of the winners, a Samsung representative also announced a three-year plan for continuing cooperation with the Museum of Nikola Tesla to further raise interest in science among Serbia’s youth leveraging the latest technology.

Read more...

Samsung Pay May Be Coming to Your Older Samsung Phone In 2016

This week saw some great news for Samsung phone owners that have been dying to try out the company's mobile payment service. Global co-general manager of Samsung Pay Thomas Ko told Reuters that the Samsung Pay service will be expanding beyond the company's flagship devices to likely include cheaper none flagship devices, which in turn means we will hopefully see it rolled out to older devices as well!

Lower-priced Samsung phones will likely start offering the mobile wallet "within the next year," Thomas Ko, global co-general manager of Samsung Pay, said in an interview. He went on to say it is a goal for Samsung to see wider adoption of the service and that "handset availability of Samsung Pay as well as online payment support is coming soon."

Samsung also plans to expand the service beyond just a mobile wallet and into the online payments arena. Ko says that the mobile wallet is accepted at far more locations than its rivals, due to its ability to work with older payment terminals and not just new NFC-equipped models. Online payments, meanwhile, will transform the service into a PayPal rival.

Samsung Pay is already the most widely accepted mobile wallet in the United States because it is compatible with new and older credit card terminals and does not require any special arrangements with retailers, Ko said. For instance, shoppers at Wal-Mart can pay by just waving their smartphones with the app. without the requirement of addition of the store's own third party app like their newly launched Walmart Pay.

Unlike the limitation of Android Pay and Apple Pay which both require NFC, or near-field communications, chips and terminals, Samsung Pay uses technology that Samsung acquired through their acquisition of payment service LoopPay.

LoopPay utilizes MST technology to generate changing magnetic fields over a very short period of time. This is accomplished by putting alternating current through an inductive loop, which can then be received by the magnetic read head of the credit card reader. The signal received from the device emulates the same magnetic field change as a mag stripe card when swiped across the same read head. LoopPay works within a 3-inch distance from the read head. The field dissipates rapidly beyond that point, and only exists during a transmission initiated by the user.

Utilizing this technology Samsung Pay wirelessly sends credit or debit card information magnetically as if a customer's card was swiped at a payment terminal. That means merchants aren't required to install additional or specialized hardware to accept payments from a phone. Samsung Pay also works with NFC terminals but currently only on Samsung's four flagship devices such as the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. Expanding the technologies to lower priced phones will bring mobile payments to a larger swath of the population.

Samsung Now Accepting Beta Testers For Samsung Pay

Samsung made major waves in the mobile payments arena this past month when they officially unveiled their new rival to both Apple and Android Pay, the new Samsung Pay application. Samsung Pay goes above and beyond just traditional NFC payments and tokenization, adding in an option to also use traditional magnetic strip readers as well as loyalty cards.

The new app is slated to be released to the public Sept 28th, however for those Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, or Note 5 owners living in the US you may get a chance to test drive the new service a bit early.

Samsung has opened up beta testing to select users in the US. At this time, Samsung is only taking beta testers with a qualifying devices and cards from Bank of America, Mastercard, US Bank, or Visa. As for carriers, you will need to be on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or US Cellular. Additionally, you will need an active Samsung account to sign up to be a tester.

If you are interested in testing out Samsung Pay, registration for beta testers is now open and you can sign-up via Samsung's invitation page. Note that you must meet all the requirements and be accepted to be eligible.

Apple Creates New App to Help Android Defectors Migrate to iOS

For the average consumer the thought of having to change from one smartphone operating system to another an be a bit much. We are all creatures of habit and typically like to stick to the things we know and are most comfortable with. Over the past couple years smartphone manufactures have looked for new ways to break that cycle by making it easier for you to take the leap and move from one OS platform to another.

Android device owners have options like Samsung's Smart Switch, Motorola's Migrate app and even a site setup by Google specifically for Android Switchers. What about those defecting to Apple and iOS you may ask. Until now there have been few options and most of those have required a bit more manual work than most would like. That is changing however thanks to a new app developed by Apple that promises to make the move between Android and iOS a bit easier.

Announced as part of the iOS 9 preview page which followed Apple's iOS 9 WWDC announcement, Move to iOS will allow users to easily transfer their data from almost any Android phone to iOS.

Move to iOS is an Android app that installs on your current Android phone and will allow you to migrate most (if not all) of you data from your current Android phone to your new iPhone running Apple's operating system, iOS. This will include, contacts, message history, photos, videos, web bookmarks, mail accounts, wallpapers and more. All of this is done through wireless transfer, so you don't have to connect the two smartphones with a cable.

"Just download the Move to iOS app to wirelessly switch from your Android device to your new iOS device," Apple wrote. "It securely transfers your contacts, message history, camera photos and videos, web bookmarks, mail accounts, calendars, wallpaper, and DRM-free songs and books. And it will help you rebuild your app library, too. Any free apps you used -- like Facebook and Twitter -- are suggested for download from the App Store. And your paid apps are added to your iTunes Wish List."

Unfortunately much Samsung's Smart Switch app there will be some limitations. It is likely that Move to iOS will not allow for app data to be moved, that typically isn't possible between the two platforms, so you'll need to make sure you have any data saved to the game or app's servers before switching. You also will not be able to transfer any files that have DRM protection like certain songs, movies or e-Books.

So far Apple hasn't gone into great details on which versions of Android will be supported or whether or not any older versions of iOS or iPhones will be supported, but "Move to iOS" will presumably be available on the Play Store later this year so you can download it on your Android device.

How To: Use Do Not Disturb Mode On Your Samsung Galaxy Device With Android Lollipop

Love having your phone on you and on at all times but hate getting those annoying calls or message notifications at the worst possible time? Even if you don't know it, you likely already have option to mute those annoying calls, message notifications and led flashes all while still allowing priority messages or contacts to ring through.

For Samsung Galaxy owners, Samsung has been adding Blocking Mode to their phones for years now, all the way back to the first Galaxy devices. The feature allows you to receive calls and notifications from selected 'priority callers' while remaining silent and stealthy to anyone not on your allowed list. With previous version of Andorid (KitKat and earlier) the function was fairly basic and only allowed you to block incoming calls, turn off certain notifications, and turn off alarm and timer reminders.

With the changes Google has made to Android Lollipop came the inclusion of features dubbed downtime and priority mode which now allowed for much more customization and better control over your allowed contacts and allowed notifications. However, Samsung added in their own spin customizing these features under Lollipop and TouchWiz as the new Do not disturb setting.

The new Do not disturb setting can be quickly enabled/disabled from your quick settings panel, though it takes a bit more work to find and customize the actual settings. On previous versions of Android and TouchWiz you could simply go to apps, settings and scroll to find Blocking mode. Now you have to look under Settings–Sound and notifications (a quick scroll to the bottom should show it).

To customize your settings and allow priority mode callers simply tap Do not disturb, tap allow exceptions, and swipe it to on. Here it allows you to select to receive or block all alarms, calls or messages. You can also tap Calls and messages from to allow/deny calls from everyone, favorite contacts (this would be your priority callers), or only contacts.

For those wanting to block application notifications Samsung has added the option to customize those as well. Back in the Settings–Sound and notifications panel, just below Do not disturb, is the option for Application notifications. This setting will allow you to pick and chose on an individual basis which applications will notify you. You can block or allow each app individually, or set them as a priority to be shown in the notification panel when Do not disturb mode is enabled.

Apple Announces Plans to Buy Samsung Mobile

In a major announcement released today Apple has reportedly agreed to terms to buy Samsung's Mobile division in a blockbuster merger worth billions of dollars. The merger would put an end to a bitter fight between the two rival companies over intercultural property, which has cost both companies billions of dollars, and create a dominate powerhouse of a company that would shake the foundation of technology as we see it today!

Apple's purchase of Samsung would potentially create the worlds largest company, in terms of overall sales and value, and would seal control over the smartphone market for Apple. The two companies combine account for nearly 50% of all smartphones sold world wide, and account for the largest overall sales totals amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars each year.

The move is expected to be a benefit to both companies as Apple will receive all of Samsung patents and direct access to billions of Samsung customers. While Samsung will receive the benefit of Apple's Magical Marketing team that will only help to further bolster sales.

At this time it is unclear if Apple will continue offering products under the Samsung name, or if all of the company's assets will be re-branded. However, an undisclosed source has confirmed that Apple is talking about re-branding Samsung Mobile and marketing the products as p0wnd-By-Apple.

Happy April Fools!

Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge or HTC One M9 Starting March 27th [Update]

Three new flagship Android devices, the the Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and HTC One M9, will be hitting store shelves this April. For those smartphone geeks out there that want to be the first on the block to get their hands on the new devices when they officially go on-sale, the date for pre-orders has been confirmed as tomorrow March 27th for all most all major carriers.

For those wanting Samsung's latest flagship devices the company made it official that the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge will go live in the US on March 27. Sales will begin nationwide on April 10 with all three device storage variants; 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB being available. The devices will be available in three colors at launch: Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum and White Pearl. The Blue Topaz and Green Emerald colors exclusive to the S6 and S6 edge are expected to be available later on, presumably for different carriers. Keep in mind these are just general dates, and  actual carrier pre-order/shipping dates (and even colors and capacities available) may vary a little.

AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless will offer both the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, while Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless and MetroPCS will carry the Galaxy S6. Samsung Experience Shops at Best Buy BBY, Amazon, Costco, Sam’s Club, Target, and Walmart will also carry the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge and should have demo units available for anyone wanting to review the new devices.

Update: Verizon has confirmed that it will not begin offering pre-orders to its customers until April 1st and they will be offering both devices Black Sapphire and White Pearl – in 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB models. Pricing for the Galaxy S6 is $599, $699 and $799. Pricing for the S6 edge is $699, $799 and $899.

Again at this time it is still unclear which variants each carrier will be offering though AT&T's pre-order information page does confirm they'll be offering all three colors and memory capacities.

For those geeks out there that are clamoring to get their hands on the newest offering from HTC, we now know the company will be putting the new HTC One M9 up for pre-order and sale on the same dates March 27th  and April 10th. This goes for the HTC online store as well as most major carriers. From April 10, the One M9 will be available from all four major US carriers, as well as retailers Amazon, Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile specialty stores, Costco Wholesale and Target.

Update: Verizon has confirmed HTC One M9 pre-orders will begin April 1st.

Both devices will carry similar price tags with the unlocked 32gb HTC One M9 costing you $649, and the 32gb Galaxy S6 fetching somewhere around $679. The Galaxy S6 edge will be price significantly higher at $750+. (Exact pricing details for each variant are expected tomorrow)

Now that we have the dates set in stone, one question remains. Which one of these three new devices will you be buying? Or will you go a different route entirely? Let us know with a comment below.

Samsung, Oculus Expect 'Consumer Level' Gear VR By Year's End

The pairing of virtual reality company Oculus and telecommunications giant Samsung made big headlines last year when the two announced a joint venture dubbed the Gear VR “Innovator Edition”. The collaboration between the two companies involved using some of Oculus' own technology featured in their Oculus Rift headset coupled with Samsung's Galaxy series smartphones to provide users a virtual reality experience without wires or the need for a PC.

The launch of the device sparked much interest even though the devices carried the “Innovator Edition” label, which is similar to a beta tag. This was a concession made between Samsung and Oculus after the phone company wanted to “productize” the hardware while Oculus said it wasn’t ready.These 'beta' products are current available to the general public, but don't carry the full fledged 'consumer' tag, meaning they don't carry all the bells and whistles Oculus and Samsung intend to add the the finished product.

Good news though, during a speech at this year's Game Developers Conference Oculus VR CTO John Carmack took the stage to discuss the Gear VR headset, and he revealed that Oculus and Samsung will release a consumer version of the mobile virtual-reality device before the end of this year.

The new Gear VR 'Consumer Edition' will launch alongside the next line of Galaxy products from Samsung most likely in the Fall. Which could place it alongside the next Samsung Galaxy Note launch. This should give developers some time to prepare software for the launch. Carmack aslo revealed that this consumer product will come with a major media campaign from Samsung that will include commercials and other kinds of promotions.

"We have a plan, we have a date," Carmack said. "Oculus is going to go as hard as we can, to sell as many units as possible, to unleash the full marketing power of Samsung with the next edition of Gear VR."

Virtually reality has been a hop topic over the past several months with many major players joining Samsung and Oculus to announce their own offerings into the market. In just the last year, companies ranging from Sony and Microsoft to tiny startups have announced their plans to build virtual reality devices. Even smartphone makers like HTC and game makers such as Valve have unveiled prototypes.

More from John Carmack at GDC via Ars Technica

New Flagship Phones From Samsung & Apple Expected To Be Announced In September [Update]

The two largest players in the smartphone market are reportedly planning major announcements early next month and if the speculation holds true we'll see at least two new flagship phones announced!

Update: In typical Samsung fashion the company all but confirmed earlier reports that they'll be annoucing the new Note 4 at the Sept. 3rd event. A teaser image was released today with 'Note the Date' and the Note 3 style pen window.

Earlier this week we saw several reports that Samsung had sent out invites to a Sept. 3rd press event (another Samsung Unpacked event). The timing for the event falls in line with previous speculation that the tech giant would be announcing their latest smartphone, the Galaxy Note 4, prior to the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin.

While the invite doesn't specifically mention the Galaxy Note 4, or any other devices for that matter, the timing would be inline with previous announcements. Rumors also suggest that we may see more than one device released from Samsung during the event, or during IFA conference. If those rumors hold true we may see more than one smartphone or perhaps a new Galaxy Smartwatch or other wearable.

Not one to be left behind Apple is also said to be planning a major announcement for early in September. Reportedly Apple will be revealing the iPhone 6 at a media event on September 9th. Recode reports that Apple will hold an event that Tuesday to announce the next line of iPhones, which if you have been following the rumors are expected to include not one but two, new models.

Of course this is all still speculative to say the least. However, the rumor mill surrounding both companies has been running overtime lately and that generally doesn't happen until right before major releases.

What can we expect from these new devices?

While there is nothing official yet known about the Galaxy Note 4  rumor has it the device will feature a 5.7-inch QHD display. It is also rumored to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 805 chipset with an Exynos variant for markets without LTE. It will also be accompanied by at least 3GB of RAM, at least a 16MP rear-facing camera, and will most likely run on Android 4.4.4 KitKat. Other enhancements are said to possibly be a retina scanner, UV sensor and of course many of the updates seen in the Galaxy S5 like fingerprint scanning, heart rate monitor and the TouchWiz enhancements like Ultra Power Saving Mode, Download Booster and more.

Apple's highly anticipated iPhone 6 series is rumored to be the 'biggest' launch for iPhone yet (and yes they mean that, both literally in device size and scope of sales). It has been rumored for quite a while now that Apple's next iPhone would come in two sizes: 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches. If that holds true the 5.5 inch model would be the biggest iPhone to date!

Other rumored improvements are said to be Sapphire crystal screens, higher resolution displays with more pixel density, aster and more efficient processors, NFC support and a few camera enhancements.

According To LG Bendable, Flexible TVs Could Be On The Market By 2017

Earlier this week LG Display showcased two new 18-inch displays, one that is a flexible OLED panel that is flexible and rollable like a newspaper as well as one that a transparent OLED panel. LG says the displays shows that the company has already acquired fundamental technologies that will lead to the availability of large-sized flexible and transparent display reaching the market, potentially as soon as 2017.

Image: LG Display

The flexible OLED panel has a high-definition class resolution of 1200 X 810 with almost 1 million mega-pixels. The panel’s curvature radius is 30R. The panel can be rolled up to a radius of 3cm without affecting the function of the display. This proves that LG Display can bring rollable TVs of more than 50 inches to the market in the future.

As for the transparent OLED panel, it boasts 30 percent transmittance, which was achieved by adopting the company’s transparent pixel design technology. LG Display has successfully lowered the haze of the panel which is generated by using circuit devices and film components to a level of 2 percent. With this breakthrough development, the company has been able to improve greatly the technology level of the transparent display. Considering that the transmittance of existing transparent LCD panels is around 10 percent, this new panel offers significantly improved transmittance.

“LG Display pioneered the OLED TV market and is now leading the next-generation applied OLED technology. We are confident that by 2017, we will successfully develop an Ultra HD flexible and transparent OLED panel of more than 60 inches, which will have transmittance of more than 40 percent and a curvature radius of 100R, thereby leading the future display market.” said In-Byung Kang, Senior Vice President and Head of the R&D Center at LG Display.

However, head of corporate PR, Jean Lee told me that more work needs to be done before the product can be commercialised: “We expect that it should take time to see the products in market because all related components should also be fully ready.”

Flexible displays certainly aren't new. Samsung and LG both originally revealed a flexible smartphone style screen at CES 2013. Since the both companies have been working on curved displays for not just their phones but TVs as well. Apple has even been rumored to be looking into adding a rolled or curved display to the latest iPhone. This however, is one of the first times we've seen any flexible displays of any real decent size or quality.

It should be interesting to see where the tech leads us and how far it will evolve over the next few years. Flexible transparent tablets would be ideal. A smartphone you could roll-up and stuff in a pocket would also be cool! 

Easily Root Your Galaxy S5 and Other Android Devices Thanks to 'Towelroot'

Mobile device security it a priority Android developers and device manufactures. Google and OEMs like Samsung have been working to add as much protection as possible to their devices for years. While extra security is a good thing for all consumers, it has its downsides for us geeks that like to root and customize our devices to our liking.

Having root access to your Android device means you can make almost any changes you'd like, even system-level changes which include new custom ROMs (the OS that runs the phone). Back in the early days of Android it used to be trivial to root an Android device, but they’re much more locked down these days.

As a consequence of OEMs added a new level of security and more security features like Samsung's KNOX, it has become harder to gain root access to many of the new Android devices such as the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S5. Until recently the AT&T and Verizon versions of the Samsung Galaxy S5 were unable to be rooted prompting XDA members to take up a collection for a bounty on a root method that topped over $18,000.

Enter famed developer and noted hacker George “Geohot” Hotz. Geohot has come forward with a working root method that not only roots the Galaxy S5, but it also roots almost every other Android phone currently on the market.

Dubbed Towelroot, the new tool comes in the form of a downloadable APK file that makes rooting your device as easy as allowing your device to install from 'unknown sources', sideloading an APK file and clicking “make it ra1n.” Because this method is easy it should be noted you should only download Towelroot from the official page. That’s also where Geohot is accepting donations for his work via PayPal and Bitcoin.

Since the tool differs from all the standard root methods in that it uses an exploit to root phones, it should work on almost all phones running Android 4.4.2 or earlier. That includes all of Samsung’s recent phones like the Note 3, Galaxy S5, and Galaxy S4. All of LG’s newer flagships (G2, G3, G2 Pro, etc.) are susceptible as well. And that’s just the start.

If you've ever wanted to try rooting your phone and using a custom ROM it certainly doesn't get any easier than this! Just be aware this tool will probably void your warranty, especially on Samsung devices where it will trip the Knox security flag.

Samsung Brings SideSync Phone-PC Mirroring App To All Users

Ever wanted to access files or view and control your phone directly from your PC? Well now you have a new option. Samsung has made the company's SideSync software, which allows Galaxy device users to mirror their devices to a PC, available for all Windows users.

The App, which was previously launched alongside Samsung ATIV laptops and desktops and was limited to use on those devices, allows Galaxy device owners running SideSync 3.0 to use their PC’s keyboard and mouse effortlessly with the phone.

With SideSync an image of the phone appears as a resizeable window on the screen, so users can launch apps or view content, even drag-and-drop files between the two devices. You can also copy and paste text, or type on the phone using the PC's keyboard.

To run the latest version of SideSync you have a Galaxy phone or tablet with the SideSync 3.0 installed, currently Samsung says that is limited to the Note 3, Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note Pro and Tab Pro line-up running Android KitKat and above. If you own one of these devices and you want to checkout the app or want more information you can grab that from Samsung's website.

Got Milk? If You Are a Galaxy Device Owner Samsung Hopes You Soon Will!!

Samsung Milk, no its not something you'd find in your new Samsung refrigerator, it just happens to be the name of Samsung's new totally free (even ad-free for now) streaming radio service that was announced earlier today. 

“Milk Music introduces a fresh approach to music that reflects our innovation leadership and our focus on creating best-in-class consumer experiences,” said Gregory Lee, president and CEO of Samsung Telecommunications America and Samsung Electronics North America Headquarters. “We’re offering consumers amazing, rich music experiences built around what matters most to them and their lifestyle.”

Samsung's Milk Music, works a lot like most other online streaming services such as Google Play Music’s All Access, Pandora, Spotify, and Rdio, which employ similar models. Milk Music lets you choose from 200 genre based stations and over 13million songs all ad-free. And here’s a critical caveat: Although Milk Music’s Google Play page says that it’s free without advertisements, this is apparently only for a limited time (notice the asterisk attached to the very first sentence in the Play store app description). We are assuming this might change once it gets a chance to catch on!

The app utilizes a “radio dial” interface that you can easily rotate with just your thumb to get to the genre you’re looking for. The dial displays up to nine genre-based stations, which you can customize to your liking. If you prefer to setup your own stations a quick tap of the menu button brings up several options including 'My Stations' allowing you to create your own personal station based on your favorite songs and albums. Here you can also customize the dial to your liking; sift through your list of favorite songs; and checkout your listening history.


Milk Music is available now exclusively for Galaxy consumers to download on Google Play on the Galaxy S 4, Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note 3, and Galaxy Note II across all carrier and retail channels as well as the Galaxy S 5 in April. For more information about Milk, visit www.samsungmilk.com.