Home Blog Page 818

Samsung Galaxy devices become more secure thanks to BlackBerry

Alexandra Arici
-
0

BlackBerry teamed up with Samsung more than three years ago for the SecuSUITE for Knox – a service meant to add another layer of security on compatible devices.

This week the two companies announced their partnership is alive and well and adding two new features in Samsung Knox in the form of SecuVOICE and the BlackBerry Unified Endpoint Management (UEM).

While SecuVOICE will allow Samsung Galaxy users to make secure phone calls, UEM will provide them with a complete unified endpoint management and policy control system for a wide range of devices and apps.

It’s worth mentioning that the German Federal Administration has been employing the same SecuVOICE technology to make secure telephone calls for years. The latest version of SecuVOICE allows making calls in accordance with the SNS standard established by the German Federal Office for Information Security. So it seems like a very good idea for Samsung to implement this feature into Knox.

The SecuSUITE features aren’t available for everyone, as they are only compatible with a slew of devices including the Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge, Galaxy S8/S8+, and Galaxy Note 8 smartphones, as well as the Galaxy Tab S2 and Tab S3 tablets. Also note that the two features aren’t available outside SecuSUITE in Samsung Knox.

OnePlus found to be collecting a lot of private info from users’ phones

Alexandra Arici
-
0

While the technological rise of data-driven devices has universally been embraced by consumers, for some observers these machines come to threaten social order. In the emerging guild of privacy alarmists, smart is just a code name for surveillance.

To them smart devices are actually spies who infiltrate our intimate spaces, watching us, eavesdropping on our conversations, just so they can report back to their corporate headquarters. And the next story proves that they might just have a point.

A new report comes to warn us against OnePlus devices which are said to be sending users’ personal info to the company’s servers. The phone maker’s OxgenOS is apparently responsible for tracking personally identifiable information like IMEI number, MAC address, mobile network names, Wi-Fi SSIDs, as well as the phone’s serial number.

Software engineer, Christopher Moore discovered the privacy breach after analyzing the data his OnePlus 2 was sending to open.oneplus.net domain. He learned the data also contained information about the screen, device unlock events, abnormal reboots, as well as time stamps of when the users opened or closed certain apps.

Apparently the app sending the sensitive data is OnePlus Device Manager, but fortunately, according to Twitter user @JaCzekanski it can be removed without needing to root your device.

In order to disable the app permanently, users will have to plug the phone into a computer with ADB installed and run this command:

pm uninstall -k –user 0 pkg

OnePlus has offered its own solution in a press statement released to the Android Police. There’s a chance that running the command above will break other functionality of the system, so you might want to use this alternative instead:

“This transmission of usage activity can be turned off by navigating to ‘Settings’ -> ‘Advanced’ -> ‘Join user experience program’. The second stream is device information, which we collect to provide better after-sales support.”

OnePlus also provided a brief explanation of why it is collecting users’ data:

“We securely transmit analytics in two different streams over HTTPS to an Amazon server. The first stream is usage analytics, which we collect in order for us to more precisely fine-tune our software according to user behavior.”

But, as you can very well see for yourself, OnePlus said absolutely nothing about planning to fix this with future updates.

ZTE and Boost Mobile launch the HPUE-capable Blade Force for only $129.99

Alexandra Arici
-
0

ZTE and Boost Mobile today announced an affordable HPUE (High-Performance User Equipment) capable device called the Blade Force which is available with the carrier for a promotional price of $129.99.

For those who don’t know, customers using a HPUE-enabled smartphone will have a better overall experience on the Sprint network (on which Boost Mobile operates) with potentially increased coverage, faster speeds, and smoother streaming experience. The high-end LG G6 was the first device Sprint enabled with HPUE, but now customers can take advantage of the technology on the cheap.

In the official press release, ZTE makes a point in highlighting the phone will be able to provide a “crystal clear viewing” experience thanks to its 5.5-inch HD IPS display. Additionally, the handset takes advantage of a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, aided by 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (expandable up to 128GB via microSD).

The ZTE Blade Force can also be used for photography purposes thanks to the primary 8-megapixel camera and the 5-megapixel selfie shooter. It runs on a 3,000 mAh battery and has Android 7.1.1 Nougat pre-installed.

Last but not least, we’re told the ZTE Blade Force is also international roaming capable, so you can take it with you on your travels, so make sure you keep connected to those back home.

The phone is available for purchase today (October 10) online for $129.99.

Three of the best cases for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Dan Bartram
-
0

Before we jump into the review we wanted to say massive thanks to MobileFun for providing the cases for this review, which otherwise wouldn’t have been possible without their help. Make sure you go and vote for them in the WHAT Mobile Awards 2017 here.

The Galaxy Note 8 is one of the most impressive phones on the market – its design, inspired by the Galaxy S8, has spearheaded the market into a bezel-less design that is now being widely adopted as the standard amongst premium handsets. As nice as the design is, the all-glass makeup means it’s still fragile and slippery as heck so you’ll be wanting to slap a case on it to protect your $1000 investment. The market is saturated with cases – some good, some not so good – so we’ve got our hands on what we consider three of the best cases for the Note 8 on the market currently. This is obviously pre-tensed by being completely perceptual and your experience may vary, but we’re here to share our opinion. With that being said, let’s check out the first on offer.

Olixar Sentinel Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Case

The Olixar Sentinel is your typical TPU case by look but is designed for maximum durability. Its flexible carbon fibre design protects the Note 8 without adding any unnecessary bulk and also looks pretty good in the process. Olixar says that the inner patterns also help deflect shock force and aid heat dissipation.

The case provides a lot more grip for the Note 8, which is important given its such a physically big device that trying to operate it one hand is pretty much impossible without a case. While we didn’t drop test the case to confirm the protection factor, the feel of the case provides confidence that any impact or shock to the device will be absorbed by the case. The upper and lower edges are deeper than the screen to provide protection to the screen when placed face down on a surface or during a fall. All ports are accessible with the case on and the S-Pen is easily accessed.

While the case is visually very nice, some may not like the TPU feel of such a case. If you are used to the feel then you certainly won’t be disappointed. You can grab the Olixar Sentinel case here.

Olixar X-Duo Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Case – Carbon Fibre Gold

Another offering from Olixar is the X-Duo case that although TPU, doesn’t feel quite like the Sentinel thanks to its textured body and smooth metallic bumper. The inner flexible TPU case features shock-absorbing strength with a carbon fibre finish on the back. The inner patterns also help deflect shock force and aid heat dissipation. The X-Duo is also built to protect your device. I feel like the X-Duo would offer more protection than the Sentinel with the gold bumper.

 

While the added protection is welcomed, the X-Duo feels slightly more bulky than the Sentinel but this could be of preference to some. Again, all ports and S-Pen are easily accessible.

For maximum protection and added grip, the X-Duo is a great option but may not be the preference for those who like a minimal look. You can grab the Olixar X-Duo from here.

Official Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Alcantara Cover Case

The third case is by far my personal favorite. The Alcantara cover by Samsung offers relatively the same protection as the Olixar counterparts, and in some cases less protection when considering the cutout at the bottom of the case that exposes the entire underside of the device.

However, it’s not the protection that this case offers that stand out, it’s the feel. Made from Alcantara, the case offers an attractive solution for your Note 8. The case has a raised lip around the edges to provide protection when the display is face down on a surface. It is also extremely slim, adding next to no bulk to your device.

The buttons of the Note 8 are covered in Alcantara too so naturally feel better to the touch and the slippery design of the device is completely eliminated by the case.

While in my opinion the best case available currently for the Note 8, it is also quite expensive if the style is something that is important to you. Some may not like the feel of the material but the Alcantara design is something unique that is fantastic if you’re after something different. You can grab it here.

Again, big thanks to MobileFun that also has a number of other Note 8 cases that is sure to cater for what you’re looking for. Be sure to check out the full range here.

Verizon Moto Z2 Play is now only $239

Alexandra Arici
-
0

Looking to purchase an upper-to-middle ranger smartphone? Then you’re in luck. After partnering up to offer a deal on the Pixel 2, Verizon and Best Buy have teamed up again for a promotion on the Moto Z2 Play.

The Verizon-bound Moto Z2 Play was previously available for $17/month for 24 months or $408 in total. Well now, Best Buy has discounted it to $9.99/month if you’re willing to jump on board a 2-year contract at Verizon. This brings down the price of the phone to only $239.76. Which means you’ll be able to save approximately $170.

It’s also worth mentioning that you can take advantage of the same deal by purchasing the phone from Verizon directly. The carrier has listed the phone as being available for $10/month for the next 24 months.

In case you don’t remember, the Moto Z2 Play arrives with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, a Snapdragon 626 processor under the hood and 3GB of RAM + 32GB of internal storage. But most Moto fans were disappointed this year as Motorola chose to drop battery capacity from 3,500 mAh on the Z Play to just 3,000 mAh in the Z2 Play.

In our review of the Moto Z2 Play, we found that the phone could go all day without dipping below 30% – which is well enough – but the Moto Z Play was able to make it into 2-day territory without a problem.

Anyway, the Moto Z2 Play is still a pretty decent phone and it can be used in combination with the Moto Mod Battery Pack (which costs extra) if you wish to prologue its life.

Google will deliver more timely Android Wear 2.0 updates via Play Store, no OTAs needed

Alexandra Arici
-
0

Despite concerns that Google had scraped off Android Wear, the wearable platform appears to be alive and kicking. And a recent post by Googler Hoi Lam brings some much needed good news to Wear fans, who were probably quite disappointed that Google did not share any Android Wear-related news during the Pixel 2 event.

According to Lam, upcoming Android Wear 2.0 features will be served up to users via the Play Store rather than via OTA updates. The aim is, of course, to offer users more timely updates. As Lam notes, the Android Wear team has already launched one such update last week which brings:

  • 3rd party chat app support in Contacts
  • Reduce accidental entry into the watch face picker
  • Improve Play Store discoverability for new users
  • Other features and bug fixes

Now all you have to do to take advantage of the new improvements is update your Android Wear app on your smartwatch. There’s going to be no more waiting for that OTA update to hit your device.

Lam also says to expect more updates in the coming months, and hopefully, they will be more consistent. Unfortunately, Android Wear has failed to cultivate true interest since its 2.0 release in February. Certainly, its delayed roll-out didn’t help much either, but now Google hopes to make it up to Wear users by delivering faster and more frequent updates.

Do you think it’s going to be enough to revive Android Wear 2.0?

OnePlus 5T could launch in November with 6-inch display and 18:9 aspect ratio

AndroidGuys
-
0

The OnePlus 3T followed quickly after the OnePlus 3, with only a 3 or 4-month time distance between them, and OnePlus said at the time that the OnePlus 3T was launched to keep its smartphone lineup competitive in specs and features. Flash forward to the OnePlus 5, which has now been released, and it seems as if the “T” smartphone updates could continue this year.

GizmoChina has leaked an exclusive render of the upcoming OnePlus 5T with a near bezel-less design, with a small top and bottom bezel for sensors. The volume rocker remains on the left side and the power/standby button to the right of the display. There are no front-facing speakers here either; the headphone jack can’t be seen, so there’s no word on whether OnePlus intends to continue the 3.5mm jack or break with tradition just yet.

The 18:9 aspect ratio comes to mind, as it has become the new aspect ratio for all bezel-less smartphones, and the OnePlus 5T will keep in step with a modern trend to include it here.

The OnePlus 5 featured dual rear cameras, in honor of the dual rear camera trend for high-end smartphones. There is a possibility that the OnePlus 5T will have the dual-edge curved display, a staple feature of Samsung’s 2017 lineup in the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy Note 8 and the LG V30 and LG V30+, but this can’t be confirmed by GizmoChina at this time.

The 18:9 aspect ratio and 6-inch screen, though, are two trends that other high-end smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S8+ and Google Pixel 2 XL, are boasting at the moment. Surely, OnePlus wants to join the upper echelon group. The screen resolution being touted for the OnePlus 5T is 2160p x 1080p, which comes out to a 2:1 (or 18:9) aspect ratio and is slightly better than the 1920 x 1080p (Full HD) resolution of the OnePlus 5, OnePlus 3T, and OnePlus 3.

The source has found the OnePlus 5T design identical to the OPPO F5, but this isn’t surprising: the OnePlus 5, announced this summer, shares an identical design factor with the OPPO R11 (in fact, an OPPO R11 case was a perfect fit for the OnePlus 5).

Other details about the device are scarce at this moment, but November has been offered as the OnePlus 5T announcement date. What we can know about the OnePlus 5T is that, apart from this shared information, interested buyers can expect the octa-core, high-end Snapdragon 835 SoC, 6GB/8GB RAM configurations, 64GB/128GB storage versions, and the company’s trademark DASH charging, among others.

We’d love to see OnePlus declare an IP68 water and dust resistance protection rating for the OnePlus 5T (no experiments needed), but one can only hope at this point.

More leaks and info will emerge in the coming days, so keep your seat belts buckled.

Hulu’s entry-level plan is now available with a price-cut (for a limited time)

Alexandra Arici
-
0

Hulu is trying to attract more subscribers to its streaming service ahead of debuting its new fall TV season.

The company’s entry-level plan can now be grabbed for just $5.99 a month for the first year, after which customers will be bumped up to the regular $7.99 a month fee. Note that the first 30 days come free of charge, so if you realize the service is not for you, you can just ditch it after the first month ends.

The offer is available for new subscribers signing up before January 9, 2018. However, you need to take into consideration that this basic package includes ads. In case you don’t want to deal with them, the ad-free option will cost you $11.99 a month. Hulu doesn’t currently offer a discount on this plan.

Hulu’s offer is worthy to be taken into consideration, especially after Netflix announced last week it will be bumping up the price of its standard plan from $9.99 to $10.99 a month and premium plan from $11.99 to $13.99 a month. However, Netflix left the basic plan untouched, so you can still subscribe for it for $7.99 a month.

Hulu is hoping to make a big splash this fall, as the company has budgeted around $2.5 billion for original programming this year, following the resounding success of the Handmaid’s Tale which was an Emmy favorite.

Google Duo deep integration coming to the Pixel’s dialer and Messages apps

Alexandra Arici
-
0

Google has been going after Facetime and WhatsApp with its own solution called Duo – an app that is free to use and enables one-on-one video and voice calls.

Duo relies on your phone number, allows you to reach people in your phone’s contact list, boasts end-to-end encryption and has a unique feature called Knock Knock, that lets you see live video of your caller before you even answer. Google has been constant about improving the service since it launched it back in 2016 and now it appears the tech giant wants to make it even better by integrating Duo into more apps.

The Android Police discovered that in the latest versions of Google Pixel’s Phone app, Contacts app, and Android Messages app (13.02, 2.1 and 2.6 respectively), as well as on the Google Pixel 2, users will now be able to see a new video icon next to the contact’s name (if they are signed up and using Duo). There’s one thing we should note – if your carrier offers its own video calling service and both you and the other person use the service, the dialer will favor it over Duo.

Google also added the ability to see Duo calls in the dialer’s history right alongside standard phone calls. This option is currently available, as well as search integration. Furthermore, in the upcoming Android Messages 2.6 version which has yet to be rolled out, a Duo video call icon will be added to any conversation with someone also using the app.

Google is detailing these changes on one of its support pages, so if you want to read more about them you can do so by following the link.

Galaxy Note 9 could feature under-display optical fingerprint sensor, analyst claims

AndroidGuys
-
0

The Galaxy Note 8 is new to the market, being announced under two months ago, but the tech wheel stops for no one. As one phone is announced, OEMs and customers embrace the future. The Galaxy Note 8 will soon become a thing of the past with the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ possibly arriving earlier than expected in 2018.

A new report out of KGI Securities, specifically from renown analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, says that Samsung is working on an under-display optical fingerprint sensor for the Galaxy Note 9. The under-display optical fingerprint sensor has been one of the industry’s most anticipated features of 2017 smartphones, though the most exciting high-end smartphones (Samsung’s Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy Note 8, and Apple’s iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus) were unable to offer the feature on their smartphones this year. Samsung had brightness imbalance issues with the display as a result of the optical sensor and decided against it in the Galaxy Note 8.

The under-display sensor would allow users to no longer express frustration over the back-mounted fingerprint sensor, what some devoted Samsung faithful consider to be one of the worst features of the new Galaxy lineup.

Some buyers have said that the relocation of the fingerprint sensor to the middle back of the phone instead of at the very top near the camera (or dual rear cameras, in the case of the Galaxy Note 8) would provide some ergonomic relief.

Samsung’s upcoming under-display sensor would put an end to the controversial sensor on current Samsung Galaxy smartphones. This matches what we’ve heard about the back-mounted fingerprint sensor returning to the upcoming Galaxy S9 lineup, so the Galaxy Note 9 would be the first “Galaxy” to feature the new tech.

As for companies behind the production of the optical fingerprint sensor, Ming-Chi Kuo says that Samsung’s own subsidiary Samsung LSI, as well as Korean company BeyondEyes and Egis (the manufacturer of standard Samsung fingerprint sensors) are the most likely candidates to be charged with the new sensor creation.

Synaptics is likely out of the running due to its affiliation with Samsung’s truest rival. Samsung LSI is known for its ISOCELL cameras on the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note Edge in 2014, and on some Galaxy smartphones over the last 3 years. Samsung LSI and BeyondEyes have already shipped optical fingerprint sensor samples to the Korean giant.

Qualcomm is a possible choice for optical sensor production, as Samsung already manufactures Qualcomm SoCs with its own 10-nm FinFET architecture.

While the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are the next big thing on the horizon for Samsung’s “Galaxy,” the Galaxy Note 9 has been rumored to feature a 6.3-inch display (matching the Galaxy Note 8 display size), along with the same 12MP dual rear camera setup Samsung debuted in its lineup on the Galaxy Note 8 and a 1000fps camera sensor that is expected to first debut on the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+.

IP68 water and dust resistance, along with the 256GB microSD card slot and water-resistant “intelligent” S Pen are also expected to return on the most anticipated “Galaxy” of 2018.

1...817818819...1,315Page 818 of 1,315