Tag Archives: samsung

Could the Samsung Foldable phone finally become reality in 2018?

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The Samsung foldable phone dream was big news in 2013 for 2014…2016 and 2018. Certainly the Mashable article last week recalling Samsung’s 5-year old teaser video got me excited about the prospect – that is until I saw the string of prior articles that keep the bendy-screen dream alive. I mean seriously, if you saw this, wouldn’t you get excited too?

New tech like this is a challenge, to be sure, and those that know and watch the industry can appreciate Samsung has had its ups and down with not just the perfection of, beta testing and manufacture of this amazing concept. Plagued in 2017 by the frightening epic fail of the Note 7’s battery meltdowns (literally), I am just personally grateful that it didn’t involve the flexible display’s premiere into the real world. And now that Samsung’s CEO of mobile DJ Koh has told CNBC that it’s “time to deliver” this long-awaited device, people are starting to lift their heads up from grazing the fields of high-end phone tech and keep their ears perked up for further validation that we will soon have this phone in our hot little hands.

And you can be sure that the second it is announced to hit the stores, I will letting you know and SQUEEING! about it all the way.

The Samsung screw-up that was heard round the world part 2

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So yesterday we warned our readers of a security flaw in Samsung’s Galaxy phones series 4-6. That same evening it was clarified that the flaw was in the way the Swype technology software was installed into the Samsung phones and that the danger of being hacked existed when, “the device reboots, and when the keyboard software automatically updates at any random time”. Samsung has stepped up and issued this statement on the situation:

Information Regarding the Keyboard Security Issue and Our Device Policy Update.

What does this mean for Samsung users? Nothing has really changed. I recommend you keep your wifi off until they issue the patch. The phone will not alert you when the language update is being performed on your phone, hence, because of the large amount of public wifi signals around us 24/7, it could happen at any moment.

And when will the patch be issued? Hopefully soon.

Yesterday we also promised to explain why the carriers – T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, etc, are at fault for this pathetic mess. We drew your attention to the fact that the carriers knew about this “at the start of 2015” when they were warned and patches were issued by Samsung, who had been informed by NowSecure in December 2014. NowSecure also informed the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) and Google’s Android security team about the problem. So everyone knew in a timely manner, issued the patches and said, “Okay carriers, the ball’s in your court. Issue the patch and fix this”.

They dropped the ball, kicked it into the neighbor’s yard and claimed it never even existed.

Doesn’t it make you feel good that this is what you pay upwards of $100s of dollars a month for?

The Samsung screw-up that was heard round the world

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Samsung Phones 4-6 at Civic Site DesignI usually ignore most announced Samsung security flaws. They rarely are enough of a threat to get my attention or that of my networkers. Today that drastically changed when a mobile security researcher with NowSecure blew the whistle on a flaw noticed by Samsung itself way back in December 2014 AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT IT.

I’ll just quote ABC7.com’s opening line on their online article to get you all up to speed. “A security flaw discovered in Samsung smartphones has left as many as 600 MILLION Galaxy phones at risk of being hacked.”

Don’t have your attention yet? Don’t care because you don’t HAVE a Samsung Galaxy phone? Maybe you don’t have that model and you are breathing a sigh of relief.

One tiny word of advice. DON’T!

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note IV – which, by the way is NOT affected by the security flaw, BUT I am plenty worried for my networkers, my clients, my customers…my HUSBAND who just got his brand new Samsung 5 corporate work phone a month ago.

Six hundred million is a helluva big number, and to put it in even tighter perspective for you – in my smallest networking venue (at which about 15-20 people show up each week) FOUR OF THEM HAVE AN AFFECTED PHONE!

That’s 20-27% of the room in that tiny little group. ONE QUARTER of the room I had to pull aside and give copies of the article and direct how to patch this train-wreck of a customer service disaster the carriers have on their hands.

309 million is THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES, by the way. So it is the equivalent to TWO UNITED STATES worth of people that are scrabbling ’round the globe to deal with this mess.

Or, well, it WOULD be if the word got out as fast as the carriers lack of attention to the problem THEY KNEW ABOUT LAST YEAR!

So, enough torch-handling and pitchfork wielding. Right now you need to know what to do if you have a Samsung Galaxy 4, 5 or 6 phone and how to stay safe until your service provider gets off its collective butt and decides to let the world know if they issued the patch yet.

What to do if you or anyone you know is affected:
1. Turn OFF your wi-fi in your settings. The hackers get in through open wifi ports. The carriers say to avoid wifi areas, but that’s like trying to avoid the entire planet. EVERY major chain restaurant, Starbucks, government building, school, company that has a network-run computer system has open wifi broadcasting round the clock – even when they are not open!

2. Disable language updates. This is harder to locate and the best thing to do is take your phone to your carrier and have them do it and/or walk you through it so you know they did it correctly.

3. Call your carrier and find out the status of the update. Don’t be meek. THIS IS YOUR FINANCES AND PERSONAL SECURITY THEY ARE ENDANGERING BY STALLING IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS UPDATE! I cannot emphasize this enough! If they give excuses, claim they never heard of this security breach, promise to get back to you – DON’T BELIEVE THEM AND DO NOT let them blow you off.  Ask for their supervisor, email them DAILY – do what it takes to get them to get you off their back and give you an estimated patch implementation date.

These are simple steps that can save your contact list, your bank account access information, your credit card numbers from being taken without your knowledge and consent.

Tomorrow I will detail why this was NOT Swype Key’s or even Samsung’s fault, but the CARRIERS…ALL OF THEM. And I apologize in advance, but you are not going to like the answer. They need to take responsibility for this mess, and believe me, if they know what’s good for them, they will fix this flaw like, YESTERDAY.

Wait, didn’t we just have a Samsung Galaxy rollout?

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Phone review time again at Civic Site Design. Wow, well, this one was out fast. Why the rush, Samsung? I’m still getting used to my Galaxy Note IV. Losing the micro-sd card wasn’t a bright idea, imo and I was surprised to max out while at a convention, but to be fair, I do have 6 pages of apps and hadn’t downloaded my earlier pics yet. The average user probably doesn’t need that many apps. They may accumulate them, but I like to review and clean them out once in a while, along with my photos after I upload them to social media. And pushing 1K??? C’mon, Samsung, don’t be so greedy. Keep the reasons I love you more than iPhone or you’re going to have a mass exodus on your hands.

What do you think of their official introduction? Leave your comments here.

‘droid app review – Google Sky Map

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Sky Map by Google

Okay, I’ve got something really nifty for all us ‘droid nerds out there this week. I was reviewing a rather nicely set up mobile phone & broadband website and seeing the next generation of Samsung Galaxy S class phone out there listed under “Best Selling Phones”, it reminded me I have been wanting to review my newest ‘droid app I stumbled upon a couple of weeks ago. (The next generation of Galaxy S phone is, btw, white. Weird, considering I am so used to mine which is black with a purple, shock-absorbing case surrounding it.)

google sky map detail

Google Sky Map is the best app you could possibly hope for if you are a night sky watcher. A free, Open Source program donated by Google, over 175,000 users rate it a 5 out of 5 and with good reason. Point it anywhere, ANYWHERE, day or night, and it will show you exactly what is out there beyond planet Earth. It views stars, constellations, planets, Moon, Sun, Meteor Showers, the Horizon line, poles & Messier Objects (whatever that is). Any of these objects can be switched off with the flick of a finger for clearer viewing of your object(s) of study.

Perhaps one of the more fun perks of this app is called, “Time Travel”. Choose a date and a time somewhere between the years of 1900 – 2100 and view the sky as it would appear on that date. How cool is that? The Apollo 11 moon landing and solar eclipse of May 29, 1919 are pre-loaded under popular dates, but any date and time is programmable into the interface for your viewing study and pleasure. Once in Time Travel mode, one can tap the buttons to move forward or backwards in time at the ratio of anywhere from real time (1 second to 1 second) to 1 week per second. Teach kids how the movements of the planets appear from Earth in a real neat way.

Having trouble locating the object of your interest? There is a search mode. Just plug in the name of whatever it is you want to view and the app will find it for you on the map. Under the Gallery you can view beautiful shots of our sister planets, nebulas, galaxies, the Pleiades and star clusters as the Hubble telescope has caught them on its cameras.

This is by far the most fun app we have come across in our reviews AND if you pick it up NOW, you will be able to see many of the planets aligned in a straight line including Pluto, Neptune, the Sun, Mercury, Uranus, Venus and Jupiter. Quite a line up, especially when the Moon gets into the act during the evening hours.

As always, we welcome feedback, comments, etc. Pick up Google Sky Map for yourself, check it out and let us know what you think.

The new Samsung Galaxy S Vibrant – I’m in love!

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t-mobile-samsung-vibrant

I have a friend that years ago when he got his first iPhone, he used to bring it everywhere with him. We would be sitting in a coffee house and he would ignore us, hunched over his new love with the obsessiveness of someone doing a crack line in public. It was irritating. It was insulting to us, but we put up with it because he was a friend and we all know the allure of tech toys.

I found out first hand when my cell phone bill had gotten to a point where getting a new toy would not cost any more monthly. So, armed with the name of a new networking contact who could get one for me without having to wait for the mail-in rebate, but do it instantly upon my purchase, I haunted Verizon and T-Mobile stores looking for the perfect new love of my teched-out life. Don’t tell my 3-month old Net Book, Amelia (after Amelia Pond from the new Doctor Who series). Wow, didn’t expect the love affair with her would’ve been so short!

Let me say that waiting times in these blasted store SUCK, and it would not have been so bad waiting for help if I could have played with the live demo phones there, BUT 95% of the demo phones didn’t work at the reseller or Verizon stores I hit. *snarl*

Then I went back to the T-Mobile mall store I bought my bluetooth headset and found the Samsung Vibrant demo. It was love at the first color-popping, insanely clear and beautiful touchscreen I saw. Gazing adoringly at it, I knew I need look no further. He (yes, mine is a “he”) latched onto my techy heart and would not let go. Now I squee in public when showing off  “Bracewell” (again a name from Doctor Who – very appropriate – ask me why!), my friends and roommate are plotting my death out of jealousy, and I suspect will have their own death match to see who claims the right to my Vibrant – if they can pry it out of my cold, dead hands.

Don’t hold your breath, guys. This baby is coming with me to the grave.