Samsung's next Android flagships may have 6GB of RAM
Each new generation of Android flagships seems to push the limits of what we consider high-end hardware specifications. A few years ago we were looking at sub-5-inch displays with 720p resolutions and dual-core processors with 2 GB of RAM, and nowadays larger, 2K displays backed by octa-core chips and 4 GB of RAM appear to be the norm.
While the bump in resolution and processor speed may not be as noticeable when moving to a new-generation flagship, the extra RAM is certainly a welcome addition. Of course, for some companies not even 4 GB is enough in this department, as Samsung just unveiled a larger module, which should be available in its next flagships.
Samsung Pay now supports membership and loyalty cards
I love shopping in brick and mortar stores (except Walmart and Dollar General). No matter what I am buying -- shoes, clothes, food, technology -- I have a blast. My favorite aspect of shopping, however, is getting deals. Spending money is certainly not one of my favorite things, but if I get a discounted sale, it makes the experience much more satisfying.
Unfortunately, many stores require membership and loyalty cards to get the lower prices. These pieces of plastic can accumulate quickly, becoming unwieldy in a wallet or purse. Digital payment solutions should alleviate this dilemma. Apple Pay recently introduced support for Kohls loyalty cards. Today, Samsung Pay is getting membership and loyalty card support too.
Samsung unveils class-leading EVO Plus 256GB microSD card
For a while there was a scary trend of Android manufacturers shying away from expandable storage. Thankfully, consumer demand largely reversed that course. Many of the newest flagships, such as the HTC 10 and Samsung Galaxy S7, are embracing microSD cards. The versatile card format is utilized in many other types of devices too.
Today, Samsung announces the class-leading EVO Plus 256GB MicroSD Card. If you recently bought SanDisk's 200GB card, you no longer have the largest. With that said, the price tag for this 256GB card is rather high -- more than double SanDisk's 200GB offering.
Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator now available with Wi-Fi, touchscreen, and more
Samsung makes amazing products, and I'm not just talking about smartphones and tablets. I have one of its 4K televisions in my house, not to mention a washing machine and clothes dryer. These things work wonderfully, and create memorable experiences -- I recommend them highly.
Today, Samsung announces immediate availability of its smart refrigerator. What has historically been a large box designed to keep food and drinks cold, can be so much more. Its Family Hub fridge has a huge touchscreen, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and can communicate with your smartphone. It even has a built-in web browser!
Samsung has a SmartThings security problem, according to UM and Microsoft Research
The Internet of Things, or IoT, has been both a blessing and a bain since it came into existence. Does convenience trump security concerns? That's the question each user has to ask his or herself. It's that security part that tends to make the news.
The latest to suffer a setback is Samsung SmartThings, with a new report claiming the platform has a security problem. The vulnerabilities reported are only hypothetical so far however.
Oculus brings Microsoft's Minecraft to Samsung's Android-powered Gear VR
Minecraft is a surprisingly popular game. The design pays homage to block-like graphics of games from earlier days -- a time when a large amount of Minecraft fans weren't even born! We have the technology to make more lifelike environments, with curved edges and circles, but that would be blasphemy to the Minecraft community. "What's old is new" as some folks say, I suppose.
Today, The Oculus Team announces that it has worked with Microsoft to bring Minecraft to Samsung's smartphone-powered virtual reality platform, the Gear VR. Owners of this solution can now experience a more-immersive Minecraft experience, by leveraging Samsung's heasdset and a third-party controller.
Samsung Pay arrives in China
Samsung Pay made its debut last year in South Korea in August and then launched in the US in September. At the end of 2015, the company announced that it was bringing its mobile payment service to China.
After a one month beta period, Samsung Pay is now available for local users with a Galaxy S6 edge Plus, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge.
Samsung Gear S2 by de GRISOGONO is a Tizen smartwatch with real diamonds and gold
Other than Apple Watch, smartwatches can't be luxurious and stylish, right? Wrong. Sure, Apple may be the leader in tech fashion, but other manufacturers are getting in on the game too. Just yesterday, I wrote about some really fancy-looking Fossil watches that are totally chic.
Today, however, what may be the most luxurious smartwatch of all time makes its debut. Samsung is partnering with watch and jewelry-maker, de GRISOGONO, for a special version of the Tizen-powered Gear S2. It is so fancy, that even Jony Ive of Apple may be jealous.
Samsung announces progress with SmartThings for Windows Phone
Windows Phone has its fans, but they sometimes, perhaps most times, feel left out of things. That includes the latest fad, the Internet of Things. Controlling devices in your home can be easily done without moving off the couch, but, for the most part, you better have an Android or iOS device at hand.
Samsung is hoping to open this world up to more people. The company makes a line of devices it calls SmartThings and the platform is compatible with some devices made by other manufacturers. It hopes to soon update its app on the Microsoft platform (yes, it has one) in an effort to please everyone and, perhaps, get a few more customers.
Adblock Plus brings its ad-blocker to Samsung Galaxy S7
Blocking adverts, both on the web and on smartphones, is becoming increasingly popular. Just today, Opera announced it would be introducing a native ad-blocker in its desktop browser.
Tomorrow, March 11, Samsung will start shipping its new Galaxy S7 and S7 edge smartphones to pre-orderers and they’ll be able to block ads while browsing the web immediately, thanks to Adblock Plus.
Samsung buying Tidal? It seems that's not happening
Despite the publicity that music service Tidal has received recently thanks to the exclusive release of the Kanye West album, it has continued to struggle. Rumors the past few weeks have swirled around a potential sale of the streaming service, with Samsung being front and center among the candidates as a possible buyer.
Samsung has already shuttered its video service and there's a chance its Milk Music service is on the chopping block. While Milk has seemingly gained some footing with the free version of the Pandora-like radio, it has little in the way of paid subscribers.
Six Flags using Oculus-powered Samsung Gear VR for virtual reality roller coasters
Here's the deal folks -- I am scared of some amusement park rides. Put me on an intense roller coaster and I will fill with anxiety and probably weep like a baby. I know I am not alone in this regard -- I see other fearful men and women at these parks.
Today, Samsung announces a partnership with Six Flags that could make some roller coasters even more exciting. You see, Six Flags will be leveraging the Oculus-powered Samsung Gear VR for virtual reality roller coasters. The big question is, will wearing a VR mask while on a roller coaster make it even more scary for those with ride-anxiety, or could it alleviate the problem?
Samsung now shipping 15.36TB PM1633a SSD -- world's largest capacity solid state drive
Back in the 1990's, my first-ever computer came with a 4GB hard drive. At the time, this was absolutely massive -- my computer-literate friends told me I would never need a bigger drive in my lifetime. Obviously, this thinking was wrong -- 4GB is considered rather small for a flash drive nowadays. Heck, when it comes to technology, never believe anything is "good enough", or that things won't get better and faster.
Today, Samsung begins shipping an SSD that makes large HDDs looks worthless by comparison. You see, the PM1633a is the world's largest solid state drive, with a capacity of 15.36TB! No, you aren't dreaming -- this is real.
Samsung Portable SSD T3 finally here -- up to 2TB capacity and USB Type-C
While some people decry the use of cloud storage as unsafe, I love it. All of my important files get saved to Dropbox, so they are forever safe. With that said, I'm no dummy -- redundancy is key. I regularly mirror my online storage to a portable USB hard drive just in case. This is important for backup purposes, but it also helps me retain some control over my data.
Portable hard drives are great, as they can be connected to both desktops and laptops. Unfortunately, many of them are bulky and utilize mechanical HDDs, making them potentially slow, hot, or vulnerable to bumps and jitters. When Samsung introduced its Portable SSD T3 at CES 2016, I knew I wanted one to store my files. Today, this beautiful feat of engineering and design becomes available to consumers.
Samsung unveils speedy 256GB Universal Flash mobile storage -- will Apple use it for iPhone 7?
Last year, I bought my first iPhone. Shockingly, the base model still came with a paltry 16GB of storage. Since this was my first-ever such Apple smartphone, I decided to go nuts and splurge on the massive 128GB. Since I store my photos in the cloud, and stream music and movies, I have come nowhere near filling it up. I should have bought the 64GB, but I digress.
Of course, my situation is not the same as everyone else -- some people truly need 128GB or more. Unfortunately, Apple does not offer more than 128GB -- yet. This may change, however, as Samsung announces crazy fast 256-Gigabyte Universal Flash Storage for mobile. The high performance should make these 256GB modules very popular with manufacturers. This will certainly show up in Android devices, but could Apple select it for the upcoming iPhone 7?
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