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Auction for a laptop full of malware closes at $1.3 million (updated)
Today, bidding on a laptop packed with some of the world's most dangerous malware closed at $1.345 million. Dubbed "The Persistence of Chaos," the Samsung NC10 contains six viruses that have caused an estimated $95 billion in damages. Despite what you might think, it's not meant to be a tool for any world domination scheme. It's intended strictly as an art piece -- though it could be used for academic purposes -- and it's currently isolated and air-gapped to prevent foul play.
Best Buy cancels all Galaxy Fold pre-orders
In another blow to Samsung's Galaxy Fold, Best Buy announced that it's canceling all current Galaxy Fold pre-orders. That's not entirely surprising given all of the drama around the Fold and the lack of concrete details from Samsung. But Best Buy could be the first of several retailers to make the call. Samsung itself is canceling pre-order for people who don't confirm that they still want one by May 31st.
Samsung Galaxy Home mini surfaces in FCC filing
The Galaxy Home smart speaker hasn't hit stores yet, but that hasn't stopped Samsung from working on a miniature version of the Bixby-powered device. As spotted by CNET, a smaller version of the Galaxy Home was revealed in an FCC filing released on Tuesday. The "mini" will use Bluetooth 4.2, which may disappoint Samsung Galaxy S8 owners who are used to the newer Bluetooth 5.0 standard on their phones. Also notable is that the smaller Galaxy Home connects by micro USB, instead of the USB-C which has become standard on most new devices.
Samsung brings Galaxy Watch Active features to older smartwatches
You don't have to spring for the Galaxy Watch Active to put Samsung's latest software features on your wrist. The company is rolling out an update that brings the Active's One UI interface, health features and other optimizations to the regular Galaxy Watch, Gear S3 and Gear Sport. You should now have a livelier, easier to parse interface that matches One UI on more recent Galaxy phones. There's more control as well, with settings that can toggle waking on touch, the Goodnight mode and the frequency of Daily Briefings. Some of the Active's watch faces are also available to download if you've been pining for them since the newer wearable's February premiere.
How do you build a foldable screen?
In our show Upscaled we try and dig into the science and engineering behind our favorite bits of tech. In this episode, we're taking a close look at foldable OLEDs. Despite Samsung's Galaxy Fold being delayed, the Huawei Mate X is expected within the next few months, and Xiaomi and Lenovo have both showed off foldable prototypes.
BBC releases free ‘Doctor Who’ VR short
Doctor Who fans who can't bear the long wait for the twelfth season are in for a treat. The BBC has released Doctor Who: The Runaway, an animated short VR film based on the classic British sci-fi series and voiced by its own Jodie Whittaker, who reprises her role as the show's time-traveling protagonist. Based on the BBC's description, The Runaway throws you into the topsy-turvy universe of Doctor Who right away. You wake up inside the TARDIS after being in a collision with a teenage space bomb named the Volta. In a race against time, you and Doctor Who must get Volta home to his parents before he falls prey to some dangerous distractions.
Here's how Samsung may fix the Galaxy Fold's design flaws
When Samsung said it was delaying the release of the Galaxy Fold to fix its design issues, it didn't really say how it would address the flaws. You might have a clearer idea after today, though. Yonhap News claims Samsung will tuck the protective display layer into the body, preventing users from peeling it off under the mistaken belief that it's an everyday screen protector. It will also block the gaps at the top and bottom of the hinge to prevent debris from wrecking the foldable display, according to the South Korean news outlet.
The Galaxy S10 5G goes on sale in the UK June 7th
Samsung has revealed the Galaxy S10 5G will go on sale in the UK June 7th, initially on Vodafone and EE, and it'll be available in its majestic black and crown silver finishes. Pre-orders will open on May 22nd, though pricing is not yet clear.
Samsung's 2019 TVs can now use Apple's updated TV app
The redesign of the Apple TV app goes live today, and Samsung is claiming its spot as the first TV manufacturer to support it. The company announced that 2018 and 2019 models of Samsung smart TVs will offer access to the updated Apple TV app and AirPlay 2. Owners of the TVs will have to download and install a firmware update, which will be available starting today, in order to use the Apple services.
Apple's redesigned TV app arrives today
If you've been patiently waiting for Apple's redesigned TV app, which was revealed back in March, today is your lucky day. The company is now rolling out the updated application to iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and compatible Samsung smart TVs, complete with a fresh look, the new Channels feature and curated sections such as "For You" and "Kids." Aside from the overhauled design, which focuses on offering big, beautiful imagery for movies and TV shows and a UI that's intended to help you swipe/scroll less, the biggest changes to the TV app are the addition of Channels and the full iTunes library.
Samsung sensor paves the way for 64-megapixel smartphone cameras
Samsung has leapt ahead of Sony in the smartphone megapixel wars with the launch of the ISOCELL Bright GW1, the world's' first 64-megapixel sensor for smartphones. The chip, while packing more resolution than Samsung's current 48-megapixel sensor, will use the same .8-micrometer-sized pixels. That means it'll be physically larger and have more light-gathering capability.
Samsung promises more Galaxy Fold launch details by tomorrow
Samsung will decide about a new US launch date for the Galaxy Fold by tomorrow, according to a report from the Korea Herald. In response, a company spokesperson in the UK told Engadget in a statement that it's still planning to announce the date "in the coming weeks." CEO Dong-jin Koh told the Herald that it "has reviewed the defect caused from substances [entering the device] and we will reach a conclusion [about the launch] today or tomorrow." When the Herald asked whether the phone would launch this month, Koh replied that "we will not be too late." If the company can't launch the device by May 31st, it could be forced to refund US pre-orders for the $1,980 device.
Samsung leak exposed source code, passwords and employee data
Samsung was reportedly leaking sensitive source code, credentials and secret keys for several internal projects. According to TechCrunch, independent security researcher Mossab Hussein discovered dozens of exposed files in a GitLab used by Samsung engineers and hosted on a company-owned domain. The projects were reportedly set to "public" and not protected with a password.
The Pixel 3a XL vs. the competition: Surprisingly capable
It used to be that if you wanted flagship level-specs and a large screen at a lower price, your only option was a OnePlus phone like the 6T. But now you have another option: Today Google announced the Pixel 3a XL. It makes some sacrifices in processing power, but it still delivers a great camera and decent screen. And it has a headphone jack! To see how the specs stand up to the 6T, as well as the more expensive Galaxy S10+ and iPhone XS Max, check out our table below. And, if you want the full scoop on this new budget handset, check out our full review.
Samsung could lose Galaxy Fold pre-orders if it doesn't ship this month
For a short while, the future looked rosy for the Samsung Galaxy Fold: so many people pre-ordered the $1,980 foldable smartphone that the company had to stop taking registrations as they'd sold out.
It's not just the Apple Watch powering the smartwatch market's growth
The smartwatch market is still growing at a breakneck pace several years in. Counterpoint Research estimated that smartwatch shipments jumped by 48 percent year-over-year in the first quarter of 2019 -- no mean feat in a season that's typically quiet. The Apple Watch's leading share barely budged at 35.8 percent, although that came precisely because its shipments grew a sizeable 49 percent. The real stars of the show were some of Apple's rivals, though, as they enjoyed success they haven't had in a while.
Huawei’s first television could also be the world’s first 5G 8K TV
Huawei is reportedly working on the first 5G 8K television and could unveil it as early as this year, according to Nikkei Asian Review. The Chinese tech giant, which makes its own 5G chips, would be a newcomer in the television space. Few companies, if any, have floated the idea of a 5G TV, but that kind of connectivity would allow users to quickly download VR and other data-heavy content and watch it on an equally high-res display.
Samsung faces 60 percent drop in profits, still plans foldable phones
A few weeks ago, Samsung warned investors that its Q1 profit would drop about 60 percent from the same period in 2018. Now the detailed report has arrived, confirming that projection with an operating profit of $5.4 billion that reflected a 23 percent drop in revenue from its memory chip business. Samsung also suffered smaller drops in the mobile and consumer electronics divisions. Still the company claims "the newly launched Galaxy S10 smartphone logged solid sales." Paired along with its midrange A series, it expects market demand to increase slightly in the next quarter even as prices drop. Once item it didn't mention in the report is the now-delayed Galaxy Fold, however the future of foldable devices is still expected to increase profits in its display division. It still believes foldable devices, along with the Galaxy Note and 5G will help "strengthen" its leadership in premium smartphones. Its earnings call is still ongoing, if there's any notable news we will update this post. Update: In response to a question, Samsung executives said they expect to announce a new launch date for the Galaxy Fold in the next few weeks. They still believe it will find a place as a premium device for consumers looking for a new kind of experience, and their conviction that it will create a new category of devices has not changed.
Samsung's vertical Sero TV brings Insta Stories to a big screen
Samsung has unveiled "The Sero," a 43-inch quantum-dot QLED TV with an attention-grabbing gimmick. It can be flipped around 90 degrees, letting you watch Instagram, Snap and other smartphone videos in their native vertical configurations. Samsung said it wanted to diversify its lineup and came up with the idea by studying the tastes of mobile-loving millennials. "Samsung will continue introducing screens that respect personal consumer tastes," said display president Han Jong-hee.
Samsung imagines a wraparound smartphone display
If that whole folding smartphone thing doesn't work out, Samsung has lot of other ideas cooking. It recently received patent approval for a continuous display that covers the front, while folding around the top and part of the rear of the phone, as spotted by Let's Go Digital. That would make for some interesting applications, like letting subjects see how they look before you take a photo or showing live language translations on the rear display.