There were not many significant events from the world this week Android, but thanks to his versatility, he will always give a reason to talk about himself. As it usually happens, it will not do without news from Google, which should release a new device in the near future, and made a little mistake while working on the software. In addition, like the past few weeks, news about the coronavirus and how it affects the world of technology is not complete. Today, in this vein, we will consider the actions of Samsung, which could not stay away from this struggle. In short, sit back, pour a mug of tea, or whatever you usually drink, and let's start talking about the most important thing that happened this week.
The advertising company Escobar Fold is like this.
Samsung invites to free disinfection of smartphones from coronavirus
Samsung has offered to the owners of branded devices a disinfection service against coronavirus. It can be used by the owners of smartphones, tablets, headphones and smart watches of the Galaxy line – that is, all those that are used in the external environment and with a high degree of probability collect all kinds of viruses, bacteria and microbes on themselves, which means that they are potential carriers of infectious diseases. But laptops and other equipment are out of the question. Obviously, this is due to the fact that they are better protected from contact with strangers and do not pose a threat to n users.
Samsung recommends coming to its service centers to treat smartphones with ultraviolet light
The service in question is called Galaxy Sanitizing and, logically, only applies to Samsung's own devices, so if you own a device from a competing brand, you will most likely be denied disinfection. At the moment, the program operates in 19 countries of the world, including Russia, and the service within its framework is provided absolutely free of charge. To use it, you need to contact an authorized Samsung service center or Samsung Experience Store.
Samsung purchased special equipment for disinfection of smartphones
Unlike Apple, which recommends treating smartphones with isopropyl alcohol or Clorox cleaning wipes, Samsung stated that it is better not to use any chemical solutions or abrasives for cleaning at all, as this can damage the body of the treated device or erase the oleophobic coating. printed on the screen. But since it was impossible to completely abandon disinfection, the Koreans carried out many experiments and ultimately came to the conclusion that they would process the proprietary equipment with ultraviolet radiation. To do this, Samsung had to purchase special equipment and supply it to service centers and stores.
According to Samsung representatives, ultraviolet radiation qualitatively removes bacteria and other microorganisms from the surface of devices and is absolutely safe for their performance. True, the company clarifies that due to the design features on some brand gadgets, the efficiency of removing bio-contaminants may be lower than on others. Therefore, Samsung warns that 100% cleaning from germs and viruses is not guaranteed, however, ultraviolet treatment, firstly, is safer than cleaning yourself, and, secondly, it still gives a better result than if the device was not cleaned at all.
I had a few compliments for Samsung in my head as I wrote this post, sincerely wanting to compliment the company. Still, so far no other vendor has shown such customer care. After all, it was necessary to buy special equipment, organize its delivery to service centers in 19 countries of the world and decide not to take a penny from people for disinfection. But then a logical thought came to my mind that if I could treat my smartphone or headphones with alcohol at home, then for ultraviolet irradiation I would have to leave my home and go in search of a service center. Not that I was too lazy to do this, but in the conditions of the spread of infection, this does not seem like a logical and safe event.
Well, and, of course, the complete ignorance of the Samsung technical support service about the running program is striking. Shortly before the release of this material, I wrote to the chat on the company's website and asked where I can use the disinfection service. The answer I got was pretty expected. As it turned out, the Samsung employee has no idea about the Galaxy Sanitizing service and, of course, cannot point to the store or workshop where this service is provided, suggesting that I call all the service centers myself. Somehow it doesn't feel like taking care of the client, is it?
How to buy a $ 400 Galaxy Fold and get the money.
The Escobar Fold 2, which Pablo Escobar's brother's company sold for $ 400, turned out to be a real Galaxy Fold, covered with shiny films with the logo of the new brand. But do not rush to rejoice. After all, you most likely will not be able to get this smartphone, because Escobar Inc. does not actually sell them. For many, including us, this was obvious from the very beginning, but at that time we had only indirect evidence of the dishonesty of the relatives of the famous drug lord. Now the popular YouTube blogger Marquez Brownlee has put an end to this issue.
Escobar Fold is a scam, now for sure
According to Brownlee, when he heard of the launch of the first Escobar Fold and its price tag of $ 349, he placed the order with little hope of success. Needless to say, the blogger never received the device, and in his personal account, the order status was set to 'Assembly', but did not change after a month, or two, or three. Despite this, Escobar Inc. launched the second generation Escobar Fold, priced at $ 50 more than the previous one. Brownlee paid for it too, but this time he called himself a different name. The result was the same.
Then Brownlee wrote on Twitter that he paid for both generations of Escobar Fold, but did not receive a single order, noting that he did not recommend anyone to contact Escobar Inc. The same evening, representatives of the company contacted the blogger. They clarified that it is not possible to send him the original Escobar Fold due to the depletion of stock. However, they can send a second generation instead. Surprisingly, the Escobar Fold 2, on the first order, still got to Brownlee, allowing us to have a look at it.
As you can see, the scope of delivery of the smartphone is rather meager and, in addition to itself, includes only a charging cable. They didn’t put a cover, no headphones, not even a power supply. But the entire device was packed in gold films with the Escobar Inc. brand logo, under which there are signs of the real origin of the device. Apparently, the relatives of the notorious drug lord do not assemble the Escobar Fold 2 from the Galaxy Fold components on their own, as they claimed in press releases, but disguises itself as a Samsung retail device. True, it is not very clear where in this case the accompanying accessories go, of which there are quite a few in the original delivery set.
Despite the fact that Escobar Fold 2 managed to be spotted by many bloggers and famous people, this does not change anything. It is quite clear that Escobar Inc. Is a fraudulent project aimed at fraudulently extracting money from people who are eager to get a foldable smartphone for next to nothing. There are several pieces of evidence for this:
- Escobar Inc. registered in Sweden, and its staff consists of two people;
- The Escobar Inc. website that sells smartphones is not affiliated with any payment system, offering customers to pay for purchases by bank transfer;
- You will not find a single random person who would receive Escobar Fold – they are either tech bloggers or former movie or pop stars who have nothing to lose and they advertise all kinds of game.
If you have not understood yet, then I will repeat once again: do not try to order Escobar Fold, because this is a scam. Even Marquez Brownlee got his copy only after Escobar Inc. anti-advertising on Twitter, and even then – only on the order that I placed in my name. On the second order, the smartphone never reached it, and is unlikely to reach it. Moral: there is no freebie.
Google broke smart unlock at Android 10
Smartphone users from Google Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus and Nokia complained that on Android 10, Smart Lock mode stopped working the same way as before. For some users, after the update, even with active smart unlocking, the device began to request biometric verification or a password, which was not previously observed, while for others this function disappeared from the firmware, as well as the ability to activate it. Let's figure out what this smart unlock is, how it works and why users are so worried about its disappearance.
Smart unlocking appeared a long time ago, but was practically not in demand. Until I broke
Smart unlock, or Smart Lock, is a system of several unlocking methods on Android, which are designed not to protect users, but to make interaction with smartphones in situations where possible easier. For example, it allows you not to block the device if it is connected to a trusted Bluetooth – accessory like a smart watch or a fitness bracelet, the presence of which in close proximity confirms that both gadgets are with their owner, which means that and there is no one to defend against.
Most of all, smart unlocking is loved by motorists who do not want to enter the smartphone password while driving.
I noticed that Smart Lock on my Nokia 7.1 stopped working right after I updated to Android 10. It doesn't work at home, in the car, or when connected to a Fitbit Versa or Surface Pro 7 wristband. But it worked on Android 9. It has been several months since the update, but Smart Lock has not been restored, which is very annoying for me. Hey Google, it would be nice for you to somehow react and let us know if you are working on a solution to our problem or not, – wrote one of the users.
Surprisingly, pretty soon Google developers made a statement that they had nothing to do with it, and the manufacturers were to blame for the Smart Lock malfunctioning. But if in the case of OnePlus and Samsung smartphones this answer can still work, then in the case of Nokia devices that run on the stock version Android, and Google Pixel, which is produced and supported by Google itself, no longer. However, most likely, the developers of the search giant themselves realized this, and therefore preferred the owners of the 'pixels' in the same vein not to answer, so as not to discredit themselves.
A quick analysis of the situation showed that the problem with Smart Lock is quite common. True, where her legs grow from is really difficult to say. After all, on my Honor View 20 this function works quite well, keep the device unlocked when connected to a smart speaker and fitness bracelet. Therefore, we can assume that it is not about the OS. But, on the other hand, in the Magic UI firmware, smart unlocking is moved outside the Google section, as it was before, which gives reason to think that this is its own implementation Honor, independent of the search giant.
The smart unlock function is quite extensive and, in addition to Bluetooth – accessories, it allows you to use other verification methods:
- Face unlock;
- Voice unlocking;
- Unlocking with a graphic key;
- Unlocking in trusted locations;
- Body unlocking (the smartphone is not locked while it is with you).
Yes, these methods are not about reliability, but about convenience. After all, it is much easier to reproduce the pattern key than an 8-digit password, and the voice of a stranger can always turn out to be so similar to yours that the smartphone will simply take and unlock it. Therefore, the key purpose of Smart Lock is convenience, which is especially appreciated by motorists. It is very convenient, when you get into the car, to automatically connect your smartphone to the on-board computer and unlock. As a result, all that remains to be done in order to activate the smartphone is to press the power button and get to the desktop without entering passwords and without using biometric verification. This is not only convenient, but also safe, since entering a password while driving can distract the driver's attention and pose a danger to himself and others. However, now users do not have such an opportunity, and it is not known when it will appear again.
Google to release new Chromecast Ultra based on Android TV
I don’t know about you, but lately I have been very actively using set-top boxes like Google Chromecast and Apple TV 4K. They seem to me to be just a great way to consume video content, whether it's broadcasting, services, or just mirroring content from a smartphone. I have a couple of these devices and sometimes I even connect them to TVs that already have a SmartTV function. It's just more convenient than using the standard functions. Now there is information that many have been waiting for. Google releases new Chromecast. The question is what it will be and what functions it will have. After all, we do not want it to be worse than the previous one. Do you agree?
Chromecast is a great device. What's even nicer is its low price.
According to 9to5google.com, citing sources familiar with Google's plans, the company is indeed planning to release a second generation Chromecast Ultra based on Android TV. The launch will take place this year. I can assume that we will be told about it at the same time as the new Google Pixel. It is possible that an earlier launch was also planned within the framework of the Google I / O developer conference, which was canceled due to the acceleration in the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19, which is now sweeping the planet and has already broken out of China, infecting more than 115,000 people in the world. . At the same conference, we were supposed to be shown the Google Pixel 4A, which, however, we already know a lot about.
If you believe the information received, the device will have a familiar form factor and will be connected directly to the HDMI connector of the TV, without long wires and removal of the device. True, it should receive an important addition, which will be the remote control. The device itself received the codename “sabrina”.
The gadget will support 4K HDR content, which in our time is no longer even a gold standard, but literally a necessity. To connect to external devices, as before, Bluetooth and WiFi will be used.
The external remote, which we mentioned above, will control the device and will be somewhat similar to the remote from Apple TV. It would be illogical to assume that it won't have Google Assistant. To implement it, there is a special button and a microphone for dictating commands. This can be found in various consoles, for example, in the same Apple TV and Mi BOX from Xiaomi.
In addition, a pleasant and important feature of the remote control will be its ability to program it to your TV to control it. This will be very useful, as it will allow you to control the entire system from one remote control.
Externally, the devices will differ something like this.
In terms of design, it will change slightly relative to the third generation Chromecast, sold since 2018. The novelty will have smoother shapes and rounded edges. The top panel will have the traditional Google “G” logo. There is nothing more to say about the design of the miniature device.
If the leak does not lie and everything goes as we were told, we will get a full-fledged device on Android TV, which will be able to replace many other devices for users and will allow users to use cool services on TV. Among them can and should be the likes of YouTube TV, Netflix, Disney +, Hulu and many more.
There is no information on the prices of the proposed novelty yet, as there is no date for its release. So far, we have only the assumptions expressed at the beginning of the article.
On my own I can add that I'm not sure if I want to go out and buy this device. On the other hand, if the price is reasonable, then in order not to run my Chromecast from TV to TV, I could buy it.
First of all, I am attracted to it by the possibility of using the remote control and the presence in this remote control of features that make it very versatile. If all this happens, I will be satisfied and will recommend the gadget for purchase. After a little testing, of course.