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Samsung Galaxy S III, other Android devices susceptible to malware through Google Play
Posted by John Kilhefner Categories: Smartphones, Google, Software,
A "severe vulnerability" has been identified within the Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy S II, Galaxy Note II, and possibly other Android devices.
The vulnerability leaves these devices open to malware downloaded in remote apps, which can then read user data and even brick your phone completely. "The good news is we can easily obtain root on these devices and the bad is there is no control over it," said xda-developers user Alephzain. Usually, vulnerabilities like this require physical access to the phone, while this vulnerability allows it to be attacked from apps downloaded from the Google Play Store.
Samsung is apparently aware of the problem, but has not publicly acknowledged the problem. Millions of devices are reportedly at risk right now as public knowledge of the issue spreads.
Read More 
| The Verge
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Black Friday 2012: Best Buy
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cameras, Smartphones, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Hot Deals, Smart Home, Movies, PC / Laptop, Portable Audio / Video, Video Games,
Details of Best Buy's Black Friday 2012 sales have just been released, and we've got a links to all the highlights you can expect to see throughout Thanksgiving weekend. Doors will open right at midnight on November 23rd, and tickets for the doorbusters will be handed out as early as 10:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day. If you'd rather do all your shopping online (which is what we're doing,) here's your guide to all the Best Buy deals, after the break.
Click to continue reading Black Friday 2012: Best Buy
Samsung Galaxy S II Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update available
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Mods / Hacks, Software,
Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is finally available for Samsung Galaxy S II owners. However, to upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich, you must upgrade KIES to the latest version. Some of the upgrade improvements are the obvious platform changes and better multitasking between apps.
As with all changes, some cautionary procedures are required. We recommend that you back up your device first, as there is a possibility of losing some content. Also, some apps may not be fully compatible with ICS, so just know that going in. Lastly, before proceeding with the update, make sure you have enough free space on your device. Good luck, we know that plenty of you Galaxy S II users have been waiting for this one.
Read More | Samsung
Google’s Android Update Alliance not living up to expectations
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Software,
At the Google I/O conference in May, many Android phone vendors and U.S. wireless carriers made a long-awaited promise: From then on, any new Android phone would receive timely OS updates for at least 18 months following launch, as part of the then newly christened Google Update Alliance.
The back story: If you own an Android phone, you may have watched with frustration as a new version of the OS hit the market. It's almost never clear if your phone will ever get that upgrade—unlike with iOS or Windows Phones, which always get all upgrades (providing they meet the right hardware requirements). With Android, it seems to depend on the phone vendor, the specific model, the wireless carrier, the Android version itself, and whether Google sent the carrier an inflatable plastic food product as a token of its appreciation that week. Worse—and much to our chagrin—sometimes vendors make promises to customers before the sale that they don't keep once you own the phone.
Many factors contribute to this. But custom versions of Android are the key culprit, either thanks to vendor-specific enhancements (like HTC Sense, Motorola MotoBlur, and Samsung's TouchWiz, though LG, Pantech, Casio, and other vendors do it too), or carrier-specific enhancements of a more dubious nature (such as unnecessary preloaded bloatware and changes to default apps). These changes require many programming hours not just to make in the first place, but to also support and upgrade down the road—resources the carrier would rather throw at making new phones to sell you.
So the Google Update Alliance was a breath of fresh air. It sounded like everyone would finally come together, streamline their OS update timelines, and stop jerking around their customers. The thing is, while the Google Update Alliance ended up being one of the biggest stories to come out of Google I/O, we've heard almost nothing about it since then. You can bet we weren't just going to forget about it and pretend it never happened—especially after the release of Google Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), which is a huge leap in UI design and overall performance.
Click to continue reading Google’s Android Update Alliance not living up to expectations
Wi-Fi calling comes to T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G, Galaxy S II
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi,
On Monday, T-Mobile quietly rolled out a software update for its HTC Amaze 4G that, most notably, introduced the ability to make Wi-Fi calls. An official update today also added that feature and more to the carrier's Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone.
Wi-Fi calling sets T-Mobile apart from other carriers, but until now, it was only available on select phones. In fact, it was one of the five best features we discussed when an AT&T/T-Mobile merger seemed imminent. Given T-Mobile’s admittedly limited cellular network, the Wi-Fi calling option makes for a great fall back when signal is hard to come by. T-Mobile customers using phones like the myTouch 4G have already been enjoying this feature, and T-Mobile seems determined to bring it to as many phones as it can.
The added capability comes in the form of a device upgrade to Android 2.3.5, which T-Mobile claims will also improve the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S II. The update addresses a number of issues, including a "Force close" problem that dropped calls when split in a conference call. Also rolled into the update are improvements to Caller ID and battery notifications. T-Mobile notes that customers must have a GBA SIM card to access the added Wi-Fi calling capability, but most phones should already be equipped with the right card.
Click to continue reading Wi-Fi calling comes to T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G, Galaxy S II
Samsung Galaxy S II ad makes fun of Apple fans
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Videos,
A new ad for the Samsung Galaxy S II pokes fun at Apple fans who wait in lines for days to get their hands on a "magical" iPhone, which Samsung criticized for its lack of 4G, as well as its battery issues.
The commercial shows a line of hipster types waiting at New York and San Francisco Apple stores nine hours before the launch of the latest iPhone.
"I am so amped, I could stand here for three weeks," says one fanboy.
"Only seven people stand between us and meaning," says another.
Soon, however, one line waiter sees blog posts that describe the battery situation as "sketchy," a dig at the iOS 5 glitch that drains the battery life from some iPhones at a speedy clip.
Another questions the design choices. "If it looks the same, how will people know I upgraded?" he asks, while others discuss the lack of 4G.
Click to continue reading Samsung Galaxy S II ad makes fun of Apple fans
Black Friday 2011: RadioShack
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Hot Deals, Music, PC / Laptop, Video Games,
RadioShack's Black Friday 2011 sale looks enticing, and we rarely say that kind of stuff about The Shack. Doors open at 5:30 am the day after Thanksgiving, but you can get the Black Friday prices a day early by shopping on radioshack.com. We've got the highlights of the sale for you after the break, which include a $300 15-inch Toshiba laptop, a $99 7-inch Velocity Micro Cruz tablet, 20% off Beats by Dr. Dre Solo headphones, and more.
Click to continue reading Black Friday 2011: RadioShack
Samsung Galaxy S II is their fastest selling smartphone ever
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Google, Handhelds,
Samsung has announced the latest batch of sales figures for its Galaxy S II Android smartphone, and the device remains the company's fastest-growing smartphone yet.
According to Samsung, the Galaxy S2 has officially hit 10 million in sales all of five months after the device's worldwide launch this past April. Sales in South Korea take the lion's share of the total at 3.6 million, with European markets close behind at 3.4 million. Sales of the smartphone in Asia hit a total of 2.3 million.
"In just five months the Galaxy S II has seen tremendous growth, reflecting its tremendous popularity with customers around the world, who in selecting the Galaxy S2 as their device of choice have driven the device's strong market position globally," said J.K. Shin, president of Samsung's mobile communications division, in a statement.
Previous sales figures put the Galaxy S2 at three million units sold after a mere 55 days on the market, shattering the company's sales records at the time. In fact, the Galaxy S2 hit the three-million figure all of 30 days faster than its predecessor device, Samsung's Galaxy S smartphone. Total Galaxy S2 sales then ballooned up to five million at the 85 day-mark.
Click to continue reading Samsung Galaxy S II is their fastest selling smartphone ever
Samsung Galaxy S II hands-on with Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile models
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Features, Google, Handhelds,
The galaxy has landed. Samsung, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile today announced three Galaxy S II smartphones for the three carriers. We got some time with the AT&T and Sprint models (T-Mobile was playing coy) and even ran some benchmarks.
The Galaxy S II has been Samsung's fastest-selling smartphone so far, with more than five million sold in 85 days, according to Samsung's press release. This model is coming out on fewer carriers than last year's Galaxy S did, with Verizon Wireless the most notable missing piece (Verizon is going with the Nexus Prime.)
But remember, Samsung is the master customizer of phones for carriers; just because a "Galaxy S II" isn't coming out for Verizon (or for Boost, for that matter) doesn't mean another phone won't appear soon with very similar features and a slightly different name on those carriers. The company is just introducing the first three models today.
Just like with the Galaxy S, the three Galaxy S II models are all a little different. The AT&T model looks a lot like the international Galaxy S II to which we gave an Editor's Choice award back in May, although Samsung traded the single home button at the bottom of the phone for the four standard Android action buttons.
Click to continue reading Samsung Galaxy S II hands-on with Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile models
Samsung Galaxy S II set to take on iPhone 5
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Google, Handhelds,
Holding out for the iPhone 5? There's some strong temptation coming out of South Korea at the end of the month: the Samsung Galaxy S II.
An announcement for the super-slim, super-powerful, and super-popular Android smartphone is expected on August 29. Samsung sent out invitations for a "major product announcement" in New York that day and on Friday, Samsung Mobile U.S. tweeted: "Samsung Update: Hey Guys! Big announcement on the 29th ; )"
The Samsung Galaxy S II is Samsung's fastest-selling smartphone to date, based on its April debut in South Korea and parts of Europe, selling one every three seconds between April and July.
Click to continue reading Samsung Galaxy S II set to take on iPhone 5
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