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Samsung's leaked concept videos may show its vision for AR glasses
A pair of videos outlining Samsung's vision for AR glasses appear to have leaked, although it's unclear how close this is to becoming reality.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ hands-on: It's all about that spec sheet
Samsung is one of few companies still making premium Android tablets, and it’s getting pretty good at it. The company announced the new Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ at its Unpacked event yesterday and based simply off the specs, these are very impressive devices. The Tab S7 is smaller and uses an LCD screen, while the 12-inch S7+ is clearly the higher end model.
Samsung won't support Linux on DeX once Android 10 arrives
If you've been using Linux on DeX (aka Linux on Galaxy) to turn your Samsung phone into a PC, you'll need to make a change of plans. Samsung is warning users that it's shutting down the Linux on DeX beta program, and that its Android 10 update won't support using the open source OS as a desktop environment. The company didn't explain why it was shutting things down, but it did note that the Android 10 beta is already going without the Linux option.
Samsung brings Note 10's AR and camera features to the Galaxy S10
You don't have to spend your days pining for the Galaxy Note 10's software features just because you bought a Galaxy S10 instead. Samsung has started rolling out an update that delivers some of the Note 10's features to the S10 series. Most notably, this includes key camera features. You can now use Super Steady to capture relatively jitter-free footage, switch on Live Focus while recording videos and invoke Night mode for the front-facing camera. You probably won't be clamoring quite so loudly for AR Doodle, but it's there if you want to draw in 3D.
Samsung's DeX on Note 10 brings phone apps to your PC
Samsung's DeX is no longer limited to turning your mobile device into a computer -- it now works with your computer. The expanded version of DeX on the Galaxy Note 10 lets you transfer files (including photos), reply to messages and run mobile apps on your Mac or Windows PC. It's Samsung's rough equivalent to Windows 10's phone integration, just with a unified interface and broader PC operating system support.
Samsung is still trying to make DeX happen
There was a common thread running through Samsung's two big launches this week. Both the Galaxy Note 9 and the Tab S4 feature DeX mode, a desktop-friendly interface for Android devices that the company has been working on since 2017's Galaxy S8. In fact, since the introduction of the DeX dock with the Galaxy S8 last year, Samsung has continued to expand the DeX portfolio, adding new hardware alongside minor compatibility and software updates. The company is clearly invested in making this A Thing, even when numerous tech companies in the past have failed to succeed at smartphone-powered desktops. Why?
Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 has a much more useful DeX desktop mode
Samsung has been trying to turn its smartphones into pseudo-desktops with DeX since the Galaxy S8, a notably rocky start. With the Galaxy S9, DeX worked mostly the same but relied on a new dock that turned the phone into a trackpad. But as they say, the third time's the charm. Samsung has simplified the entire DeX experience on the Galaxy Note 9, and that ultimately makes it a lot more useful.
Watch Samsung's Galaxy S9 launch in under 11 minutes!
And just like that, Samsung's Galaxy S9 has arrived. Today, at MWC 2018, the company introduced its new flagship handset with the slogan "The camera. Reimagined." While the bulk of improvements to the Galaxy S9, over the S8, are imaging-focused, there are also new features like AR Emojis -- Samsung's answer to Apple's Animojis. You can watch a recap of the Unpacked 2018 event here, where you'll also learn more about the updated DeX desktop experience, which now uses the S9 as a trackpad.
Samsung's updated DeX desktop experience uses the S9 as a trackpad
When it launched last year, Samsung's first DeX dock was the latest in a long line of attempts to blur the line between phones and traditional PCs. And you know what? It worked surprisingly well, even though the value for most people wasn't particularly clear. That didn't stop Samsung from trying again, though: the company unveiled a new version of its DeX hardware alongside the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, and it's much different from the dock we got last year.
Samsung's phone-as-desktop concept now runs Linux
Samsung's DeX is a clever way to turn your phone into a desktop computer. However, there's one overriding problem: you probably don't have a good reason to use it instead of a PC. And Samsung is trying to fix that. It's unveiling Linux on Galaxy, an app-based offering that (surprise) lets you run Linux distributions on your phone. Ostensibly, it's aimed at developers who want to bring their work environment with them wherever they go. You could dock at a remote office knowing that your setup will be the same as usual.
Samsung DeX review: The impressive, unnecessary, phone-powered PC
My family's first computer was a boxy, squat Tatung with an AMD K2, a handful of RAM and a 4GB hard drive. It was ugly and slow, even by 1998 standards, but it (somehow) got the job done. The decade and change that followed brought staggering leaps in performance and huge reductions in size. I'm writing this on a Galaxy S8 Plus -- a metal-and-glass slab I just pulled out of my pocket -- connected to a monitor, keyboard and mouse with Samsung's new DeX dock. The kicker: It's far better than I dared expect. Ten-year-old me would be losing it if he saw this. In fact, the me from three or four years ago would've done the same. After all, this isn't a new idea. Companies have tried -- and mostly failed -- to make smartphones work like PCs for years now. Just look at Motorola's Atrix or Microsoft's Continuum or any of the startups languishing on Kickstarter. And yet, here we are — the Galaxy S8 doubles as a surprisingly respectable PC. The real question now isn't about how feasible the idea is, it's whether anyone should bother. Unfortunately, as impressive as DeX can be, the answer for most people is a big ol' "no."
The Engadget Podcast Ep 34: Intergalactic
On this special all Samsung edition of the Engadget Podcast host Terrence O'Brien is joined by executive editor Dana Wollman and senior editor Chris Velazco. First all three will debate some of the most burning questions surrounding South Korea's biggest phone manufacturer. Should Samsung be using resources to build yet another virtual assistant? Is there anyone who wants to use their phone as a desktop? And, most importantly, can the Galaxy S8 save Samsung from itself? Then Chris Velazco will paint a picture of the event on the ground, before the crew dives deep on the finer point of the S8's design, interface and audio pedigree. Then, on The Wind Down, we discover that Dana failed to do her homework and Chris is contemplating picking up Dungeons & Dragons.
Working Samsung Galaxy S8 reportedly surfaces in the wild
There have been supposed peeks at Samsung's Galaxy S8 before, but always with the screen off. How is that near bezel-free design going to work, exactly? We might have a better idea. Photos have emerged that appear to show a functioning S8, including a brief look at the home screen. Sure enough, the phone would have both the Edge sidebar and on-screen navigation keys that mimic the layout of Samsung's physical buttons -- like it or not, the "back" button would be on the right by default. We're not completely convinced this is the real deal (it's coming from a screen protector manufacturer), but there's evidence that it checks out.
WWDC Interview: Clickable Bliss
Victor Agreda, Jr. (Editor-in-Chief, The Unofficial Apple Weblog) interviews Michael Zornek of Clickable Bliss at WWDC 2011. Michael was kind enough to tell us about his thoughts on the announcements on WWDC, and how it will affect their plans moving forward. Clickable Bliss makes ProfitTrain (an invoicing app for Mac) and Dex (a Pokemon browser for iPhone) and recently released a very clever and slick game called Twiz Show, a sort of game show based on your Twitter friends for iOS devices. If you're looking for a fun game that ties into your Twitter buddies, give Twiz Show a look. TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers at WWDC 2011 about the keynote announcements and how Apple's new technologies will help them and their customers. We'll bring you those videos here, at MacTech.com and at MacNews.com. Also, check out the free trial subscription offer for MacTech Magazine here.
