Rooting an Android device is known for opening a world of new
features rather than cutting back on existing ones. And in the case
of the new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, rooting the device breaks Samsung Pay.
Rooting does have its myriad of issues no doubt, but breaking
features that set one device apart from the rest of the competition is
something that Samsung’s new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge have gone on to
personify. You may be wondering why on earth rooting the phone breaks
Samsung Pay, but there’s a reason for it.
Samsung Pay is largely reliant on the Korean giant’s KNOX security
framework. KNOX is well known for not playing well with devices that
have been rooted, and as such sees this exploitation of security – that
rooting actually is – as a breach of the device’s secure integrity. This
integrity is no doubt a pertinent criterion for a feature as sensitive
as mobile payment.
It is expected that Samsung Pay will go live in the United States and
South Korea this year – with exact date being unknown – subsequently
expanding to other countries as well. Now if Samsung Pay is actually a
feature you can or cannot do without, it really will come down to what
you need the most as a user. You will need to make a choice between
rooting your device for advanced features, customizations, flashing
custom ROMs v.s. using Samsung Pay.
The service is likely to take its time to reach developing regions,
given that even now in the U.S. there are an estimated 300,000 merchants
accepting NFC-based payments, which is an extremely small number. For
launch, Samsung is looking to start with MasterCard, VISA, American
Express, Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan Chase, and U.S. Bank in the
U.S. It’s pretty clear though, if you are in a developing region with no
real mobile payment solutions present, you shouldn’t really be worried
about broken Samsung Pay feature on your rooted Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge.
Rooting an Android smartphone or tablet lets you delve deep into
the core of a device’s file system, which can then be modified to
perform a number of functions that simply cannot be achieved at stock
level. It seldom takes long for root access on a new device to be
gained, and where the Samsung Galaxy S6
was only introduced at the beginning of this month, the first two
models (SM-G920T and SM-G925T) have now been rooted via Chainfire even
before the devices hit shelves next month. Further details can be seen
after the fold.
Model numbers SM-G920T and SM-G925T translate to the T-Mobile U.S.
Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, respectively, meaning that both the flat
and curved-display editions of the device on T-Mobile are now catered
to by Chainfire. It’s a significant first step, although it is precisely
that – a first step – and with plenty more would-be Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge models doing the rounds, there’s still much work to be done.
As these things tend to transpire, though, it’s likely that
CF-Auto-Root’s adding of the aforementioned handsets will open the
floodgates, and in the not-so-distant future, other flavors of the
Samsung Galaxy S6 will be permitted to join the party.
In revealing the news on its official Google+ page, Chainfire does
encourage users to reside on the side of caution. Specifically, the
release notes highlight that the root may interfere with Samsung’s
secure KNOX infrastructure, which could have a subsequent effect on
mobile payments:
Before actually rooting though, consider that KNOX
will likely be tripped, and there’s a good chance untripped KNOX will be
required for phone based payments.
If you’re okay with that, and are happy to press ahead with rooting, then you can do so by pointing your Web browser over to autoroot.chainfire.eu –
when you get your hands on the device(s) of course. If you are not
familiar with gaining root access, or have relatively little experience
in this field, than you may wish to hold off for, particularly since,
should anything go awry, you’ll end up damaging an expensive, new
product. (Source: Google+)
Some of you will have
heard the rumors floating around that the LED on the Galaxy S6 camera
was having a few issues. Namely that it is always on and can't be turned
off. With the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge now available for purchase,
if you're thinking about picking one up you might want to read on first.
Even Samsung has admitted there's a problem.
Samsung is notorious for remaining silent when it comes to possible issues with its devices or updates (remember the Android 4.3 update fiasco?). So if Samsung is admitting that there is an issue you
know it must be serious. An LED flash that stays on – even when the
device is turned off – certainly sounds like a sufficient problem.
This will of course have a negative impact on battery life but it
will also contribute to shortening the life of the LED itself. The
problem with this is that we now know just how difficult it is to repair
the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge – not that you should have to due to a
software or hardware problem in a brand-new phone. Fortunately, Samsung
is aware of the problem and has confirmedthat it is indeed working on a solution.
Hopefully the solution is not hardware-related and can be fixed with a patch.
With any luck it will simply be a bit of software tweaking and a
patch will be be pushed out quickly with no real damage done. However,
depending on how deep-seated the issue is, or if it is actually
hardware-related, then the solution may take longer and be more serious.
The problem seems to be more widespread than just T-Mobile branded devices too – because it was Samsung Germany that acknowledged the problem.
You read that right:
all four of the published Game of Thrones books in George R.R. Martin's A
Song of Ice and Fire series are available right now as a bundle for
just 99 cents USD.
To take advantage of this deal, just head to the Google Play Store Books section
and snap up the nerd bargain of the century. If you haven't read the
series yet and have been fluffing your way through discussions on White
Walkers and The Wall based purely on the television series (which,
incidentally has had the first four episodes of season five leaked
online) then now is the time to become a real fan and get amongst the
actual texts. There's also the game from Telltale Games too:
When you first got your
shiny new Android handset you were probably blown away by how fast it
was. But over time you may well have noticed that your phone is starting
to run slow. Don't worry - it doesn't mean that there's anything wrong
with it. Here are some top tips you can use to help speed up your
Android phone and get things running quickly again.Just about every phone on the market is liable to suffer from slowdown at some point in its life. Your Galaxy S5 could slow to a crawl, or your Moto X (2014) may
motor less than it used to. You may notice that apps take longer to
load than they used to, that there is a lag between tapping an option
and an app responding, or things may just feel generally sluggish. You
don’t need to put up with this. Try some of the following techniques to
make your phone run faster.
Identify the problem
The first thing you want to do is find out what is causing the problems: an app, multiple apps, the system itself?
Running out of space
All those photos you've taken and all of those apps you’ve installed
can take their toll. Your phone needs a little breathing room to run
smoothly and if you're running low on space, things can slow down.
Android includes various ways to free up space and help speed up your device.
You can check how much space you have left by heading to the Storage
section of Settings. One of the first ways to free up space is to tap
Applications can see which apps you can uninstall.
If you've been using your phone for a while, there are probably several apps you can remove.
Tap the entry for an app you no longer need and then tap Uninstall.
You can repeat this process as many times as necessary for any apps you
feel you can live without.
There are other ways you can free up space as well. The files you
have downloaded are probably still sitting in storage wasting space and
can be removed. In storage, tap Downloads, select the files you want to
remove and then tap the Bin button.
Downloads and app caches occupy valuable space that could be put to better use
Many of the apps you have installed use data caches in an attempt to
speed up operations. This is effective up to a point, but if you are
running short of space, it can actually be counter-productive. To free
up this space, hit the Cached data option and then tap OK to confirm.
Free up as much space as possible, and you might be surprised at the difference it makes.
More files ripe for deletion can be found in the Miscellaneous files
section. Tick the boxes next to any types of file you'd like to remove –
backups, files that have been received via Bluetooth, playlist files,
and so on – and then tap the bin button. You can keep an eye on how much
space you have freed up by looking at the Available space section.
You can also disable the apps that came pre-loaded on your phone but
you really don’t use all that much. If you have rooted your Android, you
can get rid of these apps easily. If not, you can simply go to the app
properties and disable the app to prevent it from running and using up
your phone’s resources.
Widgets can be a waste of resources, so kill any you don't really need.
Cut back widgets
All those widgets you have running on your home screen may be useful, but they also take up their fair share of resources.
If you have any widgets running that you don’t really need, consider
disabling them. There's no harm in having some active, but you will
notice an element of slow down with too many running at the same time.
Just be a little selective.
Those fancy extras offered by your launcher of choice could be slowing down your device!
Animations and extras
Depending on the launcher you are using, you may find that there are
various animations and special effects in place. These may look great,
but they can also slow things down.
Check in your launcher's settings to see if there is a way to disable
any of these unnecessary extras, and you could earn yourself a speed
boost.
Terminating unused apps and freeing up RAM will help with the speed of your device.
Close apps and free up RAM
Multi-tasking several apps makes it easy to switch between different
tools, but there can also be an impact on performance. You can quickly
close down any apps you are no longer using by calling up the running
apps list Pressing and hold the home key and then swipe away any apps
you want to exit.
While you are at this screen, tap the pie chart button to the lower
right of the screen and then move to the RAM section. Tap the Clear
memory button and any background processes that are running
unnecessarily will be closed down.
Sometime, something as simple as a restart is all that's needed for a speed boost.
Restart your device!
A quick and simple fix for a slow device is to simply restart it.
This can clear out cache, stop unnecessary tasks from running, and get
things running smoothly again.
Just hold down the power button, select the Restart option, and then tap OK to confirm.
Dig deeper
Don't forget you can also keep tabs on the apps using lots of battery
by going to Settings > Battery. You can also monitor RAM usage in
Settings > Apps (or App Manager, depending on your brand of phone)
and there's even more nerdy goodies in Process Stats in Developer
Options – if you don't have this setting enabled, go to Settings >
About Phone and tap Build Number seven times until a notification pops
up.
Samsung is taking another hit in the battle for profit and market share, with a bill of materials for the new Galaxy S6 Edge pegged at about $290 for the 64GB version, as reported byRecode. For comparison, the more expensive iPhone 6 Plus money can buyonly costs Apple $263to build. Of course, this doesn’t take into account cost of R&D, marketing, etc, but it still paints a dark picture for Samsung who’s had a few rough quarters due to its mobile divisionbleeding profits. Spending more to build a device that will be sold for less doesn’t seem like the best idea either.
According to a report due out later today, the 64 gigabyte version of the phone built for use on Verizon Wireless’ network cost about $290 to build, including parts and assembly. That’s about $34 per unit higher than the costs of the Galaxy S5 released last year, and even higher than the most costly versions of Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. IHS estimated the top end of the materials cost on those phones at $247 and $263. The 64GB version of the phone sells for $699 without a contract and some versions cost more.
Samsung is preparing for the worldwide launch of the
new Galaxy S6 and the company is gearing up for what it believes will be
record shipments, combined with a struggle to meet demand for the edge.
Demand outweighing supply is a double-edged sword, which Samsung
believes the company will have to battle through with the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge.
On one hand, Samsung expects the new smartphones will sell well enough
to be out of stock at various sources, but not being able to keep up
with demand for the edge could cause issues for consumers waiting for
orders to be fulfilled.
According to a Reuters report:
"Samsung expects the flat screen S6 to sell more than the
higher-margin S6 edge - priced about $120 more in South Korea - but
mobile chief J.K. Shin said at a media event on Thursday the firm won't
be able to keep up with demand for the latter model in the near term
because the curved screens are harder to manufacture."
Some analysts are predicting Samsung to ship 50 million or more S6
units this year. It'll be more of an achievement for Samsung to ship
more Galaxy devices than ever with the company opting to utilize its own
chips to power the latest flagship smartphones. It's hoped that the
Samsung Galaxy S6 will turn things around for the company, but we'll have to wait for figures to confirm any sort of recovery.
Source: Reuters
Star Wars
fans are in for a treat today as the original trilogy and the prequels
are now available in HD as digital downloads from Google Play.
You can either buy the movies individually — which will set you back
$19.99 each — or at a bundled price of $89. The movies are "Special
Edition" versions that include newer special effects and deleted scenes.
The bundle also includes extras such as documentaries, interviews with the cast and behind-the-scenes footage.
In addition to Google Play, the collection is available on Amazon, iTunes and Xbox Video. Star Wars Digital Movie Collection on Google Play
