News

Samsung will cripple remaining Note 7 phones in PH on December 15

Published

December 13, 2016

Monch Lopez

If Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 recall has somehow escaped you, or if stubbornness is keeping you from going to the nearest service location or Samsung store, we advise you to prioritize turning in the phone, stat. No ifs or buts or excuses.

We wouldn’t want you to end up with a very expensive, though fancy, paper weight — or, worse still, a burnt hand. And if the possibility of injury doesn’t scare you, then consider this: Samsung will soon cripple your phone without you even knowing.

On the sidelines of the Gear S3 smartwatch launch, a Samsung executive revealed to GadgetMatch that the world’s top smartphone brand will issue a software update to all remaining Note 7s in the Philippines that will limit battery charging to 30 percent, effectively rendering the now-discontinued handset useless. It will be released starting December 15th, which is two days from now.

[irp posts=”6848″ name=”All burned out: Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 is done for”]

If that doesn’t get you running off to the nearest Samsung outlet, the company will eventually disable mobile data on the Note 7 to make the damn thing dependent on your home’s WiFi connection. That update, we’re told, is due out sometime in January next year.

A fire hazard that has to stay close to an outlet or a power bank and can’t connect to mobile networks — that, folks, is what will become of the once-promising Android flagship. And it will annoy the heck out of anyone still using it — hopefully to the point that any remaining Note 7s out in the wild are returned.

Earlier this week, Samsung has confirmed that it will deal a similar death blow to existing Note 7s in the U.S., with the exception of units from Verizon Wireless. The update, which will roll out on December 19, will prevent the handset from charging, as well as shut off all of its connections, including WiFi and mobile data. Samsung has already restricted U.S. Note 7 phones from charging beyond 60 percent.

If you live outside of the Philippines and the U.S., take the recent turn of events as a sign of things to come; similar measures could be adopted worldwide. So for Pete’s sake, turn in your Note 7 and get another phone. There are plenty of excellent choices out there.

[irp posts=”8711″ name=”Holiday Scavenger Hunt: Win a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge”]

Related Topics:Galaxy Note 7 recall Samsung

Gaming

Grand Theft Auto VI gets its first-ever trailer

Coming in 2025

Published

December 5, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Sometimes, Christmas comes early. Despite scheduling its release for December 5, Rockstar Games has uploaded the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI more than 12 hours earlier than expected.

Available now through its official platforms, the first trailer reveals our first official look at the next major entry in the legendary Grand Theft Auto franchise. As expected, the sixth title will be set in the sunny shores of Vice City, a locale that hasn’t seen a revival in major platforms yet. Whereas the fifth game’s setting was a version of California, Vice City will take on modern-day Florida and all its various hijinks.

As was spoiled through major leaks in the past, Grand Theft Auto VI will feature two main protagonists, Lucia (the franchise’s first female lead) and Jason. The trailer focuses mostly on Lucia who ends up in prison at the start of the trailer. Based on the depictions in the trailer, the game will focus on the duo’s chase for the better life (through illegal ways, of course) in Vice City.

Besides the duo, Vice City will have sunny beaches, swamps, bike gang, mud clubs, hot cars, and crazy animals. It’s a departure from the Miami-Vice-like depiction in the original Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Instead, it will represent the city in a more contemporary fashion. Social media seems to be a prime focus, too; various fictional video platforms are in the spotlight in the trailer.

And now for the meaty part. The trailer ends with a release window (finally): 2025. Grand Theft Auto VI will arrive, at least, on the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X|S. A PC version is still unconfirmed, but it’s likely arriving on the platform, too.

Apps

Facebook, Instagram will lose cross-platform messaging this month

For an unknown reason

Published

December 5, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Over the past few years, Meta started integrating its various platforms into one ecosystem. Right now, Facebook and Instagram users can chat with each other on their respective apps. Unfortunately for fans of the cross-communication between the two platforms, Meta is taking the feature away this month.

Through a new support page, Instagram has announced that chatting between the two platforms will no longer be available starting in mid-December. The exact date of the removal is currently unknown, though.

When the undisclosed date arrives, Instagram users cannot start new conversations with Facebook users anymore. Additionally, all existing chats between the two platforms will become read-only, meaning users can’t add new messages to the conversation anymore.

On the flipside, Facebook users will stop seeing the Activity Status of Instagram users from their platform. Cross-platform conversations will not appear on Messenger, either.

Though the support page is conclusive against the feature, Meta has not explicitly explained why Meta changed its current cross-platform plans. It’s still possible that the company will implement a better solution in the future. As it stands, the European Union’s GDPR regulations require large companies to main interoperability between different platforms. Meta is an undeniable example of such a large company.

Apps

Strava is getting a much-requested chatting feature

Individual and group chats

Published

December 5, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

What is your fitness app of choice? Though there are a lot of options available now for enthusiasts, it’s undeniable that Strava is making one hell of an impact lately. If you’re a fan of the social fitness app, you’re getting a new feature to boost the social part of Strava.

Today, Strava is getting a substantial messaging feature for users. In the new update, users can start chats with other users in single or group conversations.

It’s a comprehensive feature, too. Chats will include likes and GIF reactions. Additionally, users can configure their options to accept messages only from mutuals or only after they messaged the other person first. Additionally, group chat creators can manage the participants included in the chat.

When compared to other fitness apps today, Strava is arguably leaning more towards the social aspect of the experience. The app allows users to run and hike together as a community. Now, despite how social the core of the app is, it never really allowed users to communicate directly with one another. Users had to rely on external messaging apps just to coordinate with one another.

As of late, Strava continues to pile on more features and integrations with other apps. Earlier this year, the app started allowing users to integrate with Spotify.