Feds will test nationwide phone emergency alert system on Wednesday

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Feds test nationwide phone emergency alert system
Your iPhone will get an emergency alert Wednesday that looks a lot like this.
Photo: FCC/FEMA

iPhones and Androids in the United States will receive an emergency alert Wednesday, but it’s not anything to worry about. It will come from a couple of U.S. government agencies testing the Wireless Emergency Alerts system.

This isn’t the first time the system has been tested — the feds are required to check that the system works every few years.

In short, just ignore it. Also ignore the crazy conspiracy theories surrounding the test.

Samsung copies one of iPhone’s biggest advantages

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Apple vs Samsung
Samsung promises more years of Android updates. Not as many as Apple offers iOS updates, though.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

Debates over the relative merits of iOS versus Android can go on forever, but there’s always been one area where Apple was way ahead: offering years of operating system upgrades.

Not anymore. Samsung committed itself Wednesday to releasing four generations of Android OS updates for its high-end smartphones. And for its tablets, too.

Google steps up fight against iPhone by ripping off more Apple features

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Google rips off iPhone features
Spatial audio, unlock with Wear OS, and more on the way.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Google plans to make its latest Pixel and Wear OS devices more compelling alternatives to iPhone and Apple Watch by ripping off some of Cupertino’s most popular software features — including spatial audio and AirDrop.

The Android-maker revealed the long list of improvements, which will span all of Google’s software platforms as well as Windows, this week at the CES trade show in Las Vegas. Here’s what you can expect if you plan to ditch your Apple devices and swap sides.

Part 2: From PC pigsty to prim M1 Pro MacBook workstation [Setups]

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In round 2, I experiment with an open laptop stand, a mechanical keyboard with a wrist rest, a Magic Trackpad 2, an ergonomic mouse with a trackball and a monitor light bar.
In round 2, I experiment with an open laptop stand, a mechanical keyboard with a wrist rest, a Magic Trackpad 2, an ergonomic mouse with a trackball and a monitor light bar.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

I wrote recently about the shameful squalor of my previous “setup” — basically a borrowed PC laptop perched on a pile of junk — and my effort to build something worthwhile around a gleaming new 14-inch M1 Pro MacBook. Well, like a lot of people in the throes of building a computer setup, I found that second-guessing haunted me into buying a whole lot of alternative gear.

You know, for testing purposes. Trial and error. Not because of my apparent shopping addiction. Or not much, anyway.

Google mercilessly mocks those pretentious Apple videos Jony Ive used to make

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Google hilariously mocks Jony Ive’s Apple product videos
“Engineered for optimal haptic feedback to deliver the satisfying feeling of… click.”
Screenshot: Google

A new video for the Google Pixel 5a pokes fun at the ones Jony Ive used to make gushing about the smallest details in designs of Apple products.

While an homage, the video also exhibits a cutting edge. It highlights the new Android smartphone’s headphone jack, a feature Ive removed from iPhones. Still, Apple fans shouldn’t miss this well-made parody:

Samsung’s Galaxy Fold finally launches on its home turf this week

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Apple invents a unique, no-crease folding iPhone screen
And it only took an extra five months!
Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s long-delayed Galaxy Fold folding smartphone will finally go on sale on September 6. This comes five months after it was originally made available for preorder.

The troubled handset, which has undergone a major redesign, will launch in South Korea this week. it will be followed by select countries including France, Germany, Singapore, U.K., U.S. in the near future.

Samsung’s #greendontcare GIFs are the weirdest Apple diss ever

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Samsung's GIF
A look at some of Samsung's Apple-dissing GIFs.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung seems pretty triggered (as the kids say) by people dissing its green Android text message bubbles, compared to the blue bubbles of Apple’s iMessages. So much so, in fact, that it’s created a whole bunch of animated GIFs to, err… do something?

The GIFs portray scenes like a green snake eating blue bubbles and a creepy green salamander being inappropriately touchy-feely with a distressed blue bubble. Hey, it probably sounded hilarious when it was described in the team meeting!

Samsung and Huawei beat Apple in Q1 smartphone sales

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Apple display maker exec fired for embezzling millions of dollars
Apple still ranks no. 1 in profits, though!
Photo: Kristal Chan/Cult of Mac

Apple placed third in worldwide smartphone sales in the first quarter of 2019, suggest new figures from Gartner.

Samsung came in first place, with 71.6 million units sold in the three month period. Huawei followed in hot pursuit, with 58.4 million sales. Apple, for its part, sold 44.6 million units for the quarter: a decline of 17.6% year over year.

Samsung will reveal new shipping date for Galaxy Fold this week

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Galaxy Fold specs
The Galaxy Fold has been a bit of a headache for Samsung.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s boss Koh Dong-jin says that his company will announce its conclusion about the future of the Galaxy Fold this week.

Samsung has reportedly “reviewed the defect” highlighted in early reviews, and will announce its rescheduled launch plan in the U.S “in a couple of days.”

Samsung reports its weakest profits since late 2016

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Galaxy S10 lineup
Samsung's latest flagship phones are doing well, though.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung has reported its weakest profits in two years as first quarter earnings suffered from weak smartphone and memory chip sales.

While Samsung said that it expects things will be get better in the second half of the year, the immediate outlook isn’t great. Samsung posted operating profits of $5.4 billion for the quarter, its smallest since late 2016. By comparison, this quarter last year raked in $13.4 billion.

Samsung recalls glitchy Galaxy Fold review units

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Galaxy Fold specs
The Fold isn't the precedent-setter Samsung may have hoped.
Photo: Samsung

Having pushed back the launch of its Galaxy Fold folding smartphone, Samsung is now supposedly retrieving all units it sent reviewers — without issuing replacements. While there’s disagreement on whether the original units were meant to be returned after 10 days, it seems things aren’t quite playing out as expected.

This comes after early reviewers noted that the $1,980 handset suffered some serious screen problems.

Slowing smartphone sales hit Samsung profits hard

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Galaxy A7
Samsung says that Q1 operating profits will be down 60 percent.
Photo: Samsung

The massive rise of the smartphone is coming to a close, and Samsung is bearing the brunt of it.

As well as a manufacturer of its own handsets, Samsung also provides memory chips and display panels to other companies. Due to slowing demand for smartphones around the world, Samsung today revealed that its operating profits have plunged. It expects that its first quarter takings will be down by 60 percent compared to last year.

40 million Android users have downloaded Apple Music

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Streaming services like Apple Music dominate the US music market
Apple Music is popular across the board.
Photo: Apple

You’d think that most of the subscribers to Apple Music would be firmly locked into the Apple ecosystem. That may be true, but new figures suggest that there are quite a few listeners on Android as well.

Figures shared by Sensor Tower‘s Store Intelligence platform suggest that 40 million Android users have installed the Apple Music app from Google Play. Not only that, but the analytics firm believes that the “current quarter will be the service’s best yet for new users on the platform.”

Take a peek at Samsung’s AirPods rival ‘Galaxy Buds’

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Galaxy Buds 2
Samsung is ready to take on the AirPods.
Photo: Winfuture.de

Apple’s AirPods have been a massive smash hit since they launched a couple years back. It’s therefore unsurprising that rival companies would be keen to get themselves some of the sweet wireless cash — by launching their own wireless earbuds.

One of these companies, Samsung, is reportedly set to show off its own “Galaxy Buds” at its upcoming February 20 press event. And thanks to a leaked image, we have a good idea of what they’ll look like.

Meizu Zero goes up for pre-order with eye-watering price tag

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Meizu Zero 1
This phone outdoes Apple on the whole getting-rid-of-ports thing.
Photo: Meizu

In its quest for minimalist perfectionism, Apple loves shaving ports off its products wherever possible. But even it has stopped short of creating a phone like the Meizu Zero.

Promising no buttons, no speaker holes, no Sim card slot, and no charging port, this sleek Chinese Android phone looked like a concept phone or, uncharitably, an early April Fool’s joke when it first popped up online last month. Well, it seems that that’s not the case at all — since pre-orders have just gone live on Indiegogo. Be warned: It’s not cheap.

Wifi Porter makes sharing your wireless network a breeze

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Connect to Wifi Porter by simply tapping your phone on it.
Connect to Wifi Porter by simply tapping your phone on it.
Photo: Ten One Design

Imagine letting a friend connect to your Wi-Fi network just by tapping a hockey puck-sized chunk of wood. That’s the promise of Wifi Porter, an accessory from Ten One Design that saves guests from having to type in a password to get on the net.

It uses NFC and doesn’t require users to install any software.

Android will have a big advantage over iPhone in 2019

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iPhone 5G
The clue is in the giant "5G" written in the middle of this iPhone's display.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple may not be planning to release a 5G iPhone until at least 2020, but don’t expect rival Android handset makers to be willing to hold on for so long.

According to Qualcomm president Cristiano Amon, by this time next year the market is set to be flooded with 5G Android phones. “Every Android vendor is working on 5G right now,” he said.

Busted! Samsung uses stock photos as proof of camera quality

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Samung tweets
Samsung Brazil said it accidentally used stock photos when trying to show off on Twitter the camera of the Galaxy A8.
Photo: Feliperas/Twitter

When Apple wants to show off the camera quality of its latest iPhone, it mines social media for user photos by searching the hashtag “Shot on iPhone.” Apple then has plenty of actual iPhone images it then licenses for advertising.

But when Samsung tried to tout the camera of the Galaxy A8 in a recent Twitter campaign, it used stock photos most likely shot with DSLR cameras.

A device called Palm brings back a once-promising name

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Palm
The Palm name will return to the smartphone market, according to federal documents.
Photo: desmorider - http://flic.kr/p/7KY6dt

Palm, once considered a darling of innovation, disappeared from hands thanks to a series of ill-fated mergers and game-changing smartphones, including the iPhone.

Now Palm, or least the name, is poised for a comeback with an Android smartphone later this year.

Samsung smack-talks iPhone X with more ‘Ingenious’ ads

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Ingenious
Samsung hits Apple with three more blows in commercials for the Galaxy S9.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung continues tyring to sell smartphones with advertising that gives more airtime to Apple.

Three more commercials in Samsung’s “Ingenious” campaign went public today with a belief in accentuating the negative. Each exploits a different criticism of the iPhone X – the need for a dongle, the lack of a fast charger and a camera that gets lower test scores than the Galaxy S9.

One-time Apple copycat Xiaomi goes public

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Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
Its debut wasn't an unequivocal success, however.
Photo: Xiaomi

Chinese smartphone manufacturer and occasional Apple tribute act Xiaomi has made its debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange — officially making it the world’s third largest phonemaker.

Xiaomi is one of the world’s most hotly anticipated stock market listings, having risen to prominence in developing markets, such as China. CEO Lei Jun, who was present at the company’s IPO launch today, has admitted that his founding the company was heavily inspired by the story of Steve Jobs.

Waiting for a triple-lens iPhone? This smartphone reportedly packs 9.

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multi-camera smartphones
Take a picture or nine with this smartphone prototype from Light.
Photo: Light via Photo Rumors

An iPhone with a third lens is in the pipeline, rumor has it. But why just three, when you can have a smartphone with nine lenses?

Light, maker of a futuristic camera with 16 lenses, reportedly plans to introduce a smartphone with five to nine lenses by the end of 2018.

Exploding phone blamed for Malaysian VC’s death

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iPhone fire
It's very rare, but smartphones can catch fire. They aren't known to explode powerfully enough to kill someone, though.
Photo: Langley Township Fire Department

A Malaysian man perished in a fire in his bedroom, but his family and his company say he was actually killed when the phone charging near his bed exploded.

“He had two phones, one Blackberry and a Huawei. We don’t know which one exploded,” said the brother-in-law of Nazrin Hassan, the CEO of a venture capital fund.

T-Mobile, Sprint launch campaign for megamerger approval

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t-mobile
T-Mobile CEO John Legere is talking really fast convincing the FCC and the public that the proposed merger with Sprint should go through.
Photo: T-Mobile

T-Mobile and Sprint promised the FCC today that their proposed merger will lower costs for consumers and create more jobs. They also launched a website laying out the advantages of the New T-Mobile to the general public, including millions of iPhone users.

Combining the third and fourth largest U.S. carriers is a controversial idea. Megamergers typically lead to higher costs for consumers and significant layoffs, not the opposite. It’s up to the two companies to convince the FCC that things will be different this time.