Some bad news is surfacing this weekend for owners of several popular Samsung devices. Members of XDA Developers identified a kernel exploit for devices with certain Exynos processors that could provide root access without flashing the device. According to XDA member alephzain, the vulnerability was discovered on his Samsung Galaxy S III in /dev/exynos-mem. The weakness provides full read/write rights to all physical memory. » Read the rest
News has surfaced that Samsung has (finally) pushed the coveted Jelly Bean update to the Korean variants of the Galaxy S III smartphone. According to the gang at SamMobile, the update is now up for owners of the different Korean versions of the smartphone and can be downloaded via Kies Desktop Software or through OTA. The massive update will bring the Android software version to 4.1.2 and the build to JZO54K, while bringing the usual goodies like Multi-View, Smart Rotation and revamped Notification Panel.
As exciting as this news is— the rest of the world is still waiting for the other versions of the Galaxy S III getting the Jelly Bean update. At least we’re seeing the devices get the update— one step at a time.
source: SamMobile
The day has finally come Verizon Galaxy S III users. By tomorrow you should be expecting your device to be upgraded to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean! Verizon users cane expect the popular Google Now feature as well as several new camera features and enhancements. Also to be included in the update is the all new ISIS mobile payment application that several carriers are lobbying to push. Perhaps this is what Verizon wants their users to use instead of Google Wallet?
Anyone excited about this update? For more information check out the source link!
source: Verizon
If you happen to be a bus rider in London and own an NFC-based device like the astounding Galaxy S III smartphone, today is a momentous day for you. Transport for London has announced its activation for contactless payments using NFC technology on 8,500 of its buses. When using the NFC payment, customers can pay the same fare as a traditional Oyster card user, which is £1.35 as opposed to the standard £2.30 cash fare. There is a catch to this technology though— customers will need to ensure their NFC-based device has a special logo in order to utilize the contactless payment technology and as of now, we only know of Orange UK’s version of the Galaxy S III having the special logo. On the other hand, there is a slim possibility that other NFC-equipped devices could potentially work, especially since there’s no mention of what exact devices are compatible exactly.
Still, today is a pretty significant breakthrough and it should be only a matter of time before we see other transport companies take advantage of this technology. We’re all looking at you New York City MTA!
source: Engadget
Well this is new. Instead of Motorola’s usual Apple-bashing ads, it looks like they’re going after Android’s top dog; Samsung’s Galaxy S III. It launched this morning on Moto’s Facebook page with a punny tagline about downloading from another galaxy, and links to a little slideshow on Motorola’s website slamming comparing the S III to their own Droid RAZR HD. The RAZR HD features a battery with 20% more juice than what the S3 offers, as well as Kevlar backing, which also happens to be splash resistant. They take a low shot here at Samsung’s plastic backing, but all’s fair in vicious viral advertising, right?
The last side shows off how much better designed and innovative the hardware is on the RAZR HD by giving you a side-by-side look at both phones. My only problem with this is that the side shot of the S III looks like a low-res image off the 32nd page on a Google search. It’s a bit unfair, but the RAZR HD does have a very nicely designed body.
Since Apple isn’t controlling the market anymore, I guess we should all expect the Android OEMs to turn on each other for their marketing tactics. But, hey, competition is never a bad thing.
source: Motorola
For those still holding out for a deal on the Galaxy S III, Wal-Mart seems like the place to be as it looks like they’re offering the device for $98 for new contracts as well as qualifying upgrades. This doesn’t look like it’s any sort of promo either as we may see this price for a while. It must be noted however that Wal-Mart only offers Classic plans through T-Mobile so you’ll have to crunch some numbers and see if this deal is right for you since Classic plans are typically more than Value plans, yet you don’t have to pay the extra $20 per month on Classic. Decisions, Decisions… Let us know if you’re jumping on this deal as it’s always intriguing regarding the ‘numbers game’ when we’re discussing T-Mobile.
source: TmoNews
Time to pop the champagne bottles and have a celebration if you’re an owner of the Verizon Galaxy Note II— the bootloader looks to have been officially unlocked. Thanks to the tireless work of a few hard-working individuals, they have cracked what is the hardest part of the Galaxy Note II’s shell– despite Big Red’s strong insistence on keeping its devices “safe and secure”. The way the Galaxy Note II’s bootloader was cracked is quite ingenious too actually– all that was needed to do was to trick the Galaxy Note II into thinking it’s a device that’s 0.7-inches smaller and eventually flashing a PIT file in order to revert back to the Galaxy Note II’s original identity after the phone has been unlocked. The method has only been tested on one device as of this time, but with more time and usage of this method— we should see this unlock exploit work on most, if not all Verizon Galaxy Note II variants.
So we have root and now we have an unlocked bootloader. All we need now is those ROMs to eventually start a’flowin’! Hopefully you Galaxy Note II owners don’t have to wait too much longer for some of that custom ROM goodness.
source: Adam Outen+
Last week Samsung released a video highlighting many of the features that will be on the upcoming premium suite upgrade for the Galaxy S III. There’s still more features as they just released part two. This one shows you Paper Artist, Low Light Shot, Best Face, Easy Mode, Sound Balance, Setup Wizard, and Camera Easy Snap. Just hit the break to check it out.
So you own a Galaxy S III, but haven’t gotten that coveted Jelly Bean update yet— but are itching to get an idea of what to look forward to in the imminent update? Well great you’re in luck as Samsung recently posted a video highlighting its Premium Suite upgrade found in a special update. Similar to what is seen on other Samsung devices, Galaxy S III owners who are likely to be due for the update can look forward to items such as Contextual Awareness actions like Page Buddy which allows your Galaxy S III to predict your intentions based off your actions (think of when you plug in your earphones, the device automatically opens the music player) or Enhanced Features like the coveted Multi-Window multitasking feature.
While it is cool to get an idea of what users could potentially look forward to– unfortunately Samsung highlights the Premium Suite “availability and timing will vary depending on the country and mobile carrier”, so it’s uncertain of if most Galaxy S III owners will see the update. However, we’re holding out hope that most (if not all) Galaxy S III users will get to utilize all the cool features. Hit the break to get an idea of what the Premium Suite entails exactly.
Fresh off other variants getting some Jelly Bean lovin’, Sammy has begun to push the coveted Android 4.1.2 update to the international variant of the Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone. It is confirmed that the official rollout has begun worldwide, though it’s currently being pushed out in phases— so it’s unclear which GT-I9300 models will get the update first for now. The update will bring the Jelly Bean build to JZO54K and will bring the usual goodies like Google Now, Multi-View capabilities, Smart Rotation and a customizable Notification Panel among other things.
Owners of the unlocked model can check for the update through Kies Desktop software or OTA through their device’s Settings. If it’s not available don’t fret— the update will certainly be here before you know it.
source: SamMobile