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Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S8 and S8+

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 18:06:18 +0000

Ultimately, when it comes to creating technologies that help users streamline their mobile lives, UX (user experience) marks the spot.

Take the Galaxy S8 and S8+. When designing its latest flagships, Samsung went to great lengths to ensure that the UX behind their groundbreaking, bezel-less designs would foster convenient and intuitive interactions. The result of the company’s efforts is a seamless interface that allows users to navigate the devices’ immersive displays with ease and take full advantage of their powerful features.

The tips and functions outlined below offer simple ways for users to further amplify their Galaxy S8’s convenience and get more out of their smartphone experience.

Get to Know the Navigation Bar

The navigation bar that houses the Galaxy S8’s Home, Back and Recents buttons has a few tricks up its sleeve, including allowing users to bypass their device’s Lock screen and instantly access the Home screen.

After activating the Unlock with Home button feature via Settings > Display > Navigation bar, a hard press of the square Home button from the Always On Display will unlock the device (a swiping motion is not required), while a double-tap will pull up the lock screen. The navigation bar’s settings also allow users to customize the Home button’s sensitivity to avoid unwanted presses.

Users may hide the navigation bar in apps where it does not automatically disappear or fix it to their screen by toggling the Show and Hide button, which appears on the bar’s far left side. The bar’s configuration may also be customized.

Using certain apps and functions may cause the navigation bar to disappear entirely. In those instances, users may navigate back to the Home screen by hard-pressing on the Home button’s usual location, and may access the navigation bar by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.

Take Advantage of the Edge Screen

The Edge panels in the Galaxy S8’s Edge screen offer access to apps, news and key functions with a simple swipe of the side of the screen. Users may customize their Edge panel selection and add more apps and shortcuts that work for them.

The Edge screen’s Edge lighting feature adds additional convenience, notifying users of incoming messages by illuminating the Infinity Display’s edges. This allows notifications to be visible even when the device is facing down, and creates an intuitive means to notify users of messages without disrupting their enjoyment of videos, games and apps.

Users may access the Edge screen’s settings by tapping Settings > Display > Edge screen.

Create Convenient Reminders

Find an interesting article that you’d like to get back to later? The Galaxy S8 allows users to conveniently save URLs using its Reminder function.

With the website pulled up, simply access your browser’s sharing options and tap on the Reminder icon. Webpage URLs are automatically saved, and users may additionally select exactly when they’d like to receive their notification.

The Galaxy S8 also allows users to create reminders based on texts. When viewing a conversation in the Messages app, long-press your selected message until the Message options menu appears and choose Send to Reminder. The message will automatically be saved to the Reminder app, and you’ll also be able to specify if/when you would like the reminder to appear.

In addition, the Galaxy S8 allows users to pin reminders to its Always On Display, making them visible at all times. To do so, open the Reminder app, tap on the reminder that you would like to display and select Pin to Always On Display.

Power Button and Sensor Shortcuts

Sometimes taking the perfect photo requires one to be quick on the draw with their camera.

To help users capture more of their special moments, the Galaxy S8’s camera launches instantly with a double-press of the power key. The camera’s zoom function is similarly seamless, allowing users to easily zoom in or out by dragging the white shutter button to the right or left.

In addition to unlocking the device, the Galaxy S8’s fingerprint sensor allows users to open apps and manage key functions. A simple swipe down or up will show or hide the notification panel, while swiping up on the sensor from the Home screen will launch the Samsung Pay app. The function may be found under Settings > Advanced features > Finger sensor gestures.

In a meeting and can’t answer the phone? With the Galaxy S8, you can politely decline incoming calls with preset text messages.

The Quick Reply feature activates with a two-second touch of the device’s heart-rate sensor and allows users to send a customized response that suits their needs. The function may be found under Settings > Display > Edge screen > Edge lighting > More Options > Quick reply.

Step Up Your Screenshot Game

The Galaxy S8 allows users to snap quick screenshots via a variety of convenient ways.

Users have the option to press and hold the ‘volume down’ and power buttons simultaneously, swipe the screen from one side to the other with the side of their palm, or utilize the Galaxy S8’s Smart Select feature, which is found via the Edge screen and allows you to select an area of the display to capture as an image or GIF.

Located under Settings > Advanced features > Smart capture, scroll capture is another useful option that’s designed to help users snap more complete screenshots. The function appears after a screenshot has been taken and allows for all of an app or page’s scrollable content to be included in the image.

Get More Done with Snap Window

The Galaxy S8’s new Snap Window feature allows users to select a portion of the most recently opened app to pin to the top of their screen.

This means that, for instance, a user may keep an eye on a video or constantly updated content such as stock prices and headlines via the top of their screen while using the remainder of the display to send an email, browse the web or manage other apps.

Activate the feature by pulling up your recent apps and tapping on the function’s corresponding button.

A Fun Way to Unlock Your Phone

After registering their irises for biometric verification, Galaxy S8 users have the option to select a fun mask or background to display when the security feature is activated.

Available designs may be found under Settings > Lock screen and security > Iris scanner > Preview screen mask.

Sharing Links with Samsung Cloud

Samsung Cloud offers users an effortless means to share large video clips and reams of pictures by creating a URL that lets others access your shared media.

The function maintains full picture quality and supports files of up to 1GB in size. Users may save up to 2GB of content per day. After two days, the files are deleted from Samsung’s servers.

To utilize the feature, select the photo or video that you would like to share in the Gallery app, tap Share and choose Link Sharing. The subsequent screen will allow you to select the app you would like to use to send your link.

Users may also provide others with access to shared content by sending a code. Those who receive the code will be able to punch it in to Samsung’s Link Sharing app and instantly view and download the shared files.

Click and Grow Like a Pro Tips for an Urban Garden

Wed, 26 Oct 2016 16:16:35 +0000

Think of gardens and you think of spades, boots, soil, mud and getting your hands dirty. Certainly not something you’d expect technology would mix well with and yet your devices do have a place in your gardening, even though they can’t do the digging for you.

Get Inspired

What kind of garden do you want—flowers? Vegetables? Herbs? A mixture? The best way to figure that out is to look at other gardens for inspiration. Take a walk through your neighborhood using your, smartphone, snapping photos of gardens you love. Spend some quality time with your laptop, looking through gardening websites. Visit your local garden centre and write down the name of every plant you like. Save all this information in a sort of virtual “inspiration notebook”—whether this is just a folder on your computer or you use an app like Evernote is up to you.

Plan Ahead

Time to get your smartphone out again. Snap several photos of the space you intend to use for your garden, covering all possible angles, whether it’s a large space or a small window sill. Copy the photos to your tablet or laptop, or print them out and then sketch over them, detailing exactly how your garden will be laid out. The less space you have, the more creative you’ll need to get. Be realistic not just about the space and conditions you have to work with, but also about the time and effort you can invest—a set of plants in hanging baskets could make your tiny bathroom look nicer, for example, but if the only way to water them would be to precariously balance on your sink, they may be more trouble than they’d be worth.

Make a List

You’ve figured out how you want your garden to look and you know what plants you want to get—now make a shopping list. This should include not just plants and seeds, but everything else you might need that you don’t yet have, even if it’s something you’re planning to get for free rather than buying, such as repurposed containers for planting. The very last thing you want is to realise you’ve forgotten something when you’re elbow deep in potting soil. Try to include an alternative for each plant on the list, just in case your local garden centre doesn’t have everything you want. It’s perfectly alright if there are some on which you don’t want to compromise—it’s just easier to do that bit of research calmly, in the comfort of your home, rather than standing in the middle of an aisle tapping away at your smartphone.

Do Your Research

Whoever said “knowledge is power” probably didn’t have gardening in mind, but that doesn’t mean the concept doesn’t apply. The better prepared you are to tackle any issues that may arise, the more likely your garden is to succeed. Before you start planting, spend some time on your laptop familiarising yourself with the various local laws and ordinances that may affect what you can do—including, if you live in an apartment, any building-specific rules and regulations. Ensure you know exactly what each plant needs to thrive—or, in some cases, how to keep it from taking over your entire garden. Keep your smartphone or tablet on hand as you plant, in case you need to double-check something. If something goes wrong with your garden, research the symptoms and possible solutions. And if all else fails and you can’t figure out what’s wrong, taking a photo or three will make it much easier for you to get help from fellow gardening enthusiasts.

Set Yourself a Schedule

No matter how much you love your garden, let’s face it; it’s not the only thing in your life. It’s only natural that you’ll sometimes forget to water the plants, never mind all those monthly or yearly maintenance tasks that need to be done to keep the garden in its best shape. The solution? Set up alerts on your smartphone to remind you whenever something needs to be done, whether it’s watering, fertilizing, pruning, replanting or simply picking the fruits (and vegetables) of your labour before they fall off the plant. Do your best to configure the reminders to go off at a time when you’re actually home and able to perform the task immediately—and don’t mark something off as completed unless that’s actually the case.

Keep a Journal

No, it doesn’t have to be complex or eloquent and no, you don’t have to share it with anybody, although you can make it a blog if you feel so inclined—but do keep a journal of your gardening endeavors, using the same method you did to build your inspiration notebook. As long as you keep track of what went right, what went wrong and why, gardening is a constant learning experience and no matter how green your thumbs were when you started, they can always get greener. Take lots of pictures, too—that way, many years down the line, you’ll still be able to show off your gorgeous roses or laugh about that one time you got way too many tomatoes and barely anything else out of your vegetable patch.

Photo Credits: Jessie Cowan / Demand Media

Unique Uses for Your Phone’s Camera

Thu, 28 Apr 2016 17:05:49 +0000

Digital Camera Technology

Photo sensors make it possible for you to snap a digital photo using your phone’s camera. Used in one-third of phone cameras, space engineers spent decades developing small ones that could survive the most brutal conditions. Software developers who understand the technology create applications that do more than just take pictures.

Portable Scanners

You can’t carry a full-sized scanner in your pocket or purse, but you can pull out a cell phone and scan a document anywhere using an app such as CamScanner. Snap a picture of a document that contains text or graphics and the app scans it into a PDF file or high-quality image you can print or share over the Web. Use your portable scanner to scan magazines, business cards or receipts you’d like to save.

Augmented Reality

Many mobile phones can blend what you see around you with what appears on your phone’s display. They do this by using their cameras, GPS sensors and other hardware to identify objects in your area and display them on-screen. Imagine yourself in a new town searching for a good place to grab lunch. If your phone has the right app, you can hold your camera in front of a promising cafe and view reviews and other information about it. As technology advances, phones will be able to incorporate more realistic imagery into the scenes you see on your display.

Wireless Video Chat

If you’ve longed to video chat with friends over the Web but never purchased a webcam, turn your cell phone into one using an app with webcam functionality. Install the program, point your phone’s camera at yourself—or anything you want to show off—and chat away. These types of apps convert your phone into a wireless webcam that works over a standard Wi-Fi connection, meaning that you are not tied to your computer while chatting.

Photo Credits: Kate Van Vleck / Demand Media

Reference techlife.samsung.com

Tips & Tricks: Setting Up Wi-Fi on Your Phone

Thu, 28 Apr 2016 17:02:50 +0000

1. Turning Wi-Fi On or Off

Turning Wi-Fi on allows your phone to discover and connect to compatible in-range Wireless Access Points so you can connect to a wireless network. From a Home screen, tap Apps > Settings. Tap Wi-Fi, and then tap the ON / OFF switch to turn Wi-Fi on or off.

2. Scanning and Connecting to a Wi-Fi Network

From a Home screen, tap Apps > Settings. Tap Wi-Fi, and then tap the network you want to connect to. When you select an open network, you are automatically connected to the network. Enter a wireless password, if necessary.

3. Manually Connect to a Wi-Fi Network

From a Home screen, tap Apps > Settings.
Tap Wi-Fi > Add Wi-Fi network.
Enter information about the Wi-Fi network:
Tap Network SSID to enter the name of the Wi-Fi network.
Tap the Security field and select a security option. This must match the current security setting on your target WAP. If secured, you will also need to enter your WAP’s password.
Tap Show advanced options, if you need to add advanced options such as Proxy and IP settings.
Tap Connect to store the new information and connect to your target WAP.

Reference techlife.samsung.com

Tips & Tricks: Managing Your Phones Calendar

Thu, 28 Apr 2016 16:47:32 +0000

Set up a Google Account

Google Calendar is built into the phone and synchronises both new and existing entries between your phone and your online Google account. To get the most out of your Calendar, we recommend creating a Google Account (or signing in to an existing account). Set up a Google Account on your device in the Accounts section of the Settings app.

Create a Calendar Event or Task

Keep your busy schedule on track by adding important events and tasks into your calendar.
From a Home screen, tap Apps > Calendar.

Tap Create new and select one of the following options:
Add event: Enter an event with an optional repeat setting.
Add task: Enter a task with an optional priority setting.
Enter details for the event or task, and then tap Save.

Delete Calendar Events or Tasks

When an event is canceled or a task no longer needs to be completed, removing it from your Calendar is easy: From a Home screen, tap Apps > Calendar. Tap an event or task to view it. Tap Delete.

To delete multiple events or tasks, tap More options > Delete, select events or tasks, and then tap Delete.

Share Calendar Events

Share an event with your contacts: From a Home screen, tap Apps > Calendar. Tap to view an event or task. Tap More options > Share via, select a sharing method, and follow the prompts.

Calendar Settings

These settings allow you to modify settings associated with using the Calendar. From a Home screen, tap Apps > Calendar. Tap More options > Settings. Tap an option and follow the prompts.

Photo Credits: Samsung

6 Tips & Tricks for Switching to Your New Phone

Thu, 28 Apr 2016 16:44:32 +0000

1. Get Accounted For

When you power up your new phone, follow the step by step guide to sign up for a free Samsung Account and Android-friendly Google Account online. With just a few keystrokes, you’ll be ready to jam to Google Play Music, swipe at the till with Samsung Pay. With the Android Device Manager and / or Samsung’s Find my Mobile find a misplaced smartphone, all right out of the box.

2. Be a Smarty Pants

Download Samsung Smart Switch to transfer your contacts, media, calendars, notes, messages and more from your old phone to your new one with a few taps. Smart Switch is all about options, so you can go wired or wireless and make a seamless move from Android or iOS platforms.

3. Stay Connected

Wi-Fi is the lifeblood of your phone; make sure you’re connected by accessing your Settings menu, then sliding Wi-Fi on. While you’re there, establish local connections by activating your Bluetooth too.

4. Email A-Go-Go

Allow your new smartphone to unchain you from the desktop; go ahead and tap Apps and Email, then type in your email account details to get rolling. If you’re an email connoisseur, add a few more email accounts from the outset by tapping Apps and Email, then Settings and finally Add to expand your options.

5. Duly Noted

If you’re rocking a new Galaxy Note, customise the Air Command menu to your liking to get quick access to your favourite apps. Use the S Pen to select Settings, then S Pen. From here, choose Air Command, followed by Shortcuts, and then choose your three favourite apps for instantaneous access. Thanks, S Pen.

6. Live on the Edge

The curved edge screen defines the edge experience, so make it yours from the beginning. Go to Settings on the main menu and then Edge screen position. Choose your edge screen side to pick your left-or-right preference. Likewise, dive into People edge under the edge screen settings menu, tap My people and choose five key contacts; the edge screen will keep you up-to-date with unobtrusive notifications from the five most important folks in your life.

Photo Credits: Shauna Hundeby / Demand Media

Reference techlife.samsung.com

5 Times You Need to Take Low Light Photos

Sun, 03 Apr 2016 14:12:04 +0000

1. Sunsets in High Dynamic Range

The warm colors, long shadows and directional light that make sunsets so compelling to photograph don’t always translate in their full glory on your camera’s sensor. Enable your Galaxy S7’s HDR mode—which essentially merges three different photos at three different exposures—to get the most vibrant, deeply detailed results.

2. Slower Skyline Shutters

Whether you are shooting the downtown skyline at night or the trees behind your house, switch to Pro mode and adjust your camera’s ISO settings to its lowest shutter speed. This way; the camera sensor gets exposed to light for as long as possible, making night-time pictures shine. For added stability, use a tripod or lean against something stationary, then engage the self-timer—it’s the clock icon in your camera’s settings—so you don’t shift the phone when you tap the shutter.

3. Move Toward the Light

If you’ve ever taken a shot of a friend against a brightly lit window, you know how easy it is to end up with a shadowy silhouette. When shooting in low light conditions against an illuminated background, try turning your subject toward instead of away from the brightest point. That way, whatever light there is hits where you want it—plus you’ll end up composing a more interesting shot.

4. Zoom Out on the Action

Life is filled with fast-moving photo ops that can end up blurry, a grainy mess as a result of poor lighting. When it comes to capturing subjects in darkened motion—like a night-time session of hide-and-go-seek—digital zoom is rarely your friend. Resolution is lost with each level of magnification, so for better close-up shots, simply avoid the zoom and move as close to your subject as possible.

5. Birthday Candle Ambiance

Big milestones call for big celebrations, so when it’s time to blow out the candles on a cake, try emphasising the light source rather than the subject it’s illuminating. To play up the contrast between bright and dark, enable Pro mode and lower your camera’s exposure value—it’s the icon near the bottom with the plus and minus symbols. That makes the shadows deeper and the light source really pop.

Photo Credits: Describe the Fauna/Demand Media