The wait is over: The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus now support Daydream VR

When Samsung launched the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, one of the more glaring omissions was the lack of Daydream VR support. We assumed it was not for a lack of specs – the Snapdragon 835, 4 GB of RAM, and Quad HD Super AMOLED display ensure compatibility – so it was only a matter of time until that would change.

Fortunately for Daydream VR fans, that time is now, since Google confirmed Daydream VR is rolling out to Samsung's pair of flagship smartphones.

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Google says 11 Daydream-compatible phones will be on sale by end of 2017

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The two phones have had quite the journey to get to where we are today when it comes to Google's VR solution. When we first learned that the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus launched without Daydream VR support, we did not know whether that was because of possible meddling on Samsung's part.

The company, along with Oculus, have their own Gear VR platform for Samsung smartphones, and it was possible that Samsung's agreement with Oculus prevented the former from reaching an agreement with Google to support Daydream VR. You could change that by altering a single line of code, though the "solution" likely voided your warranty.

We then fast-forward to Google's developer conference in May, when the search giant announced that Daydream VR support would make its way to the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus through a software update this summer. Google did not provide more specific information, but it was enough to get folks excited. After all, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are the most well-known faces of Android to the general public, and having the phones support Daydream VR could make the platform more popular.

There was a bit of a waiting period, but about a week ago, Verizon rolled out an update to Samsung's pair of flagships to support Google's VR platform. Other carriers rolled out similar updates, though it was dependent on Google to issue server-side support.

Because of that, however, it might take a bit for the Daydream app to function as advertised on your Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus. Either way, the waiting period should not be that long, since no further software update is required.

Get Daydream from the Play Store

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Google lands itself in hot water over concerns regarding purchase tracking

Google offers a wealth of devices, applications, and features that have become incredibly useful in this connected world of ours, but you do give up some of your privacy for the privilege. The return makes the trade-off an easy one to make for most folks, but in the eyes of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), one such trade-off involving Google's Store Sales Management program might have stepped over the line.

Unveiled back in May, the program uses your credit card transactions to determine how many sales were generated by digital ad campaigns. More specifically, this data is then combined with other financial information in order to create your profile, which tells companies what you search for in terms of goods and services. These searches then theoretically result in real-world purchases, which Google wants to prove are the results of its online ads.

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Former Google executive says Android phone cameras are "years behind" the iPhone

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The problem, according to EPIC's complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, is how secretive Google is when it comes to the anonymization process. When Google's Store Sales Management program creates your profile, it supposedly does so without revealing your name, credit card number, or other private data.

EPIC is concerned that, since Google remains secretive about this anonymization process, there is no way to determine whether it does what it does well. This concern is augmented by CryptDB, a system that the process is based on, and its "known security flaws":

The foundational algorithm on which the Google platform is based has known security flaws. In 2015, researchers were able to hack into a CryptDB protected database of healthcare records and access over 50 percent (sometimes 100 percent) of sensitive patent data at an individual level.

In the complaint, EPIC also states that there is no clear way for people to opt out of Google's purchase tracking:

Consumers cannot easily avoid Google's tracking of their in-store purchase behavior. As described above, there appears to be no mechanism by which Google users can opt out of purchase tracking other than by disabling location tracking entirely. It is not clear to users, however, that the way to avoid tracking of purchases is by disabling location tracking.

Generally speaking, these are not the only concerns regarding the Store Sales Management program. For one, Google also refused to share how the system works in detail when it was first unveiled. It is also unknown which companies analyze credit and debit card records on Google's behalf. In other words, there is plenty we do not know about the program, but whether that is a good or bad thing, or something in between, is a different question.

Android Authority will reach out to Google for comment on the matter and will update accordingly.

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Galaxy Note 8 render bridges the gap between Note 7 and S8

The Galaxy Note 8 shows up in a convincing render, and it looks like a squarer, taller Galaxy S8.

We are just over three weeks from the unveiling of the Galaxy Note 8. We know this because Samsung has itself admitted it.

And while we've already seen fairly convincing renders of the upcoming S Pen-enhanced flagship, Evan Blass of Twitter's @evleaks has most recently given us the best look at the phone yet.

Samsung Galaxy S8 next to the rumored Galaxy Note 8.

Here you can see the front of the phone in what looks like a press render, conveniently laid out next to the Galaxy S8. You can see the Note 8 is ever so much taller, and appropriately squarer for the brand. It bridges the gap between the Galaxy Note 7 and the Galaxy S8.

Samsung Galaxy Note8 (in Midnight Black) http://pic.twitter.com/QZii9xFarQ

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 31, 2017

The Note 8 is also expected to share a similar spec sheet to the Galaxy S8, including the popular Snapdragon 835 / Exynos 8895 combination that has been so well received this year. But Samsung intends to give the Note 8 slightly more memory, with 6GB of RAM and a 128GB storage option. On the camera side, Samsung's first dual camera setup is expected to debut on the Note 8, with two 12MP sensors with lenses of different focal lengths and both optically stabilized.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8: What we know so far

What do you think of the Galaxy Note 8 so far? Let us know in the comments below!

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BLU phones no longer on sale from Amazon following renewed security worries

Another security scare has big consequences.

U.S.-based phone company BLU is back in hot water as Amazon has suspended sales of its phones citing concerns over the security of the software loaded on the phones. Amazon says the move is in response to a "potential security issue," though it's not immediately clear if it stems from the same security worry uncovered in apps pre-loaded on BLU phones late last year.

Most people probably don't have any specific brand affinity for BLU's phones, but it has made some of the cheapest Android devices available on Amazon, which has driven sales as it competes in the ultra-low-end segment. BLU has even partnered with Amazon for a "Prime Exclusive" device that was sold with lock screen ads at a steep discount — just $60. At the time of the previous security scare it was apparently determined BLU had things under control enough to keep the phones on sale — but now Amazon is pulling the plug 8 months later.

Amazon's provided the following statement to CNET:

Because security and privacy of our customers is of the utmost importance, all BLU phone models have been made unavailable for purchase on Amazon.com until the issue is resolved.

The interesting part about this whole thing is how long it took Amazon to put a halt on sales, particularly if this is indeed a continuation of the same issue from November last year. With Amazon's reputation on the line in that it's selling co-branded Prime Exclusive versions of BLU phones, it's surprising that it wouldn't have at least temporarily paused sales while this was ongoing. Now, Amazon is now directing customers to BLU for inquiries on their phones, and continuing to sell other Prime Exclusive phones from the likes of Motorola, Nokia and Alcatel.

It isn't likely that anyone will be too upset by not seeing a BLU phone available on Amazon alongside the many other Prime Exclusive devices, but for those who bought one throughout 2017 there are bigger questions as to how big this security hole is and how responsible BLU will be in addressing it.

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Google Voice 5.3 update brings multi-select for messages [APK Download]

Google just pushed a minor revision to the Google Voice app for Android, bringing it up to v5.3. Nothing huge appears to have been changed, but there is one small but useful new feature. Now long-pressing on a message brings up an option for multi-selection, rather than just a menu for simple actions pertaining to a single message. So the next time you need to mass-delete messages sent to your Google Voice account, it won't be quite such a tedious affair. 

We did a quick look inside the APK as well, and so far this appears to be the only significant difference in v5.3.

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Google Voice 5.3 update brings multi-select for messages [APK Download] was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Galaxy Note8 leaks ahead of August unveiling

The upcoming Galaxy Note8 has been highly anticipated by fans, despite the previous model blowing up on several occasions. There have been a few leaks so far, but only from questionable sources. Evan Blass, known as @evleaks on Twitter, has shared an image of the upcoming phone.

Samsung Galaxy Note8 (in Midnight Black) http://pic.twitter.com/QZii9xFarQ

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 31, 2017

As you can see, it looks almost identical to the Galaxy S8+.

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Galaxy Note8 leaks ahead of August unveiling was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Daydream VR support is rolling out to the Galaxy S8 and S8+

When the Galaxy S8 was initially released, it lacked support for Google's Daydream VR platform. But at Google I/O, the company confirmed that the phone would receive an update "over the summer" that added Daydream support. Then T-Mobile said the update was coming, followed by Verizon.

Now it looks like it's finally happening. The Google VR G+ account announced that "the Daydream-ready update is rolling out now" to both the S8 and S8+.

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Daydream VR support is rolling out to the Galaxy S8 and S8+ was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Amazon suspends sales of BLU phones after malware discovered on some models

BLU is one of many low-end phone manufacturers, known for its dirt-cheap unlocked Android phones. But back in November, a security firm discovered spyware on some BLU phones sold in the United States, prompting Amazon to stop selling the affected devices until the issue was resolved.

But it looks like BLU is, once again, in trouble with Amazon. The retailer is ceasing sales of some BLU devices (there are still some available for purchase, at the time of writing) following an announcement from security firm Kryptowire at the recent Black Hat security conference.

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Amazon suspends sales of BLU phones after malware discovered on some models was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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[Update: Now $208.99] Deal Alert: Get a Google Home and Philips Hue Color Starter Kit for $228.99 ($100 off) at Best Buy

• Update 1: 2017/07/31 3:48pm PDT
  What was a good savings is now... a slightly better savings. Best Buy has dropped the price on their Google Home and Philips Hue Color Starter Kit by another $20,

 

Just getting started on your project to make your home smarter? If so, Best Buy may have just the thing for you. You can now purchase a Google Home and a third-generation Philips Hue Color A19 Starter Kit for just $228.99 - a savings of about $100 if you were to buy them separately.

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[Update: Now $208.99] Deal Alert: Get a Google Home and Philips Hue Color Starter Kit for $228.99 ($100 off) at Best Buy was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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