Reports of S9 touchscreen dead zones surface, Samsung looking into the issue

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus have just gone on sale recently and it’s not without its issues. Reports have surfaced that some units are suffering from unresponsive touchscreens with dead zones being identified across S9 screens. The reports are being made across forums like Reddit and XDA but it isn’t clear how widespread the issue is. Some people claim the top part of the device doesn’t respond to touch inputs while others are saying the bottom of the screen doesn’t work. It’s not only an inconvenience but with a full-display device like this, it would be particularly debilitating.

Samsung has issued a statement on the matter. A spokesperson said, "At Samsung, customer satisfaction is core to our business and we aim to deliver the best possible experience. We are looking into a limited number of reports of Galaxy S9/S9+ touchscreen responsiveness issues. We are working with affected customers and investigating. We encourage any customer with questions to contact us directly at 1-800-SAMSUNG."

Source: CNET

Lower cost iPads with Apple Pencil support expected at next week's announcement

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Apple is expected to unveil refreshed iPad at its education event next week. Not only are these iPads expected to have updated specs, they could likely be the first non-Pro iPads to be compatible with Apple Pencil as per KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi-Kuo who noted “the new low-price 9.7-inch iPad ... will likely support Apple Pencil.”

The education event is expected to kick off various education-focused strategies and products from Apple. Not only is this the first Apple Special Event for 2018, it is also a return to form for the company that's had a strong educational push in its DNA. Apple, after all, has always designed products for students, and the educational sector. iBooks and MacBooks (later on MacBook Airs) have always been popular with students and iPads enjoyed early success and adoption in schools.

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Apple revamps Store app, puts focus on Sessions tab

Apple redesigns its Apple Store app to add some new elements, including a new Sessions tab that easily shows Today at Apple events. Version 5.0 of the app now has a dedicated Sessions section that shows everything from special events to the aforementioned Today at Apple educational lessons. On top of this, Today at Apple also shows up in the Discover section. It gets a Spotlight card interface that lets you flip through upcoming sessions in either tab, while a Signature Programs bar shows more information about the company’s other educational offerings like Photo Walks and Teacher Tuesdays. Through the Sessions tab you can also find out more details about these programs and sign up from there.

The app also now has a dedicated Search tab to help you look for more information on products and even store locations. When you’re inside the store, you can also now scan and buy accessories right from your iPhone. Some of the other new features include options to edit shipping details and engraving messages, cancel items from an order, and view invoices.

Source: Apple Insider

Sonos pulling out ads from Facebook and donating money to rights activists

The fallout continues from Facebook's involvement in enabling Cambridge Analytics to illegally mine data from millions of Facebook users without their consent, possibly violating various privacy agreements. Facebook is scrambling to respond while it is being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission and other privacy commissions in other countries. Meanwhile a strong #DeleteFacebook movement is gaining ground among users and is even backed by the founder of messaging app WhatsApp, which was bough by Facebook in 2014. Up to 3,000 brands are threatening to pull investment in Facebook.

Sonos has announced that it will halt advertising with Facebook as a result of the investigations into Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. 

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