Despite some successful recent high profile product launches – and one notable failure – the bad news keeps coming around for Samsung. Sure, there’s that thing about Vice Chairman Lee Jae-Yong getting 5 years in the pokey for bribing South Korea’s president, but no, what we’re talking about is a recent software update that’s bricking Samsung TVs!
According to The Guardian, hundreds of Samsung TVs – mostly in the UK – are now useless after a software update went out last week, and the old unplug-it then plug–it-back-in trick just isn’t working. Indeed, Samsung says an actual human technician will need to pay a personal visit to your state-of-the-art flatscreen in order to revive it. Users are reporting that the TVs are getting stuck on a channel and won’t respond to remotes or smartphone apps to reset them.
Also, some apps – like Netflix – aren’t working either. To compound the issue, TV owners said at first, they got little to no help from Samsung. However, it looks like the company is getting up to speed now, so if you’re having TV issues, try this link for ways to get started on a fix.
Electricity is in the air
So will the new Apple iPhone 8 have wireless charging, or not? Our friends over at BGR say a new photo could indicate it will indeed.
Apple has been a holdout on wireless charging despite the fact the tech is pretty mature – and actually dates back decades – but it looks like that stubborn streak will end. BGR says this photo that floated around on Weibo shows the ring-like wireless charging tech that is in the new phones, which are expected to be announced… any time now. Apple is likely busily building a zillion of the new phones right now, since demand is projected to be off the charts.
So the big wireless charging question is: will it be the “close proximity” type like you get with some Android phones, or a new “anywhere in the room” system that’s also been rumored? We’ll get the answer next month.
Original paint!
Hey, got a buffing wheel, some Armor-All and a few free weekends? Then we have the car for you: a lovely 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta Alloy by Scaglietti barn find.
Yes, a barn find. As in, it’s been in the barn for 40 years, but at least it kept the rain off. Oh, did we mention it’s the only 365GTB/4 of its kind left in the world? Yeah, there’s that, so if you were thinking you could reel it in on the cheap, hose it off and have your buddy detail it for $50, yeah, that’s probably not gonna happen, as the auction house putting it up for bid is expecting it to go for $2 million – and maybe more.
Jalopnik says the car was initially sold to a close friend of Enzo Ferrari and then bounced around to four other owners before landing in… a barn. Good luck bidding.
We’ve got more news on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and be sure to tune in to this week’s DT podcasts: Close to the Metal (computers and such) on Tuesday, Trends with Benefits (general tech shenanigans) on Thursdays, and Between the Streams (movie and TV topics) every Friday.
