Samsung Members - App to solve problems of galaxy users

What is Samsung Members App?

Samsung recently refreshed its Galaxy Community app & launched it as "Samsung Members" app. Calling it a "One-stop service centre", it is aimed to provide better customer service.

The app offers a comprehensive FAQ section, a community for galaxy users, support features like self-diagnosis, service centre information, and One-to-One remote help. The app will also take error reports, feedback & suggestions from the vast user community.

The app, In-depth

The app opens up with a pop-up menu asking users to choose between importing previous content if they had been using the galaxy community app or start as a new user by logging in with your Samsung account.

The app's home screen shows latest News & Tips with a search button at the top with 3buttons at the bottom leading to the Feedback, Suggestions & Support sections; the availability of these services are location & device dependent.

Feedback section offers FAQ which is well categorised & a Questions/Errors section where you can ask questions & report errors

Suggestions section is the place from where you can send your suggestions about the device to Samsung. This is a very positive attempt by the company as it'll be able to receive a lot of valuable suggestions directly from its users.

Support section is where you can use the diagnostics tools to check your device's hardware & optimise it using various other tools. Information about service centres & smart tutor is also available here.

Review - Our experience with the app

Samsung Members app is a mix of the good & the bad with scope for a lot of improvement. The app's FAQ section is basic but well organised & will be useful for first-time users. The option to ask a 1:1 question is useful too. The idea to take suggestions from the users is great & easy to use, though in our case, numerous attempts to send a suggestion failed with a server response error. the app doesn't actually have much up its sleeves in the support section, where most of the device optimisation features it offers like Clear RAM/storage, optimise settings, uninstall unused app etc are already present in the 'Smart Manager' in your device. The After-Sales section under the Support Menu offers to let you know about service centres which just redirects you to Samsung's website in your browser.

The app is a step in the right direction but still not as useful as it should be. The app has a few issues and thus 1000+ 1-star ratings out of the 3500+ reviews on google's play store. Features like in-built smart tutor, option to register complaints of faulty devices/service centres, tracking of complaints/repairs, information about email & toll-free customer care numbers from within the app would definitely add value to it.

We also must not forget that the app is relatively new & it would improve over time. Till then give it a try & if you find any error, send your suggestions on improving the device via the app.

How to get the app?

If you are a user of any of Samsung's Galaxy series device, you're entitled to get the app. You might see an 'information message' notification on your phone which would lead you to the installation of the app or you can also get it from the google play store by clicking on the button below.

OnePlus 3T December Dash ₹1 Sale - All you need to know!

OnePlus 3T December Dash ₹1 Sale

OnePlus India had come up with a ₹1 sale on Diwali, where the participants had to draw mystery boxes & pay ₹1 on being successful, to win various gifts like the OnePlus 3 and other accessories.

It's december now & the company has come up with ₹1 December Dash, following the launch of the OnePlus 3T;  an updated version of the OnePlus 3. The OnePlus 3T comes with an updated chipset, a 16 MP front camera, a 3400mah battery and a new gunmetal color with the price tag of ₹30,000/-

What is the OnePlus 3T december dash?

The OnePlus 3T december dash is a ₹1 sale in which the participants have to complete an entry challenge, earn points by inviting friends, claim prizes in the prize shop, pay ₹1 within 3 hours and win various prizes. (ENTER HERE)

The Prize Shop is open 12 - 6pm (IST) on every Friday in December (9, 16, 23, 30) while stocks last. There is no limit to the number of prizes to be won by a participant.

What's up for winning?

The "Prize Shop" houses a variety of OnePlus products. It open 12 - 6pm (IST) on every Friday in December (9, 16, 23, 30) while stocks last during which the user has to claim prizes.  Each item is listed along with the number of points the participant must have to be eligible to claim that item. Here is the list of prizes for your convenience.

OnePlus 3T 64GB - 300 points

OnePlus Backpack - 33 points

OnePlus Travel Messenger Bag - 33 points

OnePlus Dash Charge T-shirt - 12 points

OnePlus Never Settle T-shirt - 12 points

OnePlus 2 Bamboo/Karbon/Rosewood/Black Apricot StyleSwap Cover - 15 points

OnePlus 3 Sandstone/Karbon/Bamboo/Rosewood/Black Apricot Case - 9 points

OnePlus 3 Flip covers - 6 points

OnePlus 3 Curved Tempered Glass Screen Protector - 12 points

OnePlus Dash Charge Type-C cable - 9 points

OnePlus 3 Tempered Glass Screen Protector - 6 points

OnePlus Dash Charge Car Charger - 24 points

OnePlus 3 Translucent Grey Case - 6 points

OnePlus Dash Power Adapter - 12 points

OnePlus Bullets Earphones (V2) - 12 points

How to Enter & Win?

• Compulsory: Visit this link or click on the button below to enter and complete the Entry Challenge before 28th December 2016

• Sign up with email or sign in with social accounts
• Verify your mobile number
• Add your shipping address

• After completing the Entry Challenge, share & invite your friends to earn more points, which can be used in the prize store to claim prizes.
• The Prize Shop opens 12 - 6pm (IST) on every Friday in December (9, 16, 23, 30) & you need to claim prizes using your points.
• Once you've claimed your prize, pay ₹ 1 within 3 hours to place your order. Prizes that are not paid for expire after 3 hours.
• Wait for the prize to reach you!

Terms & Conditions

• Once claimed, points are deducted from your total and your prize cannot be unclaimed.
• Pay ₹ 1 within 3 hours to place an order with the claimed prize. Prizes that are not paid for expire after 3 hours.
• Prizes are shipped to the address you entered during the Entry Challenge. We cannot guarantee delivery for all addresses across India – you may be asked to supply a different one.
• For products sold at ₹ 1 (including the Prize Draw) during the 3T December Dash Sale, oneplusstore.in return policy is not applicable.
• OnePlus & Mobitech Creations reserve the right of final decision on the interpretation of the Rules (How to Enter section on event page).
• Collected data may by used at oneplusstore.in or oneplus.net.
• All new users who complete the Entry Challenge during December 2-28 are entered into the weekly prize draw to win one of three OnePlus 3T 64GB devices.
• The prize draw takes place every Saturday in December.
• Winners are notified by email shortly after.
• Points, payments and order statuses may take up to 5 minutes to be updated - try refreshing your browser at timely intervals.

Enter the Sale Now, Share as much as you can & win the OnePlus 3T and more for just ₹ 1!

Google's PhotoScan - App to digitalise old printed photos

PhotoScan App

It has been less than a couple of decades since digital cameras became mainstream and we all own bunch of old photos. Printed photographs take up physical space as well as deteriorate over time & hence needs to be converted into digital copies.

Google wants to help you go digital with its latest PhotoScan app.

Though you can directly capture photo of your printed photos via your phone's camera but it's never a good solution as the results suffer from glares, tilted images, needs cropping etc.

PhotoScan is an app that solves all these problems. The user need to open the app, click a picture & move the camera as instructed on the screen & voila, it's done. You get a perfectly scanned digital copy of your old photo which is free from light/flash glares, shadows, unwanted tilt & doesn't need cropping or editing via any photo editor.

The app actually takes a main photo & 4 other photos and stitches all of them using its algorithm, similar to a panorama photo, eliminating all kinds of glare & distortions.  

Verdict: The app scores full points for removing glares but fails at preserving the quality of the photo. The resulting images look compressed & often washed out. It may be the best app if you want to casually scan the photo to share it on social media, but it's definitely not suitable for serious archiving. It's presently the best app for scanning a photo but it's still not quite where you'd be completely satisfied with it, though we must not forget that it's just the beginning & it would improve over the years with updates.

  

To Scan a Photo

1. Open the PhotoScan app.

2. To start the scan, hold your phone directly above a photo. Tap the button to take a picture.

3. Move your phone around until the circle is over each of the four dots.

4. Once the photo has been processed, go to the bottom right and tap the photo thumbnail.

5. Select a photo to rotate, adjust the corners or delete.

6. To save to your device, tap Save all. To save only one photo, touch and hold a photo, then tap Save.

As per our tests the app performs best if your phone has a good camera & if you can keep your hands stable while taking the photos/moving the camera around.

Top 5 Indian Tech Websites You Need to Follow Right Now!

There are a lot of websites offering tech news and updates but only a few are by and aimed at the Indian audience. Following these Indian websites will offer you the best experience. Since their content is targeted towards India, you get information which is more relevant to you.

Today, we have come up with a list of the top 5 Indian tech websites and youtube channels(in no particular order) for you to follow. So let's get started.

• C4ETech - India's most popular tech channel on youtube. The channel is owned by Ashwin Ganesh who founded the channel in the year 2011, having no idea it would soar to these heights; Ash already has over 5,00,000 subscribers to his channel. The channel offers tech news, unboxing & gadget reviews, giveaways etc and uploads new videos thrice a week. Go check it out..

YouTube • Website • Facebook • Google+ • Twitter

• GeekyRanjit - The famous tech enthusiast Ranjit Kumar pushes new & quality videos each day to his youtube channel GeekyRanjit. The videos range from reviews of smartphones & networking devices to Live Q&A sessions. The channel purely focuses on its quality content and with over 4,50,000 subscribers, people flock to it to get their daily dose of tech.

YouTube • Website • Facebook • Google+ • Twitter

• Phone Radar -  If you're the kind of person that likes to know-as-it-happens & want to stay ahead of everyone else, these are the guys to follow! The Phone Radar team is extremely active on its website, youtube and all social media channels. The website and the youtube channels are regularly updated with useful tech reviews, benchmarking videos, PR talks, giveaways etc. and instant updates are pushed via twitter and facebook pages, throughout the day. Also for the Hindi lovers, there is Phone Radar Hindi.

YouTube • Website • Facebook • Google+ • Twitter

❤ Hindi:  YouTube • Website • Facebook • Twitter

• Technical Guruji - The channel is run by Gaurav Choudhary who claims to be a youtuber by hobby & uploads new videos on a daily basis. The contents of the channel are in hindi and provides tech reviews, how to, Q&A sessions and giveaways too. With over 400 videos and 3,00,000+ subscribers, it's one of the fastest growing tech channels on youtube, toh chaliye shuru karte hai..

YouTube • Website • Facebook • Google+ • Twitter

• Sharmaji Technical - The 100% hindi channel is run by Praval Sharma from Bangalore. The channel offers unboxing, tech news, reviews & a weekly 1hr 30min live Q&A session on saturday 10pm IST via youtube. Started in the year 2015, the channel received huge appreciation and has over 1,40,000+ subscribers.

YouTube • Website • Facebook • Google+ • Twitter

So, this was the list of the top 5 tech channels from India. Subscribe/follow all of them & stay updated!

WhatsApp: Voicemail and Call Back Features Introduced

Recently, a new Fixedsys font was introduced on Whatsapp which could be used by typing ``` before and after any word or sentence (eg. ```Hello```). Now, whatsapp has come up with Voicemail & Call Back features which can be found in its beta version 2.16.189. You can get it right now by becoming a beta tester or by just downloading it from apkmirror.

Voice Mail & Call back
feature on WhatsApp

Whenever a whatsapp call is either rejected or goes unanswered, Three new buttons will be displayed on the screen-

Cancel - which will take you back to the chat screen.
Call back - which will redial to the contact.
Record voice message - which will allow you to record a voice message by holding down the button.

All of these features actually existed before the update too; you could redial or send a voice message from the chat screen, but the update seems to provide the right feature at the right moment and it makes things a little more easier.

More features like Video Calling, GIF support etc will also soon be coming to WhatsApp. Follow the blog to know about them first!

Remove Listening at a High Volume Warning on Samsung Galaxy Devices [SOLVED] [NO ROOT]

Don't you just hate it when you plug in your headphones in a good mood & as soon as you try to increase the volume, Samsung stops you and a popup warns you about the harmful effects of listening at a high volume each time! To add to it, you actually have to tap OK to continue.

Pop-up message: Listening at a high volume for a long time may damage your hearing. Tap OK to allow the volume to be increased above safe levels.

It's one of those touchwiz things you hate! Well here is the easiest and the only way to get rid of this popup. So, let's begin.

It's a Tasker solution & you'll need the following apps: Tasker and AutoInput

Step 1: In the tasker app, under Profiles, Create a new profile by clicking on the '+' at the bottom right and browse to Event -> UI -> New Window

• Label: *listening at a high volume*  [Note- please type the text along with the asterisks]
• Window Type: Dialog
• Priority: Normal

Press the back button to save.

Step 2: In the next pop-up menu, Select New Task + and assign it any name (eg., Auto Dismiss)

Step 3: Click on the '+' at the bottom center and select Plugin -> AutoInput -> Action and click on the edit button (pencil) under configuration. Under manual setup, select & fill in the following fields:

• Action: Click
• Field Type: Text
• Field Text: type OK

Save the settings by clicking on the tick mark on top right of the screen.

Press the back button to save everything, until you exit from the tasker app.

You're done! It's all set up & now be assured the pop up will get dismissed automatically every time and won't bother you.

Tasker Tutorial: Monitor Daily Call and Data Account Balance

This is an extremely simple yet effective way to keep track of your daily call & data balances. It also helps you monitor any unnatural balance deductions, which sometimes happens due to technical glitch of the telecom operators.

Most telecom operators allow you to send a keyword via a toll free SMS to get information about your call and data balances. To find out about SMS codes of your operator, please contact your customer care or try a google search.

For instance, Reliance Communications allows its users to send a SMS at 55333 with the text BAL or MBAL to receive call and data balance information respectively.

Step 1: Under the PROFILES tab, Click on the '+' icon and select Time.

Use the following settings:

• From: 11:45 pm
• Repeat: unchecked (inactive)
• To: 11:50 pm

Press the back button to save.

Step 2: In the next pop-up menu, Select New Task + , type Send SMS and proceed.

Step 3: Inquiring Call Balance:  Press the + icon and select Phone -> Send SMS

Use the following settings:

• Number: *Use the number provided by your telecom operator at which the SMS needs to be sent.* eg. 55333 in case of Reliance communications.
• Message: *Use the keyword provided by your telecom operator.* eg. BAL in case of Reliance communications.

Press the back button to save.

Step 4: Press the + icon and select Task -> Wait. Use the slider and select 1 minute.

Step 5: Inquiring Data Balance: Press the + icon and select Phone -> Send SMS

Use the following settings:

• Number: *Use the number provided by your telecom operator at which the SMS needs to be sent.* eg. 55333 in case of Reliance communications.
• Message: *Use the keyword provided by your telecom operator.* eg. MBAL in case of Reliance communications.

You're done! This profile will work daily at 11:45 pm and retrieve your call and data balances standing at the end of each day.

Tasker: One-Tap Wallpaper Changer

Introduction with today's project: A useful and easy setting-up tasker project, which will change your device's wallpaper with just a long-press of your home button.

The long press of the home button on any android device launches the Google Search/Google Now. Since many people do not use this feature, tasker can use this long press function to change your wallpapers.

If you use the Google search/Google Now with the home button(long press), you can still enjoy the changing of wallpaper but with a click on a shortcut on your home screen or by shaking your device(more battery consuming, hence not recommended).

PREREQUISITES:

1. You'll need the app: Tasker (Please turn off beginner's mode in preferences).
2. If you're using Marshmallow, you'll need to change the Device assistance app from Google to Tasker, from under default applications settings. (Go to settings-> Applications-> Default applications->Device assistance app->Device assistance app)

Here we'll divide the tutorial into two parts: A) Creating the task. B) Creating the trigger(profile).

• If you don't use the home button to launch the google app, please follow both A and B part of the tutorial.
• If you use the home button to launch the google app, follow Part A only and the Special steps* at the end of the article.

PART - A

Step 1: Move all your wallpapers in a folder "My Wallpapers" (anywhere on your device's internal or external storage with your file manager).

Step 2: Open the Tasker app. Long press on the Home icon at the bottom left and click on Add + and give your project a name. eg., Wallpaper Changer

Step 2

Step 3: Go to the Tasks Tab, Click on the '+' button at the bottom right and give a task name. eg., Wallpaper Switcher.

Step 3

Step 4: Click on the '+' button at the bottom and browse to Alert-> Flash and type "Changing Wallpaper" under text. Press the back button to save.

Step 5: Click on the '+' button at the bottom and browse to Variables-> Variable Set

• Under Name type %randoimagefolder 
• Under To *type the location of the folder in which your wallpapers are stored* 

• eg. sdcard/Memory Card/My Wallpapers/
• eg. emulated/storage/My Wallpapers/

[you can obtain this by checking the details/properties of your Wallpaper folder through your file manager.]

• Press the back button to save.

Step 5

Step 6: Click on the '+' button at the bottom and browse to Java-> JavaScriptlet

• Under Code type/paste the following code: 

var i =listFiles(randoimagefolder, false).split("\n");
var number = Math.floor( Math.random()*(i.length)); setWallpaper(i[number]);

• Auto Exit - Checked.

Step 6

Step 7: Click on the '+' button at the bottom and browse to Task-> Stop. 

Press back button to save.

PART - B

Step 1: Go to the Profiles Tab, Click on the '+' on the bottom right and select Event-> UI-> Assistance Request. Press the back button to save.

Step 2: From the popup list of tasks, select your above made task "Wallpaper Switcher".

Part B: Step 2

It's Done! Just exit from the tasker app and long press on the home button to see it work.

---

*Special Steps: For people who don't want to lose the feature of long pressing to launch the google search app can just set up a shortcut on their homescreen to run the task. Follow these steps after completing the 7 Steps given above in Part A.

Step 1: Click on the square grid icon at the bottom right and go to the Built-In Icons to select any desired icon. Press the back button to save. Exit from the tasker app.

Step 2: Go to widgets menu in your device, Find the tasker widgets and select Task Shortcut out of the three.

Step 3: From the list presented, Select your task "Wallpaper Switcher". Press back and exit from the app. 

Now, you can enjoy changing your wallpapers by just clicking on the Shortcut Icon on your homescreen.

---

Disclaimer: This blog/owner of this blog disclaims any/all of the damage/loss caused to you/your device/data/etc to the use of the above stated method. You agree to perform the above at your own complete risk.

Tasker: App Specific Screen Brightness [Very useful]

Introduction with today's project: An extremely simple yet immensely useful & convenient tasker project. This tasker project automates your android smartphone's screen brightness to act according to the app currently opened/used. 

For example, the screen brightness will be increased when the camera or the gallery app is opened, to facilitate capturing of photos/videos & will be restored to the normal brightness state after the app is closed. This definitely makes capturing photos/selfies or videos a more enjoyable job! 

This is extremely useful for people who don't keep their screen brightness at maximum, due to the ever insufficient battery life, but often feel the need to manually slide the brightness up, while clicking pictures or viewing the gallery or watching videos etc. After creating this tasker project, you'll never need to adjust the brightness level when using a particular app(s). You'll be able to predefine the level of brightness which will be applied when such apps are opened, and will revert to the regularly used(predefined) level of brightness once the apps are closed.

PREREQUISITE: You'll need the app: Tasker (Please turn off beginner's mode in preferences)

In a nutshell, it basically consists of 3 simple steps- Selecting the apps, Setting the increased brightness level & Setting the brightness level to return to, once the app is closed.

Now let's get into a detailed tutorial.

Step 1: Click on the '+' button at the bottom right corner and select 'Application'.

Step 1

Step 2: From the list of the apps, select the Camera & Gallery apps you use.

(You can select more than one camera/gallery apps like retrica/beauty plus/camera 360 etc too). (Make sure only "App" is active at the bottom, while "Services" and " Invert" options are inactive.)

Step 2

Step 3: Click on "New Task +" and give it a name: "Brightness Up"

Step 4: Click on the '+' button at the bottom and browse to Display -> Display Brightness.

• Slide to set the value of Level to the maximum value possible (eg. 255). 
• Click on the '+' button at If and type %BATT in the variable box, select "Maths: Greater Than" from the middle box and type 19 in the value box and press the back button. (refer image below)
  
  
  [by adding this IF statement, the screen brightness will be increased only if the battery is at least 20%. This acts as a power saving mode for this feature]

Step 4

Step 5: Click on the '+' button at the bottom and browse to Task-> Stop. Press the back button.

After completing Step 4 and 5

Now, exit from tasker app & make sure your phone's screen brightness it set as you always want it to be.

Step 6: Open tasker. You should be on the PROFILES tab/page; Long press on the Task Brightness Up and select Add Exit Task.

Step 6

Step 7: Click on "New Task +" and give it a name: "Brightness Down"

Step 8: Click on the '+' button at the bottom and browse to Display -> Display Brightness. (DO NOT change the value of Level this time)

Step 9: Click on the '+' button at the bottom and browse to Task-> Stop. Keep pressing the back button until you exit from the tasker app.

After completing Step 8 and 9

Make sure everything looks like the image below this at this stage.

Everything should look like this

You're Done! Just open your camera app & test it. It should work perfectly. If you have any issues, feel free to use the contact us form.

---

Disclaimer: This blog/owner of this blog disclaims all/any of the damage/loss caused to you/your device/data/etc due to use of the above stated method. You agree to perform the above at your own complete risk.