PS4 Crashes

Malicious message crashes aren't just for smartphones,

it seems. Numerous PS4 owners have reported receiving

PSN messages where an unrecognized character

effectively bricks their consoles, making them crash and

leaving them unable to start properly. And deleting any

rogue messages (typically by leaving the conversation in

the PS Messages mobile app) isn't enough by itself --

you have to either rebuild the database in Safe Mode or

factory reset the system.

You can eliminate the chance of a hostile message by going

into your settings (either in the console or the PS Messages

app), visiting account management, and then changing your

privacy settings so that messages are either limited to friends

or switched off.

We've asked Sony for comment. The company can likely

address this with a software update, and it's relatively easy

to protect yourself in the meantime. However, there's little

doubt that the consequences are serious. Most phone-

oriented bugs are troublesome, but won't necessarily

prevent you from using your other apps on your device.

Here, a prankster is rendering your PS4 effectively inoperable

until you walk through some painstaking troubleshooting steps.

Samsung Curved Screen Phone

Samsung's long-rumored foldable phone still hasn't

appeared, but its mobile chief offered one compelling

case for a product that could easily be written off as a

gimmick.

D.J. Koh, CEO of Samsung's mobile business, said

you'll be able to use the device as a tablet with multitasking

capability before being able to fold it up into a more portable

phone.

"When we deliver a foldable phone, it has to be really

meaningful to our customer," Koh said in an interview at the

sidelines of the Samsung Galaxy A9 launch. "If the user

experience is not up to my standard, I don't want to deliver

those kind of products."

Koh once again stressed the foldable phone wouldn't be

a "gimmick product" that will "disappear after six to nine

months after it's delivered." It'll also be available globally,

unlike previous phones like the Galaxy Round, which used

a curved display and was available only in Korea.

However, the foldable Samsung phone, like the Galaxy

Round, will be Samsung's testbed device to see how

reviewers and the market react. The Galaxy Round, which

bowed vertically in the middle, was Samsung's first curve-

screen phone. It's a direct ancestor to the dual curved

screens we see on today's Galaxy S9 and Note 9 phones.

New Razer Gaming Phone

Razer is introducing a new flagship smartphone, the

Razer Phone 2, that’s meant to establish a foothold in

the new gaming phone market. I had the chance to

spend some time with Razer’s new flagship and found

the new phone looks nearly identical to the first, but it

has a new aluminum frame that has gone through a

complete structural revamp. The Razer Phone 2 is

meant to be a gaming phone, so there have also

been relevant improvements made to the screen and

audio, but also helpful additions that weren’t in the

phone last year, like waterproofing.

Gaming phones are increasing in number, but not in

maturity. Manufacturers that produce gaming computers

— Razer and ASUS, for starters — are turning to phones

because they’re now able to provide features like HDR

and high refresh rate screens (for smoother on-screen

visuals) that are buzzwords for gamers on both sides of

the spectrum. Fortnite and PUBG for mobile are blips on

the radar compared to some of China’s biggest mobile

games, like Honor of Kings with 200 million monthly

Players.

While plenty of highly capable flagship smartphones exist,

these companies hope that they’ll be able to do enough to

improve the gaming experience. This year, Razer isn’t

reinventing the gaming phone, but instead is adding

signature features like Chroma and partnering with mobile

game studios to optimize games for the Razer Phone 2,

in order to stay ahead.

Mobile Video

Media consumers are increasingly turning to their mobile

devices for video content, but new research from the mobile

marketing and engagement platform CleverTap suggests

there is still work to be done when it comes to churn and

user retention.

CleverTap reviewed data from more than 100 million devices.

When it came to media and entertainment apps, it found 43%

were abandoned by users just one month after download.

The research highlights a phenomenon that plagues

technology and media companies.

The new prime real estate is the home screen. If the consumer

does not derive real value from an app shortly after using it,

the app will either be deleted or abandoned on a page far from

the device home screen, where it is far less likely to be used

again.

Facebook Portal

After building itself into a portal for all kinds of social

connections online, Facebook now wants to provide a

portal for people to easily make video calls with each

other. And with that, the company is rolling out the

appropriately named Portal.

Facebook took the wraps off the combination video-calling

and smart-speaker devices Monday, with two versions of what

is the company’s first hardware product to carry the company’s

name. The device comes in two models: The standard Portal

has a 10-inch screen, sits in landscape mode on a built-in stand,

and costs $199, while the Portal+ comes with a 15-inch screen

that is attached to a stand that allows for the device to be rotated,

and costs $349. Facebook is also offering $100 off the purchase

of any two Portal devices at the same time.

Among the features of Portal is the ability to zoom in on a

particular person during a call and follow that person around a

room, the idea being that such a feature will add to the feeling

of being in the same room with someone during a video call.

Portal also comes with augmented reality technology that lets a

caller add images to their face during a call, interactive animated

features for reading stories, and the ability to stream music from

Pandora and Spotify so callers can listen to the same song

simultaneously during a call.

Best Brands (Again)

Apple and Google have held firm at the top of Interbrand's

'best global brands' report for the sixth consecutive year.

The report values brands based on multiple criteria such

as the financial performance of the brands, their role in

purchase decisions and their competitive strength, among

other variables.

Apple retains the top spot and becomes the first brand to

reach a valuation of $200bn. Google’s brand value increased

by 10% to $155.5m, and Amazon, which announced it will

increase wages for staff in the UK and the US, saw 56%

growth to shoot it into third place, clocking in at $100.7m.

Meanwhile, Facebook, which is dealing with a data leak,

saw its value drop by 6% to #9. It is valued at $45m.

The five top growing brands were Amazon, Netflix (45%),

Gucci (30%), Salesforce.com (23%) and Louis Vuitton (23%).

Charles Trevail, global chief executive of Interbrand, said:

"A decade after the global financial crisis, the brands that

are growing fastest are those that intuitively understand their

customers and make brave iconic moves that delight and

deliver in new ways."

Amazon's Alexa App Update

Amazon’s Alexa app has just been given a major visual

overhaul, largely focused on helping users set up and

control their smart home. From the app’s new devices

tab, users can view all their different Alexa-enabled

devices and groups on one screen, as opposed to

switching between tabs like before. And the app is much

more colorful, too. Instead of a set of white icons on a

dark background, Alexa’s device groups — like Living

Room, Kitchen, Bedroom, etc. — now feature colorful

backgrounds, so you can find the one you need with

just a glance.

An overhaul of the devices section was needed, not only

for aesthetic reasons, but because Alexa owners are

stocking their house with more than one smart device.

According to a Nielsen report on smart speaker adoption

released earlier this month, four out of 10 U.S. smart

speaker owners today have more than one device, for

example. Smart home device sales are also expected

to reach nearly $96 billion in 2018 and grow to $155

billion by 2023, another report estimates.

Amazon itself sells a variety of smart devices, like Cloud

Cam, Ring doorbells and Ring cameras. And it just introduced

a whole mess of new Alexa-enabled devices at an event in

Seattle last month, including everything from wall clocks to

subwoofers to Alexa-powered microwaves.

It’s clear the retailer expects people to continue to build out

their smart home, and its app needed to adapt accordingly.