You can control Samsung's latest robot vacuum cleaner using Alexa

You can control Samsung's latest robot vacuum cleaner using Alexa

Samsung has been making robot vacuum cleaners for a while now, and while they haven't quite gotten to the level of popularity as iRobot's Roomba line has, it seems that enough people buy them for Samsung to keep making them.

With that in mind we have the latest model of Powerbot vacuum cleaners, the Powerbot VR7000, which Samsung announced this week ahead of CES 2017. The new vacuum is less than 4 inches tall — Samsung claims it's 28 percent thinner than the previous version — and offers up to 20 watts of suction power (an actual vacuum cleaner benchmark, apparently) on the most powerful model.But perhaps the biggest addition to the Powerbot VR7000 is Amazon Echo support. This will allow you to operate your vacuum cleaner with voice controls, giving Samsung's vacuum a feature that the Roomba line doesn't have. There's also some new software features that allows the Powerbot VR7000 to more intelligently map out rooms and optimize its cleaning depending on floor type. But really, if you're getting a Powerbot VR7000, it's probably so you can verbally command your robotic vacuum minion to clean your floors.Samsung isn't giving any pricing or release information on the Powerbot VR7000, but it does intend to showcase it at CES, so it's possible we'll get more information next week.

South Korea investigators mull arrest warrant for Samsung leader: Yonhap

South Korea investigators mull arrest warrant for Samsung 

leader: Yonhap

South Korean special prosecutor's office is considering whether to seek an arrest warrant for Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee amid a probe into an influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye, Yonhap News Agency reported on Friday.The special prosecution has been investigating whether Samsung provided 30 billion won ($25.28 million) to a business and foundations backed by Park's friend in exchange for the national pension fund's support for a 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliate.Lee was named a suspect on Wednesday and summoned early Thursday morning for questioning. He will head home at around 8 a.m. local time (2300 GMT), Yonhap reported on Friday.(Reporting by Se Young Lee; Editing by Chris Reese)

Samsung chief questioned by prosecutors in South Korea political scandal

Samsung chief questioned by prosecutors in South Korea 

political scandal

Special South Korean prosecutors questioned the head of top conglomerate Samsung Group [SAGR.UL] on suspicion of bribery on Thursday in an influence-peddling scandal that led to President Park Geun-hye's impeachment.Park remains in office but has been stripped of her powers while the Constitutional Court decides whether to uphold the December impeachment and make her the first democratically elected leader to be forced from office.Park has denied wrongdoing."I am very sorry to the South Korean people for not showing a better side," Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee told reporters as he arrived at the prosecution office in a black sedan, greeted by protesters holding signs calling for his arrest and accusing him of being the president's accomplice.Investigators would now decide whether to seek an arrest warrant against Lee, 48, special prosecution spokesman Lee Kyu-chul told reporters.Parliament impeached Park over allegations she allowed a friend, Choi Soon-sil, to exert inappropriate influence over state affairs.Choi is accused of colluding with Park to pressure big businesses, including the Samsung Group, to contribute to non-profit foundations backing the president's initiatives.Choi, in detention and on trial on charges of abuse of power and attempted fraud, has denied wrongdoing.Prosecutors named Lee a suspect on Wednesday and are investigating whether Samsung gave 30 billion won ($25.28 million) to a business and foundations backed by Choi in exchange for the national pension fund's support for a 2015 merger of Samsung C&T Corp and Cheil Industries Inc.Lee in December denied accusations the conglomerate sought to curry favor with Park or Choi to secure the 2015 merger, a deal seen as critical for ensuring family control of the conglomerate as generational succession looms.Wearing a dark suit, white shirt and dark red tie, Lee bowed after making brief remarks to reporters. A Samsung Group spokeswoman declined to comment on the investigation.Proving improper dealings between Park, or Choi, and Samsung would be key for the prosecutors' case, analysts said, noting their goal was to prove Park or her surrogates took bribes from corporations in exchange for favors.The special prosecution spokesman said investigators were also looking into whether Lee lied during a December parliamentary hearing about Samsung's involvement in the scandal, as well as whether he could be charged with breach of trust or embezzlement.Investigators questioned two senior Samsung Group executives this week as witnesses.The special prosecution has not begun investigations into any other conglomerates. Dozens of South Korean corporate groups made contributions to the two foundations, but Samsung's donations were the largest.

"NATIONAL INTEREST"

The scandal has triggered weekly rallies calling for Park to step down. She has apologized and said this month the pension fund's support for the Samsung companies' merger was in the national interest.If Park were to leave office, a presidential election would be held within 60 days. Among the expected contenders is former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.Lee took over as leader of the smartphones-to-pharmaceuticals conglomerate after his father, founding family patriarch Lee Kun-hee, had a heart attack in 2014.Jay Y. Lee's arrest or indictment would be a blow to Samsung and the family, which has been streamlining its business to ensure a stable transfer of control from the ailing Lee Kun-hee to his children.While analysts and investors said management would be able to keep the various affiliates including Samsung Electronics Co Ltd in good shape, the conglomerate as a whole may be slower to commit to major investments or acquisitions should Jay Y. Lee be imprisoned.Some also said Samsung and the Lee family may lose credibility among investors."A corruption scandal is the most embarrassing thing for a pension fund like us," said Park Yoo-kyung, a Hong Kong-based director for Dutch pension fund APG Asset Management, which holds shares in Samsung Electronics."We have an obligation to invest in a clean company."Share prices of most Samsung companies have shown muted reaction to Lee's implication in the scandal, however. Samsung Electronics shares rose 1.4 percent to a record high 1.94 million won on Thursday and Samsung C&T shares gained 1.6 percent, compared with a 0.6 percent rise for the broader market."It's possible that Samsung Group companies will try to behave more transparently in response and operate in a more fair manner that shareholders can rationally understand," said IBK Asset Management fund manager Kim Hyun-su.(Reporting by Se Young Lee and Ju-min Park; Additional reporting by Joyce Lee and Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Tony Munroe and Nick Macfie)

Samsung leader named a suspect in South Korea political probe

Samsung leader named a suspect in South Korea political probe

A South Korean special prosecutor's office will question Samsung Group [SAGR.UL] leader Jay Y. Lee as a suspect in a widening influence-peddling scandal that may force President Park Geun-hye from office.Prosecutors have been looking into whether Samsung payments of about 30 billion won ($25 million) for a business and foundations backed by Park's friend, Choi Soon-sil, were connected to a 2015 decision by the national pension fund to back a controversial merger of two group affiliates.Park could become South Korea's first democratically elected leader to leave office early after parliament voted in December to impeach her over the corruption scandal, which has triggered big weekly rallies calling for her to step down. The impeachment must be upheld or overturned by the Constitutional Court.A spokesman for prosecutors, Lee Kyu-chul, told a briefing the Samsung leader had been summoned for questioning at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday (7 p.m. ET on Wednesday) over suspicions including bribery.He declined to comment on whether Jay Y. Lee or other Samsung executives will be indicted but would not rule out the possibility of the prosecution seeking an arrest warrant against Lee. A Samsung Group spokeswoman declined to comment.Proving quid-pro-quo dealings between the Choi-linked organizations and Samsung are critical to prosecution efforts to bolster its case against President Park and show that she, or a surrogate such as Choi, collected bribes in exchange for favors, analysts said.For Samsung and its founding Lee family, an indictment or conviction of Jay Y. Lee would deal a blow to efforts to secure a stable transfer of control to heirs from ailing patriarch Lee Kun-hee.The conglomerate has undergone major restructuring since 2014 to streamline its ownership structure and consolidate power under Jay Y. Lee and his two sisters.Park Ju-gun, head of corporate analysis firm CEO Score, said while professional managers at affiliates such as Samsung Electronics would be able to keep the companies operating smoothly in the absence of Jay Y. Lee, key initiatives such as acquisitions and investments into new businesses would inevitably be slowed should the 48-year-old be imprisoned."I think Samsung Group is facing a bigger crisis than even the death of Chairman Lee Kun-hee," he said, referring to billions of dollars in inheritance taxes the Lee family heirs will be forced to pay when their father dies.Samsung has acknowledged making contributions to two foundations as well as a consulting firm controlled by Choi but has repeatedly denied accusations of lobbying to push through a controversial 2015 merger of its Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries Inc units.The prosecution this week summoned two senior Samsung Group officials for questioning, though they were listed as witnesses.National Pension Service chief Moon Hyung-pyo was arrested in December after acknowledging he pressured the fund to approve the merger while he was health minister.Park, 64, has described support of the merger as a policy decision made by the world's third-largest pension fund in the national interest.Lee denied bribery accusations during a December parliamentary hearing, rejecting assertions from lawmakers that Samsung lobbied to get the fund to back the mergerThe special prosecutors' office said on Wednesday it was looking into whether Lee gave false testimony during the parliamentary hearing."The special prosecutor needs Samsung to establish a potential bribery charge against President Park Geun-hye," said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University."Samsung is the one that has made the biggest contributions among conglomerates and it had an exclusive relationship with Choi Soon-sil, buying a horse," Shin said, referring to the firm's sponsorship of Choi's daughter's equestrian career.The daughter, Chung Yoo-ra, was arrested in Denmark this month after being sought by South Korean authorities.

DE FACTO LEADER

Lee, the vice chairman of flagship affiliate Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS), has been leading South Korea's top conglomerate since his father was incapacitated by a May 2014 heart attack.Shares in Samsung units did not move sharply following the news that Jay Y. Lee was named a suspect, as some investors had anticipated the possibility that he could be formally indicted. Shares of Samsung Electronics ended up 2.8 percent, though off its high for the day, after trading at a record 1.928 million won.The shares could see a correction because of heightened uncertainties, but the stock will see support from strong earnings prospects, said HDC Asset Management fund manager Park Jung-hoon.Shares of firms such as Samsung C&T Corp (028260.KS) that are more closely linked with potential succession-related restructuring may weaken further, Park said, as formal prosecution of Lee could delay the process."I think some investors are still uncertain on whether the special prosecutors will go as far as arresting and detaining Jay Y. Lee, given the uncertainties such an action might trigger on Samsung companies," he said.In 2008, Lee Kun-hee stepped down as Samsung Group chairman after group executives were indicted on suspicion of brokering a sweetheart deal for his children to have a greater ownership stake in Samsung's de facto holding company.He was handed a suspended 3-year sentence for tax evasion, but was eventually pardoned.(Reporting by Se Young Lee and Ju-min Park; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Tony Munroe)

China nibbles at Samsung share to take 50 percent of India's smartphone market

China nibbles at Samsung share to take 50 percent of India's smartphone market

Chinese brands took their largest ever slice of the $10-billion Indian smartphone market in late 2016, accounting for more than one in every two phones sold - a growing market share that ate into sales from top-selling Samsung Electronics.Samsung, the single most popular smartphone brand in India, commanded a roughly 30 percent market share just over a year ago. That slipped to 21 percent in November, according to tech research firm Counterpoint, the last month for which data is available.Meanwhile - thanks to low cost, improved technology and an advertising blitz - Chinese brands like Oppo, Lenovo, OnePlus, Gionee and Xiaomi took a combined share of over 50 percent, compared to just 19 percent a year ago."Chinese brands are offering quality that is at par with Samsung, at a better price," said Manish Khatri, who owns two multi-brand smartphone outlets in Mumbai. "Of every 10 phones I sell, almost six to seven are now Chinese brands."Celebrity endorsements from Bollywood actors like Hrithik Roshan and Ranveer Singh, along with huge sponsorship campaigns by brands such as Oppo and Gionee of the wildly popular Indian Premier League cricket franchise have helped improve perception of Chinese brands - once derided for their low quality."In a country like India, there are two religions - one is Bollywood and the second is cricket," said Arvind R Vohra, Gionee's India head, noting that both avenues have helped popularize its brand.Chinese brand executives said innovative product features such as powerful selfie cameras with flash, quicker charging and longer-lasting batteries have also helped them thrive in India, one of the world's biggest and fastest growing smartphone markets.In the large and ultra-competitive $120 to $440 mid-market smartphone segment, Chinese vendors have more than doubled their market share to 68 percent, while Samsung has lost 14 percentage points since November 2015, according to Counterpoint."Being a global company is Samsung's biggest curse," says Neil Shah of Counterpoint, adding Samsung cannot compete on price like their Chinese rivals, who are focused more on low-cost markets like China, India and Indonesia.Shah said Chinese vendors' access to low-cost components and their expertise in designing metal casing for cheap phones has let brands like Oppo, OnePlus and Lenovo offer better quality products than Samsung, which uses plastic for its cheapest models.Adding to Samsung's woes last year was the arrival of billionaire Mukesh Ambani's new telecom venture Jio, with heavily subsidised handsets to get customers on its 4G network.Dyaneshwar Sarde, a 33-year-old Indian farmer who earlier used a Samsung device, said he wanted to buy a 4G smartphone to use Reliance Jio."Samsung phones were comparatively expensive, so I ended up buying a Lenovo a friend recommended."India's home-grown brands such as Micromax, Lava and Karbonn are feeling the heat even more, according to Counterpoint, with their total market share having dropped to less than 20 percent from over 40 percent last year.(Reporting by Sankalp Phartiyal; Editing by Clara Ferreira-Marques and Randy Fabi)

Samsung Electronics forecasts fourth-quarter profit at over three-year high

Samsung Electronics forecasts fourth-quarter profit at over three-year high

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) said on Friday its fourth-quarter profit likely leapt 50 percent from a year earlier to its highest level in more than three years, beating expectations on strong chip sales and a smartphone rebound.The upbeat outlook comes despite a slight fall in revenue and the anticipated $2.1 billion profit hit from the withdrawal of the fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 premium smartphone in October.The guidance points to a more rapid recovery for the mobile business than many analysts had anticipated after one of the biggest product safety failures in tech history, and reflects steady price increases for memory chips."Samsung posted solid earnings only with sales of older smartphone models like the S7 after the Note 7's discontinuation," said Kim Sung-soo, a fund manager at LS Asset Management."This makes me have hopes for the (Galaxy) S8. Should they fare well, I expect Samsung to report record earnings this year."The South Korean technology giant said October-December operating profit was likely 9.2 trillion won ($7.8 billion), the highest since the third quarter of 2013 and well above the 8.2 trillion won tipped by a Thomson Reuters StarMine SmartEstimate from a survey of 21 analysts. The estimate was also higher than any individual forecast in the survey.The South Korean won's KRW= recent depreciation may have helped boost profits, some analysts said, as component sales are typically settled in U.S. dollars. The local currency fell 8.8 percent against the dollar in the fourth quarter.Investors pushed Samsung shares up 43 percent last year, betting the surge in demand for memory chips and organic light-emitting diode screens for smartphones will more than make up for the Note 7 setback and translate to strong earnings growth.Samsung shares were up 2.1 percent as of 0038 GMT, outperforming a 0.3 percent rise for the broader market .KS11. The stock briefly traded at a record high of 1.831 million won on Tuesday.The world's biggest maker smartphones, TVs and memory chips will not disclose detailed earnings, including the performance of its individual businesses, until late January.Analysts expect Samsung's chip division to earn a record of more than 4 trillion won in operating profit in October-December thanks to strong demand from smartphone makers, including major client Apple Inc (AAPL.O), and high-end data storage products.The mobile division's quarterly profit is also expected to rebound from the third quarter, when the firm booked the bulk of its Note 7 losses, and post its first annual gain in three years thanks to healthy sales of Galaxy S7 smartphones.Samsung Electronics said fourth-quarter revenue likely fell 0.6 percent from a year earlier to 53 trillion won.(Reporting by Se Young Lee; additional reporting by Hyunjoo Jin, Nataly Pak and Cynthia Kim; Editing by Stephen Coates)

Initial Samsung production target is 10 million Galaxy S8 phones: media

Initial Samsung production target is 10 million Galaxy S8 phones: media

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) has set an initial production target of 10 million Galaxy S8 smartphones, South Korea's Electronic Times reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources.Samsung is counting on the S8 to rejuvenate sales after it scrapped the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones last year in one of the biggest product safety failures in tech history.The firm has yet to disclose what caused some Note 7 phones to catch fire on their own.The newspaper said the world's top smartphone maker would start production in March and planned to start selling them in April. Galaxy S7 phones went on sale in March last year.A Samsung spokesman said the company did not comment on speculation.

(Reporting by Se Young Lee; Editing by Nick Macfie)