In a display of patriotism and good marketing, Samsung is throwing its hat into the ring as an official sponsor of the Sochi Olympic Games. But is that support coming at the expense of Olympians being able to use their iPhones? That is what Cult of Mac is reporting, with an article claiming that Samsung is asking athletes to cover up the logos on their iPhones. Samsung is also equipping athletes with Galaxy Note 3 phones in a bid to be the official cell phone of the games. If this request from Samsung were made, it would only apply to athletes, for whom Olympic regulations stipulate not standing beyond products that aren't specific Olympic sponsors. Since Apple is not an Olympic sponsor, Samsung's purported request would seem to be in line with Olympic policy.
But Samsung claims that it never took any prohibitive measures against displaying Apple products, The Guardian reported. In a statement to the newspaper. a Samsung spokesperson said, “Samsung did not request any action of this nature from athletes attending the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.”
And the Olympic committee backed up Samsung, adding that, “Athletes can use any device they wish.”
Sochi hotels putting technology at risk?
The state of the hotels in Sochi are receiving almost as much if not more press than the games themselves. That is because, despite having years to prepare for its international guests, Sochi's accommodations are in a sorry state. Journalists staying in hotels have been taking to Twitter to document their experiences, The Washington Post reported. If there is a thematic thread among the tweets, it is that all of them detail less than ideal living conditions. Among the litany of complaints highlighted by guests are sinks without hot water, sinks with no water at all, toilets without any pipeage and doorknobs that fall off at the slightest touch.
Regardless of what devices people are using – whether they be iPhones or Samsung Galaxy S3s – the hotel conditions could prove detrimental to mobile technology and put customers in need of a cell phone repair shop. Some guests, for example, have pointed to a lack of heating in their hotel. Apart from being uncomfortable for patrons, the cold can impact their phones as well. According to Apple, iPhones should not be operated in temperatures below 32 degrees F. Hopefully hotels in Sochi never reach that level, but if they do, journalists are advised to find another place to continue voicing their hotel grievances.