We are, of course, expecting to see the Galaxy Note 20 lineup announced that day. Though the rumors initially waffled a bit on what exactly that lineup would entail, more recent leaks point to a Note 20, a Note 20 Plus (which will be bigger), and a Note 20 Ultra (which will be… “Ultra,” whatever that means).
In addition to the Note 20 line, there are plenty of other Samsung devices that are due for an imminent release. There’s the 5G version of the Galaxy Z Flip folding phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 (rumors point to “Z” being Samsung’s brand for screens that bend), the Galaxy Watch 3 smartwatch, and also new earbuds that are bean-shaped (yes really).
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If all of these devices get announced, then it will be obvious that Samsung is hoping to make a splash with this event. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the company is broadcasting that intention quite clearly with a literal metallic paint splash on the invite.
As is Tradition, I will now proceed to overanalyze the image provided in a tech invitation. But while the normal rules require me to guess what products this image portends, instead I think it speaks to the psychology behind those products. Is it a halo? The drooping crown of a deposed king? I’m just going to with saying it is what it looks like: a splash. Here’s what it means: if the rumors hold true, this summer’s Unpacked event will see Samsung throw a bunch of ideas into the water to see what floats.
I get the feeling that Samsung is casting about for a halo device (something else that image could resemble, maybe). A halo device needs to impress everybody and draw people to the store, but not necessarily be the thing those people buy and walk out with. Will that be the Note 20, the Z Flip, or the Z Fold 2? I doubt Samsung itself knows the answer to that.
Me neither — but my pessimistic take is “Fold 2 or bust.” Let’s just review the contenders.
The Note 20 will surely be fine, but it will be laden with two problems. First, the spec-chasers will know that it’s just a Galaxy S20 with a stylus. Second, Samsung’s big bet this year was on a new camera sensor that has been …fine at best and problematic at worst.
Samsung was hoping for a generational leap, but instead tripped and has been trying to recover ever since. Reportedly, the Note 20 won’t try to recreate the so-called 100X zoom but it will keep using that problematic 108-megapixel sensor. Even though Samsung has done much to improve it since the launch of the Galaxy S20 Ultra, it’s still worrisome.
The Galaxy Z Flip is genuinely better than any other clamshell folding phone (the main competitor being the new Razr), but the big issue I have with it is that it costs too much. I don’t know who’s clamoring for it to cost more. A 5G variant isn’t the splash Samsung needs.
The Galaxy Watch? It’ll be the best smartwatch for Android phones, which given the state of the competition means bupkis. As for the earbuds, all I want is for Samsung to have the self-confidence to actually call them “beans.” Tech is too self-serious these days. Give me Ear Beans.
But Ear Beans aren’t it either. Which leaves us with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 (or whatever it will be called. I’m sure Samsung will throw a 5G in the name there in exchange for a carrier kickback).
Nope. If the rumors are true, the Fold 2 is coming. Now that is confidence. Rumors on what it will or won’t be are a little more sparse than I’d normally expect for a Samsung phone at this stage — a larger outer screen, no stylus, and 5G. I also assume it’ll have that ultra-thin glass screen from the Z Flip. There will be more to the story, but that phone has a better shot at being a halo device than anything else.
Why does Samsung need a halo device? Because Chinese phone makers are nipping at its heels for marketshare (if not outright winning in lots of regions) and Samsung has staked its reputation on innovation. You can find a phone with 90 percent of what you get in a flagship Samsung phone while spending hundreds less — so Samsung really needs to wow you with the other 10 percent.
Verge Deal of the day
If you just want a big TV with most of the high-end features found in more expensive models, the latest 50-inch Toshiba 4K HDR Fire TV Edition (with Dolby Vision, HDR 10) is $50 off its usual price, bringing it down to $330 at Best Buy. It has Fire TV software built-in, so you won’t have to shop for a streaming device.
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Reviews and how-to
┏ The best wireless earbuds to buy right now. I’m with Chris Welch on this one. After bouncing between five different BT headphones (AirPods Pro, Pixel Buds, Sony 1000XM3, OnePlus neckbuds, and the Galaxy Buds) for the past month, the Galaxy Buds are the ones I use the most now — and notably, I use them with my Mac, iPhone, and Android phone. Would I like noise cancellation? Sure, but it’s not as much of a priority for me now that I don’t commute by train. I’d also like these headphones to switch between devices more seamlessly, but at least they’re better than Sony (nearly everybody is better than Sony in that regard).
There’s no one set of earbuds that is perfect at everything. For general everyday listening, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus are the best wireless earbuds. Got an iPhone? Nothing beats the AirPods Pro.
If you’re planning for your stream to be slightly more elaborate, I think the most important features to consider are length, guests, and a donation thermometer.
Right now, the Ananta is available through a Kickstarter campaign, with deliveries promised for September of this year. As of this writing, the lowest price you can get the display for is $359, and it is expected to retail for a rather steep $599 when it hits general availability. If you go for the Kickstarter deal, the price is reasonable for how large, versatile, and well the Ananta works. But at full price, it may cost nearly as much as the laptop you’re plugging it into, at which point you have to wonder if it’s worth it.
It’s very unusual to see a 17-inch laptop under four pounds — let alone under three. Couple that with a $1,499 starting price (our model currently goes for $1,699), and you’re looking at a pretty niche target demographic. For that niche, though, this laptop tracks.
┏ I built my own camera with a Raspberry Pi 4. This video from Becca Farsace is a treat. And it will encourage you to go try something weird and new during lockdown. Watch!
If the virus starts to spread within the isolation zones, though, it should be relatively easy to trace the path it traveled. In the outside world, it’s hard for people to remember where they go and who they interact with, says Angela Rasmussen, a research scientist at the Center for Infection and Immunity at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. If you’re on a tight schedule and living in a central location, like athletes in these environments are, that information is easy to access. “You can work out, not only the number of contacts you’ve had, but the types of interactions you have with those people.”
┏ Tracing the link between your phone and the next pandemic. Justine Calma on how everything is connected. Mining for the minerals needed to make your phone puts people in situations that may cause “spill over” of viruses from animals to humans:
Ultimately, the way humans interact with animals and the environment can have grave consequences for our own well-being. That’s why scientists and public health experts have developed a strategy for addressing the ways in which the health of the environment and all of the people and wildlife living in it are connected. It’s an approach called “one health.”
Essentially, the reduction in the color of the blocky tiled interface on the Start menu will simplify it slightly and make it easier to scan for the apps you use on a daily basis. It’s a subtle change, but it certainly makes the Start menu look a little less chaotic and avoids many tiles sharing a similar blue color.
┏ Mmhmm turns your boring Zoom call into a Weekend Update-style TV show. If, like me, you briefly thought “Oh I could probably pull all this off with OBS and a little work,” you’re missing the point. The whole key to this software is the ease of the UI, which could democratize different ways of presenting and having video conversations. I can’t wait to try it out.
BMW now wants to take this to a far more specific level. The German automaker announced on Wednesday that all cars equipped with its newest “Operating System 7” software will soon receive an update that makes it possible for the company to tinker with all sorts of functions in the car, like access to heated seats and driving assist features like automatic high beams or adaptive cruise control. And the company unsurprisingly plans to use this ability to make money.
Inside the company, though, a few dozen developers were building what they describe as one of Magic Leap’s most exciting projects. It’s called The Last Light: an interactive story about a young woman dealing with the death of her grandmother, designed to show the storytelling potential of mixed reality. And crucially, its creators say it’s finished — but they aren’t sure if anyone will ever see it.
“There is this fundamental misunderstanding of the climate system by non climate scientists trying to use trends on a 10 year time scale for climate change, when [with] climate change a 100 or 200-year timescale is relevant,” explains Natalie Mahowald, a climate scientist at Cornell University who was not involved in the study. “All our hard work today, we will not be able to see for 20 or 30 years — this is the crux of the problem,” Mahowald says. “Humans have a really hard time doing something for future generations.”
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
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