Since I took over the reins at Samsung Mobile six months ago, so much has changed. What was once ordinary now feels extraordinary – whether you’re visiting a friend or going out for a meal.
I consider this new era as the “Next Normal” and technology – especially mobile technology – has a critical role in it. In just a few months, we’ve seen our lives change in unimaginable ways. Distance learning, at-home fitness, online concerts, and so much more have all been enabled by mobile technology.
As leaders of the tech industry, we have a special responsibility – and now a true sense of urgency – to help society continue to move forward. So many people are counting on us to give them new ways to communicate, new ways to work, and new ways to connect.
At this summer’s Galaxy Unpacked, we’ll be introducing five new power devices. These devices deliver on our vision to be the innovator of new mobile experiences that flow seamlessly and continuously wherever we go. They combine power with seamless functionality, whether you’re at work or play, at home or away. In the Next Normal, you will be empowered to live life to the fullest with these devices in your hand (and in your ears, and on your wrist.)
As I chart Samsung Mobile’s future, I’d like to share three strategic priorities I’ve been focusing on. They’re bold and forward-leaning, but that’s what Samsung has always been about. Instead of playing it safe, we take risks and move fast. Instead of waiting for others, we set the direction for the rest of the industry. Even in these difficult times, I know that these pillars will keep our focus squarely where it needs to be: on our customers.
Meaningful Innovations
At Samsung, we create every innovation with a clear purpose: to make your life better and easier. At a time when the pandemic has imposed so many boundaries on all of us, technology is a bridge to a bigger world. Mobile devices have become the only way for many people to work from home and stay connected – they’ve become a true lifeline.
In the last six months, we’ve super-charged our product line and invested heavily in R&D. We’ve deployed new solutions in record time, to do everything from improving video-chat technology to helping frontline workers stay safe on the job.
This Next Normal will be a period of even bolder innovation. We’ll make mobile technology that’s more personal, intelligent, useful, and secure. We’ll develop more ground-breaking products, like our industry-leading foldable phones. And as we roll out a wide range of Galaxy 5G devices in more markets, this technology will enable so many experiences we can’t even imagine yet.
From foldables to 5G, we have a tremendous amount in the pipeline, with some ready to be shown just around the corner. But I’m also excited about how people will use these technologies to change their lives. Because only then, will meaningful innovation be realized.
Open Collaboration
The power of the group is stronger than going it alone. The last few months have proved the truth of that saying many times over. The stories of so many people coming together to help each other are incredibly uplifting, and demonstrate that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts.
It’s given me a newfound appreciation of the power of Samsung’s vast partner network. We’ve always believed that we should work together, to create new experiences for our customers.
Think about our collaboration with Google, Microsoft, Netflix and Spotify, to name a few. We worked with Google to optimize video-calling1 so users could more easily connect. We also expanded our partnership with Microsoft so Galaxy smartphones and Windows PCs can share messages, photos, and calendar reminders in real-time.2 This collaboration will only continue to expand through our gaming partnership with Xbox.
We also believe in the power of partnerships because we want everyone – including start-ups, developers, and our local communities – to have a chance to achieve their dreams. The Samsung C-Lab start-up incubation program and Samsung NEXT are just a few ways we help entrepreneurs inside and outside of our company build, grow, and scale.
At Samsung, we’ll continue to bring the best ideas to market – no matter where they come from. After all, we are truly stronger together.
Operational Agility
In our fast-changing world, agility is crucial. The breakneck pace of change dictated by our new reality has driven home the need for operational agility: the ability to prioritize resources and be efficient today, while anticipating trends and acting decisively for tomorrow. The pandemic posed a stiff test. It meant transforming quickly to take care of our local communities, partners and employees, while still building resilience for future operations.
This agility is also what has enabled us to bring to life the powerful devices, and their connected experiences, which we will be introducing at Galaxy Unpacked. We saw that people wanted – and needed – devices optimized for work, play, and multi-tasking for a diverse range of lifestyles. Our commitment to innovation, coupled with our operational agility, meant we could completely reimagine the mobile experience.
Operational agility has also led to fundamental changes in how we deliver a mobile experience you can trust. Because protecting customers is our number one priority, we incorporate security across every single layer of your device, from the chip all the way up to the apps. Today we are proud that our industry-leading, defense-grade Knox security platform protects more than a billion customers around the world.
The Future of Mobile Innovation
In summary, these three strategic priorities will guide Samsung Mobile through the Next Normal and beyond. They’ll allow us to constantly reinvent ourselves to realize our vision of delivering new and innovative mobile experiences to more and more people across the globe.
We’ll continue to expand the Galaxy ecosystem and deliver experiences that help you do more with less so that you can focus on what really matters. Ultimately, it’s about putting you at the center of the Galaxy experience so you can live life to the absolute fullest.
You will be able to see for yourself what we have in store for you next at Galaxy Unpacked on August 5th. For the first time, we will be broadcasting live from South Korea – it’s going to be an exciting virtual experience. We look forward to sharing it with you!
1Through Google Duo on Galaxy devices. Availability may vary by market, carrier and model.
2Through the Link to Windows and Your Phone app. Availability may vary by market, carrier and model.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The tiny Mideast nation of Kuwait has banned the release of the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which features the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is set in part in the 1990s Gulf War.
The video game, a first-person shooter, follows CIA operators fighting at times in the United States and also in the Middle East. Game-play trailers for the game show burning oilfields, a painful reminder for Kuwaitis who saw Iraqis set fire to the fields, causing vast ecological and economic damage. Iraqi troops damaged or set fire to over 700 wells.
There also are images of Saddam and Iraq’s old three-star flag in the footage released by developers ahead of the game’s launch. The game’s multiplayer section, a popular feature of the series, includes what appears to be a desert shootout in Kuwait called Scud after the Soviet missiles Saddam fired in the war. Another is called Babylon, after the ancient city in Iraq.
Activision acknowledged in a statement that the game “has not been approved for release in Kuwait,” but did not elaborate.
“All pre-orders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase,” the company said. “We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series.”
Kuwait’s Media Ministry did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press over the decision.
“Call of Duty,” which first began in 2003 as a first-person shooter set in World War II, has expanded into an empire worth billions of dollars now owned by Microsoft. But it also has been controversial as its gameplay entered the realm of geopolitics. China and Russia both banned chapters in the franchise. In 2009, an entry in the gaming franchise allowed players to take part in a militant attack at a Russian airport, killing civilians.
But there have been other games recently that won praise for their handling of the Mideast. Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage” published last year won praise for its portrayal of Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age in the 9th century.
Copenhagen, 22.10.2024 – COBOD International, the global leader in 3D construction printing technology, proudly introduces the BOD3 3D Construction Printer for 3D printing of real concrete. Equipped with an extendable ground-based track system, the BOD3 advances the construction process by eliminating printer downtime between multiple buildings on the same site, setting anew benchmark for productivity and efficiency. The BOD3 is the most advanced solution for high-volume low-rise construction and a very effective alternative to conventional construction methods.
The heart and key feature of the new BOD3 3D printer is the advanced extendable ground-based track system. This system enables limitless extension along the Y-axes (length), expanding the printable area to cover 2 or 3 buildings, and reducing setup time to a single installation for multi-building projects. It’s a game-changer, allowing continuous, uninterrupted printing across large sites, increasing efficiency for high volume and mass production at an unmatchable scale.
Render of COBOD BOD3 3D Construction Printer.
The BOD3, COBOD’s third printer model, is the outstanding achievement of years of dedicated research, development, and close collaboration with customers. It is a vital advancement in automated construction technology, directly addressing the urgent global demand for faster, smarter, more efficient and sustainable building solutions. Like every COBOD 3D printer, the BOD3’s modular design offers customization, allowing it to easily adapt to any customer’s size wishes in addition to complying with the various sizes of construction sites anywhere in the world.
The BOD3 follows COBOD’s vision to build smarter through automation. Its operational stand combines the control and monitoring of both the 3D printer and supplementary equipment in one user-friendly system. The Advanced Hose Management System (AHMS) transports 3D printable material from the materials delivery system to the printhead via hoses secured within E-chains, minimizing physical labor and optimizing material flow. With the addition of the dual dosing system for additives, operators can better control the concrete and adapt it to onsite environmental conditions. By introducing additives directly at the printhead, the system reduces drying time between layers, speeding up the overall construction process. Designed for easy operation and precision, the BOD3 can be operated by a small, trained, and certified team, reducing the costs of projects.
Incorporating the innovative Universal X-Carriage, the BOD3 is ready for future COBOD advancements and technologies, like the introduction of additional tools for the printer aimed at insulating, painting, sanding, etc. This ensures long-term versatility and performance that will keep the BOD3 at the forefront of the industry for years to come.
Universal X-Carriage with Printhead.
Already deployed to the global market, the BOD3 is currently active in Indonesia, by Modula Tiga Dimensi, Angola, by Power2Build, andBahrain, by Ab’aad 3D. The customers report faster project execution with near-zero downtime between individual buildings on the same site. The projects showcase the BOD3’s ability to speed up construction and print with real concrete, with 99% locally sourced materials and 1% of innovative D.fab, a co-developed solution by COBOD and Cemex to make concrete 3D printable.
Henrik Lund-Nielsen, Founder and General Manager of COBOD, commented on the BOD3: “The global housing crisis demands a more efficient construction solution that is faster, more efficient, and scalable. The BOD3 is our answer to this challenge. Drawing on years of research and expertise, we’ve designed the BOD3 with innovative features, making it our most cost-effective and efficient model yet for multiple low-rise buildings. Its design supports high-volume, linear production of houses, enabling mass production without compromising quality. The fact that six units have already been sold before its official launch speaks volumes about the BOD3’s market demand and the trust our customers place in our technology.”
Michael Holm, Chief Innovation Officer at COBOD, states, “The advanced ground-based track system was developed as a response to our customers’ needs to increase efficiency and productivity. Now the 3D construction printer can be easily extended, and multiple consecutive structures can be printed with minimal repositioning and zero downtime between projects, making 3D construction printing more efficient than ever before.”
The BOD3 is now available for purchase worldwide; for more information, please visit our website, www.cobod.com, or contact us at info@cobod.com.
COBOD stands as the global leader in supplying 3D printers for the construction sector, with over 80 printers distributed across North and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Driven by a mission to revolutionize construction through multifunctional robots based on 3D printing, COBOD envisions automating half of the construction processes to achieve faster, cost-effective, sustainable results with enhanced design versatility.
From residential, commercial, and public buildings, COBOD’s 3D printers have been instrumental in erecting 1- to 3-story structures across all six inhabited continents. The innovative technology also extends to fabricate large-scale data centers, wind turbine towers, tanks, and more.
Embracing an open-source material approach, COBOD collaborates with global partners, including customers, academia, and suppliers. The company, backed by prominent shareholders such as General Electric, CEMEX, Holcim, and PERI, operates from its main office in Copenhagen, Denmark, and regional competence centers in Miami, Florida, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. COBOD’s dynamic team comprises over 100 professionals from 25 diverse nationalities.
ABOUT MODULA TIGA DIMENSI
PT Modula Tiga Dimensi is a joint venture between Bakrie & Brothers (BNBR) and COBOD. BNBR focuses on offering and providing solutions for housing backlog problems currently encountered by the country.
Teaming up with COBOD International, the company is now set to adopt the latest 3D printing construction technology and is ready to offer the Indonesian market a new and better solution to housing obstructions.
ABOUT POWER2BUILD
Reshaping the construction sector and adapting it to urgent human needs.
Power2Build is a technology company for the construction industry, prepared to establish partnerships with private, public, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) so that they can make the transition to Build 4.0 through 3DCP.
We offer our clients value-added services and high-quality projects, always with a multidisciplinary approach that brings together the necessary experience to deal with complex issues.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Artificial intelligence‘s recent rise to the forefront of business has left most office workers wondering how often they should use the technology and whether a computer will eventually replace them.
Those were among the highlights of a recent study conducted by the workplace communications platform Slack. After conducting in-depth interviews with 5,000 desktop workers, Slack concluded there are five types of AI personalities in the workplace: “The Maximalist” who regularly uses AI on their jobs; “The Underground” who covertly uses AI; “The Rebel,” who abhors AI; “The Superfan” who is excited about AI but still hasn’t used it; and “The Observer” who is taking a wait-and-see approach.
Only 50% of the respondents fell under the Maximalist or Underground categories, posing a challenge for businesses that want their workers to embrace AI technology. The Associated Press recently discussed the excitement and tension surrounding AI at work with Christina Janzer, Slack’s senior vice president of research and analytics.
Q: What do you make about the wide range of perceptions about AI at work?
A: It shows people are experiencing AI in very different ways, so they have very different emotions about it. Understanding those emotions will help understand what is going to drive usage of AI. If people are feeling guilty or nervous about it, they are not going to use it. So we have to understand where people are, then point them toward learning to value this new technology.
Q: The Maximalist and The Underground both seem to be early adopters of AI at work, but what is different about their attitudes?
A: Maximalists are all in on AI. They are getting value out of it, they are excited about it, and they are actively sharing that they are using it, which is a really big driver for usage among others.
The Underground is the one that is really interesting to me because they are using it, but they are hiding it. There are different reasons for that. They are worried they are going to be seen as incompetent. They are worried that AI is going to be seen as cheating. And so with them, we have an opportunity to provide clear guidelines to help them know that AI usage is celebrated and encouraged. But right now they don’t have guidelines from their companies and they don’t feel particularly encouraged to use it.
Overall, there is more excitement about AI than not, so I think that’s great We just need to figure out how to harness that.
Q: What about the 19% of workers who fell under the Rebel description in Slack’s study?
A: Rebels tend to be women, which is really interesting. Three out of five rebels are women, which I obviously don’t like to see. Also, rebels tend to be older. At a high level, men are adopting the technology at higher rates than women.
Q: Why do you think more women than men are resisting AI?
A: Women are more likely to see AI as a threat, more likely to worry that AI is going to take over their jobs. To me, that points to women not feeling as trusted in the workplace as men do. If you feel trusted by your manager, you are more likely to experiment with AI. Women are reluctant to adopt a technology that might be seen as a replacement for them whereas men may have more confidence that isn’t going to happen because they feel more trusted.
Q: What are some of the things employers should be doing if they want their workers to embrace AI on the job?
A: We are seeing three out of five desk workers don’t even have clear guidelines with AI, because their companies just aren’t telling them anything, so that’s a huge opportunity.
Another opportunity to encourage AI usage in the open. If we can create a culture where it’s celebrated, where people can see the way people are using it, then they can know that it’s accepted and celebrated. Then they can be inspired.
The third thing is we have to create a culture of experimentation where people feel comfortable trying it out, testing it, getting comfortable with it because a lot of people just don’t know where to start. The reality is you can start small, you don’t have to completely change your job. Having AI write an email or summarize content is a great place to start so you can start to understand what this technology can do.
Q: Do you think the fears about people losing their jobs because of AI are warranted?
A: People with AI are going to replace people without AI.
