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[Editorial] Steering the Mobile Industry Through the Next Normal – Samsung Global Newsroom

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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!

1 Through Google Duo on Galaxy devices. Availability may vary by market, carrier and model.

2 Through the Link to Windows and Your Phone app. Availability may vary by market, carrier and model.

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Ottawa orders TikTok’s Canadian arm to be dissolved

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

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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.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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