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Galaxy S22 Ultra design turns Samsung's flagship phone on its head – Yanko Design

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3 years ago

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It is pretty much everything the leaks said it would be, but now Samsung might be caught in a bit of a bind moving forward.

Thanks to a plethora of leaks that started way back in September last year, Samsung’s latest flagship smartphones didn’t come as much as a surprise. The Galaxy S22 Ultra, in particular, turned out to be exactly what they said it would be, a successor to the Galaxy Note line in everything except the name. This brings quite a few big design changes that are ironically too familiar, but it does make one wonder if this new direction muddles Samsung’s product design story more than consolidates it.


A Tale of Two Galaxies

For those unfamiliar with Samsung’s innumerable smartphones, the company has always had to top-of-the-line brands, the Galaxy S and the Galaxy Note families. In the beginning, the two were easy enough to distinguish because of clear design differences and features. The Galaxy Note phones set themselves apart by not only having a stylus but also by using extra-large screens. Once ridiculed by Apple, “phablets” as they were called, have now become the norm, and the line delineating the two have become blurrier every year.

Every year, Samsung has been rumored to ditch the Galaxy Note brand because it overlapped too much with the Galaxy S series. Those rumors came to a head last year when the Galaxy S21 Ultra sported a stylus, albeit one that had to be stowed away separately, and when no new Galaxy Note phone was launched for the first time in a decade. The Galaxy S22 Ultra pretty much cemented that by looking less like a Galaxy S and more like a Galaxy Note.


This could put Samsung in a conundrum for the future of its phones. If it does retire the Galaxy Note line, and it is likely to do, will it adopt this duality of designs for the Galaxy S phones for the coming years? Wouldn’t it be more prudent to just adopt a single design language? That remains to be seen next year, though, but I wouldn’t put it past Samsung to keep this dichotomy for a while.

Subtle Differences

The differences between the two are even more pronounced this year because the two designs are used in the same brand. The smaller Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ have an almost iPhone-like look this year, with the usual flat display matched with flatter edges. Granted, the sides still have a bit of curve to them, but not as pronounced as in previous generations. Given how Samsung is often accused of following Apple’s lead, this subtle change won’t be lost on its critics.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra easily sets itself apart with its size and design. It is the largest of the three and is perhaps Samsung’s largest premium Galaxy to date (it is shorter but wider than its immediate predecessors). It comes with a curved edge screen and very curved edges, which isn’t exactly new and might even give its target audience some problems (as we’ll note later). It is, to some extent, a nod to the past, but there are also some designs that are somewhat new, at least for the Galaxy S flagship.


The biggest one is that the S Pen stylus now has a silo inside and won’t require extra accessories to keep it close to the phone. It’s a double-edged sword, though, since users will have to contend with a thin stick to use as a pen. It’s not the most ergonomic for prolonged use, and heavy users might find themselves buying and keeping a bigger S Pen anyway.

One new design detail about the Galaxy S22 Ultra is that it doesn’t have a camera bump, leaving the camera as small, individual islands of their own. While it does away with somewhat controversial camera structures that have become obnoxiously big, it might cause some concerns over how vulnerable those lenses might be. Conversely, those protrusions might also be cause for concern over how they might scratch surfaces they’re lying on, like wood.

Designed for Creatives

The Galaxy Note line has traditionally been aimed at professionals or “prosumers,” people who would have had use for a stylus for note-taking in particular. Over time, Samsung has tried to play up the S Pen, which is powered by technology from the famed Wacom, as a creativity tool, and it makes its biggest spiel with the Galaxy S22 Ultra this year. There is, of course, all the hardware you can ever ask for in a smartphone, but that only serves to power the actual experiences that creatives, including product designers, might need to do their work on the go.


The S Pen, of course, can be used for note-taking as well as sketching. The larger screen of the Galaxy S22 Ultra affords more space, at least for thumbnails and rough ideas, things you would sometimes do on the back of an envelope, a napkin, or a small pocket notebook. The powerful cameras and photography software also allow designers to quickly snap up photos of interesting objects and designs they come across.

Samsung, however, is also playing up the phone’s utility as an extension of its other new product, the Galaxy Tab S8 tablets. A special connection between the two devices transforms the phone into a dedicated screen for tools in apps like Samsung Notes and Clip Studio Paint. This would move almost all UI controls from the larger screen, leaving only the canvas you need to work on.

Sustainability Promise

One thing that’s new and common to Samsung’s newest line of devices is a stronger push towards sustainability. Samsung has committed to using plastics recycled from discarded fishing nets, starting with this year’s lineup. It also tried to reduce its packaging even further to reduce the materials produced and used, which adds up to reducing carbon emissions in the long run.

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Although not directly related to using sustainable materials and processes, Samsung also made a rather big promise that does contribute positively towards reducing e-waste. Extending the period that it will officially support these devices means that owners get to keep them for far longer. It’s still not up to Apple levels, mind, but it still goes beyond what most manufacturers offer, including Android maker Google. This means that it would take much longer before we see the Galaxy S22 Ultra and its siblings being thrown out or replaced, something that eventually adds to the amount of electronic waste and manufactured materials in the long run.



Designer: Samsung

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The Internet is Littered in ‘Educated Guesses’ Without the ‘Education’

Published

1 week ago

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October 8, 2024

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Although no one likes a know-it-all, they dominate the Internet.

The Internet began as a vast repository of information. It quickly became a breeding ground for self-proclaimed experts seeking what most people desire: recognition and money.

Today, anyone with an Internet connection and some typing skills can position themselves, regardless of their education or experience, as a subject matter expert (SME). From relationship advice, career coaching, and health and nutrition tips to citizen journalists practicing pseudo-journalism, the Internet is awash with individuals—Internet talking heads—sharing their “insights,” which are, in large part, essentially educated guesses without the education or experience.

The Internet has become a 24/7/365 sitcom where armchair experts think they’re the star.

Not long ago, years, sometimes decades, of dedicated work and acquiring education in one’s field was once required to be recognized as an expert. The knowledge and opinions of doctors, scientists, historians, et al. were respected due to their education and experience. Today, a social media account and a knack for hyperbole are all it takes to present oneself as an “expert” to achieve Internet fame that can be monetized.

On the Internet, nearly every piece of content is self-serving in some way.

The line between actual expertise and self-professed knowledge has become blurry as an out-of-focus selfie. Inadvertently, social media platforms have created an informal degree program where likes and shares are equivalent to degrees. After reading selective articles, they’ve found via and watching some TikTok videos, a person can post a video claiming they’re an herbal medicine expert. Their new “knowledge,” which their followers will absorb, claims that Panda dung tea—one of the most expensive teas in the world and isn’t what its name implies—cures everything from hypertension to existential crisis. Meanwhile, registered dietitians are shaking their heads, wondering how to compete against all the misinformation their clients are exposed to.

More disturbing are individuals obsessed with evangelizing their beliefs or conspiracy theories. These people write in-depth blog posts, such as Elvis Is Alive and the Moon Landings Were Staged, with links to obscure YouTube videos, websites, social media accounts, and blogs. Regardless of your beliefs, someone or a group on the Internet shares them, thus confirming your beliefs.

Misinformation is the Internet’s currency used to get likes, shares, and engagement; thus, it often spreads like a cosmic joke. Consider the prevalence of clickbait headlines:

  • You Won’t Believe What Taylor Swift Says About Climate Change!
  • This Bedtime Drink Melts Belly Fat While You Sleep!
  • In One Week, I Turned $10 Into $1 Million!

Titles that make outrageous claims are how the content creator gets reads and views, which generates revenue via affiliate marketing, product placement, and pay-per-click (PPC) ads. Clickbait headlines are how you end up watching a TikTok video by a purported nutrition expert adamantly asserting you can lose belly fat while you sleep by drinking, for 14 consecutive days, a concoction of raw eggs, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar 15 minutes before going to bed.

Our constant search for answers that’ll explain our convoluted world and our desire for shortcuts to success is how Internet talking heads achieve influencer status. Because we tend to seek low-hanging fruits, we listen to those with little experience or knowledge of the topics they discuss yet are astute enough to know what most people want to hear.

There’s a trend, more disturbing than spreading misinformation, that needs to be called out: individuals who’ve never achieved significant wealth or traded stocks giving how-to-make-easy-money advice, the appeal of which is undeniable. Several people I know have lost substantial money by following the “advice” of Internet talking heads.

Anyone on social media claiming to have a foolproof money-making strategy is lying. They wouldn’t be peddling their money-making strategy if they could make easy money.

Successful people tend to be secretive.

Social media companies design their respective algorithms to serve their advertisers—their source of revenue—interest; hence, content from Internet talking heads appears most prominent in your feeds. When a video of a self-professed expert goes viral, likely because it pressed an emotional button, the more people see it, the more engagement it receives, such as likes, shares and comments, creating a cycle akin to a tornado.

Imagine scrolling through your TikTok feed and stumbling upon a “scientist” who claims they can predict the weather using only aluminum foil, copper wire, sea salt and baking soda. You chuckle, but you notice his video got over 7,000 likes, has been shared over 600 times and received over 400 comments. You think to yourself, “Maybe this guy is onto something.” What started as a quest to achieve Internet fame evolved into an Internet-wide belief that weather forecasting can be as easy as DIY crafts.

Since anyone can call themselves “an expert,” you must cultivate critical thinking skills to distinguish genuine expertise from self-professed experts’ self-promoting nonsense. While the absurdity of the Internet can be entertaining, misinformation has serious consequences. The next time you read a headline that sounds too good to be true, it’s probably an Internet talking head making an educated guess; without the education seeking Internet fame, they can monetize.

______________________________________________________________

 

Nick Kossovan, a self-described connoisseur of human psychology, writes about what’s

on his mind from Toronto. You can follow Nick on Twitter and Instagram @NKossovan.

 

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Tight deadlines on software projects can put safety at risk: survey

Published

2 weeks ago

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October 8, 2024

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TORONTO – A new survey says a majority of software engineers and developers feel tight project deadlines can put safety at risk.

Seventy-five per cent of the 1,000 global workers who responded to the survey released Tuesday say pressure to deliver projects on time and on budget could be compromising critical aspects like safety.

The concern is even higher among engineers and developers in North America, with 77 per cent of those surveyed on the continent reporting the urgency of projects could be straining safety.

The study was conducted between July and September by research agency Coleman Parkes and commissioned by BlackBerry Ltd.’s QNX division, which builds connected-car technology.

The results reflect a timeless tug of war engineers and developers grapple with as they balance the need to meet project deadlines with regulations and safety checks that can slow down the process.

Finding that balance is an issue that developers of even the simplest appliances face because of advancements in technology, said John Wall, a senior vice-president at BlackBerry and head of QNX.

“The software is getting more complicated and there is more software whether it’s in a vehicle, robotics, a toaster, you name it… so being able to patch vulnerabilities, to prevent bad actors from doing malicious acts is becoming more and more important,” he said.

The medical, industrial and automotive industries have standardized safety measures and anything they produce undergoes rigorous testing, but that work doesn’t happen overnight. It has to be carried out from the start and then at every step of the development process.

“What makes safety and security difficult is it’s an ongoing thing,” Wall said. “It’s not something where you’ve done it, and you are finished.”

The Waterloo, Ont.-based business found 90 per cent of its survey respondents reported that organizations are prioritizing safety.

However, when asked about why safety may not be a priority for their organization, 46 per cent of those surveyed answered cost pressures and 35 per cent said a lack of resources.

That doesn’t surprise Wall. Delays have become rampant in the development of tech, and in some cases, stand to push back the launch of vehicle lines by two years, he said.

“We have to make sure that people don’t compromise on safety and security to be able to get products out quicker,” he said.

“What we don’t want to see is people cutting corners and creating unsafe situations.”

The survey also took a peek at security breaches, which have hit major companies like London Drugs, Indigo Books & Music, Giant Tiger and Ticketmaster in recent years.

About 40 per cent of the survey’s respondents said they have encountered a security breach in their employer’s operating system. Those breaches resulted in major impacts for 27 per cent of respondents, moderate impacts for 42 per cent and minor impacts for 27 per cent.

“There are vulnerabilities all the time and this is what makes the job very difficult because when you ship the software, presumably the software has no security vulnerabilities, but things get discovered after the fact,” Wall said.

Security issues, he added, have really come to the forefront of the problems developers face, so “really without security, you have no safety.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:BB)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Beware of scams during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sales event: cybersecurity firm

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2 weeks ago

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October 8, 2024

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As online shoppers hunt for bargains offered by Amazon during its annual fall sale this week, cybersecurity researchers are warning Canadians to beware of an influx of scammers posing as the tech giant.

In the 30 days leading up to Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, taking place Tuesday and Wednesday, there were more than 1,000 newly registered Amazon-related web domains, according to Check Point Software Technologies, a company that offers cybersecurity solutions.

The company said it deemed 88 per cent of those domains malicious or suspicious, suggesting they could have been set up by scammers to prey on vulnerable consumers. One in every 54 newly created Amazon-related domain included the phrase “Amazon Prime.”

“They’re almost indiscernible from the real Amazon domain,” said Robert Falzon, head of engineering at Check Point in Canada.

“With all these domains registered that look so similar, it’s tricking a lot of people. And that’s the whole intent here.”

Falzon said Check Point Research sees an uptick in attempted scams around big online shopping days throughout the year, including Prime Days.

Scams often come in the form of phishing emails, which are deceptive messages that appear to be from a reputable source in attempt to steal sensitive information.

In this case, he said scammers posing as Amazon commonly offer “outrageous” deals that appear to be associated with Prime Days, in order to trick recipients into clicking on a malicious link.

The cybersecurity firm said it has identified and blocked 100 unique Amazon Prime-themed scam emails targeting organizations and consumers over the past two weeks.

Scammers also target Prime members with unsolicited calls, claiming urgent account issues and requesting payment information.

“It’s like Christmas for them,” said Falzon.

“People expect there to be significant savings on Prime Day, so they’re not shocked that they see something of significant value. Usually, the old adage applies: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Amazon’s website lists a number of red flags that it recommends customers watch for to identify a potential impersonation scam.

Those include false urgency, requests for personal information, or indications that the sender prefers to complete the purchase outside of the Amazon website or mobile app.

Scammers may also request that customers exclusively pay with gift cards, a claim code or PIN. Any notifications about an order or delivery for an unexpected item should also raise alarm bells, the company says.

“During busy shopping moments, we tend to see a rise in impersonation scams reported by customers,” said Amazon spokeswoman Octavia Roufogalis in a statement.

“We will continue to invest in protecting consumers and educating the public on scam avoidance. We encourage consumers to report suspected scams to us so that we can protect their accounts and refer bad actors to law enforcement to help keep consumers safe.”

Falzon added that these scams are more successful than people might think.

As of June 30, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said there had been $284 million lost to fraud so far this year, affecting 15,941 victims.

But Falzon said many incidents go unreported, as some Canadians who are targeted do not know how or where to flag a scam, or may choose not to out of embarrassment.

Check Point recommends Amazon customers take precautions while shopping on Prime Days, including by checking URLs carefully, creating strong passwords on their accounts, and avoiding personal information being shared such as their birthday or social security number.

The cybersecurity company said consumers should also look for “https” at the beginning of a website URL, which indicates a secure connection, and use credit cards rather than debit cards for online shopping, which offer better protection and less liability if stolen.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.

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