We could easily tell Apple what it should and shouldn’t do when it introduces the iPhone 12 next Tuesday, Oct. 13, though we’re pretty sure it wouldn’t do much good. It’s not that Apple wouldn’t listen to us — at least, that’s the story we’re going with — but rather in these days of virtually live product launches, it’s a safe bet Apple’s pre-recorded iPhone 12 unveiling is likely already in the can.
That’s a pity, because the iPhone 12 arrives at a unique time for Apple. This is the first time since the iPhone 4s back in 2011 that Apple has released a phone in October. And that was back before the iPhone was one of the main drivers for Apple’s business. Meanwhile, rivals like Samsung and Google have already had a chance to show off — and in some cases, launch — their fall flagships before Apple even steps up on stage.
Even with all the attention a new iPhone commands, Apple’s got some catching up to do. So expect the company to use its Oct. 13 launch video to tout the various advantages the iPhone 12 will lord over the rest of the smartphone world.
We’ll hear all about the A14 Bionic processor that Apple first unveiled at last month’s iPad Air 4 unveiling and how it will power the four new iPhone 12 models. Apple will doubtlessly talk about 5G — the iPhone’s finally getting it, across all four models. And Apple will certainly spend time touting a bevy of new features, from new colors to an assortment of camera capabilities. And all that will be fine.
But if Apple wants our advice — seriously, Tim Cook, we won’t even send you straight to voicemail — we hope that this Tuesday’s iPhone 12 launch spends some time addressing these key points.
Why should we care about 5G?
It would be ridiculous to call 5G a bust at this point. But at the same time, the hype about the new wireless standard has far outweighed the actual benefits that early adopters have experienced. Part of that’s because 5G networks are a little more than a year old and still evolving. And another part is because there’s been no one device that clearly represents the moment 5G has arrived.
Apple’s different iPhone 12 models are expected to add 5G connectivity. (Image credit: Everything Apple Pro)
Maybe it’s premature to saddle the iPhone 12 with that burden, but Apple’s phone has a big enough following that the addition of 5G connectivity is significant. Just by adding 5G to the latest iPhones, Apple enables more people than ever before to take advantage of 5G’s faster speeds and lower latency.
Apple will obviously mention the 5G capabilities of its new phones. But we hope the company goes a little deeper and talks about what 5G connectivity will mean for iPhone 12 users as well the kinds of experiences 5G can enable. At the same time, Apple should paint a realistic picture of where 5G is now and detail how its new phones are positioned to reap the benefits of better performance as wireless carriers continue to build out their networks.
To that end, there’s a rumor that only the iPhone 12 Pro models will be able to connect with all types of 5G. The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 are rumored to only work with low-band 5G networks that have a wider reach but slower speeds than mmWave-based 5G. If that rumor turns out to be true, we hope it’s not something Apple glosses over. Instead, we’d like Apple to explain the reason for that decision and outline what it means for the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 as 5G networks evolve.
How good are the displays (without 120Hz)?
Another early iPhone 12 rumor that sounds like it’s not going to pan out is the presence of a faster refresh rate for the screens on some models. At one point, it sounded like the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max might feature screens with a 120Hz refresh rate, similar to what Samsung’s done for its Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra flagship devices. As we get closer to the iPhone 12 launch, however, it seems like that feature’s going to be tabled until next year, and that all iPhones will have standard 60Hz refresh rates.
Phones like the OnePlus 8 Pro and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra feature 120Hz displays — that looks like it won’t happen for the iPhone 12 Pro. (Image credit: Future)
We wouldn’t expect Apple to address that in its iPhone 12 reveal. But given the advances other phone makers have adopted for their displays — the Pixel 5, the Motorola Edge Plus and both OnePlus 8 models offer faster refresh rates, too — it’s incumbent on Apple to emphasize the things its screens can do. Talk about the brightness, the colors, the accuracy of what you see on an iPhone 12’s screen.
We spend a lot of time looking at the display — we’ve got the Screen Time stats to prove it — so give us a sense of what we’ll be looking at with the iPhone 12. A current rumor suggests the iPhone 12 could feature a new kind of screen glass called Ceramic Shield Front Cover — we’d love to hear more about what that means for the display’s durability, for example.
What’s the LiDAR sensor capable of doing?
One rumor we do expect to pan out for the iPhone 12 is the presence of a LiDAR sensor on the rear camera array — at least for the iPhone 12 Pro models. The move’s not unprecedented, as the iPad Pro features such a sensor. And while it would certainly mean some improvements to portrait shots, it sounds like the true value of a LiDAR sensor will be to support more sophisticated augmented reality apps and experiences.
LiDAR could be part of the iPhone 12 Pro’s camera array. (Image credit: DMJ4D)
That’s the kind of thing that needs to be shown off so that people can see it for themselves. AR technology doesn’t always lend itself to on-stage demos — it’s something you best experience first-hand — but perhaps Apple can take advantage of the live-on-tape nature of the iPhone 12 launch to cook up some really interesting demos.
One thing we’re absolutely confident about: if there are compelling AR apps that developers have whipped up using Apple’s AR Kit tools, you’ll see them during the iPhone 12 launch. Past Apple product events have proven that Apple has no qualms about turning over the spotlight to app makers if what they’ve created shows off an Apple product in the best light, so we’d be surprised if there weren’t any AR demos during next Tuesday’s iPhone 12 launch.
We’ve also heard that the LiDAR sensor could help with autofocus performance, low-light photography and perhaps even enable portrait-style effects in videos. But we’ll have to see what Apple’s announcement brings.
What other camera tricks can the iPhone 12 do?
Based on iPhone 12 rumors, don’t expect too many surprises in terms of camera hardware. The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 are expected to feature the wide and ultra wide angle cameras found on the iPhone 11, while the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max will adopt that triple lens setup introduced with the iPhone 11 Pro (plus the LiDAR sensor, of course). There’s talk of the iPhone 12 introducing a 7-part lens for the main camera that will mean better photo quality.
More features like Deep Fusion, please. (Image credit: Apple)
The latest rumors have the iPhone 12 Pro getting a 4x optical zoom and the iPhone 12 Pro Max sporting a 5x zoom, which would be a big improvement over the 2x lens in the iPhone 11 Pro series.
It’s software where Apple could surprise us. In recent iPhone launches, Apple has shown off features like Deep Fusion, where its phones perform pixel-by-pixel photo processing to call out details and textures, and Smart HDR, where multiple exposures are combined into one superior shot. It’s likely Apple has something similar planned for the iPhone 12 that we’ll find out about when Apple devotes time to focusing on the new handset’s cameras.
Why no charger?
When Apple eighty-sixed the headphone jack on the iPhone 7, then-Apple executive Phil Schiller was tasked with explaining the move at the launch event. “The reason to move on: courage,” Schiller said. “The courage to move on and do something new that betters all of us.”
As explanations go, that one was pretty lame, even if other smartphone makers have subsequently followed Apple’s lead, which was probably less inspired by courage and more driven by an interest in selling wireless earbuds.
A 20W Apple charger may be in the works, but the iPhone 12 models could ship without a charger of any kind. (Image credit: Mr. White)
We bring this up because of another rumor circulating around the iPhone 12 — that it will ship without a charger or wired earbuds. If that comes to pass, Apple’s going to have some explaining to do, especially since it’s expecting people who pay $999 and up for an iPhone 12 Pro to supply their own accessories.
There are perfectly acceptable reasons for making such a move — it keeps phone costs from spiraling upward and there’s an environmental impact when you include accessories with every phone you ship. But it’s up to Apple to make that case, and this time, trumpeting your courage isn’t going to cut it as a response.
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.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Tuesday that it would provide up to $325 million to Hemlock Semiconductor for a new factory, a move that could help give Democrats a political edge in the swing state of Michigan ahead of election day.
The funding would support 180 manufacturing jobs in Saginaw County, where Republicans and Democrats were neck-in-neck for the past two presidential elections. There would also be construction jobs tied to the factory that would produce hyper-pure polysilicon, a building block for electronics and solar panels, among other technologies.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on a call with reporters that the funding came from the CHIPS and Science Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in 2022. It’s part of a broader industrial strategy that the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, supports, while Republican nominee Donald Trump, the former president, sees tariff hikes and income tax cuts as better to support manufacturing.
“What we’ve been able to do with the CHIPS Act is not just build a few new factories, but fundamentally revitalize the semiconductor ecosystem in our country with American workers,” Raimondo said. “All of this is because of the vision of the Biden-Harris administration.”
A senior administration official said the timing of the announcement reflected the negotiating process for reaching terms on the grant, rather than any political considerations. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the process.
After site work, Hemlock Semiconductor plans to begin construction in 2026 and then start production in 2028, the official said.
Running in 2016, Trump narrowly won Saginaw County and Michigan as a whole. But in 2020 against Biden, both Saginaw County and Michigan flipped to the Democrats.
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.
