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.
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.
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.
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.
