At CES 2021, Samsung launched its new enterprise tablet, the Galaxy Tab Active3. The Galaxy Tab Active3 targets the mobile workforce. In 2021, much work is getting done in odd places. In the front seat of a car, in an office, or outside on a construction site. The Galaxy Tab Active3 will serve those types of workers in industries ranging from retail to transportation and beyond.
Samsung sent me one of its new Galaxy Tab Active3 to review. I admit I am not a huge tablet user, but rather an enterprise PC fanatic due to my work nature. With that said, I do enjoy using a tablet for checking email, browsing the web, streaming entertainment, and snapping pics. I spent a couple of days using it in addition to my PC, and below is my experience.
My configuration
I will start by outlining my configuration. My Galaxy Tab Active3 came with an 8″ display at 1080P resolution, Exynos 9810 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, 5050mAh battery, and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. Like most Samsung devices, there is the ability to add up to an additional 1TB of storage via microSD. There are 4G LTE enabled versions of the system available, but mine was the standard Wi-Fi configuration. The Galaxy Tab Active3 comes with IP68 water and dust resistance certification and MIL-STD-810H military-grade certification as well.
Build quality
The Galaxy Tab Active3 comes in Samsung’s signature packaging with a system image on the front and an S Pen draped down the box’s side. Once I took the system out of the box, I installed the removable battery, replaced the back covering, and dropped the tablet into the rugged case that comes with the Galaxy Tab Active3. The tablet didn’t feel very rugged until I dropped it into the case. I noticed immediately that this case feels durable and fits the tablet like a glove. It was tough to get the case off once I put it on, I guess even more reason to leave it on. I felt like a could drop this tablet down the stairs and not sweat it a bit. I was able to toss the tablet into my backpack with no worry of cracking the display or denting the device. Overall, I like the design of the Galaxy Tab Active3. The device is sleek, lightweight, and, most importantly, durable.
The system comes with a USB-C charging port, Pogo Pin, audio jack, power button, volume up and down, and a programmable button. The Galaxy Tab Active3 also comes with a 13MP rear camera with flash and a 5MP front camera.
Display
The Galaxy Tab Active3 has an 8″ display at 1920 x 1080P resolution. It isn’t edgeless like Samsung’s smartphone lineup but instead has thicker edges. The display borders aren’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is worth calling out. I found the display to be extremely responsive to touch. The virtual keyboard onscreen was surprisingly easy to type on. The individual keys were a little too small for my liking, but it worked well when I did use the keyboard. I was impressed with the S Pen pairing with this display. I used the S Pen to scroll through Forbes articles and switch between YouTube videos with ease. There was very an instance where I felt uncomfortable using the pen with the display. Another plus is that the S Pen fits conveniently into the top of the case. It is sometimes hard to pull the pen out, so don’t worry about it falling out of the case.
Performance and battery life
Both the fingerprint scanner and biometric face login were smooth to use. I had no trouble using either option as a secure way to log in. As far as performance goes, this tablet was able to do everything I asked of it. I mostly used it for light productivity workloads like checking email, watching YouTube videos, and snapping pictures. But for those workloads, I never had a hiccup or lag. I felt comfortable using the tablet for all my G-Suite apps like Google Hangouts, Google Meet, and Google Drive. The photos that I captured on the devices didn’t blow me away, but the tablet will work well for scanning barcodes or snapping a quit picture of a document at work. I was getting around 6 to 7 hours of battery life on a day’s typical use. When I upped the display brightness and streamed more video content, that brought me into the 5-hour range. You can always purchase an additional 5050mAh battery and swap it out for more uptime. The benefit with the swappable batteries is that all you’re swapping is the battery, not the full device. While this equates to more batteries, you won’t need too many spare devices. The audio on the device came through loud and clear. I was 10+ feet away from the tablet while listening to a YouTube video, and I could hear the audio clearly with ease. The Android 10 OS worked great for my use case and but I welcome the upgrade to Android 11 soon.
Another welcomed addition is “glove mode.” The mode allows users the ability to use the display while wearing gloves. I turned on glove mode in display options under the device settings, and it worked well. I was able to swipe and navigate on the device with a high degree of touch accuracy. I can see anyone working on construction sites, oil and gas sites, or anyone working in outdoor occupations loving this feature. I understand I am not the target audience of this tablet, so take my statements about performance and battery life with a grain of salt.
Pricing
The Galaxy Tab Active3 is available now in the U.S. for purchase. The system’s standard Wi-Fi configuration will start at $489.99, while the LTE-enabled version starting at $589.99.
Wrapping up
All in all, I was pleased with my experience with the Galaxy Tab Active3. There is something oddly satisfying about having a rugged device, knowing that it is still likely to perform if you drop or abuse the machine. The Galaxy Tab Active3 had a great display and good battery life wrapped in a small, durable form factor. I was impressed with the enterprise features and capabilities of this new tablet-like Samsung wireless Dex, Wi-Fi 6, and a programmable key. I can see this tablet being used and abused by mobile and frontline workers, and I believe it is up to the task. I do not doubt that this tablet can contribute to some meaningful productivity boosts to enterprise users.
If you’re an enterprise with a mobile workforce or frontline workers, The Galaxy Tab Active3 needs to be on your consideration list.
Note: Moor Insights & Strategy writers and editors may have contributed to this article.
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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.
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.
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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.
