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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5’s pursuit of refinement drubs Motorola’s Razr 40 Ultra

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A new hinge that folds the flat screen, a bigger cover display with more versatility and latest generation chips give Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 an edge over Motorola’s Razr 40 Ultra

Conventional wisdom dictates any considerations to buy a foldable screen phone, lined with a willingness to gingerly accept this adoption, must find a flip form factor as a logical starting point. There are more choices too than 12 months ago. Motorola fired the first salvo with the Razr 40 Ultra and a decidedly more restrained Razr 40. Yet, for all the noise and effort, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the easiest recommendation among all Android flip phones.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. (Vishal Mathur/ HT Photo)

One of the reasons for that is continuity. At first glance, you may struggle to identify visible differences between the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, and its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. The focus is on refinement, headlined by a flat folding hinge that’s good news for longevity.

First the important discussion of the price, before we delve deeper into the specs and value proposition that’s thus generated. Samsung has priced the Galaxy Z Flip 5 at 99,999 for the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage option. For 512GB storage, the sticker price is 1,09,999. The logical choice is the latter. As is the case with Samsung’s phones, the price tag only tells half the tale. There are significant discounts on various payment methods, including cashbacks and exchange offer valuations.

Also read:Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is all about polish, a new hinge and benchmark refresh

Motorola’s latest generation Razr family is meeker in terms of these cashbacks and exchange bonus offers. Therefore, while the final cart price of your Galaxy Z Flip 5 can tumble significantly, there’s limited scope to go much lower than the 89,999 price of the Razr 40 Ultra or the 59,999 valuation plastered on the comparatively moderately spec-ed Razr 40.

Also, there are some online-exclusive special edition colours on Samsung’s online store. Motorola doesn’t have those many options.

Samsung’s added an IPX8 layer for dust intrusion protection and water resistance up to 1.5mts of depth for a duration of 30 minutes. For a foldable phone, it either could mean the difference between being usable a few years down the line, or simply mimicking a paperweight. Motorola’s phones don’t carry any claims for dust, water or splash resistance ratings.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5, much like its larger sibling Galaxy Z Fold 5, folds flat. That’s because of the new hinge, and it eliminates the gap between the folded sides of the screen. Irrespective of the larger footprint of its sibling or the flip form factor in this case, closing that gap when the phone’s folded, goes a long way in protecting the screen from objects that may either slide through it or ones such as coins or keys that may get lodged (worse still, extricate themselves too, forcefully).

Samsung has kept the primary foldable screen size the same as in the previous generations. It is a bright, vivid 6.7-inch Foldable Dynamic AMOLED screen. Illumination top-line is now rated at 1750 nits, up from 1200 nits of the predecessor.

The big change is with the second screen, that’s the cover screen. That real estate is up from 1.9-inches to 3.4-inches. Motorola’s Razr 40 series has also taken a similar trajectory. From the outset, this is a utility focused screen, for widgets you’d be able to quickly glance at, or assimilate and contemplate replying to text messages. Samsung’s widgets are more flexible (read, more choice of the info you see, and how you see it) than Motorola’s.

That’s before Samsung deploys its party trick – an indicator of the work done on the software.

In Settings > Labs (this isn’t immediately apparent; it could’ve done with better placement), you can choose to enable an option that can even run some full-fledged apps on this cover screen. That is, for quite a few use cases, quite a game-changer. You may not find this relevant for running Netflix, but how about Google Maps on the cover screen? Or Android’s Messages app. Or WhatsApp? Negates a need to un-flip, and you hold something quite compact in your hand. Suddenly, a second screen which was perhaps limited to some widgets and cool wallpapers, as a companion for your personality, has adopted deeper meaning. And utility.

Longevity will also likely be defined by the power these phones have. The more, the merrier for a scenario a few years down the line. Samsung’s got custom-made chips from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, with specific boost for graphics performance. Both Motorola phones run older chips – the Razr 40 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 while the Razr 40 has the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 (now you know why we referenced this as moderately spec-ed).

The 3,700mAh battery just about gets through a day of moderate use, but use this extensively for navigation or photography, and there may be some anxiety as the late evening sunshine graces the view from your room’s window. The next generation of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip should also get faster charging – here and now, 25-watt on wired and 15-watt on wireless just don’t seem enough. Mind you, Motorola’s flip phones make do with 30-watt wired charging and a miserable 5-watt wireless charging.

Samsung’s foldables don’t, and that’s the trend – get the latest camera hardware that the Galaxy S flagship phones do. You’ll still have to make do with a 12-megapixel wide camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, although there seem to be very clear improvements with the image processing algorithms which allow for better detailing to come through. That is, in good lighting scenarios.

You’ll miss a telephoto lens, and digital zoom’s utility is quite limited if details and clarity are what you wish for in resulting photos. For low-light photos too, it takes some effort to get the sort of detailing you’d expect from a flagship-esque priced phone. That may always not be the case.

If there is a part of you which would like to make the switch from a traditional slab-design smartphone to a flip form factor, your choices don’t get much better than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. It is incredibly usable even in the un-flipped state, since the 6.7-inch screen size (albeit with a narrow-er aspect ratio) retains a similar footprint. The cover screen is significantly improved now, with software smarts adding genuine utility.

For specific use cases too, the 90-degree positioning makes sense. Video calls being one, where you can keep the phone on the table and not have to hold it up. Or use the lower part of the screen for specific app functionality, such as controls for music streaming apps.

Unlike its bigger sibling, the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s pricing is less of a contemplation for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. Even more so, if you’re able to use the payment and exchange offers to the fullest.

 

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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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