Samsung’s chip division, aka Samsung Foundry, is coming up with an innovative method to manufacture chips with smaller node sizes. As per a report by the Korean website Chosun Biz, Samsung Foundry plans to bring Backside Power Delivery Network (BSPDN) technology to its 2nm chips.
The chip race between semiconductor manufacturers is heating up with 2nm chips. These chips are mainly scheduled for smartphones to launch in 2025. By decreasing the nanometer count, manufacturers can place more transistors into chips, making them more powerful and enhancing their power efficiency.
Samsung’s 2nm chips land with Backside Power Delivery Network (BSPDN)
The Backside Power Delivery Network (BSPDN) is a technology that basically routes power supply lines on the backside of a chip and removes power-delivering interconnects beneath the silicon. This implementation creates space for the data interconnects above the silicon and allows manufacturers to build larger, less resistive power interconnects.
By implementing BSPDN, Samsung Foundry can reduce interference between power lines and simplify the production process. Additionally, smaller node sizes can potentially enhance the power and efficiency of Samsung’s 2nm chips.
Samsung initially planned to launch BSPDN with its 1.7nm chips. However, its roadmap indicates that the 2nm chips are the first to receive BSPDN. The chips will enter production in 2025. Japan’s Preferred Networks (PFN) and Qualcomm are said to be the first customers of Samsung’s 2nm chips. Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, which powers flagship Galaxy devices, relies on Samsung’s in-house SF2P process.
As we earlier reported, Apple has started designing its chips based on TSMC’s 2nm fabrication process. The chips are expected to land in the 2025 iPhone 17 series. Intel’s 2nm chips, dubbed Intel 20A, also enter production this year.
American Express cardholders are advised to be vigilant after a data breach at a third-party vendor potentially exposed some card information. While American Express systems remain secure, the breach may have compromised card numbers, names, expiration dates, and other details.
American Express notified card members today of a data breach impacting some customer information, emphasizing that its systems were not compromised. The breach originated from a third-party service provider used by numerous merchants, potentially exposing customer details including card numbers, names, and expiration dates.
What Happened:
American Express discovered unauthorized access to a system utilized by a third-party service provider engaged by various merchants. This incident may have compromised the account information of some American Express card members.
American Express has filed a data breach notification with the state of Massachusetts regarding potential impacts on cardholder information, which may include current or previously issued American Express card numbers, cardholder names, and card information such as expiration dates.
“At this time, we have been informed that your current or previously issued American Express Card account number, your name and other Card information such as the expiration date, may have been compromised. Please be aware that you may receive additional letters from us if more than one of your American Express Card accounts were involved.”
American Express
In response to this situation, American Express has taken several measures to address the issue. The company has affirmed the security of its own systems and is actively monitoring accounts for any signs of fraudulent activity.
Additionally, cardholders are reassured that they are not liable for unauthorized charges. American Express has provided resources and information on fraud protection through its Security Center website.
For insights into this, we reached out to Piyush Pandey, CEO at Pathlock who stated, “Over the last few years, we’ve seen a significant uptick in third-party data breaches. In this example, there are multiple parties, or what we call “nth party” risk. This places a much greater emphasis on organizations to vet their third parties during onboarding to minimize access risk.”
Piyush also cautioned businesses about the importance of scrutinizing third parties before entering into business partnerships with them. “Organizations must also ensure that the third-party partners of the third parties they are doing business with are assessed for access risk. It should become part of standard third-party contracts to specify breach response responsibilities,” he explained. “Masking data to provide only what is needed by third parties to provide services must be a best practice.”
Nevertheless, American Express card members are advised to review their account statements for any suspicious activity, especially over the next 12-24 months. They are also encouraged to enable account notifications via the American Express Mobile app or through email/text messaging for added security.
Furthermore, updating contact information with American Express is recommended to ensure smooth communication if necessary.
Rising Incidents of Third-Party Data Breaches
The beginning of 2024 has witnessed a noticeable uptick in data breaches affecting diverse sectors, including corporate entities and governmental organizations. On February 23 2024, a threat actor using the alias IntelBroker leaked 2.4 million data belonging to private plane owners linked to the Los Angeles International Airport.
In August 2023, an IT contractor employed by the Metropolitan Police Force experienced a cyberattack that impacted over 50,000 MET police personnel.
In September 2023, a third-party contractor experienced a data breach that affected over 8,000 Greater Manchester Police Officers. In October 2023, another contractor inadvertently exposed their database, resulting in the leakage of sensitive details about 500,000 Irish Police vehicle seizure records.
Google Maps already gives you an extremely useful and in-depth navigation experience. However, Google always finds more ways to make the platform better. According to a new report, Google Maps will soon show users building entrances. This will make using the app that much easier.
When you’re navigating to a certain location, you’ll see the general shape and location of the place you’re going, but not all places have conveniently located entrances. Some places have entrances in odd spots, and it can be tough pinpointing where they are. This can make navigating to certain locations tricky, especially if it’s your first time going there.
Google Maps is working on showing building entrances
Right now, this feature is available in a limited capacity. The folks are Android Police were able to get it working on a Pixel 7a running the software version 11.17.0101 of the Google Maps app. However, it doesn’t seem to be showing up for other devices, even devices running the same version of Google Maps. This is most likely a limited test for certain devices and certain regions.
As for the functionality, when you’re zoomed into a building fairly far, and you select it, you’ll see markers to indicate the entrances and exits. The markers will be little arrows enclosed in colored circles. Also, when you tap on a building, you’ll see the building turn red. This makes the building stand out on the map so you know that you’re looking at the right building.
You’re likely only to see this feature for select buildings. The company is still working on pushing this feature out to more places. Until then, many cities will be unsupported. Also, you can expect inaccurate results for the building entrances. The accuracy will go down as the size of the buildings shrinks.
At this point, we don’t know when Google is going to roll this out to more people. As time goes on, we will see this feature make it to more places.
If you’re interested in the smart home industry, you have probably heard about Matter. It is a new connectivity standard for smart homes that is being developed by major brands in the industry. Its goal is to provide better compatibility between smart home devices.
Previously, Matter was known as Project CHIP, but it was renamed earlier this year. The name might be a play on words, indicating how essential this standard is for smart home technology.
In this article, we will provide a comprehensive overview of Matter, including what it is, how it will work with your current and future smart home devices, and whether it will make your life easier.
What is Matter?
Matter is a new smart home connectivity standard that is being created by a group of over 200 companies. It was founded by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), which was formerly the Zigbee Alliance. This new standard uses the Internet Protocol (IP) including Bluetooth LE, WiFi, and Thread that will work together to make smart home products compatible with each other using a single standard instead of the many disparate standards that exist today.
This group is taking an open-source approach to developing the SDK, that will enable companies to bring their products to market with Matter support even faster, once the standard is completed.
What’s the point of Matter though? Well, Matter is going to help make it easier for companies and developers to build new smart home appliances as well as Internet of Things or IoT products that will work seamlessly together with Google Home/Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Samsung SmartThings. It’s going to simplify the buying process of these products. You won’t have to think about whether this Nest Doorbell works with other platforms than just Google Assistant.
What companies are part of the alliance?
While we can’t list the over 200 companies that are part of the alliance for Matter, here are the bigger names:
ADT Security Services
Google LLC
Plume Design
Afero Inc
grandcentrix GmbH
POLYNHOME
Alarm.com
Amazon
Apple Inc
ARM Ltd
ARRIS Solutions Inc
Assa Abloy AB
ATLANTIC Group
Atmosic
Axis Communications
Ayla Networks
Becker Antriebe GmbH
BEGA Gantenbrink-Leuchten KG
Beken
BELIMO Automation AG
Belkin International Inc
BOE Technology Group Co Ltd
Bosch IO GmbH
Bouffalo Lab
BrightAI
BRK Brands
BSH Hausgerate GmbH
Buffalo Inc
Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services
Busch-Jaeger Elektro
Cable Television Laboratories
CAME SpA
Card Access Engineering LLC
Chameleon Technology UK Ltd
Charter Communications
China Electronics Standardization Institute
Comcast Cable Communications Management
Connectivity Standards Alliance
Control4
Coway
Crestron
Cypress Semiconductor Corp
Danfoss A S
Datek Smart Home AS
DEKRA
Delta Dore
Delta Electronics
Deutsche Telekom AG
Develco Products
DigiCert Inc
digitalSTROM AG
D-Link Corporation
dormakaba Holding AG
DSP Group
DSR Corporation
DT&C Co., Ltd.
Easee
Eaton
ecobee
EDF RD
EDMI Ltd
Eglo Leuchten GmbH
Element Materials Technology Ltd
Eltako GmbH
Emerson Commercial Residential Solutions
EnOcean GmbH
Espressif Systems
Essence Group
E-surfing Smart Home Technology
Eurofins Digital Testing
Eve Systems
Exegin Technologies Ltd
Facebook Inc
Fortune Brands Global Plumbing Group
Future Home AS
Futurewei Technologies
Gardena GmbH
GE Current – A Daintree Company
GEWISS SpA
Granite River Labs
Green Energy Options
Grundfos
Guangzhou Elite Education Technology Co Ltd
Hager Controls SAS
Haier
Hangzhou Sky Lighting Co Ltd
HDC I-Controls
Honor Device Company Limited
Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
IKEA of Sweden
Infineon Technologies
innovation matters iot GmbH
Inspur Software Technology Co Ltd
Insta GmbH
iRobot
iThinx GmbH
Itron Inc
Jasco Products Company
JiangXi Innotech Technology
Johnson Controls Inc
Kee Tat Manufactory Holding Limited
Kirale Technologies SL
Kroger Co
Kwikset
Landis Gyr AG
Latchable Inc
LEDVANCE LLC
Leedarson Lighting Co Ltd
LEGRAND
Lennox International
Level Home Inc
Leviton Manufacturing Company
LG Electronics
Liberty Global B V
LIFX
Logitech
Lumi United Technology Co Ltd
Lutron Electronics
Mastercard
MediaTek Inc
Microchip Technology
Midea Group
Miele-Cie KG
Mill International
Mitsubishi Electric
Mitsubishi Electric US
MMB Networks
Morse Micro
mui Lab Inc
Nanjing IOT Sensor Technology
Nanoleaf
National Technical Systems
Netatmo
Niko nv
Ningbo Sunpu
Ningbo Suntech Lighting Technology Co Ltd
NodOn
Nordic Semiconductor ASA
Nortek Control
NquiringMinds Ltd
NXP Semiconductors Netherlands BV
ON Semiconductor
OPPO
Optus
Orange SA
Origin Wireless Inc
Osram Sylvania Inc
Otodo
Panasonic Corporation
Panasonic Marketing Europe GmbH
Panasonic North America
PanKore Integrated Circuit Technology Co Ltd
Perspecta Labs
Piaro
Powerley
Procter and Gamble
PROFALUX
Proxy Inc
Qingdao Yeelink Information Technology Co Limited
Qorvo
Qualcomm
Remotec Technology Ltd
Resideo Technologies
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch Smart Home GmbH
ROCA SANITARIO SA
Roku
Ruckus Wireless
Sagemcom SAS
Salto Systems
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Savant Company
Schlage Lock Company LLC
Schneider Electric
Sectigo Ltd
Secure Meters UK Ltd
Sengled Co Ltd
Shanghai MXCHIP Information Technology Co Ltd
Shenzhen CoolKit
Shenzhen Heiman Technology Co Ltd
Shenzhen Orvibo Technology Co Ltd
Shortcut Labs AB
Siemens Industry Inc
Siemens Schweiz AG
Signify Netherlands B V
Silicon Labs
SimpliSafe
SITERWELL Electronics
SmartThings
SoftAtHome
Somfy
STMicroelectronics SAS
Synaptics
System Level Solutions Inc
TCL
TeLink Micro LLC
Tesla
Texas Instruments
TietoEVRY
TP-Link Corporation Limited
Trane Technologies
TUV Rheinland of North America
Tuya Global Incorporated
Ubilogix
ubisys technologies GmbH
Underwriters Laboratories
Universal Electronics
Velux AS
Viessmann Elektronik GmbH
Vimar SpA
Vivint Smart Home
vivo Mobile Communication Co Ltd
Whirlpool Corporation
WS Audiology Denmark AS
Wyde Labs
Wyze Labs Inc
X-HEMISTRY Inc
Xiaomi Communications
Xylem Inc
Yandex LLC
Yo Labs Inc
Zehnder Group Vaux Andigny
Zuma Array Ltd
Zumtobel Group AG
Z-Wave Europe GmbH
Zyax AB
What is Thread?
Thread is a big part of Matter. And it’s essential to understand what it is, as well. Thread is a wireless mesh protocol that is similar to WiFi and Bluetooth. It enables seamless communication between devices. It is based on IPv6 and uses an edge router, or “border router,” to connect that network to other networks like WiFi, Ethernet, and the Cloud. Basically, Thread serves as the connection between devices, while Matter is the language that those devices will use to communicate. And it sits on top of Thread, working as an application layer.
Thread apparently has “no single point of failure and includes the ability to self-heal”. That is because all the devices on the network can communicate with each other as opposed to having one centralized controller like other protocols. This means that if the Leader router fails, another router will take its place in the network.
When will products that are Matter-certified be available?
So when can you get your hands on products that are Matter-certified? Well, today. Quite a few newer smart home products are Matter-certified, while older products are slowly but surely getting Matter updates to work the new standard. These include products from Philips Hue, Nanoleaf, Google, Amazon, Apple and many more.
You will need a Thread Border router for the best experience with Matter. The good news is, that many products already on the market support Thread Border router, including all of these:
I firmly believe it will. Why? Well, it’s simple. The CSA, formerly the Zigbee Alliance, has every large company in this space in the alliance. Including Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft. That’s going to make it hard not to succeed. But we would still need the smaller companies that sell the majority of smart home products to make it succeed.
At this point, it’s a little too early to say whether it will succeed or not. But we are preparing for Matter v1.2 pretty soon. So that’s a good sign. Matter is slowly making the smart home space easier and easier to use, which is a big thing for this industry.
In the recording, four senior Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) officers are discussing the hypothetical export of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, and how to attack Russian infrastructure through them.
Russian spies leaked a 38-minute audio file of German military officials discussing Taurus cruise missile deliveries to Ukraine, raising questions about the military’s information security practices, as reported by Russian state broadcaster RT.
The German Defence Ministry has accused Russia of launching an “information war” following the publication of the recording of a meeting of senior German military officials, calling the incident an act of eavesdropping and a “hybrid disinformation attack” by Russia-backed spies.
Reportedly, the spies could record the conversation by joining a Webex conference. The conversation reveals plans for the shipment of advanced weaponry to pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine and a possible military strike on Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula currently under Russian control.
It is worth noting that Kyiv wants Germany’s Taurus missiles, long-range missiles from France and Britain, and Ukrainian soldier training amid the ongoing war in Ukraine since the country is facing soldiers and ammunition shortages. The transcript of the conversation, which took place on 19 February, was published by RT on 1st March.
In the recording, four senior Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) officers are discussing the hypothetical export of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, and how to attack Russian infrastructure through them.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz refuses to send such long-range cruise missiles, causing splintering within the country’s governing coalition. The recording, shared on social media, revealed that the German Air Force’s chief, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz expressed concern about direct connections with the Ukrainian armed forces.
Russian officials also discussed potential targets for Taurus missiles donated to Ukraine, the training time for local personnel, and the possibility of using the missiles to destroy the Kerch bridge linking Crimea to Russia.
They also discussed preparations for a meeting with MP Boris Pistorius to send around 10-20 Taurus missiles from Germany’s 600-strong stockpile to counter Russia’s air defences and destroy the Kerch connection. They also discussed transporting data for Taurus programming from German airbases into Ukraine.
As per DW, the Defence Ministry has confirmed the recording’s authenticity and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to it as a “very serious matter.” German Social Democrats MP Pistorius criticized the leaked audio, stating it was suspiciously published just before opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s funeral.
Germany’s Military Counterintelligence Service is investigating the leaked audio, which comes just days after Scholz inferred that British and French staff are helping calibrate missile targets for Ukrainians.
Update: Samsung is now on One UI 6.1. Samsung is no longer supporting One UI 4, and devices on One UI 4 should have received updates to One UI 5 or One UI 6 by now.
One UI 4 is the latest version of Samsung’s overlay for Android. It is based on Android 12. But what is new in One UI 4? What features are coming? What devices will get the update? When will it be available to everyone?
We’ll answer all of that and so much more here. As this is everything you need to know about One UI 4.
What is One UI 4?
One UI 4 is the latest version of Samsung’s software for its smartphones, and it is based on Android 12. It was first released in Beta on September 14, 2021 to the Samsung Galaxy S21 series. It’s the fourth iteration of the software since Samsung revamped it a few years ago.
Typically, we’ll see the .1 update come with the Galaxy S devices in the Spring, and then the .5 version comes towards the fall with the new foldables (previously, the new Notes). Followed by the new version with the new version of Android. So this year, we saw One UI 3.1 with the Galaxy S21, One UI 3.5 with the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Fold 3. And now One UI 4 with Android 12 is on its way.
When will it be released?
Samsung has been very quick to release updates in recent years. So, while we don’t know for sure when the final, stable version will be released just yet, it would not surprise us to see it start coming out before the end of 2021 on the Galaxy S21.
It’ll likely come to the Galaxy S21 series first, followed by the new foldables (Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3) along with the other older high-end devices from Samsung. The beta will also likely expand to other devices in the next month or so.
One UI 4 has been released for the following devices
What devices will get the One UI 4 update?
Samsung has stated that the following devices will get updated to One UI 4, but it could also be expanded to other devices too. These are for sure getting update though.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Samsung Galaxy Note 20
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 5G
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ 5G
Samsung Galaxy S20
Samsung Galaxy S20 5G
Samsung Galaxy S20 5G UW
Samsung Galaxy S20+
Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G UW
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G
Samsung Galaxy Note 10
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 5G
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G
SamsungGalaxy S10 5G
Samsung Galaxy S10+
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Galaxy S10e
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite
Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 5G
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Samsung Galaxy A71 5G
Samsung Galaxy A71
Samsung Galaxy A51 5G
Samsung Galaxy A51
Samsung Galaxy A90 5G
It’s good to see Samsung going all the way back to the Galaxy S10 series for this update. As those came out in 2019, they aren’t super old, but we don’t typically see Android manufacturers updating phones that are over two years old (and approaching three years).
What’s new in One UI 4?
Here are some of the bigger features that you’ll see in One UI 4.
Starting with customization. Samsung is allowing users to customize the widgets in One UI 4. You can also customize your home screen, icons, notifications, wallpapers, and so much more. The redesigned widget screen offers deeper customization. Allowing you to change up your appearance.
One UI 4 also brings in some enhanced privacy and protection functions that are going to make it easier to keep your data protected. It expands on Android 12’s permissions options, and allows users to view their permissions history from the last seven days, instead of just the last 24 hours (what Android 12 does).
There’s much more that is new in One UI 4, but it’s good to see that Android 12’s two biggest focuses are going to make it into One UI 4. Below, you’ll find the full changelog.
Here’s the full changelog for One UI 4
This is the full changelog, as of the first beta for One UI 4. This will likely get longer, and some features may be scrapped by the time the final version comes out.
Home screen
Home screen widgets have been redesigned to give you more information at a glance while also making your Home screen more stylish. You’ll also get recommendations for widgets that may be useful for you.
Lock screen
You can now change the audio output to a different device, such as headphones or a speaker, right from the Lock screen. You’ll also get customized controls depending on which music app you’re using.
A new Voice Recorder widget for the Lock screen lets you record voice memos without unlocking your phone.
A monthly calendar appears on the Calendar widget to help you keep track of your events from the Lock screen.
Always On Display
You can set the Always On Display turn on whenever you receive a notification.
New animated stickers are available.
Quick panel
Manage your notifications more comfortably with an enhanced layout and an integrated section of alert and silent notifications.
The brightness bar in the quick panel is larger so it’s easier to see and adjust.
Dark Mode
Wallpapers, icons, and illustrations are now darkened automatically to provide a more consistent look and more comfort for your eyes.
Charging effects
New visual effects appear when you start charging to help you check the charging speed.
Samsung Keyboard
Get to your emojis, GIFS, and stickers directly from the keyboard with a single button. Self-expression is a tap away.
Looking to express something new? Combine two emojis, then add an animation so you can really get your feelings across.
New animated stickers are available for download.
Keep your grammar and spelling on point with the new Writing assistant, powered by Grammarly (English only).
Tips
Preview videos now appear when you enter the Tips app, helping you learn everything your Galaxy can do.
Sharing
You can customize the list of apps that appear on the share panel to reduce clutter, and scroll left and right across the lists of apps and people for quicker access.
When you try to share pictures that have problems like poor focus or framing, you’ll get suggestions for fixing them so your pictures always look their best.
Camera
Enjoy a simpler, clearer layout with a preview that shows only the information you need. The scene optimizer button will only appear in Photo mode if there’s low light or you’re scanning a document. Settings for Portrait and Night modes are now more intuitive.
Lens and zoom: See the zoom level on the lens icons for easier zooming, even in modes that only support one lens.
Video that never misses a moment: Recording naw starts immediately after you tap the Record button, instead of when you release it. In Photo mode, touch and hold the Shutter button to start recording a video. Drag your finger to the Lock icon to continue recording without having to hold down the button.
Single take: Add extra time while recording in Single Take so you don’t miss important moments. After recording is finished, the content selection menu has been improved to help you easily choose the perfect shots.
Pro made: Settings have been reorganized for a cleaner look. When grid lines are on, horizontal level indicators help you line up the perfect shot.
Enhanced scan features: After scanning a document, you can zoom in for fine editing. When you scan a QR code, you can choose from several options depending on the type of QR code.
Gallery
Stories now show a video preview on the cover and a highlight video inside. You can also see where each picture in a story was taken on a map.
More options are available for sorting albums that contain lots of photos.
Album covers are now shown at the top of the screen when you open albums.
Search suggestions have been improved to help you find pictures and videos. Recent searches are also suggested.
Remastered pictures can be reverted to their original versions at any time, even after they’re saved.
You can now edit the date, time, and location that pictures and videos were taken.
Photo and video editor
Add fun emojis and stickers to your pictures and videos.
Create video collages by combining multiple images and videos from your Gallery. The new Light balance option lets you edit the tone of pictures more easily. The Highlight reel editor has also been enhanced to give you even more control.
Revert edited videos back to their original versions at any time, even after they’re saved.
Cut out a face, pet, building, or any other object from a photo and paste it onto a different one.
AR Emoji
Use an AR emoji as your profile picture in Contacts and Samsung account. You can choose from over 10 poses or create your own expressions.
New AR emoji stickers that show only your face have been added. Have fun decorating your photos and sharing them with your friends.
Make cool dance videos with your AR emojis. Choose templates from 10 different categories including #Fun, #Cute, and #Party.
Use your awn drawings to create unique clothes for your AR emojis.
Multitasking
Pin the window option menu to the top of a pop-up window to make it easier to access.
Easily resize picture-in-picture windows with pinch zoom.
Keep your current app in view while using edge panels. Blurring has been removed to help you see more at once.
Settings
The new Safety and emergency menu lets you manage your emergency contacts and safety information all in one place.
Improved search features help you find the settings you need, when you need them. You’ll get suggestions for related features depending on what you search for.
Digital Wellbeing
Keep your eyes on the road with the new Driving monitor. You’ll get reports on how much you used your phone and which apps you used.
Clock
The dual clock widget now shows different background colors for each city depending on whether it’s day or night.
Calendar
The new Calendar layout lets you add events instantly. You can also find events more easily with improved search features.
A new Home screen widget shows your monthly calendar along with today’s events.
Create shared calendars and invite other Galaxy users to join.
Messages
Photos, videos, web links, and other content will now appear in search results in the Messages app.
My Files
Search features have been improved. You can still find the files you’re looking for, even if there’s a typo.
The Recent files area has been expanded to help you more easily find files you’ve used recently.
Samsung Intenet
Get more search suggestions when you enter text in the address bar. Results will appear with an all new design.
The new search widget helps you find what you’re looking for, right from the Home screen. ‘To protect your privacy, Samsung Internet will automatically start in Secret mode if you were using Secret mode during your last browsing session.
Device Care
The main screen shows battery and security issues, making it easier to solve problems quickly.
Your phone’s overall status is shown as an emoji, helping you check the status at a glance.
Now you can get right to Samsung Members diagnostics phone, try the diagnostic tests to find out what the problem is and get suggestions for solving it.
Samsung Health
A new tab layout at the bottom of the screen helps you access the features you need more easily.
The new My page tab shows your profile. weekly summary, badges. and personal bests.
For your gender selection, you can now choose “Other” or “Prefer not to say.”
It’s now easier to invite your friends to team challenges by sending a link.
Additional snacks have been added to the food tracker.
Bixby Routines
More conditions are available for your routines. Start a routine during a call or when a certain notification arrives.
Make your routines do more. You can now turn on Enhanced processing with a routine. There are also more options for connecting and disconnecting Bluetooth devices.
Reorder actions by touching and holding actions on the edit page. Advanced options have also been added to let you wait before an action starts, confirm actions, and more.
We’ve removed restrictions for some combinations of recommendations and actions so you can do even more with your routines.
Create custom icons for your routines using the Camera or an image from Gallery.
Accessibility
Perform actions more quickly by moving your mouse pointer to one of the 4 corners of the screen.
Adjust contrast and size at the same time with custom Display mode (High contrast or Large display).
Access accessibility features more quickly with a floating button that’s always available.
More visibility options are available to meet your needs. You can reduce transparency and blur or make the screen extra dim.
Set different colon for each app’s notifications so you can easily determine where notifications are coming from. ‘Magnifier window has been merged with the new Magnification menu, giving you more options and more control for magnifying content on the screen.
Privacy
See which apps are accessing sensitive permissions such as Location, Camera. or Microphone in Permission usage history. You can deny permissions for any apps you don’t feel comfortable with.
A green dot will appear in the upper right corner of the screen when any app is using the camera or microphone so you can see if an app is recording you without your consent. You can also use quick panel controls to temporarily block all apps from using the camera or microphone.
Take more control over apps that want to access your location. For apps that on]y need to know your general area, such as weather apps. you can allow access to your approximate location so they can’t determine exactly where you are.
Sometimes you need to copy sensitive information. like passwords or credit card numbers, but you don’t want it to fall into the wrong hands. You can choose to be notified any time an app accesses content copied to the clipboard in another app.
Should I join the beta program?
Typically, Samsung’s beta programs aren’t as rough as Google’s, so you may not have as many issues if you join the beta program for One UI 4. But, only time will tell.
If you’re excited to check out Android 12 and One UI 4 on your Samsung device, then it’s a good idea to check out the beta, if you have a compatible device. Remember that there will be bugs, so if you don’t want to deal with any bugs, it might be a good idea to wait for the stable build in a few months.
When speaking about the world’s top AI companies, we typically talk about Google and OpenAI. These two companies famously bumped heads back in 2023 with ChatGPT going up against Google Bard (now called Gemini). Well, Anthropic, another leading AI company, just announced Claude 3, and this powerful AI model is powerful enough to trade blows with GPT-4 and Gemini.
Anthropic has been doing a lot of work and research on its AI. However, it just didn’t stand out amongst the competition. However, it just debuted Claude 3, the company’s magnum opus.
Anthropic AI introduces Claude 3, its most powerful model
Any new AI model coming out that pushes the envelope brings us closer to artificial general intelligence (AGI). This is something that has been done by Anthropic. According to the report, Claude 3 was able to best GPT-4 and Gemini in Industry benchmarks including undergraduate-level knowledge, graduate-level reasoning, and basic mathematics.
Claude 3, just like Gemini, comes in three different sizes. These are Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku. Opus is the largest and most powerful of the models. This is the one that went through the benchmarks. Sonnet and Haiku are the smaller and more efficient models. These models will be offered for cheaper, Also, we’re not sure if any of the smaller two models will be able to fit onto devices like Gemini Nano. If so, then it will make on-device generative AI possible for more devices.
As for Claude 3’s capabilities, it’s got some serious chops. For example, Claude 3 can summarize up to 150,000 words. This gives it the ability to summarize entire novels. One example that CNBC gave was being able to summarize the entirety of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows. That is a massive book, in case you don’t know. That is double Claude 2’s 75,000 words, and many times larger than ChatGPT’s 3,000 words.
So, that’s more than enough real estate to summarize extensive business documents, court cases, books, articles, Etc. So, if you are a business using Claude, you will have a powerful companion.
Risk and safety
One of the major aspects of generative AI has to do with bias and safety. Right now, artificial intelligence does not have a moral compass. So, guardrails have to be built into the models so that they don’t generate content that would get any YouTuber canceled. According to Anthropic co-founder Daniela Amodei, Claude 3 has a more nuanced understanding of certain prompts than Claude 2.
“In our quest to have a highly harmless model, Claude 2 would sometimes over-refuse,” Amodei told CNBC. “When somebody would kind of bump up against some of the spicier topics or the trust and safety guardrails, sometimes Claude 2 would trend a little bit conservative in responding to those questions.” It seems that Claude 3 would have a better understanding of dicey topics and be better able to navigate them.
Speaking of risk, Anthropic Cloud 3 does not generate images. You are allowed to upload images as input, but it will not give you image outputs. The report referred to Google’s current controversy with Gemini as one reason why Claude 3 does not generate images.
This model is currently available to try now. You can try it by going to the official Claude 3 website.
The ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra is set to debut globally on March 14. Now, ahead of the official launch, the smartphone has cleared two certification websites. It has been spotted on the Wireless Power Consortium platform and TUV Rheinland. The listings reveal the upcoming offering’s battery as well as give us a look at the front design.
ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra bags two certifications before next week’s launch
The ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra carries a model number AI2401_H on the wireless power consortium certification website. The image of the device reveals a flat display with a center-aligned punch-hole cutout and negligible bezels. There is a power and volume rocker buttons on the right side. The design of the ZenFone 11 Ultra looks similar to the ROG Phone 8 series that launched about two months ago. However, there are still some minor differences going by the leaked renders.
The certification reveals that the ZenFone 11 Ultra will support wireless charging with a maximum load power of 12W. However, the Taiwanese brand is expected to offer 15W wireless charging speed just like its predecessor.
Meanwhile, as per the TUV Rheinland certification listing, the ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra will be backed by a 5,500mAh battery unit with support for 65W fast wired charging.
The ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra has already leaked out previously
Last month tipster Evan Blass shared high-resolution renders of the ZenFone 11 Ultra in four color options (an additional one surfaced in a separate leak). Additionally, the leaked specifications of the upcoming ZenFone also match that of the recently launched ROG Phone 8 series. The device is rumored to come with a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. It will be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC coupled with up to 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.
If the ZenFone 11 Ultra indeed turns out to be a rebranded ROG Phone 8, then ASUS would step away from the compact flagship tag unless there’s a standard ZenFone 11 variant.
At the moment, and this will be explained later in the article, whether these workers were technically employees or not is still up for debate. The workers in question were contract workers who were in charge of moderating content for YouTube Music. The team consisted of 40 workers, and they were employed through a company called Cognizant which is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
The reason for the strike had to do with Google’s return to work-policy. Last February, the workers went on strike to oppose the return to work-policy. They stated that remote workers were paid as little as $19/hour thus, according to them, returning to work would not have been financially viable. Thus, the strike ensued and went on for over a year.
40 Google contractors lost their jobs after a prolonged strike
Right now, it’s tempting to believe that Google canceled the contracts of these workers. However, a Google spokesperson spoke to The Verge and explained that Google did not cancel the contracts. Rather, Cognizant canceled the contract. So, we’re not sure if Google had any role in this decision. It’s tempting to believe so; however, we will have to wait for official information to be sure of that.
One contractor, Jack Benedict, stated, “We have been fighting for years now to get Google, one of the most powerful and well-resourced companies in the world, to negotiate with us so that we could make a living in exchange for the work we do to make their products better.”
As for the workers, Communications officer Jeff DaMarrais said that the workers were given seven weeks of pay as a severance package and the opportunity to find a new position within Cognizant. So, the workers are not left completely without.
Whose decision was it?
While Google stated that Cognizant is the company that pulled the trigger, it should be noted that Google stated that it does not need to negotiate with workers. This could be one reason as to why the strike went on for so long. The company claims that, since the workers were hired through a third-party contractor, they are not technically employees. Since Google believes that it is not an employer, there’s a chance that Google could have been the company that let go of the contractors and not Cognizant.
However, last year and March, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled that, since Google holds the reins over the direction of work, hours, and benefits, it is partially referred to as an employer. We’ll keep you updated on future developments.
In January, Apple launched a historic overhaul of its iOS, Safari, and App Store offerings in Europe. The move was aimed at appeasing regulators in the European Union. The biggest part of this is allowing customers to download software from outside the App Store. Also known as sideloading. This became available for the first time as part of iOS 17.4.
As part of this, the popular Mac app subscription service Setapp has announced plans to launch its own app marketplace on iOS in the EU. Starting next month, the new Setapp Mobile Store will provide iPhone users with an alternative to the App Store. Users will be able to download new apps in compliance with the Digital Markets Act.
The Setapp Mobile Store coming this April for iPhones in the EU
Setapp is bringing its curated selection of top-rated productivity, creativity and utility apps from the Mac version of its service to iOS. Users will be able to browse categories such as business tools, design software, lifestyle apps, and specialized professional tools. Some notable apps currently available to Setapp subscribers on the Mac include note-taking app Ulysses, system monitoring tool iStat Menus, email client Spark, and workflow manager Unite.
The beta version of Setapp Mobile is scheduled to launch in April. According to the company, interested developers can apply to have their apps listed on Setapp’s website. Subscribers will gain access by joining a waiting list. Setapp says it is carefully vetting apps to ensure quality and provide the best possible user experience.
Setapp will be one of the first third-party stores to take advantage of new rules from the EU’s Digital Markets Act. It requires Apple to allow alternative payment systems and app distribution on iOS in Europe.
While Setapp subscribers on Mac can currently use a QR code workaround to access companion iOS apps, the dedicated app marketplace will streamline the mobile experience. It marks an important milestone as Setapp looks to expand its subscription service across more platforms.
