theverge--2020-12-14--OnePlus 9 leak shows off the upcoming 2021 flagship in photos

The OnePlus 9 likely won ’ t arrive until spring 2021 , but thanks to some photos published by PhoneArena , we won ’ t have to wait that long for a glimpse of it .
The images are of an alleged prototype device complete with unique pre-prod branding , and some software screengrabs reveal a little extra detail about the upcoming flagship .
First up : the screen .
It looks like OnePlus will stick with the flat screen format it used in the OnePlus 8 and 8T – the 9 has a flat 6.55-inch display with a hole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The OnePlus 8 Pro ’ s screen features a design that curves around the edges of the phone , which we found lead to more accidental touches than occurred with the flat version .
PhoneArena reports that the 9 ’ s screen is a 2400 x 1080 panel with 120Hz refresh rate .
The pre-prod device also looks to include a Snapdragon 888 processor , the chipset of choice for 2021 flagship phones .
And that leads into another previously leaked OnePlus 9 feature : 5G .
As for imaging hardware , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the upper left corner of the device ’ s rear .
There ’ s also new “ Ultrashot ” branding on the bump not seen on previous models , though it may or may not remain on the final device .
The specs gleaned from this early look don ’ t give away exact details about camera sensor resolution or focal length , but it seems likely that two of the rear cameras seen in these photos will be standard wide and ultrawide modules .
The third could be a macro or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4500 mAh battery , Android 11 with Oxygen OS , and a version with 128GB storage and 8GB RAM ( there will likely be an option with a different memory configuration ) .
There ’ s no confirmed launch date for the OnePlus 9 , but the company ’ s schedule for past releases — and the timing of this leak — mean early spring 2021 looks likely .

The OnePlus 9 likely won’t arrive until spring 2021, but thanks to some photos published by PhoneArena, we won’t have to wait that long for a glimpse of it. The images are of an alleged prototype device complete with unique pre-prod branding, and some software screengrabs reveal a little extra detail about the upcoming flagship.
First up: the screen. It looks like OnePlus will stick with the flat screen format it used in the OnePlus 8 and 8T – the 9 has a flat 6.55-inch display with a hole punch camera in the upper left corner. The OnePlus 8 Pro’s screen features a design that curves around the edges of the phone, which we found lead to more accidental touches than occurred with the flat version. PhoneArena reports that the 9’s screen is a 2400 x 1080 panel with 120Hz refresh rate.
The pre-prod device also looks to include a Snapdragon 888 processor, the chipset of choice for 2021 flagship phones. And that leads into another previously leaked OnePlus 9 feature: 5G.
As for imaging hardware, the images show a camera bump pushed to the upper left corner of the device’s rear. There’s also new “Ultrashot” branding on the bump not seen on previous models, though it may or may not remain on the final device. The specs gleaned from this early look don’t give away exact details about camera sensor resolution or focal length, but it seems likely that two of the rear cameras seen in these photos will be standard wide and ultrawide modules. The third could be a macro or depth-sensing camera.
A look at the SIM card slot and USB-C port on the upcoming OnePlus phone. Photo: PhoneArena


theverge--2020-12-15--A year without Marvel movies left a pop culture void

In early April , I watched a clip of people crying , hollering , and clapping during a scene in Avengers : Endgame .
It was the first time I remember missing physically sitting in a movie theater .
I thought by May , when Black Widow was scheduled to be released , life would return to normal .
I ’ d be back in a theater on Thursday night with friends , sitting among a packed room full of strangers chatting excitedly about the beginning of a new Marvel Cinematic Universe phase .
Instead , 2020 has become the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe .
There ’ s no big introduction of a new superhero , no highly anticipated sequel — there ’ s not even an entry in Marvel Studios ’ MCU TV universe .
WandaVision , once slated to premiere this month , won ’ t hit until January 15th .
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was supposed to kick things off in August of this year , and now it doesn ’ t have a premiere date at all .
There ’ s no big Marvel anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more disconnected from people than ever , where I ’ m searching for community from the confines of a tiny studio apartment , not having that quintessential part of normalcy — sitting in a theater and watching the couple of Marvel movies that come out every year — feels enormous .
The absence of Marvel movies is the absence of a very specific kind of excitement .
Living within the confines of our new normal for the last 10 months means trying to find little things to look forward to every week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ helps or a Zoom catch-up with family who can ’ t visit .
But it doesn ’ t replace the physicality of community or the excitement of leaving home to experience something people may have been waiting on for several months .
In 2020 , a year filled with death and travesty at the worst of times and mindless boredom at the best of times , the absence of unbridled anticipation was tough to swallow .
Marvel ’ s disappearance didn ’ t just echo through subreddit forums and on stan Twitter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of companies in the entertainment industry .
Disney went from having its strongest third quarter ever in 2019 with the release of Avengers : Endgame , which brought in more than $ 2.8 billion , to one of its worst without any notable releases .
Since Disney acquired Marvel Entertainment in 2009 , the IP has brought in nearly $ 30 billion .
That doesn ’ t include merchandise .
There are also theaters .
In a moment where Hollywood is struggling to get people to tear their eyes away from Netflix , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reliant on major tentpole event movies — like a new entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — to bring people in .
In 2008 , Marvel Cinematic Universe movies made up about 6 percent of the US box office ; by 2019 , it was more than 15 percent , with Disney controlling close to 40 percent of the total US box office market share .
The absence of unbridled anticipation was tough to swallow A new Marvel movie would come out , it would dominate pop culture discussion around the world for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us a fresh round of memes and plenty of Twitter discourse — and then start up again by the time the next one rolled around .
This happens with other movies , of course , but with Marvel , everything felt like it was on a grand scale .
A subreddit deleting half of its members over the course of a couple of days all because of a joke in Infinity War was something we could participate in together , even if it was online .
That moment was spurred by an event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theaters together .
The pandemic has become a lesson in adapting to a new normal .
The beauty ( or nightmare , depending on who you ask ) of Marvel movies is that there ’ s always one or two just around the corner .
That absence of excitement is beginning to fade ; in part because The Mandalorian has helped to make the last few weeks fun again .
I ’ m getting excited about WandaVision , which will premiere on Disney Plus in just over a month .
I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feeling of community online again when episodes drop .
I ’ m excited for Black Widow , and hopeful that we may be at a place where we can pile into a movie theater and fall back into a world with a character that ’ s been on-screen since 2010 .
A year without Marvel movies is significant to me , but Marvel can be replaced with any number of things .
Concerts , basketball games , church outings , or nights at the local bar — it ’ s the quiet bonding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s the feeling of intimacy inside a sea of strange faces .
It ’ s that inexplicable sense of true unity in the face of this thing that we love so much .
As much as I can ’ t wait for the next MCU release , I ’ m more excited to get that feeling back .

In early April, I watched a clip of people crying, hollering, and clapping during a scene in Avengers: Endgame. It was the first time I remember missing physically sitting in a movie theater. I thought by May, when Black Widow was scheduled to be released, life would return to normal. I’d be back in a theater on Thursday night with friends, sitting among a packed room full of strangers chatting excitedly about the beginning of a new Marvel Cinematic Universe phase.
That never happened.
Instead, 2020 has become the first year since 2009 without a major addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There’s no big introduction of a new superhero, no highly anticipated sequel — there’s not even an entry in Marvel Studios’ MCU TV universe. WandaVision, once slated to premiere this month, won’t hit until January 15th. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was supposed to kick things off in August of this year, and now will now premiere in March 2021. There’s no big Marvel anything.
In a year where I feel more disconnected from people than ever, where I’m searching for community from the confines of a tiny studio apartment, not having that quintessential part of normalcy — sitting in a theater and watching the couple of Marvel movies that come out every year — feels enormous.
The absence of Marvel movies is the absence of a very specific kind of excitement. Living within the confines of our new normal for the last 10 months means trying to find little things to look forward to every week. A new show on a streaming service helps or a Zoom catch-up with family who can’t visit. But it doesn’t replace the physicality of community or the excitement of leaving home to experience something people may have been waiting on for several months. In 2020, a year filled with death and travesty at the worst of times and mindless boredom at the best of times, the absence of unbridled anticipation was tough to swallow.
Marvel’s disappearance didn’t just echo through subreddit forums and on stan Twitter. It severely impacted business for a number of companies in the entertainment industry. Disney went from having its strongest third quarter ever in 2019 with the release of Avengers: Endgame, which brought in more than $2.8 billion, to one of its worst without any notable releases. Since Disney acquired Marvel Entertainment in 2009, the IP has brought in nearly $30 billion. That doesn’t include merchandise.
There are also theaters. In a moment where Hollywood is struggling to get people to tear their eyes away from Netflix, TikTok, and Minecraft, theaters are reliant on major tentpole event movies — like a new entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — to bring people in. In 2008, Marvel Cinematic Universe movies made up about 6 percent of the US box office; by 2019, it was more than 15 percent, with Disney controlling close to 40 percent of the total US box office market share.
The absence of unbridled anticipation was tough to swallow
A new Marvel movie would come out, it would dominate pop culture discussion around the world for a few weeks or months — giving us a fresh round of memes and plenty of Twitter discourse — and then start up again by the time the next one rolled around. This happens with other movies, of course, but with Marvel, everything felt like it was on a grand scale. A subreddit deleting half of its members over the course of a couple of days all because of a joke in Infinity War was something we could participate in together, even if it was online. That moment was spurred by an event that millions of people experienced in movie theaters together.
The pandemic has become a lesson in adapting to a new normal. The beauty (or nightmare, depending on who you ask) of Marvel movies is that there’s always one or two just around the corner. That absence of excitement is beginning to fade; in part because The Mandalorian has helped to make the last few weeks fun again. I’m getting excited about WandaVision, which will premiere on Disney Plus in just over a month. I’m excited about having that week-to-week discussion and feeling of community online again when episodes drop. I’m excited for Black Widow, and hopeful that we may be at a place where we can pile into a movie theater and fall back into a world with a character that’s been on-screen since 2010.
A year without Marvel movies is significant to me, but Marvel can be replaced with any number of things. Concerts, basketball games, church outings, or nights at the local bar — it’s the quiet bonding that we experience that emphasizes our communities. It’s the feeling of intimacy inside a sea of strange faces. It’s that inexplicable sense of true unity in the face of this thing that we love so much. As much as I can’t wait for the next MCU release, I’m more excited to get that feeling back.


theverge--2020-12-15--Samsung confirms stylus support is coming to Galaxy phones like the S21

Samsung ’ s president of mobile , TM Roh , dropped several hints about the company ’ s product roadmap in a blog post today .
He confirmed Samsung will hold an event in January — presumably for the Galaxy S21 .
He also implied that S Pen support will come to more phones and that Samsung intends to broaden its line of folding phones with less expensive options .
The hint that ’ s likely to have the biggest impact on the greatest number of customers is stylus support for Galaxy phones beyond the Note line .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Roh also claims that Samsung intends to “ add some of its most well-loved features to other devices in our lineup.
” It may mean that the other half of those rumors will also come to pass : that the Note line itself may soon be coming to an end , at least as a premium flagship in Samsung ’ s lineup .
The Note hasn ’ t been that differentiated from the regular S line of phones for a while now .
The main difference beyond design language has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ S Pen support on Galaxy S phones like the upcoming Galaxy S21 line and Z phones like the Z Fold ( and maybe even a Z Flip ) , Samsung probably figures it ’ s just as easy to store a stylus in a case as it would be inside a phone .
Roh also confirmed that Samsung will be providing more details in January .
That ’ s when Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S21 line , a month or two ahead of when it usually does .
The S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roh hinted at in the post .
He also said that Samsung intends to have a “ portfolio of foldables ” and that it wants to make the category “ more accessible to everyone.
” “ Accessible , ” in this case , is likely a reference to the price of folding phones , which clock in anywhere from $ 1,300 to $ 2,000 for a new phone right now .
The rumor here is that there will be a Z Fold “ Lite ” sometime in 2021 .
If folding phones are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curiosity , they ’ ll need to come down significantly in price .
That appears to be what Samsung is aiming for .
Roh says that Samsung will put more emphasis on “ pro-grade camera and video capabilities ” on its phones .
That ’ s not really much of a revelation , but it may mean that Samsung hopes to get back into a camera quality race with Apple and Google — a race Samsung has yet to definitively win .
Roh promised an “ epic new year ” and specifically mentioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Computational photography is precisely where Samsung has traditionally fallen a little behind its competitors .
He hinted that it would begin to do more with UWB in 2021 as well .
Like Apple , he ’ s promising that your phone will open your car door .
Unlike Apple , he ’ s willing to talk about using it to locate objects and “ even your family pet.
” That ’ s a lot of teases for Samsung ’ s January event , which we currently expect to happen on the 14th .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ see the Galaxy S21 announced and perhaps a bit more , an earlier start than usual to a new year of phones .

Samsung’s president of mobile, TM Roh, dropped several hints about the company’s product roadmap in a blog post today. He confirmed Samsung will hold an event in January — presumably for the Galaxy S21. He also implied that S Pen support will come to more phones and that Samsung intends to broaden its line of folding phones with less expensive options.
The hint that’s likely to have the biggest impact on the greatest number of customers is stylus support for Galaxy phones beyond the Note line. That’s been rumored for some time now, but Roh also claims that Samsung intends to “add some of its most well-loved features to other devices in our lineup.”
It may mean that the other half of those rumors will also come to pass: that the Note line itself may soon be coming to an end, at least as a premium flagship in Samsung’s lineup. The Note hasn’t been that differentiated from the regular S line of phones for a while now. The main difference beyond design language has been that silo for the stylus.
Samsung will have an event in January to announce new products
With S Pen support on Galaxy S phones like the upcoming Galaxy S21 line and Z phones like the Z Fold (and maybe even a Z Flip), Samsung probably figures it’s just as easy to store a stylus in a case as it would be inside a phone.
Roh also confirmed that Samsung will be providing more details in January. That’s when Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S21 line, a month or two ahead of when it usually does.
The S Pen wasn’t the only thing Roh hinted at in the post. He also said that Samsung intends to have a “portfolio of foldables” and that it wants to make the category “more accessible to everyone.” “Accessible,” in this case, is likely a reference to the price of folding phones, which clock in anywhere from $1,300 to $2,000 for a new phone right now. The rumor here is that there will be a Z Fold “Lite” sometime in 2021. If folding phones are ever going to be more than a curiosity, they’ll need to come down significantly in price. That appears to be what Samsung is aiming for.
The next version of the Z Fold will likely include support for stylus input. Image: Samsung
Roh says that Samsung will put more emphasis on “pro-grade camera and video capabilities” on its phones. That’s not really much of a revelation, but it may mean that Samsung hopes to get back into a camera quality race with Apple and Google — a race Samsung has yet to definitively win. Roh promised an “epic new year” and specifically mentioned using AI to improve image quality. Computational photography is precisely where Samsung has traditionally fallen a little behind its competitors.
He hinted that it would begin to do more with UWB in 2021 as well. Like Apple, he’s promising that your phone will open your car door. Unlike Apple, he’s willing to talk about using it to locate objects and “even your family pet.”


theverge--2020-12-15--Twitter hit with €450,000 GDPR fine nearly two years after disclosing data breach

Ireland ’ s Data Protection Commission ( DPC ) has fined Twitter €450,000 ( around $ 546,000 ) over a data breach it disclosed back in January 2019 , the regulator announced today .
The security flaw exposed some supposedly private tweets from the service ’ s Android users for over four years .
Twitter was found to have violated the EU ’ s General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR ) because it failed to notify the regulator within 72 hours of discovering the breach , The Wall Street Journal reports .
The fine is notable because it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been hit with a GDPR fine in a cross-border case , meaning one in which the Irish regulator consulted its EU counterparts as part of the decision .
The investigation was headed by Ireland ’ s DPC because Ireland is where Twitter ’ s international headquarters are based .
Twitter said it takes responsibility for the mistake This cross-border process is part of the reason why it ’ s taken so long to issue this fine .
Ireland ’ s DPC posted its draft decision back in May as part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , several other regulators raised objections to several points in its decision , which eventually led to a dispute-resolution process .
One key objection raised was to the amount the DPC wanted to fine Twitter , the WSJ reports .
A fine of €450,000 is well short of the 2 percent of Twitter ’ s global annual revenue that can be levied under GDPR for failing to properly disclose a data breach .
The Irish regulator originally wanted to fine Twitter even less than this , but through the dispute-resolution process , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The DPC had argued for a smaller fine because it believed Twitter ’ s failing was through negligence , rather than being intentional or systematic .
The fact that this dispute resolution took so long has led to criticism of GDPR ’ s effectiveness .
The head of the Irish Data Protection Commission , Helen Dixon , has previously admitted that “ the process didn ’ t work particularly well ” but added that it ’ s the first time the process has been used and expressed optimism that it would get better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Responding to the fine in a statement given to TechCrunch , Twitter said it respects the regulator ’ s decision .
“ An unanticipated consequence of staffing between Christmas Day 2018 and New Years ’ Day resulted in Twitter notifying the IDPC outside of the 72 hour statutory notice period , ” the company said , “ We have made changes so that all incidents following this have been reported to the DPC in a timely fashion.
” “ We take responsibility for this mistake and remain fully committed to protecting the privacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company added .
The WSJ describes the Twitter case as being “ the first in a long pipeline ” of cases involving US tech giants .
Other open cases include more than a dozen that have been opened into Facebook and its subsidiaries , such as WhatsApp .

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined Twitter €450,000 (around $546,000) over a data breach it disclosed back in January 2019, the regulator announced today. The security flaw exposed some supposedly private tweets from the service’s Android users for over four years. Twitter was found to have violated the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) because it failed to notify the regulator within 72 hours of discovering the breach, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The fine is notable because it’s the first time a US tech giant has been hit with a GDPR fine in a cross-border case, meaning one in which the Irish regulator consulted its EU counterparts as part of the decision. The investigation was headed by Ireland’s DPC because Ireland is where Twitter’s international headquarters are based.
Twitter said it takes responsibility for the mistake
This cross-border process is part of the reason why it’s taken so long to issue this fine. Ireland’s DPC posted its draft decision back in May as part of the GDPR’s comments process. However, several other regulators raised objections to several points in its decision, which eventually led to a dispute-resolution process.
One key objection raised was to the amount the DPC wanted to fine Twitter, the WSJ reports. A fine of €450,000 is well short of the 2 percent of Twitter’s global annual revenue that can be levied under GDPR for failing to properly disclose a data breach. The Irish regulator originally wanted to fine Twitter even less than this, but through the dispute-resolution process, it was told to increase the amount. The DPC had argued for a smaller fine because it believed Twitter’s failing was through negligence, rather than being intentional or systematic.
The fact that this dispute resolution took so long has led to criticism of GDPR’s effectiveness. The head of the Irish Data Protection Commission, Helen Dixon, has previously admitted that “the process didn’t work particularly well” but added that it’s the first time the process has been used and expressed optimism that it would get better in future, the WSJ reports.
Responding to the fine in a statement given to TechCrunch, Twitter said it respects the regulator’s decision. “An unanticipated consequence of staffing between Christmas Day 2018 and New Years’ Day resulted in Twitter notifying the IDPC outside of the 72 hour statutory notice period,” the company said, “We have made changes so that all incidents following this have been reported to the DPC in a timely fashion.”
“We take responsibility for this mistake and remain fully committed to protecting the privacy and data of our customers,” the company added.