Tag Archives: Samsung

Adoption of 5G Internet

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Emerging technologies are changing the way we live, work, and communicate. One such technology is 5G, the fifth generation of cellular network technology. 5G promises to revolutionize our communication by providing faster speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity. However, like any new technology, 5G has its pros and cons. In this blog post, I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of 5G technology.

Advantages of 5G Technology

Greater Transmission Speed: One of the most significant advantages of 5G technology is its greater transmission speed. The 5G network spectrum includes the millimeter-wave band, which is expected to be 100 times faster than Fourth Generation (4G) networks with transmission speeds up to 10 Gbps. This inevitably leads to faster transmission of images and videos. A high-resolution video that would normally take a long time to download can now be done in the blink of an eye using the 5G technology.

Lower Latency: Latency refers to the time interval between an order being received and the given instruction being executed. In 5G technology, the delay time is around 4-5 milliseconds (ms) and can be reduced to 1 ms, i.e., ten times less than the latency of 4G technology. This makes it possible for us to watch high-speed virtual reality videos with no interruptions. Due to this particular feature of 5G technology, it can be extremely helpful in fields other than IT, like medicine and construction fields.

Increased Connectivity: Since the 5G network uses more spectrum, it allows connection with a greater number of devices, a hundred times increase in traffic capacity, to be precise. This increased connectivity will enable more devices to connect to the internet simultaneously without any lag or delay.

Better Coverage: Anybody who has tried to get decent cellular service at a crowded concert or sports event knows that it can often be a challenge. Thousands of mobile phones competing for the same cellular service can overwhelm even the best Fourth Generation (4G)/Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks. However, with 5G, more connectivity can be provided to these areas with lower latency and expanded access for larger groups who may need it.

Improved Communication: With its low latency and high speed, 5G is expected to enable faster and more efficient communication between people and devices. It will also provide ubiquitous connectivity to many more devices.

Disadvantages of 5G Technology

Costly: We need skilled engineers to install and maintain a 5G network. Additionally, the equipment required for a 5G network is costly, resulting in increased costs for arrangement and maintenance phases. Not to forget that 5G smartphones are costly too.

Development: The 5G technology is still under development, resulting in investing more time before it is fully operational without any issues such as security and privacy of the user.

Environmental Degradation: For establishing a 5G network, more towers and energy will be required for proper functioning, which will result in the degradation of forest land and resources, adding another cause to global warming.

Radiations: To establish a 5G network we require switching from Fourth Generation (4G) to Fifth Generation (5G) network which means both networks will operate together causing more radiation that will have long-lasting consequences on humans and wildlife.

Dangerous for Wildlife: Some studies have found that there are certain insects that absorb high frequencies used in Fourth Generation (4G) or Fifth Generation (5G) networks.

In conclusion, emerging technologies like 5G have their pros and cons. While they offer significant advantages like greater transmission speed, lower latency, increased connectivity, better coverage, and improved communication; they also pose significant risks like being costly, under development, environmental degradation due to increased towers and energy requirements for proper functioning; radiation causing long-lasting consequences on humans and wildlife; being dangerous for wildlife.

https://www.moneylife.in/article/case-study-reveals-serious-health-risks-of-radiation-from-5g-base-stations/70692.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/28/nyregion/5g-towers-new-york.html

https://www.healthline.com/health/is-5g-harmful

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/is-5g-harmful-for-humans-and-the-environment

https://www.dw.com/en/5g-networks-are-they-dangerous-to-our-health/a-47981285

Engine used: Bing AI

I decided to do more research about this topic rather than use AI-generated text. Bing AI was helpful with providing guidance to my research, however, it was less thorough when being asked prompts such as, “What speeds can new 5G technology perform at as compared to old 3G technology we had years ago?”. I didn’t necessarily agree with every article and the points that were being driven. Some argue that the rapid deployment of 5G infrastructure may pose environmental concerns due to increased energy consumption and electronic waste. Additionally, there are privacy and security concerns related to the vast amount of data transmitted through 5G networks, raising questions about data protection and surveillance. There are many mixed opinions about this topic and it is hard to trust a single source and outline where biases lay.

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LG will Provide Apple iPhone with Foldable Screens

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As it was reported earlier, Samsung is the only supplier of those collapsible panels for the foldable iPhone, but DigiTimes reports, that LG Display – a South Korean technological giant, is going to help Apple with the first iPhone foldable-screen creation.

It is predicted as in the case with an OLED 7,3-7,6 inch screen, Apple is going to provide the device with a stylus similar to S Pen.  Also, Apple has introduced a new kind of construction of the hinge part, which is inside the case, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip presented. This kind of construction is aimed to prevent dust inside the hinge system or phone itself.

Besides, Apple is reported to use a chemical hardening of the ceramic protection screen, that can’t be broken while flipping and it will prevent unevenness on the screen caused by multiple folding. It is still unknown if a protection glass (as the company is going to begin using a protection glass starting from iPhone 12s) on the back smartphone panel is awaited and there is still no information about the camera module, that will be used in the device.

However, the smartphone is planned to have 8Gb of RAM and what is more stunning – 1TB of flash memory, which makes the device one of the most spacious phones in the world. The cost of it is predicted to be about $1500, which is quite fine according to the company’s market position, but for example, the cost of its main competitor – Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is about $1300-$1400.

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OnePlus 9 Pro – new Android-powered flagman | OnePlus lures buyers away from Samsung

Reading Time: 2 minutesThe latest information accounts for OnePlus stated this April they are going to present the new OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. However, the company made a decision to move its presentation to mid-March 2021 due to Samsung Galaxy S21 presentation to be hold on 14 January 2021.

Also, Jeremy Smith (AKA “Concept Creator”) – a Dutch 3D designer, used the materials of OnePlus 9 Pro given by the company to create a 3D model of a new smartphone.

The new OnePlus flagman, as it is informed, will get a 6,7-inch Fluid Amoled display with QHD+ resolution, rounded sides, and a fingerprint scanner that will be inserted into the display. And some good information to cheer up mobile gamers – it will get 120Hz refresh rate.

The front camera with 32Mp resolution will be in the upper left smartphone’s corner. Talking about main cameras, OnePlus 9 will get quad-cam, while 5x optical zoom. Besides, the phone will be provided with stereo drivers with Dolby Atmos sound.

The most interesting part of the phone is its processor and it is a top-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 875. Certainly, there will be two versions of the phone: 8Gb RAM + 128Gb memory and 12Gb RAM + 256Gb memory. A 65-watt quick charge will be included in both versions.

According to the latest news, such a presentation transfer is made to attract some of Galaxy S21 customers’ attention to the new OnePlus 9 Pro. OnePlus is a great figure on the Android-powered smartphone market, just like Samsung. It provides smartphones with great power, however, the price of OnePlus smartphones is lower than Samsung’s (the recommended price for OnePlus 9 is 700 euro, and 900 euro for the Pro version), and such a presentation rescheduling might work out well for OnePlus.

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Samsung’s NEON digital avatars shouted as artificial humans

Reading Time: 4 minutesThe fact that Samsung will appear with its new project at CES 2020 has been loud for a long time. Everyone was wondering what artificial humans could be. And one thing is certain. After all the media noise around the project, everyone expected something completely different. Especially after prematurely disclosed material, which can be watched below.

 

What exactly is this project about?

NEON is the idea of Samsung researcher Pranav Mistry. The project emerged out of STAR Labs – Samsung Technology and Advanced Research Labs – and is funded by Samsung, but it’s not actually a Samsung company.

The NEON project is realistic human avatars that are computationally generated and can interact with people in real-time. At this point, each NEON is created from footage of an actual person that is fed into a machine-learning model. A Neon is meant to mimic real human appearance and emotions with its own personality and aptitude to behave like humans. Avatars can also remember and learn.

According to Pranav Mistry, NEON isn’t meant to replace Samsung’s digital assistant Bixby. What is more, it won’t be implemented in Samsung products and NEON operates independently.

 

Examples of the NEON’s application

Each NEON avatar can be customized for different tasks and is able to respond to queries with the latency of less than a few milliseconds. They’re not intended to be just visual skins for AI assistants but put to more varying uses instead. If we are to believe STAR Labs CEO Pranav Mistry, in the near future everyone will be able to license or subscribe to a NEON. The roles can be different: a service representative, a financial advisor, a healthcare provider, or a concierge. The founder also assures that NEONs will work as TV anchors, spokespeople, or movie actors. They can simply be companions and friends if people only would want it.

The first wave of Neons are modeled after real people.
Source: https://www.neon.life/

 

NEONs will work as TV anchors, spokespeople, or movie actors.
Source: https://www.neon.life/

 

What technology is behind it?

There are two main technologies on which NEON is based. The first is Core R3, which stands for reality, real-time and responsiveness. Core R3 is a kind of the graphics engine that powers avatars natural movements, expressions and speech. The second technology is Spectra, which is responsible for implementing artificial intelligence solutions. By this, the creator means intelligence, learning, emotions, and memory. Spectra is not ready for launch yet, but the company says it will present the technology later this year. At the moment it is still being developed.

Neon’s Core R3 graphics engine demonstrated at CES 2020.
Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-neon-artificial-humans-are-confusing-everyone-we-set-record-straight/

 

What about the uncanny valley?

When NEON avatars can become real comrades in everyday life, one should ask oneself whether the fact that they are so realistic is not a problem. This is specifically about the phenomenon of the uncanny valley, the scientific hypothesis telling that a robot that looks or functions like a human being causes the observers to feel unpleasant or even disgusting. When some people are wondering how STAR Labs has worked out every detail, others feel at least uncomfortable.

 

Why is everyone disappointed?

NEON is like a new kind of life, There are millions of species on our planet and we hope to add one more – this is what we heard from STAR Labs CEO Pranav Mistry before the CES 2020 presentation. It is no wonder that nobody got into awe when it turned out that NEON is just a highly detailed digital avatar. In addition, the demo presented at the show was fully controlled by people from STAR Labs. All the media hype made everyone wait impatiently for the show to finally find out that NEON still has a lot of work to do on its business.

It remains to not believe the haters because NEON avatars look really good and the potential of the project is certainly there. Thus, the final version of the STAR Labs venture has not come and we shouldn’t believe all the media reports. It will soon be clear whether a company can combine two ambitious technologies – the avatars and the AI – together.

 

Do you see a practical application of Samsung’s NEON in the near future? Would you feel comfortable if your teacher wasn’t a real person but Samsung’s NEON?

 

References:

[1] https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/7/21051390/samsung-artificial-human-neon-digital-avatar-project-star-labs

[2] https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/8/21056424/neon-ceo-artificial-humans-samsung-ai-ces-2020

[3] https://www.engadget.com/2020/01/05/samsung-neon-artificial-human-teaser/

[4] https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/06/samsung-neon-artificial-human-announced-at-ces-2020.html

[5] https://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-neon-project-finally-unveiled-humanoid-ai-chatbot-artificial-humans/

[6] https://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-neon-heres-when-well-get-details-on-the-mysterious-ai/

[7] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/meet-neon-samsungs-new-ai-powered-robot-which-can-converse-sympathise/articleshow/73135240.cms

[8] https://www.livemint.com/companies/people/we-ll-live-in-a-world-where-machines-become-humane-pranav-mistry-11577124133419.html

[9] https://mashable.com/article/samsung-star-labs-neon-ces/?europe=true

[10] https://www.wired.co.uk/article/samsung-neon-digital-avatars

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Selfie Type – an innovative app from Samsung

Reading Time: < 1 minuteHow many times have you been writing something on your tablet or your phone and the keyboard on the screen was too small or too big for you? Or maybe it was just inconvenient? With this new app called Selfie Type made by Samsung, it won’t be a problem anymore.

How is the app working?

The app “delivers a virtual keyboard to users with the help of an AI algorithm and a front-facing camera”. With this technology you are typing on a virtual keyboard wherever you are and whenever you want. For example, you are in a coffee shop and you need to answer an important e-mail. It couldn’t be easier! You use a virtual keyboard and you don’t have to deal with this small one on your phone.

The video will be the best explanation of this new technology:

Selfie Type was shown at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2020 which took place at the beginning of January. “It is expected to be launched in 2020” but there is no other information about the exact date.

It is definitely something new on the market but is it going to be useful for everyone or just a small bunch of people? Not everyone can type without looking on the keyboard so will it be easy for them? Will they handle the keyboard without it actually being shown? 

Let me know in the comments what do you think about this idea!

References:

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New flagship smartphones every year. Do we really need it? LG says no!

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How much can companies improve a smartphone in one year? Does the industry really need it? The new flagship phones launched every year are standard in the smartphone industry. The only question is, what is the purpose, besides filling the producers’ pockets? The new iPhone from Apple, Galaxy from Samsung or the V series from LG appears every year. These are flagship phones, that is, the fastest, best and the most expensive phones of a given manufacturer. LG slowly breaks out of this trend and announced that it will no longer launch new phones every year, and only when it is needed or will have something interesting to present. LG’s Vice Chairman, Jo Seong-jin said:

“We will unveil new smartphones when it is needed. But we will not launch it just because other rivals do. We plan to retain existing models longer by, for instance, unveiling more variant models of the G series or V series.”

Designing a new smartphone model is certainly not an easy process. It is necessary to design a new graphics processor, a new CPU as well as most of the components that make up the smartphone. And then you have to start production of all these components and assemble them. And all this in one year! This means more or less that when a new iPhone or Samsung Galaxy has a premiere, they already know what the next model will feature, and maybe the production process has already begun. The question should be asked whether we need it, and whether it is necessary to spend a thousand dollars a year on the phone, which is several percent faster than the predecessor. It is worth mentioning that if there were no software updates that slow down older phones, we would not have noticed a difference in performance.

The last affair with Apple and slowing down of older iPhones has proven that the companies force us to buy a new model in a very cunning way. Apple under the pretext of saving battery life in older models began to slow them down through software updates. I wonder how many people were fooled and actually believed that their smartphone has become too slow after just one year. On a global scale, probably millions.

 

Sources:

  • https://www.androidcentral.com/lg-will-stop-releasing-new-phones-every-year
  • https://android.com.pl/news/107561-lg-nowe-smartfony-premiera-nie-beda-wydawane-regularnie
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Samsung introduces iris scanner to phones

Reading Time: 2 minutesIn this July 28, 2016, photo, Jonathan Wong of Samsung's Knox Product Marketing, shows the iris scanner feature of the Galaxy Note 7, in New York. Samsung releases an update to its jumbo smartphone and virtual-reality headset, mostly with enhancements rather than anything revolutionary during a preview of Samsung products. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Samsung firstly patented new approach to iris scanning and now introduced it to their new Galaxy Note 7 smartphone.  This technology in Samsung approach allows to protect access to device and data on it in a very convenient way and at the same time it is very secure.

Similarly, to earlier mentioned on the Koźmiński Tech Blog (http://techblog.kozminski.edu.pl/2015/10/30/eyeball-password/) this technology uses the human eye in order to identify authorized person. The difference is in its by far smaller size, lower price, and improved security.

Based on the presentation from past month held in London scanning process takes a second and require a user to look with both eyes open straight on the phone from 25 to 35 cm distance.

The device captures image of the face and iris this ensures even greater security.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 iris scanner consists of IR LED and Iris camera. The Iris camera utilizes a special filter to receive reflected image of an iris achieved by illuminating it with IR LED light. The infra-red light ensures very good range for iris scanning which is not affected by color or ambient light which is typical in traditional technology.GalaxyNote7_Feature_Iris_Main_Final_3_2

Captured image is extracted and digitalized in order to compare it to digitalized pattern. If it matches the encrypted code grants the access. Thanks to this (a rather common move used for example by apple in its fingerprint scanning) no image of the actual iris is stored on the device and because of it cannot be taken from the device. This makes it more secure and protects the privacy of user as none of his photos are being used only digitalized patterns.

Based on Samsung description of sensor “iris scanning requires fewer trials and results in fewer false acceptance than fingerprint scanning”.

The technology will be used to grant access to the device, protect programs and data on the dedicated folder, will enable quick login into websites (using Samsung Pass on Samsung Internet Browser). Moreover, Samsung is also establishing partnerships with major banks in order to provide payment options using their biometric authentications utilizing iris scanning.

How do you fill about iris scanning method proposed by Samsung? Do you see it totally replacing fingerprint scanning in very near future?

Sources:

https://news.samsung.com/global/in-depth-look-keeping-an-eye-on-security-the-iris-scanner-of-the-galaxy-note7http://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-note-7-iris-scanner-works-706979/

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