Samsung also has the first unpacked event of the year 2021 reserved for the S-Class and the smartphone portfolio expanded three times: Galaxy S 21, S 21 + and S 21 Ultra will be on the market this month – and they’ll be a little cheaper than the Galaxy S 20 last year.
The Samsung Galaxy S 21 costs with 128 GByte memory at the start 849 Euro, with 256 GByte will be 899 Euro due. The bigger Galaxy S 21 + costs in both memory variants 200 euros more. For the top model Galaxy S 25 Ultra calls Samsung between 1249 and 1429 euros. It is with 128, 256 or 512 GByte memory available. For comparison: the predecessor Galaxy S 16 with 5G had an RRP of 999 Euro, the S 20 + tasted 1099 Euro. The Galaxy S 20 Ultra had a starting price of 1249 euros and went up to 1549 Euro. Samsung is turning the price screw down at least a bit.
Samsung is once again pursuing a two-pronged approach with the processor. In the USA the Snapdragon 888 is in the S 21 , in this country it is the self-developed Exynos 2100. It is manufactured in a 5-nanometer process and is based on the ARM Cortex-X1 core, which is up to 2.9 GHz. Whether the octa-core chip with 64 – Bit architecture can close the gap to the Snapdragon in terms of performance and energy efficiency, which the predecessors had, corresponding tests have yet to show.
The Galaxy S 21 has a 6.2 inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels and a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hertz. The S 21 + accommodates the same resolution at 6.7 inches. Both screens are completely flat and have no curved edges. The display of the Galaxy S 21 Ultra is slightly curved on the long sides, measures 6.8 inches and represents 3200 x 1440 pixels. Here, too, are up to 120 Hertz possible.
Samsung Galaxy S 21 in different colors
(Image: Samsung)
Many cameras in the big hump The camera hump of the Galaxy-S 21 – Samsung has redesigned smartphones, it now flows smoothly into the housing frame. Most of the cameras are in the Galaxy S 20 Ultra: A main camera with a new 108 – Megapixel sensor is accompanied by two telephoto lenses with 3x and 10 x-zoom and each 10 Megapixels and an ultra wide angle with 12 Megapixels. The selfie cam snaps with a maximum resolution of 40 megapixels. The Galaxy S 21 and that21 + must start with a 12 – Megapixel main camera get by. The ultra wide angle lens is identical to the Ultra, the 3x telephoto optics has a 64 – Megapixel sensor, in order to be able to offer further enlargement via crop without too great loss of quality. The front camera takes photos with Megapixels. 8K video recordings support all three models, but they are a real memory hog.
Another special feature is the new S-Pen for the Galaxy S 21 Ultra. For the first time, Samsung is equipping a smartphone outside of the Note series with a pen. However, it is not stowed in the smartphone, but in a special case. The S-Pen for the S 21 Ultra does not have a Bluetooth interface and therefore does not serve as a remote control for the smartphone like the Galaxy Note.
Samsung Galaxy S 21 Ultra with S-Pen
(Image: Samsung)
When it comes to the rest of the equipment, Samsung makes no compromises and puts pretty much everything in the new smartphones that the technology shelf has to offer. 8 GByte RAM for S 20 and S 21 +, 12 or full 16 GByte in Ultra, internal memory between 128 and 512 GByte, fast Wifi 6, dual SIM plus eSIM, Bluetooth 5.2, UWB, ultrasonic fingerprint sensor – there is hardly anything left to be desired. The smartphones also all support 5G mobile communications. The battery in the Galaxy S 21 has a capacity of 4000 mAh, in the S 21 + are 4800 mAh, in the S 21 Ultra smooth 4800 mAh. Charging is wireless via Qi with a maximum of 12 Watt or via USB-C cable with up to 25 Watt.
Cutbacks in three places Because prices are falling, Samsung has put the red pencil on some points. First of all, the memory is not expandable in any of the three models, a MicroSD card does not take a Galaxy S 21 on. Second, as expected, Samsung no longer packs a charger in the box. Although this saves resources, it may cause additional costs. The 25 – Watt power supply unit with USB-C connection costs at least 35 Euro. And thirdly, Samsung added the base model of the Galaxy S 21 there is no glass on the back, just matt polycarbonate. If you like it more noble at this point, you have to go to the S 21 + or Ultra grab. All three models start with Android 11.
Samsung Galaxy S 21 +
(Image: Samsung)
Together with the Galaxy S 21 Samsung is launching the new Galaxy Buds Pro in-ear headphones and the small Bluetooth tracker SmartTag. The Galaxy Buds Pro offer active noise cancellation (ANC) and have three microphones, 11 Millimeter woofers and 6.5 millimeter tweeters. The battery should allow up to eight hours of playback with one charge (five hours with active ANC). The price for the headphones is 229 Euro .
Promotions for pre-orderers of the Galaxy S 21 The new smartphones can be pre-ordered from now on, the delivery of the first copies should start at the end of January. Pre-order the Galaxy S 20 and S 21 + get the Galaxy Buds Live and the Galaxy SmartTag as an encore, with the S 21 Ultra are the new Galaxy Buds Pro and also a SmartTag in the bundle. Who is with his new Galaxy S 21 to 15. Registered with the payment service Samsung Pay in February, you will also receive a voucher for selected accessories worth 50 Euro.
This is stated on Twitter, when the bitcoin reaches its all-time high. Does the future hold a Tesla (or a trip to Mars …) that can be purchased with cryptocurrency?
by Andrea Bai published 12 January 2021 , at 13: 41 in the Apple channel Bitcoin
“Me neither”: this is the answer that Elon Musk gave to the writer Ben Merzrich, who tweeted in recent days that he will never “refuse to be paid in bitcoin again. “. Merzich’s tweet dates back to last Friday, when Bitcoin reached its all-time high of 42 thousand dollars.
Me neither
?? Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 9, 2021
Tesla’s boss, recently the richest person of the world (although the top spot will continually be contended with Jeff Bezos, as the fortunes of both are strongly determined by the value of Tesla shares for Musk and Amazon for Bezos), he is known for his laconic Twitter releases, so terse that often leave room for many interpretations, but who knows that one day Musk will not decide to accept the most famous cryptocurrency in the world for those who want to buy a Tesla car or … a trip to Mars.
Bitcoin, high volatility and value fivefold by halving
Perhaps, however, before making risky moves it is good that Bitcoin reaches a point to moderate the enormous volatility that distinguishes it always. In fact, almost ironically, two days later Musk’s tweet Bitcoin saw its value reduce by almost 30%, marking a minimum of just over 30 thousand dollars yesterday. In short, it is difficult for the most famous cryptocurrency in the world to be widely accepted as a form of payment as long as the fluctuations in its value remain so large in such short periods of time .
In any case, Bitcoin is rediscovering a new spring, in terms of value and consequent market capitalization, after the unbridled bull run of 2017. Following the halving that took place in May (the halving of the reward for those who validate a block of transactions on the blockchain, we talked about it here: Bitcoin: today is the day of the halving. Here’s what happens and why it is important) cryptocurrency has seen its market capitalization almost quintupled in just eight months and on January 9th reached a maximum of 748 billions of dollars.
Bitdefender security researchers land a decisive blow against the Windows ransomware Darkside: Victims regain access to their files with a free decryption tool. A ransom payment is no longer necessary.
The tool “Bitdefender Decryption Utility for DarkSide ransomware” is now available for download. This should work with all versions of Darkside that are currently in circulation. How the decryption takes place in detail is currently unknown. It can be assumed that the security researchers have come across errors in the encryption and are starting there. Something like this has happened before; last with the encryption Trojan ThunderX.
Free files Blackmail Trojans encrypt data and the masterminds only release the keys after a ransom has been paid. In the case of Darkside, the backers demanded sums between 200. 000 to 2 million US dollars.
In order to save files without paying a ransom, victims have to decide after installing the tool to scan the entire computer for affected files or just individual folders. Before starting the scan, it is advisable to activate the backup option in the tool. This ensures that you still have files on hand in case something goes wrong during decryption.
The tool then starts and decrypts files automatically. Once the process is complete, the encrypted files should not be deleted immediately. This should only be done when it is certain that decrypted files can be opened again.
Ransomware-as-a-service According to their own statements, the Darkside creators have already earned millions with the Trojan. In affiliate programs, they make the pest available to other criminals, who in turn let it loose on other victims. In the end, they have to give up some of the profits.
According to security researchers, Darkside is still active. The masterminds only updated their website at the beginning of January and now offer a press area, among other things, writes the MalwareHunter team on Twitter.
End 2020 ensured Darkside made headlines when the makers of the extortion trojan donated proceeds to charitable organizations.
) In our weekly column we present numbers, curves and diagrams from technology and science.
At the end of last week a Bitcoin was temporarily over 40. worth US dollars – five times as much as Beginning 2020. But the hype has not really reached investors from Germany, as the infographic from Statista and Technology Review shows. According to this, only 5.2 percent of the respondents invested money in cryptocurrencies.
According to an overview from coinmarketcap.com, there are now over 4 of them. 000. However, around 2. 000 have already disappeared from the market.
Digital coins are therefore not necessarily a safe investment. In addition to Bitcoin, 35 other digital currencies have a market capitalization of over one billion US dollars.
Three-digit is also only Ethereum in second place. Even the rest of the top 5 coins – Tether, XRP and Litecoin – only reach a two- or single-digit billion amount. According to tagesschau.de, there are various explanations for the current boom.
Some blame the uncertain political situation in the USA, others believe that the hope of a strong increase in demand is driving the course. PayPal’s announcement that it will accept crypto currencies as a means of payment in the future could also play a role. (bsc)
It is a picture that Bitcoin investors should have gotten used to by now: Extreme price increases are often followed by a sharp slump. On Monday, the cryptocurrency fell to 30. 260 US dollars after it ended reached a record high of almost 42. 000 dollars last week. Together with the development over the weekend, the price collapsed by more than twenty percent at times. On Monday, a Bitcoin on the Bitstamp trading platform cost around 33. 000 dollars . On Tuesday morning the price had recovered somewhat and was just under 36. 000 Dollars.
Unpredictable digital currencies “The attack of weakness again illustrates the high volatility of the cryptocurrency,” commented Bitcoin expert Timo Emden from Emden Research. As a result, the total market volume of all currently around 8225 digital currencies fell back below the one trillion dollar mark. Last week, the mark was exceeded for the first time after other digital currencies such as Ethereum had also gained in recent weeks.
A constant point of criticism is the sometimes violent exchange rate fluctuations . It is criticized that this fickleness disqualifies digital currencies for investment and especially for payment purposes. In addition, there is the accusation that internet currencies could be misused for criminal purposes due to their high anonymity.
Apple thinks of a biometric authentication for his smartwatch, and files a patent: wrist veins as fingerprints
of Andrea Bai published on 11 January 2021 , at 15: 31 in the Apple channel Apple Watch
Apple has filed a patent application for a light sensor located on the bottom of the case of Apple Watch which would allow the identification of the user through the characteristics of the wrist. The idea, assuming it can be reflected in reality, therefore establishes the foundations of a new authentication system that could take the name of Wrist ID .
The basic idea is quite simple: the sensor would take care of detecting and analyzing the characteristics and details of an area hit by a special illuminator. The particular arrangement and conformation of the veins would be unique for each individual , as if it were fingerprints, the which would allow Apple Watch to ensure that it is worn by its rightful owner. It is a technology that has already been seen on LG’s G8 ThinQ smartphone.
Idea for “Wrist ID”: wrist veins as fingerprints
Currently the Apple Watch authentication system is based on a PIN , which must be entered every time the watch is removed and replaced. A more transparent authentication system to the user could be an interesting feature for a device of this kind and capable of improving its user experience, for example even for those activities in which user authentication is fundamental as is the case. of the Apple Pay payment system.
Although the underlying idea may be captivating, it is good to keep in mind that a practical implementation of this concept could run into problems that are difficult to solve. For example, Apple Watch sensors currently have some problems functioning correctly in the presence of tattoos in the wrist area, and it is therefore possible that an authentication system such as the one described in the patent may not operate adequately in the case of tattooed skin.
In any case, it is interesting to note that Apple is exploring the possibility of implementing alternative authentication methods to the simple PIN even for a device like Apple Watch. After all, Apple has significantly focused on biometric authentication technologies in other devices such as iPhone, iPad and MacBook laptops : an evolution in this direction also for Apple Watch seems, even if difficult, quite obvious.
Qonto introduces certification with evidential value of digitized receipts: companies will be able to eliminate physical receipts, simplifying the management of expense reports and accelerating the digital transformation processes
of Alberto Falchi published on 11 January 2021 , at 14: 31 in the Innovation channel Electronic Invoice Qonto
Qonto is the first payment institution to offer a certification with probative value that assigns to the received digits have the same legal value as the paper ones . In practical terms, companies will be able to upload expense receipts directly to the app, attaching them to transactions, thus eliminating the obligation to collect and store receipts.
How does the digitization of Qonto expense receipts work
The possibility of digitizing the expense receipts will allow companies to simplify the management of company expense reports since it will no longer be necessary to collect and store receipts. Qonto in fact issues an evidential certificate based on an electronic signature and an automatically generated digital stamp , together with the date and time of the certification itself. This information is stored and stored without time limits in accordance with the European eIDAS regulation.
The new tool offered by Qonto will allow SMEs to accelerate digital transformation processes , allowing companies to manage expense receipts in a more streamlined and totally digital way. A very useful function, especially for companies that have activated multiple accounts dedicated to teams or collaborators: individual employees will be able to directly upload the expense slips, which will then be accessible to the administrative department online, without having to invest time and resources to retrieve the receipts paper tax.
“ The 2020 has shown irrefutably how much digitization is fundamental for SMEs not only to ensure greater competitiveness in the medium-long term, but also for a real issue survival in the short term. At Qonto we care about the growth of businesses and we work with the aim of supporting them, equipping them with digital tools for managing corporate finances in constant evolution and designed to generate an ever-increasing degree of flexibility and efficiency “- explains Mariano Spalletti, Country Manager of Qonto Italia – “ We understand better than anyone the value that time has for a company, and it is for this reason that – first – we developed the certification and archiving service for digitized expense receipts. With this new feature we guide organizations to reap the benefits of digitization, helping them streamline administrative processes and focus on the production of value “.
With almost 6 million members and over 220 millions of refunds the state cashback exceeds expectations. After the experimental phase in December, the program is now fully operational and from 1 January the possibility of accruing the Super Cashback is added
by Alberto Falchi published on 11 January 2021 , at 11: 12 in the Innovation channel Electronic Receipt SPID
Government measures to stimulate the use of electronic payments worked: in December 5.8 million Italian citizens enrolled in the state cashback program, who in less than three weeks completed 64 millions of transactions in physical stores (including restaurants and gas stations). The total of the refunds provided is 222, 6 million euros , which will be divided between the 3. 230. 906 people who have managed to perform at least 10 transactions, the threshold required to obtain refunds.
December Cashback: Most subscribers will have a refund between 50 and 99 EUR
Thanks to the lockdown, which kept many activities closed and limited travel and, consequently, purchases, not everyone was able to obtain the maximum refund of 150 euro, which will be due only to 3.1% of the participants (100. 387 people, specifically). Most (49 %, 1. 602. 297 people) has accrued a cashback of between 50 and i 99 euro, while a significant portion (32, 8%, 1. 059. 399 of people) will get a refund of less than 50 EUR. The remaining 14, 5% (468. 822 people) will instead be credited with a figure that varies between 100 and i 149 EUR. Refunds will be credited by 1st March to the current account corresponding to the indicated IBAN on the IO App.
The December one can be considered as an experimental phase and the real program just started on January 1st 2021.
State cashback: what changes starting from January 1st 2021
The Government has advanced the state cashback measure by a few weeks to push the use of credit cards in shops during the holiday period, in an attempt to give a boost to the country’s economy put to the test by the health emergency due to Covid – 19, but the “official” program starts in January, with slightly different rules, which in many ways are in favor of citizens.
If in December they were necessary 10 transactions to obtain the refund, from 2021 they will be 50 those requested, but you will have 6 months of time. The bonus is in fact calculated every six months, always with the threshold of 100 euro: Italian citizens, in short, can potentially obtain a maximum of 300 euro annual cashback, to which are added 1. 500 euro of Super Cashback which will be allocated to the 100. 000 participants who will have carried out more transactions. The amount does not count, only the number, and microtransactions, such as coffee at the bar, will also be counted. Subscribers will be able to check their position through a ranking that will soon be integrated into the IO app.
Support for apps like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay is coming
As we have been able to explain on Edge9, cashback December started with some problems, still not resolved, such as the fact that when using contactless purchases were not always recognized as valid for reimbursement. A problem due to the fact that not all payment circuits and instruments are supported, including apps such as Google Pay and Samsung Pay, to name the most popular in Italy. An issue that should be resolved in the coming weeks, allowing program participants to register these payment methods as well.
Receipt Lottery postponed: here are the new rules, which do not provide for cash payments
It should have started in January also another state initiative aimed at stimulating purchases, the Receipt Lottery, which, however, has been postponed to a date to be defined due to the fact that too many merchants were still unable to adapt to the new electronic cash registers. Compared to what we had indicated in the past, however, some changes have been made. The main novelty is that cash payments will not entitle you to (virtual) lottery “tickets”: to participate you have to pay with traceable tools, such as credit cards, debit cards and apps.
The prizes have also been changed and are now foreseen 15 weekly awards from 25. 000 euro (5. 000 for merchants), 10 monthly awards from 100. 000 EUR (20. 000 for those who sell) and an annual premium of 5 million euros (1 million for merchants).
What will be the news of WhatsApp in am I arriving at this 2021? The most used and important platform in the world seems ready to introduce many new features for users including one that will allow you to use multiple devices at the same time with the same account. Let’s see them together.
by Bruno Mucciarelli published 11 January 2021 , at 12: 01 in the Telephony channel Whatsapp
Whatsapp is undoubtedly the most used messaging application in the world. A platform that has changed a lot over the years, introducing multiple innovations regarding more or less graphic and more or less important aspects. In fact the 2021 could be a very important year for users who use this type of system on a daily basis to exchange messages with each other. The innovations that the developers of Mark Zuckerberg have planned to develop and introduce are in fact so many and this means that important changes await us especially in the use of the system on the desktop and beyond.
WhatsApp: here are all the news coming in 2021
Use on multiple devices
Finally it will also arrive for WhatsApp and its users the ability to use the platform on multiple devices at the same time. Therefore, anyone will no longer have the mere need to insert the SIM and therefore only and exclusively connect the account to their phone number and therefore use the system only on the device in which the SIM is inserted. The change will only allow users to use WhatsApp simultaneously on a smartphone, on a tablet or even on a computer but with a maximum of 4 devices. And this clearly without the need, as mentioned above, to have the connection via SIM.
A system that has been used for some time with other competitors as Telegram which synchronizes all messages on its cloud and therefore allows users to use their account on multiple devices at the same time. Messenger but also Instagram does the same and therefore it is legitimate to finally expect the arrival of this news also for WhatsApp, after having already seen it in the Beta versions in the last few weeks.
Video calls on WhatsApp Web
Video calls made directly on the desktop application will also be a reality. The Web version of WhatsApp will soon be enriched with the possibility of making video calls directly with your PC and this, in a phase of life in which many users are blocked at home for various lockdowns, can only be a very appreciated novelty.
Anyone can open the Web version on their PC or notebook and use the WhatsApp application to make a classic video call just like it has been on the mobile version for some time. Therefore, no inconvenience of having to use your smartphone to call your friends or even your colleagues or customers with video. Soon it will be possible to do it with the PC camera and maybe even better quality than what happens today with the smartphone.
Vacation Mode
It will probably be one of the most awaited news by WhatsApp users. Let’s talk about the so-called Vacation Mode (the name could also change during the formalization phase) and it will involve group conversations that exchange significant quantities of messages. In this case, in fact, the users participating in a certain group in a chat can easily move the conversations they are not interested in to a special archive in such a way that each message returns to the foreground in the list of various chats.
In this case, therefore, the chats would become almost secret and hidden unless the user of his own free will decide to view them. And here he should go to the appropriate section of the “ archived ” conversations and read them since they would not have sent any kind of notification and would not have appeared in any way in the list of other conversations.
Shopping
There will be the introduction of a button for Shopping. This seems to be a further novelty that WhatsApp intends to introduce precisely from this new one 2021. The goal of the Zuckerberg giant is to allow its users to do real shopping directly on chats and in the internal services of the messaging application. A novelty that has long seemed in the thoughts of the creator of Facebook and which could now actually arrive on WhatsApp. How? It is still not clear but it seems that users will be able to visit real shopping stores inside the platform with catalogs or product showcases from which they can buy directly.
In this case, however, it seems that WhatsApp, in the event of an actual purchase by the user, will send the same to any secure payment platforms on specific sites or after the confirmation of the order. Certainly what the developers of WhatsApp hope is to simplify this step too and to allow in the short term to be able to make payments directly on the messaging platform but in fact this step does not seem to be immediately immediate indeed the development seems to have been postponed or in any case are not so fast.
The fraud trial against Martin Winterkorn, planned from the end of February, could be postponed due to health problems of the former Volkswagen CEO. The Regional Court of Braunschweig declared on Friday (January 8th 2020) on request that the competent chamber was able to negotiate of the now 73 – year old defendant had expert advice. The public procedure (Ref .: 6 KLs 23 / 19), at Winterkorn’s role in the diesel emissions affair is to be investigated, could only start with a delay. However, the court did not comment on specific details and deadlines.
From Winterkorn’s environment it was called the possibility there is definitely a shift. Ultimately, however, the Braunschweig Economic Criminal Chamber must decide on the further termination. Previously, the Süddeutsche Zeitung and the Norddeutsche Rundfunk had about the development reported. According to the previous planning, the long-prepared main hearing should take place on 25. February 2021, it should continue until at least spring 2023.
Costs for Volkswagen so far: 30 billion euros in October 2020 the district court had already created a first overview of dates, which could now, however, falter. Winterkorn is said to be sitting in a wheelchair by now. He is also reportedly facing an important operation that could further disrupt the courtroom’s timing. In the exhaust gas fraud process, four other executives are charged with allegations of commercial and gang fraud. The fraud has cost the group far more than today 30 Billions of euros in legal expenses.
Chronology of the emissions scandal (74 Pictures) Mid-September 2009: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accuses the Volkswagen Group of Diesel cars of the years of construction 2009 to 2015 to have equipped them with software that tricked the tests for US environmental regulations. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) came to similar findings. Both authorities send complaints to VW. (Pictured: Headquarters of the EPA in Washington DC)
(Image: EPA
) Winterkorn resigned shortly after the manipulations were exposed. He was “not aware of any wrongdoing,” he said at the time. Before an investigative committee of the Bundestag he also emphasized that he had not known anything about illegal deception beforehand. The Braunschweig public prosecutor’s office nevertheless charged him after a lengthy investigation. In the meantime, rumors about a possible termination of the proceedings had made the rounds because the prosecutors had to rework some points.
Market manipulation Winterkorn also has to prepare for a lawsuit due to alleged market manipulation. The dates for this were not known recently. Market manipulation proceedings against the current Volkswagen Group boss Herbert Diess as well as against the former CFO and current supervisory board chairman Hans Dieter Pötsch were discontinued against the payment of 9 million euros.
The CEO of electric car maker Tesla and space company SpaceX, Elon Musk, is with an estimated net worth of 188, 5 billion US Dollar the richest man in the world. This comes from Thursday’s Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Accordingly, Musk has replaced Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as the richest man in the world, whose fortune is currently around 187 billion dollars with an increase of 72 should be billions of dollars last year. Bezos had headed Bloomberg’s billionaires list since October 2017.
Tesla asset base Musk’s fortune is billionaire’s list within the last year of 153, $ 7 billion grew to 188, $ 5 billion. He benefited above all from the strong price increase of the Tesla share, the value of which rose by about 700 percent in the same period. On Friday morning the value of a Tesla paper is 691, 20 Euro at currently rising exchange rate.
Musk should continue to expand his fortune in the coming years, provided he succeeds in increasing Tesla’s sales and profits. Tesla shareholders had approved 2018 a generous compensation package that Musk will receive in the form of twelve stock options upon reaching certain milestones at Tesla. So far, Musk has qualified for four of them. However, the payment is only made after all twelve goals have been achieved. This could then bring him several 10 billion dollars.
Who is wealthier? The ranking of billionaires on lists like the Bloomberg Billionaires Index or the Forbes Billionaires List is based mainly on publicly available information about ownership in the form of stocks and real estate and are therefore estimated values.
The ratings on the individual lists, such as the Forbes Billionaires List, vary accordingly. Here Jeff Bezos is with 184, 6 billion dollars ahead of Elon Musk with 177, $ 2 billion and the French entrepreneur Bernard Arnault with his family, who is the richest European with a fortune of 154 , Should own 2 billion. Ex-Microsoft boss Bill Gates is in fourth place with 154, 3 billion dollars.
As Hardwareluxx reported on Monday, Windows 7 itself is enjoying great popularity over a year after the end of support. However, this does not only apply to private users. The federal government and the federal ministries also currently have a total of 63. 922 Computers are used on which the operating system, which is now almost twelve years old, is installed.
Im January 2020 the number was still at 33. 000 PCs. However, no additional computers with Windows 7 should have been set up, at the time of the request by the Green parliamentary group in January 2020 the published figures were still incomplete. According to official information, the additional costs for the first mentioned systems amounted to around 800. 000 Euro.
However, the costs for additional support from Microsoft currently amount to just under 1.9 million euros. However, it will be over in two years at the latest and Microsoft will no longer offer updates for Windows 7 to customers willing to pay. It remains to be seen whether the government and ministries will be able to replace all computers that are currently still using the said operating system within two years. Among other things, 27. 326 computer at the Ministry of Defense to be replaced. Since this is an extremely sensitive IT infrastructure, it can be assumed that the affected computers cannot be exchanged so easily. On the other hand, it is particularly important here to keep all systems up to date in order to prevent outsiders from being able to attack.
Even if the “Bund IT Consolidation” initiative has completed the planning phase, this is by no means a guarantee that the modernization will go smoothly. This could mean that Microsoft has to be persuaded with an appropriate payment to offer appropriate security updates for Windows 7 beyond January 2023 .
WindTre blocks all offers with portability to current ho.mobile users with the aim of “countering possible fraudulent use by unauthorized persons”.
by Nino Grasso published 07 January 2021 , at 15: 51 in the Telephony channel WindTre ho.mobile
After confirmation of the data theft suffered by ho.mobile, the competing telephone operators are also working to defend the users involved. The first is WindTre , which has posted a notice on the official website stating that it is blocking offers with portability from the MVNO of Vei. Specifically, the WindTre GO offers 50 Fire, GO 100 Fire Easy Pay and Smart Pack & GO Star + can only be activated by Iliad and Kena Mobile users, and no longer by ho.mobile customers.
The reason is explained by WindTre: “First of all it is right that you know that your operator has provided the possibility to change SIM cards for free to all customers, impacted or not by data theft” , reads the pop-up appeared on the official website. “In order to counter possible fraudulent uses by unauthorized persons, you we inform you that from this moment and until further notice the GO offers dedicated to ho customers are suspended for subscription “.
The news of the data theft of some of the ho.mobile users was initially unofficially anticipated to the end of December 2020, with the confirmation of the virtual operator who arrived after a few days. The hackers came into possession of the personal data of an unspecified number of ho.mobile users, but the bank details and payment methods owned by the operator were not compromised in any way.
In this context, one of the most obvious risks for ho.mobile customers involved in the attack is that relating to the “Swap SIM”, even if the change of the phone card in the absence of its holder can only take place in a shop that would agree to commit an offense. In any case, ho.mobile has prepared a maneuver to counter the execution of the crime, offering users the possibility to change their SIM in the shop, totally free for the customer.
We have explored the whole story in the article that we propose below: ho.mobile: here is all you need to do if you have a SIM with the operator.
It’s not every year that Sony launches a brand new TV processor to run throughout its range, so we have high hopes for the Sony 2021 TV line-up. It’s headlined by the Cognitive Processor XR chip, which adds an extra layer of cognitive intelligence analysis to the already excellent Sony AI Processing and should therefore, hopefully, produce even better pictures and sound.
The Sony 2021 TV range has no huge surprises in terms of models and panel sizes compared to last year’s launch, with all sets designed to replace predecessors. With three TV gongs in our most recent What Hi-Fi? Awards, that’s no bad thing.
There are two Master Series models (an 8K LCD and a 4K OLED), a slightly lower specced OLED model and then two more full array LED series, all featuring the Cognitive Processor XR. There are more budget, edge-lit, non-XR models in the new range, too.
All the sets in the Sony 2021 TV range feature Sony’s Ambient Optimization technology, Dolby Vision HDR and are AirPlay 2-enabled. Bluetooth with A2DP is also standard across all the Sony Bravia XR sets too.
The big addition on the usability side is the switch from Android TV to the new Google TV platform. That brings the same excellent and intuitive look and feel as found in the Chromecast with Google TV media streamer.
As Google’s launch partner for Google TV, these Sony’s are the first sets you’ll find with the operating system already build in. It’s from here that you’ll also be able to access all of Sony’s usual picture, sound and other TV settings, as well as customise your home screen by adding your most frequently used apps. All the TVs use the YouView tuner in the UK and come with support for both Alexa and Google Assistant.
Sony continues with Netflix Calibrated Mode in the majority of its models and has IMAX Enhanced certifications with the upper ranges, too. Most sets are also ready to work with the Calman calibration software, should that be of interest.
Sony has added various driver upgrades to its excellent Acoustic Multi-Audio (LCD) and Acoustic Surface Audio+ (OLED) sound-from-picture speaker design, which runs through all of the XR models. These include increased numbers of actuators and tweeters as well as improved enclosure size and shape. Look out for the all-new 3D Surround Upscaling tech, too.
Gamers will be pleased to note that all of the TVs on this page, apart from the W800, have ports with HDMI 2.1 features. These include the ability to run 4K resolution content at up to 120Hz frame rates and technologies such as ALLM and eARC. They are also Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) compatible but will require a firmware update to make that possible.
Let’s take a closer look at some of these new features before we give you a full run-down of each of the Sony Bravia TV series for 2021.
Cognitive Processor XR
(Image credit: Sony)
The Sony Bravia Cognitive Processor XR marries the AI abilities of its X1 predecessor with a system that Sony calls cognitive intelligence. While AI analyses picture and sound signals and uses data based on machine learning, cognitive intelligence aims to add a more human perspective to identify and enhance AV performance and deliver an experience in line with how humans see and hear the world.
This world first TV picture processing, according to Sony, begins with a scene detection stage to identify and enhance the main focal points and, ultimately, adds a greater sense of depth to the image.
The XR processor looks at multiple zones and other elements (colour, contrast, texture, depth, detail, etc) of each frame and performs a cross analysis to work out the most important areas.
The Bravia XR sets come with a host of XR processing modes, many of which replace the similar-sounding systems found in the previous X1-based TVs – XR Motion Clarity and XR Smoothing, for example, with the most significant seemingly XR Contrast Booster.
The Contrast Booster is designed to boost peak brightness while maintaining well exposed whites and blacks in the image, and comes in good/better/best levels for the LCD TVs: the Master Series Sony Z9J has the XR Contrast Booster 15 while lower TVs go down to either the XR Contrast Booster 10 or XR Contrast Booster 5.
For the A90J and A80J OLEDs, the technology comes in the form of XR OLED Contrast Pro and XR OLED Contrast, respectively. Again, they offer improvements to peak brightness, overall brightness and an expansion of the colour volume as well which should help to bring a more accurate and true to life palette.
Lastly on picture, it’s also worth noting that the XR Upscaler includes a texture reproduction database which its predecessor did not. That sits alongside the object-based super resolution technology from the X1 TVs and will hopefully make lower resolution content better than ever on Bravia TVs – potentially very useful for the Z9J while we wait for a wealth of 8K source material.
XR Sound with 3D Surround Upscaling
(Image credit: Sony)
The Bravia XR TVs have cognitive intelligence for TV sound too. Along with improvements to the speaker hardware, features such as XR Sound Position aim to analyse the signal and make sure that the sound is coming from the correct parts of the picture with both Acoustic Surface Audio+ (OLED) and Acoustic Multi-Audio (LCD) technologies.
The big new addition for audio, though, is XR Surround with 3D Surround Upscaling. This takes a 2ch or 5.1ch audio signal and creates a virtual 5.1.2ch experience with the aim of enveloping the viewer in sound in all dimensions.
Bravia CORE streaming service
Sony is taking the huge step of launching its own high-bitrate streaming service which, for the short-term at least, will be exclusive to Sony Bravia XR 2021 TVs.
Called Bravia CORE (Centre of Real Entertainment), this new streaming service effectively has two elements. On the one hand it will host hundreds of titles from the Sony Picture Entertainment back catalogue, all of which can be freely streamed for either 12 or 24 months, depending on which TV you’ve purchased. On the other, it will also allow pay-as-you-go streaming of fresh-from-the-cinema movies, with owners of the new XR TVs given a number of free credits (five or ten, again depending on the model you’ve bought) that can be used as ‘payment’.
Much of the content will be at 4K HDR levels, but what takes it beyond what other services, such as Apple TV and Rakuten, is that it will host a large number of IMAX Enhanced movies and that data rates will be much higher, resulting in better picture quality. Sony says streams will be at up to 80Mbps, which it claims is beyond the rates of many UHD Blu-ray discs. We’re fascinated to find out whether Bravia CORE streams really can outperform disc-based movies, and what happens when users connect via a slower connection.
Sony is also uncertain about whether Bravia CORE will continue beyond the 24-month timeframe or whether it will be opened up further in the future. For the time being, it certainly makes an interesting and welcome toe in the water for all concerned.
Best 8K TVs: the ultimate 8K resolution televisions
Sony Z9J 8K LED TV
(Image credit: Sony)
At the top of the 2021 TV tree is the Sony Z9J Master Series LCD TV. It’s an 8K LED TV, positioned to replace the ZH8 from 2020. It continues with the attractive Immersive Edge design, which includes a titanium silver bezel and a three-position stand that allows for wide and central feet as well, as a third setting to allow space for a soundbar.
As the flagship Sony TV for the year, it’s fitted with all the spoils that Sony has to offer right now. These include a full array LED panel (available in two sizes), the best XR Contrast Booster level and three 48Gbps ports with HDMI 2.1 features, specced at 120Hz rates for 4K material.
The panel itself has Sony’s X-Wide Angle technology, to maximise picture consistency when viewing off-axis, as well as X-Anti Reflection glass to minimise unwanted glare from light sources in your space.
It comes with an aluminium, back-lit voice remote and there’s a colour sensor as well as a light sensor so that Ambient Optimisation mode can automatically adjust chromatically as well as for brightness, according to your viewing environment.
Sony has increased the number of frame tweeters to four by adding two on the top edge for improved high frequency performance. The front facing subwoofers and midrange speakers on the bottom edge are larger too.
Sony Z9J 8K TV specs
Sizes: 75in (KD-75Z9J), 85in (KD-85Z9J)
Screen type: Full Array LED, X-Wide Angle, X-Anti Reflection
Sound: Acoustic Multi Audio, Dolby Atmos, 3D Surround upscaling
Design: 3-way stand
Sony Z9J 8K TV pricing
Sony KD-75Z9J – TBC
Sony KD-85Z9J – TBC
Sony A90J 4K OLED TV
(Image credit: Sony)
The Sony A90J Master Series is Sony’s top OLED for 2021. It’s not 8K, but there is an interesting and big screen 83-inch version alongside the usual 55in and 65in models.
The A90J replaces the AG9 and keeps the Seamless Edge Bezel design with a frame of just 0.7mm for the 55in and 65in models. The 83in has the slightly more robust Flush Surface Bezel look and feel but should be premium nonetheless. It also benefits from the same three-way stand as the Z9J while the smaller panels maintain the choice of wide or soundbar formations but don’t get the central stand positioning.
As a Master Series TV, it comes with a premium, back-lit, aluminium voice remote control as well as both light and colour sensors to use for the Ambient Optimisation mode.
Acoustic Surface Audio+ is the sound tech for OLEDs. It’s planned that the cognitive intelligence processing will offer superior bass. The actuators have been redesigned into a circular shape with an inner circle responsible for creating the higher frequency sounds. The aim is for better sound positioning and quality.
As with the Z9J, it comes with 24 months access to the Bravia CORE streaming service and 10 film credits.
Sound: Acoustic Surface Audio+, Dolby Atmos, 3D Surround Upscaling
Design: 3-way stand (83in), 2-way stand (55/65in)
Sony A90J 4K OLED TV pricing
Sony KD-55A90J – TBC
Sony KD-65A90J – TBC
Sony KD-83A90J – TBC
Sony A80J 4K OLED TV
(Image credit: Sony)
If a Master Series OLED feels like a bit of a stretch, then the Sony A80J 4K OLED TVs are the next best thing. They lose one facet of picture and of design but should still perform well if last year’s A8 OLEDs are anything to go by.
On the physical front, they get a more standard voice remote control and the Flush Surface Bezel design, which is not quite as super-thin at the frame. The three-way stand is still present, though, as is Acoustic Surface Audio+, which includes perforations on the rear of the TV to help with bass production.
There’s no colour sensor to sit alongside the light sensor during Ambient Optimisation, and picture performance is likely to drop a little with the ‘Pro’ removed from its flavour of XR OLED Contrast intelligent processing. It’s otherwise very much as above.
Sound: Acoustic Surface Audio+, Dolby Atmos, 3D Surround Upscaling
Design: 3-way stand
Sony A80J 4K OLED TV pricing
Sony KD-55A80J – TBC
Sony KD-65A80J – TBC
Sony KD-77A80J – TBC
Sony X95J 4K LED TV
(Image credit: Sony)
It’s back to the LCDs with the Sony X95J 4K LED series. The main difference for performance comes with the drop in XR Contrast to the medium level Contrast Booster 10 processing. These full array TVs are still IMAX Enhanced-certified and feature both the X-Wide Angle and X-Anti-Reflection technologies. (No Anti-Reflection on the 85in.)
These sets do also retain some of the premium look and feel of the Master Series. They include the aluminium, backlit, voice remote as well as the super-skinny Seamless Edge Bezel design. There’s the 3-way stand on the two bigger panel sizes with a central position not required for the smaller 65in variant.
Sound: Acoustic Multi Audio, Dolby Atmos, 3D Surround upscaling
Design: 3-way stand (75/85in), 2-way stand without centre positioning (65in)
Sony X95J 4K TV pricing
Sony KD-85X95J – TBC
Sony KD-75X95J – TBC
Sony KD-65X95J – TBC
Sony X90J 4K TV
(Image credit: Sony)
The Sony X90J LED TVs replace the Award-winning XH90s from 2020. There are four panel sizes between 50-75in with the Flush Surface Bezel design and higher raised Slim Blade feet with two-position options. There’s already enough height in the design to allow room for a soundbar.
Again, the voice remote is the standard, black variety and, on the performance front, XR Contrast drops down to Contrast Booster 5. There are no X-Wide Angle or anti-reflection benefits either.
Otherwise, Acoustic Multi Audio, Google TV, the HDMI 2.1 features and most everything else is present and correct, including IMAX Enhanced certification.
Sound: Acoustic Multi Audio, Dolby Atmos, 3D Surround upscaling
Design: 2-way Slim Blade stand (55in and above)
Sony X90J TV prices
Sony KD-50X90J – TBC
Sony KD-55X90J – TBC
Sony KD-65X90J – TBC
Sony KD-75X90J – TBC
Sony KD-49XH9505 review
Sony X85J 4K TV
(Image credit: Sony)
From the Sony X85J downwards, the 2021 Sony TVs lose the new Cognitive Processor XR and make do with the very able Processor X1 from the 2020 range. That means no XR Contrast Booster or 3D Sound Upscaling either.
They also drop from full array LED panels to edge-lit models too, so expect losses in local dimming abilities. Gone too are Netflix Calibrated and IMAX Enhanced certifications, along with Acoustic Multi Audio which is instead replaced by Sony’s X-Balanced speaker system.
All the HDR compatibility is still there and the handy Google TV operating system too.
The X85J maintains the Flush Surface Bezel frame design and the two-position Slim Blade stand which is available for the 55in model and above. It’s the biggest of the 2021 series, in terms of panel size options, and each has a native 100Hz refresh rate with 800Hz Motionflow processing.
The Sony X80J is the entry level Bravia series for 2021. It’s almost the same as the X85Js above but with a few reductions.
The design drops down to the slightly more meat and potatoes Narrow Bezel style and the LED panel has a native 50Hz refresh rate with 200Hz Motionflow processing.
The range of panel sizes is a little smaller but will cover the needs of most at this end of the market. The biggest of all is named the Sony X81J which comes in at 75in on the diagonal.
Last of all, Sony hasn’t forgotten about those who just need something small for the bedroom. The Sony W800 an HD resolution LED TV that comes in a 32in size only. It’s run by the older Bravia Engine and uses Android TV as the OS, so you’ll still get all the major app offerings that one would expect.
Sony W800 32in HD LED TV price
Sony KD-W800 – TBC
MORE:
Samsung 2021 TV lineup: everything you need to know
The popular messenger service WhatsApp is changing its terms of use for the new year. Some changes affect the privacy policy. The app has been sending users various in-app notifications since Wednesday to inform them of the changes. There was always the choice of approving the new regulations immediately or postponing them until later.
The new changes come into force on February 8th. From this point onwards, users have no choice but to agree to the new conditions, otherwise the app can no longer be used. The core of the changes is the collaboration between WhatsApp and the parent company Facebook. The freedoms formulated in the terms and conditions seem to be rather broad. Specifically, it says, among other things, that the data received from users who operate their own services can be used to provide, improve, understand, individualize, support and market. Even if this function is already integrated into the app, users can currently deactivate it. From February 8, however, consent will be mandatory for the use of the app and all other services belonging to Facebook.
This is also mentioned in the terms and conditions Want to fight spam, threats, abuse and legal violations. Of course, this raises questions about end-to-end encryption, or it does not quite reveal what Facebook has in mind. It would be conceivable to display relevant advertising with corresponding keywords or the like. An indication of this is also provided by the sentence that you allow yourself “to make recommendations for you (…) and to support you in making purchases and transactions” . In the future, a direct link with the payment service Facebook Pay would also be conceivable.
Who does not If you have a problem sharing all data with the company and have already agreed to the function, Whatsapp can continue to use without hesitation. Everyone else should spend the next few weeks trying to find suitable alternatives.
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