Tech Brew Ride Home - Wed. 08/05 – Samsung’s Unpacked Event And The New Galaxy Note 20s

Episode Date: August 5, 2020

All of the headlines from the Samsung Unpacked event: new Galaxy Note 20s, New Galaxy Buds, New Galaxy Watch and more. Disney has already hit its goal for Disney+. ByteDance remains defiant even as Facebook launches Instagram Reels. And Anthony Levandowski remains defiant, even as he is sentenced. Sponsors: DoubleUp.agency Harrys.com/techmeme Links: Samsung Galaxy Note 20, Note 20 Ultra go official from $999 w/ Snapdragon 865+ (9to5Google) Samsung announces the Galaxy Z Fold 2 with bigger screens and better cameras (The Verge) Disney+ grows to more than 60.5M subscribers (TechCrunch) Instagram Reels launches globally in over 50 countries, including US (TechCrunch) ByteDance CEO Says Trump’s Real Goal Is to Kill Off TikTok (Bloomberg) Anthony Levandowski sentenced to 18 months in prison as new $4B lawsuit against Uber is filed (TechCrunch) Files by Google adds PIN protection for your most sensitive files on Android (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On April 4th, 2023, around 2 in the morning, a man was found stabbed multiple times on a sidewalk in downtown San Francisco. Hey, who did this to you? What happened next turned the story into a political firestorm. Reports have identified the victim as Bob Lee, the founder of Cash App. From Bloomberg Podcasts, this is Foundering, the Killing of Bob Lee, beginning April 16. Welcome to the TechMeme right home for Wednesday, August 5th, 2020. I'm Brian McCullough today. All of the headlines from the Samsung unpacked event,

new Galaxy Note 20s, new Galaxy Buds, new Galaxy Watch, and more. Disney has already hit its goal for Disney Plus. Bite Dance remains defiant even as Facebook launches Instagram Reels. And Anthony Lewandowski remains defiant even as he is sentenced to prison. Here's what you missed today in the world of tech. Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event was today, and Samsung unveiled five new products to, as Samsung put it, help you navigate the new normal. Let's run down the five. There was the 6.7-inch Galaxy Note 20 and 6.9 inch Note 20 Ultra, coming with Android 10, Snapdragon 865 Plus, and a whole bunch of snazzy new features,

all starting at $999 and $1,2,299 respectively, quoting 9 to 5 Google. On paper, the Note 20 is pretty similar to the Galaxy S20 Ultra. It has the same 108 megapixel camera sensor, a similar 6.9-inch QHD Plus super Amel-led display, and shares a lot more in common on the spec sheet as well as seen below. The display also gets a big upgrade to catch up to the Galaxy S line, A 120-hertz refresh rate, the 388 by 1440 panel also achieves a pixel density of 496 pPI as well as offering HDR-10 plus support. The centered hole punch houses a 10-mepixel selfie camera as well. Of course, though, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra stands out because of its built-in S-pen.

With the Note 20, not the smaller, cheaper Note 20, Samsung has managed to reduce the influence the input latency to a mere 9 milliseconds for more, quote, life-like precision. Further, the S-Pen also gets some new gestures for scrolling, opening apps, and system navigation. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra packs a similar camera system compared to the Galaxy S-20 of the same name. It's headlined by a 108-mixel primary rear camera and backed up by two 12-mixel sensors, one telephoto and one ultra-wide. This system delivers up to 50x hybrid zoom. To fix the autofocus issues that plagued the Galaxy S-20 Ultra, Samsung has implemented a laser AF system on Note 20 Ultra. By comparison to the Ultra, the standard Galaxy Note 20 steps down on several specs. Both devices share the same

Snapdragon 865 plus processor, but the regular Note 20 drops to a 6.7-inch 1080P display at 60 hertz, a 12-machshel primary camera, 8 gigabytes of RAM, and no micro-sd card slot. Samsung is also including some new features on its Galaxy Note 20 series, starting with Samsung Notes. The built-in S-pen optimized note-taking app is getting enhanced sync across your phone, Samsung tablet, and Windows PC. The app is also adding auto-save and improved folder management. On top of that, note owners can now annotate and highlight PDFs while recording audio feedback,

which syncs with what's been drawn with the S-Pen. Dex also gets a major upgrade with the Galaxy Note 20-slash-A-Ltraughtra, with a wireless connection to any Miracast-enabled TV. In the camera department, Samsung has added support for 8K recording at 20 frames per second and at the cinematic 21-9 aspect ratio too. There's also a pro-video mode with focus, audio, exposure, zoom speed, and other controls. Samsung is adding a clever new feature that allows the phone to capture. audio from a connected pair of Bluetooth earbuds."

Samsung also announced the Galaxy Z-Fold 2 with an upgraded camera system, a larger 7.6-inch main display, a hole-punch camera, but basically it's the same foldable phone as the original model. It's not available yet, and in fact, no word on availability or price, quoting the verge. Instead of an awkward, tiny external display, the Z-Fold 2 has a full full-size 6.2-inch screen that covers the entire front of the phone, making it far more usable without having to unfold the larger display. The main display is also bigger at 7.6 inches. And the weird notched corner that marred the top right corner of the flexible interior panel is gone, replaced by a less obtrusive hole-punch camera that takes up far less space on the

folding OLED screen, which now runs at up to a 120-hirts refresh rate. The internal specs are getting a boost two with the Z-Fold 2 set to feature Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 865 plus processor. Like the Galaxy Z-Flip, the Z-Fold 2 is switching from the fragile plastic screen to the same ultrithing glass, which should be less prone to damage than the original. That said, if it's anything like the Z-flip, the flexible glass is still more fragile than a traditional screen. Samsung is also bringing its flex mode from the Z-flip, allowing the Z-Fold 2 to be used in halfway open configurations and stood up on a depth. The phone is thinner overall. It's six millimeters thick and has a thinner gap between the displays,

making it easier to fit in your pocket. Samsung says that it's re-engineered the hinge, too, for greater durability. The new hinge also features what Samsung calls a sweeper, which uses elastic fibers to clean out dust or debris from the hinge to prevent damage to the display, end quote. Apparently, there will be a second full event on September 1st to reveal the full details about the Z-4. fold two. Samsung today also unveiled the 11-inch Galaxy Tab S-Z tablet and 12-5-inch plus with Snapdragon 865 pluses, Android 10, 5G capability, 13, and 5-mixel rear cameras all starting at $650 coming this fall. These bad boys look basically identical to iPad pros, but I guess that's what happens when everybody does away with bezels. But Samsung says this is the thinnest

tablet in its class. Samsung also announced the Galaxy Buds Live, earbuds with active noise cancellation, water resistance, and removable tips. Available right now today for 170 bucks, the Galaxy Buds Live have no awkward stem sticking out from them, according to Samsung. But then again, that's because they look like lima beans.

Samsung is selling magic beans now, Mike Murphy tweeted. And finally, to get us to the Promise Five products, Samsung also launched the Galaxy Watch 3 in 41mm and 45mm variants with a thinner, lighter design using Samsung's Tizzen platform. Samsung said they are 14 and 15% lighter than the models they're replacing respectively, but they still looked absolutely huge to me in the pictures. Of course, caveat being I didn't get to see them hands on. Anyway, the new watch will be shipping August 2nd tomorrow for $400 and $1,000.

up. In reporting earnings yesterday, Disney revealed that Disney Plus has grown to 60 and a half million subscribers, up from the 54 million subscriber number back in May. Overall, the House of Mouse now has more than 100 million paid subscribers for streaming services across its Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus offerings. They actually got one more ESPN Plus subscriber in the form of me over the weekend so I could watch my beloved Arsenal win the FAA Cup. Quoting TechCrunch. Of course, the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated growth for some streaming services. Most notably, Netflix added more than 10 million new subscribers in its most recent quarter, bringing its global total to nearly 193 million. As for Disney's other streaming services, ESPN Plus has grown more than

100% year-over-year to 8.5 million subscribers as of June 26, while Hulu grew 27% to 35.5.5 million subscribers, 3.4 million of them are paying for both video on demand and live TV, end quote. So it's worth pointing out that Disney's original goal for Disney Plus was to hit between 60 and 90 million subscribers by 2024. So they've reached the low end of that range for years early. Also, the transformation of the movie industry continues apace. Disney also announced that their live action Mulan movie will be released on Disney Plus on September 4th. So skipping movie theaters for now. However, this will not be a free stream if you're a Disney Plus subscriber. If you want to watch Mulan at home, it will cost you an additional $29.99 on top of your

subscription, which tons of people were freaking out about online, but that price seems really reasonable to me. I mean, if Christopher Nolan would allow me to, I'd gladly pay upwards of $30 to watch Tenant right now. As Julie Alexander tweeted, quote, a reminder, theaters take a decent portion of sales revenue from the studios. Video on demand through Amazon slash iTunes can give the studios about 80% of revenue. This will give Disney 100% of revenue, 100% of user data, 100% control. That's everything, end quote. Facebook has officially launched Instagram Reels. It's much-discussed TikTok competitor that lets users create and publish 15-second videos. The app is live now in more than 50 countries, including the US,

UK, and Japan. To remind you how we got here, I will quote TechCrunch. In late 2018, Facebook launched a TikTok clone called Lasso. The app didn't take off and was shuttered this year. Though unsuccessful as a standalone product, Lasso represents Facebook's ability to run what are essentially large-scale beta tests that don't have to generate revenue. This allows Facebook to collect a sizable amount of user behavioral data that can then be put to use when building new features for flagship apps like it's doing with Instagram Reels. Following Lasso's test, Instagram released Reels in Brazil in November 2019, where it was called Senus, to see how Instagram users would respond to a different sort of mobile video experience. With Reels Now, Instagram's goal is not just to capture the

now potentially up for grabs TikTok audience in the U.S. It's to steal them away even if TikTok remains. Today, Instagram caters to a certain kind of creator community that doesn't always overlap with the younger Gen Z and Up user base that's found a home on TikTok and Gen Alpha, if we're being honest. Instead, Instagram users either share polished, curated photos to their feed, publish personal and casual videos and stories, or share almost YouTube-like creator content to IGTV.

Meanwhile, Instagram's browsing experience hasn't offered a way to quickly swipe through videos like on TikTok. Reels aims to change that. The feature lets users create and publish 15-second videos using a new set of editing tools that include options like ARFX, a countdown timer, a new aligned tool to line up different takes, and of course, music. Instagram's deals with major record labels mean users won't have to wonder if their sound will later be removed due to a rights issue and will offer a variety of musical content right out of the gate. A comprehensive audio catalog could be a competitive advantage for reels, not to mention a feature that's difficult for smaller apps to acquire due to the complicated nature of record label negotiations, end quote. Speaking of TikTok, parent company BiteDance struck a defiant note yesterday. In a letter to staff BiteDance founder and CEO Zhang Yaming said that any forced sale of TikTok

to a U.S. buyer is unreasonable. and the real goal, according to Zhang of any U.S. actions, is the outright ban of TikTok, quoting Bloomberg. While a forced sale of TikTok to a U.S. buyer is unreasonable, it is still part of a legal process and the company has no choice but to abide by the law, Zhang said. But this is not their goal or even what they want. Their real objective is to achieve a comprehensive ban, he wrote. Zhang's comments were echoed by prominent venture capitalist Lee Kai Fu, who wrote Tuesday on Chinese social media, he found the fracas around TikTok, quote, unbelievable. The former head of Google's Chinese operations added that while Google was forced to leave

China, Beijing had always been clear about its restrictions, while Trump lacked a legal basis to bar TikTok. In a separate letter yesterday, Zhang said, Bite Dance is exploring all possibilities to resolve an intensifying confrontation with Washington and that the world's largest startup has made no final decisions on options. The CEO said on Tuesday that both he and BightDance have come under intense criticism at home following news of a possible sale and thanked China employees for their efforts, end quote. So I'm not sure where that leaves the state of play at the moment, but for all of the excitement initially of maybe Microsoft swooping in and buying TikTok, are you starting to get the feeling that this deal, any deal, frankly, might not happen? I'd wager, I think we're back to

even money in terms of TikTok, maybe going away completely in the U.S. Anthony Lewandowski, the head of Uber's self-driving unit, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, but he won't have to serve time until the threat from COVID-19 has passed, quoting TechCrunch. Judge Alsup said that home confinement would, quote, give a green light to every future brilliant engineer to steal trade secrets. Prison time is the answer to that, end quote. During court proceedings today, LeVandowski also agreed to pay $756,000 in restitution to Waymo and a fine of $95,000. The U.S. Attorney's Office had recommended a 27-month sentence arguing in court today that Levinosky had committed the crime for ego or greed and that he remained a wealthy man. LeVandowski had sought a fine, 12 months home confinement, and 200 hours of community service.

And LeVandowski spoke briefly on his own behalf, quote, the last three and a half years have forced me to come to terms with what I did. I want to take this time to apologize to my colleagues at Google for betraying their trust and to my entire family for the price they have paid and will continue to pay for my actions, end quote. And yet, LeVandowski is not skulking away. Even as he faced years in prison, the Maverick engineer was also plotting a comeback that could see him netting upwards of $4 billion from Uber.

TechCrunch has learned that LeVendosky recently filed a lawsuit making Exploble claims against Waymo and Uber that, if proven, could turn his fortunes around with a multi-billion dollar payout. Whether this is a last-ditch effort by a desperate man whose career has been upended by his own poor choices or a viable claim against a double-dealing tech titan will be up to the courts to decide. This new lawsuit filed as part of Levindoski's bankruptcy proceedings mostly focuses on Uber's agreement to indemnify Levendoski against legal action when it bought his self-trucking company auto-trucking. It all also includes new allegations concerning the settlement that Waymo and Uber reached over trade secret

theft claims. No new comment on this most recent desperate filing, an Uber spokesperson said in an email, end quote. Finally today, a couple quick Google stories. The files by Google app, which basically gives Android users an easy way to manage files on their phone, has added a pin encrypted folder to the product to protect sensitive files, quoting the verge. The folder is locked the moment you switch away to another app and its contents are only accessible through files by Google. According to Google, the feature is mainly designed to help people who share Android devices, which it says is common for women in many parts of the world. Safe folders keep important files like identity documents safe and secure from accidental

deletion or sharing by kids, for example. And yes, it could also help anyone who wants to keep any sensitive photos private. Android police warns that transferring a file into your secure folder means it disappears from other file browsers and gallery apps, so be sure you don't delete or uninstall the files app or clear its app data to avoid losing your private files completely. The same goes for forgetting your pin, end quote. And by the way, Google Play Music is finally officially shutting down this month. Global music streaming will shut down in October, and music collections will be deleted in December. If you're confused, well, that's of course because Google, as we

always say is a confused company, quoting Ars Technica. Google Play Music has been around since 2011 and let users upload thousands of songs to the internet for free for streaming playback on most other devices. It's been the primary way to play music on the Google Home Smart Speakers, and it offered music purchases, monthly streaming radio, and podcasts. Google Music has been neglected for years, though, and like the company often does, Google decided to make a second competing music streaming service instead of maintaining the first service. That's Second service is YouTube Music, which is now Google's favored music app. The merger between the two was originally announced in 2018, and now it's finally happening. YouTube music places an

emphasis on music videos, as you can guess from the name, and the app has more modern design. YouTube music awkwardly blends together your entire 15-year YouTube activity history with your music collection, tossing any liked videos and subscriptions that have been algorithmically flagged as music into your collection and mixing together your YouTube playlists and Google Music Playlists. There's no way to stop this. YouTube music seems designed to drive up Google's subscription numbers and really only seems useful for people who want to pay the monthly streaming license fee.

The app does away with music purchases and won't even let you stream your own music to your Google Home speakers without paying the monthly fee. It's a big downgrade from Google Music, which offered more functionality to people who purchased music. Back in 2018, Google told Google Music users nothing will change regarding YouTube music's uploaded music functionality. But now that the feature is actually here, that's not true, end quote. Busy news day, so no time for pleasantries. Talk to y'all tomorrow.