Monday, December 30, 2019
PSA: WhatsApp Ends Support for Windows Phone Platform
Huawei Says 'Survival' Top Priority as Sales Fall Short
Realme 5i to Launch on January 6, Specifications Tipped by Online Listing
US Retailers Rush to Comply With California Privacy Law
Google Ends the Decade With a Fireworks Doodle
Samsung Galaxy S11 could launch alongside the Galaxy Fold 2 on February 11
Samsung Galaxy S10 successor could launch earlier than expected. According to a new leak, Samsung Galaxy S11 series could launch on February 11, instead of February 18 that was reported earlier. Samsung is tipped to host the launch event that it usually calls “Unpacked” in San Francisco, California to unveil the next-generation Galaxy S-series phones. Alongside the Galaxy S11 series, the company is expected to unveil its next foldable phone - the Galaxy Fold 2.
According to a report from Israeli website Girafa, Samsung is said to launch the Galaxy S11 models before the official opening of Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2020. Samsung would get more time to promote its Galaxy S11 series by choosing a date ahead of MWC 2020 as its competitors will be bringing their flagships at the event. However, Samsung is yet to announce the launch date.
Samsung Galaxy S11 series is expected to comprise of Galaxy S11, Galaxy S11+ and Galaxy S11e. The trio is said to feature a telephoto lens with 48MP. If it turns out to be true, it will be the most powerful telephoto lens in a smartphone going by the current industry standards. It is rumoured that Galaxy S11+ will sport a new, custom 108MP sensor. The Galaxy S11 trio is expected to come in 6.2/6.4 inches, 6.7 inches, 6.9 inches display sizes.
The Samsung Galaxy S11+ is said to stick with the curved display. Leaks suggest that the display will be as large as 6.9 inches, while the panel itself will be Samsung’s own Dynamic AMOLED display. On the other hand, Galaxy S11 is also rumoured to sport a display with a high refresh rate of 120Hz. It has reportedly been certified in China for 25W fast charging.
Coming to the Galaxy Fold 2, unlike its predecessor, the device could actually turn out to be a clamshell foldable phone like the Motorola Razr (2019). The company is rumoured to turn to ultra-thin glass as the covering for the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 instead of the current plastic-based cover.
https://ift.tt/2Q8G9jo
Privacy Fears as Police Use Facial Recognition at PM Modi's Rally
Uber and Postmates claim gig worker bill AB-5 is unconstitutional in new lawsuit
Postmates and Uber have filed a complaint in California federal district court, alleging that a bill limiting how companies can label workers as independent contractors is unconstitutional. The complaint, which includes two gig workers as co-plaintiffs, was filed in U.S. District Court on Monday, days before Assembly Bill 5 (AB-5) is due to go into effect on Jan. 1. It asks for a preliminary injunction against AB-5 while the lawsuit is under consideration.
The complaint argues that AB-5 violates several clauses in the U.S. and California constitutions, including equal protection because of how it classifies gig workers for ride-sharing and on-demand delivery companies compared to the exemptions it grants to workers who do “substantively identical work” in more than twenty other industries.
AB-5 was authored by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, a Democrat representing the 80th Assembly District in southern California and signed into law in September by Governor Gavin Newsom. It is intended to uphold the ruling in Dynamex Operations West Inc. v Superior Court of Los Angeles, a landmark 2018 decision by the California Supreme Court about how employees and independent contractors should be classified, and ensure that gig economy workers are entitled to benefits like minimum wage, health insurance and workers’ compensation.
But the suit’s opponents, which includes tech companies whose business models rely on the gig economy, as well as groups of gig workers and freelance journalists, argue that it restricts their work opportunities and ability to earn money.
In addition to Uber and Postmates, the complaints’ plaintiffs also include Lydia Olson and Miguel Perez, drivers for on-demand companies. In a post on Postmates’ blog, Perez wrote that he joined the suit because AB5 “is threatening the freedom and flexibility I have relied on in recent years to support my family.”
A statement from Postmates said “AB5 is a blunt instrument, which is why lawmakers exempted 24 industries, seemingly at random, from its requirements.”
The company added that does not want to be exempted from AB-5 or reverse the Dynamex standard, but “call for industry and labor talks with the California legislature to modernize a robust safety net designed specifically for the needs of on-demand workers, that establishes a new portable benefits model, creates earnings guarantees higher than minimum age, and gives all workers both the strong voice they need and flexibility they demand—a framework not currently contemplated under state and federal law.”
As proof that AB-5 violates the equal protection clause, the complaint argues that “the vast majority of the statute is a list of exemptions that carve out of the statutory scope dozens of occupations, including direct salespeople, travel agents, grant writers, construction truck drivers, commercial fisherman, and many more. There is no rhyme or reason to these nonsensical exemptions, and some are so ill-defined or entirely undefined that it is impossible to discern what they include or exclude.”
The complaint also alleges that AB-5 violates due process by preventing people from choosing to work for gig companies, and the contracts clause because mandating companies like Uber and Postmates to reclassify contractors as employees will either invalidate or substantially change their existing contracts.
In statement about the lawsuit, Gonzalez said “the one clear thing we know about Uber is they will do anything to try to exempt themselves from state regulations that make us all safer and their driver employees self-sufficient. In the meantime, Uber chief executives will continue to become billionaires while too many of their drivers are forced to sleep in their cars.”
The lawsuit follows several efforts to stop or limit AB-5. In October, a group of drivers for Lyft, Uber and DoorDash announced they had submitted a California ballet initiative for the November 2020 ballot in response to AB-5. The measure which received substantial financial support from those companies, seeks to enable drivers and couriers can continue to be independent contractors while guaranteeing benefits like a minimum wage, expenses, healthcare and insurances.
Earlier this month, several organizations representing freelancer writers filed a lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles alleging AB5 places unconstitutional restrictions on free speech, the day after Vox Media announced it will cut hundreds of freelance positions in California as it prepares for the bill.
Facebook Disables Some Misleading Ads on HIV Prevention Drugs
Analysis of PitchBook data since 2005 shows that in 2019, the number of enterprise-focused seed deals overtook consumer-focused seed deals for the first time (Eric Feng)
Analysis of PitchBook data since 2005 shows that in 2019, the number of enterprise-focused seed deals overtook consumer-focused seed deals for the first time — I recently wrote a recommendation letter for a former coworker who wanted to change careers by going back to school.
Huawei's Rotating Chairman Eric Xu estimates the company's 2019 revenue grew 18% YoY to $122B, says it shipped 240M smartphones, but forecasts "difficult" 2020 (Brenda Goh/Reuters)
Huawei's Rotating Chairman Eric Xu estimates the company's 2019 revenue grew 18% YoY to $122B, says it shipped 240M smartphones, but forecasts “difficult” 2020 — SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Huawei Technologies on Tuesday said its full-year revenue would likely jump 18% in 2019 to 850 billion yuan …
Reliance sets up Jiomart to sell grocery online soon
Activists rally against 'illegal' surveillance of CAA protests
Regulatory curbs may slow Blockchain innovations in India
Russia's finance minister says Russian companies have begun using bitcoin and other digital currencies in international payments to counter Western sanctions (Gleb Bryanski/Reuters)
Gleb Bryanski / Reuters : Russia's finance minister says Russian companies have begun using bitcoin and other digital currencies in i...
-
Jake Offenhartz / Gothamist : Since October, the NYPD has deployed a quadruped robot called Spot to a handful of crime scenes and hostage...
-
Answers to common questions about PCMag.com http://bit.ly/2SyrjWu https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
