News
Samsung removes the ‘Z’ from Galaxy Z Fold lineup
In some European countries
How do you feel about the Galaxy Z series? Regardless of how you feel about foldables in general, Samsung’s lineup has a polarizing name. Instead of just “Galaxy Fold” or “Galaxy Flip,” each device’s name comes with a Z. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the zeitgeist is changing soon. Samsung has started removing the Z in some countries.
Spotted by renowned leaker Ishan Agarwal, the company has changed its website, removing the letter from the lineup. In certain European countries like Latvia, the foldable lineup is simple called Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Flip.
Samsung has removed the ‘Z’ from its phones in certain European countries.
Z Fold/Flip3 are being sold as just Galaxy Fold3/Flip3.
Change could be due to symbol ‘Z’ representing Russian Army during the ongoing invasion in Ukraine. New retail boxes have been printed as well. pic.twitter.com/RvadGYN0Xi
— Ishan (@ishanagarwal24) March 29, 2022
It’s not a global change, though. In other countries like the United States, Samsung still has the same Z. Further, the company did not issue an explanation as to why it dropped the Z only in some countries. Some are speculating that the name change is due to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. Russians are currently using “Z” as a way to signify their armies. It’s possible that Samsung wants to distance itself from the conflict especially in countries that are near the heart of the war.
Regardless of reason, Samsung has a few months to figure out what its next naming convention will be. It’s still a while before the company will launch the fourth generation of its foldable phones.
Arguably, removing the Z represents a major improvement for the lineup. The additional letter is quite the mouthful for a simple series. It won’t be a huge change, either. When the foldable first launched, it was known as the Galaxy Fold, not the Galaxy Z Fold.
SEE ALSO: Is Samsung working on a horizontal folding Galaxy Fold?
Apps
Netflix expands its cheaper ad-supported tier to Southeast Asia
This also includes more countries in Europe and South America.
If you don’t care about seeing a deluge of ads on your platforms, you’re an incredibly rare breed these days. That same skill will come in handy for those nicely priced subscription tiers that comes with ads. Netflix, for one, has one of those tiers, and it’s now coming out in more countries.
As is prevalent in other platforms today, an ad-supported subscription tier lowers the price you have to pay every month. The catch, however, is that there will be an occasional sprinkling of ads here and there.
Netflix offers this service, which allows subscribers to get the service for cheap at the expense of their time. Currently, it is limited to only a few major markets in the world. However, the platform is expanding the tier’s reach to more countries in Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia.
Starting in 2027, Netflix’s ad-supported tier will expand to 15 countries: Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Thailand.
Netflix says that the ad-supported tier is a popular option for subscribers. Currently, the tier has around 250 million subscribers worldwide. Since some of the new countries have a more budget-conscious attitude when it comes to purchasing services, this number will likely go up after the expansion in 2027.
SEE ALSO: Netflix does the unthinkable: Mayweather-Pacquiao II set for September
Google One is a monthly subscription that gives you at least 200GB of cloud storage for your files and photos. For most people, a Google One subscription starts when Google inevitably tells them that their free storage space is running out and will soon stop backing up files. Starting today, new users might get that warning sooner rather than later as Google tests a lower limit to free storage.
Historically, Google offers users 15GB of free storage as a start. However, especially these days, 15GB can run out rapidly, prompting a Google One upgrade. Still, despite how “little” it is, Google’s free storage is generous compared to its contemporaries.
Now, Google is reportedly going to be more at par with the rest. As spotted on Reddit (via 9to5Google), new users will receive only 5GB of free storage. Based on Wayback Machine, the company changed its policy sometime between February to March.
Notably, 15GB is still available as an option, but users have to link their phone numbers to their accounts first.
According to Google, the policy change is meant to encourage users to upgrade their security. However, critics will point out that it just enables the company to collect more data about their users. Of note, the platform is already pushy about linking phone numbers before the change, but this adds another layer to entice people.
Also, Google confirms that the new policy is only a regional test for now. They have not announced when (or if) the change comes out for real.
SEE ALSO: Gmail now makes it easy to unsubscribe from all marketing emails
Gaming
The Steam Controller literally screams when you throw it
Please throw it at padded surfaces only.
We love harmless Easter eggs. Think of Chrome’s jumping dino or Android’s yearly quirk. It’s always fun when a device or app hides a special surprise for those in the know. Today, Valve is keeping the tradition alive by putting a screaming Easter egg in its new Steam Controller.
The first of its trio of new hardware, the Steam Controller converts the iconic layout of the Steam Deck into controller form. Besides offering an accessible controller, it also connects seamlessly to Steam, offering an easy doorway to plug and, literally, play.
Since it launched on May 4, users have already been playing around with their Steam Controllers. Presumably, this also includes a few rage moments that involve throwing the controller over a frustrating game.
If you threw your controller already, you might have heard an interesting surprise. As spotted by users online, the Steam Controller lets out a Wilhelm scream whenever it’s thrown.
For the unaware, the Wilhelm scream is the world’s most iconic scream. If you’ve watched a few movies, there’s a high chance that you’ve heard it before, as it’s often used as a background scream in many, many movies.
Notably, this has a cooldown of approximately one minute, so you can’t spam it over and over again. This also works on padded surfaces, so you don’t need to throw your controller at a hard wall. It’s just one of those nice Easter eggs that add a little spice to a favorite controller.
All that said, please don’t throw your Steam Controller at hard surfaces.
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