Features

SAN JOSÉ, United States — Samsung on Wednesday released its latest Galaxy smartphones with new artificial intelligence features as the South Korean giant seeks win back its spot as the world’s biggest phone seller from Apple.

“Artificial Intelligence will bring about great change in the mobile industry,” Samsung President T.M. Roh said as he kicked off an event in a sports center in the Silicon Valley city of San Jose, California.

Mobile devices will become the primary access points for AI, with Samsung aiming to be a leader on that path, Roh added.

The premium S24 Ultra unveiled at the event was said to have the capability to translate foreign language phone calls and texts while they were taking place.

A Samsung executive likened it to having an interpreter taking part in multilingual phone calls.

Available in 13 languages, the on-device function is powered by Samsung’s own AI technology.

Through a partnership with Google, which makes the smartphone’s Android operating system, the S24 also offers an unprecedented search function.

This, also using AI, functions by allowing users to simply circle a phrase or image they want to search.

The feature eliminates the need to juggle between apps for searches with meddlesome cut and pasting, the company said.

Messaging and car system features such as navigation were also augmented with AI to either recommend responses or tend to tasks while letting drivers focus on roads.

AI also strengthens the phone’s camera powers, with generative AI helping to fill in or remove backgrounds.

These AI features are powered both from the cloud or from the phone itself and several use Google’s Gemini foundational model that also powers the search engine giant’s Bard chatbot.

Similar AI features are widely rumored to be part of the next iPhone 16, probably to be released later this year.

Much like Apple’s already released iPhone 15, Samsung’s S24 comes with a titanium frame, which the company said allowed for better durability.

The Galaxy S24 series will begin shipping on January 31 with the top of line Ultra starting at $1,299.

The S24 came out just days after industry data showed that Apple’s iPhone for the first time became the world’s biggest selling smartphone after Samsung’s 12-year run as leader.

According to the International Data Corporation, the iPhone stole Samsung’s crown in 2023 with 234.6 million units sold, compared to the South Korean firm’s 226.6 million units.

Samsung also teased a smart ring at the end of the event, providing a glimpse on screen but giving no details.

LOS ANGELES — Damien Chazelle’s “Whiplash” has been named the greatest movie to ever premiere at Sundance, as the influential US indie movie festival prepares to celebrate its 40th edition this week.

The intense drama about a jazz drumming student and his bullying teacher was ranked the best of roughly 4,000 feature films ever presented at the Utah-based fest, which champions new and independent movies from upcoming directors, in a survey released on Tuesday.

It fended off the likes of Quentin Tarantino’s debut movie “Reservoir Dogs”, which finished second, and Jordan Peele’s “Get Out”, ranked third in a poll voted on by more than 500 festival-linked filmmakers, critics and dealmakers.

Rounding out the poll’s top five were “Little Miss Sunshine”, in fourth, and Christopher Nolan’s “Memento”, ranked fifth.

Co-founded by Robert Redford and held in wintry sub-zero temperatures at an altitude of 2,150 metres, Sundance is a key launching pad for the careers of many of the industry’s leading filmmakers.

“Whiplash”, which opened the 2014 Sundance festival — where it won top audience and jury awards — went on to win three Oscars, including best supporting actor for J.K. Simmons.

Chazelle went on to become the youngest ever winner of the Academy Award for best director with his next movie, 2016’s “La La Land”, and has since directed “First Man” and “Babylon”.

Two Richard Linklater movies made the Sundance top 10 — “Boyhood” and “Before Sunrise” — along with Alfonso Cuaron’s “Y Tu Mama Tambien” and the Coen brothers’ first feature film “Blood Simple”.

Both Linklater and Soderbergh have new projects debuting at this year’s festival.

The 2024 Sundance Film Festival runs from Thursday until January 28 in Park City and Salt Lake City, with some movies available online in the United States over its final weekend.

Stars due to attend to promote their new films include Kristen Stewart, Steven Yeun, Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin and Saoirse Ronan.

Launched in 2019 as the ragtop variant of the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, the Volante — or convertible in Aston-speak — beautifully interprets its fixed-head coupe sister’s ability to walk a fine line between indulgent grand tourer and all-out supercar. 

If somewhat heavier at 1,863kg, owing to body reinforcement to make up for the loss of a roof, the Volante nevertheless returns similarly impressive performance figures, but also arguably ups the ante in terms of style and desirability with its elegantly uncomplicated but viscerally-charged open air take on the DBS design.

Seductively swooping yet radiating a palpably predatory in it athletic urgency, the Volante — like its Coupe sister — avoids outright brutish aggression in its design. It instead reconciles sensual Coke-bottle hips with a vast hungry mesh grille and other telltale performance and aerodynamic details including sharp sills, air dam, deep front intakes, side ports, bonnet extraction vent and air splitter. Its pert, jutting deck meanwhile perfectly complements its snouty bonnet.

The Volante also retains effective airflow management, and can generate a similarly impressive 177kg of downforce at its 340km/h top speed.

Explosively epic

Positioned low and far back under its salaciously long and curvy bonnet to ensure a low centre of gravity, the Superleggera’s engine is counterbalanced by a rear-mid mounted 8-speed automatic transaxle gearbox to achieve ideal 50:50 within wheelbase weight distribution. 

A highly tuned version of Aston Martin’s 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine, the DBS’s gloriously ample power plant develops an explosively epic 715BHP at 6,500rom and 663lb/ft torque throughout a broad and easily accessible 1,800-5,000rpm mid-range for effortlessly muscular on the move versatility and overtaking ability.

Rocketing through the 0-100km/h benchmark in 3.6-seconds and 0-161km/h in 6.7-seconds, the Superleggera also incorporates a comparatively short and aggressive 2.93:1 final drive ratio for enhanced off the line responsiveness. Progressively urgent in accumulating power, the DBS’ peaky output is underwritten by an indefatigably deep and forcefully flexible torque reserve. 

Ferocious in delivery yet velvety smooth in operation, the Superleggera’s engine even feels similar to a naturally-aspirated one in how its twin-turbos swiftly spool up and how seamlessly it wells up to its full boost potential.

Vocal and visceral

With a broad acoustic medley that starts with a bass-heavy idle to a thundering mid-range and urgently screaming rise to its redline, the scintillating V12 soundtrack pumping through the Superleggera’s quad exhaust ports becomes even more potently vocal in Sport+ driving mode. 

Smooth yet responsive in default mode, its automatic transaxle gearbox similarly adopts a more immediate, succinct and aggressive shift pattern when selecting sportier driving modes. 

One can meanwhile opt for a more interactive manual mode, with cog changes executed through fixed steering column-mounted paddle shifters.

Riding on front double wishbone and rear multilink adaptive suspension the DBS is every bit the settled and reassuringly planted and comfortable continent-shrinking grand tourer that is expected on an Aston. It is however far more than a high speed express, but is a sportingly focused supercar. 

With direct, well-weighted and quick 2.27-turn steering that is precise and feelsome, but not fidgety, the Superleggera turns in with immediacy and taut body control.  

Agile and balanced, it delivers intuitively exacting reactions and movements, but is resilient to unprovoked understeer and oversteer.

Connected and committed

A reassuring and connected drive, the Superleggera manages its massive power through effective but unintrusive electronic stability and traction, and brake-based torque vectoring systems, and a limited-slip rear differential for enhanced agility. 

Taut and nimble with precise reflexes, the Superleggera also inspires confidence with its intuitive handling and cornering commitment, and a level of road-holding above many similar cars’ grip levels. 

Its ride is meanwhile settled and buttoned down yet smooth and forgiving in default mode, but becomes firm and more focused in Sport and Sport+ modes.

Shrinking around the driver with its intuitive and involving characteristics and good front visibility, the Superleggera is easily placed through corners, while its blind spot warning and cameras provide confidence in confined spaces. With high quality leathers, materials and textures, and extensive comfort, safety and infotainment features, it has an extravagantly sporty ambiance with a supportively comfortable driving position and small occasional use rear seats for added practicality. 

Rising in 16-seconds for a refined cabin environment, the DBS’ roof meanwhile lowers in just 14-second for a visceral al fresco experience.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Engine: 5.2-litre, twin-turbocharged V12-cylinders
• Compression ratio: 9.3:1
• Valve-train: 48-valve, DOHC
• Gearbox: rear-mounted 8-speed automatic
• Drive-line: Rear-wheel-drive, limited-slip differential
• Final drive: 2.93:1
• Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 715 (725) [533] @6,500rpm
• Specific power: 137.4BHP/litre
• Power-to-weight: 383.8BHP/tonne
• Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 663 (900) @1,800-5,000rpm
• Specific torque: 172.9Nm/litre
• Torque-to-weight: 483Nm/tonne
• 0-100km/h: 3.6-seconds
• 0-161km/h: 6.7-seconds
• Top speed: 340km/h
• Fuel consumption, combined: 14-litres/100km
• Length: 4,715mm
• Width: 1,970mm
• Height: 1,295mm
• Wheelbase: 2,805mm
• Ground clearance: 90mm
• Overhang, F/R: 915/995mm
• Track, F/R: 1,665/1,645mm
• Approach  / departure angles: 9.5° / 13°
• Dry weight: 1,863kg
• Weight distribution, F/R: 50% / 50%
• Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion
• Steering ratio: 13.09:1
• Lock-to-lock: 2.27-turns
• Turning circle: 12.3-metres
• Suspension: Double wishbones / multilink, adaptive dampers
• Brakes, F/R: Ventilated ceramic discs 410mm/360mm
• Brake calipers, F/R: 6-/4-piston calipers
• Tyres, F/R: 265/35ZR21 / 305/30ZR21

By Tara Ensour,
Nutritionist 

There are millions of natural bacteria in the gut. These microscopic organisms play a crucial part

in our health. Probiotics are good bacteria that boost the collection of millions of beneficial microorganisms that live in our gut.

The gut has a pre-existing pool of microorganisms known as the gut flora. These are mainly bacteria but can also include viruses and fungi. The gut flora has many metabolic activities and has been linked to multiple health functions. On the other hand, an unbalanced gut flora can cause numerous diseases and unpleasant symptoms. Probiotics have multiple benefits and play a big role in your overall health.

1.Mental health New research has shown that probiotics can improve your mental health and an imbalance in the gut microflora can be linked to depression.

2. Immunity A diverse gut microbiome has also been linked to immunity benefits.

3. Digestion Probiotics play a role in digestive health as well. They aid digestion, help reduce constipation and can help irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients control certain symptoms, like bloating.

Did you know?

A mother’s food intake during pregnancy can influence a baby’s microbiome.

Moreover, a baby that is breastfed will get probiotics from its mother’s milk. Nowadays,  many milk formulae are supplemented with probiotics to ensure that formula-fed babies benefit from similar health benefits.

There are so many probiotic products on the market, all claiming major health benefits. But remember that not all probiotics are created equal. Different   probiotics have been linked to help with different illnesses. This is why choosing the right probiotic is important. If unsure, liaise closely with your healthcare professional to help you decide which probiotic strain is best to use to address your condition.

Probiotics are found in our food. Popular food sources of probiotics include yoghurt and fermented food like kimchi and kefir. Even though probiotics can be obtained through food, probiotic supplements are a popular way of increasing them.

Supplements may have one or multiple strains of beneficial bacteria, either alive or heat-killed. With that said, probiotic supplements are not necessary if your diet includes them. Seek professional advice before starting a supplement, to ensure that using it is right for you and to find the one best suited for your needs.

Remember

Do not confuse probiotics with prebiotics, as they are not the same thing! While we already acknowledged that probioitcs are live microorganisms, prebiotics are non-digestible dietary fibres. They act as the fuel that probiotics feed on to grow. Prebiotic sources include garlic, wholegrain cereals, bananas, and legumes.

Can probiotics affect weight?

The two main groups of bacteria found in your gut are known as Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. A balance between the two is essential for retaining health.

The food you eat is the main influencer of your gut microbiome. If your diet consists of a lot of processed food high in sugar and fat, this increases firmicutes. A higher ratio of firmicutes has been linked to heavier weight, with higher numbers of this bacteria found in patients who suffer from overweight or obesity.

The introduction of the proper probiotics can restore the firmicutes/bacteroidetes balance,  which can reduce weight gain. However, different probiotics exert different effects on the firmicutes/bacteroidetes ratio,  and it cannot be generalised that all probiotics can help control weight.

Did you know?

Products that contain prebiotics as well as probiotics are known as synbiotics.

These products contain the beneficial bacteria and the food for the bacteria to feed on.

They are most commonly available in the form of supplements.

Tara’s top tip

There are so many probiotic products on the markt, all claiming major health benefits. But remember that not all probiotics are created equal. Different probiotics have been linked to help with different illnesses. This is why choosing the right probiotic is important. If unsure, liaise closely with your healthcare professional to help you decide which probiotic strain is best to use to address your condition.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine.

MILAN — Black flowed once again down the runway for Dolce & Gabbana’s men’s show in Milan on Saturday, in an homage to both meticulous tailoring and noble Italian materials and heritage.

“It’s important to tell the story of genuine elegance of hand-made, of sartorial art -- they are facts, not words,” Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana said at the Metropol, a former cinema that is now the house’s headquarters.

Among the front-row guests were Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez, whose son Nikko Gonzalez was one of the models.

A far cry from former elaborate presentations with explosions of colours, this show was stripped down to a monochrome runway punctuated by a single raised platform which the models ascended and descended by stairs.

It was all about riffs on the classics -- deep black tuxedos adorned with silk Lavalliere ties, or creamy white versions with jackets cut short to reveal perfectly pleated cummerbunds.

Several razor-sharp jackets and billowing shirts favoured plunging necklines, others gave up on sleeves entirely.

Other modern twists included sheer lace shirts or knee-high patent leather boots, with many of the designs topped off with the house’s signature gavroche caps.

“Today, everything comes from the art of tailoring, but there is good wine and there is cheap wine. For us, it’s important to distinguish the quality,” the designers said.

“Young people are turning to this style, they are looking for elegant clothes,” added the duo, who just a few years ago created a menswear collection aimed squarely at generation TikTok that embraced the screaming colours of street style.

“If you want the next generation to be better than us, you have to give them a beautiful film, a beautiful story.”

Fendi in bucolic mode 

Another highly anticipated show was Fendi’s.

The clothing played on the contrast between the peace of pastoral life and the fast pace of the city, with models switching between outdoor wear and city outfits.

Designer Silvia Venturini Fendi was largely inspired by the British countryside for her collection, which is both vintage and sophisticated.

Breaking codes, the men wore checked skirts or long pleated shorts resembling kilts, along with hiking socks and leather Wellington boots.

As Fendi has repeatedly argued, the boundaries between men’s and women’s wardrobes are blurring.

Velvet pants and wool cardigans were on display alongside fisherman coats, bomber jackets and waterproof jackets.

On the city side, shiny satin and lurex brightened up evening outfits.

MILAN — Italian luxury fashion house Gucci opens Men’s Fashion Week in Milan on Friday with the much anticipated first men’s collection by new artistic director Sabato De Sarno.

The autumn/winter 2024-25 programme, which runs until Tuesday, also marks the return of Fendi, which chose last June to present its men’s collection in its new leather workshops near Florence.

De Sarno, who spent 14 years at Valentino after stints at Prada and Dolce & Gabbana, took over at Gucci in January 2023.

He was brought in by French owners Kering to help relaunch the iconic but struggling luxury brand.

De Sarno’s first women’s collection in September in Milan was marked by timeless elegance, confirming the break with former star designer Alessandro Michele, who was known for his eccentric designs and off-beat shows.

The collection has only been on sale since the beginning of 2024 but Gucci — which represents more than half of Kering’s sales — saw its revenue fall 13 per cent in the third quarter of 2023, in a slowing luxury market.

“The Gucci brand is in a transition phase,” said Luca Solca, analyst at Bernstein.

“The creative reinvention under Alessandro Michele brought great results but after a while, as with everything, it got tired.”

“Today, Gucci must find a new energy and new ideas to excite customers,” he told AFP — adding that in his opinion, the classic look of De Sarno’s first women’s line was not enough, particularly for Chinese buyers.

Younger audience 

“Gucci works when it’s over the top,” he said, pointing to previous collections under Tom Ford and Michele, whose designs reached out to a younger and more diverse audience.

The brand was also hit last November by its first ever strike.

Around 40 artisans from Gucci’s design studio downed tools for four hours, saying plans to move much of the team from Rome to Milan was a “mass redundancy in disguise”.

A trade union representative, Chiara Giannotti, told AFP that no collective agreement had been reached since the walk-out but said production had not been affected by the dispute.

Armani, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi are among the other big names showing their men’s collections in Milan, although Valentino is returning to showing in Paris.

Men’s fashion has for a long time been in the shadow of the women’s collections but Solca said this was changing as big names paid more attention.

After a strong rebound from the difficulties sparked by the coronavirus pandemic, with growth of 20.3 per cent in 2022, the Italian men’s fashion industry recorded more modest growth of 4.9 per cent in 2023.

Turnover in the wider Italian fashion sector rose by 4 per cent last year but performance was uneven, with strong growth in the first quarter falling away as geopolitical tensions rose later in the year.

“These are not years of frenetic growth but at this moment it is important to hold on and we are holding on,” said Carlo Capasa, head of the Italian chamber of fashion.

LAS VEGAS — CES, the annual high tech gadget extravaganza in Las Vegas, again delivers its wave of new inventions and cutting edge technology with artificial intelligence this year’s unavoidable buzzword.

Here’s a look at some selected examples shown to the media, ahead of the official opening on Tuesday.

Mirror, mirror on the wall... 

...who’s the healthiest of them all?

Called “MagicMirror”, NuraLogix’s connected mirror scanned the face of the company’s marketing executive Lindsay Brennan determining in a matter of seconds her body mass index, blood pressure and even her “mental stress index”, calculated from heart rate.

“You can see for me I’m a bit high, I’m almost in the yellow zone,” said Brennan, pointing to the indicator displayed on the mirror.

“That’s because of the show,” she joked.

NuraLogix claims that thanks to its optical technology and artificial intelligence software, its mirror can assess risks of diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

“This actually started out of the University of Toronto when they were researching lie detection in children,” she said.

“They learned that when you get excited or your blood pressure is high, the blood flow actually changes in your face and you can actually capture these patterns using any conventional camera.

Intended to be used in a doctor’s waiting room or pharmacies, the mirror is expected to cost under $7,000.

NuraLogix also plans to market the software separately.

Implant to walk again 

If all goes according to plan, Wimagine, the brain implant designed by France’s Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), should enable paralysed people to walk again.

Equipped with electrodes, this brain-to-machine interface is installed in direct contact with the motor cortex, which controls voluntary movement of a paraplegic or tetraplegic patient.

In a first case, the data collected by the implant is transferred wirelessly to a connector attached to the spinal cord, below the paralysed lesion.

All the patient has to do is think about walking, and the information is transferred to the connector and then to the legs.

“It’s a digital bridge,” Guillaume Charvet, head of the CEA research programme, told AFP.

In the second case, the implant communicates with an exoskeleton or purpose-built skeleton that performs the gestures commanded by the patient.

With a connector placed on the forearm, it can, for example, be used to grasp an object with the hand.

“A clinical trial is about to begin,” said Charvet, stressing that five to ten years of research are still needed. But patient volunteers have already been involved for several years. “The aim is for it to be in the same price range as a pacemaker,” he added.

‘Rock my baby’ 

“We’re the first electric stroller with all the AI features for comfort and safety,” said Gluxkind engineer Jeffrey To.

The AI-powered stroller is supposed to make parents’ complicated lives easier, like a co-pilot, he explained.

The electric assistance makes it possible to climb hills without breaking a sweat, and the brakes engage automatically “so there’s never a chance of a runaway stroller”, To said.

“It recognises humans, pets, scooters, bikes, vehicles that might not be stopping and gives an extra warning so that sleep deprived parents essentially have driver assist on a daily basis,” added Kevin Huang, co-founder of the Canadian company.

When the parent activates the “Rock my baby” function, the stroller performs a regular back-and-forth motion to help the child fall asleep.

“There are also built-in speakers that can read stories, play music or white noise,” said To.

Gluxkind hopes to start production next spring priced at around $2,400.

LOS ANGELES — The Golden Globes bounced back from years of scandal and dwindling audiences to draw 9.4 million viewers, preliminary figures showed on Monday, even as the gala’s flailing host was savaged by critics.

The ratings represented a marked improvement for the Globes, a Hollywood film and television awards show that once ranked second only to the Oscars, but has been in crisis — and even nearly ceased to exist — in recent years.

Last year, television ratings for the event had slumped to a new low of just 6.3 million viewers, after being bumped to an unhelpful on Tuesday evening slot.

A year earlier, the gala was not even aired, when former broadcaster NBC pulled the plug due to outrage over the lack of diversity and ethical lapses of the group of journalists that previously organised the awards.

The Globes relaunched this year under new private ownership, led by US billionaire Todd Boehly, with the telecast moved to CBS and restored to its Sunday night spot.

According to trade reports, CBS agreed to broadcast the show for a discounted price on a one-year basis, making the 50 per cent ratings bump for this year’s show potentially vital to the Globes’ future.

But despite the bounce, the gala’s ratings remain way down from 2020, when more than 18 million tuned in.

And comedian Jo Koy, who was brought in last-minute to host the event after several bigger names declined the role, was panned by critics.

Koy’s opening monologue fell flat, causing him to protest that he only “got the gig 10 days ago”, and to blame the show’s writers for many of his ill-received jabs.

A crude joke about the breasts of Barbie dolls was met with silence — as was another comparing Bradley Cooper’s large prosthetic nose in “Maestro” to a penis.

The New York Times dubbed the opening monologue “a highlight reel of mortifying moments,” while Vanity Fair called it a “horrid, sophomoric mishmash of lazy jokes”.

Perhaps the night’s most meme-worthy moment came later as Koy cracked a joke about Taylor Swift, who is regularly featured on NFL telecasts as she cheers on her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce.

“The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? On the Golden Globes, fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift,” said Koy, before the camera cut to the world’s biggest pop star, who stared coldly as she sipped her drink.

Still, Sunday’s gala was boosted by key wins for Christopher Nolan’s $950 million-grossing blockbuster “Oppenheimer”, including best drama, and a historic triumph for Native American actress Lily Gladstone in “Killers of the Flower Moon”.

“Past Lives”, a surreal fantasy reminiscent of Frankenstein starring Emma Stone, bested “Barbie” to win best comedy.