The Weekly Authority newsletter
Catch up on the week's top tech news right here, from new Galaxy A series phones to Netflix's sharing crackdown.
 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

Weekly Authority: View in browser

Weekly Authority

By Paula Beaton, Mar 20, 2022

 

Welcome to Android Authority!

You are now signed up to receive daily, weekly, and monthly newsletters covering the hottest tech, curated by the Android Authority team to keep you in the know!

If you'd like to see all of our offerings, or adjust how many emails you are receiving, please visit your email preferences page to take control of your inbox.

(Hint: If you are a long-time reader and still seeing this message in every email, please allow our images in your email client.)



⚡ Welcome to The Weekly Authority, the Android Authority newsletter that breaks down the top Android and tech news from the week. The 186th edition here, with Samsung’s new A series phones, Xiaomi 12 first impressions, and that Netflix sharing crackdown…

🦕 I’m now many, many hours into Horizon Forbidden West and showing no signs of coming up for air — could somebody bring me snacks? It’s that good.

Popular news this week

Galaxy A53 A33 Infographic Thumb1000

Samsung:

Google:

Xiaomi

  • Xiaomi 12, 12 Pro, and 12X launched globally on Tuesday, but no Ultra phone (likely later this year): A Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip for both the 12 and 12 Pro, with a new Sony IMX707 main sensor for the Pro, plus faster charging compared to last year’s Mi 11 Ultra (and fast chargers in the box!). No IP rating, though, no autofocus on the ultrawide, and only a 2x telephoto lens.
  • Xiaomi Watch S1 (and S1 Active) also launched this week, available throughout Europe this month.
  • Yet another Xiaomi launch: The Redmi K50 and K50 Pro, with two Mediatek Dimensity flagship SoCs with QHD+ displays, sizeable batteries, and fast wired charging: China-only for now but could launch globally as rebranded devices sometime in the future.

OnePlus:

  • OnePlus Nord 3 specs leak: Another rebrand could be on the cards, as specs look very similar to previously leaked Realme GT Neo 3 specs.

Apple:

Space:

Elsewhere:

Movies/TV:

Netflix logo on a phone with popcorn on the table around it

Gaming:

Reviews

galaxy z flip 3 rear angle

Features

Xiaomi 12 series camera module left profile

Weekly Wonder

wall clocks

With the news that Daylight Saving Time (DST) could become permanent, we’re taking a dive into the history books this week with the inventor of DST, plus some facts you (probably) never knew…

Who invented Daylight Saving Time?

Many credit Benjamin Franklin as being the brain behind the idea of Daylight Saving Time. While it’s true that he did write a satirical essay on the topic in 1784, he didn’t actually suggest DST, either as a joke or a serious idea. Instead, the first person to propose the idea was actually an entomologist (an insect biology specialist) in New Zealand, in 1895.

  • George Vernon Hudson worked a day job at the Wellington Post Office.
  • Hudson found he didn’t have enough daylight hours after work to collect insects for his studies.
  • If clocks were advanced two hours in summer and shifted back in the winter (when he wouldn’t be hunting for bugs), he figured that might solve the problem.
  • He proposed a two-hour Daylight Saving Time for New Zealand, arguing that the benefits to the population were many:
  • The effect of this alteration would be to advance all the day’s operations in summer two hours compared with the present system. In this way, the early-morning daylight would be utilized, and a long period of daylight leisure would be made available in the evening for cricket, gardening, cycling, or any other outdoor pursuit desired.”

When the idea was first presented to the Royal Society of New Zealand, Hudson was openly mocked, and many thought the proposal unnecessary and confusing. With time, attitudes changed and his idea was adopted by many nations, including New Zealand in 1927.

The Waste of Daylight

Some years later, William Willett proposed his own idea for a scheme that would see clocks altered by a more modest 20 minutes.

  • Willett was a keen golfer who despaired at having his evening round of golf cut short by the encroaching dark.
  • Willett wrote a pamphlet called “The Waste of Daylight.
  • He wrote: “Standard time remains so fixed, that for nearly half the year the sun shines upon the land, for several hours a day, while we are asleep. And is rapidly nearing the horizon, having already passed its western limit, when we reach home after the work of the day is over.
  • He had a point!
  • The British parliament considered Willett’s proposal in 1908, but the bill was never passed, though Willet lobbied for it for the rest of his life.

A few more facts

Did you know that Austria and Germany were the first two countries to adopt Daylight Saving Time?

  • This happened in 1916 as a wartime measure to conserve energy, with many other countries in Europe following later.
  • The UK adopted DST in May 1916, the US in 1918.
  • In 1919, following the end of the war, Woodrow Wilson put an end to DST in the US.
  • It wasn’t until 1942 that DST was brought back to the US, then known as “War Time,” and it has stuck around for most of the country ever since.

Daylight Saving Time was standardized by Congress in 1966, when the Uniform Time Act was passed. Prior to this, DST started and ended on different dates across various US cities and states, causing chaos. This Act didn’t make DST mandatory though, so states that didn’t wish to implement it, like Alaska and Arizona, weren’t forced to.

Fast forward to today

Today, 127 years after Hudson first proposed his idea for Daylight Saving Time, it’s in effect in 70 countries worldwide.

If current legislation proceeds, Americans may no longer have to change their clocks twice a year. According to some, that could be good news for our health as we’ll (supposedly) stick to the same sleep schedule every night. When we shift our clocks forward one hour in spring, that hour of sleep is lost for many of us, and we start feeling jet-lagged and out of sync. Then there are those who believe permanent DST would be bad for our health.

Whether you’re in support of the proposal or not, bear this in mind. In the 1970s, there was a period where daylight saving time was permanent for 16 months. A poll revealed only 30% of Americans approved.

Tech Calendar

  • March 23: Nothing event with Carl Pei keynote.
  • March 24: Halo TV show lands on Paramount Plus
  • March 25: Ghostwire Tokyo released for PS5/PC
  • By end of March: OnePlus 10 Pro global launch
  • April 1: Galaxy A53 on sale (T-Mobile and Verizon from March 31)
  • May 11-12: Google I/O 2022

Tech Tweet of the Week

Something extra: From The HustleThis site lets you experience the Apollo 11 moon landing from the perspective of the crew and Mission Control.

Have a great week!

Paula Beaton, Copy Editor


In addition to the daily news, we dive deep into the world of technology, including analysis of the industry, reviews of Android phones, headphones, drones, and more.


tw   ig   fb   yt
Delivered to: example@example.com   |   Email Preferences   |   Unsubscribe
Copyright © 2022 Authority Media. | Privacy Policy | About us
2810 N Church St Wilmington, DE 19802