Book bans are right up there with censorship, the desecration of cultural artifacts and the whitewashing of history, all of which Florida now does routinely in the name of development and white nationalist purity. But I admit: I had a lot of fun reading over at least parts of the list of 1,600 books the Escambia County school system has removed from shelves, supposedly to review and potentially ban.
Librarians review books as a matter of course. They are professionals trained in the art of calibrating the right books to the right school audiences. So there’s nothing wrong with reviewing books along those lines. The problem is that those books have already gone through that process. Most have been on the shelves for years. Many are classics, some are dictionaries–dictionaries–and one of them is the Guinness Book of World Records.
I don’t know what could possibly be objectionable in the Guinness book. Maybe the pitchforks of Escambia thought the book encourages children to drink dark beer. Apparently the book does give some attention to animal species, not human unfortunately, that can copulate “more than 50 times in the same three to four hours, all with the same female,” or female chimpanzees copulating with eight different males in 15 minutes. But I’m not sure how that’s sexually explicit. To me it reads more like the set up to one of those brain-twisting math questions on the SAT.
Among the less esoteric rejections, we see titles by Walt Whitman, Sandra Day O’Connor Thurgood Marshall, just about every book by Maya Angelou, even though that famous passage of her getting raped when she was 9, inI Know Why the Cage Bird Sings, is all of two lines, rendered in metaphor: “Then there was the pain. A breaking and entering when even the senses are torn apart.” And that’s it.
Many titles that have been making headlines for the past two years are on an earlier Escambia list that led toa federal lawsuit. But that’s old news. Silencing Ann Frank’sDiaryisn’t. Now we’re into not just censorship, but the erasure of people and memories, the erasure of man’s inhumanity toward particular people and races, as is the case with the removal of books by William Faulkner, Alice Walker and Toni Morison.
By the time you find that two books by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the greatest storyteller of the last century, have been removed, it’s no longer surprising that theEncyclopedia of World Costumesis also on the ban list. No doubt, Escambia schools think that children could become gay by spending time looking at frou frous. It’s absurd enough forRipley’s Believe It or Not, except that that title is banned in Escambia, too.
You can argue that book bans in the age of Amazon, Google and universal libraries are irrelevant. To some extent that’s true. Those of us with means can acquire any book we please, often overnight. But books aren’t cheap, and the days of online bargains are pretty much over. Besides: Americans don’t read much anymore and don’t even know what their childrenshouldread. So for a big segment of our school population, school libraries are it. Students either get their books there, or they don’t get them. Their cultural literacy is disproportionately at the mercy of what librarians put on shelves–what librarians areallowedto put on shelves.
Most reading discoveries are by browsing–the serendipity of finding a great book, discovering a writer who seems to speak to you personally, a story that makes you feel less alone, less of the freak everyone else makes you think you are, more of the human being that you have always been but are afraid to acknowledge. Those are the books that can make a life-changing–a life-affirming–difference in children’s lives. Those are the books that are being removed.
A few people who call themselves parents but are really frustrated bullies who want everyone else to lead the miserable lives they do, at least when they’re not engaging in threesomes, have successfully made black holes of Florida’s school and classroom libraries and further marginalized slews of children whose one solace might have been that one book.
It may not have been any one of the 23 Stephen King books banned, or the Grisham and Crichton and Koontz and maybe even the Picoults books that are literature’s equivalent of that gluey orange sauce McDonalds slathers on its burger imitations. But who are we to say what strikes a chord with a child’s imagination, what speaks to a child’s sense of wonder and self-discovery? Right now in Florida we may no longer ask the question. The bans have it. The rest is irrelevant.
Orange County Public Schoolsspent $400,000 in tax dollars in overtime pay to media specialists to draw up their own list of nearly 700 titles now found unacceptable (including Milton’s Paradise Lostand the one regained, Saul Bellow’s Herzog, and of course Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, now a metaphor for public schools, but also, thank heavens, Ayn Rand’s Fountainhead: no one will miss her felony-worthy prose).Public money, spent to silence history and deny students literary fun or discovery on the bogus, never-tested assumption that these books harm their readers.
Flagler County went through its own round of deshelving libraries, though it’s done so in more pernicious ways. We don’t really know how many books have been banned because most have been “weeded.” That’s a deceptive term that pretends that removing a book because it’s not read as much or may have been bought by mistake is not book-banning. It is. Teachers and librarians would rather err on the side of caution, otherwise they’d get sued or fired. So you can be certain that whatever happened in Escambia is happening in Flagler and across the state.
And that’s what they call Free Florida.
Pierre Tristam is the editor of FlaglerLive. A version of this piece airs on WNZF.
Whether you’re in a business meeting, traveling abroad or making a restaurant reservation, communication is key. On January 17, when Samsung Electronics released its latest lineup of Galaxy products powered by Galaxy AI, the company also unveiled a personal interpreter right in your pocket. With the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s Live Translate feature, talking to anyone on the phone in another language is suddenly easier — no matter what kind of device the other person is using.
Samsung Newsroom put the Live Translate feature to the test with a call to a local modern Italian-American restaurant in downtown San Jose, California. Here’s the firsthand experience and how this innovation is breaking down language barriers and transforming the way users communicate.
Live Translate: Connect With People, Places and Cultures Any Time, in Any Language
To make the reservation, a Korean editor from Samsung Newsroom first pressed the Live Translate button on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, then dialed the number. Once she connected with a restaurant employee, an automated message announced, “Hello. This call is being translated and live captioned.”
▲ Samsung Newsroom called the restaurant using Live Translate to make a reservation.
“Hello, how may I help you?” replied a restaurant hostess on the other line. The Newsroom editor responded in Korean, “Hello! I’d like to make a reservation for this Thursday at 1:30 PM.” After pausing to listen to the translation, the restaurant asked for the total number of people. The editor continued in Korean, “Six. Can I make a reservation for a window seat?” The Live Translate feature then seamlessly conveyed this message to the restaurant employee in English.
▲ Live Translate feature on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It doesn’t matter who’s on the other line — Galaxy S24 Ultra’s Live Translate feature works with all phone types.
※ GIF speed has been adjusted for better legibility.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s Live Translate feature supports up to 13 languages at launch, providing both audio and onscreen text translations of conversations. It remembers the language used for each person contacted, automatically setting it for future calls. Plus, it also functions seamlessly across all phone types — even a landline. When the Korean editor first tried it out, she was amazed at how immediately the language barrier disappeared.
On the day of the reservation, Samsung Newsroom visited the restaurant to sit down with the restaurant’s general manager, Drianna Cardarelli, and asked about her thoughts on Live Translate for the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
▲ Samsung Newsroom snapped picture-perfect photos of their lunch with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
“I think it’s great for hospitality, especially for guests who don’t speak English,” shared Drianna. “I think that it will help a lot of guests feel more comfortable calling the restaurant with questions rather than reaching out to us through email or our online reservation platform.”
She saw Live Translate as a valuable tool for situations when a phone call is simpler than using an online platform, whether it’s for event planning or inquiring about job opportunities. “Sometimes, we have a lot of Spanish-speaking guests,” Drianna explained. “It would be great if they could just bypass asking to talk to someone fluent in Spanish. They can avoid having any issues at all — language barriers, gone.”
▲ Samsung Newsroom snapped picture-perfect photos of their lunch with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Live Translate is one of the many features of the Galaxy S24 Ultra powered by on-device AI, which keeps phone calls private and secure. What’s more, this on-device AI processes calls quickly, even compared to the online version.
Galaxy AI is expanding possibilities for Galaxy users, empowering them to connect and create in new ways. Live Translate for the Galaxy S24 Ultra is helping break down boundaries to help everyone communicate seamlessly in other languages. Stay tuned to Samsung Newsroom for more updates on how Samsung is ushering in a new era of mobile AI.
Two days ago, Samsung unveiled several new AI-powered features for the Galaxy S24 series. Most of these features are powered by powerful NPUs inside the Exynos 2400 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 For Galaxy processors inside those phones. Some of those features include real-time language translation during voice calls and messages.
While the company showcased language translation for text messages via the built-in Messages app, it looks like it also works with WhatsApp.
Galaxy AI's language translation feature on Galaxy S24 also works with WhatsApp
The real-time language translation feature from the Galaxy AI suite also appears to be working on WhatsApp (via @sondesix), which is a third-party messaging app. As you can see in the image above, messages in Korean are being translated into English and vice versa. It isn't clear if WhatsApp has implemented the live language translation for the Galaxy S24 or if the feature works on all the messaging apps.
Samsung said that language translation can work in real-time on-device (without the need for an active internet connection) on the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. And the speed of language processing seems to be pretty fast from what we've seen during the Galaxy Unpacked event. This feature has also been present on Pixel smartphones for the past year, and it could come to more phones with powerful NPUs onboard.
You can watch all the other AI-powered features in our in-depth One UI 6.1 vs One UI 6.0 video below.
Samsung has announced that some of those AI-powered features could come to existing high-end Galaxy smartphones in the first half of this year. However, the company hasn't revealed which features will be released to existing devices as a part of the One UI 6.1 update.
Our editors independently select the products we recommend. We may earn a commission on items bought through our links.
In Arrival, Amy Adams, a linguist and alien whisperer, says that language is the foundation of a civilization, the glue that holds people together, and the first weapon drawn in a conflict. If you immerse yourself in a language, she tells a pre-Jeremy Renner app Jeremy Renner, you can actually rewire your brain.
Today's Top Deals
It’s the kind of thing you consider after diving into the world of “maxxing,” where, on the other side, all nouns and verbs become things to be maxed, or else things that resist maxing. (As the suffix implies, it deal in extremes – you can both “nutrientmax” and “starvemax,” for instance, but there’s no way to “maxx” having a sensible and well-balanced diet.) Here are a few definitions for Maxxinista literacy:
Looksmaxxing – Dr. Monica Kieu, a California-based plastic surgeon describes “looksmaxxing” on TikTok as “an online trend where people are looking to maximize their looks,” adding that at face value, it “seems pretty benign, because everyone wants to look good.” It can include taking care of your skin and working out, making it the big umbrella term for other “maxxings.”
But it can get extreme, like with the “mewing” craze, which involves pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth to change your jawline. Some people tape their mouths shut, and others are bone smashing, which Kieu calls an “absurd and dangerous trend… you’re literally beating your face with a hammer or some sort of heavy object to somehow reshape your face.”
Gymmaxxing – “It takes years to build a truly chiseled physique. It’s not something that can take a handful of months. You have to put in the work,” one Redditor says – so “gymmaxxing” seems to just be … pulling a Chris Pratt, just without the Marvel personal trainer money. Puts a name to the kind of gym bro mindset that’s existed as long as Planet Fitness has had a rocket to earth, but okay.
Anglemaxxing – Far less extreme than the others can get (albeit, still probably not the healthiest thing, body image-wise), because it’s just about taking photos at the right angle. Tell your parents and their forehead-dense selfies about it.
Skincaremaxxing – Using a dermaroller? Retinol? Sunscreen? Moisturizer? Exactly what it implies … sunscreen’s a good idea for everyone, but you probably don’t need to pay for, say, topical collagen or beaded exfoliants.
Shavemaxxing – Some people are promoting shaving the mug. Imagine broaching that to the Hipster Beard Community ten years ago.
Stylemaxxing – Also kind of self-explanatory, also not nearly as potentially harmful as the other ones related to “looksmaxxing,” unless you refinance your home to buy Tabis or stick up a Nordstrom.
Moneymaxxing – Not so much the pursuit of money, but the belief that having money will free you from inceldom? As opposed to looks?
Exposuremaxxing – “Female founder of Bumble became a billionaire via her dating app but where did she meet the man she married? On her app? NO, on a skiing trip in the Alps,” one X user proselytizes. “Introduced by a mutual friend. Most high impact action still happens IRL. You need to be exposure maxxing in 2024.” It seems to mean… putting yourself out there?
Therapymaxxing – Okay, here’s an unequivocally good one: writer Jeremy Jules advocates for not hiding things from your therapist, so you’re not actually wasting your time in therapy. A+.
Mad Maxx Fury Road – An all timer of a blockbuster!
When I recently called a Korean restaurant to make a reservation, I had no issue communicating with the person on the other end even though she wasn't speaking English. That's because I was trying out the Galaxy S24 Ultra, one of three new phones Samsung announced on Wednesday, which can translate phone calls in real-time.
This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET's collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung's most popular products.
Samsung, like the rest of the tech industry, is enthralled with artificial intelligence at the moment. The Galaxy S24 series is rife with features like the translation example mentioned above that leverage generative AI -- AI that uses large language models to create content or provide conversational (but not always accurate) answers. It's another sign that tech giants are increasingly using AI to distinguish their devices from the pack and get consumers excited about upgrading their mobile devices in what has been a struggling smartphone market.
Read more: Everything Samsung Announced at Its 2024 Unpacked Event
The Galaxy S24 Ultra goes on sale for $1,300 (£1,249, AU$2,199) -- $100 pricier than last year's Galaxy S23 Ultra -- on Jan. 31 alongside the cheaper Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24. All three are available for preorder now.
With the Galaxy S24 series, you'll be able to have the Notes app format or summarize notes for you, circle any image to launch a Google search for that item and rewrite your text messages in a different tone before sending them. Samsung groups all these tools (among others) together under the blanket moniker known as Galaxy AI, and it's available on the Galaxy S24, S4 Plus and S24 Ultra. These features will also come to the Galaxy S23 lineup through an update.
Some of those functions may sound familiar; they're very similar to other generative AI-powered tools we've seen from companies like Google and Microsoft. In fact, Samsung is partnering with Google on the technology behind some of its new AI features, including the ones for rewriting texts, summarizing notes and moving individual objects in photos.
Watch this: Samsung Reveals Its New S24 Series Phones and Their AI Chops
The Galaxy S24 Ultra also gets a sharper new telephoto camera and a titanium build. All three phones also have Qualcomm's latest processor and brighter screens.
I briefly got to check out the Galaxy S24 series ahead of Samsung's announcement, and here are my early impressions of the Ultra.
Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S24 Ultra
Samsung's new Chat Assist feature can translate messages and rewrite messages in a different tone before sending them.
John Kim/CNET
Galaxy AI is the biggest difference between the S24 series and its predecessors, although that won't be the case for long considering these features are coming to the Galaxy S23 lineup. Some of Samsung's Galaxy AI features include:
Chat Assist for changing the tone, translating or spell-checking your text message before sending it.
Live Translate for translating calls in 13 languages during a conversation.
Circle to Search, which lets you launch a Google search for any object in a photo just by circling it.
Note Assist for summarizing, translating and formatting files in Samsung's Notes app and generating digital covers for notes.
Generative Edit, which like Google's Magic Editor lets you manipulate and move objects in photos.
Transcript Assist in Samsung's recording app for providing transcriptions and summarizing conversations.
I tried most of these features on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and they worked easily enough, although I've only tested them in Samsung's controlled demo. Live Translate took a little getting used to, but I was impressed by how easy it was to carry on a conversation with a Korean language speaker once I got the hang of it.
After tapping the number I wanted to call in the S24 Ultra's contact list, I chose the Live Translate option to start the translation. Samsung translated my words into Korean almost instantly after I finished speaking. Once the recipient on the other end had finished her response, Samsung repeated her speech in English. I could see this being helpful while traveling, although I could also imagine it causing some initial confusion for callers and recipients who are unfamiliar with the feature.
Read more: Best Samsung Phones of 2024
Circle to Search is another standout Galaxy AI tool that I can imagine being useful. It's kind of like Google Lens, except you can search for objects in existing photos just by circling them rather than snapping a new photo. Just open the picture, hold the home button, and circle the object you'd like to search for. I circled waffles in a brunch photo in the S24 Ultra's photo gallery, and Google pulled up recommendations for restaurants that serve waffles nearby.
I also snapped a picture of someone's shoes in the demo area and circled them, and Google quickly summoned options to purchase those same shoes. This is a bit easier with the Galaxy S24 Ultra's S Pen, but you can also use Circle to Search on the regular S24 and S24 Plus with your finger.
The new Circle to Search feature being shown on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
John Kim/CNET
Samsung's Notes app can organize text into bullet points and even offers different templates to choose from. Generative Edit, which is a lot like Google's Magic Eraser, makes it possible to move, erase and manipulate individual objects in photos.
During a demo, a Samsung representative traced the area around a skateboarder performing a trick in a photo and moved the skater to make their jump look even higher. Samsung and Google are pitching features like these as being useful for creative purposes by giving anyone the ability to significantly alter photos straight from their phone with no photo editing knowledge. Still, it's hard to ignore the potential for misuse, as my colleague Sareena Dayaram has previously pointed out.
One photography feature I'm excited about in particular is the ability to remove reflections in the edit suggestions section. As someone who photographs screens quite often, I can attest to how difficult it can be to avoid glare and reflections. I could also see this being useful for avid travelers who snap photos through car, bus or train windows on vacation.
Read more: From AI to Mixed Reality, CES 2024 Products Imagine A World Beyond Mobile Apps
Samsung is clearly focusing on productivity first and foremost with the Galaxy S24's AI features, although many of these tools feel familiar rather than new. Galaxy AI has the potential to make accomplishing certain tasks on the S24 family feel more convenient, but it also doesn't bring anything overwhelmingly new to the table. Maybe I'll feel differently after I've spent more time with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Galaxy S24 Ultra specs and design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra comes in four colors, or more if you order from Samsung directly.
John Kim/CNET
The biggest physical change on the Galaxy S24 Ultra compared to its predecessor is its 50-megapixel telephoto camera, which replaces one of the 10-megapixel zoom cameras on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. That means the S24 Ultra offers a 5x optical zoom compared to the S23 Ultra's 10x optical zoom, a decision that Samsung made after it found that many users preferred zooming at 5x rather than 10x. This should hopefully enable crisper zoomed shots, but I'll be able to tell for sure when I've had more time with the device.
Otherwise, the Galaxy S24 Ultra's camera hardware is essentially the same as the Galaxy S23 Ultra's, consisting of a 200-megapixel main camera, a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with a 3x optical zoom (in addition to the new 50-megapixel, 5x telephoto camera) and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra also has a titanium body, slightly slimmer bezels, and a lighter design, although the differences here seem very minimal. Samsung also says it's boosted the screen brightness to 2,600 nits on all three models compared to 1,750 nits on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung's screens were already plenty bright, especially when compared to Google's Pixel phones, so I'm sure they'll be even easier to see in sunlight. Still, they aren't the brightest screen found on a phone in 2024. The OnePlus 12, which launches later this month in the US, will have a 4,500-nit display.
The back of the Galaxy S24 Ultra
John Kim/CNET
All three phones run on Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which isn't a surprise considering Samsung typically puts Qualcomm's latest chip in its flagship US phones. Qualcomm announced the chip in October 2023 and flaunted its ability to run generative AI algorithms on the device. The S24 Ultra also has a larger vapor chamber compared to last year's phone, which Samsung says should keep the device cool while playing demanding games.
Battery size, storage and memory and storage are essentially the same as those in the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
The Galaxy S24 family shows that Samsung, along with other tech giants, is learning about how generative AI can be useful on our phones following ChatGPT's rapid rise. Galaxy AI seems like a promising start, although Samsung may have to do more to make its offerings stand out, especially as Apple is rumored to bring more generative AI-fueled features to the iPhone later this year. Readmore: How to pre-order the Galaxy S23 Ultra
Editors' note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.
Samsung Galaxy S24 series specs vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Titanium frame, 2,600-nit screen; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7
2,600-nit screen; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E
2,600-nit screen; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E
5G (Sub6, mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; 100x Space Zoom; 10x optical zoom; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging
When I recently called a Korean restaurant to make a reservation, I had no issue communicating with the person on the other end even though she wasn't speaking English. That's because I was trying out the Galaxy S24 Ultra, one of three new phones Samsung announced on Wednesday, which can translate phone calls in real-time.
This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET's collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung's most popular products.
Samsung, like the rest of the tech industry, is enthralled with artificial intelligence at the moment. The Galaxy S24 series is rife with features like the translation example mentioned above that leverage generative AI -- AI that uses large language models to create content or provide conversational (but not always accurate) answers. It's another sign that tech giants are increasingly using AI to distinguish their devices from the pack and get consumers excited about upgrading their mobile devices in what has been a struggling smartphone market.
Read more: Everything Samsung Announced at Its 2024 Unpacked Event
The Galaxy S24 Ultra goes on sale for $1,300 (£1,249, AU$2,199) -- $100 pricier than last year's Galaxy S23 Ultra -- on Jan. 31 alongside the cheaper Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24. All three are available for preorder now.
With the Galaxy S24 series, you'll be able to have the Notes app format or summarize notes for you, circle any image to launch a Google search for that item and rewrite your text messages in a different tone before sending them. Samsung groups all these tools (among others) together under the blanket moniker known as Galaxy AI, and it's available on the Galaxy S24, S4 Plus and S24 Ultra. These features will also come to the Galaxy S23 lineup through an update.
Some of those functions may sound familiar; they're very similar to other generative AI-powered tools we've seen from companies like Google and Microsoft. In fact, Samsung is partnering with Google on the technology behind some of its new AI features, including the ones for rewriting texts, summarizing notes and moving individual objects in photos.
Watch this: Samsung Reveals Its New S24 Series Phones and Their AI Chops
The Galaxy S24 Ultra also gets a sharper new telephoto camera and a titanium build. All three phones also have Qualcomm's latest processor and brighter screens.
I briefly got to check out the Galaxy S24 series ahead of Samsung's announcement, and here are my early impressions of the Ultra.
Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S24 Ultra
Samsung's new Chat Assist feature can translate messages and rewrite messages in a different tone before sending them.
John Kim/CNET
Galaxy AI is the biggest difference between the S24 series and its predecessors, although that won't be the case for long considering these features are coming to the Galaxy S23 lineup. Some of Samsung's Galaxy AI features include:
Chat Assist for changing the tone, translating or spell-checking your text message before sending it.
Live Translate for translating calls in 13 languages during a conversation.
Circle to Search, which lets you launch a Google search for any object in a photo just by circling it.
Note Assist for summarizing, translating and formatting files in Samsung's Notes app and generating digital covers for notes.
Generative Edit, which like Google's Magic Editor lets you manipulate and move objects in photos.
Transcript Assist in Samsung's recording app for providing transcriptions and summarizing conversations.
I tried most of these features on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and they worked easily enough, although I've only tested them in Samsung's controlled demo. Live Translate took a little getting used to, but I was impressed by how easy it was to carry on a conversation with a Korean language speaker once I got the hang of it.
After tapping the number I wanted to call in the S24 Ultra's contact list, I chose the Live Translate option to start the translation. Samsung translated my words into Korean almost instantly after I finished speaking. Once the recipient on the other end had finished her response, Samsung repeated her speech in English. I could see this being helpful while traveling, although I could also imagine it causing some initial confusion for callers and recipients who are unfamiliar with the feature.
Read more: Best Samsung Phones of 2024
Circle to Search is another standout Galaxy AI tool that I can imagine being useful. It's kind of like Google Lens, except you can search for objects in existing photos just by circling them rather than snapping a new photo. Just open the picture, hold the home button, and circle the object you'd like to search for. I circled waffles in a brunch photo in the S24 Ultra's photo gallery, and Google pulled up recommendations for restaurants that serve waffles nearby.
I also snapped a picture of someone's shoes in the demo area and circled them, and Google quickly summoned options to purchase those same shoes. This is a bit easier with the Galaxy S24 Ultra's S Pen, but you can also use Circle to Search on the regular S24 and S24 Plus with your finger.
The new Circle to Search feature being shown on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
John Kim/CNET
Samsung's Notes app can organize text into bullet points and even offers different templates to choose from. Generative Edit, which is a lot like Google's Magic Eraser, makes it possible to move, erase and manipulate individual objects in photos.
During a demo, a Samsung representative traced the area around a skateboarder performing a trick in a photo and moved the skater to make their jump look even higher. Samsung and Google are pitching features like these as being useful for creative purposes by giving anyone the ability to significantly alter photos straight from their phone with no photo editing knowledge. Still, it's hard to ignore the potential for misuse, as my colleague Sareena Dayaram has previously pointed out.
One photography feature I'm excited about in particular is the ability to remove reflections in the edit suggestions section. As someone who photographs screens quite often, I can attest to how difficult it can be to avoid glare and reflections. I could also see this being useful for avid travelers who snap photos through car, bus or train windows on vacation.
Read more: From AI to Mixed Reality, CES 2024 Products Imagine A World Beyond Mobile Apps
Samsung is clearly focusing on productivity first and foremost with the Galaxy S24's AI features, although many of these tools feel familiar rather than new. Galaxy AI has the potential to make accomplishing certain tasks on the S24 family feel more convenient, but it also doesn't bring anything overwhelmingly new to the table. Maybe I'll feel differently after I've spent more time with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Galaxy S24 Ultra specs and design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra comes in four colors, or more if you order from Samsung directly.
John Kim/CNET
The biggest physical change on the Galaxy S24 Ultra compared to its predecessor is its 50-megapixel telephoto camera, which replaces one of the 10-megapixel zoom cameras on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. That means the S24 Ultra offers a 5x optical zoom compared to the S23 Ultra's 10x optical zoom, a decision that Samsung made after it found that many users preferred zooming at 5x rather than 10x. This should hopefully enable crisper zoomed shots, but I'll be able to tell for sure when I've had more time with the device.
Otherwise, the Galaxy S24 Ultra's camera hardware is essentially the same as the Galaxy S23 Ultra's, consisting of a 200-megapixel main camera, a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with a 3x optical zoom (in addition to the new 50-megapixel, 5x telephoto camera) and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra also has a titanium body, slightly slimmer bezels, and a lighter design, although the differences here seem very minimal. Samsung also says it's boosted the screen brightness to 2,600 nits on all three models compared to 1,750 nits on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung's screens were already plenty bright, especially when compared to Google's Pixel phones, so I'm sure they'll be even easier to see in sunlight. Still, they aren't the brightest screen found on a phone in 2024. The OnePlus 12, which launches later this month in the US, will have a 4,500-nit display.
The back of the Galaxy S24 Ultra
John Kim/CNET
All three phones run on Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which isn't a surprise considering Samsung typically puts Qualcomm's latest chip in its flagship US phones. Qualcomm announced the chip in October 2023 and flaunted its ability to run generative AI algorithms on the device. The S24 Ultra also has a larger vapor chamber compared to last year's phone, which Samsung says should keep the device cool while playing demanding games.
Battery size, storage and memory and storage are essentially the same as those in the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
The Galaxy S24 family shows that Samsung, along with other tech giants, is learning about how generative AI can be useful on our phones following ChatGPT's rapid rise. Galaxy AI seems like a promising start, although Samsung may have to do more to make its offerings stand out, especially as Apple is rumored to bring more generative AI-fueled features to the iPhone later this year. Readmore: How to pre-order the Galaxy S23 Ultra
Editors' note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.
Samsung Galaxy S24 series specs vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Titanium frame, 2,600-nit screen; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7
2,600-nit screen; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E
2,600-nit screen; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E
5G (Sub6, mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; 100x Space Zoom; 10x optical zoom; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging
A user experiences Galaxy S24 Ultra's "Circle to Search" AI feature co-developed with Google at Times Square in Yeongdeungpo District in western Seoul on Thursday. [NEWS1]
Look for the stars when summoning AI on your Galaxy S24.
A bundle of little stars — sometimes three, sometimes four — will appear on the phone's screen whenever Galaxy AI is ready to intervene, for example, to offer translation or photo editing tools. When the algorithm is processing, these little stars appear again to replace the familiar spinning wheel.
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Samsung Electronics showcased the Galaxy S24 series in Seoul on Thursday and detailed some of its key features, mostly AI-infused, to the Korean press.
The much-anticipated “Live Translation” function for calls wasn't quite “live,” however.
Instead of simultaneous translation, the feature resembled more of a consecutive translation. Both the speaker and the listener have to wait for the counterpart to finish talking to then listen to the AI's translation, hindering a natural flow of the conversation.
Galaxy AI — referring to the package of AI-related experiences available on the Galaxy line — will soon be available on the S23, Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 as well.
Here's what Korea JoongAng Daily found out at the Galaxy S24 demonstration.
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Not totally “live”
Live Translation, currently available for 13 languages, was touted as one of the Galaxy S24's key AI features.
While a user is making a call on the device's native “Call” app, a bundle of three little stars appears on the screen next to “Call Assist” phrase. Touching the phrase pulls up the Live Translation tool and prompts a user to select their target languages.
Touching on the "Call Assist" button with three stars next to it will lead to Live Translation feature. [JIN EUN-SOO]
After Galaxy notifies the user's conversation partner that the call is being translated and live captioned, the conversation begins and translation ensues. The tiki-taka type of quick-paced conversation is not possible with the feature enabled; participants must wait before they can respond to each other. Such a tool could come in handy when making restaurant reservations while traveling, but it would not suit business calls or chats with foreign friends.
What was deemed a real breakthrough, however, was the built-in three-star icon on the Samsung keyboard that offered text-based translations. An additional input bar on top of the keyboard is reserved for texts that need to be translated.
Because the feature is built into the Samsung keyboard, the text translation service is largely available for most third-party apps and for writing emails.
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Tone adjustment: limited to five versions
A user experiences an AI-powered text translation feature on Galaxy S24 in Seocho District in southern Seoul on Thursday. [NEWS1]
Samsung said its Galaxy AI will adjust the tone of text messages, which this reporter thought would be applicable for any type of situation. But the demonstration revealed that tone-adjustment feature is available for only five preset versions: professional, comfortable, social media, polite and emoji-added.
What does seem handy is the “Circle to Search” feature Samsung developed in collaboration with Google.
Circling the object of curiosity in photos or videos will give the user a list of relevant search results on the same window. There is no need to type in multiple vague adjectives to find your way to the product you saw in a YouTube video.
It's a convenient prospect, not only because it instantly initiates a search but also because it understands the context. After asking for the name of the apartment building shown in a certain photo, the user can follow up with “How much is it?” or “Why is this apartment so expensive?”
A user experiences an AI-powered photo editing tool on Galaxy S24 series in San Jose, California on Tuesday, local time. [YONHAP]
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Upgraded photo editing
AI comes in full force when editing photos and videos. Samsung is touting features that can remove objects from pictures or fill in cropped backgrounds.
“Before, the fill-in feature was based on shades and shapes of the removed object's surroundings. But now, the Galaxy S24 is able to create space and objects that have never been there based on its training on a countless number of photos,” Hwang Jeong-ho from Samsung's MX (mobile eXperience) team explained during the demonstration.
The AI function also supports slow motion viewing of videos not originally shot in slow motion.
“The generative AI engine will make images in between the video frames,” Hwang said. “Long-pressing the video will let it play at one-fourth of its speed. It is available not only for videos filmed with Galaxy, but also any type of downloaded videos as well.”
Librarians review books as a matter of course. They are professionals trained in the art of calibrating the right books to the right school audiences. So there’s nothing wrong with reviewing books along those lines. The problem is that those books have already gone through that process. Most have been on the shelves for years. Many are classics, some are dictionaries–dictionaries–and one of them is the Guinness Book of World Records. 
A few people who call themselves parents but are really frustrated bullies who want everyone else to lead the miserable lives they do, at least when they’re not engaging in threesomes, have successfully made black holes of Florida’s school and classroom libraries and further marginalized slews of children whose one solace might have been that one book. 
![A user experiences Galaxy S24 Ultra's "Circle to Search" AI feature co-developed with Google at Times Square in Yeongdeungpo District in western Seoul on Thursday. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/01/19/01ad0e8b-1fd1-4214-8901-68743e341a2e.jpg)
![Touching on the "Call Assist" button with three stars next to it will lead to Live Translation feature. [JIN EUN-SOO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/01/19/fefdceac-470c-4888-9bfd-dbd0c3db0bbd.jpg)
![A user experiences an AI-powered text translation feature on Galaxy S24 in Seocho District in southern Seoul on Thursday. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/01/19/e104c838-8587-475d-bb50-a75c2c13ec77.jpg)
![A user experiences an AI-powered photo editing tool on Galaxy S24 series in San Jose, California on Tuesday, local time. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/01/19/d6ec0b16-2d95-4d63-a57f-0f0452a57316.jpg)