Latest news with #Tie
Tom's Guide
5 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I put the Galaxy Z Flip 7 vs. Galaxy Z Flip 6 through a 10-round photo shootout — here's the winner
Before the Galaxy Z Flip 7 debuted, I was worried about the cameras on Samsung's latest foldable flip phone. Rumors surrounding the Z Flip 7 hinted at no hardware changes — and that's exactly what happened once the phone became official. Camera performance is one of the key areas I always look at with year-to-year upgrades and this one's no exception. In my Galaxy Z Flip 7 review, I mention how the phone's updated ProVisual Engine helps to enhance its shots — proven by how it drew out better details at 10x zoom in my 10-round Galaxy Z Flip 7 vs Razr Ultra (2025) photo face-off. That bodes well for the newer phone in this Galaxy Z Flip 7 vs Galaxy Z Flip 6 photo shootout. Just a reminder, both phones pack the same cameras — 50MP main cams, 12MP ultrawides, and 10MP selfie shooters — right down to the same aperture for each lens. While the hardware is unchanged (a bummer in my opinion), the Galaxy Z Flip 7 benefits from a larger Flex Window display on the exterior of the phone. It makes vlogs and selfies a lot easier to pull off, primarily due to the extra real estate where you can see the video preview through that cover display. Similar to my other photo shootouts, I take both best foldable phone contenders and capture the same scenes and then preview them on a monitor. I can't stress enough how a lot of the emphasis will come down to the newer image processing algorithms with the Z Flip 7. Galaxy Z Flip 7 Galaxy Z Flip 6 Main Camera 50 MP main (f/1.8) 50 MP main (f/1.8) Ultrawide 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2) 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2) Selfie 10MP (f/2.2) 10MP (f/2.2) Video Recording up to 4K 60 fps up to 4K 60 fps It's an even match up with the daytime shots I captured using the main cameras on both Flip models. All the details are nicely captured, including the license plates on the cars, the texture of the pavement in the foreground, and the sign on the light pole. The only difference I can make out is how the Galaxy Z Flip 7 gives the trees in the background a little boost in the shadows. Those darker areas are exposed more to draw out the details there, while the Z Flip 6 looks dark. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Winner: Galaxy Z Flip 7 Sticking to the same spot with the parking lot, I switched over to the ultrawide shooters on both phones. Again, it's almost identical in terms of their details captured and field of views. This time, there's no exposure bump whatsoever applied to the Galaxy Z Flip 7, so the only difference comes down to their color temperature. While the Z Flip 7 skews warm, I also like the Z Flip 6 because it also looks warm. Winner: Tie I have to admit, these shots of the yellow flowers look amazing. However, trying to determine which of the two Flip models produces the better colors is tough because they're very close. There's just a tiny bit more saturation with the yellow from the Galaxy Z Flip 6 shot, but the Z Flip 7 isn't too far off. I can also see the same with the green leaves and stems all around the scene, as the Z Flip 7 sprinkles a small dose of saturation. It's honestly a good shot, but the Z Flip 7 has a slightly more true-to-life tone. Winner: Galaxy Z Flip 7 Now this one's interesting because upon closer inspection, I can make out a difference between them. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 has the better selfie due to the sharpened effect it applies, which draws out more of the details around my face. Initially I was surprised by the results, but there's a reason why the Z Flip 6 captures the better selfie. All you need to do is look closer at the selfie cutout on the interior display. Both phones come with Samsung's pre-applied screen protector (which you shouldn't remove), but the Z Flip 7's screen protector goes over the selfie camera — whereas the Z Flip 6 cuts around it. As a result, the Z Flip 6's selfie camera isn't obscured, which I think explains the results. Winner: Galaxy Z Flip 6 Here's a perfect example of new image processing algorithms that help to improve a shot. If you look closely at the edges of my portrait shot, you can see how both phones apply the usual blurring effect to the background. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is pretty spot on with the blurring effect, but it does it in a linear way. Meaning, it detects me from the shot and blurs out everything else so that the effect goes all the way around the edges. However, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 applies the effect in a more realistic way by not keeping it uniform. Take a look at the strap around my neck and even my right shoulder. They're slightly blurred out, which is what happens when you place the focus on a face. Winner: Galaxy Z Flip 7 I captured a shot of the gazebo in the park with the sun behind it, so that it casts a shadow around the foreground, which helps to show off their dynamic range performance. Even though the Z Flip 7 has the sharper details, there's not an overwhelming difference with their dynamic range performance. Both the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Flip 7 boost the exposure in the shadows to better balance out the highlights, which I can see in the shadowed parts of the trees in the background and the flower bed directly in front of the gazebo. Meanwhile, the sky is properly exposed without losing details in the clouds. Winner: Tie Neither phone has a dedicated macro mode, but that doesn't stop me from taking close-up shots. While the Galaxy Z Flip 6's slightly saturated colors are present here again, both phones actually match each other in terms of detail and clarity. I really like how they both capture the texture in the petals, along with the strong details of the stem in the middle of the flower. And if you look close enough, you can make out the tiny bits of pollen that are sticking all around the stem. Winner: Tie Despite the lack of telephoto cameras, both phones can still whip up decent 2x zoom shots. The flowers in the foreground appear identical with both and I like how they retain the textures of the leaves with some of the plants. Looking elsewhere in the shots, the Z Flip 7 does a better job of cleaning up the background — especially around the upper right corner with the bench and street sign. They appear blurred with the Z Flip 6, but they're crystal clear sharp with the Z Flip 7. In fact, I can make out the name of the street sign. Winner: Galaxy Z Flip 7 Any of those discrepancies at 2x zoom only become exemplified when you go to their maximum 10x zoom level. I have to pixel peep with these shots above because they look very similar at a cursory look. The first thing I lock on is the sign on the post in the middle of the shot, where the words look more defined with the Z Flip 7. It's not by a tremendous amount, but still one I notice. Elsewhere, I look at the chain link fence and trees in the background, which look a bit murky on the Z Flip 6. And finally, the concrete pavement has more detail and looks a bit sharper with the Z Fold 7. Winner: Galaxy Z Flip 7 Out of all the categories, this is the one with an overwhelming advantage for the Galaxy Z Flip 7. First of all, I have to tell you that both phones are low-light beats — which is impressive for a foldable. They take the nearly pitch black conditions in my backyard and make it look like a light source is shining onto the tree. The details in the tree are more defined with the Galaxy Z Flip 7, whereas the Z Flip 6 softens them. Further back with the sidings on my garage, the Z Flip 7 also neutralizes the small section that's lit there to better expose the siding. That same spot looks overexposed with the Z Flip 6. Winner: Galaxy Z Flip 7 Even though I would've loved to see hardware upgrades to the camera, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 benefits largely from Samsung's updated ProVisual Engine, and as a result, manages to come out on top with this shoot out. The improvements are minor at best, so if you're considering upgrading, I'd actually tell you to wait — that's unless the other upgrades are worthwhile for you. What I'm interested next, though, is to put the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE through its own photo shoot out. It has the same camera setup at the Z Flip 7 and Flip 6, but presumably gets treated to the same enhancements with this updated ProVisual Engine. And yes, it does come in at a lower cost and sticks to a smaller Flex Window display. 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The National
7 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Scotland's progress on LGBT+ education cannot be taken for granted
Ten years ago, Jordan Daly, a 19-year-old university student, and Liam Stevenson, a 36-year-old petrol tanker driver, launched one of the most successful grassroots campaigns this country has ever seen. A movement that would change Scotland's education system forever and cement Scotland as a pioneer in equality legislation on the world stage. The campaign was born in 2015 with the simple but revolutionary demand that LGBT identities, histories and issues be taught in Scottish schools, a normalised and visible part of every child's learning. A way of tackling prejudice at a formative age by preventing it from developing. Tie argued that when it comes to prejudice, prevention is better than cure and education has the unique power to transform attitudes early on. Tie knew exactly what it wanted and how to get it. READ MORE: Lesley Riddoch: No-one gets to broadcast for the BBC without having its outlook They didn't have a political machine behind them, or institutional weight of any kind – nor the financial means to underpin their vision – just the audacity to believe that things could be different. The grassroots talent and determination to build something better for the young people of Scotland. Powered by hope, Tie came to be. In 2015, I was on the board of the Young Scots for Independence when our convener at the time, Rhiannon, met Jordan. She immediately presented the policy idea to our youth conference where it was passed and adopted as one of our official policy positions. We campaigned hard and with the help of Liam and Jordan, Tie started to become a talking point within the SNP. In the spring of 2016, we presented the campaign to national conference. My first-ever conference speech was on my unwavering belief in Tie. An attempt to convince the wider SNP membership of why it should be a priority. It worked – conference passed the resolution and we got back to work, bringing a second and more refined policy to party conference the following year. By this time, Tie was no longer just a few grassroots activists making a noise, it was a movement, and it was gaining ground with every passing week. After much lobbying, Tie was announced as a policy objective in Nicola Sturgeon's Programme for Government. Fast forward a decade and in 2025, Scotland stands as the first country in the world to embed LGBT-inclusive education across the national curriculum. It quite literally put Scotland on the map. It's emotional to look back and see how far Tie has come since those early days when we were parading around conference with multi-coloured ties printed on our T-shirts. To reflect on how far Jordan and Liam have come – two men whose optimism and devotion to a better world have been a beacon to me for the past 10 years – and all of the lives they have changed simply because they dared to. But anniversaries are also moments for reflection, and there's pain to acknowledge among all the achievement. The world around us has changed since 2015 and in many ways, not for the better. When Tie launched, discourse around LGBT inclusion was in a much better place. It wasn't without its opposition of course, otherwise Tie would never have been a necessary campaign, but LGBT equality was almost an inevitable element of social progression back then. In the years since, driven primarily by a transphobic moral panic, an ugly resurgence of anti-LGBT rhetoric has gained traction. READ MORE: Donald Trump is now trying to silence UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese Rhetoric that is rearing its head not only on the fringes of opposition but in our parliaments, classrooms, social media feeds, justice system, healthcare settings. The same tired tropes of Section 28 are being dusted off and repackaged; concerns of protecting children, outcries about parental rights and indoctrination. It's a tale we have been told before and the fact that it has been so able to seep back into public acceptance is all of our shame. It's not just a Scottish problem. The widespread rollback of LGBT rights is under way across the globe. In Hungary, laws have been passed to ban the promotion of LGBT topics in schools. In parts of the US, teachers now face penalties for acknowledging the existence of queer people and LGBT books are being removed from libraries, banned from being read. It would be naive to think that we are protected from similar rollbacks here. With the threat of Nigel Farage looming, and a more hostile environment for LGBT people – particularly the trans community – than has been seen in decades, things are incredibly fragile here too. This is the hostile environment in which the legacy of Tie now lives and has to move through. I can speak from personal experience; I have been abused online for supporting Tie and I know of the abuse others involved have had to endure as well. I'm not talking about a strongly worded comment here or there. I'm talking about being labelled a danger to children, doxxed, families harassed. READ MORE: Edinburgh to host free festival on Scotland's colonial past, languages and gaming This space has become frightening, but it makes Tie's success all the more extraordinary, and its mission all the more of a necessity. Young LGBT people in Scotland still face disproportionate levels of bullying, mental health difficulties and isolation. For trans and non-binary youth in particular, the atmosphere has become dangerous. Public discourse about their lives is increasingly dominated by misinformation and cruelty – and the need for Tie is more apparent than it has ever been. Inclusive education is not about being 'woke' or meeting diversity targets or indoctrinating children. It's about making sure that the next generation grows up knowing that being LGBT isn't shameful or controversial, it's a human experience like any other. There's a despair that comes with realising the battles you thought you were winning are still being fought. But there's also power in knowing that we have done this before – and won. The Tie campaign itself is living proof that even in the face of extreme resistance and ignorance, grassroots activism works and changes lives. Tie was never just about the ins and outs of education policy. It was about rewriting the rules of who gets to belong. Who gets to be seen, heard, validated. It was about making space in the curriculum for stories that had been systemically erased so that those stories could lend a hand to Scotland's younger generations. So that they could build a Scotland free from the ugly prejudices of the past, setting an example for the rest of the world as they went. And it was about doing all of that from the bottom up, powered by ordinary people who dared to dream of a better future. That grit and commitment to justice is what made Tie not just another campaign for social change, but a blueprint for how to make change happen, and that's what we need to hold on to as Tie embarks on its next 10 years. Because if the past decade has shown us anything, it's that rights can be won – but they can also be lost. Progress isn't permanent or inevitable, and there will always be people ready and willing to come for it, given half a chance. No social progress in history has been won easily, we have to keep going. With people like Liam and Jordan heading the fight, I think we will be just fine.
New Straits Times
02-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Couple face multiple drug trafficking charges
SIBU: A married couple faced multiple drug trafficking charges in the magistrate's court here today. Tie Teck Hock, 52, was initially charged with trafficking 1,030.80g of methamphetamine outside a food outlet at Jalan Pedada around 10pm on June 12. He nodded in understanding when the charge was read by a court interpreter before magistrate Oon Kork Chern. Subsequently, Tie and his wife, Lee Chee Fei, 45, were jointly charged with trafficking 6,055.90g of methamphetamine found in a house at Jalan Permai Jaya 9D1B1 at 10.45pm the same day. They were charged under Section 39B(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the mandatory death penalty or life imprisonment and not less than 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction. The couple were also jointly charged with possession of 2,078.90g of ketamine and 2,022.15g of nimetazepam at the same location, time and date. The charges were brought under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which provides for a fine not exceeding RM100,000, or imprisonment for a maximum of five years, or both, upon conviction. Both the accused indicated they understood the charges, but no plea was recorded. Tie was previously released on police bail on June 26 following the expiry of his seven-day remand, but was subsequently rearrested under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985. Lee was also released on police bail on June 24 after her four-day remand ended, but was similarly rearrested under the same Act. The court fixed Aug 22 for further mention of the cases pending the chemist's report. No bail was granted to either accused. Deputy public prosecutor Nuralisa Natasha Nazrulzam appeared for the prosecution, while counsel Reena Chong represented the couple. — BERNAMA
Borneo Post
02-07-2025
- Borneo Post
Husband-wife syndicate masterminds charged with drug trafficking, possession in Sibu
The couple exits the courtroom at the end of the proceeding. SIBU (July 2): A married couple, said to be the masterminds of a drug syndicate since 2015, was charged in the Magistrates' Court here today with trafficking and possessing illicit narcotics. No plea was recorded from Tie Teck Hock, 52, and his wife Lee Chee Fei, 45, after the charges, framed under the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA) 1952, were read to them in Foochow before Magistrate Oon Kork Chern. On the first charge, Tie is accused of trafficking 1,030.80g of methamphetamine at the corridor of a food premises in Jalan Pedada at around 10pm on June 12, 2025. On the second charge, the couple is jointly accused of trafficking 6,055.90g of methamphetamine in a storeroom under the staircase of a house on Lorong Permai Jaya 9D1B1 at around 10.45pm the same day. Both charges are framed under Section 39B(1)(a) of the DDA, punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same Act, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment, and if not sentenced to death, be whipped not less than 12 strokes, upon conviction. On the third and fourth charges, Tie and Lee are jointly accused of possessing 2,078.90g of ketamine and 2,022.15g of nimetazepam at the same Permai Jaya house on the same day and time. Both charges are framed under Section 12(2) of the DDA, punishable under Section 12(3) of the same Act and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides for a fine not exceeding RM100,000 or imprisonment of up to five years or both, upon conviction. Tie was previously released on police bail on June 26 following the expiry of a seven-day remand extension but was re-arrested under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985. Lee was similarly released on June 24 after a four-day remand extension but was also re-arrested under the same Act. The court fixed Aug 22 for case mention pending a chemistry report, and ordered for the couple to continue their detention in Sibu Prison. Deputy public prosecutor Nuralisa Natasha Nazrulzam appeared for the prosecution, while lawyer Reena Chong represented the couple. charged drug trafficking lead Lee Chee Fei Tie Teck Hock
The Sun
02-07-2025
- The Sun
Married couple charged with drug trafficking in Sibu court
SIBU: A married couple faced multiple drug trafficking charges in the Magistrate's Court here today. Tie Teck Hock, 52, was initially charged with trafficking 1,030.80 grammes of methamphetamine outside a food outlet at Jalan Pedada around 10 pm on June 12. He nodded in understanding when the charge was read by a court interpreter before Magistrate Oon Kork Chern. Subsequently, Tie and his wife, Lee Chee Fei, 45, were jointly charged with trafficking 6,055.90 grammes of methamphetamine found in a house at Jalan Permai Jaya 9D1B1 at 10.45 pm the same day. They were charged under Section 39B(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the mandatory death penalty or life imprisonment and not less than 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction. The couple were also jointly charged with possession of 2,078.90 grammes of ketamine and 2,022.15 grammes of nimetazepam at the same location, time and date. The charges were brought under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which provides for a fine not exceeding RM100,000, or imprisonment for a maximum of five years, or both, upon conviction. Both the accused indicated they understood the charges, but no plea was recorded. Tie was previously released on police bail on June 26 following the expiry of his seven-day remand, but was subsequently rearrested under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985. Lee was also released on police bail on June 24 after her four-day remand ended, but was similarly rearrested under the same Act. The court fixed Aug 22 for further mention of the cases pending the chemist's report. No bail was granted to either accused. Deputy Public Prosecutor Nuralisa Natasha Nazrulzam appeared for the prosecution, while counsel Reena Chong represented the couple.
