Pixel 2 XL review by MrMobile: Burn-in down the house
When Google announced its new Pixel smartphones, I knew right away that the bigger one was the phone for me. It packed a more modern design, a larger battery, and an exclusive paint job – plus, I’d already developed a fondness for its spiritual predecessor, the LG V30. What could go wrong?
Oh. That.
Flagship smartphone displays in 2017 are pretty good on the whole, so when a problem does pop up, usually it’s pretty obvious. Sadly, that’s been the case with most of the early Pixel 2 XL displays: whether it’s blue-shifting, low saturation or the dreaded early burn-in/image persistence problem, this panel has had some issues. Which is a shame because, underneath that display, it’s still the Pixel I prefer.
I’m MrMobile and this is the story of a very good smartphone tainted by a second-rate screen. Come see if it’s still worth your time in my Pixel 2 XL review above, and then let Andrew and Alex take you for the full tour in Android Central’s combined Pixel 2 and Pixel 2XL review!
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Facebook will require political advertisers to disclose their identities
Facebook has had a rough few months since the election. At least 10 million people saw Russian-placed political ads on the platform, which may have helped widen the rift between political sides during the 2016 US presidential election. In reaction, the social network has pledged to hand-review any new ads that target politics and race. Further, Facebook has just announced that it will be rolling out new transparency features for all ads, including political ones, starting next month in Canada. The US will get the new tools by next summer, in time for the US midterm elections next November.
“When it comes to advertising on Facebook,” wrote Rb Goldman, VP of Facebook Ads, in a blog post, “people should be able to tell who the advertiser is and see the ads they’re running, especially for political ads. That level of transparency is good for democracy and it’s good for the electoral process. Transparency helps everyone, especially political watchdog groups and reporters, keep advertisers accountable for who they say they are and what they say to different groups.”
When the feature releases next month, you’ll be able to click “View Ads” on a Page and see any advertising that page is running, whether you’re a target for the ad or not. All advertising will also now be required to come from Pages, too. During the first Canadian test, only active ads will be available to view, but when the feature comes to the US, Facebook plans to build an archive of ads related to the federal elections. The company is also creating an archive that will hold up to four years of related ads and provide details on how much money was spent on each one. Facebook will also provide how many impressions each ad delivers and the demographics information about who the ads reached.
In addition, anyone placing an election-related ad on Facebook will have to provide more documentation on their identity and location as well as disclose that they are running election-related advertising. Advertisers will also have to include a “Paid for by” disclosure in the ad itself. For advertisers who don’t disclose up front, Facebook is also building machine learning tools to help find non-compliant advertisers and make them verify their identity. “We remain deeply committed to helping protect the integrity of the electoral process on Facebook” wrote Goldman. “And we will continue to work with our industry partners, lawmakers and our entire community to better ensure transparency and accountability in our advertising products.”
Facebook isn’t the only social network looking to make its platform less susceptible to social engineering. Twitter announced this week that it will also identify political ads and disclose who paid for them, as well.
Source: Facebook
First iPhone X Orders Now ‘Preparing for Shipment’ in Europe With November 3 Launch Day Delivery
The first iPhone X pre-order customers have begun noting in the MacRumors forums that their orders recently moved to the “preparing for shipment/dispatch” stage. These users are located in Europe, and will be among the first to get the iPhone X in their hands, with deliveries promised to arrive on launch day next Friday, November 3. As of writing, no movement on order statuses has been made for customers in the United States.
Image via @ryancarter_94
iPhone X pre-orders began at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time on October 27, and shipping estimates began slipping into 2-3 week delivery windows in a matter of minutes. Now, new orders for most models of the iPhone X sit at a 5-6 week delivery estimate. Apple has described demand for the iPhone X as “off the charts.”
Orders that are now updated to “preparing for shipment” status should begin shipping out to customers over the next few days. Once November 3 grows closer, the first orders will arrive to customers in New Zealand and Australia, and soon after that unboxing and hands-on videos of the iPhone X will likely be shared online.
Even though some orders are already preparing to ship, Apple coordinates with its shipping partners to hold deliveries until the official launch day, although on occasion a few can slip through early. The “preparing for shipment” stage also means that orders can no longer be changed or canceled. You can visit our iPhone forums now to discuss your order status with other MacRumors readers.
If you received a shipping estimate beyond the November 3 launch date, there’s a chance you could pick up an iPhone X in retail stores when the smartphone launches next Friday in more than 55 countries and territories worldwide. Of course, you’ll have to arrive early to get a place in line, and supply is predicted to be constrained in many stores. If you plan on visiting an Apple retail location, most stores will open at 8:00 a.m. local time on November 3.
Related Roundup: iPhone XBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
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