Technologies

Galaxy S23 Ultra’s Secret Weapon Could Be This New Samsung Chip

Exclusive: Samsung’s Isocell HP2 image sensor can shoot photos at 12.5, 50 or even 200 megapixels thanks to new pixel binning options.

With its new 200-megapixel Isocell HP2 image sensor, Samsung will try to give smartphone photographers the best of both worlds: high resolution and good image quality in challenging conditions.

The HP2 is in mass production. Samsung has neither announced its shipment date nor confirmed which phone it will arrive in. Still, the sensor is expected to power the main camera on the company’s flagship Galaxy S23 Ultra phone, likely to debut Feb. 1.

Image sensor designers face a tradeoff. Increasing resolution means each pixel on the sensor is smaller, and smaller pixels aren’t able to gather light as well. That means shots taken in low light are marred by noise speckles. They lose detail in shadowed parts of a scene. And they suffer blown-out highlights in bright areas like skies.

The HP2, though, brings new methods to counteract those problems and make the most of each photon of light, Samsung revealed exclusively to CNET.

The South Korean electronics giant’s sensor can gather light more effectively in the first place, boost high dynamic range (HDR) photos to cope better with scenes with dark and bright elements, the company said. And when shooting at the full 200-megapixel resolution, Samsung uses AI technology to help render the finest details.

It’s not yet clear how well the sensor will perform in real-world testing. But it’s no surprise Samsung is focusing on the technology. Camera improvements are a prime reason to upgrade phones, with better photos and videos more noticeable than marginally better processors, battery life and network technology.

«The full 200MP resolution especially shines when shooting at concerts or outdoors where there’s lots of detail to be captured,» said JoonSeo Yim, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics’ sensor business. «It may not be the predominant setting for most consumers, but we definitely see the need for highly detailed images.»

Apple, Samsung’s top smartphone rival, is likewise investing heavily in its cameras. Comparatively large lens elements protrude from the back of iPhone 14 Pro models to show off camera performance, and Apple has upgraded its sensors for better high-resolution and low-light shooting.

Better pixel binning options

One of the headline techniques for improving smartphone photos is called pixel binning. With it, groups of physical pixels can be combined into larger virtual pixels that gather more light when it’s dim, trading off resolution for lower noise and better color.

Samsung isn’t alone in using pixel binning. You’ll see it in the Apple iPhone 14 Pro, Google Pixel 7, Xiaomi 12T Pro and other phones, but the HP2 sensor is one of the most advanced. Apple and Google, for example, use 2×2 pixel binning that turn four physical pixels into one virtual pixel. Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S22 phones have offered 3×3 pixel binning since 2019, offering 108 megapixel photos in good light and 12-megapixel photos when it’s dim.

Samsung’s HP2 can take 200-megapixel photos under good conditions. When it’s dimmer, pixel binning groups pixels into 2×2 chunks for a 50-megapixel image. And when dimmer yet, Samsung’s 4×4 «Tetra2pixel» chunks take a 12.5-megapixel photo.

The two levels of pixel binning were available on the 200-megapixel HP3, announced in 2022. However, the HP3 uses smaller pixels that, while minimizing camera bulk, aren’t as good at capturing light in the first place. The HP1, announced in 2021, also had it. But the HP2 adds some other tricks the HP1 lacks.

Pixel binning ups and downs

Pixel binning has some other advantages. Cameras can crop in on the central portion of the image to zoom into more distant subjects. It’s a key foundation to the effort to give smartphones zoom abilities like traditional camera lenses. Pixel binning also opens up new options for high resolution 4K and 8K video.

Pixel binning has downsides, though. It takes a lot of battery power to process all those pixels, and storing high-resolution photos gobbles up a lot of storage space. And high-resolution sensors, while nice in principle, don’t achieve top image quality unless they’re paired with high-quality lenses.

«The full 200MP mode does require more RAM and power,» Yim said, which is why such high resolution sensors are only found on high-end smartphones.

One complication with the HP2 is figuring out color when shooting 200 megapixel photos. Digital cameras capture either red, green or blue light for each pixel, but the Tetra2pixel design means each 4×4 pixel group captures only one of those colors. To help fill in the color detail needed within those 16-pixel groups, Samsung uses an artificial intelligence algorithm, the company said.

Samsung HP2’s image quality improvements

The sensor has other tricks to boost image quality, particularly with high dynamic range scenes with both bright and dark details. Here are a few:

A technology called Dual Voltage Transfer Gate (D-VTG) gives each pixel a 33% better ability to gather light, which should improve image quality in dim scenes and cut back on washed-out white patches in bright skies.
Samsung’s Dual Slope Gain (DSG) feature improves HDR photos by digitizing each pixel’s exposure data at two different scales to gather bright and dark data when shooting in 50-megapixel mode. The abundant pixels on the sensor mean some pixel quartets are tuned for bright light and others for dimmer light.
A related feature called Smart-ISO Pro is a separate HDR technology that adapts to different scenes, employing different combinations of sensitivity settings appropriate for the different frames used to build the HDR photo.

Another new feature in the HP2 is an improved autofocus with a technology called Super QPD. It can spot either horizontal and vertical lines across 2×2 pixel groups, helping the camera lock onto details like horizons or tree trunks even when it’s dim, Samsung said.

Each HP2 pixel is 0.6 microns, or 6 millionths of a meter, wide. That’s a shade narrower than the 0.62 microns of the HP1. For comparison, a human hair is something like 75 microns across. Combined into a 2×2 array for 50-megapixel photos, the pixel width increases to 1.2 microns, and in 4×4, to 2.4 microns.

«We expect that high-resolution image sensors will become a standard feature in future flagship smartphones,» Yim said. «Because of that, we think it’s important to continue our efforts, from advanced pixel processes below 0.5 microns to pixel performance and algorithms.»

Larger sizes are better at gathering light. The Samsung pixel sizes are pretty similar to the iPhone 14 Pro’s main camera sensor, which uses 2.44 micron pixels in 12-megapixel mode and 1.22 microns in 48-megapixel mode.

When it comes to video, the HP2 has many options. It can shoot 8K video at 30 frames per second by using the sensor in its 50-megapixel mode. It can shoot 4K video at 120fps, or, if Smart-ISO is engaged, at 60fps. For 1080p video, the sensor will shoot at 480fps without autofocus and 240fps with autofocus.

Technologies

GameStop Designates Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U as Retro Consoles

The retailer also announced a limited-time trade-in bonus on the consoles and other older gaming equipment.

The consoles you grew up with are now officially retro. GameStop, the world’s largest brick-and-mortar video game retailer, announced Monday that it’s labelling multiple seventh- and eighth-generation home gaming consoles as «retro consoles.»

The Xbox 360, released in 2005; the PlayStation 3, released in 2006; and the Wii U, released in 2012, are now «historical artifacts» of the games industry, according to the retailer.

It’s hard to define the «retro» label in gaming circles. There’s a fierce debate over whether the transition from 2D to 3D graphics, the rise of online gaming or the adoption of digital audiovisual outputs should qualify consoles for the designation.

What matters most is that the definition of retro gaming is fluid, and GameStop has set forth its own criteria for redesignating these three home consoles.

«The ruling was reached following careful analysis of multiple indicators, including: the presence of component cables, the lack of Fortnite and the realization that [these consoles] launched when George W. Bush was still president,» the statement reads.

While that may feel like GameStop is reclassifying consoles based on vibes — the Wii U wasn’t even released during the Bush administration — there is at least some merit to these claims. The lack of component cables in newer consoles is proof enough that hardware has significantly evolved since the release of the reclassified consoles, and it has been a long time since they’ve been able to run any modern games (even something as ubiquitous as Fortnite). The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are 20 years old. That’s about as «retro» as retro gets.

According to GameStop’s statement, it reclassified these consoles under its «Retro Classification Standard,» with the hardware joining the Sega Saturn and the Nintendo DS in the retro category.

A representative for GameStop did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

GameStop began a limited-time trade-in campaign for retro gaming equipment in accordance with the reclassification of these consoles.

Anyone who brings in an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U or any console, game or gaming accessory that is older than the redesignated consoles will receive an additional 10% in trade-in credit. This offer ends on March 21.

The company also revised its retro console trade-in policy. Starting immediately, GameStop will accept defective retro consoles even if they are «non-operable, missing accessories or aesthetically unfortunate» as long as they can be powered on. This policy also applies to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U home consoles.

Technologies

TSA Staffing Shortages Are Causing a Mess at Airport Security Lines. How to Mitigate the Wait

Airport security professionals just missed their first paychecks due to the ongoing partial US government shutdown.

This past weekend, employees of the Transportation Security Administration missed their first full paycheck due to the partial government shutdown. Not surprisingly, many of those security officers have quit or stopped showing up for work, leading to airport staffing shortages.

The loss of TSA officers and a new batch of extreme weather in the Midwest and East Coast are creating havoc at airports across the US. Some travelers at Atlanta’s Hartfield-Jackson airport on Tuesday waited more than two hours in the security area before being allowed to travel to their gates, and Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl said that the government may need to shut down some airports completely.

Don’t be surprised when you get to the airport and see the security line trailing out into the parking lot. It’s easy to check security wait lines before you leave for the airport, so you know how long it will take you to get from check-in to your gate.

If you have spring break or other planned air travel coming soon, learn how you can check security line wait times so you can better plan your trip to the airport.

Check the official TSA app

The TSA maintains an app for mobile devices called MyTSA (iOS and Android) that lists security line wait times for airports around the US. The app is fairly basic and now includes a warning that «this website is not actively managed» due to the pause in federal funding, but it does include plenty of official TSA information about airline travel.

To check the wait times for specific US airports, tap the My Airports tab at the bottom of the app, then tap «Search Airports.» You can scroll through the alphabetical list of airports or type in an airport name or code in the search bar at the top.

Tap through to the airport of your choice, and you’ll see the current estimated security wait time at the top of the screen.

When I checked some of the major airports Tuesday afternoon — Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta (ATL), JFK in New York (JFK) and Ronald Reagan in DC (DCA) — most had estimated relatively low wait times of 0 to 15 or 15 to 30 minutes (only JFK was 30-45 minutes).

Those estimates are a far cry from the two to four hours that airports are advising travelers to allow, but the times on the MyTSA app mostly matched the times listed on airport websites (see below). The only exception was Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, which showed an estimate of 0-15 minutes on the MyTSA app, but slightly longer times on the airport website.

The MyTSA app also includes historical averages for each airport’s security line wait times by time of day.

Check your airport’s website

When I tested the TSA app, it didn’t list specific terminals at any of the airports. It only listed a time range for «All Terminals.»

If you want that sort of detailed information, your best bet is to use the official airport websites — most of the major ones now offer estimated security wait times. Some airports put those estimated times front and center on their websites; others require a little more exploration.

Most airport websites will break out the times for specific terminals. At some of the bigger airports, there’s often quite a disparity between the terminals.

Here are the web pages for estimated security wait lines for some of the most frequently traveled airports in the US:

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
Miami International Airport (MIA)

I wasn’t able to find security line wait times on the websites for two of the busiest airports — O’Hare in Chicago and Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas. For those, you’ll need to use the TSA app.

Save your spot in the security line

Numerous airports now allow travelers to reserve a specific time in the security line. At Seattle’s SeaTac Airport, you make a Spot Saver reservation and go to a specially marked entrance to the security checkpoint listed on your reservation. An employee scans the barcode you were emailed, and you’re ushered to the front. At SeaTac, you can be up to 15 minutes before or after your Spot Saver reservation, since airport timing is tough to estimate.

Here’s a list of some of those reservation sites. You can search for your airport name and «reserve security line spot» or something similar to see if your airport also has a program.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA): Spot Saver
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP): MSP Reserve
Denver International Airport (DEN): DEN Reserve
Orlando International Airport (MCO): MCO Reserve
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): PHX Reserve

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for March 18 #745

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for March 18, No. 745.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is kind of bizarre. Even after I had found some of the answers, the theme didn’t click in my brain until I was almost done with the puzzle. And some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: It follows.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Not death…

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

LEFT, COLE, HOLE, LACK, BILE, LEACH, SOLE, LOSE, LIFE, SEER, STEEL, STERN, FAIL

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers: