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Review OnePlus has been under fire in recent weeks over benchmark tests that appeared to throttle real-world performance of the OnePlus 9 series, dividing fans who think a fullbore Snapdragon 888 might be overegging the pudding for most use cases and others who like to run a hotter handset.

Throughout its lifetime, OnePlus has tried to figure out where it stands within the increasingly crowded mobile market. The company first targeted the burgeoning enthusiast segment, which was otherwise ignored amid a sea of mass-market blowers. Since then, it would be fair to say that it has swung between aspirational and affordable mid-rangers.

The OnePlus 9 Pro is an example of the former. It doesn't exactly push any boundaries, and sacrifices novelty on the altar of sophistication, but it's not damaged by it. Benchmark disputes notwithstanding, it's a well-rounded phone, delivering on performance, screen quality, and imaging.

The display measures 6.7 inches and uses an AMOLED panel, with a QHD (1,440x3,216) resolution. Colour fidelity was top-notch, and the OnePlus 9 Pro delivered a welcome degree of realism, particularly when it comes to the darker hues that can appear washed out on cheaper panels. Brightness was above par, with the company claiming the device can hit 1,300 nits at its peak. In practice, this means content is easily readable, even in the sunniest of outdoor conditions.

Speaking of running hot, while the display can run at up to 120Hz, in practice you may want to crank that down to a more reasonable 90Hz to conserve battery, while also getting the benefit of judder-free animations and scrolling.

Underneath the hardy Gorilla Glass 5 lurks a highly responsive fingerprint reader, and although The Reg typically prefers a physical rear-mounted one, this works OK.

On the RAM front, the OnePlus 9 Pro is offered in both 8GB and 12GB variations. Storage comes in two flavours: 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1. OnePlus provided The Register with the 12GB/256GB model, which retails at a cool 929. The base 8GB/128GB model is 100 cheaper, but those with a tendency to hoard apps and content should probably pay the difference as there's no MicroSD slot to be found.

The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 platform, with support for 5G baked in. This gives a fluid experience, with zero lag to be found when opening apps, and webpages rendering almost immediately. More challenging tasks, like a few sessions of PUBG Mobile, were similarly smooth.

Moving on to the battery, you get a 4,500mAh cell, which delivers a full day's worth of life with moderate use. In practice, that means cranking the refresh rate to 90Hz, using Wi-Fi over 5G, and limiting your consumption of games and video.

There is support for 65W wired USB-C charging, and 50W wireless charging. OnePlus claims this can fully replenish the battery from empty in just 29 minutes and 43 minutes respectively, and its estimates were not far from the mark.

As you'd expect, the OnePlus 9 Pro comes with the latest (for now) Android 11, which comes skinned in the company's own OxygenOS. This reviewer generally has a bit of trepidation when it comes to custom experiences, but OxygenOS was conservative and intuitive, building on the best bits of stock Android.

Photography has been OnePlus's weakness, allowing rival manufacturers, notably Samsung and Huawei, to overtake it.

This time around, the company has partnered with optics outfit Hasselblad. While partnerships of this flavour aren't a guarantee of quality (as is the case with Nokia's long-standing engagement with Zeiss), it's hard to fault the snaps produced on the OnePlus 9 Pro.

It comes with four cameras. The primary one uses a 48MP sensor, attached to a wide-angle lens. This delivered great shots, with faithful colour reproduction and oodles of detail. The inclusion of optical image stabilisation (OIS) minimises blur when capturing photos in environments where you are liable to be jolted and nudged, such as when on a busy street, and its autofocus was extremely fast.

Another nice touch although expected given the price is the inclusion of a telephoto lens. Although this doesn't have the longest range we've ever seen (3.3x) and is attached to an 8MP sensor, it nonetheless produces sharp and vibrant images.

There's also a 50MP ultra-wide and a 2MP monochrome lurking within the bulbous camera module. Meanwhile, on the front of the device, you'll spot a 16MP wide-angle selfie camera, which lends itself to video calling with multiple participants in the frame.

The first OnePlus phone was introduced in 2013. Since then, the Android market has changed dramatically, with those fighting in the middle tiers increasingly squeezed. By contrast, the higher end of the market feels comparatively sparse, with the only real competitor Samsung (particularly given the decline of Huawei).

In recent years, OnePlus has reoriented itself to this tier, culminating in the OnePlus 9 Pro.

As for this model, the camera is exceptional. Performance is solid, although that 12GB of RAM is overkill. While it may be a touch too big for some people, the display is gorgeous. This reviewer falls in the camp that likes the revamped OxygenOS - although some have criticised recent iterations for bloatware - and we're reassured by OnePlus's recent commitment to provide three OS updates and four years of security updates.

It's probably not the best value when compared to other mid-rangers we've seen recently, like the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra. And it is attached to a steep asking price: it retails for 899.00 or 829 for the 8GB version (999and 929 for 12GB) and across the pond, $1,069.

For a touch over 800, it does feel like a genuine flagship. But while it has many of the finer touches and is a worthy successor to the OnePlus 8T, which we reviewed last year, you can't help but wonder if it can muster a flagship target market with deep pockets where the buyers of cut-price Android on steroids once were.

Did we mention the benchmarks?

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We clock what you're trying to do here: El Reg strokes a claw across the OnePlus 9 Pro - The Register

Pics The Hubble Space Telescope is back in action doing what it does best capturing stunning images of the universe after more than 50 NASA engineers worked hundreds of hours to get the instrument working again.

After activating redundant components within the orbiting observatory on Friday to clear a hardware glitch, the telescope has been able to use its sensors again. NASA released two photos of oddball galaxies Hubble snapped over the weekend: one depicting two galaxies intersecting each other, and the other showing a large spiral galaxy with three arms.

Left: ARP-MADORE2115-273 is a picture of two galaxies colliding in the southern hemisphere. Right: ARP-MADORE0002-503 is a large spiral galaxy with three arms ... Click to enlarge. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, Julianne Dalcanton (UW), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

About a month ago, Hubble's onboard payload computer, which controls its instruments, mysteriously froze, forcing the main computer to put the observatory's sensors into an inactive safe mode. It was feared by some that ol Hubble was a goner after attempts to revive the machine failed.

NASA had to dig up 30 to 40-year-old documents to investigate the hardware lock-up, and engineers were even called out of retirement for advice. By switching to backup power supply electronics as well as a backup payload computer, the US space agency was finally able to bring Hubble back online.

Now it's all systems go and now hopefully the Hubble controller's biggest headache will be dealing with the backlog of requested observations.

Im thrilled to see that Hubble has its eye back on the universe, once again capturing the kind of images that have intrigued and inspired us for decades, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement.

This is a moment to celebrate the success of a team truly dedicated to the mission. Through their efforts, Hubble will continue its 32nd year of discovery, and we will continue to learn from the observatorys transformational vision.

At first, NASA thought the problem was down to a faulty memory module that had degraded over time from absorbing too much cosmic radiation. But utilizing an alternative onboard module didnt fix the issue. Further analysis suggested the glitch had something to do with an iffy power control unit. When the team switched to a backup unit to power the backup payload computer, Hubble came roaring back to life.

The switch required 15 hours of spacecraft commanding from the ground, said Jim Jeletic, deputy project manager of the Hubble Space Telescope working at NASAs Goddard Space Center.

The main computer had to be turned off, and a backup safe mode computer temporarily took over the spacecraft. Several boxes also had to be powered on that were never turned on before in space, and other hardware needed their interfaces switched.

This isn't Hubble's first outage. In 2008, its Science Instrument and Command & Data Handling unit failed and a four-person crew of astronauts repaired the machine in orbit in 2009. Backup components in that replacement hardware was booted up 12 years later to deal with this crisis.

The telescope was launched in 1990, and was designed to last 15 years. Over 30 years later, however, its still toiling away and observing the heavens.

Hubble is in good hands, said Kenneth Sembach, director of the Space Telescope Science Institute, which helps conduct Hubble science operations. The Hubble team has once again shown its resiliency and prowess in addressing the inevitable anomalies that arise from operating the worlds most famous telescope in the harshness of space.

I am impressed by the teams dedication and common purpose over the past month to return Hubble to service. Now that Hubble is once again providing unprecedented views of the universe, I fully expect it will continue to astound us with many more scientific discoveries ahead.

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Not only is Hubble back online after outage, it's already taking photos of the cosmos - The Register

NRA-ILA filed the opening brief in the Supreme Court case challenging New Yorks restrictive concealed-carry-licensing regime. The case provides the Supreme Court with the opportunity to finally affirm what most statesand common sensetell us: the Second Amendment protects a fundamental, individual right to bear arms for self-defense outside of the home.

For too long, New York has rationed the right to keep and bear arms to a select, chosen few within favored classes. But the Second Amendment guarantees the right of the people to keep and bear arms, not the right of a privileged few.

Despite skyrocketing crime within the Empire State, New York shamefully presumes the peoples unworthiness to defend their own lives and liberty where danger most often exists: outside the home. Those who dare to exercise their Second Amendment rights without first obtaining New Yorks blessing are automatically deemed felons. No other component of the Bill of Rights is treated this wayyet. Thus, the importance of this case and NRA-ILAs opening brief.

As indicated in the brief, NRA-ILA wholeheartedly agrees with the Justices who find it extremely improbable that the Framers understood the Second Amendment to protect little more than carrying a gun from the bedroom to the kitchen. NRA-ILA extends its sincerest thanks to its counsel at Kirkland & Ellis and the Court for its decision to accept this important case.

The case is captioned New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen.

Please stay tuned towww.nraila.orgfor future updates on NRA-ILAs ongoing efforts to defend your constitutional rights.

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NRA-ILA Files Opening Brief in Second Amendment Case Before the Supreme Court - NRA ILA

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania recently overturned Bill Cosbys 2018 conviction for crimes of sexual assault. Most have focused on the justness of this outcome. But the courts 79-page opinion also has implications for how witnesses in civil cases navigate the potential risk of self-incriminationincluding witnesses testifying on behalf of a corporation as a corporate designee under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 30(b)(6).

As we discussed in our blog on invoking the Fifth Amendment in a civil deposition, the privilege can only be claimed if the deponents answer to the question may render them vulnerable to prosecution for a crime. The question must require the witness to confront a substantial and real, and not merely trifling or imaginary, hazardof incrimination.[1] Whether the risk of incrimination is substantial and real is the very issue that has resulted in why Cosby is free today.

Cosbys legal issues started with a criminal investigation in 2005 by then Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor after an alleged victim reported she was sexually assaulted by Cosby in 2004. For a variety of reasons, District Attorney Castor determined that he did not have enough evidence at the time to prosecute Cosby. Prosecutors weigh similar decisions every day, and typically, a prosecutors decision to not proceed with charges is not binding and is subject to reconsideration at a later date. But District Attorney Castor wanted to help the victim seek some justice in a civil case, so he made a promise he could not keephe publicly promised not to prosecute Cosby for that particular crime. Cosbys attorneys then determined that, because he had no reasonable fear of prosecution, he could not invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination at a deposition in his civil case. Cosby made multiple admissions of guilt in the depositionin reliance on the promise that he would not be criminally prosecuted.

Whether this promise was enforceable and valid was a hotly litigated issue in the casebut the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania held that whether the promise was properly executed and / or enforceable was irrelevant since Cosby detrimentally relied on it. There was no way to un-ring the bell of his testimony and restore him to a position where he would not have incriminated himself had he utilized his Fifth Amendment protections. So, when District Attorney Castors successor later decided to charge Cosby and used his admissions in the civil deposition against him in the criminal trial, the court held that Cosbys rights to due process and protection from self-incrimination were violated. When an unconditional charging decision is made publicly and with the intent to induce action and reliance by the defendant, and when the defendant does so to his detriment (and in some instances upon the advice of counsel), denying the defendant the benefit of that decision is an affront to fundamental fairness.[2]

The civil and criminal justice systems interweave and collide in many circumstances, and some conduct, even negligent omissions, can raise both criminal and civil consequences. The complex circumstances of Cosbys conviction and subsequent release serve as an ominous reminder that your attorney needs to understand all aspects of potential incrimination and liability.

[1] Marchetti v. United States, 390 U.S. 39, 453 (1968).

[2] Pennsylvania v. Cosby, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Case No. 39 MAP 2020 (June 30, 2021).

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What Does Bill Cosbys Overturned Conviction Mean for Your Fifth Amendment Rights Against Self-Incrimination? - JD Supra

So far, two Iowa counties have passed resolutions saying county employees can't enforce state or federal laws infringing on a person's 2nd Amendment rights.

JOHNSTON, Iowa At CrossRoads Shooting Sports in Johnston, Ethan Settle takes pride in educating people on how to safely use firearms.

"My absolute favorite customer to deal with is that first-time gun owner," Settle said. "And we can talk them through the process of owning that."

The store manager also says employees help educate patrons about their Second Amendment rights.

"We try to take a whole approach to firearms ownership, so you do it responsibly, safely, have fun, but know what your rights and your political duties constitutionally are," Settle said.

Nowadays, the conversations behind the counter at CrossRoads have included the topic of several Iowa counties' move to become 2nd Amendment Sanctuaries.

Recently, both Jasper and Hardin counties signed resolutions to oppose "any legislation that would infringe upon the constitutional right of the people...to keep and bear arms."

That means county employees cannot enforce state or federal laws infringing on a person's Second Amendment rights, but it only applies to future laws--not existing ones.

As several other counties, including Madison, look to sign similar resolutions, Settle applauds Iowans who have spoken directly to their counties' boards of supervisors to advocate for them.

"The issue of sanctuary counties has been around for a number of years now and its really picked up speed since the November election, and just a lot about people being engaged with their local county governments," Settle said. "What I think is cool about it, is its people getting out, voicing their concerns with their local county governments."

The Iowa Firearms Coalition provides templates for Iowa counties to draft resolutions protecting the Second Amendment. Chair Michael Ware says the nonprofit aims to be a resource to educate Iowans on the issue.

"We say, heres the template, heres some working language, these are some [recommendations and] best practices," Ware said. "They're saying, listen. This civil right, we care about. And we know that its one that gets curtailed, chipped away at, and discussed a lot."

A spokesperson for the ACLU of Iowa said it was not clear from the facts available on how the sanctuary status could be interpreted as a civil rights issue.

Moms Demand Action, a group that works to end gun violence, also weighed in on the matter. In an email, they sent the following statement:

Local politicians dont get to pick and choose which laws to enforce. These resolutions are largely symbolic and wont directly interfere with the enforcement of critical gun safety laws its clear that they are nothing more than a political game by local politicians to signal their support for the gun lobby, said Traci Kennedy, Chapter Leader of the Iowa chapter of Moms Demand Action. Instead of passing confusing resolutions, our leaders should focus on solutions that will help keep our families safe and pass laws and resolutions that acknowledge and address the crisis of gun violence in our state.

The Madison County Board of Supervisors will discuss a similar resolution at their meeting July 27.

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Pro-gun Iowans say 2nd Amendment sanctuaries can keep rights from being 'chipped away at' - Local 5 - weareiowa.com