Latest news with #Beckford
Tom's Guide
11-07-2025
- Tom's Guide
Samsung Interview: Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 product manager talks new designs, more AI — and that missing S Pen
We've only just seen the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Watch 8 officially at Galaxy Unpacked, and we've barely spent 24 hours with these devices as I write this. But some people have been trying them all out for quite a bit longer. Kadesh Beckford is Smartphone Specialist Product Manager at Samsung UK, and one of the first people to use these devices over a long period of time. So since he's had more of an opportunity than almost anyone else in the world right now to try out the new Samsung foldables and smartwatch, we thought we'd ask him our most pressing questions about the lineup. "To be honest and transparent, I've experienced the Galaxy Z Fold 7 for a couple of weeks now," Beckford admitted during our interview. "I've been very knowledgeable about the product for a little while, obviously while having it under lock and key. But then I've seen every single time I pick it up and have the capability of looking at it, it blows me away." Why does it blow him away? That has a lot to with the big design upgrade the new Z Fold has seen from previous generations. "Every single time I picked it up, I completely forgot it was a Fold. It screams out a normal phone, but when you open it, I'm like, "Okay, this is great." While Beckford's more of a Z Fold fan, he still gets the appeal of the smaller Galaxy Z Flip 7. "With the Z Flip series, the customers love the portability, the practicality of the device and its design. And the fact is we've made improvements on that: stronger, thinner, a bigger battery. Our R&D guys, our engineers, are amazing." There are plenty of hardware changes to talk about, but Galaxy AI still looms in the background as a big part of Samsung's mobile device plan. A few new features are debuting on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, so I asked Beckford what he liked best out of the fresh additions. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. "My favorite one probably is Suggest Erases. Last week, my colleague, Tom, actually, we were in our office, I was taking a few pictures around and I'm taking a picture of Tom. And I'm in the background because there's a mirror in front of us. 'I thought I looked pretty good in the picture at the time, but just the fact that AI picked me out, literally drew a line around me, and I then could literally just press a button and erase. It wasn't me going in to erase it, it made the suggestion at an instant and it removed me." Beckford also named the Now Bar as another favorite. The live app notification feature was introduced with the Galaxy S25, but it takes on new life on the cover screen of the Z Flip 7, where it's visible without opening the phone. 'I use Uber now and then. So now with the Now Bar, you'll get your Uber notifications.. I can now look at that on the Z Flip, just on the left-hand side. For me, that's fantastic.' The Now Brief summary has also proven beneficial for Beckford's fitness goals. 'I wouldn't say I'm a great runner, but I recently committed to not driving to the gym. I either walk or get a [dockless hire] bike. And what I'm finding is that with my device, I'm able to view all my metrics. I do wear a Galaxy Ring. I do wear a Galaxy Watch, but the fact is in my Now Brief, I'll get all of my weekly health insights." This data is important for Beckford, who has set himself the goal of running a marathon distance by September this year ("I haven't said in what time I'll complete it in," he adds). This follows his completion of the popular "75 Hard" fitness plan earlier this year. And he gives Galaxy AI a good amount of credit for helping him. "75 Hard is… hard! But with [Galaxy AI] what I was able to say okay, Monday's scheduling is chest and bicep day, then it's going to be back and tricep day, then it's going to be shoulders and abs day, and legs and abs day. I was able to just say it [to Galaxy AI] and then ask it to repeat this for X time frame and it kept me true to form. "Even at lunch breaks… because Bixby Routines knows I've got into the office, and it's coming up to around lunch time, it will make the suggestion of going for a walk. So these are small little things that I was able to implement. And especially when we pair it up with the improvements to Now Brief and Galaxy Watch. Yes, we must not forget about the other strand of Galaxy Unpacked — the new Galaxy Watch 8 series. "The watch is definitely a complementary factor when it comes to these devices. It looks sleek, it looks sexy as far as I'm concerned, with the stainless steel finish on the Watch 8 Classic. when I partner that up with probably a Silver Shadow Fold 7. It's going to look complete." For as much as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has improved on its predecessors, it's taken a step back by losing S Pen compatibility. But Beckford explained the reasoning: "When we look at the insights from what our customers were using on the Galaxy Z Fold series and what they wanted, fundamentally they wanted a thinner and lighter device. And with us we definitely pay attention and listen to our customers. So with those insights, we implemented what they asked." Now that he can talk about the phone openly, the last thing I wanted to know from Beckford was the first thing he'll show off once he's moved on to the Z Fold 7 from his current Galaxy S25 Edge. "I'll just show [people] the design. Fundamentally, it will be to put the phone in the palm of the hands of everyone. And I want their opinion and their reaction. It's easy for me to talk about all of the plus points on this device." "But I truly believe once people get it in the palm of their hands and they compare it year on year or even since 2019… they are going to be like, "Yeah, this is epic.""
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Tewkesbury animal charity hit with £12k bill over VAT dispute
An animal charity has been charged more than £12,000 after its energy provider said it had been paying the wrong rate of Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre in Beckford, near Tewkesbury, was informed by British Gas that it had incorrectly been paying VAT at the 5% charity rate, rather than the standard 20% founder Caroline Gould said she believed that although the centre operated a small shop, it was entitled to pay the lower rate because more than 60% of the premises are used for charitable Gas has been approached for comment. Ms Gould said that there had never previously been a problem over the matter before the backdated charge but British Gas said some of the site's activity is classed as a business, meaning it would now move to the higher VAT rate."As a charity, we've always submitted a VAT declaration and it's always been approved straight away. We did the same with British Gas when we started with them, which was in November 2023," Ms Gould added."The first thing we had was just an email saying that they no longer thought we were entitled to the 5% VAT anymore, so from now on, they would be taking the 20%."I opened the bank account one morning a couple of weeks ago and found that they'd taken £12,200 out of our account." Ms Gould said that she believed that the utility company had overlooked the fact that the charity raised significant funds outside of the hospital building."They can see from our accounts that we do a lot of sale of goods, but we've got two charity shops," she said."We sell on eBay, which is done by volunteers outside of the hospital. We go and do talks, which is outside of the hospital. We do outside fundraisers."So the vast majority of our sale of goods, as they've put it, is outside of the hospital. But they won't listen."Vale Wildlife Hospital, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024, relies on public donations to continue its work, with running costs of about £75,000 a treated more than 8,000 animals last year, including foxes, badgers, birds, rabbits and hedgehogs.
Leader Live
30-06-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Project to reinterpret slave trader statues in London launched
The City of London Corporation has launched Revealing The City's Past, its project to reinterpret the statues of slave traders former lord mayor William Beckford and former MP Sir John Cass. It reflects a commitment to historical accountability by the City Corporation for its role in the transatlantic trade in enslaved African people, the City Corporation said. At the City Corporation's Guildhall headquarters, plaques unveiled on Monday and fixed to the Beckford and Cass statues, acknowledge and condemn the men's role in the transatlantic trade in enslaved African people, the City Corporation said. The project's steering group, including Culture&, Creative Arts Social Consultancy, and the City Corporation, worked with the City Corporation's staff and local residents, and consulted inter-generational and accessibility panels to enable content from a range of different perspectives. Featuring texts by artist and heritage professional, Rachael Minott, the plaques are accompanied by poems from John Agard and Courtney Conrad. The project's digital platform offers visitors and online audiences a deeper exploration of the City's historic ties to slavery, the City Corporation added. The project's content brings Caribbean diaspora voices to the forefront and encourages reflection on how the legacy of enslavement continues to shape shared spaces, the City Corporation said. William Beckford was a two-time lord mayor of London in the late 1700s who accrued wealth from plantations in Jamaica and held African slaves. Sir John Cass was a 17th and 18th century merchant, MP and philanthropist who also profited from the slave trade. In January 2021, the City Corporation's primary decision-making body, the Court of Common Council, voted to remove the statues. However, after the then government later introduced its Retain and Explain policy, advising that public memorials should remain in place with added historical context, the City Corporation reconsidered. The Court of Common Council voted to keep the statues and develop the Revealing The City's Past project in response. Policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, Chris Hayward, said: 'This project has brought together many talented people, most importantly, voices from the Caribbean diaspora who have historically been excluded from the narrative on Beckford and Cass's legacy and wealth. We are deeply grateful for their expertise, creativity, and insight. 'The enormous wrongdoings of Beckford and Cass are laid bare by this project, leaving no doubt about the contempt in which these two men should be held. 'Against the wishes of many, these statues remain. 'Here at Guildhall, two slave traders still stand but we do not stand with them. 'We are fully committed to race equity and to making our spaces safe and welcoming for all.' Chairman of the City of London Corporation's culture, heritage, and libraries committee, Brendan Barns, said: 'These statues represent prejudice, cruelty, and greed. 'It cannot be denied that the City's links to slavery are a stain on our history, and we should never attempt to erase or gloss over the past. 'With the installation of these plaques and the creation of a wealth of online resources, we are taking positive action to educate current and future generations about this evil form of commerce.' Chief executive officer and artistic director of Culture&, Dr Errol Francis, said: 'Culture&'s involvement in this project to 'retain and explain' the statues in the City of London's Guildhall has called upon a wide range of our skills as well as our lived experience as people with ancestral links to the atrocities associated with the legacy of William Beckford and Sir John Cass. 'We have helped convene the inter-generational advisory panel, choose designers, commission poets, work on the editing of historical texts, and more still. 'We hope that this work will go some way towards explaining how London's merchants and politicians were involved in profiteering from the enslavement of Africans. 'We are aware of the historical importance of this work, from which we hope that the learning will inform the future policy and practice around contested heritage.'
South Wales Guardian
30-06-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Project to reinterpret slave trader statues in London launched
The City of London Corporation has launched Revealing The City's Past, its project to reinterpret the statues of slave traders former lord mayor William Beckford and former MP Sir John Cass. It reflects a commitment to historical accountability by the City Corporation for its role in the transatlantic trade in enslaved African people, the City Corporation said. At the City Corporation's Guildhall headquarters, plaques unveiled on Monday and fixed to the Beckford and Cass statues, acknowledge and condemn the men's role in the transatlantic trade in enslaved African people, the City Corporation said. The project's steering group, including Culture&, Creative Arts Social Consultancy, and the City Corporation, worked with the City Corporation's staff and local residents, and consulted inter-generational and accessibility panels to enable content from a range of different perspectives. Featuring texts by artist and heritage professional, Rachael Minott, the plaques are accompanied by poems from John Agard and Courtney Conrad. The project's digital platform offers visitors and online audiences a deeper exploration of the City's historic ties to slavery, the City Corporation added. The project's content brings Caribbean diaspora voices to the forefront and encourages reflection on how the legacy of enslavement continues to shape shared spaces, the City Corporation said. William Beckford was a two-time lord mayor of London in the late 1700s who accrued wealth from plantations in Jamaica and held African slaves. Sir John Cass was a 17th and 18th century merchant, MP and philanthropist who also profited from the slave trade. In January 2021, the City Corporation's primary decision-making body, the Court of Common Council, voted to remove the statues. However, after the then government later introduced its Retain and Explain policy, advising that public memorials should remain in place with added historical context, the City Corporation reconsidered. The Court of Common Council voted to keep the statues and develop the Revealing The City's Past project in response. Policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, Chris Hayward, said: 'This project has brought together many talented people, most importantly, voices from the Caribbean diaspora who have historically been excluded from the narrative on Beckford and Cass's legacy and wealth. We are deeply grateful for their expertise, creativity, and insight. 'The enormous wrongdoings of Beckford and Cass are laid bare by this project, leaving no doubt about the contempt in which these two men should be held. 'Against the wishes of many, these statues remain. 'Here at Guildhall, two slave traders still stand but we do not stand with them. 'We are fully committed to race equity and to making our spaces safe and welcoming for all.' Chairman of the City of London Corporation's culture, heritage, and libraries committee, Brendan Barns, said: 'These statues represent prejudice, cruelty, and greed. 'It cannot be denied that the City's links to slavery are a stain on our history, and we should never attempt to erase or gloss over the past. 'With the installation of these plaques and the creation of a wealth of online resources, we are taking positive action to educate current and future generations about this evil form of commerce.' Chief executive officer and artistic director of Culture&, Dr Errol Francis, said: 'Culture&'s involvement in this project to 'retain and explain' the statues in the City of London's Guildhall has called upon a wide range of our skills as well as our lived experience as people with ancestral links to the atrocities associated with the legacy of William Beckford and Sir John Cass. 'We have helped convene the inter-generational advisory panel, choose designers, commission poets, work on the editing of historical texts, and more still. 'We hope that this work will go some way towards explaining how London's merchants and politicians were involved in profiteering from the enslavement of Africans. 'We are aware of the historical importance of this work, from which we hope that the learning will inform the future policy and practice around contested heritage.'
Rhyl Journal
30-06-2025
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Project to reinterpret slave trader statues in London launched
The City of London Corporation has launched Revealing The City's Past, its project to reinterpret the statues of slave traders former lord mayor William Beckford and former MP Sir John Cass. It reflects a commitment to historical accountability by the City Corporation for its role in the transatlantic trade in enslaved African people, the City Corporation said. At the City Corporation's Guildhall headquarters, plaques unveiled on Monday and fixed to the Beckford and Cass statues, acknowledge and condemn the men's role in the transatlantic trade in enslaved African people, the City Corporation said. The project's steering group, including Culture&, Creative Arts Social Consultancy, and the City Corporation, worked with the City Corporation's staff and local residents, and consulted inter-generational and accessibility panels to enable content from a range of different perspectives. Featuring texts by artist and heritage professional, Rachael Minott, the plaques are accompanied by poems from John Agard and Courtney Conrad. The project's digital platform offers visitors and online audiences a deeper exploration of the City's historic ties to slavery, the City Corporation added. The project's content brings Caribbean diaspora voices to the forefront and encourages reflection on how the legacy of enslavement continues to shape shared spaces, the City Corporation said. William Beckford was a two-time lord mayor of London in the late 1700s who accrued wealth from plantations in Jamaica and held African slaves. Sir John Cass was a 17th and 18th century merchant, MP and philanthropist who also profited from the slave trade. In January 2021, the City Corporation's primary decision-making body, the Court of Common Council, voted to remove the statues. However, after the then government later introduced its Retain and Explain policy, advising that public memorials should remain in place with added historical context, the City Corporation reconsidered. The Court of Common Council voted to keep the statues and develop the Revealing The City's Past project in response. Policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, Chris Hayward, said: 'This project has brought together many talented people, most importantly, voices from the Caribbean diaspora who have historically been excluded from the narrative on Beckford and Cass's legacy and wealth. We are deeply grateful for their expertise, creativity, and insight. 'The enormous wrongdoings of Beckford and Cass are laid bare by this project, leaving no doubt about the contempt in which these two men should be held. 'Against the wishes of many, these statues remain. 'Here at Guildhall, two slave traders still stand but we do not stand with them. 'We are fully committed to race equity and to making our spaces safe and welcoming for all.' Chairman of the City of London Corporation's culture, heritage, and libraries committee, Brendan Barns, said: 'These statues represent prejudice, cruelty, and greed. 'It cannot be denied that the City's links to slavery are a stain on our history, and we should never attempt to erase or gloss over the past. 'With the installation of these plaques and the creation of a wealth of online resources, we are taking positive action to educate current and future generations about this evil form of commerce.' Chief executive officer and artistic director of Culture&, Dr Errol Francis, said: 'Culture&'s involvement in this project to 'retain and explain' the statues in the City of London's Guildhall has called upon a wide range of our skills as well as our lived experience as people with ancestral links to the atrocities associated with the legacy of William Beckford and Sir John Cass. 'We have helped convene the inter-generational advisory panel, choose designers, commission poets, work on the editing of historical texts, and more still. 'We hope that this work will go some way towards explaining how London's merchants and politicians were involved in profiteering from the enslavement of Africans. 'We are aware of the historical importance of this work, from which we hope that the learning will inform the future policy and practice around contested heritage.'
