#but this Exact Image has been rattling around in my head since i was 15&it decided to come out now so who am i to deny that?

[mg549]

land of threads and consciousness

[purplefangirl42]

Fazed (Part 15)

Series Summary: With Anakin out of commission and Obi-Wan sent  elsewhere, the 501st needs a new General. Lena Orim has stepped up to  take Anakin's place and has rattled the 501st's usually stoic Captain  Rex. His feelings are not one-sided, which may lead to some questionable decisions.

Pairing: Captain Rex/Jedi! OC (Lena Orim)

Parts: Series Masterlist ~ PREVIOUS ~ NEXT ~

Part 15 Summary: Conversations and heart-to-hearts lead to both closure and pain.

Warnings/Tags: Dialogue Heavy, Mentions of cruel behavior, Misunderstandings, Slight Angst

A/N: Many thank yous to @silcoitus for beta reading for me!

Lena and Rex spent the following few hours talking about everything and nothing. She listened to him talk about the crazy antics that Anakin put him through and gave him tales in return of embarrassing stories from Anakin’s childhood. She told him of the time Blaze had tried to eat Keebo’s spicy cooking and nearly set his mouth on fire, which led him to share the story of how he and Cody had gotten stuck in an air vent as cadets. 

Knowing she didn’t have much more time to spend with him before they went their separate ways, Lena cherished each laugh as Rex remembered something funny and she found herself smiling every time he looked at her. It had been quite a while since she had felt this at ease, and she wanted to make it last.

“You keep telling me things about other people,” Rex said. “You haven’t said much about yourself.”

Lena thought over the conversation and realized that he was right. Most of her stories had been about Keebo, Anakin, Obi-Wan, or one of her men. She didn’t really know what to say about herself, not knowing what would be interesting for him to hear.

“The important things in my life have to do with the people I care about,” she said. “What could I say about myself that wouldn’t feel like I was filling out a survey?”

“How did you get the scar on your arm?” he asked.

“We’re back to talking about scars?” Lena said with an amused smile. “You don’t want to know what my favorite color is or something like that?”

Rex rolled his eyes and gave her a pointed look.

“It’s blue by the way.”

“How convenient that I wear a lot of blue,” Rex said.

“Yes, very convenient.”

The two of them stared at each other for a few moments before Lena reached up and pulled at the loose neckline of her shirt. She pulled it down to expose her right bicep, where a dark line marred the pale skin.

“I assume this is the scar you’re talking about?” she asked. “You aren’t the only one that gets shot off of speeder bikes. I was on a mission a few months ago, and was riding on the back of a speeder when some droids knocked some rocks into our path. I was lifting the rocks so we could get through and one of the droids that was following us shot me in the arm, knocking me off the speeder. The rest of my group managed to escape, but I was blocked by the falling debris.”

Lena saw Rex wince at the mention of her flying off a moving speeder bike so she gave him an encouraging smile.

“While it did hurt a lot, I’ve been through worse. One of the members of the team I was working with managed to get me away safely and he even helped bandage my wound afterwards.”

As she told Rex what had happened, memories flooded Lena’s mind. Memories of wiry arms wrapped around her midsection; of warm, practiced fingers carefully tending to her arm; heavy, intense stares from a pair of eyes the exact color of the man across from her. Lena shook her head rapidly in an effort to clear the images from her mind and pulled her shirt back up, covering the scar.

“Everything alright?” Rex asked.

Lena gave him a small smile and reached out to take his hand. The warm, calloused skin felt good against her own. It was reassuring and real. She could count on him, she could trust him. Rex was more than an idea or a lingering possibility, he was here.

“Everything’s fine,” Lena said. “Just got a little lost in my own head for a moment there.”

“I have a question about what goes on with your head,” Rex said.

“Is it about my hair?” Lena said jokingly. “Because I have questions about yours.”

She heard Rex sigh, which she responded to with a mischievous grin.

“I’m sorry, Rex. What did you want to ask?”

Rex took Lena’s other hand in his, forcing her to face him directly as they sat opposite on the bed. His sudden seriousness concerned her, her grin fading from her face as she tilted her head curiously, awaiting his question.

“Last night, you said something about separating our feelings. You said that you would explain it later. I want to know what you meant, if you’re comfortable explaining it.”

A sense of relief flashing through Lena, a bit brief as it was pushed aside by the concern emanating from the man across from her. She could understand why he could possibly be worried about what she had said with no context.

“How much do you know about what Jedi sense through the force?” she asked. “About how we sense emotions and thoughts of those around us?”

“I know some, but for the sake of this conversation, pretend I don’t know much of anything.”

Lena took a deep breath as she contemplated the best way to explain this to him. It wasn’t usually a subject of conversation with people outside of the order. Usually she was speaking to those who had the ability to feel the world around them already and understood a fraction of what she felt. 

“Every living being is connected through the force, some more than others depending on how the force flows through them. Certain Jedi have special abilities that focus on certain aspects of the force. Some gain memories from items they touch, some have strong connections with animals and nature, and some can accomplish feats that no one has ever heard of before. I have an ability where I can feel the emotions of others as if they are my own without even trying.”

Lena could see a sense of understanding dawn on Rex’s face. She could feel some of the concern disappearing, which eased her mind.

“When I said I needed to separate our feelings, I meant that I needed to ensure that what I was feeling was truly coming from me and not just an extension of your feelings. It would have led to complications and hurt feelings if we acted on those feelings, only to discover that they were truly one-sided.”

“And you’re certain that they aren’t?” Rex asked hesitatingly. “They go both ways?”

Lena smiled and released one of his hands, raising it to cup his cheek.

“I’m certain.”

Rex let out a long sigh and Lena could both see and feel the relief in him. She wondered if he had been worried about that exact thing, that she had acted on his feelings alone. 

“I appreciate you asking, Rex. Never hesitate to ask. Feelings don’t always explain the meaning behind themselves, so if I don’t have the words to go along with them, I could assume the wrong thing.”

Rex nodded and reached up his hand to place it against hers, pulling it forward and placing a kiss on her palm. 

“I suppose the same goes for you. I definitely can’t read your mind, so you’ll have to tell me how you’re feeling.”

Lena laughed softly, pulling her hands out of his grasp and standing from the bed. She stretched her arms up over her head, feeling her spine pop from the movement. She grabbed the dishes and trash they had generated and began to clean up a bit. They still had a while before they would reach Coruscant, but she felt the need to do something.

“Not to put a damper on this pajama party,” she said. “But I’m getting dressed.”

Lena moved over to the drawers built into the wall of her quarters and started removing items, draping them over her arm as she went. She could feel Rex’s gaze on her as she gathered everything, watching her every move. When she had retrieved all her clothes, she walked back over to the bed and plopped the pile down. Rex looked at the pile with a raised brow.

“You wear a lot of clothes,” he said.

“Coming from the man that wears an entire set of armor most of the time?”

Rex shrugged, seemingly agreeing with her before he stood up from the bed as well and walked in the direction of the fresher. Lena stripped off her sleeping clothes before starting on her many layers. She had on only her undergarments when Rex returned, having retrieved the top half of the blacks she had given him. He gave her body an appreciative look, his eyes scanning her entire form.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she scolded. “I’m trying to put clothes on. I don’t need you undressing what little I have on with your eyes.”

Rex held up his hands defensively and sat back down on the edge of the bed to wait for her. Lena pulled on her thermal undershirt and long socks before pulling her pants on, tucking the shirt in. Her tunic, a long-sleeved light brown one, went on and was also tucked in. Her darker colored wrap was next, followed by the even darker overdress. Her belt was the last thing added, and she didn’t feel her wrist bracers were necessary at this time.

“I don’t understand how you could ever be cold with all those layers on,” Rex said. “I just wear the one layer under my armor most of the time and even that is too much sometimes.”

“Remind me to show you how cold my hands and feet can get sometimes,” Lena said. “You’ll probably add another few layers to me yourself.”

Rex reached out and took one of her hands, holding it between his palms.

“I’ll keep your hands warm for you anytime you need,” he said.

Lena leaned down and kissed him softly before pulling her hand away and heading in the direction of the fresher to grab her hair brush. She swiftly undid the long braid and got to work on running the brush through the thick strands. Rex watched her as she worked through a few tangles, and she swore she saw him wince a few times.

“By the way, I never got to ask my question about your hair,” Lena said. “Is it naturally blond like that or do you have to constantly color it? With how short it is, I imagine that would be a lot of upkeep.”

Rex ran his hand over the patch of fuzz that covered his head. Lena knew his hair would be soft curls if he let it grow out, and she longed for the opportunity to do such a thing.

“I actually use a special kind of dye,” Rex explained. “It lasts for a very long time and doesn’t fade. Eventually the roots do grow out, but I have a special supplier.”

“Oh?” 

“Kix is dating this girl who is a hair-stylist. Which is funny to me that she has that job, because she’s a Togruta and doesn’t have any hair herself. He gets the dye from her.”

“Keebo does my hair for me all the time,” Lena said. “It can be fun to experience that when you don’t have it yourself.”

“I suppose.”

“I’ll have to tell Sparx and Blaze about that dye. Their hair takes so much maintenance, especially Blaze’s, since he has to lighten it first before he adds the orange.”

“Sparx?” Rex asked. “Is he one of your men?”

Lena put the finishing touches on her hairstyle and returned the brush to its location. 

“I forget you haven’t met him yet! Sparx is our resident ARC trooper. Both he and Chip have been with Keebo and I from the beginning of the war, even before we officially joined the GAR. He was away for some training, but I’m sure you’ll meet him soon.”

“I look forward to it,” Rex said as Lena walked over to where he was sitting. “I’m sure everyone has interesting stories to tell me about you that you won’t share yourself.”

Lena scrunched her nose at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I promise, my stories are not exciting,” she said. “I’m actually very boring.”

“Somehow, I doubt that.”

Lena leaned in to kiss him again when her comm started to go off on the bedside table. She furrowed her brow in confusion, wondering who would be calling her. Everyone on the ship knew to leave her alone for now and most of the others she would talk to would be seeing her soon enough when they reached Coruscant. She released her hold on Rex and walked over to answer the buzzing comm. A voice she recognized as Senator Organa’s assistant came through.

“Forgive me for bothering you, Lady Orim,” she said. “I know you are on your way back to Coruscant now, but apparently this cannot wait until then.”

“What is it that can’t wait until tomorrow?” Lena asked, annoyance in her tone.

She wasn’t annoyed at the assistant, but at who she knew was likely the cause of this call. There were very few people that would be this insistent to get a hold of her, and she was related to both of them.

“Lord Titus Morell has been calling every few hours, insisting that he talk to you. He won’t tell me what about but insists that it’s urgent.”

Lena rolled her eyes. There was never anything truly urgent that she needed to deal with in her work within the Alderaanian government, especially since taking on the role of the General of the 394th, but Titus always made everything seem like an emergency.

“I’ll send the forwarding information for my office here aboard the Monitor,” she said. “You can let him know that I will speak with him within the hour.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the assistant said. “Again, I apologize for bothering you.”

“It’s not your fault he’s so annoying,” Lena said.

She could swear she heard a cough on the other end, which was likely an effort to cover up a laugh. She ended the call and tossed her comm back onto the bedside table. Turning to face Rex, she gave him an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry, Rex. I was going to suggest we get some proper food and go grab some lunch, but it seems I have duties to deal with.”

“What was that all about?” he asked. “Seemed official. More political than military.”

“I’ll explain later,” Lena promised. “But right now I need to deal with a very annoying, stuffy man. Why don’t you head down to the mess and get yourself some food? I’ll come join you if I finish in a reasonable time.”

Rex watched Lena walk away after they parted ways. There was still so much he didn’t know about her life, such as what kind of business she was currently going to deal with. He was eager to learn everything he could about her, but she seemed to almost be withholding information unless he directly asked her about it. He had a feeling she wasn’t used to having new people in her life that she didn’t spend all of her time with. It was something they would just have to work through together. 

Finding his way to the mess hall, Rex acquired some food to satisfy the gnawing hunger in his belly. The ration packs that he and Lena had shared earlier had taken the edge off, but he needed more than just that to keep himself going. GAR issued meals weren’t the most satisfying, but they were full of nutrients, so he suspected that was more important than tasting good. Lena had mentioned that Keebo liked to cook, especially spicy things, so maybe he would get some flavorful meals in the future.

Rex found a mostly empty table and sat down. There weren’t many men in the mess at this time, but he still wanted to have some space to himself. His wishes were denied, however, when someone sat down across from him. When he looked up, Rex found himself face-to-face with Admiral Yung. He supposed there was no chance of convincing the other man to give him some solitude, so he didn’t even bother mentioning it.

“Admiral,” he said in greeting.

“Captain.”

Despite being in the mess, the Admiral did not have a tray in front of him. He only had a cup of what Rex assumed was caf. With nothing to occupy himself with, he was focused on Rex himself. His gaze was a bit unnerving for Rex, who suddenly felt like he was under a microscope. He remembered his conversation with Lena about Yung being aware that something had happened between the two of them. Rex hoped this wasn’t some kind of sign that he was going to get reprimanded.

“It seems that you and the General have become quite close during your time together,” Yung said, lifting his cup to take a sip of his caf. “I believe she’s fond of you.”

Rex narrowed his eyes, wondering briefly if the Admiral had read his mind. He brushed off the thought and tried to regain his composure so as to not give away more than he needed.

“She is a very kind person,” he said. “And she and General Skywalker are close, so it would be a good thing for us to get along, would it not?”

“Usually, getting along does not lead to love bites on someone’s neck.”

Rex nearly choked on his food at Yung’s statement, coughing to clear his throat before glancing up to meet his gaze.

“I wasn’t born yesterday, Captain. I know the two of you are more than platonic,” Yung said. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with anything, I see no issue.”

Rex stared at the other man silently for a moment, surprised by his comment. Lena had said that Yung wouldn’t make a fuss about them, but hearing it from the man himself was a completely different matter.

“I believe non-fraternization rules have their place,” Yung continued. “But if everyone is consenting and there’s no drama that can’t be dealt with like adults, workplace relationships can lead to very fruitful relationships.”

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” Rex said.

The corner of Yung’s mouth quirked up slightly, the most emotion Rex had seen from him in their short acquaintance. 

“I met my wife when we were both serving the Republic. I was military, she was medical. It led to a happy marriage and two beautiful daughters. Though I still miss her, I am reminded of her and the good times we had together when I am working. If you have to be somewhere all the time, you may as well find something to make it bearable.”

Rex nodded in agreement, not really sure what to say. He was surprised that Yung was sharing such a personal tidbit of his life when they barely knew each other. He couldn’t remember any personal conversations with Admiral Yularen ever taking place. They were all business, all the time.

“I’ll let you eat your lunch in peace,” Yung said, standing with his cup in his hand. “General Orim is a kind person, as you said. She deserves to be happy.”

This was not the first time Rex had heard this sentiment from someone close to Lena. The fact that multiple people seemed concerned with her happiness warmed his heart. He was glad that she had such people in her corner. However, it also made him sad to think about the fact that she had been so unhappy that this sentiment was necessary. 

“Good day, Captain,” Yung said before walking away, leaving Rex alone once again.

Rex ate his meal in silence, lost in his own thoughts. He was so caught up in what he was thinking about, that he didn’t notice that he was no longer alone. A pair of troopers sat down at his table a short ways down. Their conversation was mundane, but it was something to help him get out of his own head. Rex bowed his head and covertly listened to what the troopers were talking about.

“You know that chick, Maisy?” 

“The Zeltron guard dog that practically lives at 79’s? Yeah, what about her?”

“My girl is friends with her and they were talking about this guy that apparently is bad news.”

“Is it that skinny guy from the squad of weirdos we worked with that one time? Cuz she hangs out with him a lot, and if anyone would be bad news, it would be that guy.”

“No, not him. Some other guy. Didn’t hear what his name was, but he seemed like a real piece of work. Apparently, he searches for girls that are vulnerable and makes them believe he’s going to make their whole lives better. Then, he just leaves them the next morning, laughing at them for falling for his lies.”

“What an ass. I’m surprised Maisy hasn’t kicked the crap out of him yet. I looked at a girl wrong once, according to her at least, and she was giving me the stink eye for months.”

“Apparently, she tried to get him banned, but the owner said he couldn’t ban clones from the clone bar.”

“Wait, this guy is a clone?”

Rex was quickly getting bored of this conversation. He had heard about this guy before from a few of his men. He had never come across him and, like the men at his table, didn’t know his name. He didn’t want to know him either from what he’d heard about him. Just as he was about to get up from the table, he heard something else that grabbed his attention.

“You don’t think it’s him, do you? He doesn’t seem like the type.”

“Blond buzzcut, ARC trooper, blue paint on his armor, and I’m pretty sure there’s an X in his name somewhere.”

Rex froze as he heard those words. It almost sounded like they were describing him. He had no idea what this guy looked like, but it seemed like the two of them had a lot in common, at least physically. 

“There was a rumor that this guy has a list of ‘conquests’ that he hopes to achieve. It would not surprise me if a Jedi was on the list.”

“You don’t think the General would fall for that kind of thing would you? Surely she’s smarter than that.”

“Depends on how good the lie is.”

Rex couldn’t listen anymore. This conversation was getting dangerously close to slander and he would not have these lies told about him, especially not where Lena could possibly overhear them.

“Do you two think it is wise to talk about someone when they could be sitting right next to you?” he asked, his anger simmering. “Especially someone who outranks you?”

The two troopers stared at him blankly, one of them opening his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted before he could say anything.

“Exactly, you never know who might overhear.”

All three men whipped their heads in the direction of the new voice and Rex felt his heat sink when he saw Lena standing a short distance away. He panicked, wondering how much she had heard and if she had reached the same conclusion her men had.

“Sorry, General,” one of the troopers said. “We didn’t mean any harm.”

Lena wasn’t looking at the man that was speaking to her. She was looking directly at Rex.

“No harm done,” she said. “Excuse me.”

Rex watched in horror as she turned and walked away from him without another word. He couldn’t exactly yell for her to stop or chase after her. Creating any kind of scene would blow their cover, and there was no guarantee she would listen to him anyways. 

He was trapped.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this part! Please reblog, like, and comment! If you would like to be added to the taglist, go here.

Taglist: @jonesandjoanna​ , @photogirl894​, @twinkyssideblog, @baba-fett, @trixie2023

[leapesportif]

iPhone 11 vs iPhone X - and Why I Didn't Buy the iPhone 11 Pro

iPhone 11 vs iPhone X - and Why I Didn't Buy the iPhone 11 Pro

I’ll start off be talking briefly about my experience with the iPhone X.

Just over two years since Apple launched it’s flagship phone, featuring a new design, new construction and heavily updated hardware, the makers of all things sexy (that man can legally pay money for anyway) have released the iPhone 11.

While the iPhone 11 may not be distinctly different to any of its predecessors, the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max certainly are - just flip them over and take a look at the back - you’ll know what i mean.

Having got my hands on my iPhone X at launch in 2017, my excitement was quickly culled by a screen issue. Well, basically, it didn’t work - apart from flashing and showing me a few colourful lines, i couldn’t really use it.

A trip to the Apple Store, and an amusing comment about Samsung having supplied the screens for the X, i left with a new replacement.

Two weeks later, i was back at the Apple Store with exactly the same problem! I started November 2017 with an iPhone 7, and entered December on my third(!) iPhone X.

This third handset served me well, and didn’t really miss a beat until the summer of this year - then the problem began…

First, Face ID failed. It took me a couple of days to realise that every time i opened my phone, i had to use the passcode.

I made an appointment with apple, and they diagnosed a problem with the Face ID sensor - this despite the fact that Animoji’s still worked flawlessly! This was something no-one could really explain, and owing to the €585 repair cost from Apple, the nice employee there whispered that i could get €500 cash back for my iPhone X and then i could use the money to buy a different handset - the iPhone XR.

Now, i had done my homework before making this trip to the Genius Bar. I know, at worst, the Face ID sensor would cost around €90, and i’m no stranger to taking apart iPhones (I have daughters who like to break the screens on the things), so i thought i would repair it myself.

One hour, and €24 later, i had installed the new Face ID sensor, which by the way also contains the front camera and proximity sensor (the part which automatically adjusts the brightness, and plays voice messages through the ear piece when you lift the phone to your head). The problem still remained. Everything worked as it should - just no Face ID.

I decided to leave things as they were - there was no way i was paying Apples repair cost - they would probably have done the exact same thing i just did, with the same result!

Going back two months ago, the shit really started to hit the fan as far as my phone was concerned!

I noticed apps were complaining about not being able to use location services. Sure enough, when i opened maps i had no location. My family couldn’t find me anymore on apples stalking service either! GPS dead now too?

Then, sure enough, the next problem occurred. And then the next. And then the next.

At the point where it (or I) finally gave up, my as new on the outside, but completly rotten on the inside, boasted the following list of ailments:

Face ID sensor failure

Proximity sensor failure

GPS failure

Battery in 'service' condition

It rattled (?)

Battery from full would run down to 3% in a matter of minutes, then stay at 3% for several hours

SIM card not recognised / Searching for network

Screen hanged or shudder while animating

Gyroscopic senor failure (this is a guess, but when you picked the phone up and tilted it in any way it would swith off)

Eventually, 10 days ago, my iPhone X decided enough is enough, and refused to switch on for any longer than flashing the Apple logo at me for a second or two.

So, with all this in mind, a had to pull the trigger and get a new iPhone - but which of the iPhone 11 range would be best suited to me?

Being a photographer of course, the new tripple lens system of the 11 Pro really appealed. However, the standard Pro has the same size as the X, and i wanted more real-estate under my thumbs. So, the Pro Max was clearly the way to go right? Wrong. Here's why. In one sentence. 4 characters...

€450

Yes, four-hundred-and-fifty-euros is what Apple deems a necessary bounty over the price of the standard iPhone 11. Why? Well, that's the big question! The short answer: A bigger, better screen, bigger battery (of course, it's a bigger phone) and the tripple lens rear camera.

My reasons for wanting the Pro Max were the camera system and the big-assed screen. However, there are two points of contention here for me where it makes it really difficult to justify the extra money:

1. The Pro Max features the tripple lens camera. BUT, the sparkly new toy of the ultrawide lens is available on the standard 11 at the cost of the telephoto lens of it's predecessor. The wide angle lens is the toy i wanted most, and the standard wide angle lens of the 11 is stablised and has up to 5x digital zoom - which in fairness is only really usable up to 2x - which is perfectly acceptable in most use cases.

2. The 11 is built around the chassis of the iPhone XR - which makes it, and therefore it's screen bigger that that of the iPhone 11 Pro. It's not that easy for me to understand why apple did this - they must of had a bunch of unused X and XR chassis hanging around in storage somewhere.

Of course, the 11 Pro Max is better, but just how much better? Here's a little, to-the-point-comparision to help you decide:

The Pro Max (both Pro's) has more RAM 6GB vs 4GB

The Pro Max has a better screen: 6.5'' vs 6.1'', 1242x2688 463dpi vs 828x1792 324dpi resolution and Retina vs LCD (as far as screen sizes go....it's a bigger phone! The 11 Pro for reference has a 5.8'' 463dpi retina display with 1125x2436 resolution.)

The 11 has the Aluminium/Glass construction, similar to that of the iPhone XR vs Stainless Steel / Glass akin to the rest of the X series - is this really a big concern?

Both Pro handsets have the tripple camera system - which we already covered.

The 11 Pro Max has 3400mAh battery - again, like the screen, it's a bigger phone, and that bigger screen needs more power - so this makes sense - and is it really an issue. The extra juice equates to about 3 hours more contiuous use over the 11 standard.

The forces swinging in favour of the 11 Standard vs the 11 Pro Max

Massive price saving - on contract up to €15 per month.

Same A13 processor as the Pro's.

Same 12mp f2.2 front facing camera with up to 120fps (in 1080p) video

Lighter weight compared to the Pros

Same 4k 60fps capability with the rear camera array.

Waterproof - just like the Pro's, allbeit up to two meters and not 4.

Same sound system as the Pro's.

Range of colours available (not that important to most).

All in all, my decision to pull the trigger on the 11 over the 11 Pro Max was influenced by not being able to justify the higher cost against the better quality screen, which most users won't notice anyway, and the extra camera, which the majority of users wouldn't miss either. Plus, i don't think i have any pants or jackets with pockets big enough for the Pro Max, which would mean i'd need to buy one of those silly round-the-neck-pouch-thingies!

Living with the iPhone 11

Well, it's been a good start!

There are, needless to say, some really noticable improvements in this phone when comparted to my iPhone X - apart from the obvious fact that it works!

The A13 processor is markedly faster than the A11 of the X. Lightning fast in fact. This has, so far, been most noticable for me when using Face ID. You look at the phone and it opens in the exact instant your face is in front of it. 4GB of RAM, compared to 3GB in X certainly play a role here too.

The screen is clear, sharp and blacks are nicer than on the X dispite only having an IPS LCD here - i really see no real disadvantage of not having the OLED of the X - it really is a pleasant experience. The larger screen of the 11 is really nice to have in a phone that is only 20g heavier. A 3110mAh battery means extra play-time when compared to the 2617mAh cell in the X. And the final, really noticable thing is the front camera. Snapping a selfie for the Mrs, it really is noticable there is an addition 5mp in the front camera!

So, what about the camera?

This is where things get fun.

Enter the camera app, and you're by default in the standard wide angle mode. Hit the 1x button to jump to ultra wide angle, and, fuuuuuuck! How does that happen! I love having a really wide, border fish-eye lens on a DSLR - and this thing is just as much fun!

Even though the screen is of a lesser resolution and pixel-density when compared to the iPhone X, images and videos just look so much better. This is potentially down to the new, faster A13 Processor combining with the new IPS LCD.

Portrait mode looks great and focuses better and faster than before. Although the filters on offer in portrait mode still leave something to be desired! One really cool feature of portrait mode, is now you can adjust the aperture when editing the shot afterwards, this adjusts how blurred the background is, which is pretty cool!

We also now have the ability to shoot 4k video at 60fps, which means when using the clips in editing software you can slow these down to 24-30fps and have slow motion which remains crystal clear and natively in 4k resolution!

As mentioned, the iPhone 11 packs 2 cameras, but unlike the X the 2x Optical telephone lens has given way to an ultra wide angle lens.

The specs:

26mm f1.8 Wide Angle, 6 element lens with 100% focus coverage and on-board image stabilisation. Focus areas as before can be selected in the camera app. This lens uses Apples new Deep Fusion engine. There’s no setting for this, and it only works with the ‘Photo Capture Outside the Frame’ turned off - more on this soon!

13mm f2.4 Ultra Wide Angle, 5 element lens with 120 degree field of view. Focusing on this lens is Phase Detection auto-focus. Which essential means you can't, and don't need to select your focus area. Selecting areas of the screen while in Ultra Wide will of course set your exposure levels as always in iOS.

Night Mode

Night mode is only available when using the default wide-angle lens. It effectively lengthens the shutter speed depending on what the phone decides the available light is. It really does work well, but i suspect there is some serious ISO hocus pocus going on behind the scenes, which could have a negative effect on what you can achieve in this mode.

So, be warned, Night Mode is cool, but your phone is slowing down it’s shutter speed, and it can shoot at 10 seconds depending on the light - so you need to keep still. The on board stabilisation of the wide angle lens will help you out to a degree - but anything over 2 seconds (which is shown in the moon logo on the top of the screen, and you’re gonna need some kind of tripod.).

Ready for something clever? And confusing?

Deep Fusion. Yeah we mentioned that already. Some kind of Apple hocus pocus going on in the background that only those in cahoots with the dark arts will understand. It makes pictures with the default lens look sexier - and that’s about it. We don’t need to know any more.

BUT

The camera has one final cool-assed feature…

When shooting in a 4:3 or similar ratio, the phone will effectively take an image of everything outside of the ratio up to the maximum ratio available. This means, you can come back later and expand the crop of an image to add the parts that were outside the frame of the original shot. Neat. Watch out though - this feature only works when it’s activated in the camera settings in the settings menu. Aaaaand when it is active, then Deep Fusion is no longer active! I said it was confusing right?!

Missing 3d touch?

Yup! It’s gone. Did you ever used to test your strength by pressing the bathroom weighing scales as hard as you could? Well, that experience with the iPhone has finally been taking away from us. Is it an issue? Well, we used to long press things to get them to move or provide an expanded menu so i’m not really seeing the issue. Many have complained, but many also complained when the headphone jack disappeared. No-one died right?

Conclusion

Well, it’s early days, and as you’ve seen by my two lazy-arsed pictures taken with the phone to demonstrate the wide-angle lens, i’ve not done much shooting with it. But i’m excited to. The ultra wide angle lens looks a lot of fun!

For users of the iPhone X, upgrading to the 11 is a must! For XR/XS users, if you don’t care too much for taking pictures then stay maybe stay where you are. The speed advantages of the new processor are really cool if you’re into gaming, but otherwise, sit it out - in September you’ll most likely be able to get the 11 at a bargain price.

If you’ve money to throw away, then get the normal iPhone 11 and send me the €450! Of course, if you’re a rapper, then your trousers will most likely have pockets large enough to accommodate the 11 Pro Max’s girth!

Get the iPhone 11 here!

[deniscollins]

He Leaked a Photo of Rick Perry Hugging a Coal Executive. Then He Lost His Job.

If you were a photographer for the Department of Energy and took pictures at a private meeting between the Energy Secretary and the head of one of the country’s largest coal mining companies which included a photo of some confidential documents, would you share the pictures with journalists because you thought it demonstrated how the administration’s energy policy now favored coal companies: (1) Yes, (2) No? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

As a photographer for the Department of Energy, Simon Edelman regularly attended meetings with Secretary Rick Perry and snapped pictures for official purposes.

Now he is out of a job and seeking whistle-blower protections after leaking photographs of Mr. Perry meeting with a major energy industry donor to President Trump.

Late last year, Mr. Edelman said, he shared with journalists photos he shot at the private meeting between Mr. Perry and the campaign contributor Robert E. Murray, the head of one of the country’s largest coal mining companies, Murray Energy.

One photo showed the two men embracing; another captured the cover sheet of a confidential “action plan” that Mr. Murray brought to the meeting last March calling for policy and regulatory changes friendly to the coal industry.

Democrats and some environmental groups seized on the photos as evidence of the energy industry’s direct line to Mr. Perry, who had been in the job less than a month when the meeting occurred.

Mr. Edelman, who has not previously disclosed his identity as the source of the photographs, said in an interview that he wanted to expose the close relationship between the two men. Based on the “action plan” and conversations he overheard, Mr. Edelman said, Mr. Perry had tilted the administration’s energy policy to favor Murray Energy and other coal companies.

“It seemed like that was the right thing to do — exercising my First Amendment rights to get the information out there,” said Mr. Edelman, who had worked at the agency since 2015 and whose job included photographing events that the agency promoted in news releases, on the web and elsewhere.

The day after the photos were published by In These Times, a liberal magazine, the Energy Department put Mr. Edelman on administrative leave, seized his personal laptop and escorted him out of its headquarters in Washington, he said. He was later told, without explanation, that his employment agreement had not been renewed, internal agency emails show.

Mr. Edelman has now filed a complaint with the Energy Department’s inspector general and, according to his lawyer, is seeking protections provided to federal whistle-blowers. On its website, the Energy Department notes that it is illegal to retaliate against whistle-blowers, who are typically protected when they alert a supervisor or the inspector general to information that they reasonably believe to constitute an abuse of authority, or other misconduct.

In the complaint, Mr. Edelman accuses the agency of retaliation and asks for his job back or at least to recover his laptop and other personal belongings. In addition, Mr. Edelman accused a former colleague of encouraging him to delete the photos of Mr. Perry and Mr. Murray, which Mr. Edelman and his lawyer argue are public records.

The Energy Department declined to discuss the circumstances surrounding Mr. Edelman’s employment, the status of the photos or the details of his complaint, but a spokeswoman characterized his accusations as “ridiculous.” Mr. Edelman supported his complaint with emails and other documents, but some claims were based on his statements alone.

“They are based on his own subjective opinions and personal agenda,” the spokeswoman, Shaylyn Hynes, said in an email. “Industry and other stakeholders visit the Department of Energy on a daily basis. The secretary welcomes their input and feedback to strengthen the American energy sector. This meeting was no different.”

A spokesman for Mr. Murray said the coal executive “does not have a recollection as to the exact statements allegedly made nearly a year ago.” The spokesman, Gary Broadbent, added that “Mr. Murray has frequently said that the Trump administration must advance reliable and low-cost electricity for all Americans and protect coal mining jobs.”

The confidential documents Mr. Murray brought to his meeting with Mr. Perry called for “rescinding anti-coal regulations of the Obama administration” and cutting the staff of the Environmental Protection Agency “in at least half,” according to portions visible in Mr. Edelman’s photographs.

Last week, The New York Times obtained a copy of a separate memo written by Mr. Murray, and reported that the Trump administration had completed or was on track to fulfill most of the 16 policy and regulatory requests contained in it. Mr. Murray told The Times the two memos essentially covered the same material.

Mr. Edelman, a Democrat, came to the Energy Department under President Barack Obama two years ago after producing videos at a consulting firm in Chicago and serving as creative director for the electoral campaign of former Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois. After Mr. Trump’s election, Mr. Edelman said, he received greater responsibility, including photographing Mr. Perry’s meetings.

Mr. Edelman’s complaint offers a behind-the-scenes look at the meeting on March 29 between Mr. Perry and Mr. Murray, who have been friendly for many years. In addition to his company contributing $300,000 to the president’s inauguration — and personally holding a fund-raiser for Mr. Trump during the campaign — Mr. Murray has been a financial backer of Mr. Perry, a former governor of Texas who has also run for president.

In a statement, Mr. Murray’s spokesman said the company had supported Republicans “who have been staunch defenders of the United States coal industry, and the jobs and family livelihoods that depend on it, and low-cost, reliable, fuel secure electricity for all Americans.”

The meeting started, the complaint said, with Mr. Perry giving Mr. Murray “a deep bear hug.” Once they got down to business, Mr. Murray presented the memo. “This needs to be done,” the complaint says Mr. Murray insisted.

Mr. Perry replied, “I think we can help you with this,” according to the complaint.

Rattled by the exchange, Mr. Edelman said he stayed for about 15 minutes to keep listening, until he drew the attention of an agency official. “How much does a photographer need of us just sitting around?” the complaint quotes the agency official as asking.

The photos sat for months without much attention.

Then, in September, Mr. Perry proposed that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission adopt a rule that would increase financial returns for power plants capable of stockpiling at least 90 days�� worth of fuel on-site — a plan that would effectively subsidize struggling coal and nuclear power plants, particularly in areas where Mr. Murray operates.

Without the change, Mr. Perry warned, the plants could shut down, which would threaten the “reliability and resiliency of our nation’s grid.”

That phrase rang a bell with Mr. Edelman. The cover page of Mr. Murray’s memo described a plan “to assist in the survival of our country’s coal industry, which is essential to power grid reliability.”

Mr. Edelman said he decided to share the photos with the news media — The Washington Post published the images after In These Times — hoping to derail Mr. Perry’s proposed rule. The rule faced opposition from a cross section of environmental groups, energy companies, free-market advocates and former regulators, and last week, the energy commission rejected it.

Mr. Murray has said that the meeting with Mr. Perry was primarily about the need to study the resilience of the power grid, not to ask for specific actions by the energy commission or other arms of the federal government. Mr. Broadbent, his spokesman, said that “a word-for-word comparison” of the proposed rule and Mr. Murray’s action plan “reveals that they have only two words in common.”

On Dec. 7, the day after In These Times posted the photographs, and a day before they appeared online at The Washington Post, Mr. Edelman said he was summoned by his boss and told he was being placed on administrative leave with pay.

The agency later declined to extend his two-year employment agreement, which ended late last year, effectively dismissing him despite previously agreeing to extend him for two more years, Mr. Edelman said.

A security officer for the agency also refused to allow him to pack up certain personal belongings, Mr. Edelman said, including his laptop and camera equipment. The next day, a supervisor instructed Mr. Edelman in an email to provide the agency the administrative rights to the Google Drive folder where he stored the photos, according to a copy of the email reviewed by The Times.

Separately, another colleague warned him over the phone that “we can come to your home and have someone watch you delete it,” Mr. Edelman said. Mr. Edelman did not record the call.

In a phone call a few days later, which was recorded, the colleague reiterated that Mr. Edelman needed to transfer ownership of the folder. “I would suggest that doing it sooner rather than later would probably be a good thing for you,” the colleague said, according to the recording, which was heard by The Times.

“You can get access to a computer,” the colleague added, “even if you need to go to a freaking library to do it.”

Mr. Edelman said the department had still not returned his laptop. Among the other items he said he left behind because of the hurried exit: a cake from his colleagues celebrating his 35th birthday.

Mr. Edelman hired a lawyer, John Tye, a former whistle-blower from the State Department who works at Whistleblower Aid, a nonprofit firm. Mr. Tye defended Mr. Edelman’s decision to keep the photos, arguing that they were “in the public domain” and were not classified, and that they had been stored on Mr. Edelman’s private drive at the Energy Department’s instruction.

By filing his complaint with the inspector general, Mr. Tye said, Mr. Edelman was seeking protections provided to federal whistle-blowers, including prohibition from “adverse employment actions and dismissal.”

After Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, heard about the incident, his office contacted Mr. Edelman, who also shared the complaint with Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont, who is a neighbor in Washington. It was Mr. Whitehouse who shared the separate memo by Murray Energy with The Times.

“Federal employees should not be fired for doing their jobs,” Mr. Sanders said in a statement. “The Department of Energy must investigate as to why Mr. Edelman was fired.”