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Leica is perhaps the most storied brand in photography. A portmanteau formed from the name of founder Ernst Leitz and the word camera, the first Leica popularized 35 milimeter photography, while the legendary M system standardized the modern rangefinder in 1954 and has a hallowed reputation to this day. Leicas stewardship of its brand, however, has not always quite lived up to its history. The company historically outsourced most of its point-and-shoot camera design to Panasonic, slapping its iconic red dot on existing compacts and charging an unwarranted markup. Early smartphone collaborations with Huawei and Sharp were similarly surface-level. But for the past few years, a partnership with Xiaomi has quietly been producing what I would say are the best phone cameras in the world. And for the Chinese smartphone makers latest flagship device, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, Leicas branding and influence takes greater prominence than ever. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/12\/multicore.png","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/12\/multicore-mobile.png","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESubscribe to Multicore\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E","dek":"Multicore is about technology hardware and design. It\u0027s written from Tokyo by Sam Byford. To learn more visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.multicore.blog\/\u0022\u003Emulticore.blog\u003C\/a\u003E","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"SIGN UP","ctaUrl":"https:\/\/www.multicore.blog\/","theme":{"bg":"#f5f5f5","text":"#000000","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","buttonBg":"#000000","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText":"#ffffff"},"imageDesktopId":91454027,"imageMobileId":91454030,"shareable":false,"slug":""}} [Photo: Xiaomi] Two Models Available in China now, the 17 Ultra is sold in two variants; theres the regular model, and another version called the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica. Ive been using the latter model, though the camera hardware is nearly identical across the two. This is a sleekly designed phone, and its the first to carry the Leica red dot. When Steve Jobs announced the iPhone 4 in 2010, which is still for my money the best-looking iPhone ever, he said its closest kin is like a beautiful old Leica camera. Well, the 17 Ultra really is like a Leica cameraand not just because it also looks like an iPhone 4, right down to the circular volume buttons. The camera hardware is more capable and impressive than on any phone sold in the United States. The main sensor is a 1-inch type, the same used in enthusiast compact cameras like the Canon G7 X or Sonys RX100 series. The telephoto camera, meanwhile, has a 200-megapixel 1/1.4-inch sensorhuge for a telephotoand a lens that actually physically zooms. You get 3.2 times magnification at the wide end and it goes as far as 4.3 times before digital zoom kicks in, amounting to a 75 millimeter to 100 millimeter-equivalent focal length. That might not sound like a huge zoom range, and in practice it isnt. But with a sensor this size, results remain extremely sharp by making use of a 2 times crop. That means that you can still get high-resolution images at optical zoom quality all the way through the range between 150 millimeters and 200 millimeters. The Leica model of the 17 Ultra has a control ring around the sizable circular camera module, which can be customized to adjust various functions. Ive set mine to swap between preset focal lengths before reaching the physical zoom range, making it easy to make sure Im always getting the best optical quality. Theres satisfying haptic feedback as you turn the ring, lending the phone a more tactile, camera-like feel. I do wish the 17 Ultra had a physical shutter button. Xiaomi sells more substantial photography kit cases that add extra grip and battery to the phone, but no ones quite gotten the built-in camera button design right yet and this would have been the perfect phone to do it on. [Photo: Xiaomi] The Software But hardware aside, the real reason behind the success of the Xiaomi and Leica collaboration has been the software. The two companies work together on the image processing pipeline, and the results are beautiful, subtle colors that make for images that just dont look like they came from a phone. There are two default settings, Leica Vivid and Leica Authentic; I prefer the latter, which gives a vignetted, desaturated, and contrasty look that is not unlike the way I prefer to edit photos taken with dedicated cameras. And the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica takes this to the next level with a mode called Leica Essential, giving you more options inspired by two classic cameras. These arent like built-in filters, as they totally overhaul the phones image processing pipelines. The M9 setting emulates the CCD sensor of Leicas first full-frame digital rangefinder with always-on warm white balance, while the monochrome M3 setting is named after the first 35 millimeter M-mount camera and delivers gorgeously deep, fine-grained photos reminiscent of Leicas own Monopan 50 film. These Leica Essential modes arent what youd want to use for casual snapshots or pictures of documents, but they put you in a different mindset as a photographer. In the same way that I choose a dedicated camera to take out for the day and work within its limitations until I get home, theres something fun and freeing about committing to a virtual M9 or M3 and seeing how it performs. The reslts are often stunning. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica is the most advanced phone camera anywhere in the world on conventional metrics. But its more than thatits also by far the most enjoyable to actually shoot. By getting away from the sterility of excessively flattened and over sharpened iPhone or Pixel photos, Xiaomi and Leica have delivered a phone that really does feel like an actual camera. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/12\/multicore.png","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/12\/multicore-mobile.png","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESubscribe to Multicore\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E","dek":"Multicore is about technology hardware and design. It\u0027s written from Tokyo by Sam Byford. To learn more visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.multicore.blog\/\u0022\u003Emulticore.blog\u003C\/a\u003E","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"SIGN UP","ctaUrl":"https:\/\/www.multicore.blog\/","theme":{"bg":"#f5f5f5","text":"#000000","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","buttonBg":"#000000","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText":"#ffffff"},"imageDesktopId":91454027,"imageMobileId":91454030,"shareable":false,"slug":""}}
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E-Commerce
A Massachusetts-based seafood importer and distributor has recalled salmon that was sold across multiple states due to concerns that the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a potentially deadly bacteria. The company, Slade Gorton & Co., says the recall affects one lot of Wellsley Farms Farm-Raised Atlantic Salmon. The two-pound packages of frozen salmon were sold at BJs Wholesale Club across seven states. A recall notice was published Thursday, February 12, by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To date, no illnesses have been reported. Heres what you need to know. What product is included in the recall? The recall applies to one lot of two-pound packages of Wellsley Farms Farm-Raised Atlantic Salmon. The salmon was sold at BJs Wholesale Club locations in seven states between January 31, 2026, and February 7, 2026. The impacted bags of the frozen salmon were sold in the freezer section at BJs Wholesale Club locations in these states: Delaware Maryland New Jersey New York North Carolina Pennsylvania Virginia Recalled product packaging details Each two-pound bag of recalled Wellsley Farms Farm-Raised Atlantic Salmon features the Wellsley Farms logo and the text “Farm-Raised Atlantic Salmon” on the front. The UPC code 888670025963 and lot number 3896 are listed on the back of the recalled product packaging, below the cooking instructions and nutrition facts panel. Recall is due to a risk of Listeria contamination Slade Gorton & Co. announced the recall on February 11 after a sample collected and randomly tested by the FDA tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. The FDA recall notice mentions that the seafood distributor is investigating the contamination and taking steps to prevent it from happening again. Dont consume the recalled product BJs Wholesale Club is notifying members who have purchased the affected product. If you purchased the recalled product, dont consume it. Customers can call 1-888-628-0730 for details on how to get a full refund and what to do with the remaining product. What is Listeria, and who is most at risk of Listeria infection? Listeria is a disease-causing bacteria that can be spread through food. Listeria infection is caused by eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. According to the Mayo Clinic, healthy people rarely become very ill from Listeria infection. But the disease can turn deadly for some. Those more at risk of Listeria infection include pregnant women, people older than 65, and people with weakened immune systems. Mild symptoms of Listeria infection include: Fever Muscle aches Nasuea Vomiting Direeah More severe symptoms of Listeria infection include: Headache Stiff neck Confusion Loss of balance Convulsions If you think you have developed symptoms of Listeria infection, contact a healthcare professional.
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E-Commerce
Investors in Pinterest (NYSE: PINS) are waking up to a wall of red this morning. The stock price of the popular digital image-sharing board has fallen off a cliff after the company reported its Q4 2025 results yesterday. Heres what you need to know. Pinterests Q4 2025 results From a quick glance, Pinterests results for its fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 didnt look too bad. The company reported some impressive gains in a couple of key metrics. Those metrics include: Total revenue: $1.32 billion (up 14% year over year) Global Monthly Active Users (MAUs): 619 million (up 12% year over year) However, despite those gains, the company’s $1.32 billion in revenue came in below what analysts were expecting. As noted by CNBC, LSEG consensus estimates were that Pinterest would post $1.33 billion in revenue. The company also reported an adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 67 cents. That was below analyst expectations of an EPS of 69 cents. Worse, Pinterest said it expects its current-quarter revenue, for Q1 of its fiscal 2026, to be between $951 million and $971 million. While that range represents year-over-year growth of between 11% and 14%, even the high-end estimate is well below the $980 million analysts were expecting. Pinterest blames tariffs for earnings miss So what is behind the worse-than-expected results? The company blamed one primary thing: tariffs. At first, a tariff’s impact on Pinterests revenue might seem a little unbelievable. After all, Pinterest does not import and sell physical goods, which would seem to lessen any potential impact that President Trumps erratic tariff policies could have on the companys bottom line. The problem for Pinterest is that while the company may not be in the business of selling imported goods, many of Pinterests main customersits advertisersare. And those advertisers are responding to increased tariff costs by cutting back on their ad spend, which impacts Pinterests bottom line. Many of the largest retailers have been disproportionately impacted by tariffs and have been pulling back on advertising spend across the industry as they seek to protect their margins, Pinterests CEO, Bill Ready, said on the companys financial call, according to a PitchPook transcript of the call. Our higher mix of large retailers relative to some of our peers has resulted in us feeling more of an impact. But while Ready shifted the blame to tariffs, he also conceded that the company wasnt diversified enough when it came to its range of advertisers. This highlights the need for us to further accelerate our growth with a broader set of mid-market, SMB, and international advertisers with less than $30 billion of GMV [gross merchandise volume], Ready said. This is the next phase of our sales and go-to-market transformation. Pinterest’s stock price has had a bad year Even before todays 20% premarket decline, PINS stock has been having a rough time lately. The companys stock price closed at $18.54 yesterday. That represented a fall of more than 28% since the year began, and a staggering 52% drop over the past twelve months. At its current premarket price of around $14.56 a share, PINS stock has not seen a price this low since early 2020. To put Pinterest’s recent share price doldrums into a broader context, the stock market Pinterest trades onthe New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)has seen gains while PINS continues to drop. Data from Yahoo Finance shows the NYSE Composite Index has risen 5.3% year to date, and more than 15.5% over the past 12 months.
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E-Commerce
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