Light Start: Another Fold patented, dark Gmail, Tesla solar and the Mavic Mini
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Samsung files another Fold patent
The only big player to release a foldable phone into the world so far, Samsung, has filed a patent for a Galaxy Fold redesign. It’s nothing major, by any means, but could be slightly more practical in the long run. The new model may even make it into market by sometime next year. As we know, the current Fold has a fairly wide notch at the top right of the screen, right? The new patent shows a similar design, but this time the notch is flipped on its side. It also shows something that looks like a new sensor. Currently, the Fold has two 10MP camera sensors with f/2.2 aperture and an 8MP RGB depth sensor with an aperture of f/1.9 housed in the notch. However, the patented Samsung foldable device has a dual front camera setup and three additional sensors. You can see the full patent right here. The document was filed with The Haque System on 14 November 2018 already; followed by the patent being added to the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) database in June 2019. We would expect something more than just a notch update with the Fold Mark II though, so here’s hoping Samsung doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel by repositioning a notch.
Source: Let’s Go Digital[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Go dark in Gmail now too
Oh, how we love dark mode. And now it’s available in one of our most frequented mobile apps — Gmail. Both iOS 13 and Android 10 sport system-wide dark modes, but despite being hugely popular on both operating systems, Gmail has been one of the last major apps to receive a suitable new colour scheme to match. Unfortunately, though, you’ll need to either be using Android 10 or iOS 13. It’s not available across-the-board yet. To switch to darkmail, make sure you have the latest version of Gmail installed. If you have Android 10’s system-wide dark theme enabled, the app should switch to its new look automatically. Alternatively, you can activate it manually by tapping the menu icon on the top left, scrolling down and tapping ‘Settings’, then ‘General settings’. Here you can change Gmail’s theme to either light, dark, or system default. The process is almost identical for iOS 13: either switch on the operating system’s own dark mode and Gmail will change to match automatically, or tap the app’s menu, select ‘Settings’, then tap ‘Theme’ followed by ‘Dark’.
Tesla has announced its third iteration of solar panels and that it’ll start rolling out orders in the coming weeks. The big selling point? According to Elon Musk, it’s cheaper to replace your roof tiles with these than with traditional roof tiles. Now, we’re not up-to-date with roof tile prices in the US, but these could cost around $42,500 (about R620,000) for a 185 square metre surface. These are aimed at people who are already planning on replacing their roof tiles, we reckon. “The tiles are less efficient than a traditional solar panel for a given area, but because they’re able to cover a wider surface, they should be able to gather more energy overall. Rather than making major changes to specs or performance, the new Solar Glass Roof tiles are all about practicality,” TNW explains. If these were available in South Africa, we bet many would jump at the opportunity to replace their roofs with solar tiles — with the looming probability of load shedding.
Source: The Next Web[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
DJI is rumoured to launch a Mavic Mini
What’s better than a Mavi Pro? A smaller version of it, we reckon. A launch for a smaller version of DJI’s best drone is imminent, according to reports. Stuff received a save-the-date for a DJI launch last week, and reports suggest it could be for the Mavin Mini. Thanks to this spot by DroneLife, we’re confident that those rumours are true: an FCC filing clearly shows that a new drone has been granted authorisation — and it’s called the Mavic Mini. This could be a new mini model to replace the Spark or perhaps the Mavic Air. Maybe DJI just wants to keep to the Mavic naming convention, and this model will replace the Spark. The new model will probably weigh less than the Spark (the Spark weighs in at 300g), and sport a better camera setup. We’re excited to see how the size compares to the Mavic Air, and how portable the Mini will be. We’ll have to wait to see though — the save-the-date is set for the 6th of November.
