LG Said to Supply Apple With Foldable Displays for Future iPhones

LG’s display division is developing and will start mass-producing foldable displays for smartphones in 2018, and supply them to Apple, Google, and Microsoft, according to South Korean website ETNews.

LG has shown off various futuristic-looking curved and foldable display prototypes over the past three years, including one with a book-like design and another that can be rolled up like a newspaper. Both designs take advantage of the flexible property of OLED displays, compared to rigid LCD displays in current iPhones.

LG curved and foldable display prototypes
Multiple rumors point towards Apple releasing a new iPhone with an OLED display and glass casing at the high end of its smartphone lineup next year, but the reports suggest the display will be curved rather than foldable. With more than ten iPhone prototypes in testing, however, the exact design remains to be seen.

The all-new premium model is expected to have at least a 5-inch display, with early rumors claiming it could be up to a 5.8-inch device. Samsung is expected to be the primary—and possibly sole—supplier of OLED displays for Apple, at least until LG joins the mix in 2018 or later if today’s report proves to be accurate.

Next year’s iPhones could have bezel-free designs and no physical Home buttons, as some reports claim Touch ID will be integrated directly into the display as now possible. Apple has filed patents for flexible OLED displays with both curved and foldable designs, confirming it has at least explored both sides of the coin.

Apple’s foldable display patent describes how the display could fold outward, allowing both halves of the screen to remain accessible when the phone is closed shut. The two sides would connect via a clamshell-like hinge that allows them to rotate relative to each other, while flexible printed circuit boards keep the connection intact.

Tag: LG Display
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Sony A99 ii preview: Full frame and fast shooting

As time passes, Sony’s Alpha family of cameras have evolved from slightly chunky offshoots of the remnants of the Konica Minolta legacy – still seen in the A7 models – into something all the more conventional. 

The Sony A99 ii is the replacement for, you guessed it, the Sony A99 and even evolves that design slightly, to make it rather more conventional. The Sony A99 ii might look closer to some of the high-end Canon or Nikon models it rivals, but this is still a unique camera, offering some features you won’t find elsewhere from other manufacturers’ DSLRs. 

Despite carrying the A99 name, there’s a lot to this camera that’s new and a lot that loads it with potential.

Sony A99 ii preview: Design and build

Pitched at the enthusiast and pro photographer, the Sony A99 ii offers a substantial build. It’s water and dust resistant with seals on all the buttons and openings and a magnesium alloy body, designed to stand up to the rigours of daily use.

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As we’ve just mentioned, the design looks a little sharper, we think, than the model it replaces. Sony tells us its 8 per cent smaller, but this a body that weighs 849g before you add the lens. As a full-frame camera that’s to be expected, but there’s also plenty of space to grip and manipulate the A99 ii. 

High points on the design include easy access to the controls with those front and rear dials making it really easy to adjust aperture and shutter speed without taking the camera from your eye, and the top ISO button brings the same advantage for making changes on the fly. 

The layout of controls is broadly the same as the previous model, as is the design of the vari-angle display, pulling out from the body with a swivel point at the bottom. This adds a great deal of flexibility for composition, especially for tight spaces where using the viewfinder might be awkward, but in terms of mechanism design, it doesn’t feel quite as accessible as some of the displays you’ll find on some mid-range cameras.

There’s still an electronic viewfinder, with a 2.4 million dot OLED display inside. This is sharp and bright and looks great, although we’ve not had the chance to use it in a wide range of conditions yet.

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There’s also that front controller that was so revolutionary on the A99. This in the right sort of location so that your supporting left hand can operate it. There’s a silent mode for video or a clicking mode for still shooters, which is a new adaptation. It can be assigned to change a number of functions, such as ISO, aperture, shutter speed or AF area. After a brief familiarisation, this controller is easy to tweak with your thumb, giving yet more seamless control. 

• Sony A99 review: This 99 is all cone and Flake

Naturally there’s an A mount on the front, with a wide range of Sony lenses available, as well as adapters for common formats. 

Sony A99 ii preview: Full frame, full blast

• 42.4-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, 34.9 x 24mm
• 12fps shooting at full resolution
• 4K video at 100Mbps

The thing that stands the A99 ii aside from many other full-frame cameras is what you can do with it. For straight still shooting, it’s a given that you have a potent 42.4-megapixel CMOS sensor at 35mm size with no low-pass filter. But it’s Sony’s translucent mirror system that makes this different from a DSLR.

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Using a translucent mirror technology has enabled Sony to bring speed and flexibility to its models that makes them unique, avoiding the mechanical intervention that other DSLR cameras rely on. You can shoot at 12 frames per second with full focus and exposure tracking at full resolution. This is a big advancement over the 6fps offered by the predecessor: while that model was an interesting step forward – pairing a full frame sensor with the translucent mirror system – it’s really in the A99 ii that it gets super-charged with the potency you’d expect.

New on this camera is Bionz X image processing engine and front-end LSI. If this sounds familiar, that’s because Sony has also added this powerful hardware to the recent A6500 and Cyber-shot RX100 V. It’s all about giving the camera the power it needs to process all that data and let you grab those action sequences with blistering pace.

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The buffer is large enough for 60 images and switching to the Hi+ mode that enables this pace, you can squeeze off a mass of shots with a press of the shutter button. As with those other two models we’ve just mentioned, you also get an indicator to display that these images are being processed and saved to the card.

The A99 ii will also capture 4K video and it does so without pixel binning, so you’re getting the full readout from the sensor. The A99 ii will give you 100Mbps 4K footage, but also offers a full range of high speed and other video options. The A99 ii offers an HMDI connection, so you can rig-up an external monitor, as well connections for mic and headphones, all of which will appeal to those with a more serious eye on video capture.

Sony A99 ii preview: Sharp shooting

• 5-axis SteadyShot image stabilisation
• 79 Hybrid cross phase points, 399 focal-plane phase points

Sony’s SteadyShot image stabilisation has been deployed across a wide range of devices from smartphones to its cameras and video equipment. Looking to aid you in handholding those slightly longer exposures, the 5-axis image stabilisation (in body) claims to give you as much as 4.5 steps advantage, removing hand tremors so you can get the shot you want.

That should aid those shooting in low light or murky conditions, or anyone wanting to avoid boosting the ISO too high, although you should also get high ISO shots that are nice and clean, partly through the new power on offer from the new image processing hardware.

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Sony is also making great claims about the focusing system. This is where the unique nature of this camera plays its part, with the new AF sensor offering 79 phase points and a further 399 focal-plane PDAF points on the sensor. Because of the translucent mirror, it’s a hybrid system, something that we weren’t totally sold on in the original A99, but the new system is now a lot more all-encompassing.

The promise is for speed of focusing, ensuring that those constantly captured images remain sharp, with subject tracking. Using both sets of points it should be able to more accurately track moving images, which Sony is calling 4D Focus.

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We’ve not had the chance to test much of the potential that this camera offers from a very brief session on a dull wet day, but we’ve already enjoyed the speed of shooting, even if, sometimes, that focusing system seems to adopt and track something you weren’t actually looking at, like an obvious leading edge of an object, rather than the centre of its body.

First Impressions

On paper, at least, the new Sony A99 ii looks like the camera we wanted the 2013 model to be. A lot has changed over those years, with a number of Sony’s cameras delivering outstanding performance in a number of areas. 

The Sony A99 ii looks to boost the focusing, it boosts the speed of capture and it offers a serious collection of capture tools for those interested in video too.

Priced at £2999, the Sony A99 ii is a serious piece of kit. It’s available for pre-order at Jessops and Wex Photographic and we’ll be taking a long, hard, detailed look at it as soon as we can.

TCL now officially makes BlackBerry phones

It’s not exactly the most shocking news of the year to find out Chinese electronics manufacturer TCL has signed a licensing agreement with BlackBerry that will see the former design and produce phones for the latter.

• BlackBerry confirms decision to ditch hardware division, all phones to be made by third-parties in the future

We already had our suspicions a deal was on the way after the recently released DTEK50 and DTEK60 BlackBerry smartphones were essentially rebranded Alcatel handsets, also made by TCL. BlackBerry also announced back in September it was stopping all hardware manufacture, but at the time, no official announcement had been made to say which company would make phones going forward.

The deal doesn’t spell the end for BlackBerry however, as the Canadian company will continue to “develop its security and software solutions”, which run alongside Android in recent phone releases, and it’s these security features that help BlackBerry devices to separate themselves from the competition.

TCL will handle all other aspects of smartphone production: design, manufacture, sales and distribution.

Nicolas Zibell, CEO of TCL Communication said of the deal: “We [TCL Communication] are committed to creating the best portfolio solutions, while ensuring the quality support to consumers and enterprise users who trust the integrity of the BlackBerry device and the brand’s security leadership, coupled with the Android platform”,

“Together with BlackBerry’s smartphone software platform, this partnership will strengthen our position in the global mobile market”.

Ralph Pini, COO of Mobility Solutions at BlackBerry added: “TCL Communication is the natural choice to license BlackBerry’s software and brand on a global scale. We successfully partnered with them on the DTEK series of secure smartphones and we’ve been impressed with their excellence in hardware design, development and manufacturing.

“We are confident that BlackBerry-branded products developed and distributed by TCL will address the needs of BlackBerry users and expand the availability of BlackBerry Secure products throughout the world”.

Apple’s ‘Notify’ Feature for the Release of Super Mario Run Was Far Too Late for Users

Shortly after Apple first revealed that Nintendo was bringing Super Mario Run to the iPhone and iPad, many users discovered that Cupertino was also using the game’s highly anticipated release as a test run for a new “Notify” system in the App Store.

Upon searching for the title on their devices before it was available, users were given the option of tapping an orange “Notify” button where the Get button or price usually appears.

Undoubtedly many users tapped or clicked the button thinking they would be first to play Nintendo’s debut title on iOS. But the delay between the game’s appearance in the App Store and the actual delivery of notification prompts has left many users skeptical of the feature.

Scumbag Super Mario: Asks you a million times to be notified for the app release.

Doesn’t notify you when app releases.#SuperMarioRun

— Jared Mecham (@jaredmecham) December 15, 2016

For many, the notification came the day after the game had been officially released. Large numbers of people received it long after they had downloaded and purchased the full game. Others are apparently yet to receive the prompt they signed up to receive.

It’s possible that the sheer volume of users visiting the App Store in excitement for Super Mario Run caused a system-wide lag that prevented the notifications from being pushed to end-users’ devices. If so, some may wonder why Apple chose to test the Notify service on such a hugely anticipated title in the first place.

Conversely, Apple may have intentionally staggered the notifications to ease the load on its systems as gamers raced to download the app. In that case, the feature could prove a smart move on Apple’s part for when big-name game publishers stoke up excitement for upcoming titles in the future.

Tags: App Store, Super Mario Run
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How to change display scaling on the Huawei Mate 9

The Huawei Mate 9 has a great big screen. Make the most of it by seeing more at once.

Being able to change display scaling (also known as DPI scaling) is a standard feature in Android 7.0 Nougat, and the Huawei Mate 9 lets you choose between three different scaling options. On a big-screened phone like the Mate 9, this “View Mode” option is a great way to choose between seeing more on-screen, or getting a larger view of what’s going on.

First things first, there are three view modes to choose from on the Mate 9 — large, medium and small

Left-to-right: Large, medium and small view modes.

Finding the View Mode setting screen is easy.

Drag down the notification pulldown from the top of the screen and tap the cog icon.
Tap Display.
Tap View mode.
Choose Small, Medium or Large. You’ll see an on-screen preview as you tap each item, giving you a rough idea of how things will look on your phone.
Hit Apply to confirm. You’ll need to undergo the minor inconvenience of rebooting your phone to apply the new settings.

“Large” is the default for the Huawei Mate 9, while “Small” gives you a more information-dense setup, like the Google Pixel. “Medium,” as you might expect, is a happy medium between the two.

Note: You can also control your font size through a separate menu under Settings > Display. This gives you more granular control over how text appears on-screen, but doesn’t affect the scaling of menus, buttons and other on-screen items.

So that’s it — you can stick with the default magnified view on the Mate 9 if you like, or see more at once with smaller items on screen thanks to the View Mode control.

Super Mario Run on Android: What we know so far

Here we go! (not quite yet for Android users, though…)

Super Mario Run is finally here, seeing a release in over 150 countries through the iOS App Store.

Super Mario Run was first announced by Shigeru Miyamoto, the man behind the most iconic character in video games history, at Apple’s event back in September, where the game was revealed as an iOS exclusive at launch and demoed live on stage.

What’s it all about? What’s this I hear about it requiring constant online connection? How much does it cost? When’s it coming to Android?

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers! Here’s what we know so far.

What is Super Mario Run?

Super Mario Run marks everyone’s favorite turtle-stomping plumber’s first appearance on a mobile device — aside from the Game Boy, of course.

It features everything that makes Super Mario so great — the fast-paced and skillful gameplay, the coin collecting, the familiar enemies — with a control scheme that’s optimized for smartphones so that you can play it with one hand. As the name implies, Mario runs automatically, but you’ll need your wits about you to time your jumps right to stomp enemies, avoid obstacles, and collect more coins and collectables than you can shake a stick at. It’s currently exclusive to iOS, so if you want to learn more check out the excellent coverage from our pals over at iMore.

Man, I love Mario! Is it just like the games I played as a kid?

Mmm, yes and no. I guess it depends which Mario games you played as a kid. All the classic enemies and characters are here, and the graphics and game physics are styled after the New Super Mario games for the Nintendo Wii and DS systems so expect to use plenty of wall and spin jumps. It all makes for a good balance of the classic side-scrolling Mario fun you know and love, with a bunch of newly-added features to increase replayability. There are three modes of gameplay: World Tour, Toad Rally, and kingdom building.

World Tour is the single player mode, featuring 24 levels spread out over six worlds, with each world featuring a boss battle at the end. Each level features challenge coins, powerups and secrets that require you to experiment and take chances to explore.

Toad Rally is the multiplayer aspect of the game, where you challenge real-life opponents to races through levels, where a combination of speed, accuracy, and collecting coins is required to secure victory. Win and you’ll impress toads who will come chill at your Mushroom Kingdom. Lose, and toads will leave your kingdom for greener pastures.

Which brings us to the the final aspect of the game: kingdom building. What’s the point of collecting coins if you can’t spend it on anything cool? You’ll need to stock up on coins as well as keep a steady stable of toads around to be able to upgrade and decorate your kingdom. There’s a lot to unpack here, with some buildings unlocking special mini-games, while others attract characters such as Luigi, Yoshi, and Princess Peach to your kingdom, unlocking them as playable characters with their own unique special abilities.

All together, it seems like Nintendo has done its homework to create a smartphone game that rewards repeat playing, offers some level of multiplayer fun, and includes world building features to keep us coming back for more. All that, wrapped in the cozy nostalgia of everything that makes Mario great!

Ok, that’s all good, but how much does it cost?

Super Mario Run is a free download for iOS, but you only get to play through the first world before you’re required to pay US$9.99 to unlock the rest of the game. We’re expecting to see a similar price point when the game is eventually released on the Google Play Store.

When will it be available for Android?

This is not yet known. The specific details of this exclusivity deal between Apple and Nintendo have not been made public, so as is often the case we’ll just have to wait until Nintendo decides to port the game over to Android.

Complicating things somewhat is Nintendo’s concern over security and piracy. As we mentioned, this is the first time Nintendo has developed a game of this scale for a third-party platform, and this has given the company pause. Super Mario Run requires an always-on internet connection to play, meaning if you’re away from Wi-Fi or out of your coverage range, no Mario for you.

In a great interview with Mashable, Miyamoto explained Nintendo’s justification for the always-on connection, which also touched on the reasoning of launching for iOS before tackling an Android release:

For us, we view our software as being a very important asset for us. And also for consumers who are purchasing the game, we want to make sure that we’re able to offer it to them in a way that the software is secure, and that they’re able to play it in a stable environment.

We wanted to be able to leverage that network connection with all three of the Super Mario Run modes to keep all of the modes functioning together and offering the game in a way that keeps the software secure. This is something that we want to continue to work on as we continue to develop the game.

But actually, the security element is one of the reasons that we decided to go with iPhone and iOS first. So this is just — based on the current development environment — a requirement that’s been built into the game to support security and the fact that the three different modes are connecting to the network and interacting with one another.

These comments point out a few things we already know — that many developers find it easier to develop titles for iOS first, partially because of the diversity of devices running Android which can cause security and device compatibility headaches, but also because Apple’s closed app ecosystem provides much more control over piracy concerns.

Considering again that this is Nintendo’s real first foray into mobile gaming (besides Miitomo, which isn’t really a game), they’re going to take their time to make sure they do a proper release for Android the right way the first time.

Well, what if I just try and sideload the app from an unofficial source?

We strongly recommend waiting until Nintendo officially releases Super Mario Run for Android. This game is projected to become the most popular mobile game of 2016 — perhaps even surpassing Pokemon Go — which means it’s ripe for hackers and scammers to get crafty and try and trick folks into downloading malicious or compromised apps for their own nefarious purposes.

We know it’s hard to be patient, but it’s probably not worth compromising the security of your device for Super Mario’s sake.

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Amazon Fire TV gets swanky new user interface: Here’s what your box does now

Amazon has rolled out a new user interface for its 4K Fire TV set-top-box and will introduce the new design to the Fire TV Stick and first-generation Fire TV early in the new year.

The new UI comes with a cleaner, fresher look that makes it more simple to get to the content and apps you use most. There are also new features and content detail pages.

We’ve got the US version of a couple of screen grabs for you to give you an idea of the new style, although some of the content might not be available in the UK (such as HBO Go). They certainly show a fresher, simpler design, however.

Amazon

Enhancements that arrive with the update include:

• New home screen: The top of the screen now features a cinematic feature rotator. That basically shows popular and selected content front and centre, including content trailers from Amazon Video, Netflix, BBC iPlayer and other supported services.
• New content detail pages: When you click through to a show or movie, you will now see all the relevant details about the content in a cleaner interface. In addition, it will give you the options of where to view, rent or buy the TV show or film, no matter in which app it appears.
• Customisable apps: You can now customise your app rows to show the main applications you want to access. Simply pin content to a new “My Apps & Games” row on the home page.
• Universal search: Voice search now works with Netflix as well as Amazon’s own services. It is a cross app service so you only need to ask for the content and it will find it, regardless of whether it is on Amazon or Netflix. Other streaming services will be added soon.
• Other enhancements: There are some accessibility enhancements, with the VoiceView screen reader function now able to be altered to change reading speed and speech volume, to aid those with hearing or visual impairments. VoiceView will speak details about selected items, such as rating, length and description.

Amazon

The new Fire TV UI is rolling out to the Ultra HD version of the box now.