Headphones that turn into speakers?
If your headphones could turn into portable speakers, how would you feel about it? Impressive right? There would be no need to buy two audio products.
Well, two new patents, filed by Apple, point to a rethinking of how headphones will be used in the future.
Titled ‘Dual mode headphones’, By changing the position of the earcups, like when they are turned outside, the patent proposes how an an over-the-ear headphones could be converted into a portable speaker unit.
So, when the earcups face inward, the device would function as a headphone and when faced outwards, it would become a speaker. In the speaker mode, an amplifier would be used to create a louder sound, which could be bypassed or turned off in headphone mode.
Instagram to ‘hide likes’
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has announced that it will start hiding like counts on its platform in parts of the US, beginning next week.
Rather than removing ‘Likes’, Instagram is testing making the like count on posts private, so users who post will be able to see their own like counts, they simply won’t be visible to people who like and view your photos and videos. Likewise, you won’t be able to see the like count on other people’s content.
The move is part of Instagram’s drive to make the platform the safest place on the internet. Recently, Instagram extended a ban on depictions of self-harm to include fictional content such as memes, drawings and graphic images from films and comics.
Mosseri said: “It’s about young people, the idea is to try and depressurize Instagram, make it less of a competition, give people more space to focus on connecting with people that they love, things that inspire them.”
Move over foldable phones, soon there may be a foldable TV
While Samsung and Huawei have already showcased their concepts of a foldable device, South Korean tech giant LG doesn’t seem too far behind and is all geared to take it up a notch as well. A recently published patent reveals that the company may have a foldable TV in the works.
According to a report by LetsGoDigital, LG Electronics filed a patent with The Hague International Design System in March 2019 for a ‘television receiver with flexible display’. This design patent includes 9 product sketches and a brief description, shedding light on how the company envisions the product. The description reads, “This design is for a television receiver with flexible display which can be folded at regular intervals. The square frames on both sides serve as stands, as well as sound bars.”
The report provides sketches of the alleged TV as well and shows that it folds in zigzag creating six equal parts — imaging three Samsung Galaxy Folds that are attached. There will be a frame on both sides that also acts as a stand for the TV. A soundbar is also claimed with this TV which is mostly likely going to be present in the frame. The TV is said to offer at least 21:9 aspect ratio and offer a curved display for improved firmness.
To recall, LG had showcased the consumer variant of its rollable TV at CES 2019 that was set to go on sale but was later delayed.
