patents

The PlayStation 5 didn't just usher in the next generation of Sony's gaming platform, it also introduced a new controller that breaks away from previous generations in more than just the name. For one, the DualSense changed the decades-old arrangement for the Japanese version, making it identical to the rest of the world. It also added more sensors and switched to haptic feedback in this iteration. It may have also broken compatibility with some DualShock accessories, explaining why a patent for a Back Button Attachment for the DualSense just popped up.

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Although it seems that Samsung has settled for punch-hole camera designs, it is only a temporary truce in the battle to push out bezels. The ideal, which no one has perfected yet, is to hide everything under the screen. In the meantime, Samsung is also playing with other ideas, like the flipping camera of the Galaxy A80. The Galaxy A series has indeed been a testing ground for some of Samsung's more unconventional ideas and a new patent may describe one of the strangest ones yet.

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Computer keyboards haven't really changed that much over the decades. Some keys have grown additional functions and the Fn and Ctrl keys on laptops keep switching places but that standard set of keys and their arrangements are pretty much set in stone. That makes it difficult and even wasteful to have different keyboard layouts and different languages, as different models have to be made for different kinds of keyboards. Sure, you can configure a key to produce something different but what's printed on the keycap remains the same, at least until Apple makes its latest patent a reality.

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A newly discovered Canon patent reveals a new handheld camera style that involves a joystick-like handle and a swivel lens. The device somewhat resembles DJI's Osmo handheld camera, but with one very big difference: the lens is interchangeable, indicating you could use many existing lens models. The model seems designed for vlogging use.

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Phone makers have a love-hate relationship with the front camera. It is pretty much the only reason now that we even have top bezels on phones but they have become so critical in the age of selfies and video conferencing. There are various solutions to hiding or removing the front-facing camera altogether, from punch-hole cutouts to under-display sensors. OPPO's latest patent isn't exactly about the selfie camera but its idea of a modular, removable, and upgradeable camera system indirectly addresses that as well.

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LG kicked off its new Project Explorer line of smartphones with a bang. But while the LG Wing's swiveling screen is definitely a novelty, some of the brand's remaining fans are still curious whether it will be able to take on Samsung in the foldable phone arena. Rumors claim that it will be doing so via a different route, with a rollable phone rather than a foldable one. A recently awarded patent now offers a glimpse into one of the many potential forms of this phone, one that admittedly makes more practical sense.

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The Galaxy Z Fold 2 undoubtedly fixes a lot of the complaints and problems users had with the Galaxy Fold. It now has a stronger flexible screen, a more durable hinge, and a bigger external cover screen. That said, there is definitely a lot of room for improvement and a recent Samsung patent may hint at what the company may have planned next at least as far as that hideaway hinge goes.

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Ford's all-electric F-150 pickup could settle range anxiety with a cunningly disguised mobile generator, a newly published patent suggests, with the automaker designing a gas backup for EVs. While we've seen range extenders added to electric vehicles before, Ford's idea distinguishes itself by being more modular.

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The upcoming Sonos headphones have broken cover, with a newly-granted patent for the wireless headphones detailing their potential design and functionality. Rumored since early in 2019, the headphones are designed to integrate with Sonos' wireless speaker system, as well as potentially include voice control.

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Apple has long been trying to woo the Chinese market, its second-largest after the US, even going as far as making compromises it would not even consider doing for any other region. Given the tensions between the US and Chinese governments, however, the Cupertino-based company might feel like it's walking on eggshells. It doesn't help that it is constantly bombarded with lawsuits, the most recent of which could see it not only pay billions of dollars to the plaintiff but also temporarily halt the sales of almost all its devices in China.

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Apple's prospective plans for a "modular system for head-mounted device" were revealed in a newly-public patent posted to the USPTO. The United States Patent and Trademark Office showed this document with inventors Paul X Wang and Dinesh C Mathew, as first filed in April of the year 2019. This could, possibly, point to part of Apple's design language for their eventual release of a pair of smart glasses, imbued with augmented reality abilities and tipped to be called Apple Glass.

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Social or physical distancing, while not an assurance, is one of the simplest ways to keep the COVID-19 coronavirus from spreading. It isn't, however, one of the easiest as people have realized after months or even just weeks of being deprived of close social interactions. That's one of the reasons why video chat platforms are on the rise but that doesn't solve one important social activity, taking group selfies. Fortunately, Apple apparently has an idea on how to solve that though it remains to be seen if it actually has any plans to.

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