The company behind the glass on pretty much every modern smartphone available has announced a new version of its Gorilla Glass product , which it claims is strengthened further against drops.
Corning tends to release new versions of Gorilla Glass every year; in 2013, Gorilla Glass 3 featured “native damage resistance” that meant it was better against things like keys in your pocket.
It claims that after scientists studied hundreds of shattered screens, the company developed Gorilla Glass 4 to be two times tougher than its competitors and to survive 80 percent of drops.
Corning touts that 40 manufacturers use its Gorilla Glass product in over 1395 devices on the market, which includes the iPhone ( despite Apple’s attempts to shift to sapphire screens ).
It’ll be a while until we see the new Gorilla Glass in mobile phones, but its nice to know that they might survive drops a little better in the future.
➤ Corning Redefines the Standard in Damage Resistance With Gorilla Glass 4
Samsung’s new 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch Chromebooks will be available in the UK from May 1
Samsung has revealed that its new Chromebook 2 devices – complete with faux leather designs – will be available to buy in the UK from the start of May.
The black 11.6-inch version of the device will be available to UK buyers from May Day itself, but if you wanted a larger-screened model – or a white 11.6-inch model – you’ll have to wait until they reach retailers on May 12. In the US, the devices cost $319.99 for the smaller model and $399.99 for the 13.3-inch unit. We’ve not had confirmation of the UK-specific pricing as yet, but we’d expect them to be around the same figures. (Update: We’ve had the UK prices confirmed by a company spokesperson as £329.00 for the 13.3-inch model and £249 for the 11.6 inch)
Aside of screen size (and overall dimensions/weight), the key difference between the two is that the 13.3-inch model offers a full 1080P display, whereas the smaller model offers a max resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. The larger model also has twice as much RAM and a slightly quicker processor clock speed.
➤ Samsung
Sony’s PlayStation 4 now supports 3D Blu-ray films
If you’re a movie buff with a PlayStation 4, listen up. Sony is rolling out a system update for the console that adds a long-awaited feature: 3D Blu-ray support .
Admittedly, 3D televisions have never taken off. The industry thought it would be the next big driver for TV upgrades after high-definition, but it seems all eyes are turning to 4K now. Nevertheless, 3D movies are still prevalent in theaters – it adds to the spectacle and is an easy way to charge a few extra bucks – so the technology has wriggled its way into the home cinema scene too.
Earlier this month , Microsoft announced that its Xbox One gaming console would receive 3D Blu-ray support in August. Although Sony has beaten them to the punch, it shouldn’t be long before Xbox One fans have the same privileges.
➤ PlayStation EU [Twitter]
Featured image credit: Eric Thayer/Getty Images