User Interface Display on Spine of Foldable Electronic Device

This publication describes systems and techniques to provide a display on a spine of a foldable electronic device, such as a smartphone. While in a folded state, a foldable electronic device has an internal surface and an external surface. The external surface includes an area resembling a spine of a closed hardback book. If a display screen is incorporated at the internal surface, a user cannot see the screen while the device is closed. If a display screen is incorporated at the external surface, a user cannot discreetly view the display to see incoming notifications. To ameliorate these issues by enabling a user to have discreet interaction with an electronic device while in a folded state, the spine of the device is utilized as a display. A spine display can provide text, graphics, and other information to a user of the electronic device as part of a user interface (UI). If a “primary” display screen is disposed on an internal surface of a device in a folded state, a spine display can be implemented as an “auxiliary” display screen. If a display screen is disposed on an external surface of a folded device, a spine display can be implemented as a segment of the display screen. The spine display can discreetly provide notifications to a user without physical interaction with the device. Alternatively, the user can interact with the spine display via touch, such as with a thumb, to scroll through various notifications or deactivate an alert. In some cases, a user can customize the functionality of the spine display—e.g., using an operating system feature

The atmospheric boundary layer above the Agulhas current

This thesis describes the atmospheric boundary layer above the Agulhas Current using shipboard meteorological measurements and rawinsonde ascents. The juxtaposition of the warm Agulhas Current and cool shelf waters is shown to have far-reaching effects on the overlying atmosphere. Air-sea fluxes of momentum, sensible and latent heat and resultant boundary layer characteristics demonstrate high horizontal inhomogeneity. The results suggest that this inhomogeneity is permanent. The spatial heat flux gradient is reflected in the overlying atmosphere by a transition in stability of the boundary layer and potential cumulus formation from the cool shelf to the warm current. For airflow perpendicular to the Agulhas Current an internal boundary layer was observed to develop at the inshore sea surface temperature front. Onshore-moving air accumulated a significant quantity of moisture during its trajectory over the current. When airflow is parallel to the current an atmospheric moisture front exists along the axis of the inshore sea surface temperature front. The mean thermodynamic structure of the atmosphere was investigated. An inversion capped the boundary layer whilst a second, higher-level subsidence inversion was found which acts to limit the vertical development of cumulus clouds and therefore the redistribution of heat and moisture above the boundary layer. The results presented in this thesis are useful in two ways. The Agulhas Current has frequently been linked to South African climate. This is the first dedicated study which quantifies and characterizes the atmospheric boundary layer in this region. Secondly, maritime airmasses are dramatically modified above the Agulhas Current. The resultant large horizontal inhomogeneity, its vertical extent and permanence suggest that its inclusion is vital to any successful climate model. Atmospheric general circulation models have been criticized for not taking into account regions of strong horizontal inhomogeneity. The results of this thesis support this argument and highlight the need for similar studies. Bibliography: pages 116-123

Classifying and Separating Messages, Alerts, and Notifications

This publication describes techniques and apparatuses that allow a user to classify messages, alerts, and/or notifications based on their significance to the user and allow the user to separate them to be displayed in a first or a second part of a display screen of a smartphone. A machine-learned (ML) model aids the user by classifying and separating messages, alerts, and/or notifications of little or significant interest. By doing so, the user can better-manage their amount of time the user spends in front of the display screen of the smartphone and the user can utilize their smartphone more effectively

Peeking user interface for foldable devices

This disclosure describes techniques to utilize an exposed portion of the display screen of a foldable device in a folded state to display a peeking user interface. Per techniques of this disclosure, a user interface displays selected content on the exposed portion of a display screen when a device is in the folded state. The selected content can include important notifications such as incoming calls, received text messages, contextual information, items that need user attention, etc. The exposed portion of the display screen in the folded state can be utilized to display icons associated with applications that are of likely interest to the user, e.g., determined from user context (if permitted by the user) or pre-selected by the user

Carbon isotope ratios of Sterkfontein fossils indicate a marked shift to open environments c.1.7 Myr ago

Sterkfontein straddles a period in the Plio-Pleistocene in which the effects of global-scale climate shifts on continental environments and biota are not yet well understood. Reconstructions based on faunal indicators have suggested incremental shifts from relatively closed, mesic landscapes to open, arid environments at this time. We examined environmental shifts from ~2.5 to 1.7 million years ago (Myr) using a C3 / C4 index derived from 13C / 12C data on bovid fossils from Sterkfontein. Data for Member 4 and the Member 5 East infill indicate persistence of a wooded to moderately wooded environment until about 2.0-1.8 Myr. Data indicating a marked shift to open environments are observed only for the younger Member 5 West infill. We conclude that the major shift to open environments occurred near 1.7 Myr rather than at c. 2.5 Myr