The IT Experts

OLED Foldable Screens

The first thing you should know about the technology that allows a display to fold is that it is an innovation from LED (light-emitting diode) technology. The LED is a semiconductor light source that emits light when an electric current flows through it. It works through a process called electroluminescence. As electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, energy is released as photons. The color of the light emitted depends on how the photons cross the energy gap of the semiconductor.

In an OLED display, the electroluminescent anode is made from an organic compound. It is situated between two electrodes, and as the electrons move and recombine, light is produced through the emissive organic layer. Since it already produced visible light and not just a charge of targeted energy, no backlight is needed. As a result, OLED displays typically display deep black levels (which help in image contrast) and can be produced thin and flexible.

Over the past five years, many different manufacturers have made use of OLED displays. Some are PMOLED (using a passive-matrix design) and some are AMOLED (using an active-matrix design). The difference is the PMOLED display has control of each line of pixels sequentially, while the AMOLED display uses a transistor to directly access pixel function.

Bendable Displays

This doesn’t really get us closer to why OLED displays can be so flexible. Inherently, the organic compounds found in an OLED anode are able to be manipulated any which way, as long as the transistor used to carry the energy formed by the electric current is also flexible. Once scientists figured out that problem, it was a simple task of finding a substrate layer that was able to flex while maintaining its integrity while bending. This is why glass, while used in most of the smartphones up to this point, isn’t an option for flexible screens. The flexible OLED displays typically make use of a flexible plastic substrate that provides the right mix of flex and strength that a foldable device needs to be effective.

Foldable Options

Some of the top manufacturers like Motorola and Apple are rumored to have foldable smartphones ready for market sometime in the near future, but there are plenty of manufacturers, including the world’s most successful smartphone manufacturer, who is ready to launch their first foldable phone. Let's look at some of the options you may see in 2019:

Samsung Galaxy Fold

https://youtu.be/7r_UgNcJtzQ

Available to the public on April 26, 2019, the Samsung Fold, is the first foldable smartphone to hit the United States’ smartphone market. Reportedly carrying an antenna capable of 5G speeds, it is a seminal phone in multiple ways. The biggest draw, however is the foldable screen. The unfolded screen measures at 7.3-inches and features a new Dynamic AMOLED display. When folded up, there is a 4.6-inch Super AMOLED display on the front of the phone. There is still no word how the software will integrate with the two displays. The Galaxy Fold features a strong 64-bit, octa-core processor and 12 GB of RAM. It comes standard with 512 GB of internal storage. The battery clocks in at 4,380 mAh. There are still a lot of questions being asked, and not many answers to be had about the Galaxy Fold.

Huawei Mate X

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_c2KGtZP64

The other early edition to the foldable smartphone market is the Huawei Mate X, which takes another strategy altogether. The Chinese manufacturer doesn’t protect the foldable display, but uses it. The display when opened measures at 8-inches, but when it is closed the display wraps around the phone. This provides some interesting features when attempting to take pictures, giving a viewfinder no matter how you are planning on taking pictures. It also removes the need for front-facing lenses as the entire device is effectively a display. The specs include a Kirin 980 octa-core processor with 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of onboard storage. The battery is 4,500 mAh with 55W fast charging standard. Since the launch of the product is a few months off, more information will be made available soon.

Oppo, Xiaomi, LG, Motorola, and Apple have all announced that they will be working on integrating foldable OLED technology into their catalogue before long. Are you looking forward to having a foldable phone (again)? Or are you skeptical that these manufacturers are creating gimmick devices that aren’t practical for consumers? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

The first thing that we should mention in this article is that Windows 7 will be losing support this upcoming January, and with so many people/businesses still using machines running the decade-old operating system, Microsoft knew they needed to make Windows 10 that much more accessible. Their strategy is to provide Windows 10 as a cloud service.

In launching Microsoft 365, the software developer has made it easier to upgrade away from Windows 7 and 8.1. For the modern business that depends on their Windows 7 workstations, this provides them with an option to get their business moved over to a platform that’s security is strong and up-to-date.

Windows 10 has been remarkably resilient as threats continue to multiply. In fact, there are some people in the industry that argue that Windows 10’s Windows Defender is one of the best antivirus solutions ever made for a personal computer. It may be that for an individual user Windows 10’s built-in security is enough to protect them against a web filled with viruses and malware. For the enterprise, however, it is vigilant to have added security in the form of a dedicated antivirus and powerful spam blocker. That’s not to deride the improvements Microsoft has made to its internal security system, it just provides more control for administrators whose job is keeping these threats from damaging an organization’s operational effectiveness.

What to Expect from Windows 10 Enterprise Security
As stated above, Windows Defender is a strong antivirus, but the real benefit to Windows 10’s security solutions is the improvement in identity and access management and data protection. In improving Windows 10’s identity and access management systems, Microsoft has made a point to improve security around the access points. They’ve thoroughly overhauled the way they authorize users, groups, and other systems to access data on Windows 10-controlled networks or devices. With this enhancement, administrators have more options to outline the ownership of objects, user rights, and data that is available for reporting.

User Account Control (UAC), found in the most recent version of Windows, is enhanced in Windows 10. It works to prevent malware by blocking the installation of unauthorized applications and prevent non-administrators from changing system settings. Another change is the use of two-factor authentication to gain access. By setting up a two-factor authentication system, users will be forced to have access to additional accounts to gain access, mitigating access problems that come from stolen passwords.

Additionally, Windows 10’s security includes BitLocker, a data protection feature that integrates with the OS and is used to address the near-constant threat of data theft (or unauthorized exposure). There are also dynamic features such as the Trusted Platform Module, which provides hardware-based security functions, and the ability to secure the Windows 10 boot process. Every security feature should be added into a dedicated Windows Information Protection policy that can be set per device or over an entire network.

Windows 10 is one of the strongest operating systems ever created in dealing with threats. Learn more by contacting our IT experts today at (954) 834-2800.

One thing to keep in mind is that many manufacturers are making devices that are, at the very least, water resistant. These devices are given an International Protection (IP) score, which is based on the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). This rating is given to any consumer device, and it designates how much protection a consumer can expect from it. For example, a device classified as IP67 is resistant to dust and can be submerged in water no more than one meter deep for up to half an hour. The only difference between this and an IP68 device is that the IP68 guarantees protection in 1.5 meters of water for up to half an hour.

Of course, you didn’t come here to learn about the semantics related to device protection classification--you want to know what to do if your device falls in water. Here are some decent catch-all steps you can take to potentially save your device.

1. Turn Off Your Device: Be sure to turn off your device as soon as possible. Don’t try to plug it in or shake it. Don’t blow in it or use a blow dryer to try to save it. Just follow the steps below and don’t stray from them.
2. Remove your SIM card and any other expandable storage.
3. Remove the battery if possible: Some phones don’t have the removable battery, so if it doesn’t, don’t just pry it open. Have a professional do it for you. You can always check out YouTube for tutorials as well.
4. Use an absorbent rag to dab your phone dry: Try not to wipe it around, as this could spread the liquid too much.
5. Place the phone in a plastic bag filled with uncooked rice: The rice will absorb the liquid.
6. Let your phone dry for a day or two before trying to turn it on.
7. Turn it on: If this doesn’t work, try charging it. If the device doesn’t charge, the battery could be damaged. You will want to work with a professional to do this, if you haven’t already done so.
8. If it seems to work right, make sure everything does: Make sure you test the screen for responsiveness, as well as the speakers and microphone.

By following these eight steps, you’ll maximize your chances of getting away from a phone-meets-liquid incident unscathed. If you found this blog helpful, be sure to share it with anyone else who might benefit from it.