Pixel May Get Samsung’s Ultra-Thin, Folding Glass; iPhone 13-Maybe 18% Bump in Battery Capacity; Twitter Launching Local Weather Service; Amazon Customers Can Now Sue Amazon in Court

After a truly disastrous roll out and later restart of its folding phone offerings, Samsung seems to have hit a certain stride. There are almost no reports of the folders having the kind of problems the initial models had. Now, according to 9to5google.com, Samsung may be ready to sell its ultra-thin glass used in the folding models to others. At the top of the list, according to a late rumor…the Google Pixel! After an initial rumor of a folding Pixel over a year ago, the code name for that device has showed up again in the past few weeks. Meanwhile, expect to see a Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 coming out from Samsung in August. 

There can never be too much when it comes to some things. One of those is smartphone battery capacity. Now, 9to5mac.com reports that we may see up to an 18% increase in the ones coming in the iPhone 13 models. It will be needed too, if the rumor that Apple is adding power hungry ProMotion displays and an always on display. Of course, the phones will be heavier, and most likely thicker with a beefier battery. 

In a move to roll out something that no one knows they need, Twitter is teaming up with veteran climate journalist and meteorologist Eric Holthaus in a local weather news service. Axios.com says it will be called ‘Tomorrow, and will be constructed with Twitter’s new creator products…which we’ve covered here, and include paid newsletters, ticketed live audio rooms and other creator products that can be monetized. The weather service expects to ramp up to 18 meteorologists, 20-30 climate writers, and a handful of part time editorial staffers. They will generate newsletters and long form content, ass well as members only short form material. If you are an uber weather junkie, and your phone apps just don’t cut it, maybe this will be for you!

Amazon has…up to now…required customer disputes to go to arbitration. After being swamped by thousands of individual arb cases, the online giant has quietly changed its terms of service: “Any dispute or claim relating in any way to your use of any Amazon Service will be adjudicated in the state or Federal courts in King County, Washington, and you consent to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in these courts. We each waive any right to a jury trial.”  Cnet.com notes that the cases have to be brought in Amazon’s ‘home court’ as it were, and I note that customers still have to waive their right to a jury trial…which realistically would have put Amazon at a hell of a disadvantage. Amazon was out millions in filing fees under the arbitration requirement…now, with customers having to file their own fees to get into court, it may stem the flood to some degree.