Its also clear from the submitted drawings that the intention is for the device to fold in every direction without any gap when fully closed. If this was bad for PlayStation gamers, the EC would not take that (reported) position. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes! The statistics below share strategic R&D insights. Having a patent has many benefits. With over 80% of our patents filed in multiple countries, we support harmonization of patent laws and procedures. Before Microsoft joined, OIN had more than 2,650 community members and owns more than 1,300 global patents and applications. Microsoft does not claim any trade secret rights in this documentation. LONDON, and REDMOND, Wash. Aug. 9, 2022 On Tuesday, Barclays Financial institution PLC (Barclays) and Microsoft Corp. introduced Barclays has deployed Microsoft Groups as its most popular collaboration 4 hours ago. How many people are buying Windows 8" tablets? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The remaining patents are available through various programs. Thu 17 Feb 2022 // 22:33 UTC. Just this week, as reported by Gizmo China, LG showed off some of its new display technology at SID 2022 Display Week. However, this new patent has something truly sci-fi futuristic, while offering an incredibly intimate look at the inner workings of the device. priority date: 12/23/2013; Status: Active Grant; Abstract: A user interface through which information is proactively provided utilizes visual cues indicative of the relevance of the information Des donnes d'activit corporelle peuvent tre gnres sur la base de l'activit corporelle dtecte de l'utilisateur. Maybe some transparent Carbine fiber composite? The publication date of the application was March 26, 2020, and it was then assigned the number WO2020060606A1. 02 Mar 2023 15:10:18 The basic offer of the patent pick is straightforward; Microsoft will make available a list of 10,000 patents (download here) that qualified Microsoft Azure customers can choose from to help them defend against patent lawsuits brought by operating companies against their cloud service offerings that run on Azure. The company first filed for the patent about a year ago. The market already proved that there's no place for Windows in mobile devices (tablets/phones) as no one wanted or needed it. The staff of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has just uploaded an order (PDF) by the agency's Chief (and only) Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) D. Michael Chappell dated February 23, 2023. With its decisions in AMP v. Myriad, Mayo v. Prometheus, and Bilski v. Kappos, the Supreme Court capped a longstanding trend away from the patentability of the human body, human embryonic stem cells, human physiology, diagnosis of human disease, human The inventors are Microsoft employees Dustin Abraham, Derrick Fu, and Joseph Edwin Johnson. She invented a process for weaving straw with silk or thread. WebExtend protection for your innovations at the edge. Or transparent Aluminum composite? Last point: one of the requirements for a patent in patent law is "diligence in reduction to practice," which means you can't just sit on the idea. In some cases, a patent is the only viable defense against that, increasing competition and encouraging true innovation. Human body activity associated with a task provided to a user may be used in a mining process of a cryptocurrency system. Date of Patent: February 21, 2023. But the patent application shows that a person would have a sensor that would be in a "device" that would communicate the information to the "communication network" that would then share the information with the "cryptocurrency system.". . As long as it's a full Win10 PC and I can dock it on my gamepad for XPA. That certainly sounds like the same technology Microsoft would need for its patent application. Human body activity associated with a task provided to a user may be used in a mining process of a cryptocurrency system. Innovation is at the heart of Microsoft as a company. Good records help protect you and your idea, in the special case your patent is challenged or infringed on. The patent lawyers take care of filing your application and ensure that all teams have a patent pending status while waiting for the USPTO to fully review applications. Microsoft has had a focus on new Materials with the surface line. WebAn ITC ruling has found that the Xbox 360 infringes on four patents owned by Motorola. want to do some light Photoshop on the go. The chart below distributespatents filed by Microsoft in different countries on the basis of the technology protectedin patents. Perhaps the Surface Go 2 will differentiate itself further from its bigger brothers by becoming foldable in the future. Related: Everything we know about Surface "Andromeda". Those numbers include both design and utility patents. Black screen of death. Just because people are carrying oversized phones doesn't mean they are great. Microsoft has filed a patent which raises the intriguing possibility of digitally reincarnating people as a chat bot. A new patent application filed by Microsoft reveals how it would do a display that can fold 360-degrees. Would love to see this device yesterday! These are the basic qualifications to consider as you determine eligibility of your idea. According to the patent titled COMPUTERIZED INTELLIGENT ASSISTANT FOR CONFERENCES, Microsoft is planning to introduce new conferencing hardware [] This was only slightly less than in 2017. Her patent was issued in her husbands name by the British courts in 1715. On one Reddit thread, many were going back and forth on this being nothing more than an advanced ad insight plan and some were very much comparing it to Sweatcoin, an app that pays you for walking. User device may include personal computers, servers, cell phones, tablets, laptops, smart devices (e.g. I wanna try it out. View all recent news. What was claimed. This same spirit is what brought the #MakeWhatsNext Patent Program to life. Alexis Tereszcuk is a writer and fact checker at Lead Stories and. Microsofts idea is to use precisely this energy and put it to productive use (Matrix-style) Gertrude Elion, an influential biochemist and pharmacologist, not only received a Noble Peace Prize in 1988, but her name also appeared on 45 different patents. Patent lawyers not only have to pass the bar, but they must also pass a thorough examination through the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). The selected area activates a snap function of the computer program. | Legal DMCA Privacy. WebMicrosoft Technology Licensing (MTL) is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation and manages Microsoft patents and technology transfer activities. Thank you for signing up to Windows Central. The memes that went viral note that the patent number is a variation of "666" which users associated with the biblical "mark of the beast." The feel and the durability for an item that bends would need to be some new composite material. Let us know!. Microsoft's chat bots may imitate the dead. We must ensure that our policy of innovation supports both our ability to produce cutting edge technology and the ability of our customers, partners, and developers to build on that technology to achieve more. WebThe patent process Step 1: Do you need a patent? This team from Greece created a virtual reality game to understand bullying. The Andromeda device is not a Smart phone it's an exotic shaped PC. You know something that no one else is expecting? The order addresses Sony's motion to quash or limit Microsoft's subpoena in the FTC's in-house adjudicative proceeding concerning the acquisition of Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. The Independent reports: The patent describes creating a bot based on the "images, voice data, social media posts, electronic messages," and more personal information. but Microsoft's. There was a problem. Neither this notice nor Microsoft's delivery of this documentation grants any licenses under those patents or any other Or will they each only be getting the new HoloLens? By: Robert N. Adams. The patent, called Cryptocurrency System Using Body Activity Data, explains that the human body generates energy that is lost with each natural physical body function. Microsoft, GitHub, and OpenAI are currently facing a lawsuit that accuses them of infringing upon licensed code in order to develop Copilot, a cloud-based AI tool that autocompletes code for software developers. It may be this mechanical and new composite that get the job done. 4 hours ago. It is true that Microsoft has a patent application with the numbers 060606 in New York, WebExciting news from Microsoft! Countries in which Microsoft Filed Patents. Thank you for signing up to Windows Central. One of those innovations was a new 8.03-inch foldable OLED display that can fold inwards and outwards at any angle from 0 to 360 degrees. WebMICROSOFT CORPORATION, Defendant. Microsoft is committed to responsible intellectual property management, including the creation of a healthy patent ecosystem around the world that promotes and encourages innovation. Microsoft commits patents to help fight COVID-19 Apr 20, 2020 | Jennifer Yokoyama - Chief IP Counsel I am very pleased to announce that, today, Microsoft is committing to the Open COVID Pledge by making its patents available free of charge for use in efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic and minimize the impact of the disease. Have a useful tip? Technology giant Microsoft has filed a patent for a system to monitor employees' body language and facial expressions during work meetings and give the events a "quality score". How successful had that form factor been, remind me please? The days of them handing out expensive gifts at Build are over. The cryptocurrency system communicatively coupled to the device of the user may verify if the body activity data satisfies one or more conditions set by the cryptocurrency system, and award cryptocurrency to the user whose body activity data is verified. Out of these 45896 have been granted leading to agrant rate of 78.62%. The last few years have witnessed historic developments in U.S. patent law. Also, several memes have mentioned vaccines as part of the patent application, but there is no mention of vaccines in the application. Whilst I love open sourcing as much as possible it's also cool to have my first patent! Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. In order to be granted the protection of a patent, the inventor is obligated to use his or her reasonable efforts to bring it to market. Previous patents relating to Andromeda seem to point to the idea of a dual-panel display that can be folded with a central hinge. Please select all the ways you would like to hear from Lead Stories LLC: You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. This high school team developed a smart wallet that helps people who are blind or low vision sort their money into their wallet. Microsoft issues security patches for older Intel CPUs on Windows 10 and 11. Type: Grant. May 10, 2022. Patents cover three basic varieties of invention: design, plant, or utility. Microsoft Patent | Machine vision system and method for estimating and tracking facial pose. Either way, foldable phones will get a lot more exciting, and Microsoft clearly has many more ideas. She invented a special way for cleaning and curing corn crops. I'm sure he has an idea of what he feels this device will be like. They were inspired after watching a TV show where a blind man received a $1 bill instead of a $20 bill at a store. This reflects an effort to focus on innovation worth patenting, and to ensure Microsofts portfolio is aligned closely to the future of the company and the industry. I would love a one screen that does not have the draw backs of "mush" and "creases". Microsoft joined United Patents' Open Source Software Zone (OSS Zone) alongside the Linux Foundation to help keep bad patents at bay. The patent was published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on March 26. The explanation of the publication date is found on the website. WebBusiness, Economics, and Finance. The camera is able to take key measurements like salinity and pH level, and they are developing a fish recognition system. Certainly, it doesnt suggest a decrease in the patent filing. Could this Xbox Series S Toaster be a real Microsoft appliance or just an April Fool's prank? Heres how it works. Now, all it needs is the technology to make that happen. In 2017, women are continuing to come up with new ideas, gaining patents, and inspiring a new generation with their creativity and innovation. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, is the subject of many conspiracies, including that he wants to vaccinate the entire world, and then control people through vaccinations. Azure IP Advantage applies to the software running IoT devices connected to Azure. If patents or patents from a particular technology area of a company receive a lot of citations, it implies that the technology is being followed and incrementally innovated by the citing companies. How Many Patents did Microsoft File Every Year? What is blockchain technology?A blockchain is a decentralized ledger of all transactions across a peer-to-peer network. Microsofts patent suggests the company could use crowdsourced data to fill in any gaps. Hmm you must be a an Apple or Android troll Microsoft is selling enough. I think the main purpose of the diagram is to show how the parts would work, not that its an actual device at that aspect ratio From what I can see, this patent has nothing to do with dimensions. Un capteur coupl de manire communiquer avec un dispositif de l'utilisateur ou compris dans ce dernier peut dtecter l'activit corporelle de l'utilisateur. While waiting for the USPTO to review applications, the Patent Program provides support through the Patent Advisory Board. Microsoft is grateful for the trust that people place in our products, services, and experiences. In the CMA report, Microsoft said that PlayStation has double the MAUs of Xbox. Microsoft's new patent is about mining cryptocurrency. I am so ready for this device. Makes no sense for a programmer. The order addresses Sony's motion to quash or limit Microsoft's subpoena in the FTC's in-house adjudicative proceeding concerning the acquisition of WO2020060606 - CRYPTOCURRENCY SYSTEM USING BODY ACTIVITY DATA, AE, AG, AL, AM, AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY, BZ, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DJ, DK, DM, DO, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IR, IS, JO, JP, KE, KG, KH, KN, KP, KR, KW, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, OM, PA, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, RU, RW, SA, SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW, CRYPTOCURRENCY SYSTEM USING BODY ACTIVITY DATA, SYSTME DE CRYPTOMONNAIE UTILISANT DES DONNES D'ACTIVIT CORPORELLE. Further, the idea will only become successful if it truly does lower costs or create new capabilities (otherwise, customers will stick with the existing proven options). Surface devices are PC's. A new Microsoft patent points to an intriguing solution in their pursuit of a folding tablet. A close up of the hinge in Microsoft's foldable display patent application showing 0, 300, and 360-degrees. Looks like a different take on a Surface Book hinge to avoid as much screen fold-radius-fatigue as possible. Tried to edit but, it will not let me so here I go again. The first inventor listed is a jew named Dustin Abramson, who is a software engineer working with AI. ), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun. This (see below) will also happen in the Microsoft-ActivisionBlizzard case. With over 80% of our patents filed in multiple countries, we support harmonization of patent laws and procedures. In 1809, Mary Dixon Kies was the first American woman to receive a US patent. This process takes time and patience. Would be cool if they go for e.g. National Phase Entries Incremental download (last 7 days), DATA PROCESSING SYSTEMS OR METHODS, SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL, SUPERVISORY OR FORECASTING PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL, SUPERVISORY OR FORECASTING PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, Payment architectures, schemes or protocols, Private payment circuits, e.g. That's why Microsoft is contributing to the fight against patent troll activity: To protect open-source operations and entities that may not have the resources to defend themselves. Can't wait for the New Testament of Apple where we find out touch screens were sacred all along, too. We support policies to promote patent quality, including issuance of patent claims that are clear and valid, via predictable and efficient prosecution and adjudication. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). We chose the patents Featured at CES 2023: Save 19% on the Bento Stack Charge 8000. In the 37-page patent application (US 2022/0158124), Microsoft outlines what the patent application is for, noting, Examples are disclosed relating to foldable display devices and methods for folding a display device through a range of degrees at a folding portion. Those degrees range from 0 to 360 (Figures 16, 17, and 18). Which Companies are using Microsoft Patents to Advance their Research? The creator of ANS, Story Highlights. WebPassion for technology, innovation and entrepreneurship Experiences in digital video, multimedia, networking, signal processing, and AI Publication of over 500 peer-reviewed papers, 60 granted US patents, and 11 books Director of the board for five public companies | Ya-Qin Zhang In other words, the resulting chatbot could end up saying things the person never said. US20130278631A1is the most popular patent in the Microsoft portfolio. Of course, most of the application is about how the device folds (methods), the hinge, gears, and overall design. thanks, I missed it! The system mimics experiences and monitors a users blood pressure, heart rate, and palm sweat. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials, involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords, Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords, involving user or device identifiers, e.g. WebMicrosoft Windows additionally comes with a pre-installed tool to convert a FAT file system into NTFS directly without the need to rewrite all files, though this cannot be reversed easily. Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com. Multiyear settlement represents one of many largest deployments of Groups within the monetary companies business. Entrepreneur and robot designer, Melonee Wise, headed Fetch Robotics in 2013. We may see Microsoft experiment more as these innovations can be mass-produced at an affordable cost. The Xbox Series S is an attractive option for gamers on a budget. Our patent portfolio reflects our long-time investment in R&D across multiple technology areas, ranging from operating systems, security, productivity, and cloud computing to emerging technologies like AI, mixed reality, and quantum computing. But frankly I think it has less to do with the hardware and more to do with the OS that we will not see this till at least next year. It tells the companies that were trying to protect inventions similar to Microsoft. coupons, rebates, offers or upsales, Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services, for anthropometrical measurements, such as weight, height, strength, Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic; arrangements for secret or secure communication, the encryption apparatus using shift registers or memories for block-wise ; or stream; coding, e.g. You can search international patents Microsoft offers several of its key technologies for licensing. an award-winning journalist who spent over a decade breaking hard news and celebrity scoop with RadarOnline and Us Weekly. You will receive a verification email shortly. Microsoft joined United Patents' Open Source Software Zone (OSS Zone) alongside the Linux Foundation to help keep bad patents at bay. WebPatents. Author of The Practical Guide to Defect Prevention and holds seven patents. Its current best-selling products are the Microsoft Windows operating system; Microsoft Office, a suite of productivity software; Xbox, a line of entertainment of games, music, and video; Bing, a Below are the key stats of Microsoft patent prosecution at the USPTO. It's not even running the same UWP we run today. Ooooooh I wonder if these will be handed out to everyone that attends Build 2019? WebAlcatel-Lucent v. Microsoft Corp., also known as Lucent Technologies Inc. v. Gateway Inc., was a long-running patent infringement case between Alcatel-Lucent and Microsoft litigated in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California and appealed multiple times to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Get the best of Windows Central in your inbox, every day! Throw in the dynamic touchscreen and they're onto a winner here. Mewn datganiad ar eu gwefan mae Microsoft wedi addo trwyddedu unrhyw batentau safonol-hanfodol ar delerau rhesymol ac anwahaniaethol i unrhyw ddyfodiaid. Dawr symudiad yn sgil Apple yn cwyno bod system FRAND yn cael ei cham-drin yn Ewrop, lle mae Samsung wedi bod yn ymladd yn l yn erbyn honiadau Apple trwy ddefnyddio eu They couldnt because Microsoft had protected those before them. So you think it'll be larger than 6.5 inches folded? Microsoft: Be whats next is an American multinational computer technology corporation founded in the year 1975. WebMicrosoft. Here is what Windows 11 would look like in 2001. But between this new patent application and LGs news, such a device could be a possibility. The patents geographical coverage is in major countries like United States, Europe, China, and Australia. I am not sold on a solid flex screen yet. WebMicrosoft reveals more Bing Chat additions, including chat turn counters. smart watches or smart televisions).". That's a bad dimension for a screen. Not sure if a "full Win10 PC" is marketable. Surface Laptop 4 Amd 2021 Keyboard Lights, (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central), Destiny 2 Lightfall: How to beat Tormentors, the new enemy type, Surprisingly, Destiny 2: Lightfall is kind of awful, OneNote on Windows finally lets you switch between vertical and horizontal tabs, Halo Infinite's awesome Forge Mode hits over 1 million creations, Windows 11 is finally getting a much better volume mixer and sound settings menu. Our non-Apple patent site called Patently Mobile first covered a Microsoft for a foldable device in January 2017, four years prior to it's debut on the market as the Surface Duo. Count of 102 and 103 Type Rejections based on Microsoft Patents, TopMicrosoft Patents used in Rejecting Most Patent Applications. The point is, the legal system often costs more upfront than blackmail, so many companies tend to pay up (opens in new tab) when a PAE comes knocking since proper litigation carries a higher price. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 11 minutes ago. Please refresh the page and try again. This high school team developed an underwater camera to study the prevalence of invasive species in the Great Lakes. A claim in memes and some accompanying posts is that the patent will use sensors placed in the human body. by Nat Levy on December 27, 2019 at 8:26 am December 27, 2019 at 8:27 am. For more information, please see the Programs and Patents links. Blackberry Passport! Heavy hitters entering the fight against patent trolls take some of the pressure off small open-source entities from having to defend themselves and help more easily build publicly documented histories that protect open-source communities by making it easier to debunk frivolous lawsuits. These patents belong to 30704 unique patent families. a bezeless 6 inch phone-like screen size x 2, that would folded still perfectly fit in a pocket while unfolded being able to offer an Ipad Mini like screen size (~8 inch 4:3). It has announced today a multi-faceted deal with the company including sales of patents, cross-licensing arrangements, and software pre-installation, expanding its OEM partnerships and its services' worldwide reach while also providing In the method, an area between a first and second display windows of a computer program is selected. The patent, registered under code WO 2020060606, was applied for by Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (MTL) of Redmond, the Microsoft Group company that owns the vast majority of patents previously owned by Microsoft Corporation and refers to a cryptocurrency system using body activity data. Apie tai skelbiama bendrame kompanij pareikime. While I dont think we have much to worry about in regard to this, that wont stop people from freaking out over the numbers and coming to their own conclusions. It just means they are carrying oversized phones that look cumbersome to carry around. Another false claim about the patent application is that it will be using "5G." R&D Focus:How Microsoft Research Focus ChangedOver the Years? market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards; Price estimation or determination, COMPUTER SYSTEMS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS, Computer systems based on biological models, Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. The number of patents issued is not surprising as each year Microsoft invests The technology could be used to create chatbots of dead people, fictional characters, and relatives. It received its patent in 2017. In other words, the resulting chatbot could end up saying things the person never said. The multi-media redirection module is configured to redirect the encoded media content to the at least one client computer device. No creases in the middle of the screen messing up pen inputjust one beautiful flexible screen! That's what I want out of this device! Keep records of your progress. Saturday, March 4, 2023. Microsoft Patent 060606 Body interfaced digital currency Bill Gates: Microsoft Patent I would rather have the glass two screens than a bad feeling one screen. Patents To assist in determining whether a patent license may be beneficial, Microsoft identifies Microsoft U.S. patents and patent applications that may cover the Open Specifications. While many are, as noted above freaking out and calling this a sign of the mark of the beast others are not so concerned. Can't stand those oversized phones. The tech giant is exploring new possibilities in heart rate monitoring. Microsoft again ranked fourth, with 2,905 patents granted, while Amazon, which was granted 2,244 patents, was pushed down to No. GameStop Moderna Pfizer Johnson & Johnson AstraZeneca Walgreens Best Buy Novavax SpaceX Tesla. Crypto Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Having a patent has many benefits. Win32 is only necessary if you are a creator e.g. Please happen! 2. Microsoft Corporation develops, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products, services, and devices, including the Windows operating system, Microsoft Office application suite, Windows Phone operating system, Xbox game console platform, Windows Server, Windows SQL Server and Microsoft Azure cloud platform. Uhm, then get an used one for 30 bucks? Windows Central is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. There was a problem. The application was filed on June 20 last year. New York, News February 28, 2023. Guess it will be Andromeda 2, not Go 2. WebA recently-published patent by Microsoft envisions a stylus that can be used as a Bluetooth headset, thanks to a flexible design that allows the pen to wrap around your ear and a dockable earpiece. PatentIn version 3.5.1 is enhanced with the latest Microsoft .NET technology to provide better software performance, accessibility, and reliability. That being said there are as usual tons of people saying the patent doesnt exist because its not a US patent. The top-cited technologies in the Microsoft patent portfolio are Software & Services, Operating systems (OS) & PC & devices. The heavily detailed patent goes to lengths to explain how the "deformable" fold in this tablet works, which would allow it to be opened or closed, but not reversed, as was expected with Andromeda. There have been some hints that Microsoft may also be reconsidering the dual-screen approach to Surface Duo and may try to do a version with a foldable display. Destiny 2 Lightfall: How to beat Tormentors, the new enemy type, Surprisingly, Destiny 2: Lightfall is kind of awful, OneNote on Windows finally lets you switch between vertical and horizontal tabs, Halo Infinite's awesome Forge Mode hits over 1 million creations, Windows 11 is finally getting a much better volume mixer and sound settings menu. All legal expertise and application fees are covered pro bono by the Microsoft patent law department, at an estimated value of $50,000. While Surface Duo can reverse fold into many different postures, including a single-screen mode, the gap created by the two displays can be frustrating for those who would prefer one large, single-screen experience, especially when watching a video.