Twitter rolling out refreshed web design based on mobile inspiration

Tis a mobile world we live in, one filled with apps that are, more often than not, updated frequently and a degree or two separated from their Web-based counterpart's design (should such a counterpart exist, that is). Such has been the case with Twitter up until today, with a simple announcement being fired off this afternoon ushering in a new Web design reminiscent of its latest mobile offerings.

It is a simple announcement in and of itself, but a big one at that, with the design getting a refreshed look that is flatter, cleaner, and perhaps more streamlined than its original iteration. The announcement was made in a tweet under Twitter's official account alongside a screenshot previewing the new design. Says the tweet: "We're now rolling out a refreshed twitter.com reflecting the look & feel of our iOS & Android apps."

Not all users are seeing the change yet -- based on anecdotal evidence, it would seem many are still seeing the original design. The change is taking place on a rolling basis, however, and so some will have to wait a bit longer before the change makes its way around. Twitter hasn't provided a general time frame for this roll out, so it's a waiting game at this point.

In addition to the refreshed web design, a slight change has been made to user ability to control the design in Settings. Under the applicable menu, users can now select an accent color for their own account, which comes alongside the previously-existing ability to set a background and choose a profile picture.





SOURCE: Twitter

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Tesla Model S software updated with power fluctuation safeguard

Tesla's Model S has been the subject of note when it comes to electric cars, lately due to a spat of fires that have affected a few of the units. Recently, a garage caught fire containing a Model S that was charging, something Tesla maintains was not caused by the Model S and that the Orange County Fire Authority says was related to the wall-charging system. Following this latest incident, Tesla Motors has pushed out a software update.

With this software update, the Model S' onboard charging system will be able to detect what Tesla Motors calls unexpected fluctuations from the power source. When one of these fluctuations take place, the charging current will be dropped 25-percent, taking, as an example, a 40 amp rate and reducing it to 30 amps in an effort to avoid hazards.

Said the statement Tesla published with the software update: "This charge is designed to help protect you even when a problem exists that is outside of the car or charging electronics. It should significantly increase robustness and safety in the unlikely situation that a home wiring system, receptacle, adapter or cord is unable to meet its rated current capacity."

Other fires have also affected the Model S this year, starting with one that took place near Seattle due to debris in the road damaging the battery. Two other fires have also taken place, one later on in Tennessee and another in Mexico following a crash. While all of the fires resulted from incidents of some variety, the NHTSA has still elected to give the fires a careful look over.





SOURCE: AutoBlog

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HTC One, DROID DNA Android 4.3 update planned for next month

Google announced and rolled out Android 4.3 Jelly Bean last month, and carriers and manufacturers alike are working hard to bring the new version to their latest devices. HTC is one company trying to get the update on their new handsets as quick as they can, and are trying to get Android 4.3 on the HTC One and DROID DNA by next month.

The announcement comes from HTC President Jason MacKenzie on Twitter, where he says that (in text message language) the company is “working hard” to deliver Android 4.3 Jelly Bean to the One and DNA by the end of September. This also marks the first time we’ve been provided an announcement on Android 4.3 availability other than Google’s own devices.

Of course, that still brings up the issue of carrier testing. MacKenzie doesn’t mention if that timeline includes carrier testing, but if it doesn’t, users may be waiting a lot longer than September to get Android 4.3 on their brand new One devices and the older DNA.

The HTC One is HTC’s latest flagship, and while the handset is still relatively new, it’s already seen the release of a smaller brother known as the HTC One mini, which sports a slightly smaller shell and a bit of a downgrade with the internals in order to make it more price-friendly for consumers.

The HTC One has two versions; one version includes HTC’s signature Sense UI and the other is rocking a completely stock version of Jelly Bean for those who like Google’s take on the mobile OS. We’re not sure if there will be a date difference with the 4.3 update with either version, but we’re guessing that it’ll be up to the carriers.

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Gmail gets full-screen compose option by popular demand

In October, Google rolled out a new Gmail compose box that would allow users to reference past emails and other content in the account while composing. While it was a handy change and addressed issues many had complained about, others weren’t happy when it became the default option. Now, by popular demand, a full-screen option has been added.

Google announced the new feature today on Google+, saying that it was prodded to add a full-screen compose window by feedback it received from users. The option doesn’t do away with the current pop-out compose window, which is fixed to the right side of the inbox, instead giving a second option for those who prefer it.

With the new full-screen mode, the compose window expands to fill most of the center of the user’s display, with the outer margins dimming gray for a proper writing session. This can be achieved either temporarily, depending on need, or set as the default way Gmail’s compose box shows up when a new message is started.

The full-screen option can be triggered by clicking the Expand button on the menu bar. To make the expanded view your default option, the More Options menu on the bottom of the box holds the “Default to full-screen” option, which can be toggled on and off as desired. Those who don’t see it yet should be seeing it within the next couple days, since it is happening in waves.

In addition to the full-screen compose window, the formatting toolbar is also now on by default, making it easier to get to the formatting tools that, upon a quick glance, had seemed to disappear when the design change first took place.

SOURCE: Google

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