Esquire's E Ink-infused magazine cover shown on video

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! (Sorry, but where else were we gonna use that line?) For those unaware, Esquire's October issue is on newsstands now, and for 100,000 99,999 lucky souls out there, they'll receive one with a flashing E Ink display. Just in case you aren't quite lucky enough to apprehend one of your own, however, The Dastardly Report's Ryan Joseph was kind enough to snap a few photographs and even host a video of the exclusive mag before tearing it down for hacking purposes. Head on past the break for the clip, and tap that read link to have a gander at the stills. Oh, and dart out right this instant to snag your own.

[Jon Lam @ Sep 8th 2008 2:12AM]

Question: Why the hell doesn't everyone else do this, like, all the time? Yes, it's rhetorical.

[Jon Doe. @ Sep 8th 2008 3:32AM]

Because eink is expensive as shit still? And no its not rhetorical when there is a legit answer to the question :-P

[j_g_puff @ Sep 8th 2008 4:52AM]

In 20 years time, people will look back at our crude animated magazine covers and laugh.

[Etaanaru @ Sep 8th 2008 5:26AM]

j_g_puff: 20 years? I surprised anyone reads magazines today.

Maybe if they had a magazine version of Adblock...

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Sep 8th 2008 10:59AM]

@ j_g_puff I'm laughing at this right now!

[OneLove @ Sep 8th 2008 2:32PM]

its like those animated photos and news papers in harry potter

[fsjk85 @ Sep 8th 2008 2:14AM]

now imagine this, but a porno mag

[Randy @ Sep 8th 2008 4:35AM]

Wow! Now imagine this propped up 90 degrees, with a mouse attached! OMG! The future.. is... now! the future is now! the... future is now... is now! Now is the future! The future is... now!

Heck, why not make every page an E-ink page? Is that wasteful? Maybe why not make just one page electronic, with a 'button' you can push to view the next page? So the magazine uses less materials to create? Somebody should create this ''tablet' thing and explore the possibilities of this fantastic new creation.

[drumdbeat @ Sep 8th 2008 6:40AM]

Randy.....Pandy. :)

[greenwood @ Sep 8th 2008 2:15AM]

This I have to say is pretty cool. Just curious is it just a video screen or is the texture that of paper? sorry if thats a dumb question I'm just curious because E-ink gives the impression that its some sort of special ink on normal paper.

[Plothole @ Sep 8th 2008 3:44AM]

EInk can't refresh fast enough to produce motion, so in that sense it can't be considered a video display. It is a type of "electronic display" though...

Basically the technology employees a bunch of tiny clear, fluid filled capsules. Floating within these capsules are positively charged white "ink" and negatively charged black "ink". Above and below each capsule is an electrode. When an appropriate charged is applied to each of these, one of the inks is pulled to the top, while the other is forced to the bottom. Afterward the ink stays in place until another charge is applied.

[mx @ Sep 19th 2008 1:14PM]

Not a dumb question it's a basically a matrix of little cells. Each cell contains free floating back and white spheres with opposite charges. The surface is charged (positive or negative) to pull up the appropriate color for each cell. This technology is mainly exploited in ebook readers. (Google Cybook Gen 3 for images and how it works) The main advantage is there is no back light and newer eink screens pass lcd monitors in clarity.

Traditional LCD use a backlight to illuminate the LCDs from Behind this method works by reflecting light, similar to the way paper works. This allows you to read with almost no glare and in direct sunlight.

Unfortunately there's only black and white screens. There are some color versions but they use a 4 way filter for red, green, blue and leave the black/white cell open. Imagine a square divided into for squares. Each one is covered with a color. The problem with this method is your resolution is cut to a quarter of the original.

[Rakar @ Sep 8th 2008 2:15AM]

WANT

[greenwood @ Sep 8th 2008 2:17AM]

A Playboy with flashing lights would hold my attention for even longer

[Atanas Boev @ Sep 8th 2008 2:24AM]

Not all issues have e-ink display though, but approximate 1/6 of them. Be careful when you order.

[Andrew Ries @ Sep 8th 2008 3:43AM]

Anyone know exactly when this hits news stands?

[Allister @ Sep 8th 2008 2:26AM]

It the 21st Century Begins Now, where do I line up to collect my rocket pack?

[thedesolate1 @ Sep 8th 2008 9:31AM]

Fuck that where the hell is that flying car the Jetsons promised me?

[Rhuantavan @ Sep 8th 2008 2:31AM]

Wow, I wish this was more widespread.

[ethana2 @ Sep 8th 2008 3:06AM]

Oh goodness no.

[Mike @ Sep 8th 2008 2:30AM]

Wow. I had previously heard about this, but the end-result is actually more impressive than I had imagined.

[waiownsyou @ Sep 8th 2008 2:38AM]

Holy crap, where's a 'newstand' in Houston that sells this? I have a feeling that it would be a good idea to save this item and keep it in mint condition for like 30+ years and resell it for a high price!

[Rehehelly @ Sep 8th 2008 2:51AM]

Battery runs out.

You'd have one with nothing there instead.

[waiownsyou @ Sep 8th 2008 3:52AM]

Yeah but I'm sure a battery can be replaced easily...

[JG @ Sep 8th 2008 7:15AM]

I take it you own a iphone......?

[sqb @ Sep 8th 2008 7:34PM]

yes, but it's in it's original box at the top of his closet. He's planning to keep it in mint condition for 30 years, sell it and retire.

[Daniel @ Sep 8th 2008 2:47AM]

Not trying to sound like a hippie or anything but as an owner of a Sony e-ink reader, I know it is not something any more environmentally friendly to throw away than a cell phone. So just out of curiosity, did they do something different to this display to make it ok to just toss it in the trash one day when I don't care to keep it anymore?

[takashisenke @ Sep 8th 2008 3:07AM]

Note: Includes 6 button cell batteries and a PCB.

So no, unless you don't care about dumping electronics down the garbage.

[tom @ Sep 8th 2008 3:36AM]

worse yet, this magazine's cover is not recyclable

[avester @ Sep 8th 2008 3:48AM]

I think that the contents of the magazine is the biggest waste hazard...

[Chris @ Sep 8th 2008 4:20AM]

get back in your tree you smelly hippy.

[michael @ Sep 8th 2008 6:03AM]

good point. I hope for a world where we get all our information (magazines, books, and so on) on a device like the Amazon Kindle. Ones which aren't one time use objects, such as this magazine. Not to mention I'm personally over the whole collection phase of my and man kinds life.

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Sep 8th 2008 11:03AM]

Man you couldn't be sounding LESS like a hippie even if you tried. that was the most non hippie phrase ever. More like a Yuppie with his Sony e-ink reader...

[Brett @ Sep 8th 2008 9:03AM]

I want my Mattle hoverboard!

[idiot @ Sep 8th 2008 3:07AM]

Here's an answer you didn't ask for: Because it's only by the grace of God that I can make it through the line at the super market without gobbling up all the Bubbletape and buying twelve nifty flashlight keychains. PLEASE don't tempt me with flashing magazines.

[idiot @ Sep 8th 2008 3:12AM]

*ahem* In response to Jon Lam


excuse me

[aneurysmi @ Sep 8th 2008 3:27AM]

So? A whole lotta nothing special.

[spacegravity4me @ Sep 8th 2008 3:34AM]

think they have these at walmart??? Just saying that's as far as I'm willing to go.

[spacegravity4me @ Sep 8th 2008 3:54AM]

i actually just went and checked, they didn't even have esquire... so yea... there's that.

[alvaro barroso @ Sep 8th 2008 4:32AM]

This is not new. At all. This technology has been around for years, they're called el-led sheets and they've been used in some bus stops adverts (intel dual core for one)bars,shopping malls,etc. I was expecting something new when I read the header....

[Plothole @ Sep 8th 2008 4:07PM]

This is not an EL-LED. EInk is a very different technology, that isn't related to LEDs in any way.

[chris gill @ Sep 8th 2008 4:15AM]

Is anyone else completely blown away? This is awesome!

[Wwhat @ Sep 8th 2008 3:54AM]

Seems a bit odd that a throw-away magazine has a color one and the expensive full products are grey/black only.

[David @ Sep 8th 2008 11:51AM]

Wwat - the display is not color, just the printing behind it.

I picked up all they had at the local B&N (4 of them). The folks at the checkout (in the cafe) all came around to look when I pointed out what the cover had on it.

D.

[Evan @ Sep 8th 2008 10:37AM]

It's not color. They printed the color images on top of B&W e-ink, so it effectively brightens and darkens the color images.

[Twoje @ Sep 8th 2008 3:58AM]

"THREE HOURS LATER ON THE WEST COAST"


Hahahaha.

[malisp @ Sep 8th 2008 4:38AM]

Yeah, I remember thinking the tag was awesome too when it first "came out".

Looks like in the near future, unless someone creates Adblock for print media, I'll need to go over all the ads with a sharpie before I can concentrate enough to enjoy an article.

[malisp @ Sep 8th 2008 4:48AM]

That was supposed to read "the BLINK tag", which is apparently so evil Engadget won't even let me post it.

[Johan S @ Sep 8th 2008 4:48AM]

I went to a couple of 24 hour grocery stores here and they only have the September issue on display . I didnt feel like asking a clerk if they have the new one in the back somewhere.

[schmitty338 @ Sep 8th 2008 1:48PM]

...thanks for the update?