Sharp shows off memory-capable, e-ink fighting LCDs
E-ink displays, whether they be a couple-inches or a couple-feet across, hold a lot of potential, but in the four and a half years we've been covering the tech it hasn't exactly made huge progress. Nothing spurs innovation like a little competition, and Sharp (which has dabbled in the e-ink before) is looking to provide just that with a new display type also able to hold an image sans-power. Few details about its construction are known, except that it's based on LCD tech and can be manufactured on current production lines. In other words: it should be cheap. Current sizes are 1.7-, 2.4-, 6.1-, and 14.1-inches, with the largest two available in either monochrome or 8-color flavors, and the biggest offering a passable resolution of 1030 x 606. There's no indication of when these will be readily available, but they are currently on limited tests as inventory tags in an Osaka grocery store -- where even supermarkets are apparently cooler than ours.
