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Koobe's Jin Yong Reader gets Mirasol, brings color to Taiwanese hearts
It's no accident that Koobe's Jin Yong Reader bears a striking resemblance to Kyobo's eReader and Shanda's Bambook which we toyed with back at CES. But while those e-readers brought Mirasol to their respective South Korean and Chinese markets, Koobe's entrant will do the same for Taiwan. As for the trio's striking resemblance, know that they're all based on the same Qualcomm-heavy reference hardware, which pairs a 1GHz Snapdragon S2 with a 5.7-inch 1024 x 728 XGA Mirasol display. For those unaware, the addition of the latter part means the e-readers boast limited color on their non-backlit displays, all while retaining an E Ink-like low power draw. The trinity also feature a highly customized layer atop Gingerbread, and in Koobe's case, come pre-loaded with 15 novels by, you guessed it, Jin Yong. Naturally, pricing and exact availability have yet to be announced, but we're told they'll be available "soon." PR for those interested awaits after the break.
Kyobo eReader with Mirasol display gets video walkthrough, does things E Ink can't
Qualcomm's Mirasol display technology was supposedly inspired by butterfly wings, and its progress over the past year has been appropriately erratic. It was happening, then it wasn't, then it was again -- but only in the Korea-confined Kyobo e-Reader. Despite all the flitting about, however, some consistent promises have been made: a 'converged' screen that's like E Ink because it requires no backlight and lasts for "weeks" on a single charge, and like LCD in its ability to refresh quickly and handle color video. Thanks to Netbook News, we now have some eyes-on of the 5.7-inch, 1024 x 768 Kyobo in action, powered by a 1GHz single-core Snapdragon S2 and Android 2.3, and it's yours for the glimpsing right after the break. There's room for improvement, especially with color saturation, viewing angles and reflectiveness, but we're not quibbling -- this ₩349,000 ($310) device evidently lives up to its central claim.
Qualcomm CEO confirms death of 5.7-inch Mirasol e-reader display, looks forward to 'next version'
Remember that Mirasol e-reader display Qualcomm was hoping to release this year? Yeah, it's not happening. Speaking at a press briefing in San Diego yesterday, Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs confirmed that the 5.7-inch panel has been abandoned after failing to meet expectations. Instead, the company will devote its attention to the "next version" of the technology, which has Jacobs feeling optimistic: "We have a really interesting roadmap -- we're starting out on e-readers because we figured having E Ink as a competing technology was a good way to get started. But if you think about the power consumption of the screens that are out now [on tablets], they're very bright OLED screens that use up a lot of the power of the battery. We don't today have as vibrant color as an OLED display - but we have a roadmap that gets us to a much brighter color." Presumably, this roadmap would include that low-power "converged e-reader" we heard about a few weeks ago, slated for release by the end of the year. Jacobs also mentioned that Qualcomm is planning to invest a billion dollars in its Taiwan Mirasol plant, which might help produce the kind of volume that, say, Amazon would demand for its Kindle displays. It's all speculation, of course, but Qualcomm certainly seems to have some big plans in store for the rest of the year.
Mirasol display gets lighting solution for reading alone at parties, bars
How do you solve a problem like lighting a Mirasol display? Sure, the technology provides something of a comprise between traditional E Ink displays and tablet LCDs, with full video and color, low power consumption, and the ability to be viewed in bright sunlight, but it still has some decided drawbacks: like a lack of backlighting. Qualcomm showed off a simple and elegant solution at this week's CES on the Hill, essentially embedding a book light into the device, lighting it from the front -- it's not the first time we've seen an e-reader arrive at this answer, but still, sometimes the easiest solutions are the best. The prototype shown off in DC this week had buttons on the rear for adjusting brightness, though according to The Digital Reader, Qualcomm will also be showing off a device with an ambient light sensor in the near future. The technology should be on store shelves this fall -- no word whether the device is capable of yelling at you for "ruining your eyes" by reading in the dark.
Pocketbook's Mirasol Android tablet leaked in Qualcomm's latest video?
Remember the Mirasol Android tablet that Pocketbook's been teasing about since late November? Well, this could be it. Spotted in a new promotion video from Qualcomm, this slate sports a front-facing camera, four soft keys below the outdoor-friendly color display (likely to be of the bog-standard 5.7-inch size), and presumably a volume rocker plus a mute switch on the left. Other than that, there's not much else to see here, but we'll let you guys know right away when we spot the real thing here at CES. Videos after the break. Update: Qualcomm's confirmed to us that this isn't a real product. Boo!
Pocketbook spills the transflective colored beans, announces Mirasol e-reader for CES this year
Details are about as scant as can be, and The Digital Reader claims the entire announcement was a mistake, but PocketBook USA just outed what could be the very first Mirasol e-reader in a CES 2011 press release. In addition to the newish PocketBook Pro e-readers spotted at IFA 2010, the company will apparently showcase a brand-new model with one of Qualcomm's transflective color screens, and to commemorate the long-awaited occasion it's tentatively christening the reader "Mirasol," too. Early whispers suggest the device cost a bundle and won't have a fast enough refresh rate (12fps) for video speeds, but we'll find out the truth of the matter come the first week of January. PR after the break.
Mirasol displays slated for 'converged devices' in Q1 2011, followed by low-power smartphones
When we reported that the Mirasol low-power color displays were pushed back to early 2011, that wasn't technically correct -- Qualcomm just informed us that the company's cranking out panels even as we speak, and will ship them to OEMs this fall. So what's actually going to happen in Q1 2011? The formal release of Mirasol devices, of course. Representatives told us that the 5.7-inch, 220ppi XGA color display will appear in multiple products with multiple partners next year, and that they "will be in devices that are converged and look a lot more like a tablet PC than an e-reader." Following that, they said, the company will turn its attention to developing Mirasol for smartphones. We couldn't get Qualcomm to comment on a rumored $2b Mirasol plant, unfortunately, and there's no word on that color Kindle, but we imagine all will be revealed at or shortly after CES next year.
Qualcomm's Mirasol displays pushed back to 2011, Pixel Qi breathes a sigh
We don't know a soul who doesn't want a low-power color display that looks great in bright sunlight, but nobody's really stepped up to the plate -- not Pixel Qi, whose awesome dual-mode display sold out in a single day, and not Qualcomm, whose Mirasol has similarly been the subject of delay after delay. We're sorry to say that the latter has been bumped back yet again, as GigaOM reports the panels won't arrive till early 2011, right alongside their rival technology. Sure, competition's always great for pricing, but still -- what a shame.
Amazon sees e-book sales surpassing paper versions, has Mirasol technology in the Kindle labs
Following the launch of Amazon's third-generation Kindle, company CEO Jeff Bezos sat down to discuss the e-reader business with USA Today. We'd recommend giving the whole piece a look-see if you just can't get enough Kindle in your life, but a few choice quotes caught our attention. For starters, Bezos predicted that Kindle e-book sales will "surpass paperback sales sometime in the next 9 to 12 months," and that "sometime after that, we'll surpass the combination of paperback and hardcover." Considering that the Kindle platform is but 33 months old, and that books are just a wee bit older, that's pretty impressive. In a separate sit-down with Pocket-lint, Steve Kessel -- Amazon's senior vice president of Worldwide Digital Media -- teased us all with regard to a color version of the company's famed e-reader. 'Course, we've known that Bezos and Company aren't too hopeful about such a thing in the near-term, but we've yet to actually hear the company confess to having specific color alternatives in the lab. If you'll recall, we found Qualcomm's Mirasol demonstration worthy of laud back at CES, and according to Kessel, "that's in the lab." We're also told that a slew of other color options are always in testing, though, so we're doing our darnedest to not get those hopes too high. It ain't working, but still...
Qualcomm Mirasol display video hands-on in glorious 1080p
We just couldn't help ourselves. Qualcomm's Mirasol display technology has the potential to upend the e-book reader market, and possibly even do some warfare with the LCD-based slate PCs we've been seeing out and about. We already did a hands-on with the little 5.7-inch prototype Qualcomm is showing at CES here, which we have a hunch could be Kindle-bound, and now we've got a second, closer look with a full 1080p trained on the display to give you as good as possible of an indication. We also pulled away a few more tidbits about the tech: The display could be paired with a capacitive or resistive touchscreen, though it would impair visibility slightly (just as it's been accused of doing with E-ink). A best case scenario is apparently optical touch (like we've see on some all-in-one PCs recently), which has less of an impact. There are edge-lighting methods that would allow the display to be illuminated from lights built into the device that could provide even lighting across the display. The first display to the market will indeed be this very 5.7-inch, XGA version, which is 240ppi pixel density and a 6x power advantage over E-ink in a typical usage scenario (despite the fact that it's doing full color video). Our Qualcomm rep personally views dedicated e-readers as merely a "head fake," and that the category isn't going to be around for long -- which seems to imply that he sees Mirasol being used for a lot more than thumbing through a virtual novel or magazine. Alright, enough facts? Check out the video after the break, or download the full-res video from the link below! Download 1080p file (right click to save)
Qualcomm's Mirasol e-reader to get game controller, Cheetos fingerprints? (video)
Don't get too excited, it's just a non-functional proof-of-concept (albeit one with that working, full-color Mirasol display we saw yesterday) but the kids at SlashGear have produced pics of the snap-on game controls that Qualcomm is musing as a possible addition to your next e-reader. And why not? If you're going to get a full-color, low-power device that supports video, you'd better be able to kill the undead on it during periods of downtime. Just so long as iDracula doesn't play here like it does on Android -- that would be a disaster. Get another look below (including a fine video of the display in action). And hit the read link for the full-on gallery treatment. We dare you.
Qualcomm Mirasol-equipped color e-book reader said to be on track for late 2010
Qualcomm's Mirasol displays have already found their way into quite a few products, but the company looks to really be branching out into some new territory with its latest prototype: an e-book reader with a full-color, 5.7-inch display. Of course, Qualcomm isn't planning to sell this one itself, and it isn't revealing any OEM partners just yet, but it has set the somewhat ambitious target of getting it on the market in the "latter part of 2010." From the looks of it, however, it doesn't seem like it'll have too much trouble attracting interest, considering that the XGA (220ppi) Mirasol display is not only full-color, but allows for video playback, is supposedly readable in direct sunlight, and reportedly has a "minimal impact" on battery life. Other details on the e-reader itself are expectedly light (and subject to change), but you can get a closer look at it courtesy of SlashGear at the link below.
