You know that fancy flat-panels can display more colors than the human eye / mind can even interpret, right? Thanks to our hard-wired limitations, a certain facet of boffins across the way are developing a method that would scale back the amount of colors used in an OLED screen in order to shave energy usage even further. Johnson Chuang of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia has worked with colleagues in order to conjure up sets of colors that "slash the power consumption of an OLED panel by up to 40 percent, with minimal effect on how people perceive an image." In theory, at least, this breakthrough could lead to longer battery life in cellphones, PMPs and all manners of portable devices. As Chuang puts it: "Say you're running low on battery and you want to use Google maps to get home; switching to an energy-aware color set could make your battery last longer." Don't pretend that doesn't interest you.

Just in case counting every last pico projector on or coming to the market was too easy for you, Nextar's hoping to boggle your hippocampus by adding one more to the furiously growing list. The outfit's LCoS-based Z10 is being launched alongside the equally portable PS-001 20-inch screen, and it'll check in weighing under 2.5-pounds and boasting a 640 x 480 resolution. As for additional specifications, you're looking at a brightness level between 7 and 12 lumens, a 360-degree lens shift capability with manual adjust and a 4:3 aspect ratio. To its credit, it will accept a litany of file formats and can be fed data via microSD / TF cards, a USB port and L/R audio ports. Both products are slated to hit retailers in the Spring for $299.99 and $39.99 in order of mention, and you can catch two more looks and the full release just after the break.

Combining huge screens with usable keyboards in a pocketable package is the challenge phone manufacturers are eternally doomed to try to solve, leading to an endless stream of (mostly comical) patent applications for ridiculous form factors that will never see the light of day. That's where we think -- well, we hope -- Nokia's latest app comes into play, combining a portrait-oriented QWERTY keyboard with a wide display that somehow swivels behind the body of the phone when you only need a little bit of screen real estate. Looks cool on paper, but realistically, we think this thing would be the most unwieldy Frankenstein of a handset since the MPx were it ever to be produced. Tilt-slide on the N97 looks fine, guys. Seriously.

[Via Cellpassion]

You know those complaints about the ugly, old-school looking interlacing lines that many (ourselves included) have reported seeing on the new PSP-3000? The specific issue has been uncovered -- but not by Sony. A group of concerned French gamers with a 40x microscope think it all comes down to that most mellow of colors: blue. LCDs are comprised of RGB pixels that, combined, form all the rainbow of hues in between. As you can see in the picture above, the PSP-2000's LCD (left) used pixels in a vertical orientation, and the blue pixels were fairly light in color. On the PSP-3000 (right), the pixels are now arranged horizontally, and the blue ones are far darker than before. The dark horizontal lines result in the heinous interlacing, an effect that any Command & Conquer player will tell you wasn't even cool in the 90's. Sony's already called this a "feature" and not a flaw, so if you absolutely must buy a PSP this holiday season the folks at Logic-Sunrise who took the above pics recommend you buy an older 2000-series -- while you still can.

[Thanks Pierce]

Ruh roh. Seems that swanky new LCD on Sony's PSP-3000 could be garnering more complaints than anything else. If you'll recall, the aforesaid system was touted as having a brighter, better screen than the PSP-2000, but now the PlayStation forums are filling up with irate PSP-3000 buyers who are experiencing unexplained scanlines and totally peculiar interlacing problems. As you can see above, the 3000's screen looks noticeably worse than that of the 2000, and while we always hope that these issues are contained, we have at least one Engadget staffer and a Joystiq comrade who can attest to this being real. SCEA has been contacted and is currently "looking into" the matter -- we won't dare say that r-word just yet, but this doesn't look particularly good on the surface. We'll keep you posted.

[Via Joystiq]

Update: A Japanese Sony Computer Entertainment representative has informed us that the interlacing-like lines are just "features" of the new LCD, and currently, there are no plans to fix it with a future software update since it is in the hardware.

We're a bit miffed as to why Dell's keeping its new One-Touch Privacy system exclusive to the Latitude E6400, but whatever the story is there, it'll definitely keep straying eyes from seeing too much confidential information. Interestingly, this here filter isn't hardware based; rather, it's a software-driven application that "creates a pixel-based pattern on the screen, reducing the side viewing angles of people seated next to the user." Dell assures us that it has "minimal impact on display brightness" and that it can be activated with a single touch key, but we're still wondering how it landed on the seemingly sky-high $139 price. Talk about paying for the privilege.

[Via T3]

Tired of looking at that tired old CRT monitor? Anxious to get a screen with a bit more screen real estate? So is Paul -- have a look:

"I was wondering if you all could help me out in deciding on a monitor. I'd like it to be at least 19-inches, bigger is better, but the main thing is to have a nice resolution. I currently have a 1,280 x 1,080 17-inch LCD monitor, and really like it, but would like to go past the 1,080 to possibly 1,200. Thing is I'd like to spend around $300, going up to maybe $400. What's the best choice out in this price range?"

We'd wager Paul's quandary is one shared by many, and if you just recently solved this yourself, be sure to toss in your recommendation below. Once you've completed said task, feel free to shoot us a question you'd like help with at ask at engadget dawt com.

It looks like that would-be class action lawsuit over the quality of MacBook and Macbook Pro screens has fizzled out to nothing, as the plaintiffs have quietly settled. Although it's technically true that the 6-bit screens can't actually display millions of colors at the same time, apparently the two photographers who filed the suit had a difficult time finding other people who had bought MacBooks based on the advertised color depth of the display -- and from what we're told, you just can't have a "class action" without a "class." Even still, we hope someone at Apple was paying attention to how much interest the case generated at the outset -- although MacBook Pro screens generally look fine to us, we've seen some awful MacBook screens in our day.

We showed you quite a bit of the 9-inch Eee PC from ASUS yesterday, but they wouldn't let us turn it on. Now that CeBIT has officially begun, however, ASUS is lighting up those pixels loud and proud. ASUS tells us the screen is 1024 x 600, and it looks to be almost the exact same pixel density as the 7-inch version. The computer was being shown in both Linux and Windows XP versions, so it looks like you'll be able to have your choice of OS when the 9-incher is released later this year.

We aren't saying that this is a widespread issue just yet, but a (rightfully) annoyed tipster has informed and shown us that his "refurbished" 8GB iPhone seems to have the same "negative black issue" that some iPod touch owners are currently grumbling about. Granted, he admits that the photo makes things look a little worse than they do in person, but the problem is still apparent. So, dear readers, are any of you experiencing iPod touch-like display issues on your iPhone?

[Thanks, Jason G.]

There's no denying that we were fairly taken aback by the beauty of the iPhone's screen, but leave it to a clever (and likely bitter) N95 owner to trump Apple's best shot with his very Nokia. While not nearly as ingenious as converting the device into a mapmaker, this crude demonstration explains how to increase the screen real estate linked to the N95 if you're willing to sacrifice your left (or right) arm. Granted, the "hack" did begin with a broken N95, so strapping a portable TV onto one's forearm and utilizing the device's video output was about the only real solution within arm's reach (ahem). Like it or not, it's laced in utility, and you can catch a video of the action after the jump.

[Thanks, Eirikso]

What's a smelly line sitter to do but leech off a nearby WiFi signal and catch last minute content of the mobile they're about the snag? In case you've been following along, Apple has released yet another video walkthrough that carefully explains ten more niceties of the iPhone. 'Course, we can't imagine anyone (well, there's always an outlier) having trouble resetting their device, setting up a passcode, or deleting a text message, but the kind folks at Apple are showing you anyway. Additionally, you'll catch instructions on how to silence the ringer, create a favorites list, assign a ringtone, browse in Cover Flow, edit text, and set up mail preferences. Go on, check out the vid in the read link, we promise we won't tell anyone you're still miffed by the lack of a number pad.

We've seen some pretty far-out display creations, and while some are admittedly more useful than others, having our own Star Wars-esque floating display has been a dream for quite some time. Thankfully a company is bringing the idea to life and to more markets than ever before, as IO2 Technology has unveiled a new 3D Heliodisplay worldwide. While the mid-air projector, as it's so aptly dubbed, had been seen a time or two before, the new M3 / M3i boasts "an improved tri-flow system for increased image stability and uniformity," enhanced brightness and clarity, a 1,024 x 768 resolution, 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios, 2000:1 contrast ratio, VGA / S-Video / composite inputs, USB, NTSC / PAL compatibility, and "significantly quieter operation" to boot. Marketed to the uber-wealthy and board room runners who'd like to teleconference on a free-space device (and blow the minds of clients), the basic M3 is available for a stiff $18,400, while the M3i -- which also serves as a "computer input device for cursor control in a desktop environment" -- will set you back $19,400.

Interesting news on the Zune front: a friendly tipster's buddy works at a Microsoft call center and handles Zune-related issues. Apparently they've received numerous reports of the Zune screen cracking for no apparent reason, after being left charging overnight. Our tipster's friend conjectures that the lithium ion battery -- which resides right behind the top half of the Zune's screen -- is expanding from overheating and putting too much pressure on the screen, causing it to crack. Unfortunately, Microsoft currently regards the issue as outside warranty coverage, leaving the victims with a broken Zune and nowhere to turn. Of course, this could all be off the mark, and it might turn out that a few Zune-droppers conveniently made up the same story to try and get a free repair, but if there is such a battery-expanding problem, we'd sure like to hear about it -- any of y'alls experiencing screen crackage of a similar nature?

While nobody really knows what Mr. Jobs has planned for next week's Macworld keynote, DigiTimes has a report claiming that LED-backlit laptops are coming down the pike, and if true, will be hitting more than MacBook Pros. According to a rather sure-sounding account, Apple and HP are both aiming to launch lappies in the second quarter of this year with LED-based LCD panels. Purportedly aimed to showcase the sexy interfaces that await us in Windows Vista and OS X 10.5, the screens would be derived from suppliers such as "Nichia or Cree" and tout a "brightness level of over 1,680 nits." Additionally, no model names were handed out as potential candidates for the LED upgrade, but with refreshed laptop models from both firms essentially sure to hit within a matter of months, it wouldn't be too surprising to see such upgrades make the cut. Nevertheless, we've seen our fair share of certainties turn out bogus, so per usual, we'd recommend a healthy dose of table salt with this one as well.

[Via Electronista]