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3M touts capacitive touchscreens with tiny bezels, 10x faster responsiveness
Add another one to the (short) list of obscure things that slipped our net at CES. 3M, a company concerned with the materials and components that go into your delicious new gadgets, spent its time in Vegas this month discussing a new way for building capacitive touchscreen panels. By employing silver as its conducting material, 3M says it has made it possible to shrink the circuits at the edge of a touch panel by a whole order of magnitude, resulting in finger-friendly screens unhampered by bulky bezels. Additionally, due to silver's high conductivity, response times have been shown to dip down as low as 6ms, which is ten times speedier than the currently used Indium Tin Oxide stuff. It's arguable that neither advancement is revolutionary today, as bezels serve a purpose in providing a gripping surface for slate devices and touch responsiveness is currently constrained by software lag more than hardware capabilities, but 3M sure looks to have a nice building block for the future. The future being 2012, according to the company's estimates.
LG Xnote P210 claims 'world's thinnest bezel' title, our undying appreciation
If there's one thing we appreciate more than pixel density, it's slim bezels. LG, a traditional enemy of unsightly frames, is today staking its claim for having the world's thinnest bezel on a laptop with the new Xnote P210. This 12.5-inch machine is said to fit within the footprint of an 11.6-incher, but before you start throwing insults like "netbook" around the place, do take note it has a dual-core Core i5-470UM processor inside -- capable of running between 1.33GHz and 1.86GHz -- 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB HDD. The LED-backlit display's resolution isn't specified beyond a note saying it's "HD," while Windows 7 Home Premium is the predictable OS of choice. Look for the P210 to hit Korea in February for around 1.3 million won (about $1,135), but don't hold your breath on it coming Stateside for anything other than a flying trade show visit.
LG Display snatches 'world's thinnest bezel' title from Samsung with new 37-inch LCD
They say two things about war: that it never changes and that nobody ever wins. Tell that to thin bezel fans, however, and they'll point you in the direction of the LG-Samsung tussle for the title of world's thinnest bezel separation. Samsung snatched the glory last month with its 55-inch Digital Information Display, but today LG is upping the ante with a nearly nonexistent frame around its new 37-inch LCD panel. There's 2.5mm of bezel on the bottom and right side of the screen, and 1.5mm on the top and left sides, resulting in a microscopic 4mm (0.16 inches) of separation. The panel's designed for outdoor advertising, can be stacked infinitely, and will get its debut demonstration at the FPD International 2010 show in Japan later this month.
Samsung unveils new 55-inch LCD with ultraslim bezel, invites DIY video walls
Remember the world's thinnest bezel separation touted by Sharp just this past June? Forget about it. Samsung has bested its Japanese competitor with the unveiling of a new 55-inch Digital Information Display panel that features bezels of 3.8mm on the top and left edges and 1.9mm on the bottom and right, leading to a positively svelte 5.7mm distance between the content of neighboring displays. That good stuff is augmented with Full HD resolution and a blinding 700 nits of brightness. There'll also be a 46-inch model that offers a 7.6mm separation (hint: that's still pretty damn thin), though we've yet to learn on when and where aspiring home cinema nuts might be able to obtain either screen.
Patent illustrations hint at double-dock iPad, touch-based corner button
Patently Apple has a few new patent illustrations from China that may hint at future iPad hardware features. The first is a second dock on the side of the tablet. As you can see above, the connector would come in handy if you wanted to view the iPad in landscape form, but didn't want to have a cable sticking out of the side. Personally, I can't really see Apple duplicating functionality in this way, though -- while a second port would be handy, it seems a waste to have a completely separate port used only half the time. Like most patents, this is only an idea at this point -- Apple isn't required to actually use it in a future release. The second idea is more interesting, in my mind: the images show what seems to be a touch-sensitive area on the corner of the front of the iPad. PA presumes that this would be a button-less button, an area you could tap or press to do things like return to the iPad's homepage or flip pages in iBooks. Now that's a really interesting idea -- the front glass section of the iPhone and iPad is pretty much unused at this point, and if Apple could work it out so that even part of it could become functional (even in a limited way), that would be exciting. And finally, it's worth noting that quite a few of these pictures have what's presumably a small camera sitting at the top of the iPad's screen. Yes, by now it's pretty much a given that the iPad will come with a camera in the next iteration, but there's another slice of evidence to stick in the growing proof sandwich.
Sharp's 30-screen display features world's thinnest bezel separation (video)
We've all been impressed by multiscreen setups before. Thing is, the bezel dividing the displays is always a distraction to the overall effect. Sharp's new LED backlit PN-V601 60-inch LCD monitor hopes to resolve this a bit with a 2.4-mm bezel width on the right-side and bottom and 4.1-mm bezel along the left-side and top. The result is a meager 6.5mm display separation when inserted into a 5x6 matrix of 30 adjoining LCDs as demonstrated above at the product launch. Check the impressive results in the video after the break, it's a little like watching the opening scene of The Dark Knight through razor-thin chickenwire. Ok, not really, but it's worth a look anyway.
Runco's WindowWall gives you the $100,000 view you always wanted (eyes-on)
You see them, as soon as you set eyes on the gigantic, nine-panel screen. Those black lines are plainly visible. But the 46-inch Samsung panels in Runco's WindowWall have 7.33mm bezels that almost disappear from ten feet away, and when we first walked in, we actually thought they were part of the image. In a nutshell, WindowWall is a modular display system that turns entire walls into displays capable of rendering giant images across many screens, or display different media -- say, Doctor Who, LOST, FlashForward, V, Castle, 24, a couple computer screens and an episode of Firefly for good measure -- on each individual one. Making the system work in sync requires quite a bit of hardware, including a power supply unit and display controller unit for every four 1366 x 768 panels used, not to mention an upscaling box and a seriously sturdy stand (sorry, Humanscale) to hold up all that glass. The company boasts the whole system is scalable, meaning you can make it work with as few as four or as many as twenty panels and still run the entire system as a single screen at its full, gigantic native resolution. We weren't able to see these nine pumping pixels at 4098 x 2304, unfortunately, as the only content on hand was 1080p, but the footage did seem to be well synced across all nine screens. Of course, with a system like this the catch is cost -- for the nine panels, frame, reels of CAT cable and veritable server rack required to run this particular WindowWall, Runco said we should expect to pay a heartstopping $100,000. Droolworthy, to be sure, but too rich for our blood. Perhaps if the whole neighborhood chipped in, right before Super Bowl? %Gallery-89982%
LG launches Skinny Frame plasma HDTVs, hates on bezels
If you needed another reason to not stop believin' in plasma, look to LG. The company is introducing a pair of the sets in its home market of Korea dubbed "Skinny Frame," a reference to the 25mm thin border around the panels -- which honestly isn't mind-blowingly thin, but nobody likes beefy bezels, right? The sets are available in 50- and 60-inch sizes, both offering 600Hz refresh rates, automatic contrast adjustment based on lighting conditions, and the ability to play photos and videos from a connected USB drive. Not bad, but at 1,700,000 and 3,800,000 won ($1,150 $1,500 and $3,325) they're not cheap, either. %Gallery-85802%
Apple gets a patent on smart screen bezels
Apple might have finally released the iPad, but the rumor mill is already on to prognosticating about the next rev -- and as usual, Apple's patents and patent applications are everyone's favorite place to start. (And for good reason, really -- that very first design patent we inititally noticed way back in 2004 is exactly what the iPad looks like, down to the bezel and Dock connector.) The latest tidbit is a patent granted earlier this week on an intelligent touch-sensitive bezel, which would essentially extend the touchpanel beyoned the edges of the screen to create an entire border of context-specific soft buttons -- the iPod app might have playback controls at the bottom, while Safari could put the navigation bar down there and Pages could do formatting stuff at the top. It's sort of interesting -- Palm similarly extends the touch area beyond the screen on the Pre and the Pixi, but not quite like this -- but we can't see how touching the bezel next to an on-screen label is much better than just pressing the screen. Of course, there's no guaranteeing Apple's actually going to use any of this in any future products whatsoever, but we're sure that won't stop some analyst from waving their magic analyst wand and saying their "supply checks" have indicated a major ODM is already producing these. It's nice that the world is so predictable sometimes, isn't it?
Apple granted patent for touch-sensitive bezel
The Patently Apple website is reporting that Apple has been granted patents dealing with tablets and advanced touch technology. The first patent concerns an 'intelligent bezel' where a user could control volume, brightness, zoom or even controls for games by sliding a finger along the edge of the device. A second patent was also granted for tracking multiple finger and palm recognition as hands approach, touch and slide across a multi-touch surface. Taken together, the patents hint that Apple is working on some very futuristic hardware and software platforms that go beyond the simple touch screens Apple offers now. When you look at the current iPad, you see a very wide bezel that has no touch functions now, but it is easy to imagine how a future tablet could incorporate the new features. Now, if they can just get a camera in there... [Via MacRumors]
Samsung shimmies three ultra-thin bezel LCDs into its 460UT-series
What ups the wow factor more -- ultra-thin displays that seem to just hang on a wall, or a wall that is a display? Yeah, we thought so. For those who still believe in the simple pleasures of screen real estate, Samsung has introduced the 460UT, 460UTn and 460UTn-UD -- 46-inch LCDs with bezels only 2.4-mm thick on the right and bottom and 4.3-mm on the left and top. The models differ only in ancillary features -- built-in networking in the 460UTn and Samsung's Ultra Definition video wall management software in the 460UTn-UD -- with all three panels packing the same 3,000:1 contrast ratio, 700 nits of brightness and 1366x768 resolution. Tell your friends you're not getting a 1080p panel, then silence the scoffs when you show them your 2732x1536 (or more) video wall.
Samsung's 46-inch 460UTn completes that flush, in-wall monitor look
Looking for a unique, specialized LCD TV to fit flush in a recessed wall? Would you say "yes" if you could barely see the bezel, adding to that TV-in-the-wall look? Samsung sure hopes so, as it's pushing out its 46-inch 460UTn with an ultrathin bezel that's just 4.3 millimeters thick on the left and 2.4 millimeters on the right. The screen also includes Sammy's ID 2 solution, which enables smooth transitions between screens, resulting in a more "natural look and feel of videos." Specs wise, we're told that the set has a WXGA resolution (1,366 x 768), 700 nits of brightness, a contrast ratio of 3,000:1 and VGA / DVI / BNC / composite / RS-232 inputs. Mum's the word on price, but we're guessing somewhere between "expensive" and "you don't even want to know."
LG.Philips develops 2.4-inch a-Si LCD with 1mm bezel
LG.Philips is far from being a newcomer to the cellphone display realm, and while it claimed to have cranked out the "world's slimmest" LCD for mobiles around this time last year, it's now boasting about one with an uber-thin bezel. Reportedly, the outfit has conjured up a 2.4-inch a-Si TFT-LCD, which touts a 320 x 240 resolution and possesses borders of just one-millimeter. The display is based on its Narrow Bezel Technology, and it should start mass production of the panels sometime next year. Notably, no price was mentioned, but the firm did state that it planned on applying the same technology to "other models to expand its lineup of slim border products."[Via AkihabaraNews]
Users complaining of bezel separation on Lenovo X60 / X61 tablets
Lenovo's X60 and subsequent X61 tablets were both pretty well received when they were first released, but it seems that quite a few users have since found themselves somewhat less satisfied with their purchase, with widespread reports of problems with the bezel cropping up virtually since day one. Apparently, the glue that holds the bezel to the screen has the unfortunate tendency to lose its stickiness, resulting in cracking and popping every time the screen is opened. While it doesn't seem that many users have had much luck with Lenovo's customer service, Lenovo's Tim Supples recently responded to comments on Lenovoblogs.com (scroll down on the link below) by saying that the company's "engineering teams are aware of the issue and are investigating." In the meantime, however, it seems that users are stuck with the unsightly flaw.[Photo courtesy of Tablet PC Review Forums]
Dolby to buy BrightSide HDR technology for $28 mill
BrightSide Technologies blew observers away with demos of its high dynamic range (HDR) HDTVs back in 2005 but we haven't heard much about them since then. Today the technology might have come a step closer to commercial release as the company has reach an agreement to be acquired by Dolby for $28 million. BrightSide's Extreme Dynamic Range displays are capable of contrast ratios far beyond todays LCDs, and a maximum brightness far better than even that 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio OLED we saw at CES. Still, just like OLED and SED this is another technology that promises to take HDTVs to a whole new level of realism but has more hurdles to jump before it hits the mass market. Here's hoping we see this on store shelves sooner, rather than later -- minus the enormous ugly bezel though, we have a reputation for style to keep up.
CoverSutra - a customizable iTunes controller with style
These days, there is absolutely no shortage of apps that let you control iTunes in one way or another. You can use your PSP, tiny menubar controllers, countless iTunes widgets and now - CoverSutra. Featuring a stylish bezel with loads of control feedback and album art display, CoverSutra aims to give you complete control over iTunes without invading your space. It can even work with the Apple Remote, offering visual feedback without the need to enter something like Front Row. A 10-day demo of CoverSutra is available, and it sells for just under $13 USD (€9.95). While CoverSutra is a brand new 1.0 app, the developer is promising "plenty of new things in [the works] for you," and upgrades are free until version 2.0. If other controllers such as the über-everything Quicksilver don't quite float yer boat, CoverSutra looks like a great solution for controlling iTunes without interrupting your flow.
Best looking HDTV out there - not picture, but rather the bezel
We have a question for all of you. When you are shopping for a HDTV, how much does the overall aesthetics of the set matter to you. We aren't talking about the picture here but rather the bezel. (the plastic casing around the screen) Seriously, is this a big thing for you or do you just care about the image quality. That's fine if you do, but why? This thing is going sharing the same living room as you so the looks must matter some. So this brings us to our main question. What HDTV looks the best - when it is turned off that is? Personally, I like Panasonic's new rear-projection LCD/DLPs. I think they look nice and clean but still like a TV. So what HDTV have you seen lately, or of the past, that just looks great?
