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Panasonic's new prototype TV can hide in plain sight
Panasonic has shown off a transparent TV before, but the company has since improved the image quality to the extent that the idea of a television built into your furniture's glass panes is not only possible -- it's right here. The OLED screen is made from a fine mesh, embedded into the glass sliding door. While the TV image is visible even with the backlighting on, once it's dimmed the image is clear and bright enough to be almost indistinguishable from existing televisions. (The last model was a bit too dim, and required under-shelf lighting to boost the image.) Turn the TV panel off, however, and it's hard to tell it was ever there to begin with. Want one? Panasonic's spokesperson says the television is likely to stay in development for a while longer: at least three more years.
Say hello to Panasonic's invisible TV
Often one of the biggest eyesores in an otherwise impeccable living room is the large black expanse of a TV. Panasonic could have a solution for that, however, in the form of transparent displays. The company showed off the tech at CES 2016 in a mock living room: The screen shifts between "transparent mode," where you can see the shelving behind it, and "screen mode," where you can see the screen. And because the display is on a railing, you can move it up and down the shelf for even greater customizability.
MIT's new transparent screen may lead to cheap heads-up displays
Transparent screens just aren't very practical these days -- bigger models are frequently expensive and bulky, while smaller heads-up displays tend to have very narrow viewing angles. However, MIT may have solved all those problems at once with its prototype nanoparticle display. The device creates color images on a glass surface simply by 'tuning' a silver nanoparticle coating until it lets only certain light wavelengths pass through. The technique is both cheap and compact, since it requires little more than the coating and some off-the-shelf projector technology. There's also no need for beam splitters or mirrors, so you can see the picture from just about any angle. While there's a lot of work left before there's a finished product, researchers note that their display would be as easy to implement as window tinting; don't be surprised if MIT's screen shows up on a car windshield or storefront near you.
Grippity returns as a transparent Android tablet with two-sided touch (video)
When we last saw Grippity, it wasn't much more than a pretty media center keyboard. Well, it just grew up -- its creators have revived the concept as a full-fledged, crowdfunded Android tablet. The new design still centers on a transparent, dual-sided touch surface, but there's now more to do than type. The PS Vita-style back control lets users tap interface elements without obscuring the screen, and it opens the door to more complex multi-touch gestures. The infrared remote control and thumbpads have also returned from Grippity's previous incarnation. If you're intrigued, you can pledge $235 ($159 for a few early birds) to Grippity's Kickstarter campaign to reserve a tablet for yourself; provided the team reaches its funding goal, you should have the device in your hands by October.
Transview touch-sensitive transparent display case eyes-on (video)
Transparent displays are nothing new, but while trawling the labyrinthine backstreets of CES in search of hidden gems, we couldn't help but stop at IL WOO's booth and ogle one. The company was demoing a couple of its Transview display cases with see-through Samsung panels, intended for interactive advertising and other commercial uses. We were particularly drawn to the 22-inch, 1,680 x 1,050 model with infrared touch control, mainly because of the nifty Flash program running on it, which did a great job of showing how the cases could be used. It was very much a treat for the eyes, so we'll leave it there and just point you to the gallery and video below. Kevin Wong contributed to this report.
Epson's video board pumps composite inputs to the Moverio BT-100 headset (video)
Bummed that your $700 Moverio BT-100 headset doesn't have video input? Well, Epson's here to tease you with a board that plugs into the trackpad and accepts any composite video source. Despite best attempts to hide the identity of hardware it's being tested with and give the lawyers a weekend off, it's shown to receive feeds from a PS3, an iPad and a 360 with Kinect. Check out the honk-filled video of all the fun you're not having, and contact Epson if you've got an interesting idea for using the board, because they might just give you one. How about -- "I want to play games on it?" That sounds like a pretty good reason to us. [Thanks, Joe]
Samsung 22-inch Transparent Showcase Panel eyes-on at IFA 2012
What's the future of advertising? If Samsung has any say so, it's going to be transparent showcase displays. Here at IFA 2012, the company demoed one such 22-inch, fishbowl-like case outfitted with a see-through front panel capable of transmitting video imagery, in addition to hosting a physical product within. The glass enclosure's no mere dummy unit, as it's also outfitted with speakers, a built-in PC, LED strip and offers the option to include a touch screen. To highlight just what this kit's capable of, a looped Gucci ad played on its front screen, transitioning from near solid to completely transparent. It's really something that needs to be seen IRL, but take a tour of the gallery below to get a glimpse of what's to come. %Gallery-163832%
Samsung enters advertising market with small-bezel and transparent displays
Mad Men marathons aside, it's rare that we dream of a career in advertising, but Samsung's latest pair of commercial displays have turned our head. The Korean giant has developed a 21.6-inch, 1:1 ratio ("square" to us normals) display with a 5.5mm bezel that can be used to develop video walls, installations or 3D sculptures. It's reportedly far more environmentally friendly than whacking a TV on your showroom wall, drawing 30 percent less power and auto-adjusting its own brightness depending on the ambient light. It's also unveiling the NL22B, a transparent LCD screen / case that builds on the see-through tech we saw at CES. The interactive display is designed to let you see facts and figures while keeping one eye on the merchandise at all times. It's imagined to be used in high-class jewelers, using interactivity to tease us toward buying that $4,000 watch. Both are being shown at IFA this week, but don't expect to see them available to buy -- so stash those dreams of covering every wall in house with these things, at least until you own your own advertising firm.
Double-sided transparent touchscreen shown off on NTT DoCoMo prototype (video)
See-through displays may or may not be making a comeback, but NTT DoCoMo is at least trying to give them a different spin. Working with Fujitsu, it's added a Vita-style extra touch panel to the rear of the screen, which works with the transparency to let the user navigate Android without ever obscuring the UI with their fingers. It also allows new types of interaction based on "gripping" objects -- holding down a finger at the back to modify the effect of a swipe on the front. The prototype was actually announced a little while back, but DigInfo has a video (embedded after the break) that shows how it works in practice -- just don't expect to be enjoying Netflix on that washed-out QVGA display anytime soon.
Explay Crystal revives transparent display phones with dash of color, low price
If you've been lamenting the passing of transparent display phones like the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pureness as those vile, opaque smartphones took over, you'll be happy to know that Russia's Explay has taken up the mantle with the Crystal. The basic song remains the same, a numberpad-driven dumbphone with a display that will help you avoid the lamp post up ahead, but it's remixed through colors that render the experience a lot less monotone. We saw this in the Lenovo S800, but the dual SIM card slots and Bluetooth 3.0 at least see the Crystal keep pace with more recent phones in its category. By far the biggest advantage Explay has over its ancestors is pure cost: at 7,000 rubles ($218), it's less than half the $500 that Lenovo wanted and that much more palatable for a handset that isn't running a sophisticated OS like Android or Windows Phone. Russians have to wait until July 1st to pick up the Crystal, but wouldn't count on the see-through phone seeing its way to the US through official channels.
Epson Moverio BT-100 3D goggles now shipping in the U.S. for $699
Any Americans out there wanna buy a wacky head-mounted 3D display? Then Epson's Moverio BT-100 micro-projection headset ought to be right at the top of the your not-so-long list of options. It's just started shipping in the States for $699, including its Android-powered trackpad controller that streams and navigates content on the perceived '80-inch' transparent viewing window. You could even pair the Moverio with a Parrot AR.Drone and discover what it feels like to be an Apache pilot strafing your neighbor's rabbit.
Samsung gets tired of neighbors watching its Transparent Smart Window, installs blinds
Sammy's transparent OLED displays may not be the freshest piece of tech at CES, but its still pretty dang awesome. We first saw Samsung's 46-inch 1920 x 1080 digitally augmented window back in March, but dropped by its CES booth for a second look. Although the touchscreen window still teases to fulfill our fevered sci-fi dreams, not much has changed -- it's still clear, it's still loaded with widgets, and it's still not anywhere near being installed in your home. Samsung told us this was still a concept device, although they did mention that the technology could be scaled down for use in military visors and heads up displays. Hit the break to see a video demo of a few new apps, including a rather slick set of digital blinds.Joe Pollicino contributed to this report.
Vuzix augmented reality Smart Glasses prototype hands-on (video)
Remember those wicked holographic augmented reality glasses that DARPA was so hot to build? They're almost here. Hiding out at Vuzix's CES booth we found a functional prototype for its Smart Glasses industrial class monocular display -- a special lens attached to a proprietary display driver that produces a bright, 1.4mm holographic picture for one of your peepers. Vuzix told us the lenses were the fruit of a DARPA project, and could allow soldiers involved in air-to-surface operations to track jets, check their ordinance and mark targets for destruction. The military / industrial monocle will go on sale in Q3 of 2012 for somewhere between $2500-3000. Want to look a little more, well, normal while you're augmenting your reality? You're covered -- or at least you will be in 2013. Not only will Vuzix's consumer facing smart glasses offer you the same holographic heads-up technology that'll power its military bound brother, it'll cost you a bundle less, too: between $350-600. The unit we saw wasn't final, but were told the final unit will be able to accept connections over HDMI, and may even be capable of displaying stereoscopic 3D content -- you know, in case the real world wasn't real enough. Hopefully, we'll be able to tell you those fit next year. Ready to see how you'll be gussying up reality in the future? Hit the break for our hands-on video coverage.
Vuzix designs Smart Glasses to look like sunshades, tout connected transparent display
Vuzix has announced plans to develop a stylish head-mounted display solution in the form of Smart Glasses, through a licensing partnership with Nokia. The yet-unnamed product would integrate a bright, high-contrast display with a pair of seemingly ordinary-looking sunglasses -- sounds like a perfect companion to the ZionEyez in-glasses camera prototype we saw last month. In Vuzix's words: This amazing new technology starts with a compact display engine capable of hi contrast and brightness for outdoor use. The output is then relayed into a 1.4 mm thick plastic waveguide lens with input and output hologram structures on the surface which squeezes the light down the waveguide and then two dimensionally expands the image back into the user's eye, creating an image that is then mixed into the real world. Naturally, the company envisions its Smart Glasses solution as a web-connected device, letting you watch videos or browse the internet while still being able to see-and-avoid pedestrians as you walk on the sidewalk or obstacles while behind the wheel -- try doing that with a Kindle or smartphone (better yet, please don't). Vuzix expects its Smart Glasses solution to start appearing as early as this summer, but we'll be getting an early look next week at CES.
Epson's Moverio BT-100 brings some transparency and 3D to head-mounted displays
Head-mounted displays come in all kinds of flavors, from Dragonball Z-style scouters with transparent displays, to those that bring personal 3D viewing in a package that fits right in on the Game Grid. Epson, however, has combined those to features for the first time with its Moverio BT-100. Sporting classic blue-blocker looks, these shades have dual transparent lenses with 960 × 540 qHD resolution bringing you video in three dee, while audio is doled out by built-in earbuds with Dolby Mobile technology. Content is accessed via a Froyo-powered control unit equipped with 802.11b/g/n WiFi and 1GB of internal memory, plus there's an SD card slot (4GB card included) for storing media. Navigation and control comes courtesy of the controller's touch-sensitive trackpad and dedicated Android buttons, a 2D/3D toggle switch, and d-pad. The BT-100 will be available in Japan come November 25th for ¥59,980 ($771 US), but those interested in importing one can get all the device's juicy details at the Source links below.
Apple seeks to spruce up the real world with interactive augmented reality, has the patent apps to prove it
When we go somewhere new, we wish we could spend more time taking in the sights and less time looking at our phone for directions and info about our surroundings. Apple's well aware of this conundrum, and has filed a couple of patent applications to let you ogle your environment while telling you where to go and what you're seeing. One app is a method for combining augmented reality (AR) information and real time video while allowing users to interact with the images on screen -- so you can shoot a vid of a city skyline with your iPhone, touch a building where you want to go, and let it show you the way there. The second patent application is for a device with an LCD display capable of creating a transparent window, where the opacity of the screen's pixels is changed by varying the voltage levels driving them. Such a display could overlay interactive info about what you see through the window, so you can actually look at the Mona Lisa while reading up on her mysterious grin. Of course, these are just patent applications, so we probably won't be seeing any AR-optimized iDevices anytime soon (if ever), but we can dream, right?
TDK starts mass production of transparent OLEDs, makes texting and walking safer
TDK is taking those transparent OLED screens we saw back in October and putting them into mass production. The 2.4-inch, QVGA (240 x 320) UEL476 display has a transmittance of 40 percent, but obscures light passing through the front so others won't be able to read your text messages from behind. Obviously, these aren't going to find their way into high-end Android handsets, but they may have a home in fashion phones like Lenovo's S800. And, you know, they seem perfect for SMS addicts who can't stop their thumbs from flying even while walking. Check out the full PR after the break.
Samsung mass-producing 22-inch transparent LCD, your desktop monitor seethes with jealousy
They said they would do it, and by golly it's nearly here -- Samsung just revealed that its assembly lines are starting to churn out see-thru computer screens that don't require power-sucking backlights to function. Unfortunately, it looks like the amazing AMOLED variety is still on the drawing board, but ambient light-powered LCDs are on the way, with Samsung offering a 22-inch, 1680 x 1050 resolution panel with a 500:1 contrast ratio to begin with. Sammy suggests we'll see it in HDMI and USB-compatible monitors and suspects it'll be used in advertising and teleconferencing first -- which suggests this display won't come cheap -- but we all know the true killer app will be a nice big frameless laptop screen. We'll take two, please. PR after the break.
Samsung demos transparent LCD using ambient backlight
Wirelessly-powered TVs are nice, and transparent displays are cool and all, but what about an ambient light-powered transparent LCD? Well, that's nothing short of awesome. Samsung showed off just such a device at CeBIT 2011 last week -- a prototype 46-inch display with 1920 x 1080 resolution and ten-finger touchscreen capability. We aren't sure what kind of black magic Sammy put in this thing, but it's an incredible feat of engineering to make such a large display -- and its accompanying solar cells -- efficient enough to run exclusively off the juice it pulls from surrounding light sources. No word on how the photon-powered LCD compares to existing HD monitors in terms of brightness, refresh rates, or color reproduction, but a muted picture is a small price to pay for cutting the electrical cord forever. Update: It appears that the source article misunderstood the way this LCD is powered -- there are no solar panels involved here; the ambient light is merely to replace the traditional backlight rather than powering the device.
Samsung buys Liquavista, dives headfirst into electrowetting displays
Samsung's got a reputation for building crazy awesome display technologies, and it just added another one to the stack -- with the buyout of Philips-spinoff Liquavista this December, it's gained quite the foothold in electrowetting. In case you're not familiar, electrowetting has been repeatedly pitched to us as pretty much the Holy Grail of displays: flexible, colorful, unbreakable, outdoor-readable e-paper screens with high refresh rates and low-power consumption that can be manufactured on existing assembly lines. We'll have to see if the theories equate to meaningful products, but we imagine ownership by Samsung can't hurt one bit, especially as the company says it will "expand its leadership in next generation display technologies by pioneering the application of electrowetting in e-Paper and transparent displays." Sounds like a commitment to us. PR after the break. Update: Seems that The Digital Reader actually figured out about the deal yesterday -- read the original scoop at our more coverage link!
