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Flexible phone concept bends to control apps
This phone has a bendable screen, and it isn't just for show: it's equipped with a bending sensor and can actually be used as a form of input, like a stylus or your fingers on touchscreen displays. Our colleagues at Engadget Chinese got a chance to check the concept out at Touch Taiwan 2015, where it was being showcased by local manufacturer AUO. The company claims the device and its 5-inch, 1,280 x 720 AMOLED screen is unbreakable -- true or not, it does look a lot more pliable than, say, the LG G Flex 2, as you can see in the GIF after the break.
Samsung beaten to the punch on next-gen mobile screens
While Samsung said in January that it's hard at work on a QHD (that's 2,560 x 1,440) AMOLED panel, it won't be the first to show one off. That honor goes to AU Optronics, a Taiwanese display company that makes screens for numerous device manufacturers, Samsung included. The 5.7-inch display squeezes in 513 pixels-per-inch, the most of any organic panel yet. Of course, there are already quite a number of QHD LCDs on the market, like the one found in Vivo's Xplay 3 and a 543ppi model from LG. AU said it also has a 6-inch QHD AMOLED coming, and Samsung will no doubt announce something similar soon -- possibly for the next Galaxy Note model. Either way, prepare more smartphones with pixels so densely packed that you can't distinguish them with the naked eye.
Former senior manager at AU Optronics found guilty of involvement in LCD price fixing
The name of Taiwanese display manufacturer AU Optronics is rarely out of the courts when LCD price fixing is involved, and now another of the company's heavyweights has been convicted for the part he played in such crimes. The US Department of Justice announced that Shiu Lung Leung, formerly a senior manager at AUO, has been found guilty for his role in a "conspiracy" which artificially raised the prices of LCD-packing gear in the US. From 2002 through to 2006, Leung is said to have been privy to secret monthly meetings with his company's competitors, where they discussed price fixing (and presumably, sinister cat stroking) in "hotel conference rooms, karaoke bars and tea rooms." Leung joins a couple of other AUO execs and many from different companies who've received similar judgments, and when sentenced, could face up to a dime in the slammer and a hefty fine -- although we doubt any of that cash will be put towards a long-overdue rebate.
AUO builds cellphone display with 'world's thinnest border'
Is that 3mm bezel getting you down? AUO says it has created the "world's narrowest" smartphone border on a new 4.46-inch 720P touch display -- just a single millimeter in width. That would put it in the same league as LG's Cinema Screen TVs, but in a smaller form factor, allowing manufacturers to reduce handset sizes without losing screen area. In related news, AUO also says it's developing Advanced Hyper-Viewing Angle (AHVA) tech, along with small form-factor IGZO displays, and that it's started shipping 4.97-inch 1920 x 1080, 443ppi screens. If all that means we have to squint less at our display, let the pixel density wars rage on.
AUO develops IGZO-based, 65-inch 4K TV screen, vows high resolution without the high power
It's now clear that Sharp doesn't have an exclusive lock on IGZO displays, even for the big-screen TVs that are still the company's domain. AU Optronics has developed a 65-inch IGZO panel that wields the very light-friendly technology to reach 4K resolutions without the usual penalties -- as the screen doesn't need much backlighting to illuminate all those pixels, it can stay slim and keep the shocking energy bills to a minimum. The smaller size and miserly power draw also leave a real chance that any pricing will be closer to the mere mortal realm than current 84-inch behemoths. And while it's mostly up to other companies to decide if and when they use AUO's flagship display, we'll have choices of our own should the IGZO TV still be too rich for our blood: the Taiwan firm has simultaneously developed a more conventional, 55-inch 4K screen with a wide color range as well as a 50-inch, 1080p panel with an extra-skinny 0.14-inch bezel. It's at least good to know that there's already competition for technology that's just getting started.
Pegatron reportedly nabs 50 to 60 percent of iPad mini orders, breaks up Foxconn's monopoly
While folks are waiting for their precious new iPhones to arrive on their doorsteps, word has it that the leaky iPad mini has unsurprisingly entered mass production, but with a twist. According to today's front page news on Taiwan's Economic Daily News, reports from two local securities firms claim that Pegatron's managed to nab a staggering 50 to 60 percent of iPad mini orders from Apple, meaning Foxconn is finally no longer the sole assembler of iPads. Together (plus component suppliers Foxlink, AUO, TPK and others), both companies will apparently be able to churn out up to 5 million iPad minis monthly. Then there's the iPhone 5 as well: the paper says at least 53 million units are expected to be shipped this year, therefore Apple's adding Pegatron to the assembling front line as early as Q4 in order to maintain a steady supply of products. Obviously we can't use this information alone to deduce whether Apple is moving away from Foxconn, but as long as people get their iDevices then it's all dandy.
AUO, LG, Toshiba pay $571 million to settle LCD price fixing lawsuit, broken record keeps skipping
The way LCD price fixing lawsuits keep popping up and settling in short order, you'd think they were going out of style. The latest motley group to face a reckoning includes AU Optronics, LG and Toshiba, the combination of which has agreed to pay a total of $571 million to eight separate American states to either avoid the legal wrath of a class action lawsuit or to pay an outstanding fine. Allegedly, the trio kept LCD prices artificially high between 1996 and 2006, hiking the prices of PCs and TVs in the process. There's a slight twist here: while keeping the display builders honest is the primary goal, the class action status will net some direct rewards for the public. Americans who claim to have been wronged in the scandal can get "at least" $25, which goes a lot further towards buying an LCD than it did six years ago.
AU Optronics, Idemitsu Kosan announce 'strategic alliance' on OLED development
The OLED-infused future is fast approaching in Taiwan, where AU Optronics today announced a "strategic alliance" with Japanese firm Idemitsu Kosan. According to AUO, the partnership will see both companies collaborate on new OLED displays and patents, with Idemitsu filling the role of supplier. Taiwan-based AUO delivered the following statement: "This will accelerate business growth in AUO's small-sized OLED displays for smartphones and tablets, which have emerged as a new growth area in the display industry, and that of large-sized OLED displays for TVs." There's no indication as to when we might see the first fruits of this alliance, but as AUO VP Paul Peng recently reminded us, it may be a while.
AUO's flexible e-paper to take on Stretch Armstrong in battle of the bendiest
There's nothing better than unplugging on a Sunday afternoon with a newspaper and a cup of Joe, which is exactly what AU Optronics hopes to facilitate with its 6-inch Rollable Organic TFT E-paper. We've heard rumblings about the foldable photovoltaic device before, but the company has finally delivered a working prototype that is completely solar powered and elastic enough to make even Gumby jealous. Made of organic TFTs, the SVGA e-paper has an amorphous silicon PV battery, which turns natural or indoor light into solar energy without requiring a power plug. The only downside? Unlike the dead tree variety, wrapping presents in this stuff is a no-go. Check out the extended PR after the break.
AUO VP says large OLED TVs won't be feasible for commercial use until 2014
Eager to get your hands on a big-screen OLED TV? Then it looks like you may still have to wait a few more years -- at least according to Paul Peng, the executive vice president of display manufacturer AU Optronics (otherwise known as AUO). While the technology has been getting cheaper and more efficient as of late, he says that the production costs are still too high and yield rates too low for large OLED TVs to be feasible for commercial use any time before 2014. Of course, we suppose that all depends on your definition of "feasible." Last we heard, LG was still planning on releasing a 55-inch OLED TV by mid-2012 -- for a yet-to-be-disclosed price.
AUO Sipix e-paper staggers through video at 6 fps, could go as high as 16
We haven't heard from the folks at IRX Innovations in a while, but if this video is any indication, they haven't given up on their e-reader dreams just yet. A wily internet video shows the outfit squeezing a modest 6 fps out of an AUO Sipix e-paper panel. Playback is noticeably choppy, but IRX engineers say they can eek an additional 10 fps from the unit by running content through a memory buffer. It's a far cry from Mirasol's crazy-smooth 1080p color displays, or even Bookeen's anti-chromatic offering -- but we won't complain if they can keep it cheap. Besides, Chariots of Fire was born to be seen in slow motion.
HTC's 10-inch 'Puccini' Honeycomb tablet still rumored for summer release
What would a morning be without a little injection of rumorjuice courtesy of DigiTimes? Today's tattle has HTC's 10.1-inch LTE "Puccini" tablet hitting mass production in June with AU Optronics and Wintek pegged as the touch panel suppliers. Other specs, like the 1.5GHz MSM8660 processor and Android 3.0.1 build, seem to have been culled from that 911sniper leak which DigiTimes graciously cites as "sources in the supply chain." Of course, the June date has been tossed around before by DigiTimes but it's good to hear it again so close to the 10-incher's rumored summer release.
AUO's 71-inch ultra-wide 3D LCD panel eyes-on
While strolling around Shenzhen earlier today, we decided to stop by at the China Optoelectronics Display Expo to feast our eyes on AUO's "world's largest" 71-inch 21:9 3D LCD panel. Phew, what a mouthful, but this 240Hz ultrawidescreen is indeed larger than the sub-60-inch offerings from Vizio, JVC, and Philips. But is it any good? We put on our passive 3D glasses and found the experience to be surprisingly comfortable and effective (even at about 40 degrees from the center before we hit the wall), though the glossy screen's reflection of the neighboring booth was slightly off-putting. This would probably be less of a problem at your humble abode, anyhow. In terms of availability, AUO told us that China-based TCL will be the first to pick up this beast of a panel, and the final product should be out in August. Apart from that, we couldn't squeeze out further info about other brands, so you best be writing to your nearest dealership to import this exotic cinema TV. More eyes-on pics in the gallery below. %Gallery-123065%
Taiwan subsidizes development for Delta's glasses-free 3D projector and AUO's flexible AMOLED
You know the Taiwanese are pretty serious about technology when you see them liberally throwing cash at factories. According to DigiTimes, Delta Electronics and AUO are two recent winners for a shared NT$600 million (US$19.6 million) government grant, which will cover 45% of each of their research expenditure -- so probably not a fifty-fifty split. If all goes well, Delta will bring out glasses-free, wide-angle 3D projection that's enabled by using multiple high-res LED beamers; whereas AUO will take advantage of the recent AMOLED shortage and develop high-res flexible panels. Nice going, folks, just don't let us catch you all partying on the factory floor with that money.
AUO showcases world's largest Cinema Scope 3D LCD TV, among other three-dee niceties
In case you haven't noticed, FPD International 2010 is just about ready to hit full-swing, and AUO is on hand with a stockpile of new kit. AUO Optronics just so happens to be a fairly substantial panel maker in the grand scheme of things, so people tend to pay attention when they roll out the planet's largest Cinema Scope (read: 21:9 aspect ratio) 3D LCD TV. A 71-inch version of the aforesaid device is on hand for the public to gawk at, as is a 65-inch QFHD 4K x 2K lenticular lens 3D TV. The former boasts a 240Hz double frame rate, LED scanning backlight and optimized parameters for better motion flow, and unlike most three-dee televisions these days, this one works with polarized glasses -- you know, the ones that are dirt cheap, don't require batteries and haven't been known to give people headaches. The latter is a glasses-free solution, but unlike the company's next generation 3D notebook panels, you'll need to be located in one of eight viewing spots to dig the effect. In related news, AUO is also trumpeting a 4-inch 3D interactive touch panel suitable for use with smartphones, portable game consoles and tablets, but unfortunately, no release information is being doled out for any of this stuff. A heartbreaker, really.
AUO solar-powered touch keyboard connects your laptop with the sun
Call us crazy, but we're sensing a trend. Just hours after Logitech came forward with its solar-powered desktop keyboard, in flies AUO with something similar for laptops. Demonstrated alongside its deadzone-free 3D panel at FPD International 2010, the 14-inch solar-powered touch keyboard laptop solution (it's a working title, folks) is meant to be integrated into laptops in order to cut power usage by as much as 20 percent. So far as we can tell, a solar module is built within the laptop's lid and its keyboard panel, and the touch-sensitive overlay enables light to travel through while giving you a totally outlandish typing experience -- something akin to the Libretto W105, most likely. There's no word on a scheduled release date or price, but we'll definitely be keeping an eye out for a nearby prototype.
AUO trumpets 'deadzone-free' laptop and tablet 3D displays, recommends leaving glasses at home
Hello, future! We had an inkling that glasses-free 3D was the next big thing when we had a gaze at Intel's display back at CES earlier this year, but it seems that AUO is out to overcome the largest hurdle when dealing with lenticular lens 3D technology: viewing angles. Today, the outfit has revealed the world's first deadzone-free naked eye 3D notebook panel at FPD International 2010, and as the lengthy title indicates, this solution will enable you to view 3D content sans glasses and without positioning yourself carefully in front of the screen. Purportedly, AUO's tapping into SuperD's naked eye 3D wizardry to create a 15.6-inch laptop (1080p) and 10.1-inch tablet (WXGA) panel, and there's even an eye-tracking mechanism that's baked in to capture viewers' eyeball movements. Zanier still, both 2D and 3D modes can operate concurrently on the same display, and the viewer can switch back and forth between the two modes without having their brain implode. The company's pushing a mass production date of Q3 2011, which means that the last CES this planet ever sees should be quite the interesting one.
7-inch iPad tattle churns through Taiwanese rumor mills
The 7-inch iPad rumors are suddenly hot and heavy. In the last few weeks, we've seen a series of reports claiming that Apple was working on a smaller iPad (or bigger iPod touch?) set for release between the end of 2010 or early 2011. A DigiTimes piece, sourcing its own "analyst," claimed that the device would be making a jump to the Cortex A9 processor core, 512MB of RAM like the iPhone 4, and a 1,024 x 768 pixel IPS panel -- the same resolution as the 9.7-inch iPad giving the new model a better pixel density. Now we've got Taiwan's Economic Daily News saying that Chi Mei will join LG in supplying the new 7-inch IPS panels with AUO joining Sintek to provide the digitizer. EDN also claims that either Compal or Pegatron may join Foxconn in the assembly. Remember, even with hints of a new iPad model in Apple's own code this is all just rumor for now. Besides, we're still waiting for those Xbox 360 Blu-ray drives that the Economic Daily News assured us were coming in Q3 of 2008.
AUO shows off 2.4-inch transparent multitouch display
AUO's no stranger to showing off wild new displays that may or may not ever end up in actual products, and it looks like it's no exception at Display Taiwan 2010 -- the company's taken advantage of the trade show to unveil this new 2.4-inch transparent multitouch display. While it's apparently suitable for cellphones and other devices as well, the company says it's targeting it specifically at GPS devices -- we presume, to allow a slightly less obstructed view on your windshield (as opposed to an actual HUD). Of course, it is still just a prototype, but the capacitive screen does indeed seem to support full multitouch, and is said to be fairly responsive. See for yourself in the video after the break courtesy of Netbook News.
AUO scores patent lawsuit decision over LG Display
LG Display may want to be more careful where it aims those patent lawsuits next time, after a dispute it kicked off with AUO has lead to a finding by a U.S. District court that it actually violated AUO's patents and not the other way around. Say hello to patent Nos 6,778,160, 6,689,629, 7,125,157 and 7,090,506, covering "technologies help to improve response time, improve reliability of LCDs, solve the problem of defects in the displayed images, and provide a very compact structure useful for small handheld devices, respectively." So far AUO is indicating that it will seek an injunction preventing LG from shipping its potentially infringing HDTVs, monitors, notebooks and even phones to the U.S, plus some other legal tough talk for good measure. After LG's almost inevitable appeal this could drag out for years and/or be resolved in a sudden alliance of cross licensing so while there still may be time to grab that Chocolate Touch you've been eyeing, we'd keep a casual eye on LE9500 shipping dates in case of slippage.
