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The once-bright future of color e-paper
It's all too easy to dismiss the optimistic fantasies of yesterday: flying cars and robot servants may have filled the pages of Popular Mechanics in the 1950s, but today we're better grounded in reality, pinning our hopes on more reasonable futures based on technology we've actually developed. Still, even those predictions fall flat sometimes, and it can burn to look back at the track record of a horse we once bet on. For this editor, that stallion was known as color e-paper, a series of dimly hued electronic-paper technologies that teased a future of low-power gadgets with beautiful, sunlight-readable matte displays. Prototypes from half a dozen firms exhibited tantalizing potential for the last half of the 2000s, and then promptly vanished as the decade came to a close. Like many ill-conceived futurist predictions, expectations for this technology gently faded from the consumer hive mind. The legacy of color e-paper may be muted and dim, but its past, at least, is black-and-white: monochrome E Ink set the tone for a decade of reflective, low-power displays. Years before the iPad and other tablets created the so-called third device, sunlight-readable E Ink screens nested into the public consciousness with Amazon's inaugural Kindle. Launched in 2007, it was a blocky, expensive and awkward device that had more potential than practical application, but the visibility of the Amazon brand lifted its stature. Consumers paid attention and the e-reader category was forged.
Bridgestone reveals plan to withdraw from e-paper business, AeroBee loses its buzz
If you were intrigued by those 21-inch e-paper tablets Bridgestone showcased last year, you're sure to be bummed by this news. The company has announced that plans to withdraw from the electronic paper business and expects to bring production to a screeching halt by the end of October. Citing increased competition and rapid declines in material prices for the move, the outfit looks "to put an increased focus on its core businesses." As you may recall, Bridgestone had partnered with Delta Electronics to develop the business-focused AeroBee tablets and it remains to be seen if the latter part of the duo will continue its e-paper exploits with a new mate.
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.
Kyobo, Qualcomm make Mirasol color displays a reality, with the Kyobo eReader
Don't look now, but Mirasol has just arisen from the dead. Today, Korea's Kyobo Book Centre and Qualcomm jointly unveiled the world's first Mirasol-coated e-reader, just a few months after CEO Paul Jacobs heralded the demise of his company's color e-paper format. The device, known as the Kyobo eReader, sports a 5.7-inch, 1024 x 768 color display with 223ppi and touchscreen capabilities, runs Android 2.3 and is powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 CPU. Kyobo says you'll be able to use the WiFi-enabled slate for "weeks" on a single charge, as long as you do so at decreased brightness, and for a total of 30 minutes per day. The eReader is available now for around $310, but only in South Korea. There's no indication that it'll be making its way to other markets anytime soon, but in the meantime, sate yourself with a portion of PR, after the break.
Ricoh's new electronic paper promises greater brightness, enhanced color
Color E Ink technology still has some kinks to work out, but Ricoh thinks it may have just taken a big step forward with its latest display. The company's electronic paper, introduced at SID this week, promises to reproduce images that are 2.5 times brighter than competitors' offerings, while covering a color range that's four times wider. To achieve this, Ricoh used a simple lamination method, layering three strips of electrochromic material between two substrates. Unfortunately, however, there's no indication that the technology will be commercially available anytime soon, as Ricoh still needs to incorporate its e-paper onto more practical screen sizes, as well as enhance the display's durability -- both of which sound like pretty major hurdles to us. Full press release after the break.
Bridgestone builds world's largest e-paper tablets, shuns consumers (video)
If you thought the Kno was unwieldy, check out these A4 and A3 paper-sized AeroBee terminals from Bridgestone. The company, best known for its tire commercials featuring adorable animals about to get run over, unveiled two new tablets with 21-inch and 13-inch (underwhelming) color e-paper screens -- the largest available on the market. You can check them out in the video after the break, but don't get too excited, these beasts aren't destined for consumers. Instead, they're being marketed to businesses which will likely use them as in-store displays or kiosks. Next step: coffee table-book e-readers. Though, we suspect In the Shadow of No Towers would lose something in the translation.
LG demonstrates two color e-paper displays, one with a split personality
Competition is good, let's officially welcome LG to the burgeoning color electronic paper market. The company is diving right in with not one but two color prototype displays that it showed off at FPD International in Japan. Both are 9.7-inches diagonal, the first being fully color with an 800 x 600 resolution -- which just happens to exactly match the specs of E Ink's latest. The second, however, is only partly color, the top three quarters being monochrome with a 1200 x 1200 resolution, augmented by a 200 x 600 color strip at the bottom. It's an interesting offering, a layout not unlike the Nook but all on a single display. No word on price or availability, but you can see them doing their thing, along with E Ink's latest, in the video below.
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...
E-Ink Shocker! Amazon CEO says color Kindle is 'still a long way out'
Well, if it isn't a surprise to end all surprises. Amazon's head honcho Jeff Bezos recently grabbed a mic at the outfit's annual shareholder meeting in Seattle, and when speaking about the "millions" of Kindle e-readers that he's sold, he pointed out the obvious when questioned about the possibility of a color version. In addressing concerns that LCD-based tablets may seem more attractive due to their ability to showcase color images and video, he noted that developing color electronic ink remains a challenge, and while he's seen things "in the laboratory," the prototypes are simply "not ready for prime-time production." He also stated that these lust-worthy, mythical displays were "a long way out," but that the Kindle would remain focused as a dedicated e-reader moving forward. Hear that, Mirasol? That's the ear-piecing sound of a market opportunity waiting to be exploited.
Plastic Logic plans 2012 launch for color e-paper display
E-readers as a whole best be watching their backs (or planning a wave of new functions, one), but it's safe to say that having color displays would give 'em a leg-up on the retina-killing, battery-draining LCD-based alternatives. Plastic Logic is still working to get its first e-reader (the decidedly not color QUE, for those curious) into the paws of consumers, but already the outfit is planning for the next big thing. Achim Neu, Director SCM, recently spoke at the International Electronics Forum, reportedly stating that his company is aiming to "have a manufacturable color display by the end of 2011 and move it into volume production in 2012." Details beyond that were scarce, but still, 2012 seems a long ways out -- if Qualcomm can get its color Mirasol panel into shipping products, there's a better than average chance that none of this will matter.
Fujitsu breathes new life into color e-paper: brighter, faster, lovelier
Fujitsu's been dabbling in the color e-paper market for years, showing off prototype readers during a time when the iPad was simply a twinkle in the eye of Steve-o. Now, the e-reader realm as a whole is having to reevaluate itself with the explosion of multifaceted tablets, but we're not giving up hope just yet -- Qualcomm's downright stunning color Mirasol display could turn the tables once more later this year, and Fujitsu's new and improved color e-paper might do the same later this month. Scheduled to debut at the Fujitsu Forum in Japan, this newly developed color electronic paper utilizes a redesigned panel structure and image re-write methods, and there's also an improved contrast ratio to boot. Unfortunately, there's no public commercialization plans just yet, but we're hoping it'll hit a few products sooner rather than later -- time's a wastin', Fujitsu!
Liquavista's e-reader displays do video, color and other magic tricks (video)
Liquavista's been kicking around in the shadows for years now, and while its stuff has largely been viewed as vaporware, the video waiting for you just past the break changes everything. The company has today revealed three new e-reader display technologies that it's working on, and all three of 'em are in prototype form ready to wow. LiquavistaBright aims to speed up page refreshes on e-book readers and add support for video playback, and considering just how awful web browsing is on existing e-ink displays, we can hardly wait to surf on this stuff. It's also toiling away on a LiquavistaColor screen, which is exactly what you think it is. Finally, there's the elusive LiquavistaVivid, which is planned for "product implementation" throughout 2010 and 2011. Hit the read link if you're down for looking into the future, and be sure to tell PixelQi its main competition has just come out in a big way. %Gallery-76592%
Neolux badges bring e-ink technology to trade show vendors, sweaty rock dudes
Ah, the backstage pass -- as much a part of the rock'n'roll lifestyle as sleeping with a roadie to get to the lead singer. Now, thanks to Neolux (an e-ink developer best known in these parts for its rather bland e-reader) the things have gotten that much harder to counterfeit. What does an e-ink badge do, exactly? Well, it does what a regular badge does -- with the added expense of color e-ink technology. How's that for progress? See for yourself after the break. Update: ...and by "color e-ink" we meant "regular old e-ink with a red overlay." Oldest trick in the book, really. Thanks to those of you who pointed it out! [Via E-ink Info]
SiPix to debut color e-paper next year?
SiPix (a division of our old friend AU Optronics) has announced that it will bring "a small number" of color e-ink displays to market by the end of 2010. Apparently, a breakthrough in thin-film-transistor panels has put the company on the fast-track to making this technology commercially viable. If so, it could beat rivals like PrimeView (the manufacturer of both the Kindle and Sony's Reader) to the punch by a year or two. "Making colored electronic paper displays is our top priority," said SiPix president Andrew Tseng. "We are in talks with customers to supply colored displays ... as [color] would encourage advertisers to place ads on [electronic] publications, which then would be able to provide more content [to readers] for free." While PrimeView is currently scrambling to buy up US-based E Ink, AU Optronics is scheduled to ship its first e-paper display modules to customers this quarter. The ball's in your court, Fujitsu. [Via TG Daily]
iRex to release color e-reader in 2011?
Remember when iRex single-handedly revolutionized the e-reader industry last fall? Remember "Seeing Is Believing?" We didn't either, until the company reminded us of its continued existence with the announcement that it's developing a new color e-book reader that uses subtractive color mixing to display text and images three times the brightness of existing displays. While this won't be the first color e-ink tech we've laid our eyes on, the promise of print-quality color e-books is certainly tantalizing. Your move, Sony.[Via SlashGear]
A color Kindle is years away, buyers remorse here to stay
Hey, Kindle 2 owners, remember when Amazon made the device official and you thought: "Well, it took them a year and a half to replace the old one, so I can buy this one without fears of immediate obsolescence." And then remember how three months later they announced the Kindle DX and you thought: "Oh." Well, if you're now fearing a color Kindle will come sauntering along in a few months to make everyone jealous, fear not, as Jeff Bezos is saying the tech is still "multiple years" away, adding "I've seen the color displays in the laboratory and I can assure you they're not ready for prime time." From the few prototypes we've seen we'd tend to agree. So, anyone still on the fence about a Kindle, go ahead and buy now with confidence, as your devices won't be made to look quaint any time soon -- at least until that pizza box-sized reader Amazon's been working on in secret is announced in July. Did we mention it actually cooks pizza?
PVI's color e-ink delayed until 2010, big-screen Sony Reader coming?
Color e-ink displays are starting to become less of a curiosity and more of a reality, but if the rumor from DigiTimes proves true it's going to be another year or so before we start seeing them en masse. PVI, makers of displays for the Kindle and Sony Reader, has apparently indicated that its attempts at creating a color display have been more or less unsatisfactory and it's going to take until 2010 at least to get its hues sorted out. That's the bad news. There is some good news, though, indicating that Sony's working on its own 8.5 x 11-inch reader utilizing the same screen as the Kindle DX. Since the last rumors about that display was pretty-much on the mark, we wouldn't be surprised if this one proved true as well -- and we can't wait to see what Sony charges for it.[Via SlashGear]
Bridgestone's 13-inch color e-paper display handles pen input, has the future written all over it
While it'll always be difficult to accept innovative technology from a company that makes our tires, there's just no faulting Bridgestone's work in the e-paper space, or their latest color entry, above. The 13-inch display, based on "QR-LPD" tech, has what looks to be great color depth, along with snappy 0.8 second screen refreshes (great for this screen size) and actual Wacom-based pen input. There's video of it in action after the break, and if we didn't know better we'd think they were putting a Sharpie to a perfectly good display. Unfortunately, the image does look a little dim at the moment, so hopefully that's something Bridgestone can improve upon as they approach commercialization -- whenever that might be.
Fujitsu to launch FLEPia color e-ink e-books in the fall?
We first saw Fujitsu's FLEPia e-books with the company's color e-ink tech over a year ago, but rumor has it they're finally getting close to launch. That's the word according to Nikkei, which says that the A4-sized readers won't feature an integrated backlight, but still be able to run for up to 50 hours on a single charge. The WiFi-capable unit is said to cost ¥100,000 ($941), but other specs are still up in the air -- hopefully they'll be changing the name as well.[Via CrunchGear; warning, read link requires subscription]
FujiXerox shows off color e-ink display with writing capabilities
We've only seen a couple prototype color e-ink displays here and there, but this latest version from FujiXerox seems like its the furthest along in terms of refresh rate and usability. The A6 sized panel is made of three polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal layers, but it's still flexible, at just .4mm thick. No hard specs, really, but Tech-On says refresh time is less than one second -- just quick enough to make this viable for the next-gen Kindle, eh?[Via Tech-On!]
