ElectronicPaper
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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.
Sony shows off, folds up super flexible organic TFT display
E-reader manufacturers are doing their darnedest to get their devices to behave more like the old fashioned books we've all since abandoned, but we won't be happy until we can roll one up and stuff it in our back pockets, paperback-style. Sony's working hard to make that dream a reality -- the company showed off some new bendable display technology behind closed doors at last week's SID conference in LA, including a color unit and the extremely flexible black and white e-paper display seen above, which can be bent to a 5mm curvature radius. The 13.3-inch sheet has a 1,600 x 1,200 (150ppi) resolution and is powered by organic TFTs. Sony showed off and bent the thing at the show, reportedly to the cheers of the crowd in attendance. Clearly they're all as excited as we are to make some really expensive e-paper airplanes. For more shots of the bending process, consult the source link below.
Sony unveils flexible color e-paper, new glasses-free 3D LCD displays at SID 2011
We saw some fancy panels and flashy lights on the show floor at SID this week, but Sony decided to keep its latest display offerings tucked away in an academic meeting. We're getting word today from Tech-On! that the outfit unveiled a 13.3-inch sheet of flexible color e-paper as well as two new glasses-free 3D panels in a separate session at the conference. New e-paper solutions loomed large at SID, but we were surprised by the lack of flexible screens. Sony's managed to deliver both on a display that weighs only 20 grams and measures a mere 150-microns thick, a feat made possible by the use of a plastic substrate. The sheet boasts a 13-percent color gamut, 10:1 contrast ratio, and 150dpi resolution. As for the 3D LCD displays, Sony joined a slew of other manufacturers in showing off its special brand of the panels. These new displays, ranging from 10-inches to 23-inches, apparently employ a new method for delivering 3D to the naked eye. This particular method uses a backlight positioned between an LCD panel and another backlight for 2D images, and can be easily be switched off for 2D viewing. Of course we would have liked to see these screens in the flesh, but alas, Sony decided to play coy. Hop on past the break for a shot of the new 3D panel.
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.
E Ink and Epson to co-develop 9.7-inch high-res 300ppi electronic paper display
It's pretty obvious that this year's SID Display Week is shaping up to be a stage for the 300ppi extravaganza -- Samsung and LG were first to announce their latest high pixel density LCDs, and then Toshiba chimed in with its 367ppi LCD for cellphones. Fortunately, fans of ePaper will also have something to look forward to here, as E Ink Holdings and Epson have just announced the co-development of a 300ppi ePaper display. To be exact, E Ink will be in charge of producing the sharp-looking 9.68-inch 2,400 x 1,650 display panel, whereas Epson will take care of the high-speed display controller platform to go with E Ink's part. No availability has been announced just yet, but stay tuned for our eyes-on impression at the show.
Hanvon's color e-reader up for pre-order in China -- for just $530
We'll rarely be accused of being proper economists here, but we do have to question Hanvon's calculations in throwing up a pre-order price for its brand new color e-reader of 3,500 Chinese Yuan. That's the report coming out of DigiTimes this morning, placing the device at around the $530 mark in a market that's not exactly known for its rampant consumption of tech luxuries. Then again, what we're talking about here will indeed be the very first E Ink Triton-equipped device anywhere once deliveries commence in February, so there's the cachet of short-term exclusivity to look forward to. Or it might be very long-term exclusivity if nobody thinks that color is worth paying that massive premium over more conventional e-readers. We shall wait and see.
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.
Sony demoes flexible electronic paper display, tickles our fancy
Say, did the air just get a little richer in vapor? Sony has titillated its home nation with a demonstration of a new flexible e-paper display, which looks set to compete with LG's, HP's, Toshiba's, and hell even Sony's own, flexi-display ventures. Employing a plastic substrate, the above prototype is apparently capable of being rolled up like a regular old newspaper -- presumably fly-swatting is not a problem either -- but we have our usual reservations about yet another flexible display teaser. Oh, they're all gorgeous and revolutionary, it's just that we're not seeing too many of them in our local Walmarts, you know?
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.
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!
E Ink shows off next-gen displays: high contrast, fast refresh, and rugged (video)
It took so long for electronic ink screens to finally hit the market we feel a bit silly getting impatient for the next-generation, but the Kindle has been on the market for a year and a half now, Sony Reader models for twice that long, and still we're dealing with the same crummy 7:1 contrast ratio, 16 shade grayscale, and .74 second refresh rate. E Ink's Sriram Peruvemba, however, is finally showing off next-generation models of the sort parent company PVI told us were coming, the first an improvement on existing screens that offers a 12:1 contrast ratio and a refresh rate fast enough for simple animations. Also shown is a larger, (slightly) flexible model rugged enough to take a meaty fist square in the face without blinking a single pixel. This version Peruvemba sees playing a major role in digital textbooks in the future. Unfortunately we still have a bit of time to wait for either, with the boosted contrast ratio model entering production later this year and the flexible one sometime in early 2011. Add another six months or so for devices using the things to make it to retail and hopes for a brighter, next-gen Kindle shipping by the holidays start to look a bit dim.
PVI's color E-Ink displays are a perfect match for Kindles
You know who makes the E-Ink displays on the Kindle? PVI. The Taiwanese company is also the EPD provider for several other tier-1 eReader device makers including Sony. So take a good look at that color E-Ink prototype display currently sitting in a PVI booth at a Shenzhen tradeshow 'cause that's what you'll see packed in color eReaders near the end of the year and into 2011. PVI is showing off both 6- and 9.7-inch color prototypes set to hit the manufacturing lines in Q4 (and sampling now), just right for the Kindle 2 and Kindle DX should Amazon choose to keep things simple and just swap out the display (and a minimum of componentry) within its existing device lineup. It's worth noting that the extra layer of color filtering glass will impact battery life a bit, but certainly not enough to lose its edge on LCDs. And while PVI was demonstrating a color animation running on its new displays, they can't do video worth a damn due to the slow frame refresh. And don't expect to see the color EPDs sporting a contrast or color vibrancy anywhere close to what you'll get from a traditional LCD either. Regardless, people seem smitten by the USA Today's use of color so we're sure these color E-Ink displays will find their niche as well.
AUO demonstrates 6-inch flexible electronic paper, pledges production for next year
If e-paper is ever really going to have a chance against tree-paper it's going to have to get a lot more flexible. We've seen multiple demonstrations of bendable wares from LG and even big daddy E Ink, but AUO is the first to pledge mass production of the stuff (since the Readius went bust), starting in 2010. The company has demonstrated a 6-inch flexible display offering 16 shades of gray and a contrast ratio of 9:1, which sounds terrible but is actually slightly better than the Kindle's 7:1. The company is also showing off a 20-inch non-bendy version that should also hit production sometime next year. When will either get the hammer treatment? That remains to be seen.
PVI to buy E Ink for $215 million
You may not know who Taiwan-based Prime View International is but the makers of the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader sure do. See, PVI is the company that builds the electronic paper displays for the world's most popular ebook readers. Now, it's also the expectant owner of US-based E Ink and all the associated patents that come with. The deal, if approved by government regulators, is expected to close by October.
Video: ASU's touch-screen ePaper display evokes the future from the past
With the Kindle back in the news, everyone's interested in showing off their E-Ink displays. Here we have the latest video from Arizona State University's Flexible Display Center. Their new bendy display is touch-sensitive (stylus or finger) and makes us long for Apple's old Newton for some reason. Check the video after the break to see why.[Via I4U News]
E-paper signs being tested in Tokyo for disaster prevention
While we're still waiting for our electronic broadsheet (hell, we'll settle for a tabloid) it looks like folks in Toshima will be seeing quite a bit of the e-paper as they hit the streets of this Tokyo ward. In a test conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the signage has been installed in the proximity of the Toshima Life and Industry Plaza, where a wireless network was established to provide updates in case of an emergency. There are currently two signs: one in the lobby of the post office measures over three meters across and sports 240 x 768 resolution (the paper has 4mm pixels), and holds down power consumption at about 24W. Stationed at the Higashi-Ikebukuro bus stop, the second sign is 60 x 40 centimeters with 144 x 96 resolution, and power consumption here is about 9W. The test will run until January 29th, after which point the city will have to rely upon its usual civil defense repertoire -- which is believed to include the vigilant eye of Honda's 49-foot ASIMO.
Kent Displays develops "paper thin" electronic skin for mobiles
You probably didn't know it, but if you've purchased anything with an unconventional display in the last few years, the screen itself may have been sourced from Kent, Ohio. Kent Displays is about to break out of its own shadow with two new technologies that could be rolling off of the production line next year. First up is a simple monochrome electronic writing tablet that consists of a pressure sensitive display (think next-generation Post-it note), while the second is a particularly impressive color changing electronic skin. In essence, the latter (dubbed eGo) requires no power at all to maintain any color already rendered on the surface, meaning that ladies can instantly make their phone match their outfit without sucking the life from their mobile. For those keenly interested, hit the read link for the full background along with a video of the production facility.[Thanks, Tod]
NEC tiling e-ink displays for massive coverage
What's better than a single low-power e-ink display? How about eight of them stuck together to form one massive sheet? NEC is indicating it can now tile up to eight displays together to achieve maximum reflective real estate, composed of digital sheets matching standard A4 (8.3- x 11.7-inches) and A3 (11.5- × 16.5-inches) sizes, the latter having only a 1mm border. Eight of those stitched in two rows of four could make a display nearly two feet tall and over five feet wide. No resolution specs are given, and the 10:1 contrast ratio is standard stuff, but these displays do offer 16-shades of grayscale -- four times that offered by Oprah's new favorite thing. Naturally, there's no mention of when we can hope to start covering our walls with these things, but hopefully NEC will get these out in time for the e-ink market to take off in the latter-half of 2009.
E Ink exec sees e-newspapers going commercial in 2009
Yeah, quite a few rags out there have already diverted at least some of their efforts to the electronic press, but according to E Ink's Ryosuke Kuwata, the trend is set to explode in late 2009. Said VP, who is currently in charge of market development, admitted that some newspapers in Japan, America and Europe are all looking to make the move to e-paper in the not-too-distant future. He also stated that "verification tests" (trials, we presume) would be starting up "using several thousands of terminals by the end of 2008," and that the company would "gradually shift to a specific business in the second half of 2009." Reading the local headlines on e-paper, scooting to the market in a flying vessel and showing up to work by flipping on a hologram transmitter. Meatloaf always said two out of three wasn't bad.
Epson and E Ink partner on controller IC for e-paper displays
Epson and E Ink, two mainstays in the electronic paper realm, have pooled their resources in order to develop an all new display controller IC set to enable "faster navigation, multitasking and real-time pen / keyboard input." The S1D13521 chip is slated to be used in E Ink's Vizplex-enabled electronic paper displays (EPDs), and it'll also be making an appearance in said company's forthcoming AM300 Broadsheet prototype kit (pictured). In layman's terms, this device should speed up the user interface considerably, as it will enable the display to "perform up to 16 tasks in parallel and support smooth and responsive pen input devices for annotations and sketches." As for availability, we're seeing that samples ($18 apiece) should make their way out next month, while production quantities won't be able to scamper free until August.[Thanks, Jack]
