foldable
Latest
Samsung files patent for a bizarre folding smartphone
Samsung has filed a patent with the Korean Intellectural Property Office for a smartphone with a that could be folded in half like a flip phone. The device would also have a secondary screen, presumable on the outside, that's activated when it's folded shut, according to the claims. The screen even has a complex "semiautomatic" powered folding action as one of the options. Of course, patents don't usually lead directly to products, but this one stands out because Samsung is reportedly working on smartphones with bendable OLED screens.
Fujifilm's flexible Beat speaker diaphragm lets us roll up the rhythm
While there's been no shortage of rollable displays, rollable speakers are rare -- the softness needed for a bendy design is the very thing that would usually neuter the sound. Fujifilm's new Beat diaphragm manages to reconcile those seemingly conflicting requirements. The surface depends on a polymer that stays soft when the surface is being curled or folded, but hardens when subjected to the 20Hz to 20kHz audio range we'd expect from a speaker. Piezoelectric ceramics, in turn, provide the sound itself. The Beat system doesn't have any known customers, but Fujifilm has already shown some creative possibilities such as a folding fan speaker or the portable, retractable unit shown above. If we ever see the day when we tuck a set of speakers into our pockets as neatly as we do our phones, we'll know who to thank.
Samsung patent uses tiny, bright pixels to create seamless folding displays
Creating a seamless display in a foldable device can go a long way towards selling customers on the notion that two screens are better than one: otherwise, you end up with a disjointed effect. Samsung has been trying to solve that problem for years, but a newly-granted US patent could represent one of its more direct answers. The technique would put smaller yet bright pixels right at the joints between two displays, letting Samsung push the screen borders closer together while ramping up the brightness to have those edge pixels blend in with the rest. As Samsung would rely on self-lit display technologies like OLED, it could tune the brightness of those tiny pixels relatively easily, without having to lean on complex backlighting. Given that the patent was originally filed in South Korea back in 2006, there's no indication that Samsung is in a rush to start producing foldable phones and tablets. Having a US patent under its belt right as larger mobile OLED screens become viable, however, could come in handy.
SteelSeries Flux and Flux In-Ear Pro headsets ears-on (video)
"This is the best sounding in-ear product below $250," SteelSeries' Chief Marketing Officer, Kim Rom, told us between songs. "I'll go on record saying that." Rom was talking about the firm's new Flux In-Ear Pro headset, and had similar words for the brand's foldable on-ear Flux cans. The earbuds and their full sized companions are part of the company's "freedom to play" campaign, and it has the utmost confidence in them. Rom even told us the foldable Flux headset lasted 90 minutes in the firm's "soccer test," a SteelSeries tradition that plays out exactly like it sounds: international football with consumer electronics. Our hands-on was decidedly less rough.
Sony patents a two-way folding device, wants you to have extra screen real estate where you need it
Phones with dual displays have been done, and Sony's foldable Tablet P brought similar functionality to tablets with mixed results. It looks like the Japanese electronics giant isn't done with such devices, however, as it's just been granted a patent for a gadget that can fold on multiple axes. The patent in question describes a device constructed of two rectangular casings that can be "rotated relatively in one of a first rotation direction and a second rotation direction orthogonal to each other." Translation: a sort of next-gen Jacob's ladder with hinges that open up on both sides of a right angle, which would allow you to set screens side by side or on top of one another. Want to know more? Check out all the patent claims and drawings at the sources below.
Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 now up for touchy-feely orders
If you've been waiting to, literally, get your hands on the submissive A720 all-in-one from Lenovo, now you can. When we got our paws on it back at CES, it's fair to say we were intrigued. Now, the 27-inch 10-point multitouch PC is up for your buying pleasure. The bad news is, that reported $1,299 base-model price is now actually $1,849, rising to $2,099 if you want the bells and whistles (or 64GB SSD and TV tuner more specifically). You are getting some Ivy Bridge action in that mix, though. The first units won't ship until early June, but if you're looking for a tactile desktop, run your fingers over the source link for more info.
Lenovo prices IdeaPad Yoga in the UK, reveals a few more laptops on the side
Lenovo has revealed the pricing for its very flexible Ultrabook -- and it's about as pricey as you might suspect for a Windows 8 tablet-laptop. Lenovo UK has the basic IdeaPad Yoga pegged at £1,200 ($1,900) -- a nudge above previous estimates -- while a meatier Core i7 model will set you back £1,500 ($2,380). Neither device has been gifted a release date just yet, but it does cement the likelihood of the 0.67-inch hybrid launching beyond Beijing relatively soon. Alongside the IdeaPad Yoga, Lenovo's U series has pulled itself together following its recent disassembly at the FCC's hands, with both the U310 and U410 also UK-bound. Prices will start from £600 but Lenovo remains similarly mute on other launch details. We'd advise working on your bank balance's flexibility now.
Logitech announces fold-up keyboard and suction cup joystick for iPad
Better late than never, I guess -- Logitech is finally entering the fray of devices for Apple's iPad tablet with two new units coming out next month. First up is a foldable keyboard, similar to the company's other input devices, but meant to work directly with the iPad. There's a stand to hold the device, it charges up via USB, and it works right alongside other iPad accessories, like Apple's own smart cover. The keyboard's pretty nice, actually, and it retails for $130. But the other one is a little more interesting -- it's a stick-on joystick for the iPad, designed to be used with virtual joystick games. As you might have already noticed, it's extremely similar to the other offerings out there, specifically Ten One Design's Fling joystick. In fact, if Logitech hasn't made a deal with Ten One, I'd argue that it's almost actionable -- it's practically the same design, only with a Logitech logo bolted on the side. They're selling at around the same price, $19.99 for one (though Ten One offers two Flings for $29.95). It's worth noting as well that ThinkGeek has its own joystick for the iPad. It's not the same design as these, but it's a little more traditional, and still works pretty well. So now there's quite a few options if you want a little more feedback from your virtual joystick games.
Samsung's foldable AMOLED display: no creases, even after 100,000 tries
Samsung demoed some fascinating AMOLEDs at this year's CES, including 4.5-inch flexible and 19-inch transparent displays -- neither of which, sadly, will reach the market any time soon. But the innovation train keeps on rolling, and Sammy's Advanced Institute of Technology now has a prototype foldable display, which may or may not be the same reference design spotted at FPD 2008. Its two panels have a closing radius of only 1mm, meaning they practically touch when closed, yet show no visible crease when opened. In fact, the developers performed 100,000 folding-unfolding cycles to test the junction; the negligible 6% decrease in brightness was invisible to the human eye. They used commercially-available silicone rubber to achieve that seamless look, and the prototype featured a protective glass cover which could also function as a touchscreen. Obviously there's a market for touchscreens you can fold up and put in your pocket; here's hoping Samsung can make them available sooner rather than later.
Switched On: Stowaway from the PDA era
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Their screens lacked color and their apps lacked Internet access, but one thing the PDAs of yore had in common with the smartphones of today was text input that couldn't compare to a full-sized keyboard. The challenge, of course, is that full-sized keyboards generally aren't very good traveling companions for pocket-sized devices. In 2000, a startup called ThinkOutside addressed the issue with the first Stowaway keyboard, an ingeniously designed folding keyboard that used the dock connector of Palm PDAs to create a touch-typing experience that fit in your pocket. (Stowaway designer Phil Baker is the author of the book From Concept to Consumer, which explains how ideas become products that get built overseas and ultimately sold back here). ThinkOutside went on to create versions for PocketPCs, infrared (to accommodate incompatible dock connector standards) connections, and then finally Bluetooth. The company was eventually purchased by accessory maker Mobility Electronics, which renamed itself iGo after its flagship power adapter product, and eventually cancelled the Stowaway. At the time, PDA sales were sinking and relatively few handsets supported Bluetooth; most of those that did supported only the profiles needed for headsets and speakerphones, not keyboard input.
Qualcomm's multi-fold mobile device is the future we keep waiting for
Qualcomm isn't typically in the business of producing consumer-facing hardware -- the company prefers to just build the chips that make your devices go "vroom" -- but we've come across a patent application that details just such an idea. The multi-fold mobile device can be seen as either a foldable tablet or an expandable cellphone, but in either case its purpose is clearly to act as a hybrid device that performs both roles. With all least two displays on its three panels, this concept will also automatically reconfigure its UI based on a folding configuration sensor, and Qualcomm suggests you might also use it as a widescreen TV display, an alarm clock, a media player, or a web browser. Click past the break for a couple more suggested use diagrams, and feel free to write to Qualcomm with demands that this be put into production pronto.
Samsung concept phone unfolds to hypnotize onlookers with flexible OLED
Cellphones are caught in this awkward spot where they've got to be small -- like pocketable, doesn't-look-ridiculous-on-your-face small -- and yet somehow big enough to pack an expansive, pretty display that's capable of displaying a lot of stuff at once. That's a paradox that has forced manufacturers into some curious form factors over the years, but ultimately, if you want to somehow cram the desktop viewing experience into a device the size of a pack of cigarettes, you're probably going to need something that projects, rolls, or folds. That's where Samsung's new concept phone shown off at the FPD International show in Yokohama comes into play, opening like a book to reveal a flexible OLED big enough to handle those cute puppy videos that no plain-vanilla, 2.5-inch display can do justice. There's no word on when a so-equipped handset might see production -- but we think it's appropriate that it's being shown off in Japan in all places, if you catch our drift. Follow the break for a video of the display in action.
ASUS introduces VENTO TA-F foldable PC case
While not nearly as gnarly as Acrylic Cowboy's inside-out case, the VENTO TA-F is probably more usable in most respects. ASUS' new foldable PC chassis promises a 30% savings on storage and transportation, but alas, all that apparently goes away once you stock it full of internal components. At any rate, novice and expert DIYers alike will appreciate the "no-tools-necessary" clause, and the plethora of drive bays within will keep mobile data servers happy as a lark. Those who'd like to pick one up will have to look coast to coast at their leisure (thanks for the specifics, ASUS), but make sure to choose silver (TA-F21) or black (TA-F11) beforehand.
Monster's iFreePlay cordless headphones for 2G Shuffle
Monster Cable has been known to dabble in the world of iPod accessories before, and while it's easy to give the company notorious for over marketing its flashy cabling knocks on just about anything, the iFreePlay contraption doesn't look half bad. The cordless wraparound headphones don't deviate too far from similar alternatives, but rather than communicating with your DAP via Bluetooth or RF, you can snap your 2G Shuffle right into the left earpiece and run along. The collapsible headphones weigh just 1.6-ounces, and while you do sacrifice some style for utility here, we've most certainly seen worse. So for runners looking to ditch that awful iSoundCap and avoid getting tangled all the while, Monster's iFreePlay apparatus can be picked up now for $49.95. Click through for a few more angles.
Polymer Vision plans to commercialize foldable paper this year
If there's one thing the business-savvy CEOs of the world know, it's that you don't want your competition to get too far ahead of you, and just as Plastic Logic announced its plans to build the first electronic paper plant in Dresden, Germany, Polymer Vision is trying to make good on its nearly two-year old promise. During 2005's IFA expo, Philip assured us all that we'd be blown away by the firm's rollable, bendable displays in a mere two years, and now that 24 months have nearly elapsed, a company spinoff is looking to make it happen. According to a German report, Polymer Vision is still on track for "commercializing the foldable PV-QML5 display" that we've all grown quite fond of. Planning to use the technology in e-books and electronic map guides, the initial 4.8-inch display will tout a 320 x 200 resolution, 10:1 contrast ratio, support for four gray tones, and be only 100 micrometers thick. Sadly, no hard dates were passed down as to when we could expect the first production batch to head out to consumers, but now that there's some serious competition brewing just a few miles down the road, we'd bet a good bit of effort goes into making that 2007 date a reality.[Via I4U]
Brando's Mini Bluetooth Keyboard eases phone typing
Predictive text and alternative keypad arrangements (some bizarre) ease the painstaking procedure of hammering out the occasional email or note on the old mobile, but at the end of the day, nothing beats good, old-fashioned QWERTY (or Das Keyboard, if that's how you roll) for text entry. Brando's new $56 Mini Bluetooth Keyboard takes the old, tried-and-true formula of the foldable keyboard and scales it down a smidge, giving users a device that they can realistically carry pretty much everywhere they're taking their phone. Usability is an open question -- those keys do look mighty small -- but we're figuring a crappy keyboard is better than none at the end of the day.
