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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.
BASF, Philips team up to create transparent OLED car roof
If you're the sort who wished your car had a transparent roof when the rain falls down but want some shielding when the sun's up (or, you know, vice versa) then BASF have good news for you. It's showing off the transparent OLED technology it developed with Philips that behaves like glass when inactive, turning opaque when activated. We're already familiar with the technology here, because it's the same kit that the chemicals giant showed off on its custom Smart Forvision it produced with Daimler back in September. As before, it's also been able to pair them up with transparent solar cells, for environmentally friendly sky watching: just remember that people will be able to see you pick your nose from all angles now, okay?
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.
iFixit offers transparent rear panels for iPhone 4S
iFixit released transparent rear panels for the iPhone 4 several months ago, which put the surprisingly attractive innards of Apple's smartphone on display. Apple must have tweaked the internals of the iPhone 4S just barely enough for that panel to be incompatible, because iFixit has now released a new rear panel specifically engineered for the iPhone 4S. For a limited time at a price of US$29.95, iFixit is selling a kit that includes the rear panel, a "liberation kit" that includes the special "pentalobe" screwdriver necessary to remove the existing panel, a screen protector, and a "thirsty bag" that will dry out your phone if it has an unfortunate encounter with liquid. iFixit will continue to sell the back panel by itself for the same $29.95 once the promotion ends. Swapping out the rear panel on an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S is incredibly easy once you have the proper tools at hand; I swapped out the panel on my old iPhone 4 in less than five minutes earlier this year. If you've cracked your iPhone's rear panel and are looking for a somewhat quirky replacement, iFixit's transparent panel might be what you need.
Cambridge researchers translate graphene into printable circuitry material, bring basic 'Skynet' factory to you
Yes, graphene is amazing and possesses many useful / otherworldly properties. The ability to use graphene itself to print flexible, transparent thin-film transistors via an inkjet printer is just another one of them. Over at the University of Cambridge, researchers have discovered that it's possible to print standard CMOS transistors using a graphene component. Provided the graphene is chipped off a block of graphite using a chemical solvent and the larger (potentially print-head blocking) chips are removed, it can be turned into a polymer ink which can then run through a conventional inkjet printer. The potential result of this is flexible, transparent and wearable computer circuitry coming from ordinary printers as opposed to several multi-million-dollar machines in a factory, which has long been the historical standard. Besides, who wouldn't want to print their own circuitry on a PhotoSmart MFP rather than whatever report might be due the next day?
Samsung breakthrough could turn your window pane into a big ol' LED
Samsung's quest for transparency won't end with laptops, apparently. Today, the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology announced that its engineers have successfully created "single crystalline Gallium Nitride on amorphous glass substrates" -- an achievement that would allow the manufacturer to produce jumbo-sized LEDs from normal glass, including window panes. Samsung says this scaled-up approach will allow them to lower production costs relative to most LED manufacturers, which rely on sapphire, rather than glass substrates. And, whereas most Gallium Nitride (GaN) LEDs on the market measure just two inches in size, Sammy's technique could result in displays about 400 times larger. "In ten years, window panes will double as lighting and display screens, giving personality to buildings," a Samsung spokesperson told the Korea Herald. Unfortunately, however, it will likely be another ten years before the technology is ready to hit the market. Until then, we'll just have to do our late night window coding the old fashioned way. [Image courtesy of Columbia Pictures / The New York Times]
Haier's transparent organic TV eyes-on (video)
What's the worst thing about your TV? If you said "opaqueness," boy have we got the set from you. This is a 22-inch transparent organic TV from the folks at Haier (you know, the ones who also showed off that mind control TV today). It's a slim display with a metal bezel that has a clear OLED at its center with a 1680 x 1050 resolution. The images appeared pretty sharp on screen, though the colors didn't particularly pop. And really, this thing isn't likely headed to any living rooms in the near future -- Haier sees it more as an advertising tool, letting shoppers see its images from both sides. The display in its demo form was actually hooked up to a Windows PC, running video through a media player, making this not too unlike that 14-inch Samsung laptop that we saw at CES last year. The TV is still in its early demo stages, so pricing and availability are a ways off. Video after the break.%Gallery-132590%
Engadget Primed: all mobile displays are not created equal
Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day -- we dig deep into each topic's history and how it benefits our lives. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com. The quality of a mobile phone's display is arguably the most important factor to consider when you establish a relationship with a handset. It's inescapable, really. Whether you're playing a rousing game of Robot Unicorn Attack or (regrettably) drunk-dialing an ex, it's the one interface element that you're consistently interacting with. It's your window to the world and your canvas for creation, and if it's lousy, it's going to negatively influence everything you see and do. Today, we're delving into the world of mobile displays, where we're aiming to entertain and edify, and hopefully save you from making regrettable decisions -- when it comes to purchasing new phones, anyway. In this edition of Primed, we'll be examining the different qualities and underlying technologies of several displays, starting with the ubiquitous TFT-LCD and moving through the nascent realm of glasses-free 3D and beyond. We'll also be addressing the importance of resolution and pixel density. Finally, we'll be scoping out a handful of upcoming technologies -- while some are thoroughly intriguing, others are just plain wacky. Go ahead... buy the ticket, take the ride, and join us after the break. It's Primed time.
Stanford researchers create transparent battery, dream of a see-through iPhone (video)
We've had about all of the transparent displays we can handle. Besides, what good is a screen you can see through if the electronics behind it are as opaque as ever? Thankfully, the fine folks at Stanford are working hard to move us towards a future filled with invisible gadgets. Yi Cui and Yuan Yang led a team that have created a lithium-ion battery that appears transparent. In actuality, the cells are composed of a very fine mesh of electrodes, approximately 35-microns wide, that are small enough to appear invisible to the naked eye. The resulting power packs are cheap and flexible but, currently, can only store about half as much energy as a traditional Li-ion battery. Cui has a particular destination in mind for creation, as he told the college paper, "I want to talk to Steve Jobs about this. I want a transparent iPhone!" Check out the video after the break.
Make your Mac, iPhone or iPad 2 transparent
Photojojo details an easy set of instructions that will let you create eye-catching photo-in-photo transparent images like the one shown above. You don't need a fancy camera or expensive software. All you need is a few extra gadgets, some creativity and a helper to snap the photos. The process to create a transparent photo like the one above is quite easy: your helpful assistant takes a succession of photos, starting with the closeup of your eyes, and then you display the photo in position on the iPhone when you take the next shot, which gets displayed on the iPad... you get the idea. Check out Photojojo for the detailed rundown. This is just one example. You can use this technique with different gadgets and additional layers to create captivating images. Experiment and enjoy!
Airbus' plane of the future will harvest energy from passengers, earn Agent Smith's approval (video)
Airbus has been consulting its crystal ball recently and its findings have now been shared with the world in the shape of a new concept plane. Looking entirely detached from the economic and physical realities we know today, this futuristic people carrier includes auto-morphing seats that adjust to your size and shape and also harvest excess heat you produce. How is this achieved? Smart materials is all we're told, leaving us to use our imagination to fill in the gaping blanks. Eschewing the usual class system, this Airbus concept instead offers three functionally distinct areas: a Smart Tech Zone at the back is the closest to what we're used to today, an Interaction Zone in the middle uses holograms to help you relax or conduct some mission-critical meetings in flight, and a Vitalising Zone up front is where more "bio-morphing" seats will provide you with massage or acupuncture treatments. The ceiling in that front part of the plane can also be turned transparent, letting you soak up the panorama (and get a good tan while you're at it). You can see and hear more about it in the videos after the break.
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's 22-inch Transparent BLU LCD TV shipping next week, eyes-on at SID 2011 (video)
We weren't actually allowed to get our hands on Samsung's 22-inch Transparent BLU LCD TV -- the showcase was accompanied by a "Do not touch" label -- but we were able to get our first in-the-flesh look at the see-through display at SID this week. According to Sammy's rep, the monitors, which can operate with or without a backlight, will start shipping to manufacturers as soon as this week, but consumers will have to wait until Q3 to get their hands on one. While our hands remained mostly at our sides during our little meeting, we did sneak them behind the display to see just how transparent these things are. Sure enough, we could see our phalanges wiggling quite clearly through the ghostly panel. When the backlight was flipped on, the screen became a touch more opaque, but didn't fully obstruct the view of the potted plants lurking in the background. For now, the screens are focused on the commercial market -- specifically advertising -- but we wouldn't mind adding one of these things to our living room. Hop on past the break for a little video love. %Gallery-123858%
CTA's translucent Kinect steering wheel, for when you absolutely, positively must see the road
Steering wheels: sure, they're fun and functional, but why do they have to be so opaque? It's like you can't see through them at all! Our friends at CTA Digital -- purveyors of such fine gaming peripherals as the Wii bowling ball and the Nintendo DS/DSi Puppet Pouch -- are thinking outside that particular box with the aptly named Transparent Steering Wheel. Looking like something pulled from the wreckage of Wonder Woman's invisible plane, the TSW is nothing more than a transparent (well, translucent if we're being nitpicky) piece of plastic shaped like a steering wheel, which promises more precise driving on the Kinect racetrack. The company's apparently still perfecting the clear-plastic technology, which will ship June 5th, setting you back $12.99.
iFixIt releases transparent iPhone 4 rear panel
If you like to see the innards of your handset, then you have to check out this latest offering from iFixit. The repair company known for its detailed teardown analyses has released a transparent rear panel for the GSM/AT&T iPhone 4. Unfortunately, the Verizon iPhone 4 has a slightly different shape, and these panels will not fit the Verizon model. The clear panel lets you peer into the logic board and gawk at the large battery that dominates the back of the handset. Functional as well as eye-catching, the see-through backing adds some durability to your handset. It is made of plastic and is less prone to breaking than the original glass panel. Thanks to iFixit's step-by-step guide, swapping out the back panel is drop dead easy. You just loosen some screws, slide the old cover off and slide the new one on. The transparent panels are available now for ordering and will set you back US$30 plus taxes, shipping and handling. Anyone going to drop three sawbucks and scoop one up?
New silver-packing transparent conductive film could mean more durable touchscreens
We first heard of the wonders of silver ink back in 2009, but it wasn't until earlier this year, with talk of 3M's new capacitive touchscreens, that we experienced its real-world potential for display technology. Well, it looks like 3M's not the only name in the Ag game, in fact Tokyo-based Toray Industries recently announced the development of a transparent conductive film that ditches the traditional ITO (indium tin oxide) for silver wire. In order to produce this new material, a layer of Ag wires, measuring several hundred nanometers, is applied to a polyester (PET) film by way of a wet method. The result, the company said, is a more flexible, durable, and transparent film that is well suited to touchscreens of just about any size. There's no word yet on when the film will appear on real-deal devices, but we'll definitely keep an eye out for the silver screens. Full PR after the break.
LG shows off 47-inch transparent IPS LCD with multitouch and Full HD resolution (video)
Where Samsung leads, LG inevitably follows (and vice versa, of course). The Korean electronic arms race has now heated up by an extra few degrees with LG's demo of a crazy new 47-inch display that packs in everything a geek could want: IPS technology, 1080p resolution, multitouch, and some good old transparency... just because. This so-called Window Display is sadly intended for advertisers and other digital signage proprietors, meaning that even if it wasn't still at the concept stage, it likely wouldn't be populating living rooms anyway. Ah well, so long as LG makes sure John Anderton and the precrime unit get one, we'll be happy. Video for the rest of us 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.
