Printed and flexible OLEDs aren't exactly uncharted territory, but a group of European organizations led by Finland's VTT Technical Research Center look to be taking things a bit further than most, and they're saying their material could eventually be cheap enough to be used in everything from product packaging to business cards. Helping things on that front is the use of regular roll-to-roll printing technology, which both lowers the cost of manufacturing the material and speeds up the production. The resulting material, which is still a tad mysterious, is apparently about as thick as three of four sheets of paper, and consists of organic sensors encapsulated in a moisture barrier film. According to the researchers, it could also be attached to sensors to measure the freshness of food contained in the packaging, or even be used as a copy protection measure. If all goes as planned, the researchers say the material could be put to commercial use in a "couple of years," and cost just a few cents for some applications.
[ Via: OLED-Display.net ]
[ Tag: flexible oled, FlexibleOled, oled, printed oled, PrintedOled, rollled, VTT ]
European ROLLED project promises to print OLEDs on the cheap
Shinoda's 125-inch curved plasma to hit assembly lines by May, all 7.9-pounds of it
As showcase displays push to 150-inches and beyond, we won't blame you if you missed Shinoda's surprisingly lightweight (7.9-pounds) 125-inch curved plasma when it was first unveiled back in May. Especially since it manages a rather paltry 960 x 360 pixels from that trio of joined, 1-meter wide (1-mm thin!) flexible plasma panels. The fact that it's going production in April/May of next year is certainly notable, even if the first applications will be limited to digital signage. Baby steps, right?
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: curved, curved display, CurvedDisplay, plasma, shinoda, shinoda plasma, ShinodaPlasma, signage ]
Epson Imaging Devices introduce a-TFT displays that play well in sunlight or darkness
Epson's developed two transflective amorphous silicon TFT (a-TFT) LCDs for high visibility in a variety of situations on mobile devices. The screens seem to have been developed mostly for gadgets which are used outdoors and in direct sunlight. These new LCDs employ a more traditional, transmissive mode, using backlighting in darker or indoor settings, but are also capable of utilizing a reflective mode, which can harness bright sources such as sunlight to increase clarity. The reflective mode not only increases visibility on the screen, but also reduces the need for backlighting, thus conserving power. The displays will be available in 3 and 3.5-inch sizes, and samples of the screens are said to be shipping before the end of the month.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: epson, epson a tft, EpsonATft, lcd, photo fine, photo fine hr, PhotoFine, PhotoFineHr, reflective lcd, ReflectiveLcd, tft, tftlcd, transflective ]
Samsung titillates with transparent and 0.05mm 'flapping' OLED panels
Samsung's all up in Sony's OLED space this morning at the FPD International 2008 show. They started by trotting out that 40-inch OLED TV again, with a Full HD resolution, 8.9-mm depth, and contrast ratio so high they just call it 1,000,000:1. Then they upped the ante while dialing down the dimensions to a 4-inch, ultra-thin 0.05-mm OLED (pictured above) with 480 x 272 pixel resolution, 100,000:1 contrast, 200cd/m2 brightness -- so thin that it was displayed flapping in the wind. Take that Sony and your 0.3-mm OLED chubster. Sammy then reached deep into its bag of tricks with a transparent AMOLED display (first hinted at around these parts in early 2006) with an appropriately clad model presumably meant to invoke your pubescent fantasies of x-ray vision. Or maybe that's just us. Click through to see what we mean.
[ Via: OLED-Display ]
[ Tag: 0.05mm, 8.9mm, amoled, fpd, fpd international, fpd international 2008, FpdInternational, FpdInternational2008, oled, samsung, thin, transparent ]
E Ink's AM300 developer's kit gets shown off on video
E Ink's AM300 developer's kit (made with the help of Epson) certainly seemed impressive enough when it was first announced, but there's nothing quite like a video to bring our newspapers of the future to life, and one courtesy of E Ink itself has now thankfully turned up on YouTube. While the display's 16 levels of gray and pen-based input capabilities aren't entirely unique to E Ink, its ability to display speedy animation does seem to be a step above most other similar displays and, naturally, it's being touted as ideal for advertisements. Head on past the break to check it out for yourself.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: am300, e ink, e paper, EInk, electronic newspaper, ElectronicNewspaper, EPaper, epson ]
AUO debuts 15-inch multi-touch panel, screens aplenty
AUO is never one to rest on its laurels when it comes to displays of all shapes and sizes and, if its latest batch is any indication, it looks like it's not showing any signs of letting up. One of the stand-outs here is a 15-inch multi-touch panel which, like the company's 8-inch model, has all the necessary multi-touch technology built onto the panel itself, and is able to recognize light pens in addition to fingers (it's also rolled out new 4.3-inch and 12.1-inch models for good measure). As if that wasn't enough, AUO has also taken the wraps off a new borderless 2.2-inch display (pictured above), which it hopes will soon find its way into a whole host of cellphones and portable media players, as well as 2.8-inch display that can also double as a fingerprint scanner, a 24-inch LCD that promises to display 3D images without glasses, a slightly larger 8.9-inch version of its curved display and, lastly, a 6.5-inch 800 x 480 display with a 2,000:1 contrast ratio. No word of any actual products set to use the displays, of course, but they'll apparently all be on display at the FPD International Forum in Yokohama, Japan later this week.
[ Via: Electronista ]
[ Tag: auo, curved display, CurvedDisplay, fingerprint scanner, FingerprintScanner, lcd, multi-touch ]
New Kodak OLED material promises longer life, better colors
Kodak has already managed to impress with its use of existing OLED technology, but it looks like the company isn't about to rest on its laurels, and it's now promising that a new OLED material it has developed will make future products even better and more OLED-y. The key to that material, dubbed EK-GD403, is its used of so-called "green dopant" technology which, when used in combination with Kodak's equally mysterious EK-BH109 OLED material, apparently allows for luminous efficiencies greater than 31 cd/A and lifetimes "in excess of 65,000 hours," among other OLED-improving measures. Of course, there's no indication just yet as to when that material may show up in some actual products but, from the sound of things, it doesn't seem like something that's years away.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: ek-gd403, green dopant, GreenDopant, kodak, oled ]
SMART pulls the cloth off multitouch table for school kids
Determined to make us jealous that our kids' childhood experiences are more marvelous than ours, SMART Technologies will tomorrow unveil the SMART Table, a primary education "interactive learning center" (we'd rather call it Surface Jr.). It'll be available Spring of next year, and will work out of the box with learning applications that can be operated by any number of kids and all their fingers. Other classroom multitouch devices are on the horizon, but most of them are a little further from market than this Canadian contraption, which includes custom lesson plans, gesture support and a (touted but unspecified) wide viewing angle. At $8,000 we're not sure it's an option for public schools whose budgets only have room for essentials, but if you work at a school that's totally loaded with cash and think the kiddos would dig this, feel free to look at SMART's short promotional vid after the break.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: children, education, grade school, gradeschool, kids, learning, multi touch, multitouch, primary education, school, smart, smart table, smart technologies, table, touchscreen ]
NEC introduces 22-inch MultiSync P221W LCD monitor
NEC popped out a new 19- and 24-incher earlier this month, but evidently those two just weren't enough. Today, we're being formally introduced to the very first member of the all new MultiSync P Series, the 22-inch P221W. The monitor caters to professionals working in "color-critical environments" and includes a 1,680 x 1,050 native resolution, wide color gamut that achieves 96% coverage of AdobeRGB, internal 10-bit programmable lookup tables, S-PVA LCD technology, AmbiBright automatic brightness adjustment, a 16-millisecond response time, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m2 brightness and a four-way ergonomic stand to boot. As with anything with "pro" attached to it, this here display won't run you cheap, but $636.90 isn't too bad for a color-savvy monitor and a 3-year warranty.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: 22-inch, lcd, lcd monitor, LcdMonitor, monitor, MultiSync, MultiSync P Series, MultisyncPSeries, NEC, P Series, P221W, PSeries ]
SNL does multitouch comedy to perfection with CNN's 'Magic Map'
Saturday Night LIve's Fred Armisen takes CNN's "Magic Map" to its logical -- and hilarious -- conclusion. What would happen if New Hampshire got moved down to Mexico? Two more pics after the break, and video hopefully coming soon.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: cnn, fred armisen, FredArmisen, magic map, magic wall, MagicMap, MagicWall, multitouch, saturday night live, SaturdayNightLive, snl ]
eMagin's SXGA OLED-XL microdisplay: perfect for night vision goggles, HMDs
eMagin's no stranger to the head-mounted display game, and it's showing a bit of experience by playing up a new technology that could revolutionize the way you and two other people on the planet watch videos on the subway. You know, just how Geordi La Forge would have it. All that aside, the company is using the Night Vision Conference in London to showcase its next-generation SXGA (1,280 x 1,024) OLED-XL microdisplay, which offers up "digital signal processing in a compact package (0.77-inch diagonal active area) requiring less than 200 mW of total power under typical operating conditions of 100 cd/m2 in full-color." Whether or not you're geeked out on the specs, eMagin's hoping to catch your attention by cramming this stuff into night vision apparatuses, thermal / medical imaging applications and of course, all manners of simulation devices. Samples are set to ship next month.
[ Via: I4U News ]
[ Tag: eMagin, Microdisplay, night vision, NightVision, OLED, OLED-Xl ]
CineMassive OmegaPlex: 27.6 million pixels for $12,995
Funny story -- just under three years ago, we all thought six 24-inchers latched together in a swanky multi-monitor setup was the real heat. Nowadays, it takes a real beast to even catch the ever-wandering eye of we geeks, and while the CineMassive OmegaPlex isn't a HIPerSpace, you won't need a government loan and a damn good research proposal to claim one as your own. Boasting 27.6 million pixels and a total screen resolution of 7,860 x 3,600, this ridiculous rig also comes with a 3-year warranty and a practically unheard of "zero dead pixel" policy. Feel free to infinitely boost your 1337-ness by handing over $12,995 and patiently awaiting delivery via the largest ground vehicle UPS owns. Check the vid after the break for a little more encouragement.
[ Via: Elite Choice ]
[ Tag: CineMassive, display wall, DisplayWall, lcd, monitor, multi-monitor, OmegaPlex ]
BenQ's M2400HD 24-inch LCD hits Japan next month
24-inch LCDs are the new black this season, with new ebony choices appearing seemingly every week. Funny, then, that BenQ should choose to distance its latest two-footer from the crowd by coloring it white -- plus giving it a few interesting features, like a 2 megapixel webcam peeking over the top of a 16:9, 1920 x 1080 resolution panel. That's a bit down from the typical 1920 x 1200 we'd expect on this size display, but it's perfectly suited for all that 1080p content you have lying around. (16:9 is a little rare on a desktop display, but we know how much you hate letterboxing.) An HDMI input will help to keep that HD video flowing, plus there's VGA and DVI-D too. The rest of the specs are fairly tame: 300cd/m2 brightness, 1,000:1 contrast ratio (capable of being dynamically boosted to 10,000:1), a 5ms response rate, and a 3-port USB hub. If you can do without the missing 230,400 pixels this sounds like a solid display, coming to Japan next month for 420€ (about $535).
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: 24-inch, BenQ, BenQ M2400HD, BenqM2400hd, lcd, lcd monitor, LcdMonitor, M2400HD ]
Kids-on with the SMART Table
We got to play around with a SMART Table in a classroom full of lucky kids at Haines Elementary School in Chicago this morning, and we came away impressed with how much they loved it. The multitouch table is built on the same basic idea and hardware as Microsoft Surface -- Vista PC, XGA projector, infrared camera -- but it's a custom patented SMART design, not Surface lite or anything like that. That said, the multitouch system isn't quite as responsive as Surface, and the kid-proof plastic screen felt a little weird, but it certainly works well enough -- the Table recognizes up to 40 touches (enough for six kids to play comfortably, we were told) and we saw some interesting demos, ranging from the standard rotate / zoom photo app to painting and puzzle games. Teachers get admin access with a special USB key that enables them to manage apps, and there's an SDK in the works, so hopefully there'll be quite a few to manage. SMART says the Table should start shipping next spring for somewhere between $7,000 to $8,000 each -- obviously the company will be targeting school systems with its extensive SMART Board sales network, but well-off parents will be able to score one for their hopelessly spoiled darling children as well. Check a few vids of the table in action after the break.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: education, features, multitouch, smart, smart table, SmartTable, surface, table ]
Parrot intros Specchio WiFi photo frame with NFC
We were hoping WiFi photo frames would be a bit more ubiquitous by now, but Parrot's not waiting around on one lonely wireless standard -- it's introducing the Specchio frame with WiFi and Bluetooth NFC for getting photos to the screen. We've seen NFC in a few mass-transit trials here and there, but only Parrot seems to be really pushing the data aspects of the tech, so it'll be interesting to see how it holds up -- the idea is that you'll take pictures on your phone and simply hold it against the frame to transfer them. Nifty -- just like the frame display itself, which looks like a metallic mirror when switched off. Hm, this might be the first digital photo frame we're actually interested in -- too bad it'll cost $500 when it goes on sale next month.
[ Via: Digital Picture Frame Review ]
[ Tag: bluetooth nfc, BluetoothNfc, digital photo frame, DigitalPhotoFrame, nfc, parrot, photo frame, PhotoFrame, specchio, wifi photo frame, WifiPhotoFrame ]
Asus outdoes itself with new 24, 25.5-inch displays
Asus is ritzing up its LCD inventory with four new high-end displays this month -- the VK266H and VW266H at 25.5 inches (beating out the manufacturer's current top end) and the VK246H and VW246H at good ol' 24 inches. They all feature the company's new Splendid Video Intelligence Technology, run at at 1,920 x 1,200, and have a 20,000:1 contrast ratio, which is a significant improvement over the current Asus flagship's 3,000:1, but the max brightness is a bit lower. Why two at each size, you ask? Actual specs are identical across the board, but the VK266H and the VK246H have built-in webcams, while the VW266H and VW246H don't -- unfortunately, pricing info is not yet available, so there's no telling how much extra you'll be paying to record cringe-worthy YouTube diaries.
[ Via: PCLaunches ]
[ Tag: 1610, asus, contrast ratio, contrastratio, display, full hd, fullhd, lcd, monitor, vk246h, vk266h, vw246h, vw266h, webcam ]
Samsung CX-2233GW monitor impresses us with... nothing, actually
You think it's impossible to have more fun than we already do at Engadget, and then Samsung goes and releases some new displays. Case in point: the CX-2233GW. This 22-inch LCD monitor boasts 1,680 x 1,050 resolution, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 1,000:1 contrast ratio (capable of being boosted to 20,000:1), five-millisecond response time and an HDCP-compliant DVI port. Sure, we've seen it all before in the SyncMaster line... perhaps we can count on major dip in the price? Stranger things have happened. The display will be available (soon!) in Korea for something under €200 (about $265).
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: cx-2233gw, dvi, hdcp, lcd monitor, LcdMonitor, samsung, syncmaster ]
KDDI shows off Samsung-made 3.1-inch WVGA OLED display, 3D LCD panel
It's been almost a full year since Samsung first announced its plans for a 3-inch WVGA OLED panel, but it's now finally delivered, and found a partner in the form of KDDI, which was showing off the panel at CEATEC. As Tech-On notes, the panel is quite the upgrade over Samsung's current top-end 3-inch QVGA panel and, best of all, KDDI says that it'll be showing up in actual products "shortly," though it's not about to get any more specific than that. As if that wasn't enough, KDDI also had a new "3D LCD" panel built by an unnamed "Japanese panel manufacturer" on hand at the show. It boasts the same WVGA resolution as the OLED and employs a "parallax barrier method" to magically "convert 2D images into 3D in real time -- check that out after the break, and look for the panels to be productized by the end of 2009.
[ Via: OLED-DISPLAY.net ]
[ Tag: 3d lcd, 3dLcd, ceatec, ceatec 2008, Ceatec2008, kddi, lcd, oled, samsung, wvga ]
Sony's 0.3mm OLED gets all bent at CEATEC
The last time we saw Sony's 0.3mm OLED prototype, it was encased in lasers and protected by deathbots in an underground prison of doom. This time around, Sony is showing off the razor-thin display for all at CEATEC to see, and they went all bendy on us. The new prototype has a curve to it, perhaps foretelling some curious plans for the technology in its expensive years ahead. Despite the curve, the picture remains as sharp and contrast-heavy as one would expect from OLED. Pictures and proof of the curved madness below.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: 0.3mm, ceatec 2008, ceatec2008, oled, sony ]
Mitsubishi's 65-inch LaserVue HDTV undergoes further testing
It's one thing to witness an HDTV under the watchful eye of the company that made it, but it's an entirely different experience to get out on your own, with your own hand-picked sources, your own food stash and the freedom to really speak your mind. From what we've seen under Mitsu's own conditions, the 65-inch LaserVue is truly a sight to behold, and even when the gurus over at TheTechLounge managed to see this thing in their own element, they were equally amazed. They wouldn't go so far as to call it the best HDTV ever, but even when compared side-by-side with Pioneer's heralded PRO-151FD KURO plasma, they found the laser-packed set to be superior in a few instances. The test subjects underwent a few grueling hours of Iron Man and Ice Age: Meltdown on Blu-ray, and at the end of the night, critics didn't hesitate to recommend the set for anyone with loads of cash.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: 65-inch, hdtv, impressions, L65-A90, laser tv, LaserTv, laservue, Mitsubishi, review, reviewed, testing ]
LG demos 15-inch double-sided LCD
While most manufacturers seem to be working on privacy tech to make LCDs harder to view by anyone not sitting right in front of them, LG is bucking the trend, demoing a prototype that can be read even by those sitting clear over on the back side. Unlike Samsung's tiny double-sided prototype from early last year, LG's shows the same image on both sides, but the 15-inch reflective display's 512 x 384 resolution and 14:1 contrast ratio also reflect just how early this tech is.
[ Via: Hallu Tech ]
[ Tag: double-sided lcd, Double-sidedLcd, lcd, lg, prototype, reflective lcd, ReflectiveLcd ]
CEIVA's 8-inch CEIVAlife / CEIVAshare digiframes now on sale
CEIVA's duo of 8-inch digiframes started shipping out this month, but it appears the whole world was too busy ignoring digital photo frames on the whole to notice and / or care. Originally announced at CES, the CEIVAlife features a surprisingly striking design, a 640 x 480 resolution display, a multicard reader to support nearly every card format you've ever heard of, WiFi / phone / optional Ethernet connectivity and an optional PicturePlan service that "automatically uploads photos and receives photos via camera phones, online or from a PC." The WiFi-ready CEIVAshare (shown after the break) sports a more traditional look and includes an 800 x 600 resolution LCD along with a more digestible $129.99 price tag. As you've likely gleaned, both can be purchased now -- well before the gift giving season arrives.
[ Via: Digital Picture Frame Review ]
[ Tag: CEIVA, CEIVA Logic, CEIVAlife, CeivaLogic, CEIVAshare, digiframe, digital photo frame, DigitalPhotoFrame, frame ]
Samsung & LG HDTV prototypes battle for supremacy
Samsung and LG are locked in a tight race for "best HDTV you won't be buying this year or next" this week at the International Meeting on Information Display 2008, trading shots with OLEDs, LCDs and more. Samsung brought along an upgraded version of its true 240Hz 15-inch Blue Phase LCD panel with improved image quality, some fresh carbon nanotube-based color electronic paper, plus slimmed-down versions of its 40- and 50-inch LCDs. Then it got busy with the OLEDs, dropping in a 14-inch HD display, 31-inch 1080p display and 5-inch VGA panel, to which LG could only respond with the above 19-inch OLED powered by amorphous silicon TFT. More stills of the carnage exist beyond the read link, but in the battle of display tech streeting in 2011 at the earliest, we just hope LG is holding back a few surprises for CES.
[ Via: OLED-Display ]
[ Tag: 240hz, amorphous si, amorphous silicon, AmorphousSi, AmorphousSilicon, blue phase, BluePhase, carbon nanotubes, CarbonNanotubes, cnt, e-paper, imid, imid 2008, Imid2008, lg, oled, samsung, txt ]
Panasonic reveals first tru2way HDTVs in Chicago and Denver
We already saw Panasonic's 50-inch TH-50PZ80Q plasma doing the tru2way thing at CEDIA 2008, but the official lever has just been pulled in Denver and Chicago. As of today, Comcast's tru2way platform is active in the aforesaid cities, and the very first tru2way-capable HDTVs are arriving to retail. Eager consumers in the Windy or Mile High City who are ready to ditch the set-top-box altogether without sacrificing VOD and such can polish off their wounded credit cards, as both a 42-inch (TH-42PZ80Q; $1,599.95) and 50-inch (TH-50PZ80Q; $2,999.95) VIERA plasma will be on sale by "late October." As for the rest of the US anxious to dip in the cool, cool waters of tru2way? A few undisclosed locales should be going live with the service "in the coming months," though your guess is as good as ours as to what exactly that means.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: breaking news, BreakingNews, cablecard, chicago, comcast, denver, EPG, glenview, illinois, panasonic, plasma, th-42pz80q, th-50pz80q, tru2way, VIERA ]
LG's Scarlet LG80 1080p LCD HDTV packs 3.1 sound system
The highly controversial (okay, maybe not so much) Scarlet series from LG is being expanded today with the introduction of the LG80. The natural step-up from the LG60 and LG70 features an undisclosed screen size (though we assume it'll range from 42- to 65-inches) with a Full HD (1080p) resolution, 30,000:1 contrast ratio, three AV modes (for movies / video games / sports) and a USB 2.0 port for piping in photos or digital video files. You'll also find a pair of HDMI 1.3 sockets, but the real kicker is the sound system. When powered on, two side speakers extend from the rear of the unit while working alongside the stationary center speaker and "subwoofer" to create a 3.1 system with 50-watts of output. Sure, it's not a 3,000-watt, 7.1-channel master rig, but it's probably decent enough for an inbuilt setup. Look for this one to ship everywhere save for the US and Europe starting later this year.
[ Via: Pocket-lint ]
[ Tag: 1080p, HDTV, lcd, lcd hdtv, lcd tv, LcdHdtv, LcdTv, LG, LG80, scarlet ]
Fraunhofer IPMS demonstrates OLED with touch control
Look, we're not going to argue that those chintzy clap lamps weren't pretty sweet in their heyday. And we're also not going to put up a fuss when you assert that snap bracelets were equally adorable in the early 90s. Nostalgia aside, Fraunhofer IPMS is headed straight for the future with its latest OLED breakthrough. Reportedly, the company has devised an OLED display that can be controlled via human touch or by simply waving one's hand in front of the panel. Unlike similar applications that have come before it, there's no additional hardware needed -- and therein lies the magic. The outfit is currently showing off the design at the Plastic Electronic 2008 show, though it yet to reveal anything close to a release plan.
[ Via: OLED-Display ]
[ Tag: display, Fraunhofer, Fraunhofer IPMS, FraunhoferIpms, haptic, home automation, HomeAutomation, light, lighting, OLED, touch, touch control, TouchControl ]
Printed Sheets of OLED Lights Will Light Up Your Life [Oled]
CNN reports that General Electric has created a giant OLED panel printer to be specifically used for lighting. The "semi-trailer" sized machine prints out thin layers of flexible plastic, covers them with chemicals, and seals them with foil, so they'll glow a frosty blue-white if an electrical current is applied. But these OLED sheets aren't exactly lightbulb substitutes. Our current incandescent and CFL bulbs are super bright and super small, which is why we have to artfully cover them with lampshades or, in my case, a purple silk scarf, because I know what the ladies like. These new OLEDs are substantially dimmer, so they'd be used in large panels to create a softer light. Imagine a windowshade of the new lights, so when lowered at night, light still seems to be filtering in from outside. Or hell, just wallpaper your bedroom in the stuff, since no fixture is required. The caveats: they do, of course, still need a power source, their lifespan isn't up to par, and they're incredibly expensive right now. GE hopes to get the kinks worked out and the panels into production by 2010.
[ Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[ Tag: ]
Rohm brings super-bright OLED out of the shadows, literally
Kyoto-based company Rohm impressed us at last year's CEATEC with a mega-tiny OLED display but it didn't rest on its laurels. A larger prototype exhibited this year emitted ambient light at 3,000 to 4,000cd/m? and a brief flash at 100,000cd/m? -- that's respectively 10 and 250 times the brightness of a typical LCD display. But the impressive bit was this: nothing illuminated cast a shadow. Obviously a light like that is a poor match for a haunted house or romantic restaurant, but surgeons use shadowless lamps at the operating table, so there are applications. The short shelf life of OLED materials is still a nagging disadvantage, but as Dr. Eldon Tyrell would say: "the light that burns twice as bright burns half as long, and you have burned so very, very brightly." Then again, he was talking about cybernetic killing machines, so, maybe not such a great endorsement.
[Thanks, Erik]
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: ceatec, japan, lamp, led, light, no shadow, oled, prototype, rohm, shadow ]
T-Mobile's CAMEO frame shows holiday snaps while you're still taking them
It's been nearly a year since Parrot announced its DF7700 GPRS-endowed picture frame, said to possess the mystical ability to pull photographs straight out of the ether. Now T-Mobile has pledged to bring Parrot's magic frame to the US as the CAMEO, a $100 device that, when coupled with a $10/month service fee, can be the recipient of picture-bearing messages. When you get bored with that feature (or that fee), there's a mini-USB port plus slots for SD/MMC cards that will enable it to accept pics in a more traditional manner. Its 7-inch screen has a 720 x 480 resolution and is surrounded by an interchangeable leather border guaranteed to look cheap in any decor -- not just those with golden mirrors astride marble mantelpieces.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: cameo, df7700, digital picture frame, DigitalPictureFrame, frame, mms, parrot, photo frame, PhotoFrame, t-mobile ]
ASUS has SideShow flashback with OC Palm mobo companion
We know this here device is real, but excuse us while we share our skepticism of ASUS' ability to deliver -- after all, we're still waiting patiently for that ROG XG Station to actually find a price and release date. That aside, this here motherboard companion was recently demonstrated by ASUS, and apparently, it gives users the ability to monitor their PC internals, overclock devices in real time and check out widgets on the side. The OC Palm is one of the very few devices we've seen of late to actually take advantage of SideShow-like functionality, though it's only compatible with the high(er)-end P6T DELUXE mobo right now. ASUS has yet to disclose a sticker / launch date, but it's not like you didn't see that coming, right? Check the read link for lots more hands-on shots.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: ASUS, motherboard, OC PALM, OcPalm, p6t deluxe, P6tDeluxe, pics, pictures, SideShow, widget ]
Mitsubishi's RDT201WDL DisplayLink monitor now available
Laptop user looking for some dual-display action? Mitsubishi's new DisplayLink-equipped RDT201WDL WIDE LCD is a 20.1-inch wide-format monitor that features a USB hub, built-in Ethernet and WSXGA+ (1,680 x 1,050) resolution. Energy-conscious consumers will enjoy the on-screen energy meter and three levels of power usage, and we can all appreciate the fact that this monitor uses up to 36 percent less juice than a traditional LCD (in addition to the traditional savings DisplayLink provides by skipping the discrete graphics card). This item is currently available in Japan, and there's no word yet on a Stateside release date.
[ Via: Business Wire ]
[ Tag: displaylink, green, mitsubishi, usb hub, usb monitor, usb monitor adapter, UsbHub, UsbMonitor, UsbMonitorAdapter ]
Sharp shows off 52-inch solar-powered LCD TV at CEATEC
We've seen some fairly fascinating things at CEATEC this year, but this one could be the biggest game-changer of 'em all, if you'll allow us just one buzzword. The LED-backlit 52-incher you see above comes attached to a not-at-all convenient solar floor panel which presumably provides at least some of the energy required to power this thing. We've no clue how close the design is to being viable for the commercial realm, but we'd say Sharp's definitely headed in the right direction here.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: ceatec, ceatec 2008, Ceatec2008, HDTV, LCD HDTV, LCD TV, LcdHdtv, LcdTv, sharp, solar, solar-power, solar-powered ]
NICT, JVC Victor team up on no-glasses-needed 3D HDTV
Betcha didn't see this one coming, did you Philips? No sooner than the aforementioned company unveiled a rather striking 56-inch Quad Full 3D HDTV over on the left coast of the US did Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and JVC Victor one-up that with a 72-inch prototype of their own. Revealed at CEATEC 2008, the Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) set doesn't even require viewers to sport those face-consuming glasses to experience the effect. In essence, the display utilizes multiple projectors to really emphasize that elusive third-dimension, but the viewing angle is understandably limited. Oh, and we hope you're not too geeked up about this -- NICT stated that we probably wouldn't see these in the commercial realm before 2011. Ah well, at least there's IMAX to hold us.
[ Via: Gearlog ]
[ Tag: 1080p, 3d, 3d hdtv, 3dHdtv, ceatec, ceatec 2008, Ceatec2008, japan, JVC, JVC Victor, JvcVictor, NICT ]
Microsoft Surface made pressure-sensitive with Wii Balance Board
So you've got a spare Microsoft Surface and Wii Balance Board laying around, whaddya do? Well, you could try stacking them on top of each other and hope that big-ass table doesn't crush your little plastic Nintendo toy, and with some code slapped on what you'd end up with is pressure-sensitive surface computing. This clever little concept was cooked up by Josh Santangelo from "Stimulant." In his demo, featured after the break, he rocks Surface from side to side while colored spots roll back and forth, using a physics engine he developed for MS Silverlight. It's a great start and we would love to see this resourceful hack put to good use -- beyond that of a totally awesome yet ridiculously expensive tilt-a-maze game, minus the maze.
[ Via: Engadget ]
[ Tag: balance board, BalanceBoard, concept, josh santangelo, JoshSantangelo, microsoft, microsoft surface, MicrosoftSurface, nintendo, stimulant, surface, wii, wii balance board, wii fit, WiiBalanceBoard, WiiFit ]
Acer's F-22bid LCD sounds like a jet, looks like a Ferrari
We've seen Ferrari's logo and lacquer applied to everything from GPS nav systems to overpriced clock radios, each product diluting the brand that Enzo built bit by bit. Acer is the most common enabler, and its latest prancing horse-decal'd product is the F-22bid, a 22-inch LCD sporting a 1680 x 1050 resolution and a racy (sorry) 2ms gray-to-gray response rate. Brightness is the standard 300cd/m2, though a contrast ratio of 20,000:1 impresses, and VGA, DVI, and HDMI inputs mean it should easily connect to just about all of your headless video outputting devices -- but at what cost? Acer isn't telling, and with only 500 of these being built, we're not expecting affordability here.
Update: Jody commented to let us know that a seemingly identical, but apparently non-limited-edition version of this monitor is available right now at NewEgg for just $309.
[ Via: Akihabara ]
[ Tag: 22-inch, acer, acer ferrari, AcerFerrari, f-22bid, ferrari, lcd ]