Technabob » electronic paper

Foxit Releases Kindle Rival Eslick

Lambert Varias — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:00:39 +0000

After going against Adobe with their own lightweight PDF reader, Foxit are now taking on Amazon’s Kindle with the release of their own e-book reader called eSlick.

Foxit took a long hard look at the Kindle’s specs and said, “Hmm. Pork.” No. They one-upped Amazon on so many levels that it’s amazing they ended up with a device that’s $100 cheaper than the Kindle. Like the Kindle, the eSlick also connects via USB, and it also plays MP3 files. But it can also open and create PDF files via the packaged Foxit software. Whereas the Kindle has 256 Mb of internal storage, the eSlick comes with a free 2 Gb SD card to boost its 128 Mb internal memory. And at 0.4″, it’s 50% thinner than the Kindle.

One thing the eSlick concedes to the Kindle is the latter’s wireless connectivity via Whispernet, and of course Amazon’s online library. Here’s hoping that Amazon considers support for the eSlick, because everyone will benefit from that. Also because the eSlick is a $100 cheaper. Mostly because it’s a $100 cheaper.

Soon Foxit will be taking pre-orders at their website, with a special initial offer of $230, $30 off from the ordinary price.

[Foxit via electronista]

Esquire E-Ink Display Proves Nearly Indestructible

Technabob — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:18:59 +0000

While the October 2008 issue of Esquire magazine got lots of buzz in the marketplace with its E-Ink cover, I have to say I was pretty underwhelmed by the less than exciting visual produced by the blinking display. That said, the real magic of the electronic ink display tech could be its sheer durability.

In this video clip by the guys over at Phone Losers of America, the E-Ink display is subject to various torture tests, including bending, flexing, knife cuts, drilling, water, and fire. Amazingly, the display continues to operate throughout much of the destruction.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Color me impressed. I can only imagine this technology powering a bendy digital newspaper which could be rolled up, thrown in your bag, read in the shower, and even carried around in my dog’s mouth just like the real paper.

The only question I have is… but will it blend?

Seiko Epson Creates Hi-Res E-Ink Display

Technabob — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 03:33:44 +0000

This new electronic paper display from Seiko Epson crams an astounding 1600 x 1200 resolution into a 6.7-inch diagonal screen. That’s nearly 2-million pixels in a device that’s about the size of a letter-sized sheet of paper folded in half.

According to my rough math, the display cranks out over 230 pixels-per-inch, about 3 times that of the typical LCD computer screen. Perfect for use in electronic book readers, the flat panel measures in at just 3mm thick, and can display 1400 pages on a single button-cell battery.

While Seiko Epson hasn’t revealed any products which use the new display, it’s only a matter of time before we see these in real world devices.

[via MobileRead]

E Ink Improves Electronic Paper Display Modules

Technabob — Wed, 09 May 2007 18:32:03 +0000

E-Ink has announced a major upgrade to their electronic paper display technology which should substantially improve the quality over the earlier generation of displays.

E Ink’s new Vizplex display modules have a new switching mechanism which will allow the displays to refresh almost twice as fast as prior displays. In addition, the new units will be 20 percent brighter than the earlier models.

Previously, refresh (switch speed) was rated at 1200ms, while the new version will switch at 740ms. In addition, the new displays will support 8 levels of grey, versus the 4 levels in previous models. All of these improvements should lead to higher quality electronic book readers and other e-paper devices within the next year or so. Display panels will come in a variety of sizes ranging from 1.9 to 9.7-inches diagonal.

[via MobileRead]