Display

Displax 'skin' turns virtually any surface into multi-touch display

By Mick Webb

15:45 February 4, 2010 PST

Portuguese company Displax has announced the development of a “skin” that can turn virtually any surface into a multi-touch display. Based on capacitive technology, the “skin” is developed on a thinner-than-paper polymer film that turns a surface, be it glass, plastic or wood, curved or flat, into an interactive touch screen. The interface is so sensitive that it even detects when you blow on it, registering both the intensity and direction of the air flow. Read More

HP's Touchless touchscreen wall

By Ben Coxworth

16:29 January 26, 2010 PST

About a year ago, HP began working on a ginormous touchscreen display for their PR firm’s Manhattan offices. The resulting product, called the Wall of Touch, was such a hit that it has found its way into the workplaces of other select clients, with more on the way. Ironically, despite its name, one of the things that makes the Wall unique is that users don’t have to actually touch it. Read More

VESA announces DisplayPort v1.2

By Mick Webb

20:16 January 22, 2010 PST

The Video Electronics Standard Association (VESA) has unveiled the long awaited DisplayPort Version1.2 digital display interface that brings with it a host of enhanced features. Aside from a doubled data rate of 21.6Gbps and bi-directional USB data transfer of an impressive 720Mbps, the upgrade also offers multi – monitor support from a single plug, improved audio synchronization and support for Full HD 3D Stereoscopic displays. Read More

Total guitar tuning with PolyTune

By Paul Ridden

17:48 January 19, 2010 PST

Denmark's audio manufacturer TC Electronic launched a new tuning pedal at this year's National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) trade show in California. Guitarists needing to do a quick tuning tweak will be now able to strum all six strings at once and the Polytune will advise if any are in need of some attention. Read More

Vuzix display Wrap 920AR augmented reality glasses

By Mick Webb

18:59 January 12, 2010 PST

Forget looking at the world through rose colored glasses – try these on for size. Video eyewear manufacturer Vuzix has unveiled its Wrap 920AR glasses prototype that features cameras mounted to the lenses that project real world images onto LCD’s inside the glasses, seamlessly mixing real-world and computer generated imagery.

With the LCD’s offering the view of a 67” display from ten feet away and the cameras able to capture video at a resolution of 752x480 at 60fps, the application promises a myriad of uses from gaming to education and social networking. Read More

Qualcomm's mirasol display technology brings color and video to eReaders

By Alan Brandon

15:16 January 10, 2010 PST

As eReaders such as the Kindle and the Nook establish themselves with consumers, manufacturers are already looking ahead to the next generation of devices. Moving beyond e-ink, tomorrow’s eReaders will feature color displays and the ability to show video as well. To meet the needs of the most demanding users, eReaders will also need to feature long battery life and displays that are bright enough to read even in direct sunlight. Qualcomm’s Mirasol displays, which will begin shipping this year, address these needs using technology that mimics the coloration of a butterfly’s wings. Read More

Big screen experience from your mobile device - the Microvision SHOWWX laser pico projector

By Mick Webb

12:39 January 10, 2010 PST

The Microvision SHOWWX laser pico projector

first came to our attention in development back in 2008, with the final version making an appearance at this years CES. Around the size of a smartphone, the SHOWWX projector enables a user to connect their iPod, mobile phone or a myriad of other devices to display movies and photos as a WVGA (848x480 pixels) DVD quality “big screen” experience. Read More

enTourage announces eDGe dual screen eBook reader

By Mick Webb

03:07 January 9, 2010 PST

When is an eBook reader not merely an eBook reader? When it’s an enTourage eDGE reader. Unveiled this week at CES the clamshell designed reader is billed as the world’s first dualbook, with a 9.7” black and white E-ink screen on the one side and 10.1” LCD color touchscreen on the other. Along with 4GB of internal memory and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability, the unit functions as a mini-netbook, notepad and audio/video recorder. Read More

Skiff shows 11.5 inch 1200 x 1600 touchscreen electronic-paper reader

By Ben Coxworth

11:00 January 6, 2010 PST

This week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, e-reading company Skiff is previewing its new electronic reader. At a quarter of an inch thick, the Skiff Reader is the thinnest device of its kind. Not everything about it is small, however; its 1200 x 1600 pixel, 11.5-inch screen is the largest and highest-resolution consumer e-reading display yet. Perhaps its biggest boast, however, is what that display is made of – Instead of rigid, fragile glass, the Skiff Reader’s display utilizes a thin, flexible sheet of stainless-steel foil. Developed by LG specifically for Skiff, the touchscreen foil-display promises an e-reader that will be much more durable than anything currently available. Read More

LG confirms release of 15” OLED TV

By Paul Lester

10:23 January 6, 2010 PST

There are few technologies more hotly anticipated in the TV/display market than OLED, but sadly we’re still a way off replacing our 50” plasmas with these wafer-thin low-power alternatives. Affordability is the main issue, and so far Sony has been one of few to have an early crack at the market with its US$2500 11” XEL-1. Read More

Philips offers new e-ink possibilities in color

By Paul Ridden

15:43 December 14, 2009 PST

Rather than using e-paper technology just for displays, the research arm of Dutch technology company Philips Electronics has developed a relatively cheap, light, thin and energy efficient means of turning the whole of the surface of a device into a digital canvas. E-skin technology could be used to change the color of a mobile phone when a call comes in, alter the appearance of a kettle when the water is boiling or even be applied to wallpaper so you can redecorate your room at the flick of a switch. Read More

The Bulbdial Clock - a high-tech sundial

By Mick Webb

14:57 December 14, 2009 PST

The Bulbdial Clock is an electronic take on our oldest way of telling time - the sundial. Instead of relying on shadows cast by the sun, this timepiece features three layers of colored LEDs that rotate around the clock face, casting shadows to represent the hour, minutes and seconds. Read More

Gestural interfaces make touch screens look so ‘last year’

By Jeff Salton

21:21 December 13, 2009 PST

The gestural interface used by Tom Cruise in the movie Minority Report was based on work by MIT Media Lab’s Hiroshi Ishii, who has already commercialized similar large-scale gestural interface systems. However, such systems comprise many expensive cameras or require the user to wear tracking devices on their fingers. To develop a similar yet cost effective gestural interface system that is within reach of many more people other researchers at MIT have instead been working to develop screens with embedded optical sensors to track the movement of the user’s fingers that could quickly make touch screens seem outdated. Read More

World first 2569 x 1600 projector throws 65-foot image

By Darren Quick

20:40 December 10, 2009 PST

Projectors have come a long way in the last decade, making true home theaters a reality for many cinema buffs. But why not think a little bigger and build your own drive-in? With Projectiondesign’s F35 WQXGA projector you can do just that. With its ability to project a 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution image measuring up to a whopping 65 feet (19.8m) wide it will make the neighbor’s home theater efforts look decidedly lacking. Read More

Mintpass Cube concept brings analog back to digital music

By Paul Ridden

15:57 December 9, 2009 PST

For the last 18 months or so, the collection of design concepts featured on the website of Korean portable media player maker Mintpass has been steadily growing in number. The company says it will continue to push the idea envelope until a "concept is developed into a hot product that sweeps the market." With its retro styling, analog displays and tactile control interface - will the Mintcube concept be the next big thing? Read More

Apple patents enforced ad-interaction into OS

By Paul Lester

22:05 November 23, 2009 PST

Anyone who has spent even a modicum of their time browsing the Internet over the last few years will be aware of how annoying pop-up and embedded ads can be, especially if they involve audio and video and particularly if it’s more difficult than it should be to find the ‘close’ button. Thankfully it doesn’t usually take too long to remove the offending source from our screens, but those who are particularly irked by this form of interruption will not be placated if a recent patent filed by Apple ever sees the light of day. Read More

Christie MicroTiles create a versatile digital display wall

By Jeff Salton

21:30 November 16, 2009 PST

Better known for its high-end digital projection systems, Christie has launched its MicroTiles digital display units which can be stacked like building blocks to create a visual display wall virtually anywhere there is power. The modular MicroTiles can be used to create an almost seamless digital canvas in almost any size or shape using an entirely new, advanced optical design that produces advanced levels of brightness, contrast and color reproduction. Read More

I see what you're saying - NEC's ‘Tele Scouter’ retinal-display translation glasses

By Darren Quick

20:13 October 29, 2009 PDT

The days of a Universal Translator like the one that made chatting between alien species a non-issue in Star Trek might be some way off yet. But a new device from NEC is definitely a step in the right direction for those of us on planet Earth looking for a way to communicate with other language speakers that doesn’t involve a human translator or a well-thumbed phrase book. The prototype device called a “Tele Scouter” is a glasses type display that translates the foreign language being spoken by a partner and projects the translation onto a tiny retinal display. Read More

Next-generation TMOS displays closer to mass production

By Dario Borghino

16:26 October 21, 2009 PDT

Uni-Pixel, a company based in Woodlands, Texas, has announced it is about to start mass production of a thin-film to be used in time-multiplexed optical shutter (TMOS) displays, a next-generation display technology that exploits retinal persistence in the human eye and promises significantly better performance than CRT, LCD and OLED displays with, among other things, great durability and dramatically improved energy efficiency. Read More

10/GUI the human computer interface of the future for people with more than two fingers

By Darren Quick

03:43 October 14, 2009 PDT

Those old enough to remember the command line interfaces of yesteryear are only too aware of what a godsend the Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) of today are. However, the human computer interface (HCI) developed in the 1970s at Xerox PARC, combining a desktop metaphor GUI and mouse controller, has remained largely unchanged ever since. Now R. Clayton Miller proposes the next step in the evolution of HCI's with his 10/GUI concept that harnesses the power of multi-touch by removing the touch surface from the screen. Read More

Time to connect with the iXP3 Internet Messaging Clock

By Mick Webb

04:15 September 24, 2009 PDT

When communicating via the typed word, sometimes a text or regular instant message just won’t do the trick. Here to take personal communication to a quirky new level is the iXP3 Instant Messaging Clock, which, through a simple Internet connection, changes from a mild-mannered clock to a personal messaging device that projects messages in the air. Read More

Samsung releases P410M and A600 projectors

By Dario Borghino

16:42 September 16, 2009 PDT

Samsung recently added two new projectors to its lineup, both featuring high image quality and a wide range of connectivity capabilities at a very interesting price. The very portable P410M is compact and lightweight, with direct USB connectivity for games and devices, while the high-end A600 offers full HD 1080p video suitable for home theater projection. Read More

LG 15-inch OLED TV jumps out of the blocks

By Darren Quick

22:08 September 1, 2009 PDT

Although Sony may have delayed development of larger screen OLED TVs, it seems LG can’t wait to get its 15-inch active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) unit into stores with news it is set be released in Korea even sooner than the previously announced December 2009 to January 2010 timeframe. As well as announcing the TV is due to hit the shelves in Korea next month, LG also released some mouth-watering technical details about the world’s largest consumer OLED TV ahead of its unveiling at the IFA 2009 consumer electric show in Berlin. Read More

Environmentally-friendly navigation - the Vexia Econav 435 GPS

By Mick Webb

18:16 September 1, 2009 PDT

As GPS navigation systems increase in popularity, the world’s fuel supplies simultaneously are in decline. However, the Vexia Econav 435 GPS is attempting to do its bit for the environment by offering a system that gives drivers information on the most economical route, which gear to use and when - even how firmly to accelerate. The manufacturers say the aim of the unit is to reduce drivers' fuel consumption by up to one third. Read More

Kodak flexible OLED display gets its feet wet

By Darren Quick

20:20 August 30, 2009 PDT

Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode (FOLED) technology has opened the door to a range of new lighting and display applications, such as roll-up displays and displays embedded in fabrics or clothing. Unfortunately OLED displays are notoriously moisture sensitive, so underwater applications haven’t really been an option – until now. Kodak has dunked their latest FOLED displays under water to provide a virtual aquarium for a group of assembled Playmobil people. Read More