Tomorrow at the FPD International 2010 trade show in Japan, the Chinese company Hanvon will unveil the first e-reader to include a color e-ink display, giving it a distinct advantage over rivals like the Amazon Kindle and B&N Nook.
Black-and-white e-ink displays are currently used in 90 percent of the world’s e-readers, says the NYTimes.
The Apple iPad and the recently launched Nook Color both use LCD color screens.
Jennifer K. Colegrove, director of display technologies at DisplaySearch, described the moment: “This is a very important development. It will bring e-readers to a higher level.”
While it is simple to make e-readers with LCD screens, the LCDs tend to take away many advantages of the devices. E-ink screens consume much less battery power and energy and are also readable no matter how bad glare is from sunlight.
Color e-ink screens do have their downsides, however, compared to LCDs. LCD screens will be much sharper, more colorful, and able to handle video. Color e-ink screens have “muted” colors and can only handle “simple animations,” notes the NYTimes.
Havon’s reader will begin sales this March in China at the equivalent of $440 USD. It will have a 9.68-inch screen and will include both Wi-Fi and 3G support.
The iPad sells for $600 in China.
Result for: trade show
Recently showed off at the Display 2008 expo trade show in Japan, Sony has introduced new “ultra-thin” OLED display televisions that are even thinner than its current XEL-1 model.
The XEL-1, which is currently the industry-leading OLED display is 11-inches,and measures 1.4mm (0.06in) thick. The new display model showed off will measure 0.3mm, a huge improvement from the current model.
Sony says that thanks to a “new TFT substrate and less glass, the same resolution of 960×540 pixels is possible despite the reduction in dimensions.”
Even more impressive, but nowhere near commercial production, is a thinner 3.5-inch prototype display that measures a measly 0.2mm (0.008in) and features a 320×220 pixel resolution. The display will most likely be used in media devices or even mobile phones.
Result for: trade show
Showing at its booth at the High End trade show in Munich, Pioneer has unveiled its latest HD projector, the KURO KRF-9000FD home theater projector.
The “Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) KRF-9000FD is capable of displaying 1920×1080 pixel progressive video at sizes up to 14.5 by just over 8 feet.” This is comparable to a 200 inch TV with even the minimum projected image about equivalent to a 60-inch TV screen.
The unit also uses a 2x motorized zoom lens allowing large images to be displayed in smaller rooms. The unit also boasts an impressive contrast ratio, 30,000:1. Another plus is Pioneer’s focus n reproducing true blacks, which is seen in all its KURO line.
The company also claims great flexibility, “thanks to a lens that allows 80% vertical and 34% horizontal adjustments without affecting the image, leaving it square on the wall or screen. The native aspect ratio is 16:9 and movie theater-like 2.35:1 is supported. Brightness is rated at 600 ANSI lumens.”
There are two HDMI ports, and one component, composite and S-Video, as well as a PC-friendly RS-232C jack.
The projector will be available in Europe next month for about 8000 euro, and there is no word on a North American release yet.
