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PVI’s color E-Ink displays are a perfect match for Kindles
You know who makes the E-Ink displays on the Kindle? PVI. The Taiwanese company is also the EPD provider for several other tier-1 eReader device makers including Sony. So take a good look at that color E-Ink prototype display currently sitting in a PVI booth at a Shenzhen tradeshow ’cause that’s what you’ll see packed in color eReaders near the end of the year and into 2011. PVI is showing off both 6- and 9.7-inch color prototypes set to hit the manufacturing lines in Q4 (and sampling now), just right for the Kindle 2 and Kindle DX should Amazon choose to keep things simple and just swap out the display (and a minimum of componentry) within its existing device lineup. It’s worth noting that the extra layer of color filtering glass will impact battery life a bit, but certainly not enough to lose its edge on LCDs. And while PVI was demonstrating a color animation running on its new displays, they can’t do video worth a damn due to the slow frame refresh. And don’t expect to see the color EPDs sporting a contrast or color vibrancy anywhere close to what you’ll get from a traditional LCD either. Regardless, people seem smitten by the USA Today’s use of color so we’re sure these color E-Ink displays will find their niche as well.

PVI’s color E-Ink displays are a perfect match for Kindles originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s PMA gifts: HD pocket camcorders, point-and-shoots with AMOLED screens

Hey, didja hear the news? PMA is just about upon us, giving all the camera makers a perfect opportunity to refresh their lineup. In no particular order, here’s what Samsung is providing, all set for a Spring 2010 release:

• New HMX-U15 ($230) and HMX-U20 ($250) 1080p HD pocket camcorders shoot H.264 and feature HDMI out, image stabilization, a 2-inch LCD, and some simple edit options. The U20 also throws in a 3x optical zoom and 10 megapixel stills, while the U15 instead takes 14 megapixel stills.
• The TL500 is a 10 megapixel camera with 24mm ultra-wide angle lens with an articulating three-inch AMOLED display, perfect for spying around the corner. It supports RAW format, shoots VGA video, and is due out for a hair less than $450.
• The 10 megapixel TL350 claims 1080p HD video recording with a maximum speed of up to 1,000 frames per second — which invariably drops the video resolution to 138 x 78, but hey, sacrifices must be made. The three-inch AMOLED display and look for it set you back about $350.
• A pair of 12 megapixel point-and-shoots for the lower end, the waterproof AQ100 ($200) and the “scratch resistant” SL605 ($130), both with 2.7-inch LCDs and 5x optical zoom. The former shoots video in 720p and the latter just VGA.

Plethora of pressers after the break, and we’ll be catching our flight to Anaheim shortly to give hands on impressions and take pictures of cameras that’ll put our DSLRs to absolute shame.

Continue reading Samsung’s PMA gifts: HD pocket camcorders, point-and-shoots with AMOLED screens

Samsung’s PMA gifts: HD pocket camcorders, point-and-shoots with AMOLED screens originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Jobs visits Wall Street Journal, trashes Flash again

Filed under: Internet Tools, Steve Jobs, iPad

Valleywag reports that during a recent iPad-promoting visit to the offices of the Wall Street Journal, Steve Jobs spent a significant amount of time trash-talking Adobe Flash yet again, and doing his best to get the Journal to move away from what he called “old technology.” Just like Jobs’s comments during the recent Apple Town Hall meeting, these comments are unconfirmed, but Valleywag claims to have heard from people who were present at the meeting.

Click the “read more” link to see some more tidbits from the meeting and some analysis of the remarks.

It bears noting once again that none of these quotes are confirmed, direct quotes from Jobs, but rather hearsay from others purportedly present at the meeting. That having been said, Jobs allegedly:

1. Continues to call Flash a buggy Mac crasher.

2. Called the platform a “CPU hog,” a source of security holes, and a “dying technology.”

3. Compared Flash to other technologies Apple and other companies have abandoned, such as floppy discs and CCFL-backlit LCDs.

4. Claimed the iPad’s battery performance would decrease from 10 hours to a shockingly low 1.5 hours if it ran Flash.

5. Said switching the Journal’s site away from Flash would be “trivial.”

If these are direct quotes free of any embellishment from their sources, they paint an interesting picture. On points 1 and 2, Jobs’s claim is mostly true. While some people claim to have had no issues with Flash Player on the Mac, in my experience Flash has been the number one source of crashes and poor performance on every Mac I’ve come across. Whether Flash is truly a “dying technology” or not is something only time will tell. For point 3, Jobs seems to believe that Apple’s abandonment of Flash on its mobile devices is trailblazing in the same manner as the iMac’s ditching the floppy drive twelve years ago; this one is arguable, as there were viable alternatives to floppy drives back then, whereas HTML5 and other Flash alternatives are still in relative infancy. On point 4, while the claim may sound outlandish, Jobs is certainly in a better position than anyone to know how well the iPad would run Flash.

Point 5, however, is the most loaded. As Valleywag notes, shifting a site that’s heavily dependent on Flash for not only video but interactive elements like slideshows to another technology would be far from trivial. That’s not to say that it couldn’t or even shouldn’t be done, and the Journal and others are likely to shift away from Flash despite the difficulties involved, but the amount of money, resources, and programming time necessary for the task are by no means as trivial as Jobs is painting them.

One thing is clear though: Steve Jobs is on a mission, and if his recent (alleged) comments are anything to go by, part of that mission is killing Flash once and for all. No matter what you may think of Jobs or his opinions of Flash, it’s undeniable that when Jobs speaks, people listen very intently. It will be very interesting to see how Adobe responds to this latest salvo.

[Via MacRumors]

TUAWSteve Jobs visits Wall Street Journal, trashes Flash again originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung, JVC pick RealD tech for their new 3D LCD televisions
A part of 3D’s assault on the home theater this year is a battle over which glasses technology each manufacturer will choose, and after locking up Sony RealD has announced its tech is coming alongside new displays from JVC and Samsung. While JVC’s 3D LCDs will use circular polarized passive glasses (like the ones you’ve probably worn at the movies) Samsung is promising to work on both active shutter LCD and passive eyewear models — no word yet on any Gucci tie-ins, but it’s still early.

Samsung, JVC pick RealD tech for their new 3D LCD televisions originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung TL225 / ST550 review roundup: some smiles, some frowns

Incredulously enough, no other major camera maker has come out and mimicked Samsung’s front-facing LCD approach found on the TL225 (or ST550 in some areas), so if you’re in the market, it’s either this one or the lesser-specced TL220 (ST500). If you’re considering picking up the former as a bang-up gift for your special someone, you’d probably do yourself a solid by taking a peek at a few reviews around the web. The long and short of it is this: the camera’s dual LCDs are well implemented, and they actually do come in handy for those looking to handle the “self-portrait” duties in the relationship. Beyond that, however, there wasn’t a lot of praise to go around. For starters, the camera relies only on microSD memory, so those spare SD cards you’ve got laying around are no good here. Then there’s the so-so image quality coupled with the staggeringly weak battery life; Photography Blog was only able to squeeze out around 100 shots while making heavy use of the touchscreen. Everyone seemed to agree that the cam wasn’t for everyone, so be sure and take a look around before committing.

Read – Photography Blog
Read – About
Read – Photography Bay
Read – Digital Camera Info
Read – CNET
Read – Steves Digicams

Samsung TL225 / ST550 review roundup: some smiles, some frowns originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pixel Qi ramping production lines, multitouch (40-hour?) tablets at CES

We know you’re confused by the pronunciation of Pixel Qi (it’s Pixel chee, by the way). But really, does that matter? We’re just stoked to learn that its hybrid displays are hitting the assembly lines this month as the company ramps production in Q1. CEO, Mary Lou Jepsen, says that the first units will arrive in “specialized tablet devices with multi-touch,” the first of which will be on display at CES from what looks like multiple “customers.” They’ll also be available to DIYers sometime in the future. Jepsen, you’ll recall, was the original Chief Technology Officer on the OLPC project, but left to commercialize these 10-inch color 3Qi LCD displays that are readable in either direct tropical sunlight or no light at all thanks to a switchable backlight. As such, Pixel Qi is set to carve out a nice middle-ground between epaper displays and traditional LCDs that could see the advent of the 40-hour netbook / tablet. No, really.

Pixel Qi ramping production lines, multitouch (40-hour?) tablets at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inside Sharp’s new LCD factory, we can see our next HDTV from here

The path back to LCD leadership for Sharp begins at its just opened Sakai City manufacturing facility. Being a 10th generation facility means it can roll out more and bigger displays, producing six 60-inch LCDs from each glass substrate, 60% more than older 8g facilities. Check out the pics for a peek at where 72,000 substrates per month will be made, delivering those slim LED backlit televisions getting so much love, along with solar panels (also being installed on the roofs for that extra green vibe that’s in vogue these days) and a few of the more than 100,000 energy efficient LEDs lighting the factory itself. Whether your closest HDTV purchase is a turkey fueled memory from last weekend or yet to come, bargain hunters and AV fans alike can appreciate an eyeful of the robots and testing equipment slicing, dicing and stamping screens headed for shelves nearby, whether bearing an Aquos brand or any number of other nameplates.

Inside Sharp’s new LCD factory, we can see our next HDTV from here originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s 40-inch LCD is world’s thinnest at 3.9-mm, attracts magic pencils

What measures 3.9-mm thin by 40 inches? If you answered the standard Korean product waif you’d be close. This time, however, we’re talking about Samsung’s LED backlit LCD featuring a 120Hz refresh and 5,000:1 reported contrast. Yup, that makes it the world’s thinnest — easily besting cross-town rival LG’s 5.9-mm thick LCDs — even if you can’t buy it as a complete television package… yet.

[Via Akihabara News]

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Samsung’s 40-inch LCD is world’s thinnest at 3.9-mm, attracts magic pencils originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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