Clear Channel Shrinks Dimensions, Power, Costs Of Digital Signage

[Flabbergasted]

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=45197
by Erik Sass, Wednesday, Jul 5, 2006 8:15 AM ET
CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOOR IS TESTING a new technology that allows users to shrink outdoor digital signage to a fraction of the width, weight, and power consumption of existing electronic systems, according to Paul Meyer, CEO of Clear Channel Outdoor's global operations. The new technology, Magink, was developed by an Israeli company of the same name--and is currently being tested in a few locations in Europe by Clear Channel Outdoor and European competitor JCDecaux, Meyer said.


In Magink's system, which Meyer described as "revolutionary," small plastic tiles are smeared with a specially formulated paste containing helix-shaped molecules one micron long. When exposed to an electrical charge, these molecules move in regular, predictable patterns--which can be calibrated to respond precisely to different wavelengths of light, forming colors and shapes. By varying the electrical input, the molecules can then be rearranged to form different images.

Magink's image resolution and brightness are comparable to traditional vinyl posters--but the Magink displays can be changed to display myriad images. What's more, once it appears, each new image does not require a continuous power supply to be visible; it will remain until another electrical charge substitutes a new image. Each display can be "re-imaged" about 70 times a second, implying a potential capacity for video-like animation, although this application is still theoretical