Electronic paper!

[Occulus]

No, it's not science fiction- it's fact. Electronic paper is currently in development and could be on the market relatively soon. The consumer applications for this material are enormous- as many applications as there are that use paper and the written word.

An overview of this piece of tech can be seen here:

http://www2.parc.com/dhl/projects/gyricon/

MIT has some video demonstrations:

http://www.media.mit.edu/micromedia/elecpaper.html

And finally, a long and detailed article on this wonderful new invention from none other than Scientific American:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0004C2D2-B938-1CD6-B4A8809EC588EEDF

Others can be found by performing a Google search for the term 'electronic paper', without the '.

edit: the image at the beginning of that final link seems to be an actual 800x600 image of what this new invention is capable of.

If anyone ever watched the doomed "Earth: Final Conflict", you might remember their brand of communicator. It was this little device that looked a bit like a plastic sausage that popped open in half with a sheet between. The sheet could display video, the device had audio, and it was networked and could function in real time with other devices of its kind.

This electronic paper technology linked to above seems to enable that sci-fi device. Yet another example of fact following fiction.

Just thought I'd supply you all with a happy thought unrelated to the elections. I'm geeked about this new type of "paper" and I can't wait to see it on the market. Goodbye, $300 monitors, and hello, $300 wall-size displays.

Eventually.

The applications for this appear to be only limited to what we display written material on- and that's a lot of applications. Storefront signs would be one immediate example; the wall-size video display I mentioned earlier would be that storefront display, in your home. Live video which you can "turn on" to any sort of "wallpaper" you like.
Or a game, or a movie. Think about this. This invention could easily make video displays as we know them a thing of the past.

:smoke: Yup. But- this is some cool stuff.

HEY! Late night crowd!

Discuss.

[mrbassman03]

1. Hmmm... been seeing this for a loooong time now, nothing new...

While this would be nice to see, I really think this tech is nowhere near ready.

[Occulus]

2. You'd think it would be easy to mass produce

given that the beads are randomly placed. Higher resolutions would be possible with smaller beads; could they be sprayed onto the sheet, if small enough?

edit: by the way, I did this search on a whim. I need to relieve some tension and show something hopeful beyond the election or I'll go mad....

Here's an article from last March:

http://www.eink.com/news/releases/pr70.html

" Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI), Sony Corporation(NYSE: SNE) and E Ink Corporation announced today the world's first consumer application of an electronic paper display module in Sony's new e-Book reader, LIBRIé, scheduled to go on sale in Japan in late April. This "first ever" Philips' display utilizes E Ink's revolutionary electronic ink technology which offers a truly paper-like reading experience with contrast that is the same as newsprint.

The Electronic Paper Display is reflective and can be easily read in bright sunlight or dimly lit environments while being able to be seen at virtually any angle - just like paper. Its black and white ink-on-paper look, combined with a resolution in excess of most portable devices at approximately 170 pixels per inch (PPI), gives an appearance similar to that of the most widely read material on the planet - newspaper. Because the display uses power only when an image is changed, a user can read more than 10,000 pages before the four AAA Alkaline batteries need to be replaced. The unique technology also results in a compact and lightweight form factor allowing it to be ideal for highly portable applications.

Sony's e-Book reader LIBRIé, the first device to utilize Philips' display solution for enhanced reading, is similar in size and design to a paperback book. LIBRIé allows users to download published content, such as books or comic strips from the Internet, and enjoy it anywhere at any time. LIBRIé can store up to 500 downloaded books.

"In today's mobile world, we know that the quality of the experience and ease-of-use are important in driving consumer adoption of mobile devices. Up until now, consumers have been less willing to adopt e-reading applications because of poor display quality on cumbersome devices," said Mr. Yoshitaka Ukita, General Manager, e-Book Business Dept, Network Application & Content Service Sector, Sony Corporation. "This display solution provides a level of text clarity comparable to paper. Combined with our thin, lightweight device design, this novel e-Book reader offers users an enjoyable experience and the freedom to access material at their convenience."