Displays -- Engadget

Microsoft messes with 'natural' user interface, featuring eye tracking, voice control and wild body gestures

by Paul Miller posted Nov 6th 2009 at 9:45AM

While today's Windows might not look completely out of place next to a Windows of yore, Microsoft Research certainly has some wild ideas for how to progress computer interaction. In a talk during Microsoft's college tour, Craig Mundle has been touting his research wares, including some pretty reasonable advances like auto completion of common concepts; automatic, intelligent sorting of large amounts of data; and a movable, modular work surface. One of the odder demos involves moving the LCD so it's flat on the desk and then using huge arm movements to manipulate a 3D model projected onto a piece of glass, and the demonstration of eye-tracking is intriguing while not altogether convincing. Of course, we've got a while before we'll see any of this stuff in real products, but perhaps we won't have to wait so long as ten years for that "2019" vision of the future to come to pass. Hit up the read link for the videos.

Sungale's 7-inch Cyberus ID700WTA is neither a PMP nor an ereader, really

by Darren Murph posted Nov 5th 2009 at 9:21AM

Sungale isn't exactly the biggest, most well-known name in consumer electronics, but it's sure trying to make a run with the big boys. A few months after introducing its own WiFi digiframe, the company is hitting back with a hybrid ereader / PMP device that just seems to be caught somewhere in the middle. Boasting a 7-inch color LCD display (800 x 480), the Cyberus ID700WTA can handle most popular multimedia and ebook formats -- from PDF to DivX, it's (pretty much) all covered. It also touts integrated WiFi, support for streaming media from a home network and a built-in clock / calender. There's also the ability to fetch "online news, weather reports, stock prices and charts, maps and traffic routes, YouTube clips, internet radio, Picasa and Gmail," so we're going out on a limb here and suggesting that some sort of web browser or cadre of inbuilt apps are also included. It's available now around the web for $279, and yes, that snazzy leather case is bundled in.

Continue reading Sungale's 7-inch Cyberus ID700WTA is neither a PMP nor an ereader, really

Isabella Products' Vizit: first 2-way touchscreen photo frame headed to AT&T in early 2010

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 5th 2009 at 4:53AM

We've been hearing about Isabella Products' cellular-connected Vizit photo frame since early this year. The 10.4-inch touchscreen LCD features a GSM/GPRS module that enables the digital photo frame to receive images via MMS, email, or internet sharing sites. You can even share images with friends and family via email or through Vizit-to-Vizit transfer directly from the frame. Now the company has announced a partnership with AT&T when the two-way frame begins shipping in "early 2010." Here's the problem: the price; $279.99 and it still requires an unspecified monthly or annual photo plan. With Wal-mart shoppers accustomed to spending about $140 for 10-inch digital frames... well, good luck with that pricing scheme Isabella Products, you're going to need it.

Continue reading Isabella Products' Vizit: first 2-way touchscreen photo frame headed to AT&T in early 2010

Hyper Gear ereader encrypts files, keeps documents safe from prying eyes

by Darren Murph posted Nov 5th 2009 at 3:28AM

Haipagia's ¥39,800 ($437) Hyper Gear ereader may just be a rebadge on the surface, but the all-too-familiar exterior conceals a rather unique software package underneath. Boasting a 6-inch display with an 800 x 600 resolution, the reader includes an encryption function that can wrap your files in DRM and password protect whatever you like. If the device gets stolen, you can then rest easy knowing that files won't disclose themselves to evil eyes even if ripped from the unit's internal memory. Admittedly, something like this is well suited for enterprise and academic environments, but we're guessing the paranoid in attendance are also taking notice.

[Via Best Tablet Review]

eStarling photo frame might just have more social networking skills than you do

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 5th 2009 at 2:16AM

Digital photo frames have been more than just photo frames since the earliest days of the product category, but eStarling looks to be expanding things even further than usual with its new 802.11n Touchscreen Connected Frame. In addition to that speedy WiFi connectivity, this one boasts a fairly large 10.2-inch display, 2GB of RAM, an SD card slot and, most importantly, a slew of social networking features. That includes support for photos from Facebook, Picasa or Flickr (more services are also promised), a built-in Twitter client, a video inbox feature to receive videos shot with cellphones (or any other internet-connected device, for that matter), and even its own Gmail address to let anyone easily send photos straight to the frame. Unfortunately for anyone considering this as an alternative to a kitchen computer, there's no full-fledged web browser, calendar apps, or the like, but it will at least give you weather updates, and could well be further improved by some of the promised firmware updates. Of course, all that will also cost you more than your usual photo frame -- $249.99, to be specific.

[Via Gearlog]

Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision 10 orders up the 'hands-on special'

by Darren Murph posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 3:24PM

Bang & Olufsen may be irrelevant to those with annual salaries having fewer than six digits to the left of the decimal (or comma, if that's how you roll), but even the laypeople can't help but drool at a spectacle such as this. The BeoVision 10 has just landed down across the pond at Electric Pig, and they were kind enough to snap a few shots and show 'em to the world. The £6,000 price tag is definitely a stunner, but those lucky enough to lay eyes on it have said that it just might be worth it -- if money ain't a thang, you know.

Marvell teams with E Ink for turnkey ereader processor

by Darren Murph posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 11:17AM

And so it begins. If you had any doubts whatsoever that the ereader battle was in full effect, let this introduction take all of that worry away. Marvell and E Ink have tag-teamed in order to announce a "highly integrated" ereader processor that'll be made available in "turnkey platforms" aimed at the booming ebook reader market. The ARMADA package includes a 166E application processor, WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G modem, and more broadly, the two have agreed to cross license epaper "timing controllers and system platforms," which may or may not be the cutest, sweetest thing we've ever heard. The goods are expected to be ready for readers in 2010, which means that buying a Kindle or Nook today is guaranteed to cause you all sorts of pain when the next best thing ships within twelve months.

[Via Internet News]

Ideum's 100-inch MT-50 multitouch table supports 50 simultaneous touch points (video)

by Darren Murph posted Oct 31st 2009 at 8:50AM

Surface? What Surface? Ideum, which popped out a rather gigantic MT2 multitouch table earlier this year, is now introducing another model that makes that fellow look like child's play. The 100-inch MT-50 is an outright beast, boasting 86 viewable inches, a 16 x 5 aspect ratio and a stunning 2,304 x 800 resolution. It was engineered for the Space Chase Gallery at the Adventure Science Center, which is one of several high-tech exhibits the company has deployed at the Nashville, TN-based science center. The table itself can support over 50 simultaneous touch points, and while the Flash-based software is obviously tailored for learning applications, there's nothing stopping this thing from becoming the world's next great arcade fixture. Hop on past the break for a drool-worthy vid.

Gallery: Ideum's 100-inch MT-50 multitouch table supports 50 simultaneous touch points (video)

Continue reading Ideum's 100-inch MT-50 multitouch table supports 50 simultaneous touch points (video)

HDI's laser-driven 3D HDTV hits production, should ship next year

by Darren Murph posted Oct 30th 2009 at 4:28PM

When we first caught wind of HDI's "world's first laser-based 3D HDTV," we were cautiously hopeful that it'd be ready to go (at least as a prototype) at CES 2010. Looks like we may actually get our wish, as the company has today announced that its magical set has reached the manufacturing stage. What's it all mean? It means that the set is being fast-tracked for release in 2010, meaning that you're just months away from having stereoscopic 1,920 x 1,080 content in your living room... provided there's actually any programming to view, that is. Of course, it'll handle the 2D stuff too, and the twin RGP LCoS micro-display imagers in there ought to provide plenty of crisp imagery regardless of the source. We're still not sure if the Woz-approved 100-inch version that's being shown to curious onlookers is the size that'll be pumped out to the mainstream, but we're hoping for at least a few smaller siblings for those of us with last names other than Kennedy, Gates, Buffet and Ellison.

Gallery: HDI's laser-driven 3D HDTV hits production, should ship next year

Continue reading HDI's laser-driven 3D HDTV hits production, should ship next year

Sears Black Friday ad revealed, we'll be sleeping off our tryptophan hangovers

by Tim Stevens posted Oct 30th 2009 at 8:36AM

Woe betide the Black Friday bargain hunter; where once there were stellar deals on giant televisions and hard disk drives now there are slight discounts on underwear and handbags. Sears' ad for this year has been unearthed and, while it naturally has an eclectic selection of goodies on sale ranging from power tools to KitchenAid mixers (and that's just on the front page), from a gadgety perspective we're not finding anything quite worth lining up at 3:00am in November for. There's a 40-inch Samsung 1080p LCD for $599, about $50 cheaper than we can find it for online, and a similar Sony model for $664 -- a whole $10 less than Amazon is asking for a comparable model with free shipping and no uncomfortable small talk with other half-frozen shopaholics. A raft of cheap but mediocre games and movies will be available, some soon to be obsolete GPS devices, and lots of other random things stuffed into the PDF scan linked below. Not into the whole hunting for deals thing? The other link has everything listed out, making for easy text searching -- and for guilt-free snoozing the day after Turkey Day.

Read - PDF scan of Sears 2009 Black Friday ad
Read - Listing of Sears 2009 Black Friday deals

LG roadmap predicts 'OLED panels will cost less than LCD panels in 2016'

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 30th 2009 at 6:31AM

Speaking at the FPD show in Japan, Won Kim, VP of LG Display's OLED sales and marketing group laid bare its OLED plans for the future. Pretty significant as LG is one of only two players currently manufacturing production OLED TVs; though unlike Sony, LG has yet to ship anything -- that bit of consumer magic begins in November. So here's the deal: LG will release 20-inch and larger OLED panels in 2010, 30-inch and larger in 2011, and 40-inch and larger OLED panels in 2012. While 40-inch OLEDs will still be "fairly expensive" in 2012, Kim predicts that "OLED panels will cost less than LCD panels in 2016." We'd love to believe that but it sounds overly aggressive to us considering the enormous investment panel manufacturers have made in LCDs (they'll be milking profits just as long as they can) and new push towards 3D televisions. Besides, LG's been all over the map with its OLED dates so let's not go carving anything in low-temperature polycrystal silicon just yet.

[Via OLED-Display.net]

Acer debuts 23-inch T230H multitouch monitor

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 29th 2009 at 4:32PM

Acer hasn't exactly been slacking when it comes to Windows 7-related hardware, but it looks like its still putting the final touches on its launch line-up, with it now rolling out a new multitouch monitor to complement its range of laptops and desktops. What's more, at a full 23-inches, the company's new T230H monitor best similar offerings from Dell and HP in terms of sheer size, and it packs some respectable specs across the board, including a full 1920 x 1080 resolution, a 2ms response time, a promised 80,000:1 contrast ratio (take that with the usual grain of salt), and an HDMI port in addition to DVI and VGA. Still no official word on US pricing, it seems, but this one will apparently run €349 in Europe (or just over $500).

[Via Engadget Korea]

Sony and VIZIO ditch the courtroom, clear up licensing issues

by Darren Murph posted Oct 29th 2009 at 9:14AM

VIZIO sure ends up in a whole lot of legal battles, but one way or another, it always seems to find its way out in the long run. Such is the case once again today, as the current LCD TV king has apparently said all the right things to Sony. If you'll recall, Sony (along with a slew of others) filed suit against Vizio awhile back over patent licensing concerns, but now it seems the two have reached a mutual agreement to use each other's technologies without bickering over who owns what. The release on the matter states that Sony "has become a licensee under VIZIO's patent portfolio," and that "VIZIO now is a licensee under Sony's color television patent portfolio." Who knows how much under-the-table cash and shaky promises had to be passed along in order to make everyone happy, but hey, a problem solved is a problem solved.

[Image courtesy of TooMuchNick / WireImage]

Update: Sony's response to all of this is after the break, courtesy of a company spokesperson who pinged us directly.

Continue reading Sony and VIZIO ditch the courtroom, clear up licensing issues

Polymer Vision gets new lease on life thanks to Wistron

by Tim Stevens posted Oct 29th 2009 at 7:36AM

Poor Readius, we barely knew ye and your folding e-ink screen before parent company Polymer Vision went bankrupt and, well, that was the end of that. Or was it? Wistron apparently made a bid for the remains of the company over the summer and, as of September, Polymer was acting as a division of the Acer spin-off. The Wistron board has finally approved the €12 million ($18 million) investment and so where once there were two companies now there is one. The jury is still out on whether the Polymer Vision brand will survive, but its technology -- and legend -- will still burn.

Details of 3D cable demo at Cable-Tec emerge

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Oct 28th 2009 at 11:08PM

Our friend Mari at the official Motorola Blog just got back from checking out the 3D demo at Cable-Tec and was able to dig up a few extra details in addition to sharing her impressions. Overall she said the circular polarized and active shutter demos both "looked good" but each was driven by a different set-top-box so it was hard to do a fair a to b comparison. This also makes us continue to wonder how compatible these two 3D display technologies are -- we suspect they are compatible and that this was just to prove that both IPTV and QAM worked as delivery methods. The most interesting tidbit is the fact that, thanks to new Multiview Video Encoding techniques, the 3D stream only requires about 30 percent more throughput than the same image in 2D. This isn't as much as Panasonic is claiming the new 3D Blu-ray spec will require, which is estimated at 50 precent. One other thing we're left wondering is what the frame rate of the demo was, but earlier this week CableLabs did confirme that the demo is 1080p and that the SCTE has already added 1080p at 60 fps to its encoding standards. We assume the frame rate had to be at least 30 fps per eye though, because otherwise the flicker would probably be noticeably annoying.