Jan 15
A few years ago if you wanted to run multiple monitors, you needed a video card with multiple outputs or multiple video cards in your PC. DisplayLink came along and … Continue reading
Sep 10
DisplayLink’s been wringing all kinds of connectivity out of our computer’s USB ports for years, turning one connection into many. It should come as no surprise, then, that the company’s using its considerable compression expertise to send high-resolution 4K video through that very same pipe. Ideally, the system shoots video over USB 3.0, while still giving users the full connectivity options of any compatible DisplayLink device — but it can also function using USB 2.0, though the dynamically compensating data compression at work may cause some frames to drop.
We chatted with Displaylink’s Director of Marketing, Andy Davis, about the feature and he informed us that the new 4K capability comes courtesy of a chip design first revealed back at CES that, while upping the max resolution of transmitted video, has no trouble driving multiple displays. In theory,the number of 4K screens the chip can drive is only limited by the graphics drivers and video decoding capabilities of the computer it’s connected to. And, the new architecture also enables wireless streaming of 4K video using 802.11ad and can stream 1080p video over 802.11ac (4K over 802.11ac is in the works). We got to see a brief demo of the technology in action, and the video played back flawlessly over USB 3.0 for the few minutes we saw it work. Using 2.0, we noticed a slight flicker once or twice during playback, but the feed was still quite watchable. All in all, its a nice addition to the DisplayLink feature set. Now if they’d just let us know when we’ll actually see it implemented in something we can buy.
Sep 09
For the time being, consumers have gotten a look at WiGig technology through select vendors, with the technology having begun to pick up speed in recent times as more devices are offered with it. That speed increase will be coming in a different way in the near future, however, with DisplayLink and Wilocity announcing that […]
Jul 24
A lot of us could use a second display nowadays, but if you travel a lot and rely on your laptop to get a lot of work done, not only are you limited to a small screen, but it’s hard to take a second display around with you. However, AOC just outed a new 16-inch monitor that is powered by only a single USB 3.0 cable.
The AOC E1659FWU, as it’s officially called aims to be the portable monitor to cater towards road warriors while still providing a large enough display to get work done. Sadly, it only has a 1366×768 resolution, which is pretty poor for a 15.6-inch viewable monitor, but we’re guessing AOC wanted to keep the price down, seeing as how it only costs $129.
At 16 inches, the monitor will be able to fit into most carrying bags, and it even comes with its own protective case, so there’s no worries about scratching the display while you’re toting it around, or worrying about having to find a cloth to wrap around it.
Since the monitor is powered by USB, as well as used for the video transmission, there’s no battery that users will have to keep charging. The monitor only pulls seven watts of power, but you’ll have to make sure your laptop has USB 3.0 before you go out buy this new display, as it won’t work over USB 2.0.
The new display is available for pre-order right now on Amazon, but if you’re looking to save a little bit of cash, AOC also still has the previous-generation display up on Amazon, which only costs $89 and is available now. The new monitor isn’t shipping until August 5.
AOC 16-inch portable monitor arrives with USB 3.0 in tow is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Mar 11
I recently had a chance to test drive the LG 29″ Ultrawide IPS Monitor (Model 29EA93-P) for an extended period of time, and I thought I’d share my experiences with you in case you’re in the market for a new display. You’re probably saying to yourself, what’s the big deal about another monitor?
Well, I’ll tell you. What makes the LG Ultrawide special is its exceptionally high-resolution LED-backlit 21:9 LCD display, which makes it perfect for working on multiple windows at the same time. And for doing this…
When you take the display out of the box, the 21:9 proportion display is quite eye-catching. It’s got a nice anti-glare matte finish on the screen itself, and a thin black bezel which measures about 1/2″ wide. The case has a glossy white back, and attaches easily to a chrome base that provides the ability to tilt the display.
As a web designer, developer and editor myself, I always crave more screen real estate, and my workflow demands that I have both my editing window and website preview window open side-by-side. The LG Ultrawide’s crazy-wide 2560×1080 LCD screen is ideal for this sort of task.
Out of the box, the display works with any graphics card that supports 2560×1080 resolution, and you can immediately bring up multiple full-page browsers next to each other. At this resolution, you can have two 1280×1080 screens side-by-side, or just get a tremendous amount of real-estate on a single window.
The display also supports a variety of standard monitor resolutions, including 1080p, which comes in handy if you want to watch a movie in 21:9 format without bars at the top and bottom. It can even shift 1080p 21:9 content up just enough to allow for subtitles.
The display also ships with “Screen Splitter” software which basically allows you to automatically size and organize windows scattered on your desktop, so they each take a pre-set amount of display space, and will even force newly-opened windows into this pre-set grid.
It’s a handy feature if you’re a stock trader or have to watch lots of windows at the same time, but it is only supported on Windows. That said, there is split-screen window management software out there for the Mac – in the form of SizeUp – but Mac users will need to buy that separately. Or if you’re just interested in side-by side viewing, you can go with Windows’ built in Aero Snap or Cinch on the Mac.
LG’s screen also has a “Dual Link Up” feature which allows you to connect two devices simultaneously, and view the content on a split screen, or in traditional Picture-in-Picture format. This could be very convenient if you want to view content from multiple devices at the same time, such as an HDMI-capable camera and your video-editing software on your computer. However, the dual-link mode doesn’t seem to support two HDMI devices at the same time – just the combinations you see below:
In my testing, I found the LG Ultrawide display to be sharp, bright, and easy-to-read – providing good screen uniformity and contrast levels. While it’s not quite as sharp as the display on my 27″ iMac, even the smallest letters were crisp and without noticeable fringing. The display worked immediately with the built in Intel graphics chipset on my Asus Zenbook Prime, connected via the micro-HDMI port on the ultrabook, as well as with the HDMI port on my PS3, and on a random Android tablet I tested it with as well. However, I did not get to test the display with a Mac, since I didn’t have the appropriate Mini DisplayPort adapter cable on hand to use with my iMac.
The controls on the display are set under the bezel at the front right, and seem to be using some sort of touch-sensing tech, since they don’t need to be pressed to be used. If I have any complaint about this display at all – and it’s a minor one – it’s that the buttons are a little too sensitive, and easy to accidentally trigger. I also didn’t care for the less than intuitive OSD menu navigation, but I’m nitpicking. You won’t be touching these controls very often unless you’re switching between multiple devices anyhow.
In terms of connectivity, the display offers two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort jack, as well as a DVI-D input and a built-in USB 3.0 hub with 3 ports. The second HDMI port also supports MHL, a growing standard for playing video from smartphones and other mobile devices. LG even is kind enough to include an MHL to HDMI cable in the box (though it would have been nice to get a regular HDMI cable too.) It also supports VESA wall mounts, and Kensington security cables.
The display also has small stereo speakers built in, so if you connect via HDMI, DisplayLink, or plug in audio via the 3.5″ mini jack, you’ll get sound. It won’t blow your eardrums, but it’s plenty sufficient for office use, and you’re not buying something like this for the sound anyhow.
Overall, I’m impressed with the display quality and utility of the LG Ultrawide display. It provides a ton of screen real-estate, and a configuration that’s ideal for side-by-side window viewing, or watching 21:9 video content. It’s a great alternative to multiple monitors for graphic designers, web developers, video editors, and other creative professionals. On the other end of the spectrum, it’s also great for pencil pushers, since you can open massive spreadsheets on this thing as well.
You can order the LG Ultrawide IPS Monitor from Amazon for $699(USD), and can find more details on the LG website.
Disclosure: LG provided us with the device for review in this article. However, all reviews are the unbiased views of our editorial staff, and we will only recommend products or services we have used personally, and believe will be good for our readers.
Sep 15
DisplayLink shows off adapters and docks from HP, Lenovo, EVGA and Targus at IDF 2012
Posted in: Today's Chili 
With the proliferation of Ultrabooks, laptops are shipping with fewer ports and smaller screens. One of the benficiaries of the streamlined designs is DisplayLink, whose technology can turn a single USB port into a bevy of connections. At IDF 2012, the company showed off new gear from several vendors, including EVGA, HP, Lenovo and Targus. First, there’s a handsome little puck from EVGA, called the UV Plus+39, that plugs into your laptop’s USB 2 or 3.0 socket to grant you HDMI and DVI output at up to 2048 x 1152 resolution for $85. Next up, Lenovo’s self-explanatory USB 3.0 to DVI adapter that supports the same max resolution as the Plus+39 for $80. Lastly, a pair of docks from Targus and HP. HP’s 3005pr USB 3.0 Port Replicator turns your laptop’s USB 3.0 port into four USB 2.0, two USB 3.0, one HDMI, DisplayPort, and RJ-45 jacks, plus audio in and out connections for a mere $150. Targus’ $250 USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Dual Video Docking Station has similar connectivity to HP’s solution, but swaps DisplayPort for DVI and adds the ability to charge 90W laptops using its included array of power adapters. Having trouble deciding which one’s for you? Perhaps our photos in the gallery below will help you decide.
Gallery: DisplayLink at IDF 2012
Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
Filed under: Peripherals
DisplayLink shows off adapters and docks from HP, Lenovo, EVGA and Targus at IDF 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 19:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sep 12
Having somewhere to dock your laptop is insanely convenient. Of course, each manufacturer tends to have their own proprietary solution. And usually a different dock is needed for each model. Fun, right? Well, Kensington has their own universal solution that makes the most of the ubiquitous USB port and the unfortunately less ubiquitous DisplayLink. The company unleashed an update to its line of universal laptop docks today that takes advantage of the bonus bandwidth provided by USB 3.0. The Office Dock (sd3500v) and Home Dock (sd3000v) both offer USB 2.0 and 3.0 expansion slots, a gigabit Ethernet port, audio out as well as DVI and VGA ports for plugging in an external monitor. The Office dock ups the ante by supporting 5.1 surround sound via HDMI which, obviously, also gives you an additional video port option. Both are available now world wide, with the Home Dock retailing for $170, while its slightly more premium brother commands a $200 price tag. Check out the PR after the break.
Continue reading Kensington updates DisplayLink universal laptop docks with USB 3.0
Filed under: Peripherals
Kensington updates DisplayLink universal laptop docks with USB 3.0 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 02:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sep 11
Kensington has been making all sorts of accessories for computers and tablets for a long time. The company has unveiled a pair of new docking stations that notebook users who take their machine with them to and from the home or office frequently will find useful. Both of these docking stations use DisplayLink technology to allow users to add a secondary larger screen.
Both docking stations also use USB 3.0 ports and the docks are called the Office Dock and Home Dock. The Office Dock is part number sd3500v and has dual head video support for both HDMI and DVI/VGA displays. The Office Dock also has gigabit Ethernet and supports up to 5.1 channel audio via HDMI. Other features for the Office Dock include USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 expansion ports.
The dock uses the DisplayLink DL-3900 IC. Kensington also has the Home Dock sd3000v it promises is an easy and efficient way to expand the home desktop using a single USB 3.0 connection. The Home Dock offers notebook users the ability to connect DVI or VGA displays. It also has an integrated gigabit Ethernet port and supports audio output.
The Home Dock has USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 expansion ports and uses the DisplayLink DL-3700 IC. Both docks support hot plug functionality for audio and video. Both the Office Dock and the Home Dock are available globally now selling for $169.99 and $199.99 respectively.
Kensington unveils DisplayLink USB 3.0 docks for home and office is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Sep 02
While most of its energy is focused on the XO-4 Touch, the One Laptop Per Child project is swinging into full gear for software, too. The project team has just posted an OS 12.1.0 update that sweetens the Sugar for at least present-day XO units. As of this latest revamp, text-to-speech is woven into the interface and vocalizes any selectable text — a big help for students that are more comfortable speaking their language than reading it. USB video output has been given its own lift through support for more ubiquitous DisplayLink adapters. If you’re looking for the majority of changes, however, they’re under-the-hood tweaks to bring the OLPC architecture up to snuff. Upgrades to GTK3+ and GNOME 3.4 help, but we’re primarily noticing a shift from Mozilla’s web engine to WebKit for browsing: although the OLPC crew may have been forced to swap code because of Mozilla’s policies on third-party apps, it’s promising a much faster and more Sugar-tinged web experience as part of the switch. While they’re not the same as getting an XO-3 tablet, the upgrades found at the source link are big enough that classrooms (and the occasional individual) will be glad they held on to that early XO model.
Filed under: Laptops, Software
OLPC delivers big OS update with text-to-speech, DisplayLink and WebKit originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Sep 2012 02:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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