Hasta La Gadget!

Been wondering what LG was doing with that flexible display technology it showed off at SID? Apparently it was working on the G Flex, a 6-inch smartphone with a curved screen. The typically innominate “person familiar with the company’s launch plans” told CNET the device will be announced in November, providing the outlet with a low resolution sketch of a curved yet rigid smartphone design.

This meshes quite well with the prototype display we saw earlier this summer, which trumpeted the durability of its plastic construction (which it demoed by hitting the panel with a mallet) over its ability to bend. The prototype display is also said to be cheaper to manufacture and lighter than traditional screens, both of which bode well for the end user. Still, the word “curved” seems to have been chosen carefully — it’s probable that this device will mirror Samsung’s rumored smartphone and will be an artistically bent handset rather than a flexible one. The official announcement isn’t due until next month, but we’ve reached out to LG for a comment, just in case.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG

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Source: CNET

Samsung’s been so busy getting its flexible displays (aka “Youm”) consumer-ready, it’s now got no clue what to actually do with them. As such, it’s decided to pay others to be idea-men, launching the “Flexible Future Business Plan Competition” in the US. Starting August 29th and running to October 6th, the contest is calling for nifty gadget concepts that use one to 20 inches of flexible display at up to full HD resolution. They’ll be judged on how important a flexible display is to the device, as well as design, practicality of hardware and business plan. The winner will receive $10k, with second and third place taking $5k and $2.5k, respectively. Samsung hopes you’ll head to the source link for the full lowdown, because there are only so many bendy smartwatches one can sell before you need other gear to put wobbly panels in.

Filed under: Displays, HD, Samsung

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Via: Phone Arena, Sammy Hub

Source: Samsung (contest page)

Sony’s new e-ink prototype is getting the test-drive treatment at Japanese universities, but SID provides a perfect opportunity to give the North American market a demo. We found the Digital Paper slab parked at E Ink’s booth — fitting, as the company’s new Mobius flexible display is the device’s biggest selling point.

At 13.3 inches, the panel is larger than your typical e-reader’s, but it weighs just 60 grams. That light footprint comes courtesy of E Ink’s TFT tech, which allows for larger, more rugged devices without the extra weight. The Digital Paper’s form factor matches the size of a sheet of A4 paper, and the on-board digitizer lets users scrawl notes on the electromagnetic induction touchscreen. Naturally, this is just one implementation of the E Ink’s display, but it’s neat to see a prototype in action nonetheless. Head past the break to do just that.

Filed under: Displays, Tablets, Sony

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Apples and oranges watches. Today’s bumper pack of patent applications from Cupertino included this nugget, outlining a small flexible screen that’s paired with a “bi-stable spring.” In normal lexicon, we’re talking about one of those slap bracelets that go from completely straight to wrap-around in an instant. Interestingly enough, Apple isn’t the only tech company sniffing around these bracelets as a possible holster for their tech — Nokia mused on slightly similar notions back in March 2012.

This is an application, so most of what today’s filing tells us is certainly not set in stone, but new ideas include a “kinetic energy gathering component” within the band — like the trickle charge feature found on watches — to pump energy back into the device. One example embodiment of the idea includes a touchscreen interface that will allow music browsing, phone call reviews and even text input through a “simple virtual keyboard.” The concept also mentions AMOLED screen tech, as those deactivated (so, black) pixels would assist in eking out battery life in a device where space is definitely at a premium. The filing also suggests that the device could house an end-detection sensor, allowing the wearable to configure itself to each user, regardless of differing wrist measurements, and deactivate sections of the flexible display that aren’t on show. This particular application was made in August 2011 — a fair while before the recent increase in iWatch murmurings. As is the case with Apple’s patent contributions, however, we’ll wait to see whether the patent is granted and whether these ideas will ever crystallize into a genuine product. In the meantime, maybe it’s time to buy up some snap bracelets on eBay: they might just be making a comeback.

Filed under: Wearables, Apple

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Source: USPTO

Plastic Logic may have bowed out of building its own e-readers, but that’s not stopping the company from making its presence felt at CES. It’s teaming up with Intel and Queen’s University on the PaperTab, a 10.7-inch tablet concept built around a flexible, e-paper touchscreen. The prototype runs a Sandy Bridge-era Core i5 processor that lets it stand on its own, but it’s ultimately designed to work as part of a team: position awareness lets multiple PaperTabs join together to share a work area, and tapping one tablet with content can send it to a waiting document in another. The bendy nature isn’t just for durability and a paper-like feel, either, as readers can flip through pages just by bending the relevant side. A fuller reveal is planned for January 8th, but you can get an initial sense of how the plastic slate works through the video after the break.

Continue reading Intel, Plastic Logic and Queen’s U build the PaperTab: a flexible e-paper tablet (video)

Filed under: Tablets, Intel

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Source: Queen’s University