iRex announces color display tech for e-book readers
updated 05:55 pm EDT, Wed June 3, 2009
iRex color displays
iRex has announced new developments in its color display technology that will likely be used in upcoming e-book readers. Current electrophoretic displays found in readers utilize additive color mixing and filters that can potentially deteriorate the reading quality. The iRex technology, however, uses subtractive color mixing that follows a similar process to physical printing and is claimed to offer three times the brightness of other color displays.
“The ultimate goal of an electronic paper display is to mimic the appearance of pigment on paper. This means more than just bright color, the reflection also has to be diffuse,“ said Alex Henzen, the company's top display expert. “iRex’s subtractive color mixing technology will allow us to produce a wide range of colors in high resolution to deliver magazine-quality color to our e‐reader customers."
Amazon CEO Jezz Bezos recently claimed that a color Kindle is still multiple years away. "I've seen the color displays in the laboratory and I can assure you they're not ready for prime time," he said.
iRex claims the ultra-thin color displays will launch sometime in 2011.
