E Ink has revealed the technical details behind its new e-paper display, which is used in the next-generation, just-announced Kindle DX. Dubbed Pearl, the new display tech increases the contrast ratio by 50 percent compared to the outgoing technology. The new e-paper uses an electrophoretic display and is based on current Vizplex designs.
Dulin's Books announced this week that it will soon ship its Boox 60, an e-book reader that has an integrated Wi-Fi connection and a WebKit-based browser. The browser will let users view news, blogs and wiki sites and download content for the reader. The 6-inch Vizplex display has touch capability using Wacom technology, and an included stylus helps users take notes.
Dulin's Books recently announced the arrival of the PocketBook 301 and the PocketBook 360 e-book readers in the US. Both devices are rebadged, as Dulin's Books is a reseller not a manufacturer, but are relatively advanced for the class. The PocketBook 360 has a 5-inch E-Ink Vizplex display and is powered by a 400MHz Samsung processor, while its 512MB of built-in memory can be expanded to 32GB thanks to a microSD memory card slot.
Software maker Foxit has recently announced the upcoming release of its first hardware product, the eSlick e-book reader. The device supports PDF and TXT documents, and includes Foxit Reader Pro Pack and Foxit PDF Creator software that will convert any printable document to a PDF. Its 128MB of embedded memory will also hold MP3 files, and is expandable to 4GB via an SD card slot. A 2GB SD card is included. Text is diplayed on the eSlick's 6-inch E Ink screen from Vizplex, which offers 600x800 resolution at 166dpi and four grayscale levels.
HP Labs and Arizona State University today revealed that it has built the first example of a working flexible plastic display. A process known as self-aligned imprint lithography (SAIL) lets the PC maker build a thin film transistor screen that can be rolled up without snapping or otherwise easily breaking. Although it uses an active matrix and can show moving content, it also uses Vizplex's E Ink technology borrowed from e-books to render an image stable even when the display's power is shut off, making it ideal for reading.
