LG gets patent for mobile UI that reacts to flexible displays, encourages origami

LG gets patent for mobile UI that reacts to flexible displays, encourages origami

As often as companies love to toy with flexible displays, we're seldom told how we'd control that newfound freedom. Are we supposed to make e-paper cranes? Credit LG for some forward thinking -- it's just receiving a US patent for a 2008-era user interface invention that would use a bending screen to its advantage. The implementation includes two displays, one of which flexes while the other accepts touch; bend or fold the first display, and the touchscreen changes to suit the context. Having two closely linked displays would also let the panels run either in unity or independently. Suffice it to say that the technology is unlikely to roll out as-is on a smartphone, if ever: LG's attention has swung towards having one big touchscreen as of late. However, the interface does give the Korean firm a place to start if it develops devices to match its new flexible batteries.

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LG gets patent for mobile UI that reacts to flexible displays, encourages origami originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s dual-display Windows 8 laptop and other prototypes, hands-on

See that? It's not your daddy's flip hybrid tablet -- it's the new dual-display laptop prototype from the fine people at Samsung. The body of the notebook is certainly in the vein of a MacBook Air or ultrabook, with slim metal slides that taper off into a point. The palm rests, meanwhile, are a brushed metal, with black chiclet-style keys above. On the bezel above the screen is a camera.

The magic, however, doesn't happen until you close the thing, turning on a display on the hood. Yep, it's yet another attempt to capitalize on Windows 8's dual-nature. Inside, you've got a fully functioning laptop and outside you've a touchscreen tablet that, yes, utilizes everyone's favorite proprietary stylus, the S-pen, and there's also a rear facing camera on the outside. Perhaps it's all that functionality packed inside, but this prototype is certainly heavier than your standard ultrabook, and unlike most systems, a lot of that weight is located in the display -- we're sure there's a fair amount of internals located up there.

This being a prototype, the Samsung rep we spoke with had no clue on what such a device might cost or when it might come to market -- or even if this thing will ever see the light of day, so don't get your dual-hopes up just yet. The hybrid was sitting right next to the 2,560 x 1,440 Series 9 prototype we recently scoped out and in front of a wall of concepts that explore the brave new world of elastic form factors to their fullest. Check out a video and some notes on the other devices after the jump.

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Samsung's dual-display Windows 8 laptop and other prototypes, hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s dual-display Windows 8 laptop and other prototypes, hands-on

See that? It's not your daddy's flip hybrid tablet -- it's the new dual-display laptop prototype from the fine people at Samsung. The body of the notebook is certainly in the vein of a MacBook Air or ultrabook, with slim metal slides that taper off into a point. The palm rests, meanwhile, are a brushed metal, with black chiclet-style keys above. On the bezel above the screen is a camera.

The magic, however, doesn't happen until you close the thing, turning on a display on the hood. Yep, it's yet another attempt to capitalize on Windows 8's dual-nature. Inside, you've got a fully functioning laptop and outside you've a touchscreen tablet that, yes, utilizes everyone's favorite proprietary stylus, the S-pen, and there's also a rear facing camera on the outside. Perhaps it's all that functionality packed inside, but this prototype is certainly heavier than your standard ultrabook, and unlike most systems, a lot of that weight is located in the display -- we're sure there's a fair amount of internals located up there.

This being a prototype, the Samsung rep we spoke with had no clue on what such a device might cost or when it might come to market -- or even if this thing will ever see the light of day, so don't get your dual-hopes up just yet. The hybrid was sitting right next to the 2,560 x 1,440 Series 9 prototype we recently scoped out and in front of a wall of concepts that explore the brave new world of elastic form factors to their fullest. Check out a video and some notes on the other devices after the jump.

Continue reading Samsung's dual-display Windows 8 laptop and other prototypes, hands-on

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Samsung's dual-display Windows 8 laptop and other prototypes, hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon applies for dual-display device patent, where e-ink and LCD play nice together

Amazon applies for dualdisplay device patent, where eink and LCD play nice together

Been holding out on that Kindle Fire purchase because you just can't wean yourself off the eye-friendly e-ink? Well, this patent application from the folk at Amazon suggests this is something they're not unaware of. The patent outlines a device incorporating two or more displays, one being static in nature (a-la e-ink) and the other more suitable for video (that'd be LCD or OLED etc). If you're thinking this sounds like a fast route to flat-battery town, the patent argues to the contrary. The static display would save power by offloading the workload from the LCD, when its slow moving nature was more suitable to the content. Will we see something like this popping up next week? One can but dream.

Amazon applies for dual-display device patent, where e-ink and LCD play nice together originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 06:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung announces GT-B9120 for Android flip phone fans in China

The emergence of Android, and the decline of the flip-phone form factor happened as such, that the two aren't all that well acquainted. Samsung, however, wants to firm-up that relationship, bringing the two together once more. The GT-B9120 is the result. A flip phone with Google's Gingerbread operating system from the Galaxy-maker, headed for the Chinese market. There's dual 3.5-inch 480 x 800 screens, and a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8260 doing the business. A 5-megapixel camera will send photos off to the 16GB internal storage, and HSPA, WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth make up the wireless options. Somewhere someone's dream has just been answered, we just hope that person is in China.

Samsung announces GT-B9120 for Android flip phone fans in China originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jun 2012 08:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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