E Ink Launches 42″ ePaper Display

These days, there are digital signboard made from LCD monitors all over the place. So how do you stand out from the crowd? Perhaps with a slick ePaper display like this one which just broke cover at CES.

The folks from E Ink revealed a big 42″ diagonal electrostatic display – reportedly the largest commercially available. The display can show easy to read monochrome images at a resolution of 2160 x 2880 at 85 dpi. In addition to its unconventional looks, the big advantages of an ePaper display are that it uses barely any power, and can continue to display the last image without application of any electricity.

The first product to feature the new display will be the QuirkLogic Quilla, a digital whiteboard designed for collaboration that replicates the feel of pen and paper, but uses the eInk screen as its display. Thanks to its low power consumption, the Quilla can run for up to 16 hours on battery only, and retains the last image on screen so you can pick up right where you last left off. Multiple Quillas can be linked together, and images can even be shared via a centralized library.

Shure KSE 1500 Review: Electrostatic Earphones Produce Simply Stunning In-Ear Audio

Over the years, I’ve tested out dozens of different headphones and earphones, and until now, the best sounding ones I ever heard were a pair of STAX electrostatic headphones, connected to a schmancy tube amplifier. The technology in electrostatic headphones and speakers provides an incredibly clean and dynamic sound that is nearly impossible to produce with other driver technology.

If you had asked me if someone could shrink electrostatic tech down to an in-ear driver, I would have guessed it couldn’t be done. Well, the sharp engineering minds at Shure have done just that, delivering a pair of earphones which offer the kind of crisp and transparent sound associated with electrostatic drivers.

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The Shure KSE 1500 system is much more than just a pair of earphones. Electrostatic drivers require high voltage to be driven, and won’t work with a conventional amp. Incredibly, Shure has figured out a way to package up not just an electrostatic amp, but a high quality digital/analog converter (DAC) in a single pocket-sized device. This lets you easily connect to your PC, Mac, iOS, or Android device preserving a digital signal right up until amplification. The DAC supports audio files sampled at up to 96kHz resolution, but does perfectly well with the more typical 44.1kHz CD-quality audio files. There’s also the option to plug in an analog source through its 3.5mm mini stereo jack.

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Until now, if you wanted to listen to electrostatic drivers, you’d need to buy a pair of large, over the ear headphones, along with a dedicated amplifier, specifically designed for electrostatics. Not only is this sort of setup completely non-portable, but it’s quite expensive. A pair of STAX SR-009s with an amp and a DAC will set you back over $5,000. The complete Shure KSE 1500 comes with everything you need for under $3000. That’s not exactly cheap, but it’s completely within reason in the world of high-end audiophile gear.

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Since these are in-ear monitors, they offer another big advantage beyond portability – they almost completely block out ambient sound, and won’t disturb others with your music. To enjoy this benefit, you’ll need to select the best eartips for your ear canal, and ensure a good, snug fit. I prefer the squishy foam cushions that expand, but everyone’s ears are different. With these earphones, choosing proper eartips is more critical than usual optimum bass performance. Fortunately, Shure includes a wide variety of eartips to choose from. Once you get the earphones tweaked for fit, you’ll be rewarded with something very special.

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Thanks to the electrostatic technology, the drivers are incredibly fast in responding to signals, with none of the distortion or lag that traditional earphone drivers can have. This results in crystal clear, nuanced sound that needs to be experienced to be truly understood. From the tiny string reverberations in Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Concerto No. 1, to the bright cymbal chatter in Radiohead’s Paranoid Android, to every itchy scratch of the Cabasas in Tom Waits’ Way Down in the Hole, I discovered subtleties I never new existed on these recordings.

Every detail is present, offering the sensation that you were right in the recording studio with your favorite musicians. The soundstage isn’t quite as wide as you might get with open-back headphones, but there’s still good imaging that isn’t as “in your head” as some earphones can be.

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I found the default settings to produce exceptional sound, though I prefer just a tiny bit more bass punch than the flat EQ offered. Thankfully, the Shures let you tweak and tune the sound to your heart’s content thanks to their built-in parametric equalizer. It includes five presets: flat, low boost, vocal boost, loudness, and de-essing. Low boost worked brilliantly for me, but if you want to customize the EQ curve to your exacting specs, you can do that too. You can hear your EQ changes in real time, and thanks to the inclusion of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), you can apply filters to analog sources as well.

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The Shures include everything you need to get started right away, including the earphones and portable amplifier/DAC, a handsome leather case with a belt loop, an AC adapter, a rubberized storage case for accessories, a variety of ear tips, and cables for analog, USB, and Lightning audio sources. Battery life for the amp/DAC is rated at about 10 hours in case you want to take it on the road. For the most part, I hooked up to my iMac’s USB jack, so I never had to worry about battery life.

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Priced at $2,999, Shure’s KSE 1500s aren’t for audio neophytes, but those with deep pockets and a taste for the finer things will be rewarded with amazing audio heretofore unavailable in sound-isolating earphones. Beyond being able to truly check out from the world and enjoy audio without external disturbance, what makes the Shure’s so special is their ability to surprise you with newly discovered dimensions of your music library in each and every listening session.

Dasung 13.3″ E-ink Monitor: Everything Reader

Last year we saw a couple of 13.3″ E-ink readers. Chinese company Dasung Tech used E Ink’s similarly-sized Fina electronic paper display (EPD) module to create a 1600×1200 USB monitor. It’s meant to be a secondary display and even has a detachable stand. Unfortunately it’s ridiculously expensive.

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According to The eBook Reader, Dasung Tech’s display has several display modes, including one that increases the refresh rate for smoother scrolling and cursor movement at the expense of some detail.

Update: Here’s another look at the monitor courtesy of YouTuber nhoffeld’s channel:

The display is already available in China for about $970 (USD). Aside from that crazy price it’s still noticeably slow. Still, its readability and power efficiency could earn it a niche. After about four or five price drops.

[via The eBook Reader via Cool Things]

PocketBook CAD Reader Flex 13.3″ Flexible E-reader: Paper v.1.5

Last year, we featured the PaperTab, an extremely flexible E-ink reader prototype. PocketBook’s upcoming CAD Reader Flex isn’t as thin or flexible as the PaperTab, but it is real and will be available soon. It’s a 13.3″ e-reader that should be great for reading up to letter-size (8.5″ x 11″) documents at full size.

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The CAD Reader Flex has a 1600×1200 Mobius E-ink screen, the same one that’s in Sony’s $1,000 (USD) DPT-S1 e-reader. But it appears the CAD Reader Flex will be more durable than Sony’s offering. That’s where the Mobius’ flexibility comes in. The CAD Reader Flex is only 6.5mm thick – for comparison’s sake, the iPhone 6 is 6.9mm thick and the iPad Air 2 is 6.1mm thick – but thanks in part to the flexible screen you can leave it in your bag knowing that it won’t snap in two at the slightest pressure.

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Aside from having an anti-Bendgate screen, the CAD Reader Flex is also dust- and moisture-resistant. Its rubber housing complements the screen’s flexibility while providing a grippy surface.

Let’s hope it doesn’t ape the Sony e-reader’s price tag. Check out PocketBook’s website to find out more about the CAD Reader Flex.

[via Gadgetify]

The Luna Wash

The future of washing clothes foresees us putting the washing machine between the dirty clothes and not the other way around. Interestingly, the Luna is an electrostatic spherical washing machine where the metallic sphere loads a little dose of water and is placed into the pile of dirty clothes. It then creates a cloud of fine particles of steam electrostatically charged. The steam oozes out through pores of the metal surface, wrapping and pervading all the fibers of the clothes.

This is how it works:

  • Luna flows between clothes through vibrations and pulses that control their movements, to scrub and shake tissues, detect dirt foci and detach it.
  • The metallic surface of the sphere acts as a magnet: electrostatically charged, attracts dirt particles impregnated with steam and sucks these towards the core of the sphere.
  • Finally, Luna dries with hot air the residual damp in the tissues.

Luna is 2014 Electrolux Design Lab Top 100 entry, you can vote for this or any other entry here. Voting closes on May 16, 2014.

Designer: Juan Camilo Restrepo Villamizar

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(The Luna Wash was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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Disney project turns the human body into a stealthy speaker (video)

Disney project turns your body into a stealthy speaker video

There are already devices that transmit sound to your body without speakers. But what if your body was the speaker? Disney Research has just explored that possibility through its Ishin-Den-Shin project. The experiment amplifies mic input and sends it back as a high voltage, low current signal that turns objects (including humans) into electrostatic audio sources that can't be heard over the air. Touch someone's ear while holding the mic, for example, and you'll deliver a private broadcast. Disney hasn't said if will build Ishin-Den-Shin into any products, but the technology is simpler than what we've seen in electrostatic speakers or headphones; don't be surprised if it pops up elsewhere.

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Via: Ars Technica

Source: Disney Research

Sony Working on A4-Size E-Ink Mobius “Digital Paper” Tablet

While many of us already have tablets like the iPad, the futuristic vision of people walking around with digital notebooks taking notes with a stylus never really came to be. With Sony’s upcoming E-Ink tablet, this could finally be a reality.

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Currently being shown in prototype form, the new tablet features a large 13.3″ (A4 Size) drawing surface, and is ridiculously thin. In fact, it’s just 6.8mm thick (almost 30% thinner than a current-gen iPad). The tablet features a 1600×1200 resolution screen, using E-Ink’s new Mobius screen technology. This new tech sandwiches the electrostatic film between plastic layers instead of glass, which cuts down on thickness and weight, and makes the display material flexible. In addition, Sony says the plastic screen will be more durable than glass versions – though I have to wonder how long well it will hold up to stylus pressure over time.

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Photo: DigInfo

The display is designed for taking notes, data entry, and creative tasks. While the black and white display isn’t as responsive as LCD screens, it’s definitely faster than other electrostatic screens, with exceptional battery life. In fact, Sony says the tablet can go up to three weeks without a recharge. Another benefit of course is the ease of reading the screen in daylight and workplace lighting.

Sony plans on releasing a commercial version of the tablet at some point later this year.

[via DigInfo & New Launches]

E-Ink Keyboard Concept: Optimus Monochromus

The Optimus Maximus keyboard from Art Lebedev was cool, but it was way too expensive for most people, especially since keyboards are used so often and can break over time. I can only imagine what repetitive typing would do to all of those expensive little OLED displays. The E-inkey concept keyboard uses more cost-effective E-ink displays instead.

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This changeable electrostatic keyboard is the brainchild of designers Maxim Mezentsev and Aleksander Suhih. The keycaps could contextually adapt their display depending on what you are doing, and which application you are using. The tiny energy efficient displays on the keycaps could possibly be made without ending up with a keyboard that costs as much as a computer.

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Admittedly, if you’re a touch typist, the added displays wouldn’t be that useful, but it would look plenty good. Again, like many cool things, the E-inkey keyboard is still just a concept. Hopefully, somebody will put it into production in the not-too-distant future.

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[via Yanko Design]