Samsung has reportedly bought Liquavista, the electrowetting screen specialists whose e-paper displays were poised to take on E Ink and mirasol. Neither company has confirmed the deal, but a translated Dutch job listing suggests that “the organization has a new Liquavista division of Samsung.”
Samsung is also reportedly listed as a corporate parent at the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce, though we’ve been unable to independently verify that fact. [Update: See below] Liquavista last made headlines with a flexible, unbreakable e-paper display, and it seems Samsung has decided it wants that technology for its own products.
Job description (translated):
HR Manager
Partner
EINDHOVEN
HR Manager The position As HR Manager you are contributing to the further development and growth of the organization. Ean of your main tasks in the initial phase is to establish a framework around employment such as pensions. The profile you have HBO / university working and thinking and at least 5 years experience in an all round HR function. You are used to operate in a “sales driven, dynamic and international organization. Also recognize yourself in the following competencies: self pioneer Very flexible Proactive Pragmatic Visionary Energetic Excellent communication skills Excellent command of English spoken and written Willing to occasionally travel abroad Full time available (40 hours) The organization has a new Liquavista division of Samsung. The company is active in the field of display development. The offer Location: Eindhoven Salary: between, ¬ 3800, – and, ¬ 5000, – gross per month, excluding holiday and bonus. Employment: 1 year with prospect of permanent employment. Contact Information Simon Onck 073-7511716 Reference number 5806
Update:eReaders.nl have grabbed a screenshot showing Samsung as the new Liquavista parent company [Thanks Natasja]:
BenQ has been offering up displays and projectors for a long time now and the firm has unveiled two of its latest offerings for geeks to peruse. The new screens include the new Vertical Alignment LED backlit EW2430 and EW2430V. The monitors feature 8-bit color panel with full HD resolution each.
The contrast ration on them both is 3000:1 and the dynamic contrast is 20M:1. Both of the monitors have 24-incn panels and lots of connectivity. The connectivity options include dual HDMI outputs, D-sub, and a single DVI port. The only difference in the two is that the V has a few more features to make the image better.
It has Smart Focus, super Resolution, PIP/PIB, 3D Deitnerlace, and 3D Noise Reduction. The two screens will ship in the next few months globally at undisclosed prices.
There have been LCDs on the market for a while now that only need a single USB port co power and connectivity. We got our hands on one of the largest of this kind of monitor from iMo called the Monster 10-inch an liked the thing well enough. A new and significantly larger LCD has surfaced that needs only one USB cable for power and connectivity from a company called Green House in Japan.
The giant USB monitor has a screen that is 15.6-inches and needs only 5W of power to operate. That means the single USB cable powers the thing. The resolution for the screen is 1366 x 768 and it has a 400:1 contrast ratio and 220cd/m2 brightness rating. The screen physically measures in at 377.7 x 141.8 x 287.8mm and weighs 1.2kg.
If you want tons of screen space, you can connect as many as six of these screens to your computer at one time. The model number for the display is GH-USD16K and it is slated to hit the Japanese website of the maker this month for the equivalent of $215. There is no word on the LCD coming to the US or anywhere outside Japan at this time.
Plastic Logic is in the midst of securing a second round of funding, expected to reach $700m, as the company plans to open its Russian manufacturing plant in 2013 or 2014. The news includes the original RUSNANO investment from November 2010 – now revealed to be worth $150m – as well as $50m from an existing investor. The money will be used to produce a second-gen plastic-based epaper display, which Plastic Logic says are currently being qualified in its original Dresden factory.
The company still has to make up the final $400m, though is apparently confident that is possible in the interim period before the second factory opens its doors; it has already confirmed $100m in debt financing, partially guaranteed by RUSNANO. The exact nature of the new displays is yet to be announced, though Plastic Logic’s original premise – that the panels were more durable than traditional e-ink screens, and could even be bent or flexed without damage – could still find a niche in the industry.
Moneual Labs is no stranger to unusual PC cases – their I*magine HTPC grabbed a CES Innovation award back in 2008 – and while the new Dual Screen PC (DSPC) case might have a more traditional basic form-factor, we’re liking the huge integrated display. Details are scant – all Moneual says is that the DSPC is “a tower?type slim PC case with a built-in screen for use in dual-screen mode with a standard monitor” – but it doesn’t take much to realise that this would make for an awesome HTPC setup.
The bulk of the fascia is taken up by a broad display – no word on whether it’s a touchscreen or not – which can be used to show icons and widgets; there’s also an optical drive slot and various ports. We can imagine slotting the DSPC under our HDTV, using the big screen for video playback and the onboard display for status and control.
The CES 2011 team obviously liked the DSPC case too; they’ve given Moneual Labs another Innovations award, one of six this year. The Moneual Labs DSPC is expected to go on sale in Q3 2011, priced at around $1,500.
Frustration among Notion Ink Adam pre-order customers, as one of the most anticipated display features – the matte finish, scratch-resistant display – turns out to be not entirely as is seems. According to Notion Ink’s “Design” page, the Adam tablet’s screen is “made of pure matte glass”; however, according to company emails to pre-order customers, in actual fact the display itself is glossy and non-scratch-resistant, and uses an adhesive screen protector in order to meet the promises on the spec sheet.
Update: Notion Ink comment added after the cut
“A super-strong skeleton inside the matte, scratch-resistant skin –the Adam is great to have, and even better to hold. At Notion Ink, we hate fingerprints on our devices and love all things light, durable and useable. And so, all the Adam’s screen surfaces are made of pure matte glass that softens reflections under the brightest of lights, and prevents fingerprints.” Notion Ink “Design” description
It’s unclear whether the screen protector is pre-applied by Notion Ink before the 10.1-inch Adam is shipped, or whether it will merely be bundled in with the rest of the included accessories. If the latter, it will be up to users to fit, which could result in frustrations given the adhesive panels can be tricky even on smaller, smartphone-scale displays.
The news is seemingly at odds with previous information from Notion Ink, where the company suggested it had experimented with different types of matte-finish glass to find an alternative to the usual glossy panels seen on tablets like the iPad. We’re seeking clarification from the company now, and will update as soon as we know more.
Update: Notion Ink CEO Rohan Shravran has told us the following:
“Adam comes with 2 layers of Matte Surfaces, one on the PQ LCD screen, other through the Matte Screen protector on the outside Glass. Inside layer cuts the gloss on the LCD layer and colors are not washed out. For the outside glass we are using specially designed matte covers which users at their end can decide to use or not. It is finger stain resistant (oil component) and has same matte properties as on the LCD. The glass in itself is further scratch resistant.”
Update 2: We’ve been talking with Rohan about the nature of the glass, Pixel Qi and LCD panels, and have some clarification. Both the Pixel Qi and LCD panels apparently have a matte finish, and the glass layer atop them “is already low in gloss, and when you add matte, it’s pure matte.” Rohan says the glass is both “scratch resistant” and “smooth so you can use a protective screens, so you can instead of using matte cover, use any other cover which you want.”
HannStar Display president Ding Hui Joe has been indicted as part of anti-trust investigations into LCD price fixing. According to the charges, the exec took part in clandestine meetings and illegal sales info swapping for four years, up until January 2006, as part of an attempt by LCD industry players to maintain pricing and avoid supplier undercutting.
Apple, Dell and HP have all been impacted by the conspiracy, which kept artificially high the prices on laptop, desktop and mobile device displays. Ding Hui Joe faces fines of up to $1m and a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years if he is convicted; he is the 22nd executive charged. HannStar has separately agreed to pay $30m in fines for its part in the affair.
We’ve seen countless individuals integrate their phone, PMP or tablet into their whip, but for years, we’ve all been thinking the same thing: “There has to be an easier way.” Turns out, there is. One Mr. Romin has seemingly unearthed the solution, which involves a Lilliput FA1042 touchpanel, a Belkin AV dock adapter cable and a critical piece of software by the name of Centrafuse. Working in conjunction, he has enabled his monitor to actually control the iPhone, and when firing up a YouTube video, the content plays back on the big screen while the controls remain visible on the handset. It’s a nifty setup, for sure, and we’re downright excited to see this rig get installed in a vehicle far too small for American roads in a fortnight or so. For now, catch it working in action just past the break.
Sony has announced a 5-inch clip-out LCD preview display, the CLM-V55 LCD video monitor, intended to give DSLR videographers a change to see their footage in higher resolution than most camera screens provide. The 800 x 480 panel has a tilt/swivel mount that fits onto an auto-lock accessory shoe or ISO shoe, is powered either by an independent battery or AC adapter, and hooks up to the camera itself via HDMI.
It’s not just a dumb LCD screen, however; there’s a pixel magnification mode which ofers an enlarged view of a selected portion of the Full HD image, together with a colour peaking function that highlights the edges of accurately-focused areas of the video image. Meanwhile there’s adjustable aspect ratio (16:9/4:3), volume, brightness, contrast, colour tone (phase), colour temp and auto dimmer.
A mono speaker – and headphone jack – together with a sun hood round out the main specs. No word on pricing, but the Sony CLM-V55 LCD video monitor will go on sale in March 2011.
Press Release:
Clip-on LCD monitor from Sony for HD video shooting with Interchangeable Lens Digital cameras 13 January 2011
CLM-V55 gives big, high-resolution view of video footage
• Clip-on LCD monitor attaches to DSLR camera
• Large (5″) WVGA panel offers superb high-resolution view while shooting HD video
• Tilt/swivel for comfortable viewing at any angle
• Colour peaking and pixel magnification for precise focus confirmation
A new clip-on LCD monitor from Sony gives DSLR camera owners a bigger, better view of their footage while shooting HD video.
The CLM-V55 is a portable video monitor featuring a high-resolution WVGA (800 x 480) (5”) LCD panel. Attaching easily to most Interchangeable Lens Digital cameras and compatible HD camcorders via the supplied adaptor, it displays video footage during shooting/playback with excellent clarity and a wide viewing angle.
The clip-on screen tilts and swivels to any angle for comfortable framing in any position – even self-shooting when you’re in the picture.
The CLM-V55 is loaded with pro-style features to help photo enthusiasts and videographers shoot high-quality HD video footage with their Interchangeable Lens Digital camera.
Pixel magnification mode assists with accurate focus confirmation, giving an enlarged pixel-perfect view of a selected portion of the Full HD image. It’s complemented by a colour peaking function that highlights the edges of accurately-focused areas of the video image.
An intuitive control wheel allows quick, positive adjustment of a wide range of monitor settings without interrupting shooting. Adjustable parameters include aspect ratio (16:9/4:3), volume, brightness, contrast, colour tone (phase), colour temp and auto dimmer. On-screen markers aid precise framing by giving precise indication of a TV’s 16:9 or 4:3 actual display area. The LCD monitor’s on-board mono speaker is complemented by a headphone jack for accurate audio monitoring during shooting.
The CLM-V55 attaches easily to a wide range of Interchangeable Lens Digital cameras from Sony and other manufacturers that support HD video shooting. The supplied adaptor simplifies mounting on any camera or HD camcorder that features an auto-lock accessory shoe or ISO shoe. Signal connection from camera to monitor is via the supplied HDMI cable, while power can be supplied using a battery pack or AC adaptor (both optional). The CLM-V55 comes with a detachable LCD hood for more comfortable viewing when shooting outdoors in bright sunlight.
The CLM-V55 LCD video monitor by Sony is available from March 2011.
NVIDIA has outed Lenovo’s latest 3D capable display, the L2363d, running at Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution and capable not only of playing back 3D but recording it thanks to dual webcams. The Lenovo L2363d supports 3D photos and 3D web-conferencing, as long as you have NVIDIA’s 3D Vision specs.
There’s also the Lenovo IdeaCentre K330 PC, a 3D-capable desktop using NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX460 GPU. Lenovo is, unsurprisingly, hoping you buy them both together. No word on full specifications as yet, since NVIDIA is only gloating about the 3D Vision tech, but we’re guessing it’s a similar – albeit updated – version to the K330 Lenovo outed back in December.
Press Release:
NVIDIA Showcases New Lenovo 3D Gaming Monitor With NVIDIA 3D Vision Technology at CES
Lenovo IdeaCentre PCs and Monitors With Built-In Stereoscopic 3D Webcam Expand NVIDIA’s 3D Vision Ecosystem to More Than 1,000 Supported Products
LAS VEGAS, NV — (Marketwire) — 01/06/2011 — CES 2011 — NVIDIA today announced the expansion of its NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ ecosystem with the addition of new 3D-enabled PCs and monitors by Lenovo.
NVIDIA is demonstrating the new Lenovo 3D monitor, as well as a number of new 3D Vision systems and 3D content, at CES this week (Booth # 31431 — Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall 3).
Award-winning NVIDIA 3D Vision technology delivers a breathtaking stereoscopic 3D experience for gamers, movie-lovers and photo enthusiasts on their PCs and notebook computers. The 3D Vision ecosystem now exceeds 1,000 notebook and desktop PCs, displays, TVs, projectors, NVIDA GPUs, video applications, cameras, and games, with more devices and 3D content being steadily added.
The Lenovo IdeaCentre K330 PC, a high-performance 3D gaming PC tower that features the powerful NVIDIA GeForce® GTX460 GPU, now joins the extensive list of 3D Vision technology-supported PCs. In addition, the new Lenovo L2363d 23-inch 3D monitor, one of the first full-HD (1920 x 1080) monitors to feature dual webcam lenses, enables users to take 3D photos or participate in stereoscopic 3D web conferencing using NVIDIA 3D Vision glasses and technology.
“NVIDIA’s 3D Vision delivers superior quality, performance and compatibility required to our consumers to enjoy an immersive 3D entertainment experience,” said Wei Jin, director of Lenovo Idea product group. “The IdeaCentre K330 PC and L2363d monitor were designed with this in mind, providing new levels of power, performance and high-quality visuals to shift consumers’ 3D gaming and multimedia experiences into overdrive.”
NVIDIA 3D Vision technology supports the richest array of 3D content available, including 500 3D games, Blu-ray 3D movies, 3D photos and streaming Web video. It also enables users to upload, share and view full-resolution 3D photos, as well as enjoy 3D movies at NVIDIA’s 3DVisionLive.com, the world’s first 3D Vision online community. In addition, NVIDIA’s new 3DTV Play™ software enables consumers to attach their PC or notebook to 3D HDTVs and HDMI 1.4-capable audio/video receivers and enjoy all the latest 3D content in the comfort of their living rooms in full HD 3D, and with HD surround sound audio. 3DTV Play software is bundled free with 3D Vision notebooks and PCs, and is available now at NVIDIA’s online store for $39.99.
“By joining the growing list of OEMs selling 3D Vision PCs, Lenovo will enable more consumers throughout the world to experience high-quality 3D entertainment on their PCs,” said Phil Eisler, general manager of 3D Vision at NVIDIA. “And, with the new Lenovo monitor, consumers for the first time can experience high-quality stereoscopic 3D web conferencing on a desktop PC system.”
For more information on the Lenovo IdeaCentre K330 PC and 3D L2363d monitor, please visit: www.lenovo.com
HannStar Display president Ding Hui Joe 
