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Electronic Paper Advances

Posted by timothy on from the let's-hope-so dept.

ke4roh writes "Electronic paper comes a step closer," says a Reuters article today. The paper, made by E-ink bends and makes for a higher contrast display, perhaps for e-books and cell phones. It reminds me of Jim Willard's Paper Computer, but their web site is history. Slashdot previously discussed color electronic paper."

13 of 194 comments (clear)

  1. What has changed? by geeber · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Considering that E-ink has been around for quite some time (probably more than a year, though I am not sure), anyone know what is substaintially new about this press release? The article is detail-lite.

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    1. Re:What has changed? by canajin56 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      A friend tells me they already have something like it in Japan. He has several shopping cards that keep track of "points" you have. They are made of laminated paper, and are flexable. When you use it, the numbers written on the paper change to reflect your "point" balance.

      I havn't seem it for myself though.

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  2. Recycling by rf0 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Well this saves on problem of cutting down loads of trees (well to an extent) but I wonder how much energy is needed to produce this. Also is it going to replace getting the daily newspaper on the way to getting on the train? Also what about if it goes flat? Some sort of solar panel prehaps?

    Rus

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    1. Re:Recycling by Cpt_Kirks · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Also what about if it goes flat?

      IIRC, it only uses power when it changes state (text changes). If it runs out of juice, you are simply stuck on the current page.

    2. Re:Recycling by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Interesting

      "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I still haven't seen an ebook interface that is as intuitive as a real book or paper."

      Download an e-book to PocketPC. You don't even need to use a bookmark in it because it remembers where you last were.

      "And the difficulty of moving around books and papers is greatly exaggerated."

      Ever had a book fall out of your hands, land on the floor, and close? Ever have a book that's not very excited about being open? Ever try to pack two books into your bagage for a long trip? I made that mistake once.

      "One, it's more difficult than "just" sending a new graphic to them. How do you get the graphic there? Two, keeping an e-paper sign lit up costs a lot more in electricity than paper-paper."

      One, it's not more difficult than sending the graphic there. Can you honestly say that walking up to a billboard, plugging a connector into your laptop, and pressing the upload button is signficantly harder than hiring a couple of people to get the billboard printed, rolled up, and glued? (It's more fun in Portland since we like to have rain 90% of the year...)

      Two, ectricity's only needed to change the image. Once the power's off, the image stays in place. Perhaps you didn't RTFA? They talk about it on E-ink's site.

      "Whoopdy-freaking-do. If that's a problem, you have bigger problems."

      Who said anything about it being a problem? Damn cool feature if you ask me.

      "It's called "recycling". Which is much easier to do with paper than electronics."

      Again, no. Recycling paper involves destroying and reassembling the paper, losing elements in the process. Worse, because of paper's lack of resiliency, you have to use a lot more of it, thus creating the need for a much larger supply of it. In the case of e-paper, recycling it is just a matter of sending a new image to it. No replacement paper needed just to fix a typo.

      "The arguments for epaper are just not compelling in my opinion. "

      You're not going to find a compelling reason because you're not even trying to see it. You're too busy poo-pooing it. I imagine the reason for that is because you feel you sound more intelligent when you don't see the latest and greatest as being interesting. "Well I can see right through this!"

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    3. Re:Recycling by NineNine · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Again, no. Recycling paper involves destroying and reassembling the paper, losing elements in the process. Worse, because of paper's lack of resiliency, you have to use a lot more of it, thus creating the need for a much larger supply of it. In the case of e-paper, recycling it is just a matter of sending a new image to it. No replacement paper needed just to fix a typo.

      And the stuff needed to make "E-paper"? Plastics (oil) that don't degrade, heavy metals that not only are around for thousands of years, but are toxic, etc. I'd imagine that the environmental damage done by 100 reams of paper doesn't even rival that of one sheet of "E-paper".

  3. sci-fi wins again by Flunitrazepam · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Anyone else read Stephen Baxter? In nearly all his stories (very hard sci-fi), there are 'softscreens' which are essentually these paper displays His stories are usually set 5-10 years in the future, which would put him pretty close to the mark on this technology. I do wonder about the power supply though. Seeing that I can barely get a day's worth of stand-by on my cell phone with a tiny text screen it seems keep these things powered up might require an equally revolutionary energy store.

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    1. Re:sci-fi wins again by rf0 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Well if they are used in some portable sence how about trying to get some kenetic energy. I remeber a while ago Compaq (as it was then) was playing with the idea of using power from the kayboard to recharge batteries. now that was a good idea

      Rus

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  4. The disposability problem and convergence by VT_hawkeye · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'd worry that e-paper won't get past the disposability problem.

    One of the attractions of newspapers and magazines is that you can just get rid of them when you're done with them -- unless you have a compulsive desire to keep archives of the local paper, you probably throw it away, recycle it, or (in mass transit settings) leave it for the next guy once you're done with it. People already complain about having too much stuff to keep track of (hence the convergence attempts between PDAs, cell phones and digital cameras); an e-paper notebook would just add to that problem.

  5. In the same vein... by foo+fighter · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Whatever happened to print on demand publishing. It seemed to be a promising technology, much more promising than "epaper" but I can't find anyone using it anywhere.

    It seems like it would be a sweet deal for publishers and book sellers by cutting out a major cost source: the distributor. You go to a bookstore, find a paperback you like and take it to the counter. While you are paying for it, your copy is being printed in the back room. It's spit out onto the counter and the copy you picked up from the shelf is put back. This would be great to keep from being overstocked in a pulp-fiction title or technology book past its useful life.

    Digital copiers (even digital color copiers) are not expensive anymore, so I just don't get why we don't see this.

    For the same reasons, I don't understand why retailers have stacks of CDs in bins. Just have a dupe machine in the back room with a digital color copier for the liner notes. While you are paying for your CD it's being created in the back room. Again, you cut a major expense by knocking out the distributor.

    I thought the Internet was supposed to enable exactly these types of situations, but they are no where to be seen.

    What's up with that?

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    1. Re:In the same vein... by Elwood+P+Dowd · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Check out my former employer (as a temp):

      XLibris

      1. Authors sign up
      2. pay fee
      3. books get formatted, listed on Amazon (and Books In Print)
      4. folks order on Amazon (or their bookstore)
      5. print on demand publisher creates the book
      6. ships to store/customer
      7. royalty goes to Author.

      Authors get much higher royalties this way, but zero marketting, shelfspace, etc.

      Also, with XLibris (unlike some competitors), Authors keep their copyright. They can unlist with XLibris at any time, and sell their book to someone else, whatever.

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    2. Re:In the same vein... by saneax · · Score: 2, Interesting
      We are still far from printing online like u say there is a vein attempt being made. U can see at Internet Printing Protocols which are yet to be defined and agreed upon. Particular of interest would be RFC2567 and RFC2568.

      When we understand the way books are printed we would only understand its very different than what we would assume.Burning CD's and printing Books is quite different, CD printing is in a digital format, while plain paper printing, binding is a lot more time consuming and costly affair. Custom Internet books printed through digitial copier machines would cost a hell lot.

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  6. Fancy applications by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Instead of embedding it in paper, embed it in many more fabrics.

    - Dynamic camo for soldiers, and lots of James-Bond-ish gadgets like a programmable, dynamic passport

    - Fancy clothing that changes colour and motif (display your iTunes graphics on your shirt while dancing ? And imagine the hacking opportunities, displaying pr0n on your friends' back)

    - Animated (and highly annoying) packaging like that cereal cardbox from Minority Report

    - Ultrathin watches that consist just of a band of plastic, and maybe can display other useful information...

    - Animated programmable tattoos, like those of SciFi book "Vertical Horizon"

    The possibilities are nearly endless...

    I believe it'd be accompanied by technology that would make screens detachable, maybe associated with that "pocket server" by IBM, mentioned in a recent /. article. Now this "wearable computer" just needs some input device...