Amazon Buys Sunlight Readable Color Display Company Liquavista

Nate the greatest writes "It looks like those 4 month old rumors are true. Amazon has confirmed today that they have bought Liquavista, a Netherlands based screen tech company. There's no info yet on how much Amazon paid to Samsung, but previous rumors suggested that the asking price was under $100 million. Amazon also isn't talking about how they plan to use the electrowetting screen tech, but many are assuming that a Color Kindle is in the works."

Comments

Well of course.

[girlintraining]

Amazon also isn't talking about how they plan to use the electrowetting screen tech, but many are assuming that a Color Kindle is in the works."

Something I learned many, many years ago watching Apple's amazing marketing division at work. Leak. Leak early, leak often. Spread rumors. But deny everything. This accomplishes two things: First, it gives you very accurate marketing data on what your customers are expecting and want. Second, it creates an atmosphere of expectation and excitement. By carefully modulating these things, you can multiply the amount of advertising for your product many, many times over what conventional marketing can do.

Amazon is just taking a page from Apple's playbook.

Re: Well of course.

[alen]

Microsoft did this in the 90's

Windows 8 is still missing features hyped almost 20 years ago

Re: Well of course.

[VortexCortex]

Stop Son!

I see you're trying to open a document with embedded macros. Would you like to scan this file for malware first, or would you like me to install the malware myself?

Re:Well of course.

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/how_apple_does_controlled_leaks

Re: Well of course.

[alexander_686]

There is a big differance between Microsoft and Appl.e

Microsoft gave deadlines on when things would ship sometimes vauge - but they would annouce what they where doing.

Apple will not even say that it has a working product until launch.

Re:You mean like the Kindle Fire?

[raydobbs]

Nice referrer link! I think they would want a display that doesn't drain a battery quite like the displays on most active screen tablets (you'd be lucky to get 8 hours out of a current Fire). This would be more for the low-power-draw devices like the Kindle Paperweight.

Re:You mean like the Kindle Fire?

[AnotherAnonymousUser]

That's really not the same technology at all. That's an LCD screen. We're hoping for something that gets more than 8 hours of battery life, and something closer to the two months the Kindles can get.

Re:Samsung.

[Dynedain]

Samsung just bought Liquavista in 2012.. interesting.. How will that work? I mean Samsung is more than likely going to use this technology.

Well clearly they're not planning to use it and instead are selling it Amazon.

Re:You mean like the Kindle Fire?

[Y-Crate]

I may buy a tablet in the next year or two, but I'm not planning letting go of my B&W Kindle w/ e-ink -- unless it's to replace it with a color e-ink model.

Trying to read a book on a backlit LCD screen in a pain in the ass on a good day and simply not possible in direct sunlight.

I love that Amazon has made (quite good) Kindle apps for just every piece of hardware I own - and I use them - but mainly for trying out samples and calling up specific passages.

Once you get hooked on e-ink, it's hard to go back to anything else.

Re:uh...

[jtownatpunk.net]

No, they're not. It's not eInk at all. It's a new method of building a color LCD panel that is reflective. Entirely different.

Color eInk already exists. Google the Etaco Jetbook Color. 4096 colors and slow refresh rate (like B/W eInk). Not the same thing other than they're both reflective, color displays.

Re:uh...

[tricorn]

It isn't e-ink, but it also isn't an LCD. RTFA.

Re:uh...

[Dynedain]

It's very similar to e-ink, the way LCD is similar to the same technology that's been powering your clock for 30 years.

"Color e-ink" is a good shorthand way of thinking about it.

Re:You mean like the Kindle Fire?

[Jartan]

That's the interesting thing about this technology. It can be reflective OR backlit. Combining it with the paperwhite lighting should work great.

Re:Samsung.

[AlphaWolf_HK]

Alex Jones called, he wants his "gold medal for worst conspiracy theory ever" back.

Re:You mean like the Kindle Fire?

[sgtrock]

Trying to read a book on a backlit LCD screen in a pain in the ass on a good day...

While I will be the first to admit that e-ink is truly wonderful for direct sunlight condition, I still have to say, "Wow, hyperbole much?"

A month ago I spent four days' vacation in the Dominican Republic, most of which was spent lounging around the pool with my wife. She's got a Kindle Fire and I have a Nook Color. Neither one of us had any problem at all reading books in sunlight bright enough to require sunglasses.

Here's a tip: Don't forget to turn up the screen brightness all the way before going outside. That's all that's really required.

Re:You mean like the Kindle Fire?

[IronChef]

I had 2 e-ink readers, and did like them quite a bit... but then I got a Nexus 7 and haven't touched them. The screen is perfectly usable outdoors. Not AWESOME... but usable. In partial shade, like sitting next to the window on a bus, it's fantastic.

YMMV.

Re:Samsung.

[bill_mcgonigle]

Samsung just bought Liquavista in 2012.. interesting.. How will that work? I mean Samsung is more than likely going to use this technology.

If I had to guess, Samsung gets a perpetual license to the technology at a small cost+ margin while Amazon foots the R&D bill. Probably Samsung was moving too slowly for what Amazon wanted, Bezos thought he could do better, so he made Samsung a win-win deal.