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Amazon Buys Sunlight Readable Color Display Company Liquavista

Posted by Unknown on from the dreaming-of-pixel-qi dept.

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."

8 of 56 comments (clear)

  1. Well of course. by girlintraining · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

    --
    #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
    1. Re: Well of course. by alen · · Score: 4, Funny

      Microsoft did this in the 90's

      Windows 8 is still missing features hyped almost 20 years ago

    2. Re: Well of course. by VortexCortex · · Score: 4, Funny

      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?

    3. Re:Well of course. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

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

  2. Re:You mean like the Kindle Fire? by AnotherAnonymousUser · · Score: 3, Informative

    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.

  3. Re:You mean like the Kindle Fire? by Y-Crate · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

  4. Re:uh... by jtownatpunk.net · · Score: 3, Informative

    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.

  5. Re:You mean like the Kindle Fire? by Jartan · · Score: 3, Interesting

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