Philips Ready To Mass-Produce Foldable Screens

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&e=1&u=/nm/20040126/tc_nm/tech_philips_displays_dc' target='_blank'>http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...ips_displays_dc</a><br /><br /></div>"Dutch firm Philips Electronics said on Monday it was preparing to mass-produce a slim, book-sized display panel onto which consumers could download newspapers and magazines -- then roll up and put away. The 5-inch display, which can show detailed images, can be rolled up into a pen-sized holder. If connected to a mobile phone, it can also be used to download web pages, a book or email."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20040126-PhilipsFoldableScreen.jpg" /><br /><br />Of course, the question I'd love answered is if we'll see this on PDAs, and if so what the practical resolutions will be. It would be cool to have more flexible PDA screens -- that could get around the limitations of having a large screen that takes up too much space in one's pocket.

[Powelly]

first thought:

put it on the sleeve of an e-vest

wow!

:D

[Air]

Hey that is not such a bad idea!

with flexible solar cell and a mosaic of this screen, the potential is limitless!

:lol:

Of course I want 20inch COLOR dammit...

[sliaa]

might look like a "rod" with flex screen rolled in/out on the side, and "virtual keyboard" projected from the end of the "rod" :-)

[MaximumPDA]

It would be cool to wrap a car hood or whole car with it and be able to change your graphics at will.

Of course when they develop color a PDA screen would be very cool.

--Bill

[Bogus]

Hey, not sure if anyone noticed but someone already has one for a PDA screen! Check-out the photos that Philips provided at: http://www.extra.research.philips.com/pressmedia/pictures/displays_rolldisp.html (top image) :D

-James

[ricksfiona]

Wow, I read about this a few years ago, but I never thought it would come out this quickly! I agree, I totally see this on an e-vest. Place the screen on the forearm. The possibilities are incredible. If the solar cell on the vest can power the display, possibly have a bluetooth connection to the screen interface it with your cell phone or PDA. This is way cool...

Does anyone remember the jacket that Marty McFly wore in "Back to the Future"? :D

[Air]

here comes disposable PPC.

[David Prahl]

Good eye, Bogus!

Instead of scratching and cracking our screens now we need to worry about tearing them! :D

[possmann]

amazing - but I want color - :lol: ! I've been spoiled and will not go back to B&W...

[Jonathan1]

Hey, not sure if anyone noticed but someone already has one for a PDA screen! Check-out the photos that Philips provided at: http://www.extra.research.philips.com/pressmedia/pictures/displays_rolldisp.html (top image) :D

-James

The picture quality is iffy if you look at the picture of the lion. *shurgs* Gotta crawl before you can walk. Cool tech. But give it 10 years. The potential for this is huge. If nothing else I like MaximumPDA’s idea. A car that can change color and graphics as easily as you change your desktop image.

[JustinGTP]

The foldable screen is a great idea - but the last time I checked they dont have a foldable PDA. Where is the rest of the PDA going to go now that the screen can roll up? :roll:

[Falstaff]

This technology (I think it is OLED) has been around a while, and there are color screens made from it, I don't know why Phillips only has b&amp;w. I have a few links listed below, one is to a Scientific American article that talks a lot about OLEDs. UDC is the company that developed the technology. The last link, and the image I included, are for a project a class at my school did involving OLED screens.

Scientific American (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&colID=1&articleID=0003FCE7-2A46-1FFB-AA4683414B7F0000)
Universal Display Corporation (http://www.universaldisplay.com/)
<a href="http://www.smtexas.net/faculty/rummel/io/baton.html">
http://www.smtexas.net/faculty/rummel/io/Baton-Computer.gif
The Baton Computer</a>

Hey janak, I guess my previous post (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23144) was perfectly timed to the arrival of these devices in the mainstream. :D I love this technology, so much possibility.

[jeffmd]

OLED and paper thin displays are 2 different things. OLED is a new screen production that allows for better quality color, better lighting (no seperate backlight), less power, and heck it might be cheaper, not to sure. This is something else. Im bummed its not color yet, infact looking at the lion, the greyscale is so bad that images are not good enough yet, also I guess size is an issue since all the samples are 5ish inches.

But some good things may come of this, for one, anyone see the 5th element with bruce willis? Who didnt think bruces alarm clock in the begginig was cool? Likely applications for this is mono displays, like digits, simple gauges, that can be used in areas of limited space and be allowed to hang, with very low threat of damage if you happen to run into it. also this would be one step closer to windshield mounted displays for the masses. Not only your entire dashboard could be in your windshield (some gauges can be hidden unless they are in the red to, conserving space), but a GPS navigation system as well. And if anyones taken a good look at their windshield, there is alot of realestate to work with. :mrgreen:

God I can just see it now, a whole new genere of car competitions, "who has the coolest 'HUD' on their car". 0X

[Falstaff]

I just got an e-mail back from a teacher of mine who corrected me on that:
These actually used small nano-beads that are 1/2 black and 1/2 white. Which side is up depends on the local pixel e- charge. Still a liquid layer embedded in clear plastic conductive inks- but cheaper since monochrome.
This technology doesn't seem likely to replace PDA anytime soon, as I don't think it can be made with a color display, if that's wrong, correct me, but how can beads be made to display color if there can be only two options. The OLED stuff I posted, that is a much more promising technology, the quality of the color and graphics is amazing, especially that one device that is made in a pen. For glass surfaces though, such as winshields a new technology was created by Andersen Windows and was recently unvieled, though I can't find much detail. This (http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/technology/personal_technology/7707872.htm) is the original AP article (I just took the first source that came up). All the new video/display technology is going towards thinner and less intrusive displays: Plasma, LCD, OLED, etc.

[bdegroodt]

I just got an e-mail back from a teacher of mine who corrected me on that:
These actually used small nano-beads that are 1/2 black and 1/2 white. Which side is up depends on the local pixel e- charge. Still a liquid layer embedded in clear plastic conductive inks- but cheaper since monochrome.
This technology doesn't seem likely to replace PDA anytime soon, as I don't think it can be made with a color display, if that's wrong, correct me, but how can beads be made to display color if there can be only two options. The OLED stuff I posted, that is a much more promising technology, the quality of the color and graphics is amazing, especially that one device that is made in a pen. For glass surfaces though, such as winshields a new technology was created by Andersen Windows and was recently unvieled, though I can't find much detail. This (http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/technology/personal_technology/7707872.htm) is the original AP article (I just took the first source that came up). All the new video/display technology is going towards thinner and less intrusive displays: Plasma, LCD, OLED, etc.
My guess would be like everything else that runs in 1&amp;0s in computing. Add more 1&amp;0s to each pixel position and you get more options. Options equal (possibly) color.

Also, RE: the press release, I think the big story is that Phillips is comfortable in scale manufacturing these. Not (necessarily) in the newness of the technology.

[xboxlord]

I think that we won't even have to wait 10 years. By 2010, I think a device like the Baton will be completely possible.

However, I think the Baton will be even smaller. Considering we have laptops that are super thin and feature packed, given 6 years, this technology will probably reduct to the size of a pen!

That way it will be the true PDA. And no one will know the difference between that and a pen!

However, since it will be the size of a Ballpoint pen, I think there will be a revolution in the wireless industry. All computing devices will no longer need wires. USB hubs will no longer exist. Ever computer devices such as digital cameras, keyboards, mice, etc. will have a wireless chip in them that connects to your PenComputer and you never need another wire! Which is great because you can have a mouse in your hand and a pen in the other and people will think you are crazy!

Great idea! I just think the Baton is a little under stated. Only 2.3 hours battery life with a battery that takes up half the device? In 6 years, the battery will probably be around 10,000mAh, making the battery last for about 10 hours.

Very intriguing!

[Falstaff]

Great idea! I just think the Baton is a little under stated. Only 2.3 hours battery life with a battery that takes up half the device? In 6 years, the battery will probably be around 10,000mAh, making the battery last for about 10 hours.

My thought is, and I've shared this with my teacher, that in 2-5 years, we will see fuel cells in mobile devices and no more Li-Ion batteries. Fuel cells are so much better because they are efficient and you can literally top off the battery even if you are no where near an outlet.

[dean_shan]

Does anyone remember the jacket that Marty McFly wore in "Back to the Future"? :D

Now adjusting fit.

Your jacket is now dry.

[juni]

Clothes made out of this....hmmm, that would be cool. Perhaps as the "invisibility cloak" the army has been trying to develop. :robot:

[limit]

maybe the baton can flip open and reveal a thumb board or a full size keyboard, a little adjustment to the screen angle, something like a notebook

[bjornkeizers]

If nothing else I like MaximumPDA’s idea. A car that can change color and graphics as easily as you change your desktop image.

Screw changing color! Anyone else remember that scene in the latest bond movie where they introduce the Vanquish - or as they call it, the vanish?

Supposedly, if you could put a 360 degree camera on the car, you could project the view from one side on the other side of the car.. that's how they kind of explained it.

With this, you could actually do that. Stealth car....

[sundown]

I know it's not color and I know the resolution isn't that great in the sample pics but this is COOL. This is just first generation stuff. Think of the possibilities!

Thanks for the post!

[Jonathan1]

[quote=Jonathan1]
With this, you could actually do that. Stealth car....

Ya but what are you going to do with a stealth car other then have someone crash into you on the street. Then again. Hmmm a destruction derby with stealth cars. OMG!


Imagine this. Every time you start up your car it loads a new theme. A new movie comes out and at the entrance to the theater they hand you a diskette that has the movies car theme on it. Or how about company cars? Forget about needing to dick with painting over the original car just program it. Or what about going to your car in a crouded parking lot? Since such a device gives off light you could hit a button and it flashes red. This would rock just as long as it isn’t Windows XP’s default Fisher Price theme. :D

[stjohn1335]

Hmm, stealth car, I'm not sure about this. I was disappointed by the latest James Bond movie, because it would only work from 1 viewing angle, but in the movie we get pan-shots of the car. If you looked at the car from the side, everything would bee off-perspective. The car would have to know where the eyes are of the viewer, and it could only be 1 viewer.

Now a CAMOFLAUGE car is more feasable! Go park it somewhere discreet and blend into your surroundings! Bring your camoflauge car and your cellphone camera, and you're your own PI. Maybe the hunting industry could pick this up--I can see the ads now--"go hunting right out of the comfort of your car!" Other cars could see your via a wireless signal to prevent crossfire.

On the down side, anyone could drive their car with a bomb in it next to a building and hit camoflauge. We'd have to outfit police cars with heat-sensing radar.

I wonder if those guys over at Phillips have the foggiest idea of some of the applications we're dreaming up with their 5" b&w screens...

[ricksfiona]

I wonder if those guys over at Phillips have the foggiest idea of some of the applications we're dreaming up with their 5" b&w screens...
Are you kidding me? Those guys are probably 10 steps ahead of us.... They wouldn't have spent 100's of millions of dollars to develop this for a simple PDA...

[Pat Logsdon]

Imagine this. Every time you start up your car it loads a new theme. A new movie comes out and at the entrance to the theater they hand you a diskette that has the movies car theme on it. Or how about company cars? Forget about needing to dick with painting over the original car just program it. Or what about going to your car in a crouded parking lot? Since such a device gives off light you could hit a button and it flashes red. This would rock just as long as it isn’t Windows XP’s default Fisher Price theme. :D
That would be cool, but if the car had wireless, it could be spammed. I do NOT want a huge ad for viagra or some kind of "pump" splashed all over my car! :mrgreen:

[Arcticblue]

Well I could see this technology go into a jacket yes... but also as a map for hickers, you download a map for your area (or the area you want to go to) and you have a foldable map with you, wich you can zoom in at and calculate distances etc. etc.

Anyone seen that movie where they get stranded at Mars ??? they use a foldable map (ofcourse it is a movie but could see that in the future ?)

This could also be used into a jacket so you don't need to drag around with you the map, or maybe forget it somewhere :wink:
It could also have like a weatherstation ...

No I see lots of cool stuff that can come out of this 8)

[Steven Cedrone]

Anyone seen that movie where they get stranded at Mars ??? they use a foldable map (ofcourse it is a movie but could see that in the future ?)

That is exactly what I thought of when I read this! The movie was called Red Planet. (http://store.warnervideo.com/whv.product.asp?upc=085391895428)

Steve

[Yuta]

Anyone seen that movie where they get stranded at Mars ??? they use a foldable map (ofcourse it is a movie but could see that in the future ?)

That is exactly what I thought of when I read this! The movie was called Red Planet. (http://store.warnervideo.com/whv.product.asp?upc=085391895428)

Steve

Actually, they were able to scan for broken bones by just seing someone's leg trough it. But that would need a more sophisticated camera I guess. :roll: