The Display Industry News Source 1.17.2012

Surface 2.0 -- giant, interactive table -- now being shipped "The $8,400 table ($9,049 including stand) that can also be mounted on the wall is being targeted to hospitality and retail ndustries. It has a touch-sensitive, 40-inch LCD screen that can see and sense whatever's on it, recognizing up to 50 points of simultaneous touch and multiple users (rather than just the typical one user a tablet recognizes)." via TheSeattleTimes

General Digital's 15" XGA LED/NVIS Display "General Digital has taken NEC’s very impressive 15" Super-Transmissive Natural Light TFT and done the impossible—we have made it better! GDC began by replacing the four cold cathode fluorescent lamps which comprise the OEM backlight with two of our proprietary NVIS / high brightness LED rails. The conversion to LED technology not only makes the solution greener (no mercury content), but it also improves the luminance efficiency, and provides full NVIS compatibility. The General Digital-enhanced 90-4150-002 display produces nearly twice the brightness (1000 nits) as the OEM configuration (NL10276BC30-18C) while consuming similar power (15 watts)." via DisplayAllianceOpen

Flat-panel displays-Cracking up "When flat-panel televisions began to take off in 2002, they were a money-maker. By 2004 firms like Samsung and Sharp were earning profit margins of 10-15% a year—among the best returns in the consumer-electronics business. One reason for the windfall may have been price-fixing between 2001-06, for which many LCD makers were fined in America, Europe and elsewhere. The rosy picture changed after 2006 when many new factories came online, expanding capacity dramatically." via TheEconomist

Keywest Technology Recommends First Step to a Successful Digital Signage Campaign "The use of digital signage is varied and diverse, which means the background, knowledge and skill brought to creating content to be delivered via this powerful medium is just as diverse and varied." via DisplayAllianceOpen

Kyocera to Acquire 100% Ownership of OPTREX Corp. "Kyocera Corporation has announced that it has completed a share transfer agreement with three investment funds operated by Japan Industrial Partners, Inc. to acquire all shares of Optrex Corporation — a specialized manufacturer of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and related products — in order to further strengthen and expand its LCD and touchscreen panel businesses. Effective February 1, 2012, Optrex will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyocera Corporation." via InformationDISPLAY

Kiosks4business Produce New Small Micro Kiosks for Retail "Kiosks4business designers have created a contemporary new range of Micro Kiosks under the name of Nixi. Nixi kiosks are designed for applications where space is limited and can be wall mounted or desk mounted. The design and features make Nixi represent a real alternative to using consumer products such as Ipads and other tablet devices. With Nixi, power and networking connections are hidden so no need for external power supplies." via DisplayAllianceOpen

Samsung to start producing 46-inch transparent LCD "'The transparent LCDs are products that contain limitless potential as they could be named the next-generation display technology,' said a Samsung official. 'Through our lineup of transparent displays, we plan to create a new market and make it our new growth engine that could drive up the globally sluggish LCD industry.'" via TheKoreaHerald

WHY ANDROID SMARTPHONES ARE BIGGER THAN THE IPHONE "When the 960×640 3.5-inch Retina Display was introduced with the iPhone 4, the rest of the smartphone industry had to do something about it. At the time most of the competition was at 800×480 on displays much larger. With the Retina Display Apple shifted the focus of attention on a smartphone display to resolution, specifically to a resolution threshold of about 300 ppi on a smartphone that’s used at a distance of about 12 inches." via Display Blog

The Display Industry News Source 1.13.2012

via TheVergeThe best of Samsung's 2012 TV lineup: 75-inch Series 8 LED, 55-inch OLED, and 4K prototype display "The Series 7 and Series 8 TVs also support the new smart evolution upgrade kit, though we still were unable to get a look at the port itself. There was also a prototype of Samsung's 70-inch 4K by 2K ultra high definition display. There's no word on when this might hit the market, but the rest of Samsung's displays (minus the OLED) should hit the market sometime in Q1." via TheVerge

Flat Panel Displays-Michigan Engineering Online Learning "If you are interested in learning about the technology of flat panel displays in consumer electronics and the automotive industry, this is the class for you! It is uniquely multidisciplinary and offers specialized knowledge that will help you make good choices as a consumer—or will give you an advantage in your professional and marketing career." via umich.edu

Portwell Announces New All-in-one In-vehicle Turnkey Telematics Solution with 8˝ touch screen and One-Key-Recovery "Featuring the peace-of-mind of One-Key-Recovery, the new PTH-2080A in-vehicle telematics platform integrates the vehicle’s engine data, location information, video images and sensed data, then transmits it to a control center at a remote site via its embedded communications module. PTH-2080A features an 8-inch display that uses 4-wire resistive LCD touchscreen technology for ease of use and simplifies data reading and operation during driving." via DisplayAllianceOpen

Samsung Re-enters the Japanese TV Market "Given the fact that the flat panel TV boom is over in Japan, and that Japan is a market where foreign brands don’t have much room to play, it is interesting to see that Samsung is planning on re-entering the Japanese TV market. What might be driving Samsung to do this?" via FlatVisionIndustryNews

LCD, LED segment is growing consistently: MIRC Electronics "The LCD, LED segment is showing consistent growth. Yes, more costs have to be passed on to the consumer in the coming months. So, all of us are pensive about how this would impact the consumer demand because another 4-5% price hike may result in some kind of a consumer demand slowing down." via moneycontrol

Latest iPad 3 rumor: LG, Samsung will build its screen, not Sharp "What that means is Sharp’s IGZO technology will not be powering the rumored retina display with 2,048×1,536 resolution. That tech, which uses indium, gallium and zinc, could have potentially made the iPad thinner, but perhaps it had yield issues that led Apple to keep using IPS technology for its screen." via ZDNet

Shipments of 9.7-inch iPad panels to top over 65 million units in 2012, says DisplaySearch "Shipments of 9.7-inch flat panels for iPads are expected to top over 65 million units in 2012 compared to 48 million units shipped in 2011, DisplaySearch has estimated." via DigitimesDisplays

The Display Industry News Source 1.09.2012

via PCWorld

MultiTaction 55-inch Multi-Touch Display Can Track Hundreds of Fingers "A key problem with touch displays is the detrimental effects of extraneous ambient light, he said. Another MultiTouch technology, Hybrid Tracking, combats this problem by alternating between tracking reflections and tracking shadows, a technique which ignores most external lighting, according to the company." via PCWorld

LG Spectrum: 4.5-inch IPS LCD pips Retina Display PPI count, borders on Galaxy Nexus size "Its also got a massive PPI (pixels per inch) count, packing in more detail than an iPhone Retina Display across a larger area. That said, we’re sure that your average pair of eyes won’t be able to notice much of a difference between the iPhone 4 / 4S’s 326 PPI and the Spectrum’s 329 PPI." via recombu

AIS Offers a 20.1” Rugged Rack Mounted LCD Display for Military, Naval Combat, Army and Airborne Applications "American Industrial Systems Inc. (AIS) is an ISO 9001:2008 certified supplier and manufacturer of a 20.1” rugged rack mount LCD display (1600x1200 UXGA), which is designed to perform in harsh environments and extreme conditions for specific naval combat, army and airborne applications." via mfrtech

SunBrite announces Signature line of outdoor LCD TVs, let you get your real housewives fix rain or shine "The televisions are built to withstand whatever mother nature can throw at them thanks to a high-impact resin exterior and dual cooling fans robust enough for the TVs to handle temperatures as low as 10 below or as high as 122 degrees. Called the Signature line, there are 55-inch, 46-inch, and 32-inch models that do 1080p and come with the standard array of connections: HDMI, component A/V, S-Video, composite video, and VGA." via engadget

WOLED "A WOLED display generates color by using a color filter. The downside of using a color filter is light absorption of about 70% on a typical LCD. LGE’s announcement mentions “4-Color Pixels” and I believe that’s code for RGBW. This is not implemented at the OLED level but only at the color filter level. The white is absolutely necessary because a 55-inch WOLED TV will require a tremendous amount of power to generate enough brightness that is equivalent to a 55-inch LCD TV." via DisplayBlog

Intel including touch screen capabilities in future ultrabooks "Despite some thoughts that raising your arm to touch a laptop screen wouldn't be ergonomic, Intel's done testing that shows people don't mind. Given the expanded touch capabilities built into Windows 8, we wouldn't be surprised to see this technology make it into consumer's hands sometime this year, but Intel didn't say when these models might be available." via TheVerge

ComQi Builds “Magical” Mirrors Into Offer "The technology and concept is actually more than a decade old, with its roots in the Interactive Institute Stockholm, in Sweden. This version of it was developed in conjunction with the Creative Advisor Group, an Interactive Institute Stockholm spin-off. The app has been configured to run on ComQi’s EnGage digital signage platform." via SixteenNine

The Display Industry News Source 1.02.2012

via GagdetWiki

Transparent LCD Displays from Samsung "In our quest for sustainable development, energy-saving gadgets play an important role...That is why Samsung’s new technology of a transparent LCD display is a milestone. Unlike conventional LCD displays that rely on a back-light unit (BLU), Samsung’s 46 inch LTI460AP01 Transparent LCD display uses ambient light sources such as indoor lighting and sunlight." via GadgetWiki

Apple reportedly using new display tech for iPad 3 "Supply chain reports released on Friday indicate that Apple will opt for indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) instead of in-plane switching (IPS) display panels for its upcoming iPad 3. The change would provide benefits in terms of energy consumption, cost reduction and improved resolution." via GigaOM

Core Systems Releases New 2U Rackmount Dual 19" LCD Display "The new 2U dual screen rackmount LCD features side-by-side 19” LCDs in an ultra short depth of 20”. The all-aluminum construction provides for a sturdy light weight chassis. Each 19” LCD screen offers a resolution of 1,280 x 1,024 pixels, a color depth of 16.7 million colors, and a contrast ratio of 500:1. The MLD1920-RDS features an integrated kill switch for all electronics, dual thumb screw locks and integrated heavy duty friction slide rails." via PRWeb

TV Makers Planning New Sizes and Backlights for 2012 "The new sizes will include 36.5-inch W, 39-inch W, 43-inch W, 48-inch W, and 50-inch W. There will also be new backlight designs, including direct-type LED backlights, thick backlights, and scanning backlights." via tom'sGUIDE

Taiwan flat panel production value tops NT$1.39 trillion in 2011, says PIDA "The production value of TFT LCD panels produced by Taiwan flat panel makers totaled NT$1.39 trillion (US$45.89 billion) in 2011, including NT$797 billion for large-size panels and NT$241.8 billion for small- to medium-size panels, according to an estimate of the Taiwan Photonics Industry and Technology Development Association (PIDA)." via DigitimesDisplays

2012 Should Be Another Banner Year for HD "Also setting the pace has been the sale of HD televisions – particularly flat-screen LCD sets. Spurred by rapidly dropping prices, sales are up almost 48%, according to NPD. While the China and other parts of the world are quickly adopting 3D-HD technology, North Americans are opting to upgrade to larger, cheaper HD sets and also buying their second or third HD screen." via Technorati

Kyocera offers lifetime LCD supply "A lifetime supply of liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) is being guaranteed to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) by Kyocera Corp., which recently extended its acquisition of LCD and touchscreen suppliers by purchasing Optrex Corp." via rdfdesignline

The Display Industry News Source 12.29.2011

via Wintek

Touchscreens adopt on-cover over in-cell LCD "Vendors worldwide are being pressured by smartphone and tablet makers to quickly integrate touch into the display itself, using in- or on-cell sensors, but slow development has prompted add-on touchscreen vendors to offer interim sensor-on-cover, touch-on-lens, and similar one-glass solutions, at least for 2012." via EETimes

Kyocera To Buy LCD Maker Optrex "Through the acquisition, Kyocera aims to strengthen and expand its LCD and touchscreen business. Optrex will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyocera, effective February 1, 2012." via RTTNews

8000 Strike At Nanjing LG Display Plant "The reason for the strike: year-end bonuses. Modularizing LCD panels is labor intensive, so LCD manufacturers rushed into China to set up LCD module factories. I gather from this strike cost has been increasing for some time. At some point companies will look to mechanized labor as a solution." via DisplayBlog

Sony Exits S-LCD Panel Venture "After Samsung Buyout Korean technology giant Samsung has announced that it is buying out Sony’s entire stake in their LCD joint venture, and will pay the equivalent of £600 million for the latter’s share. For the past seven years, Sony’s television business has been making a loss, and the agreement has been reached as Sony restructures its TV operations." via HDTVtest

Android Handset’s Display Resolution Improved Using LCD Resolution App "With the LCD Resolution app, which has been developed by Wemobs Labs, you can “force” the display resolution of your Android phone to be better than what it was shipped with. The app just changes the pixel density and it will appear like you have changed the display resolution." via MobileMagazine

AUO, CMI to introduce AMOLED panels in 2012 "Taiwan-based panel makers AU Optronics (AUO) and Chimei Innolux (CMI) will both introduce AMOLED panel products in 2012 to compete against Korean rivals who have been dominating the market for a technology that poses a strong challenge to TFT LCD in the display market." via DigitimesDisplays

The Display Industry News Source 12.20.2011

Nook teardown by iFixit

Nook Tablet Teardown "A closer look at one of the ribbon cables reveals a FocalTech FT5406EE8 Capacitive Touch Panel Controller. Ready for more shocking similarities to the Kindle Fire? The Nook Tablet’s 7″ IPS display also runs at a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels and produces the same 16 million colors. Unreal!" via iFixit

LTPS, IGZO backplane production to surge 150% in 2012, says DisplaySearch "The explosive growth of smartphones and tablets has made high performance TFT technologies, particularly LTPS (low temperature polysilicon) and IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide), critical to production of the high resolution displays used by these devices. These TFT technologies employ high mobility semiconductor materials, which allow panel manufacturers to shrink TFT dimensions and increase light transmission. LCDs with greater than 230 ppi (pixels per inch) resolution, such as Apple's Retina Display, are enabled by high transmission because it minimizes power consumption, allowing mobile devices to run longer without recharging." via DigitimesDisplays

MagnaChip to supply WVGA AMOLED driver ICs for multiple Windows phones "MagnaChip announced that they are providing 480X800 AMOLED display driver ICs for multiple Microsoft Windows-based smartphones. The company didn't say which companies they are supplying to, although it's probably Samsung." via OLED-Info

Wintek Eyes AMOLED Biz "The shipment of OGS (One Glass Solution) touch panels is expected to surge in 2012, and Wintek Corp.`s OGS products have been adopted by some international smartphone vendors in their new models, according to Wintek chairman Hyley Huang...To cash in on the boom in the AMOLED (double-emission active matrix organic light-emit diode) market, Wintek has tied up with Chinese partner Tianma Micro-electronics Co., whose 5.5th-generation (5.5G) low temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) factory is scheduled to kick off volume production in 2013." via CENS

NBC Selling Other Half Of NYC Taxi Fleet’s Screens "VeriFone Systems, Inc. and NBCUniversal have announced “a significant long-term strategic and advertising sales agreement” that puts news, information and entertainment programming in more than 12,000 taxi cabs, including 6,800 in the New York fleet." via SixteenNine

Little iPads, Little Pixels, And Resolution Independence (An Apple Rumor Medley) "Earlier this week a little bird told Digitimes that the upcoming redesign of the MacBook Pro won’t simply be thinning down the body, but will upgrade the displays to a mind-blowing 2880×1800 resolution. And then just today there has been a recurrence of the 7.85″ iPads we first heard about in October. The implications of the first rumor especially are quite serious, and while the second one seems unlikely, its resilience must be acknowledged." via TechCrunch

APPLE IS NOW FORCED TO BUILD A 7-INCH TABLET "I don’t think there has been one day Apple has been idle since Steve Jobs came back to run the show in 1997. I’d bet for the foreseeable future everyone at Apple will be working as best as they can every single day. Apple will most likely upend markets, piss off incumbents, just to get us some insanely great products and services. But I don’t think a 7-inch tablet is one of them." via DisplayBlog