Tourist Information Kiosks

Updated on Monday, October 4, 2010 by Kiosks4Business

A tourism kiosk is a great tourist information point to for holidaymakers. Tourist Information Kiosks can be a resource to lots of information about local attractions and events that will be held in the local area. Tourism can not only give information about tourist attractions, but they can also send holidaymakers event Alerts or event reminders directly to their mobile phone, so that they don’t miss holiday events that they would enjoy. Tourism Kiosks or Tourist Information Kiosks can help holidaymakers to have an extra special holiday.

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Funeral Parlour Kiosks can help bereaving families arrange funerals for their loved ones

Arranging a funeral for a love one is probably one of the most difficult times that a person goes through. Not only is it emotionally difficult, but at this time when people are bereaving, they have to navigate the minefield of arranging the final send off, which at that time feels like an uphill struggle.  A free-standing kiosk in the actual funeral parlour and a portable funeral kiosk for home visits can be a valuable tool to help family at these distressing time to arrange the funeral ceremony.

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Gaming Kiosks in Pubs and Inns

Updated on Monday, October 4, 2010 by Kiosks4Business

With public houses and bars finding it more and more difficult to make a profit in today’s tough economic climate, publicans are finding innovative new ideas and ways of getting the paying customers into the pubs and bars and keeping them there by laying on the creature comforts of home down at the local.  Pubs have been providing Sky sports channels and music for many years now but if you go into a pub today you’re quite likely to find free Internet access also.  Ideal if you have a web enabled phone or ipod.   Pubs have had various gaming platforms providing arcade action, quizzes and slot machines.  One of these new incentives is to provide entertainment by means of proving gaming consoles for customers to play on with their friends whilst enjoying a pint.

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Unmanned Café Kiosks for More Efficient Customer Service

You have no doubt heard of an Internet Café where the customers have access to Internet enabled computers and browse the world-wide web at leisure whilst supping their chosen hot beverage. An unmanned café is similar to an Internet café in that it relies on computers as the main feature that makes it stand apart from other cafes. However, the kiosk-maintained café has a small desktop kiosk set into each table so that the customer can order their food and drinks at the table via a touchscreen. Are unmanned kiosks maintained cafes a glimpse of the future of Cafes and fast food outlets?

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Telehealth – What is it and do you need it?

In very simple terms Telehealth is the delivery of health-related services and information via telecommunications technologies. Such telecommunications technologies as kiosk, internet or website, SMS text messages, television or radio. Telehealth offers the health and medical professions a means to make health information available to a wider audience on a range of telecommunication media devices.

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display alliance news 9.16.2010

46-inch MultiTouch Cell Advanced
displayblog.com- The MultiTouch Cell Advanced is a 46-inch LCD billed as “the first mul ti touch dis play designed for retail and digital signage applications.” The Cell Advanced sports a depth of 12 inches and weighs 82 pounds with stan dard VESA mounts. MultiTouch demon­strated the Cell 46 Advanced at IBC 2010 in Amsterdam. The chassis is made of alu­minum and requires zero maintenance. The Cell Advanced is stackable up to 14 units, fea tures a 1920×1080 pixel for mat, a direct-lit LED back light and is expected to last more than 60,000 hours. Read more at displayblog.

Free Digital Signage Training
dailydooh.com- Ingram Micro and its Ingram Micro CONNEX, technology solutions are, on Sept.23/10, offering DOOH consultant Lyle Bunn’s prestigious SPEED program to any and all Ingram Micro resellers, at no cost. The SPEED program, which is comprised of eight modules (3 hrs, total), teaches current and future resellers of digital signage the nuances of digital signage technology and project planning. The program will cover technology, objectives, timelines, budgets, and define key elements of a digital signage initiative leading to technology selection, deployment, growth and successful operations. It will be further customized to offer an increased hardware and network focus to give the IT and AV reseller the most relevant content. Read more about the seminar at dailydooh.

Diodes Incorporated Announces Process Platform for Next Generation High Voltage Rectifiers
marketwatch.com- Diodes Incorporated, a leading global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality application specific standard products within the broad discrete, logic and analog semiconductor markets, today announced the development of a proprietary process platform for the manufacture of next generation high voltage rectifiers. Named DIODESTAR(TM), the process has been developed at Diodes' wafer fabrication facility in Oldham, UK and has just delivered its first device, a high efficiency 600V, 8A rectifier targeted at LCD-LED TV power supplies. Read the press release at marketwatch.

LG Announces World's Largest LED Backlit TV
highdefdigest.com- At 72 inches, the LEX9 is huge, feature packed, and 3D capable.
There's a world that exists past sixty inches. It's a world dominated by DLP televisions and all types of projectors. It's not a place where LCD sets go often, but LG is going there in a very big way. Read more at highdefdigest.

Videocon d2h launches world’s first Satellite LCD
indiainfonline.com- Videocon d2h unveiled its new range of Satellite LCDs, a revolutionary breakthrough in LCD technology which receives signals directly from the satellite, without the use of any Set Top Box (STB), giving consumers freedom from wires, additional contraptions and multiple remotes. Read more at indiainfoline.

Development Simulator Speeds Validation of Future Infotainment Solutions
prnewswire.com- The simulator uses seven high-definition Christie projectors – similar to those used in movie theaters – to display a virtual roadway and landscape on a 360 degree series of large theater-style screens.  A vehicle body with a reconfigurable interior system with multiple LCD screens is placed in the center of the screen area.  The LCD screens are used to mock up future interior electronics layouts developed by GM's design staff.  Reconfigurable LCD screens provide maximum flexibility for designers and engineers to test concepts within hours of development. Read more at prnewswire.

DIY: Add LED Backlighting To Your LCD Monitor Or HDTV
crunchgear.com- It’s relatively easy to find a dead LCD these days even without diving into a dumpster. Most of the time all that’s wrong is the backlighting mechanism went out, too, leaving a perfectly good LCD behind. So why not rip out that old CCFL and replace it with a swanky LED strip. This instrucible gives just about all the details you need. Of course this project might not be for everyone. After all you’re opening and modifing an electrical device. But I can’t think of a better way to learn the trade than actually doing it so I say you do it anyway. What’s the worst that can happen anyway? It’ not like you’re going to eat the CCFL bulb. (Don’t. It contains mercury and will kill you.) Read it all at crunchgear.

China market: HannStar Display unveils extra-slim touch panels
digitimes.com- HannStar Display has unveiled an array of extra-slim touch panels in 3.8-4 inch sizes for smartphones, 5-12.1 inch sizes for MID devices and tablet PCs, 17.3-inch panels for notebooks, and 21.6-inch models for all-in-one PCs in Shenzhen, China. Read more at digitimes.

display alliance news 9.15.2010

Samsung Visual Display President will deliver keynote speech at CES 2011
samsunghub.com- Samsung has confirmed that Samsung Electronics’ Visual Display Division President, Boo-Keun Yoon will deliver a keynote speech at the upcoming CES exhibition. Yoon, who also addressed a keynote this year at the recently concluded IFA 2010 will be the second Samsung executive to give a keynote speech at the CES, which is said to be the world’s largest consumer electronics expo. Read more at samsunghub.

LCD Enclosure Manufacturer, Armagard – Launch New 46” Enclosure
armagard.co.uk- A new 46 " LCD enclosure has been launched by leading outdoor digital signage enclosure manufacturers, Armagard, to meet customer demand for protecting this increasingly common digital signage size in outdoor and harsh environments. Read the press release on displayalliance.

Corning CFO to Present at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch Investment Conference
marketwatch.com- Corning Incorporated Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer James B. Flaws will address investors at the Bank of America/Merrill Lynch Investment Conference in San Francisco today. He will provide revisions to the company's third-quarter expectations, insight into LCD panel makers supply chain inventory, and an update on other business performance. Read more at marketwatch.

Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Selects Portable eBeam Solutions From Luidia
prnewswire.com- Luidia, Inc., the award-winning developer of eBeam portable interactive whiteboards and display solutions, and Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc., known for award-winning, high-quality, high-definition presentation and display products, today announced a partnership through which Mitsubishi will sell eBeam Edge products and Mitsubishi projectors as bundled packages. Read more at prnewswire.

Smartphones and tablets drive small and medium sized LCD TFTs growth
techeye.net- Rising sales of smartphones and tablet PCs in 2010 will contribute to the growth of small and medium sized TFT LCD panels and enable it to expand at its fastest pace in years, according to analyst outfit iSuppli. TFT LCD panels are set to rise by 28.1 percent in 2010 to 2.3 billion units, up 28.1 percent from 1.8 billion in 2009. iSuppli reckons this will represent the highest level of growth for the market since 2007, when shipments rose by 49.8 percent. The figures below represent iSuppli’s forecast of global shipments of small and medium TFT LCD panels. iSuppli defines small/medium displays as those having a diagonal dimension of less than 10 inches. Read more at techeye.

Large-size panel shipments up 2% in August, says WitsView
digitimes.com- Large-size TFT-LCD panel shipments totaled 51.79 million units in August 2010, increasing 2% from 50.87 million units in July, according to WitsView. Overall large-size panel shipments in the third quarter were expected to be affected by the worse-than-expected demand in the end market due to high inventory levels. Read more at digitimes.

display alliance news 9.14.2010

$35 Android Tablet Not Really From India
crunchgear.com- Oh boy.. turns out that the much advertised $35 “Indian Tablet” isn’t actually from India. The reality is that the tablet is made by a Chinese manufacturer named Hivision, and sold as the Speedpad. It was originally seen at CeBIT this year, and Hivision said it would sell for around $100. The truth was uncovered by the Indian website Android OS, where the author was able to find evidence showing the design to actually made in China. This completely disproves the press releases from the Indian government claiming that the tablet was developed by some of India’s top engineering colleges. In the above picture, that’s the Indian Android Tablet on the left, and the Hivision Speedpad on the right. Read more at crunchgear. Watch the video on displayalliance.

Digital Signage Benefits: It's Good to be Green - Even for the Bottom Line
displayalliance.com- Replacing traditional signs -whether motivated out of a concern for the environment or simply to communicate more effectively- makes good business sense. To the uninitiated, that statement may be a bit surprising. But for those with experience communicating with both digital and printed signs it should quickly become apparent why the reasons to do the green thing and select digital signage as a communications medium is also a sound business decision. Read David Little's full article on displayalliance.

Smartphones and tablets to push innovation in LCD market, says iSuppli
digitimes.com- Global shipments of small- and medium-sized TFT LCD panels, which are advanced types of displays used in sophisticated mobile devices like smartphones and tablet PCs, are set to rise by 28.1% to 2.3 billion units in 2010, according to iSuppli. This will represent the highest level of growth for the market since 2007, when shipments rose by 49.8%. Red more at digitimes.

Sharp's Payoff Delayed
online.wsj.com- Just as Sharp went big, the market for flat panels went small. The Japanese company took a gamble on the most advanced liquid-crystal-display plant in the industry. It was a bold move to produce the largest and most high-end televisions at a production facility in western Japan. The plant went fully online just this summer, just in time for a glut in big screens.That oversupply is a product of too rapid expansion by the industry, inspired by a pickup in demand and flat panel prices last year. Consumption in the U.S. and Europe hasn't lived up to expectations. The supply of large panels like those Sharp makes outstrips demand by 12%, says DisplaySearch. Read more at online.wsj.

Sony Unveils Plans to Realign LCD TV Manufacturing Operations for Europe
tradingmarkets.com- As part of its on-going initiative to enhance its manufacturing efficiency to improve the profitability of its liquid crystal display (LCD) TV business, Sony Corporation announced that its relevant European subsidiaries have agreed with Ficosa International and Comsa Emte, both headquartered in Spain, to sell the Barcelona technology center, which manufactures LCD TVs for the Europe region, to Ficosa and Comsa Emte. Read more at tradingmarkets.

LG outs IPS based monitors
onlygizmos.com- Apple introduced the IPS (in-plane switching) LCD technology with the iPad launch earlier this year. While they followed up with the Retina display later, the IPS technology brings wide viewing angles (upto 180 degrees) to an LCD display. It seems that LG is now taking the IPS technology beyond Apple’s lineup (note: LG manufactures displays for Apple) and has introduced its own lineup of monitors with the technology. To begin with LG has 4 LCD monitors in this series (IPS206T, IPS236V, IPS226V and IPS2321P) ranging from 20 inches to 23 inches. The feature set in these monitors are a mixed bag ranging from integrates speakers, HDMI to D-SUB (VGA) and DVI but the model nos itself tells you what LG would be selling this to you as! Read more at onlygizmos.

AUO expected to see profit in 3Q10 despite dropping panel quotes
digitimes.com- Although large-size IT and TV panels are seeing their recent quotes drop to cost levels, causing the related makers to reduce their utilization to minimize their losses, Taiwan-based panel maker AU Optronics (AUO), which has a LED TV panel penetration rate of about 40%, is still expected to see strong profits in the third quarter, according to the market watchers. Read more at digitimes.

Standard Industrial TFT Display Sizes 4.3” and Smaller – and New Display Trends
dtslcd.com- One of the questions that I often hear is “Where is the TFT industry going?” That can mean a lot of different things depending on who is asking the question, but for the sake of this entry I will focus on what it means to a typical commercial/industrial user. I think this is a question that is really looking for two answers: 1) What products have at least one alternate source, so I won’t be stuck on an island if it goes away; and 2) what products will be around for at least 5 years, once my production starts. With that in mind I took an unofficial poll of several key suppliers to the U.S. commercial markets to see what sizes are now available as standard products. The list that I created below is all products that have at least two suppliers, so a second source is an option. See the full list at dtslcd.

LCD Enclosure Manufacturer, Armagard – Launch New 46” Enclosure

A new 46 " LCD enclosure has been launched by leading outdoor digital signage enclosure manufacturers, Armagard, to meet customer demand for protecting this increasingly common digital signage size in outdoor and harsh environments.

Built to the same Armagard high standards, the new 46” LCD enclosure is manufactured from mild steel and is waterproof to IP65, temperature controlled and able to withstand impacts and vandalism.

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Digital Signage Benefits: It's Good to be Green - Even for the Bottom Line

When it comes to digital signage, take an environmentally friendly approach to communications makes good business sense. Going green with digital signage isn't simply a matter of reducing the environmental impact of your messaging. Replacing traditional signs -whether motivated out of a concern for the environment or simply to communicate more effectively- makes good business sense. To the uninitiated, that statement may be a bit surprising. But for those with experience communicating with both digital and printed signs it should quickly become apparent why the reasons to do the green thing and select digital signage as a communications medium is also a sound business decision.

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display alliance news 9.13.2010

Mitsubishi's huge, modular OLED display set to go on sale worldwide on September 21
engadget.com- Before you start dreaming of 155-inch OLED displays for your home theater, let us remind you that this Mitsubishi's panel happens to pack an ignoble 69dpi pixel density. So while it is indeed a wall-sized OLED image maker, it's not exactly designed to match up to the HD rigors of modern entertainment. Composed of smaller, bezel-free modules, Mitsu's Diamond Vision OLED display has gone from CEATEC prototypelast year to a triumphant retail product this year, starting to be exchanged for cash, trinkets and favors this September 21. As you might have guessed, it's primarily intended for use in digital signage scenarios -- which should be great so long as nobody tries to perch one up in the sun. See the full press release at engadget.

Apple working on dual mode technology for LCD screens
macsimumnews.com- An Apple patent (number 20100225657) for systems and methods for operating a display has appeared at the US Patent & Trademark Office. It’s for LCD screens on computers and TVs to be able to run in two different modes. Embodiments of the electronic device include a display driver with the ability to receive image data in a streaming display mode or a frame-buffered display mode. In some embodiments, the electronic device may switch seamlessly between the two display modes based on which display mode will provide reduced power usage given the type and/or variability of the image data being received. The inventors are Kapil V. Sakariya and Wei H. Yao. Read more macsimumnews.

Small and midsize units for portable electronics dominate output. Large types cater to the TV market.
globalsources.com- China makers of TFT-LCD modules are increasing output by about 20 percent this year to match growing local demand and at the same time strengthen global competitiveness. Many are riding on the country’s position as a key manufacturing hub for various electronics and the largest for mobile phones and LCD TVs. The last two comprise the category’s main applications. China’s production of both is forecast to expand further this year, with January to May shipments of the first already rising 37 percent YoY. In 2009, the total was 619 million units. That of LCD TVs is expected to touch 80 million, jumping 40 percent YoY, according to iSuppli. Read more at globalsources.

Toshiba to rank second among Japan-based LCD TV vendors in 2010
digitimes.com- Toshiba is narrowing its LCD TV shipment gap with Sharp and is expected to exceed Sharp and rank second among Japan-based LCD TV vendors in 2010. Toshiba's LCD TV shipments continue to increase, and the company expects to ship 13-14 million LCD TVs in 2010, beating Sharp's 11-12 million shipments for the year. LCD TV manufacturers such as TPV Technology and Compal Electronics are expected to benefit from the increasing shipments of Toshiba. Read more at digitimes.

Using LCD Screens and Displays in Industrial Locations
armagard.co.uk- LCD devices have revolutionised the TV and display world. Flat panel screens are no longer just a device found in living rooms and TV parlours but is used for computer displays, digital signage and even on the shopfloor in factories and industrial locations. The reason for the success and widespread use of LCDs is two-fold; firstly, LCDs have plummeted in price and are now far cheaper a device than the former CRT based TVs ever were. Secondly, LCD TVs are flatter and lighter than their predecessors so they take up less space and are easier to install on walls or mounts. Sourced from Armagard.

Sluggish TV Sales Create Huge Glut of LCD Panels
dailyfinance.com- Lower-than-expected flat-screen TV sales worldwide have created a glut in liquid-crystal display (LCD) panels that's unlikely to dissipate anytime soon, even with the release of new products such as 3-D TVs, according to two separate reports released this week. Global manufacturers shipped 98.8 million LCD panels during the first half of the year, while only 76.2 million LCD sets were shipped, indicating an overage of 30%, iSuppli said in areportyesterday. Such widening inventory has caused panel makers to drop prices to near-cost level, according to iSuppli. Read more at dailyfinance.

display alliance news 9.10.2010

Chimei Innolux (CMI) August TFT LCD Revenues Decline
displayblog.com- On September 9, 2010 Chimei Innolux (CMI) announced August 2010 TFT LCD related rev enues, which were down 9.9% M/M to NT$45.5 bil lion. Large-sized LCD unit ship ments also declined 3.8% M/M to 9.8M units as did small/medium LCDs, down by 8.4% M/M to 35.5M. The third quar ter of each cal en dar year is usu ally one of the busiest as the entire LCD supply chain gear up to build toward the fourth quar­ter, which is the strongest quar ter for LCD-related gear in retail. Sourced from displayblog.

IDT Introduces Industry's First Single-Chip Solution for TFT LCD Panels
marketwatch.com- Integrated Device Technology, Inc. a leading provider of essential mixed signal semiconductor solutions that enrich the digital media experience, today announced the industry's first single-chip power management solution for thin film transistor (TFT) Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panels, such as those used in netbooks, Tablet PCs and notebooks. The new solution from IDT integrates a full-function low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) timing controller with fully integrated power management, and a four-channel LED driver for LED backlighting. Read more at marketwatch.

Inside Foxconn And The Man Who Made Your iPhone
crunchgear.com- It’s not every day you get to look inside a major electronics factory. Most of the work done there is compartmentalized and the manufacturing done for one company never touches the manufacturing done for another. In fact, Foxconn’s R&D labs consist of a series of locked doors. You can only get into one and that’s only if you’re allowed in to see prototypes. It’s an amazing world of secrecy and deception. Gou got is start making connectors for Atari game machines and slowly became to go-to guy for getting it done in China. His factory now pumps out 137,000 iPhones per day. Read more at crunchgear.

Will the Bleeding End for Cree, LED Stocks?
thestreet.com- The outlook for LED lighting sector stocks, including industry bellwethersCree(CREE), Veeco(VECO) and Aixtron(AIXG)dimmed a bit on Wednesday. There were a spate of negative reports on the inventory build-up in the LCD flat-panel television sector, and a read-through for companies linked to the LED supply chain for flat panel TV backlighting. Industry consultant iSuppli was out with a report showing high inventory levels in the LCD market. The iSuppli data was one data point among a raft of negative numbers in a Wall Street Journal report on Wednesday detailing the bleak conditions among LCD TV makers, with utilization cuts coming from companies in the market. Read more at thestreet.

AUO Named for the First Time to 2010 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index
marketwatch.com- AU Optronics Corp., having been named to the 2009 Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index (DJSI Asia/Pacific), today announced that it has been further selected as a member of the 2010 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), in addition to 2010 DJSI Asia/Pacific, making it the only pure TFT-LCD manufacturer worldwide to join the Index. This reaffirms the Company's achievements and firm commitment to sustainable development. Read the full press release at marketwatch.

Qualcomm's CEO confesses: tablets killed the smartbook star
engadget.com- According to Slashgear, Paul Jacobs admitted during an event this morning that "tablets such as the iPad had already occupied the niche his company expected smartbooks to." Essentially, the iPad delivered on the concept of an "always-on, all-day device" long before smartbooks ever had a chance at gaining traction, and judging by the fact that only a handful of these guys ever made it to market, we'd say that brutally honest assessment makes a lot of sense. We aren't necessarily better off for it, mind you, but it definitely seems that the resurgence of the tablet (and the proliferation of the longevous netbook) has extinguished any hope of smartbooks dominating the world. Hey, at least this guy's man enough to know when a journey's reached its end. Sayonara, smarties. Read more at engadget.

screen media news 9.9.2010

RIM tries to patent billboards that adjust to roadside traffic
engadget.com- Looks like our pals at Research In Motion are taking the company name literally this week -- they've got a pair of patent applications target ads to automobiles and pedestrians on the street by dynamically changing their information density. By taking a page out of Google's book and measuring the relative position of GPS-equipped phones (or using traditional sensors should that fail), RIM wants to create digital billboards that automatically add details the slower traffic gets. In one example, a "Road House Restaurant" could display only the name and exit number of the joint in giant letters when traffic moves quickly, but pitch that delectable pecan pie more thoroughly when it's stop and go -- but RIM's thinking a bit further than that, suggesting that when vehicles are particularly slow, you could pull out your phone and get a coupon by photographing a projected QR code. The future, ladies and gentlemen. Sourced from engadget.

Nex-Gen charging kiosks juicing up with digital signage.
nv3tech.com- Baltimore, Md.-based NV3 Technologies displayed at this month’s KioskCom samples of its newest mobile device-charging kiosks. The units, like those of the company’s competitors, offer quick-charging for a range of phones and other portable devices. But the company’s NTC line of kiosks signals a shift in the charging kiosk business model. By incorporating touchscreens, digital signage and Internet connectivity, the kiosks are expanding the range of applications — and potential revenue sources — for this type of self-service kiosk. Read more at nv3tech.

GroupTabs Should Marry Digital Signage
dsinsights.blogspot.com- Given the time-sensitive nature of place-based deals on GroupTabs, digital signage would be a powerful promotional tool for driving social check-in behavior. Real-time deals could be announced on digital signage networks, providing an engaging call-to-action to promote more user check-ins and to drive venue traffic via social media channels. Location-based digital displays could act as deal countdown clocks, presenting live check-in stats as patrons moved closer to tipping a deal. Read more at dsinsights.blogspot.com.

Google Spam Fighter Matt Cutts Weighs In On The “Death” Of SEO (Or Lack Thereof)
techcrunch.com- Such a major change will impact the way people conduct their searches, and that will lead to repercussions for the search ecosystem. Steve Rubel says that it will make Search Engine Optimization (SEO) — the dark magic that helps websites appear higher in search results — totally irrelevant. NowMatt Cutts, the longtime Googler who is in charge of Google’s webspam team and often speaks publicly about SEO issues, has weighed in on how he thinks things will change. And change, they will. Read more at techcrunch.

Digital Signage- Where’s it going?
nv3tech.com- What’s the state of the digital signage business today? And where’s it heading? Steve Gurley, senior VP of marketing and new market development at Symon Communications, tries to make sense of an often confusing sector…The industry as a whole is doing well. However, five years ago it was forecast that by 2010 the digital signage market would reach nearly $2bn in revenue. In reality, the industry is generating less than half of that. The current pool of digital signage manufacturers is finding that the smaller revenue pool is making the competition extremely intense. Hardware manufacturers and software developers are engaged in a fierce struggle to capture a piece of the smaller pie. As the competition has intensified, prices have come down. Read more at nv3tech.

gWallet Brings Offers To Mobile Apps; Partners With Ad Exchange Mobclix
techcrunch.com- Online monetization platform gWallet, which offers social gaming developers a variety of ways to monetize their apps and boost engagement, is debuting a new mobile ad offering today. Mobile app developers can now integrate virtual currency offers within their apps. However, instead of signing up for Netflix or other offers that gWallet uses on its web platform; the mobile offers ask for users to download an app in exchange for earning virtual currency. Read more at techcrunch.

display alliance news 9.9.2010

iPod touch: Retina Display Sucks
displayblog.com- Look at the photo above by Engadget. On the left is the new iPod touch with the Retina Display. On the right is the Retina Display in the iPhone 4. These are NOT the same Retina Displays. The one in the iPod touch sucks: when viewed at angles con­trast goes out the door and colors shift so much that they look like crap. IPS is known for look ing great when viewed at dif fer ent angles and my guess is that the Retina Display on the iPod touch ain’t no IPS; it is some cheap TN-based 3.5-inch LCD sport ing a 960×640 pixel for mat. I wouldn’t touch it. Especially if it means I need to part ways with US$229. There might be no peer to the iPod touch but the dis play sim ply isn’t what Apple wants you to believe it is; the “Retina Display” on the iPod touch is a fake version of the real thing. Sourced from displayblog.

TPV Capitalizes on Renewed Demand
online.wsj.com- TPV Technology Ltd., a Taiwan-based contract maker of flat-screen monitors and televisions, is benefiting from a recovery in consumer demand as the global economy rebounds from the 2008 financial crisis. The Hong Kong-listed company, which counts Sony Corp. and Dell Inc. as customers, has seen a rise in orders as more companies outsource production to cut costs. Read more at online.wsj.

Philips Lights Up OLEDs Without A Power Adapter
crunchgear.com- Previously, if you wanted to use an OLED display, you had to use a power adapter. The problem was that OLEDs required low voltage to light up, instead of the standard (in Europe) 230v system. Now, scientists at Philips have announced that they have been able to design an OLED system that doesn’t require a step down transformer in order to work. This means that a device that uses an OLED lighting system won’t require the additional hardware components to change the voltage from whatever comes out of the wall to the low voltage previously needed. Read more at crunchgear.

Digital Concrete Screens- Yup, you read it right
dailydooh.com- Digital Concrete Screens in floors, facades and even pavements can of course make live signage in places as disperse as hotels, airports, night clubs, shopping malls, corporations, science parks and conference centers a lot more interesting and applicable. The screen is on the exterior side of the wall (the so-called rain screen) and takes no load but is fixed to the load bearing structure of the building. All electronics are installed on the interior side of the wall and finished with a cover wall which has lids for easy access to the projection units. The media façade can in most cases be constructed with a thickness of just 38cm. Read more at dailydooh.

Apple Predicted To Sell 28 Million iPads In 2011
geeky-gadgets.com- The iPad has already been a great success for Apple [AAPL] since it was launched earlier in the year, and it looks like the iPad sales figures will continue to rise at a similar rate. One Analyst, Maynard Um with UBS Investment research thinks that Apple will sell around 28 million iPads next year, and he is calling this number conservative, also apparently iPad sales are having an affect on the PCindustry and not MacBook sales. Read more at geeky-gadgets.

Kits for Rapid Display System Prototyping
displayalliance.com- Digital View announces custom kits for display designers. Well known for innovation and excellent support services, Digital View is encouraging LCD display designers to achieve faster prototyping by shipping display design kits, tailored to designer’s specific project requirements. With a full range of LCD controller boards and OEM media players as well as many value-add accessories for every display system, designers can quickly assemble kits to build advanced video display products. Find out more at displayalliance.

Hydis to supply IPS panel for Samsung tablet PC, says Digitimes Research
digitimes.com-Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Tab 7-inch tablet PC is said to have received some of its IPS panels, which are of comparable grade as those of Apple's iPad, from Hydis, a subsidiary of Taiwan-based E Ink as well as from Samsung itself. The panel will feature fringe filed switching (FFS) technology, according to Digitimes Research senior analyst Mingchi Kuo. Read more at digitimes.

Sony takes top share position for flat panel TV shipments in 2Q10 for India, says DisplaySearch
digitimes.com- Sony increased its unit share of flat panel TVs to 27.1% in the second quarter of 2010 and took top share position in the India market, according to the DisplaySearch. The total TV market in India for 2009 was around 13.8 million units, making it the third-largest country market for TVs in the world, ahead of Japan and Brazil, and accounting for 37% of the Asia Pacific TV market. Sourced from digitimes.

AIS Introduces Low Cost Open Frame Touch Screen Monitors featuring 3M Touch Technologies Designed for Interactive Digital Signage and Kiosk Industry

Irvine, CA – American Industrial Systems Inc. (AIS), release a line of Open Frame Touchscreen LCD Displays  featuring the reliable and durable 3M surface capacitive touch technology in to an array of touch enabled monitors for use in Point of Sale (POS), Digital Signage, Self Service, Foodservice, Hospitality and Point of Information (POI) applications. The open frame touch monitors are available currently in 15”, 17”, 19”, and 22” (wide) sizes. 3M Touchscreen monitors are cost effective solutions and are available off-the-shelf for immediately integration and fast time to market.

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display alliance news 9.8.2010

Vodafone's Microsoft Surface: like Go Fish for phones.
engadget.com- Microsoft worked with Vodafone late last year to deploy Surfaces to a few dozen stores in several European countries (much as AT&T has done in the US), and one of those units happens to be set up at the carrier's IFA booth this week. The basic idea here is that each available model appears as a card that can be twirled, resized, and flung around the screen. Read more at engadget.

AllSee Technologies provide digital display solutions which in most cases require bespoke digital displays to be designed and implemented.
displayalliance.com- Colston Hall was looking for a display which would enable them to quickly and easily communicate information on their forthcoming concerts and events; they also required the solution to be portable, as in it needed to be movable around the location, so as to create maximum exposure for their concerts and events. This raised the issue of connectivity as it clearly could not be tied down to any network wiring. Read more on Display Alliance.

Samsung mobile LCD capacity will increase tenfold.
tgdaily.com- Thanks to a new display manufacturing facility that Samsung will be opening up soon, Samsung will go from making 3 million mobile phone screens a month to 30 million. Samsung's Mobile Display unit will open up the new manufacturing plant in July of 2011 as part of the company's commitment to keep up with the growing mobile phone market.  Read the full article at tgdaily.

Sony To Realign LCD TV Manufacturing Operations For Europe.
rttnews.com- Sony Corp., as part of its on-going initiative toenhance its manufacturing efficiency to improve the profitability of its liquid crystal display or "LCD" TV business, announced that its relevant European units have agreed with Ficosa International, S.A. and COMSA EMTE SL, to sell the Barcelona technology center in Spain to Ficosa and COMSA EMTE. With this transaction, the Barcelona technology center would be divided into 2 new companies, 1 focusing on manufacturing and the other focusing on development and engineering. Read more at rttnews.

Samsung: "It's too premature to commercialize OLED TVs", too expensive.
oled-info.com- Yoon Boo-keun, the head of Samsung's TV business unit says that "It's too premature to commercialize OLED TVs due to strong price resistance. Consumers will not buy it without affordable prices, leaving small room for greater marketability,". While Samsung seems to believe that OLED TVs are "coming soon", the company will probably not start to make them while they're so expensive. Read more at oled-info.

Amtran August LCD TV shipments fall to 300,000 units.
digitimes.com- Amtran Technology saw its LCD TV shipments drop to 300,000 units in August 2010, from 320,000 units in July, with corresponding revenues of NT$4.53 billion (US$142 million) , shrinking 11% on month and 15% on year, according to the company. Read more at digitimes.

Slow Television Sales Spur LCD Panel Oversupply.
isuppli.com- Shipments of large-sized Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panels vastly exceeded end-market sales of televisions, monitors and notebook PCs, spurring a major buildup of inventory of the LCDs and finished products, including LCD-TVs, according to market research firm iSuppli Corp. Coming amid fears of a slowing economy and the possibility of a double-dip recession, the inventory increases are raising concerns throughout the display supply chain—from panel suppliers to contract manufacturers and brands, to retailers. The oversupply situation was exacerbated by a significant cut in orders in July from LCD panel buyers. To be sure, the large-sized LCD panel market was already in oversupply for most of the second quarter of 2010, but the order cuts in July pushed the market further into oversupply as inventories expanded to even higher levels. Read more at isuppli.

display alliance news 9.7.2010

Functional E-Noa Interpad Plays Catch Up In The Tablet Race.
Shane McGlaun of Geeky-Gadgets says, a yet to be finished Tegra 2 Interpad was put on display at the ongoing IFA 2010 for fanboys to have a glimpse of. We say yet to be finished because the people at E-Noa admit they’re still working out a suitable custom UI that complements its 10-inch 1024×600 display. Read the full article at geekygadgets.

Color Filter Could Boost LCD Efficiency by 400%
Megan treacy of ecogeak  tells us, researchers at the University of Michigan have created a color filter that could boost the efficiency of LCDs, the power hog of all your gadgets, by more than 400 percent, and no, I didn't add an extra zero there. The researchers made an optical film that colors and polarizes the light that passes through an LCD, taking the place of the several layers of optical devices that typically serve the same function in an LCD.  Those multiple layers give rise to inefficiencies:  the best LCDs out today only emit eight percent of the light their backlights produce. The researchers found that the film allowed 36 percent of the light to make it through - a huge increase. Read more at ecogeek.

Panasonic predicts the death of direct LED TVs.
Direct LED TVs will soon disappear from the shelves and be replaced by cheaper Edge LED and plasma screens. That's according to Markus Wagenseil, Panasonic's technical marketing manager. Speaking to TechRadar in Berlin last week, Wagenseil said that Direct LED technology is not viable and will be extinct within two years. "For direct LED LCD we don't feel there is a market any more because the price pressure on TVs is incredibly high," he said. Read more at techradar.

Digital Signage: LCD Panels Dominate the Market as Crts Experience a Rapid Decline.
In its Q3 ’07 “Quarterly Worldwide Flat Panel Forecast Report,” the display market research specialist reveals that CRTs will account for 5.5 percent of all display revenue in the quarter compared to TFT LCDs, which will generate 84.5 percent of all display revenue. In dollars that’s $20.3 billion for LCD panels to $1.3 billion for CRTs worldwide. Read the full article at 1080p.

Samsung updates on AMOLED displays.
Samsung (or actually Lee Woo-Jong, SMD's marketing VP) is giving us some interesting updates on their AMOLED displays and production plants. So first of all, they expect the new 5.5-Gen plant to start mass producing in July 2011. The new plant will increase Samsung's AMOLED capacity ten-fold: from 3 million displays a month to 30 million (assuming all displays made in the new plant will be around 3"). Read the full article at oled-info.

LG LEX8 with Nano lighting: A revolution in LCD TVs?
LG's Nano technology adds an additional layer between the LED backlight and the LCD panel. This layer has thousands of tiny dots that help to diffuse the light in a more effective way than existing technology. Something like Nano is useful for LCD TVs because, thus far, their Achilles heel has been patchy, uneven backlights that either produce visible hot spots at the edges of the screen, or halos around bright objects on dark backgrounds.  LG also claims that its new 'micro pixel control' technology will improve the accuracy of local LED dimming even further, and make the LEX8 one of the most impressive LCD screens ever made. Read the full article at CNET UK.

Samsung launches Samsung Takeback and Recycle (Star) Program in India.
In a bid to promote e-waste recycling, Samsung India has launched a new initiative called as the Star program or Samsung Takeback and Recycle Program. The initiative will be rolled out nationally in phases where consumers will be able to bring their any Samsung product for recycling. Consumers will be able to dispose their product at 235 locations in 20 cities or can avail the product collection facility for a nominal fee. Read more at samsunghub.

About Chris Sava.

Kits for Rapid Display System Prototyping

Digital View announces custom kits for display designers. Well known for innovation and excellent support services, Digital View is encouraging LCD display designers to achieve faster prototyping by shipping display design kits, tailored to designer’s specific project requirements. With a full range of LCD controller boards and OEM media players as well as many value-add accessories for every display system, designers can quickly assemble kits to build advanced video display products.

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display alliance news 9.3.2010

Control4 InfinityEdge Dedicated In-Wall Touch Screens.
Control4, a leader in affordable IP-based control and entertainment systems, today announced a new generation of dedicated in-wall touch screens. Control4® InfinityEdge™ Touch Screens come in 5-inch and 7-inch sizes and feature edge-to-edge capacitive glass and a low profile design at incredibly affordable prices of $599 and $899 (MSRP) respectively.  InfinityEdge™ Touch Screens also feature intercom capability, which can be enabled through the purchase of a $499 (MSRP) license. Read the full press release at control4.

Digital mall directories just make sense.
Mall directories going digital just makes sense, as the store listings are always changing and each time that happens stuff needs to get printed and people need to crack the cases open and change them and on and on. Never mind digital gives shoppers the ability to search by keywords or name instead of scanning long lists, and some companies (like another Toronto company, Jibestream) are doing things like digital couponing and instant emails. They also have to be well-built to deal with 17 year old boys and shopping carts and other types of ongoing abuse, yet still look nice. Read Dave Haynes full article at sixteen:nine.

GoGo Cast co-branding DOOH network screens with LG Electronics.
On-demand, out-of-home digital media company GoGo Cast Inc. announced recently that it will co-brand its Go-Screens with LG Electronics' 42-inch LCD digital signage monitors and integrated media players to deliver GoGo Cast's targeted messaging. GoGo Cast president and CEO David Paolo says that this alliance capitalizes on the complementary strengths of the two companies. Sourced from digitalsignagetoday.

Help Wanted - Digital Signage Sales.
Keywest Technology is a thriving digital signage solutions company providing everything from software components to turnkey systems in a growing market. We are looking for an energetic, self-motivated sales professional to nurture and close opportunities in the United States. Location of this position is in Lenexa, Kansas (Kansas City region). This position does not require any cold calling, but it does require B2B sales experience. Some travel will be necessary. Find out more at keywesttechnology.

AUO, CMI, CPT seeking other business to ease oversupply of small- to medium-size panels.
Panel makers AU Optronics (AUO), Chimei Innolux (CMI) and Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT) are transferring their small- to medium-size production capacity to other production such as OLED, e-paper or touch panels to ease the oversupply of small- to medium-size panels, according to market sources. Sourced from digitmes.

Samsung Galaxy S Featuring Corning Gorilla Glass.
Corning announced that Corning Gorilla glass has been designed into the Samsung Electronics Galaxy S. The Samsung Galaxy S features a 4-inch super AMOLED display, while weighing roughly 119 grams in a slim, highly durable design. The enhanced super AMOLED display is enabled in part by using Corning Gorilla glass as the protective cover. Gorilla glass is an environmentally friendly alkali-aluminosilicate thin sheet glass that is both scratch resistant and durable. Read more at trendygadget.

Taiwan equipment makers venturing into green energy industry.
More Taiwan-based equipment suppliers, which used to see sales contributed by their panel customers account for 70-80% of their total revenues, are venturing into the production of equipment for the green energy industry as a number of industry giants such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) and AU Optronics (AUO) have moved into the sector, an official from the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has commented. Read more at digitimes.

Toshiba goes all LED with new HDTVs at IFA 2010.
Besides that Android tablet, Toshiba's brought a whole slew LED-lit LCD televisions to IFA 2010. The REGZA WL Series is the company's first range of 3DTVs, available in 40-, 46- and 55-inch sizes with LED backlighting, 7,000,000:1 contrast ratios, it 3D Resolution+ upscaling tech and one pair of active shutter glasses bundled with each one. Read more at engadget.

About Chris Sava.

display alliance news 9.2.2010

Philips Cinema 21:9 Platinum 3D megadisplay eyes-on.
There are some things that you just long for irrationally in a sort of trade-your-next-10-years-of-Christmas-presents sort of way, and this new 3D Cinema 21:9 Platinum HDTV from Philips is one of those things. We just got a few too-brief minutes alone with the 58-inch set, where it proved itself quite an excellent 3D display -- it's hard to differentiate exact 3D quality without another display nearby for reference, but we didn't see any issues or worry points with the image quality offhand. With shutter glasses on the image remained bright and saturated with little ghosting, and while opinions may vary on Ambilight, we absolutely love it in action, particularly with this letterbox-destroying aspect ratio. Read more at engadget.

LCD TV Panel Makers Target 40% LED Penetration by Q4’10.
The continuing transition to LED backlights is motivating LCD TV panel manufacturers to develop their supply chains in order to reduce the cost of LED-backlit panels. According to the latest Quarterly LED Backlight Panel Shipment and Forecast Report, 9.5 million, or 18.5%, of the LCD TV panels that shipped in Q2’10 had LED backlights, which was 110% growth Q/Q. LCD TV panel makers are targeting aggressive growth for LED panel shipments, with plans to reach 40% LED penetration in Q4’10, and to exceed 50% in Q2’11. Penetration is highest among leading LCD TV panel makers, including Samsung, LG Display, AUO, Sharp, and Chimei Innolux. Notably, Samsung and Sharp aim to ship more LED LCD TVs than CCFL panels in Q4’10 (Table 1). Among these players, Sharp is the only one focusing on direct-type LED backlights, as opposed to the more common edge-lit structure. Sourced from displaysearch.

A quick explanation of SAW Technology.
Featuring pure glass construction, Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) touch screens will almost never physically “wear out” due to a superior scratch-resistant coating. Excellent light transmission ensures that the image clarity of the display remains sharp and vibrant. The stable, “drift-free” operation means that the touch response is always accurate. They work well with a finger, gloved hand, or a soft stylus. And SAW touch screens have a sensitive touch response—they recognize the touch location and the amount of pressure applied. Read more at generaldigital.

Taiwan market: Amtran launches 5 new Vizio LED TVs.
US-based LCD TV brand Vizio has launched five M series edge-type LED-backlit LCD TVs in Taiwan, according to the vendor's Taiwan-based manufacture partner Amtran Technology. With the five models from the M series, Vizio now has a line up of LCD TVs covering the 32- to 55-inch segment in the Taiwan market, Amtran added. The retail prices of the M series are: NT$27,900 (US$871.48) for 32-inch, NT$32,900 for 37-inch, NT$42,900 for 42-inch, NT$52,900 for 47-inch and NT$83,900 for 55-inch. Read more at digitmes.

C-nario Win Terminal 1C, Mumbai Airport.
Times Innovative Media Limited (TIML) has selected the C-nario Digital Signage Platform for a rollout at Mumbai international airport’s recently inaugurated and state-of-the-art Terminal 1C, catering to domestic traffic. The digital signage network at Mumbai airport comprises ten 47-inch LCD screens. The content plan is to have RSS-based news headlines, RSS- based astrology forecasts, and weather reports for selected cities, apart from Live TV and advertisements – all in the highest pixel resolution. C-nario’s platform enables advertisers to upload and approve ads via the Web. Read more at dailydooh.

FCC tears apart the new iPod touch, while iFixit wistfully looks on.
According to Engadget, they say, we're not quite sure when the Federal Communications Commission got into the habit of tearing devices limb from limb after testing their wireless radiation levels, but we have to say we're loving the trend -- and there's quite nothing like peering into the juicy innards of a new Apple device. Here, the FCC got its greasy paws on the new Retina Display-packing iPod touch, aka "Apple A1367," and in the gallery below you can see exactly where Cupertino keeps that A4 processor, 3.44 watt-hour battery, internal antenna, and 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz WiFi. Read more at engadget.

LED-TVs Drive China DTV Market to Brighter Days.
In the first half of 2010, LED-backlit LCD-TVs gained significant popularity in the country as Chinese-based multinational electronics manufacturer Hisense as well as other worldwide OEMs introduced the new sets to the domestic market, according to China market research company iSuppli Corp.  Among the total shipments of leading companies, LED-TVs garnered 30 percent share during the first half of 2010 in China. iSuppli believes the market, driving the overall Chinese DTV space, will continue to expand until 2012 because of four reasons. Read the 4 reasons at isuppli.

About Chris Sava