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