LG publishes bendy 19in e-newspaper LG has developed an e-journal reader that not only measures a whopping 19in but is also flexible. LG_19in_ebook_02 LG's 19in bendy e-reader: a world's first The company said its device is the world’s largest e-book reader to date and that it has been designed to make users feel as though they are holding a real newspaper …
Finally, an e-reader that I'd actually consider buying appears to be approaching.
Honestly, I'd love something like this if I could get my daily newspaper delivered to it over the air, as well as open some other document formats, and it didn't cost the earth.
I don't have pockets big enough for a regular e-reader, especially not one big enough for comfortably reading a newspaper on. One that can be rolled however, is a totally different story!
Unfortunately, I'd be very surprised if this thing is released with a reasonable price tag. Shame really.
Although it looks a little clumsy to carry around if you can't roll it or fold it.
Now, if they make the screen relatively cheap, that could work. A master unit in the pocket, cellphone-sized, transmitting the data to the page as you ask for it. If the screen got damaged, lost, etc., you could just buy another one and pair it with the transmitter. Changing to a bigger/smaller/more resolution/whatever screen would be the same, as long as the new screen did not demand capabilities not supported by the transmitter.
But I wouldn't be surprised if the screen was more expensive than the rest of the machine, in which case this idea of mine is a relative fail...
Imagine a notebook PC with a scroll-up-display, like the movie-screens of old. The display rolls up into a tube along the back edge of the machine, you flip up a couple of pieces of metal (the kind of stuff you would see on a foldable music-stand) and there's your display!
Of course you can't fold it... sheesh... ball up a sheet of paper and then flaten it out... would you want to use it to take notes after doing that? Only things I know of that you can (easily) take creases out of are memory-metals and fabrics. Crease anything any you will ruin it... or at the very least have a heck of a time getting the crease out.
...with smaller e-book readers. 250g for the latter is far too heavy. Make it lighter than a light novel and you've got a product with an actual selling point, in fact, make that 'reason for existing'.
As for this majestic, large e-broadsheet reader, it is awesome, and in a way unfortunately highlights the relative superflousness of the product it's made to display: newspapers are a throwaway thing, full of opining, gossip, speculation, trivia - if a news item is really important it'll turn up in the history books anway. What was it Abe Lincoln said about not reading a paper from one month to another (hope I've my POTUSes right here), and being none the worse off for it? After all, before we were all addicted to the detroyer-of-time which is the internet - we - and by we I mean I - were addicted to our favourite newspaper(s).
eBook readers might suck and be mostly useless, but they do appear to have spurred a lot of really nifty display R&D.
What would be REALLY REALLY cool would be if they could hook 'em up to GPS. Can you imagine a map-sized map that actually is a zoomable/pannable GPS display? Even black & white would still be tons better than the tiny little squint-tins we have now.
I have been thinking for years I want a flexible GPS-enabled map that can replace the pile of OS maps I have round the house, with the added benefit that it can highlight my position. I am sure with some sensible electronics (solar / pietzoelectric / motion cells) it could be made to power itself.
It *does* need to be able to fold without damage.
Otherwise coming back to it and finding that where it says: "e-Reader. Do not fold" on the case, some wag's written "Oh yes it do" underneath could seriously try your sense of humour.
Bound to happen. Small child, curious smug sod at the next desk, demo to pissed-up mates in pub, all equally fatal.
Whilst I can see applications for replacing paper posters (even those used by newspaper vendors in London) it still won't replace good old newsprint that I love to buy Fish and Chips wrapped up in when I visit Britain.
Another tradition dumped. What a pity!
(cursing at the broken backplane on his 4m old reader)
hmm. it occurs to me that some carefully placed strips of muscle wire or polymer could stop the screen rolling back up at some minor cost in battery life.
as for foldability, my own experience with the e-ink material suggests that it *could* fold along predefined locations but each display would need to be electrically separate with common power, data and ground lines.
there'd be a small gap but barely noticeable in normal use.
Now what would be cool is a "credit reader" e-ink receipt replacement, to save all that wasted paper. Make it the same size and shape as a credit card but include one way encrypted comms so any compatible printer could "print" to it.
Maybe include a touch screen to switch between stored receipts?
This technology will really come of age when it features 3D imaging.
So you can read a newspaper on this device? Very good. Keep up at the back please. Now how's about offering an extension to this idea so that page 3 becomes worth viewing, and provides the type of braille interface which would make it useful to the terminally blind?
And Paris, not because of page 3 references but because I think I probably would go terminally blind due to what I was doing with her page 3 option.
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