Apple patent application reveals an LCD with switchable, privacy-protecting viewing angles

Don't you hate it when the guy next to you on the subway is looking over your shoulder, watching you screw up in Fruit Ninja? Well, Apple could have predicted your discomfort -- back in November 2009, before the iPad was anything more than a unicorn, the company applied for a patent on an LCD display with adjustable viewing angles, explicitly designed to "shield the display away from unintended viewers." According to the filing, the display would include steering modules made of liquid crystal material, which aim the so-called scattering modules that sit on top of them. The top layer then redirects the light, making it possible to narrow down and alter the viewing angle. The patent specifically calls out cellphones and laptops, paving the way for discreet displays on MacBooks and iPhones, though the broad phrase "other portable electronic devices" leaves plenty of room for iPads and iPod Touches. No word, of course, on when or if Apple will secure this patent and if so, what devices might incorporate such screens. We may just be seeing this concept go public now, but it seems consumers could use this even more today than they did back in the fall of '09, when all they had to worry about was a stranger squinting at their 3GS' 3.5-inch screen.

Electronista

USPTO

Sharp shows off the world's first Super Hi-Vision LCD with 16x more detail than 1080p

While Japan's NHK has been working on the successor to HDTV, Super Hi-Vision, for years, there haven't been any direct-view HDTVs capable of showing its full 7,680 x 4,320 pixel resolution until this prototype unveiled today by Sharp. Its 103 pixels per inch may be just a fraction of those found in some of the pocket displays we've seen at SID this week, but that's still far more than the 36ppi of a 60-inch 1080p HDTV. If estimates are correct, we'll still be waiting until around 2020 for that 33MP video and 22.2 channel sound to actually be broadcast, although there's a possibility of some demonstrations happening during the 2012 Olympics. Skip past the break for the available specs and a video demonstration, or just head over to the NHK's Science & Technology Research Laboratories in Tokyo between the 26th and 29th of this month.

Sharp

Samsung's 10.1-inch plastic LCD showcased in concept laptop, tablet at SID 2011 (video)

Fumble your phone much? Samsung may have a solution for clumsy gadgeteers with screen shatter fears: a lightweight, ultra-durable, plastic LCD screen. Tucked into laptop and tablet concepts at SID 2011, this 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 wunderpanel could be the next innovation in durable mobile devices -- cutting thickness by as much as two-thirds at one-fifth the weight of a glass LCD. Lighter, stronger devices sound awesome, but the tech has its drawbacks; it suffers from poor off-axis viewing angles, and the entire surface has a visible, but not entirely off-putting, wavy texture. Cracked LCD bending art enthusiasts can rest easy for awhile, there's no word yet on pricing or availability; easy-to-bust displays aren't going anywhere. Hit the gallery and the video (after the break) for an eyes-on look.

Samsung's 10.1-inch Plastic LCD prototype eyes-on at SID 2011

Source: Engadget

Samsung's 22-inch Transparent BLU LCD TV shipping next week, eyes-on at SID 2011 (video)

We weren't actually allowed to get our hands on Samsung's 22-inch Transparent BLU LCD TV -- the showcase was accompanied by a "Do not touch" label -- but we were able to get our first in-the-flesh look at the see-through display at SID this week. According to Sammy's rep, the monitors, which can operate with or without a backlight, will start shipping to manufacturers as soon as this week, but consumers will have to wait until Q3 to get their hands on one. While our hands remained mostly at our sides during our little meeting, we did sneak them behind the display to see just how transparent these things are. Sure enough, we could see our phalanges wiggling quite clearly through the ghostly panel. When the backlight was flipped on, the screen became a touch more opaque, but didn't fully obstruct the view of the potted plants lurking in the background. For now, the screens are focused on the commercial market -- specifically advertising -- but we wouldn't mind adding one of these things to our living room. Hop on past the break for a little video love.

Samsung's 22-inch Transparent BLU LCD eyes-on at SID 2011

Toshiba's in-cell integrated 7-inch capacitive LCD ditches touch layer, extra girth (video)

Samsung's Super AMOLED may have beat Toshiba to the in-cell capacitive touch punch, but we're still happy to see other LCD panels dropping unnecessary layers. Featured in a GPS mock-up, Toshiba's 7-inch 1024 x 600 R&D display touts 10-point multi-touch over 38,400 sensors -- that's one touch sensor for every four pixels. It may not be the first LCD to abandon the standard touch layer for integrated capacitive support, but we wouldn't shy away from a tablet or embedded screen featuring this 1mm wonder. We'll have to wait though; Toshiba's in-cell tech is still in R&D, with no word when or if we might see it in commercial devices. Check out the video after the break for a quick hands-on.

Toshiba's 7-inch integrated capacitive touchscreen concept at SID 2011

 

Toshiba declares victory in pixel density war: 367ppi coming to a phone this year (video)

We got the lowdown on Toshiba's latest four-inch LCD a couple of days ago, and today at SID 2011 we got up close and personal with the pixel-packed display. It's one thing to read about a 367ppi screen that shows native 720p video, and it's quite another to experience it in person. We can report that it is, in fact, as awesome as it sounds -- onscreen images were clear, crisp, and chromatically brilliant. Pixel density enthusiasts will also be happy to hear that Toshiba confirmed the display will make it to market this year. Of course, the rep wouldn't tell us which phone will take the iPhone 4's crown as the ppi champ, though we imagine it'll be something powered by little green bots. See the new king in action in the video after the break.

Toshiba's 4-inch 367ppi 720p cellphone display at SID 2011

Nanosys QDEF screen technology ships in Q4, slips into iPad at SID 2011 (video)

We dropped by Nanosys' nook at SID 2011, and not only was it showing off its new Quantum Dot Enhancement Film, but had hacked the tech into an off-the-shelf iPad. A company representative presented the modified slate as an example of how quickly QDEF's high color gamut magic could be integrated into existing devices, offering "OLED color depth without OLED power consumption and OLED price." Sure enough, we were told to expect to see QDEF in a "mobile device," probably an Android tablet, sometime in Q4; when pushed for details, our rep could only tell us that the device would come from a Korean firm. (LG or Samsung, take your pick.)

Integrating QDEF into new devices may be a snap, but company representatives told us the film could add as much as 100 microns to a screen's thickness, suggesting that smartphone manufactures aren't too keen on the idea of a thicker display. Still, Nanosys has high hopes for the new film and told us that it expects high-color QDEF to become an "ecosystem changer," as industry-altering as HDTV. The firm even suggested "wide color gamut" apps could be in our near future -- we love our color depth here at Engadget, but somehow it's hard to see Angry Birds: High Color (its suggestion, not ours) taking off. Check out our hands-on after the break.

Nanosys QDEF screen technology hands-on at SID 2011

Nanosys unveils Quantum Dot Enhancement Film for LCDs, promises all kinds of colors

Another day, another step closer to quantum dot reality. Today, Nanosys unveiled its new Quantum Dot Enhancement Film (QDEFTM), marking the first time that the nanotechnology is available for LCD manufacturers. According to the company, its optical film can deliver up to 60 percent of all colors visible to the human eye, compared with the 20 to 25 percent that most displays offer. To create QDEFTM, Nanosys' engineers suspended a blend of quantum dots within optical film and applied it to a blue LED, which helped get the nanocrystals excited. Once they started hopping around, the dots emitted high-quality white light and a rich, wide color gamut, without consuming as much power as white LED-based materials. No word yet on when we can expect to see QDEFTM in consumer displays, but Nanosys claims that the film is "process-ready" and easy for manufacturers to integrate. For now, you can amuse yourselves by comparing the two frogs pictured above and guessing which one is covered in quantum dots. 

Mirasol display gets lighting solution for reading alone at parties, bars

How do you solve a problem like lighting a Mirasol display? Sure, the technology provides something of a comprise between traditional E Ink displays and tablet LCDs, with full video and color, low power consumption, and the ability to be viewed in bright sunlight, but it still has some decided drawbacks: like a lack of backlighting. Qualcomm showed off a simple and elegant solution at this week's CES on the Hill, essentially embedding a book light into the device, lighting it from the front -- it's not the first time we've seen an e-reader arrive at this answer, but still, sometimes the easiest solutions are the best. The prototype shown off in DC this week had buttons on the rear for adjusting brightness, though according to The Digital Reader, Qualcomm will also be showing off a device with an ambient light sensor in the near future. The technology should be on store shelves this fall -- no word whether the device is capable of yelling at you for "ruining your eyes" by reading in the dark.

SlashGear

The Digital Reader

Eole concept watch has turbine bezel, shows time when you blow

Traditional electronic watches may be practical, but there's nothing elegant about battery power. With the Eole watch concept, designer Julien Moise envisioned a device that's powered by blown air, displaying the time only when you want to see it. Sure, compulsively blowing on your watch in a meeting is less discrete than sneaking a peak under the table, but you'll still have your BlackBerry around for when you need to count down the minutes until freedom. There's also a weather indicator and alarm function, so we assume there's a battery in there that's doing more than keeping time -- an alarm that only sounds when you blow wouldn't work too well if you're asleep.

DVICE

Julien Mo�se

HP x2301 Micro Thin monitor makes other displays feel bloated, insecure

Those new desktops HP unveiled today are little more than humming foot rests without a monitor, so the company also trotted out the x2301 Micro Thin -- a 23-inch, LED-backlit, 1080p display that's an absolutely anorexic 9.8mm (0.39 inches) thick. Most of the important internals have been shoved into the blue-tinted base to keep the brushed aluminum and glossy black screen as thin as possible. It's not exactly a high-end model, but the 3ms response time and 8,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio are nothing to sniff at. The x2301 is expected to ship on June 10th for $280, just after its slightly cheaper (and chubbier) cousin, the Elite L2201x. Fashionistas, the line starts right around the bend.

HP x2301 Micro Thin Monitor

Electronista

HP