Nanosys offers better saturation of LED-backlit displays with nanoscale coating

While we all wait around for larger-sized OLED displays to become feasible for the consumer market, Nanosys has stolen in and demonstrated a new LED coating technique that proposes to radically improve color saturation in LED-backlit screens. Based on standard blue LEDs — the most efficient kind — this works by applying nanoparticles to the light and thereby endowing it with the desired hue. While the nano-coating can make standalone LED lights far richer in color, the real potential is in its deployment in LED-backlit displays, such as those becoming dominant on laptops today. By employing a coated array of blue LEDs instead of the standard white stuff, this can deliver greater color saturation while fitting within the same energy profile of current LED tech. Products boasting Nanosys’ new hotness are said to be coming out later this year, with some appropriate premium slapped on the price for the fancier output.

Nanosys offers better saturation of LED-backlit displays with nanoscale coating originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diffus pollution dress is turned on by CO2, prefers a clean environment

We’ve seen LED-laced dresses before — though sometimes we’d rather we hadn’t — but this one here is almost refined enough for us to consider wearing. Stitched together using conductive embroidery, hundreds of LEDs are connected to a CO2 detector and react to its input with anything from a slow pulsating glow to a blinking signal of doom. No mention of Morse code messages, unfortunately, but this is run by an Arduino chip — which means programming malleability (read: near-limitless possibilities) should be built in. Just know that when you see the next Bond girl communicating with Daniel Craig via her haute tech outfit, we had the idea first. A closeup of the dress and processor awaits after the break.

Continue reading Diffus pollution dress is turned on by CO2, prefers a clean environment

Diffus pollution dress is turned on by CO2, prefers a clean environment originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inside Sharp’s new LCD factory, we can see our next HDTV from here

The path back to LCD leadership for Sharp begins at its just opened Sakai City manufacturing facility. Being a 10th generation facility means it can roll out more and bigger displays, producing six 60-inch LCDs from each glass substrate, 60% more than older 8g facilities. Check out the pics for a peek at where 72,000 substrates per month will be made, delivering those slim LED backlit televisions getting so much love, along with solar panels (also being installed on the roofs for that extra green vibe that’s in vogue these days) and a few of the more than 100,000 energy efficient LEDs lighting the factory itself. Whether your closest HDTV purchase is a turkey fueled memory from last weekend or yet to come, bargain hunters and AV fans alike can appreciate an eyeful of the robots and testing equipment slicing, dicing and stamping screens headed for shelves nearby, whether bearing an Aquos brand or any number of other nameplates.

Inside Sharp’s new LCD factory, we can see our next HDTV from here originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oki shows off prototype LED-based HUD, coming soon to a jalopy near you

Currently, the only way you’re getting a heads-up display in your whip is if you pay two arms and a leg for it. By and large, mid-range and low-end vehicles have been completely removed from the HUD fun, but all that could be changing thanks to a new effort from the crew at Oki Digital Imaging. Said outfit recently demonstrated a LED-based alternative that measures 1.1-inches in size and is constructed using the company’s own EFB (Epi Film Bonding) process. Without getting too deep in the technobabble, the newfound process consumes less power, requires a simpler heat sink and boasts an all-around simpler structure. The end result? A far less expensive heads-up display, which — if all goes well — will begin sampling by the end of next year and could hit low-end cars, mobile phones and other handhelds shortly thereafter. Oh future, how we love thee.

Oki shows off prototype LED-based HUD, coming soon to a jalopy near you originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba ‘Space Chair’ ad redefines armchair viewing (video)

• A helium balloon lifted the chair to a height of 98,268 feet above terra firma filmed using Toshiba’s own IK-HR1S ultra-compact 1080i camera
• FAA regulations required that the weight of the rig had to be less than four pounds
• The chair is made of biodegradable balsa wood at a cost of of about £2,500
• The rig was launched in Nevada’s Burning Man Black Rock desert
• The temperature dropped to minus 90 degrees at 52,037 feet
• The chair took 83 minutes to reach an altitude of 98,268 feet and just 24 minutes to fall back to earth

Truly amazing stuff. Now buckle up and click through for the show.

Continue reading Toshiba ‘Space Chair’ ad redefines armchair viewing (video)

Filed under: Displays, Laptops

Toshiba ‘Space Chair’ ad redefines armchair viewing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s 2010/2011 OLED and flagship XBR series LCD roadmap leaked?

Ready to dig deep, really deep, for a tiny but magnificent OLED television? You’d better be ’cause some purportedly leaked Sony documents are showing a new “KDL-ZX Series OLED” on the 2010 / 2011 roadmap. All the sets are listed as prototypes so they may or may not make it to market for retail. But with Sony’s two year old, 11-inch XEL-1 OLED TV now dwarfed by LG’s new 15-inch OLED TV and a 20-incher promised for 2010, well, we expect Sony will want to regain its leadership in the new year. The docs also show updates to Sony’s flagship XBR series with the XBR11 LED W-backlit LCD and XBR12 Advanced LED RGB-backlit LCD sets coming in sizes from 32- to 60-inches featuring 240Hz Motionflow, a new Bravia Engine 3 PRO with HD Video processor, and UV2A panel technology. Unfortunately, some of the XBR information (the most important, presumably) is blacked-out and we’re only looking at 2 of what appear to be 24 pages of leaked content. Boy would we love to peak behind that curtain. XBR11 spec sheet on display after the break.

[Via OLED-Display]

Continue reading Sony’s 2010/2011 OLED and flagship XBR series LCD roadmap leaked?

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Sony’s 2010/2011 OLED and flagship XBR series LCD roadmap leaked? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bang & Olufsen’s BeoVision 10 orders up the ‘hands-on special’

Bang & Olufsen may be irrelevant to those with annual salaries having fewer than six digits to the left of the decimal (or comma, if that’s how you roll), but even the laypeople can’t help but drool at a spectacle such as this. The BeoVision 10 has just landed down across the pond at Electric Pig, and they were kind enough to snap a few shots and show ‘em to the world. The £6,000 price tag is definitely a stunner, but those lucky enough to lay eyes on it have said that it just might be worth it — if money ain’t a thang, you know.

Filed under: Displays

Bang & Olufsen’s BeoVision 10 orders up the ‘hands-on special’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bang & Olufsen’s BeoVision 10: something awesome in the state of Denmark (update: video!)

If you’re an HDTV buff with style, taste, and money to burn (and if you’re reading Engadget we have our doubts about at least two of the three) then you’ve probably been waiting impatiently for Bang & Olufsen to make this one official. The BeoVision 10 is a wall-mounted LCD flat screen that boasts 40-inches of real estate, a brushed aluminum frame, and bottom mounted speakers that are available in a variety of colors. As the company boasts, “every aspect of the design is thought through.” It also said something about “vægplacering,” the definition of which we will leave to your imagination. On sale now at the B & O store on Kongens Nytorv in central Copenhagen for 43,495 Danish Kroner (roughly $8,700) — not shockingly expensive, as far as this company is concerned, but still far too dear for you. No word on stateside pricing or release date.

Update: As several astute readers pointed out, the translated source for this one listed the price in British Pounds when it should have been listed in Danish Kroner (DKK). The thing is far less expensive now — so feel free to send us one for an early Christmas present! You have the address. Oh, and a vid is after the break!

Read – Here is the new B & O television
Read – B & O’s new flat panel

Continue reading Bang & Olufsen’s BeoVision 10: something awesome in the state of Denmark (update: video!)

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Bang & Olufsen’s BeoVision 10: something awesome in the state of Denmark (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony TRIMASTER quad-HD LCD multiplies the resolution, and the price, of any home HDTV

Can’t wait until December for Toshiba’s CELL REGZA LCD? Sony is bringing its own 56-inch 3,840×2160 quad-HD display to market November 1 in Japan. Priced at 6,825,000 ($76,583) including taxes this is clearly for pros only, hence the TRIMASTER name referring to the three elements combined within — exact color, accurate picture and reliability — thanks to a RGB LED backlit panel built with incredible picture reproduction and exact calibration (with included software via a connected PC) in mind. While it’s cheaper than JVC’s $175k 4K projector, unless you’re mastering the next Pixar flick, viewing high res satellite imagery or can’t live without four HD feeds on one screen even the most well heeled amongst may be better served scouring bargain bins for a used Westinghouse D56QX1 for now.

[Via AV Watch]

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Sony TRIMASTER quad-HD LCD multiplies the resolution, and the price, of any home HDTV originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HYPOLED develops mega-tiny VGA projector display, has a tiny coin in the photo to prove it

HYPOLED, an 18-month-old project tasked with creating OLED microdisplays for upcoming pico projectors, has just released a report of its recent progress. Among the advances is a Fraunhofer IPMS-designed all digital VGA, full color OLED microdisplay backplane with matching pico projector optics. The display measures just 0.18-mm thick and is already in prototype manufacturing. The super miniscule display is connected to a MediaBox enabling it to operate via WiFi. Fraunhofer is now expected to begin developing a prototype of the full projector, meaning that with any luck, our picos should be getting a teensy, tiny bit cooler in the near future.

[Via About Projectors]

Filed under: Displays

HYPOLED develops mega-tiny VGA projector display, has a tiny coin in the photo to prove it originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BenQ remains on green bandwagon, offers up LED-backlit G920WL and G922HDL displays

If the model names seem uninformative, here’s what you need to know — the G920WL is a 19-inch 1,440 x 900 display, and the G922HDL is the same, only shrunken down to 18.5-inches and 1,366 x 768. Both claim class-leading power efficiency (a staple for BenQ), with their Eco mode using only 10 and 11 watts, respectively. They come with the company’s newish SensEye 3 auto-calibration utility, 250 nits of brightness, 5 millisecond response time, and a real, non-dynamic 1,000:1 contrast ratio. Should you need more pixels and inches, BenQ will be all too happy to serve your appetite with its similarly “green” V series, which goes up to 24 inches. The new G models are set for immediate release in Europe and Asia at “compelling price points,” though BenQ remains mum on the possibility of North American availability.

[Via Far East Gizmos]

Filed under: Displays

BenQ remains on green bandwagon, offers up LED-backlit G920WL and G922HDL displays originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BenQ grabs green card with LED-backlit V2200 / V2400 Eco monitors

We firmly believe that the all-too-popular ‘green card‘ is flailed about far too haphazardly these days, but whatever the case, BenQ’s sure doing its darnedest to explain just how much Ma Earth adores its latest duo of V Series monitors. The 24-inch V2400 Eco and 21.5-inch V2200 Eco are both outfitted with LED-backlit 1080p panels, comically inflated dynamic contrast ratios (5,000,000:1, if you can even believe that) and a shell constructed from 28 percent recycled plastic. Meanwhile, we’re told these panels can suck down around 30 percent less power while in Eco mode, and overall, they consume approximately 36 percent less power than CCFL displays. If you’re onboard with everything, look for these to land in your neck of the woods soon, with China getting ‘em first in a week or so.

[Via Far East Gizmos]

Filed under: Displays

BenQ grabs green card with LED-backlit V2200 / V2400 Eco monitors originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo LED spraycan lets you make grafitti the cheap, legal way

If you’re down with the latest freshness, like we know you are, you’ll already be aware of light writing and the radical imagery that can be created through the use of long camera exposures and stop motion animation. Well, get ready to do your thing with even more style, thanks to the Halo LED spraycan — a DIY project by Aissa Logerot — which not only looks like the primary tool of al fresco art, it even recharges itself when shaken. While not quite as sophisticated as the Light Lane, this definitely makes our list of light-based paraphernalia we’d like to see more of. You’ll find a few more shots after the break, plus a video of a well-known ad campaign featuring the light writing technique.

[Via Cool Hunting]

Continue reading Halo LED spraycan lets you make grafitti the cheap, legal way

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Halo LED spraycan lets you make grafitti the cheap, legal way originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study says LEDs are about as efficient as compact fluorescents, all things considered

As we’ve seen with the slight resurgence of new and improved incandescent light bulbs, the amount of energy used to actually light up the bulb isn’t necessarily the whole measure of energy efficiency. There’s also the small matter of producing the bulb, shipping it around the world, and eventually disposing of it. With that in mind, the Siemens Corporate Technology Centre for Eco Innovations conducted a study that compared regular compact fluorescents to LED lamps — using one 25,000-hour LED lamp as a constant, compared to 2.5 10,000-hour compact fluorescents (and 25 1,000-hour incandescents). While it’s still holding back on some of the finer details, the group did apparently find that LEDs are no more or no less energy efficient than compact flourescents when the entire lifecycle of the bulb is taken into account, although it is quick to point out that LEDs should eventually win out as they become more efficient to produce.

Filed under: Household

Study says LEDs are about as efficient as compact fluorescents, all things considered originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung 8500 series LCD TVs feature local-dimming LED backlights, Yahoo! widgets

Sure, we might all just be getting used to LED-backlit LCD HDTVs, but this train ain’t stopping, Chico — Samsung just got official with the 8500 series, which features the next-generation of local-dimming LED backlights. The 54.6-inch and 45.9-inch 240Hz sets are just 1.6 inches deep and offer a 7,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, a 2ms response time, and an Energy Star 3.0 savings mode that continually adjusts the picture and backlight to optimize both picture quality and power savings. You’re also getting Samsung’s usual suite of connected TV features, like the Yahoo! Widget Engine, DivX playback, and DLNA support, but you’ll be paying handsomely for all this newness — the 45.9-inch UN46B8500’s MSRP is $3,599, while the 54.6-inch UN55B8500 will run you $4,499.

Filed under: HDTV

Samsung 8500 series LCD TVs feature local-dimming LED backlights, Yahoo! widgets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Light Blue Optics’ touch-based laser projector hitting manufacturers in Q4 — will look nothing like this image

While the global economic crisis has swept aside a number of early innovators in mobile technology, Light Blue Optics finds itself flush with cash this morning. Having secured $15 million in funding, the UK outfit now plans to have its laser-based pico projection engine to OEMs by the end of the year; a move that should result in a tiny retail projector sometime in the first half of 2010. Why should you care? Well, unlike all those LED-based pico projectors now saturating the market, laser-based projectors offer more vivid colors and the ability to auto-focus that mobile image as it’s moved about. Even better, LBO has touch-enabled the system allowing users to interact with the projected display. A second generation engine about the size of a sugar cube will ultimately allow the technology to be embedded in mobile devices like cellphones as we’re already seeing with LED-based engines. Since the supplied image above totally misrepresents the first generation device, we’ve embedded a video of the tech, first published in March, after the break. Skip to the 3-minute mark if you want to avoid the pitch.

[Via PicoProjector-info]

Continue reading Light Blue Optics’ touch-based laser projector hitting manufacturers in Q4 — will look nothing like this image

Filed under: Displays

Light Blue Optics’ touch-based laser projector hitting manufacturers in Q4 — will look nothing like this image originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 03:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eternaleds debuts world’s first liquid-cooled LED light bulb

We know you probably wouldn’t answer “What’s the perfect companion to a liquid-cooled PC?” with “a liquid-cooled light bulb,” but amazingly enough, that’s a viable answer starting today. Eternaleds is stepping up big with planet’s first liquid-cooled LED bulb, the HydraLux-4, which will arrive in warm white and daylight white and should save you bundles on your energy bill over the next score. The company asserts that these bulbs produce “360 degree lighting” and can emit the same amount of illumination as a 25W incandescent with just 4W of energy. Each bulb is rated for 35,000 hours of use, and considering that a single one costs only $1.75 per year to run (at eight hours per day), we suppose the stiff $34.99 sticker is somewhat warranted.

Filed under: Household

Eternaleds debuts world’s first liquid-cooled LED light bulb originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Incandescent bulbs making a comeback, GE still launching new LED lights

On the eve of Christmas 2007, quite a few obituaries for incandescent light bulbs were penned. News was slow, time was short and Congress had just outlined a new energy plan that would essentially force these energy-wasting bulbs out by 2012. Now, however, legions of scientists are racing the clock to develop new incandescents that will still meet the upcoming guidelines, with a Deposition Sciences technology paving the way for a post-2012 model from Philips. Without drowning you in technobabble, let’s just say that said tech has seen 50 percent efficiency gains in the lab, which is more than enough to please even the most outspoken tree hugger in Washington. In related news, GE has issued two more LED light bulbs: the 7-watt Energy Smart LED PAR20 and 10-watt LED PAR30. Both of ‘em are aimed more at commercial customers than at actual homes, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a better option for lighting up your makeshift basketball court.

Read – Incandescent bulbs stage comeback
Read – GE Energy Smart bulbs

Filed under: Household

Incandescent bulbs making a comeback, GE still launching new LED lights originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG introduces stylish, LED-backlit 22-inch W2286L LCD HDTV

By and large, there’s nothing too incredible about LG’s latest LCD HDTV. It’s 22-inches, can double as a PC monitor, boasts a deceiving 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and consumes some 40 percent less power than the average Earth-hating 22-inch LCD. There’s also a pair of HDMI sockets, a DVI port and a 1,680 x 1,050 resolution, not to mention an automatic brightness sensor that responds to ambient light. There’s no word yet on how pricey the 20 millimeter-thick set will be nor when it’ll ship stateside, but hopefully it — along with its 24-inch Full HD sibling — will make the trip in short order.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

LG introduces stylish, LED-backlit 22-inch W2286L LCD HDTV originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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