KDDI shows off cellphone-linked e-paper display

KDDI (smartly) doesn't seem to be ready to go all Foleo / Redfly-like, but it apparently does see some benefit in a cellphone companion of sorts, and it's now showing off a considerably different spin on the idea that relies simply on a stripped-down e-paper display. Even more unconventionally, the setup makes use of good old IrDA to transfer images from the phone to the display (a 13.1-incher built by Bridgestone) which, when combined with the inherent slowness of the display itself, adds up to a page refresh time of 12 seconds. It is still in prototype form though, so there's at least a chance that a few of those seconds will get shaved off by the time it's released, and an equally decent chance that it never actually sees the light of day.

[carcomptoy Posted Oct 14th 2008 10:19PM]

Explain to us what the point of this would be? Sure, it'd be nice to read Engadget Mobile on a much larger screen, but who in the world is going to carry and use this with them when it defeats the purpose of portability and adds no functionality of a keyboard or any such thing?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 15th 2008 9:45AM]

how about when you wake up in the morning, set your phone next to it, and in 12 seconds have the newspaper delivered? No paper wasted, and no gas wasted for deliveries. ...and since its an e-ink screen, it wont strain your eyes to read. wouldn't have to walk through cold/rain/snow to get your paper in the morning!

Great presentation on E-Paper:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ptr3T59UU0

Also...maybe im just not up to date on current technology ...last time i checked e-ink paper was only one color so that image would be greyscale?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 15th 2008 10:02AM]

oops, followed the read link...it displays 4,096 colors. IMO, I think this would be even better if marketed towards a newspaper reader.