After seeing it earlier in the summer, we're checking back in with E Ink's folding, dual-screen ePaper display today. The model we saw back in June was clearly a very early prototype, with a less than stellar hinge and labels for non-existent buttons. It seems that E Ink has fixed many of those missing or unfinished features, but we probably won't see this exact device hit the market.
Being confined indoors most of the time has resulted in a rise in the consumption of digital content but it isn't just videos and games that have suddenly become even more popular than ever before. Without easy access to libraries and bookstores, bookworms have taken to eBooks to get their fix. And because most people are on tight budgets, Kobo is launching a new no-frills eReader that knows a trick or two to help you read your favorite books wherever, whenever.
If 5G was the common feature that most smartphone makers were touting last year, this year's theme seems to revolve around the screen once more. No, not some punch-hole cutout, in-display sensor, or even curved edges. Many if not all high-end phones boast of 90Hz refresh rates or even higher. In a sea of such advanced handsets, Hisense's next phone will stand out from the crowd with an almost opposite kind of innovation, bringing the world's first slow refresh rate smartphone with a colored electronic paper display.
There has been a small but prominent rise in interest in e-paper technologies like E-Ink due to their simplicity, energy-efficiency, and extensibility. Tablets and even phones using this kind of display are no longer unheard of, though rare, and that represents just one innovation in that field. Another, courtesy of a company named "Waveshare" is looking into how digital paper screens can operate without any batteries. All they will need is an NFC receiver.
We are too glued to our screens and yet almost all the solutions being offered mostly involve quitting cold turkey with a dumber than dumb phone. That may no longer be that practical in this day and age but that doesn't mean there isn't an answer. One answer could come in the form of phones using colored e-paper displays such as the one shown off by Hisense at CES 2020. This phone, which is a significant step up from regular E-Ink displays, could offer a perfect balance of utility and simplicity that could keep people off their phones.
The price of the Kindle Paperwhite 2018 is right on point for what it offers. That's just so long as you're not looking for something other than an e-ink display and Amazon's own UI instead of a more open OS. If you're only comparing e-readers, this might well be the best choice in the world on the market right this minute. Today we're reviewing the Kindle Paperwhite 2018, the newest version of Amazon's midrange (just right) e-reader device.
This year's Kindle Paperwhite has a few new tricks to deliver e-reader fans aplenty. The device is called "the All-New Kindle Paperwhite" if you're in the public relations business or work for Amazon - but I'll be calling it the Paperwhite 2018. This version of the device is slightly thinner and slightly lighter than its predecessor, has one more LED light in it (5 instead of 4) and is now waterproof.
The YotaPhone seems to have struck a chord among some smartphone users. The ability to have some information, or picture, always on display even when the phone's screen itself is off definitely useful. And having a handy ebook reader with you all the time is something bookworms would love. But the problem with the YotaPhone is not only was it limited to Android, it also meant having to buy a new phone, even if you were already an Android user. iPhone users, on the other hand, were out of luck. Now, however, they have fighting chance with the InkCase i7 finally launching on Kickstarter.
One of the biggest complains about smartwatches is how quick they are to die during the course of the day. What if you had a watch that could at least last for days while still have some of the fashionable options of smartwatches? That's what Sony subsidiary Fashion Entertainments sought out to do with its e-paper wearables. Now in its second run, the new Sony FES Watch U is now available for purchase, in Japan at least, offering a smartwatch that is really more a fashion accessory than a geek toy.
Ebook readers use e-paper displays for two reasons. First is the innate nature of such screens, which are easy on the eyes and batteries. Second is the cheaper costs of such components, which translate to a more affordable retail price. If you thought the latter would be true of the Gvido music sheet "tablet" and its two 13-inch e-ink screens, you'd be shocked to find out the truth. Because when the Gvido launches later this year, it will cost just as much as two 12.9-inch iPad Pros.
This week the folks at Sony have announced a joint venture with the brand E-Ink, resulting in a team-up the likes of which could be huge. This is not a rumor, it's a real-deal announcement from both Sony and E-Ink, and it's part of a timeline that's unfolding in Sony's device collection as we speak. This is not the first time Sony has dabbled in E-Ink devices - not by a long shot - but it could be a sign of odd and awesome gadgets to come.
Like it or not, it seems that companies are beginning to rethink the venerable keyboard, especially when it comes to mobile devices, both laptops and tablets alike. Microsoft started it with the Surface covers and then Apple jumped on board with the cloth-like Smart Keyboard. Things came to a head with the Lenovo Yoga Book's "Halo Keyboard". Now it seems that Microsoft might be on the verge of yet another invention, one that combines a few of those ideas together into one e-ink keyboard cover.