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3M Invests in Pixel Qi

Posted by – September 12, 2011
Category: Displays, Pixel Qi, OLPC

3M (NYSE: $54 Billion current valuation) just announced together with Pixel Qi that they have invested in Pixel Qi Corp.

3M is the leading developer of innovative optical films for LCDs, probably the world’s largest. Together with Pixel Qi, they are capable of many interesting things. This should accelerate the availability of this screen technology to the mass market. First generation Pixel Qi screens are in over 3 million OLPC laptops being used by kids in the developing world, and Pixel Qi is ramping up deliveries of some of their latest screens to Chinese companies such as ShiZhu Technology and we should be seeing much more of that, hopefully also soon reaching the European and the US mass consumer market.

ST. PAUL, Minn. & SAN BRUNO, Calif. & TAIPEI, Taiwan, Sep 12, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — 3M, through its 3M New Ventures organization, has invested in Pixel Qi Corp., a developer of next generation LCD panels with operations in Taiwan and California. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded by LCD pioneer, Dr. Mary Lou Jepsen in 2008, Pixel Qi designs unique, innovative LCD screens that solve problems not addressed by conventional screens. Its first products are sunlight-readable, low-power LCD panels aimed for mobile device applications.

As consumers increasingly rely on connected, mobile devices in their daily lives, there is a growing, unmet requirement for display devices that offer portability, connectivity, long battery life and excellent indoor/outdoor readability in one device. Current displays are not able to solve all of these challenges simultaneously. Pixel Qi’s unique technology platform eliminates the need for trade-offs and enables high quality, outdoor or sunlight viewing with excellent battery life and portability in one device. The combination of its technologies with those of 3M will create excellent new opportunities for both companies.

“Pixel Qi’s full-function color screen technology, for the first time, gives consumers an outdoor-readable video display with exceptional battery life, usable anywhere, anytime. It’s a first in the industry. In our collaboration with 3M, we have the ability to accelerate this into mass adoption,” said Mary Lou Jepsen, co-founder and CEO of Pixel Qi.

The funding led by 3M New Ventures will play a key role in enabling Pixel Qi to develop its product offerings into volume consumer markets as well as digital signage and touch applications. The investment, which successfully concludes Pixel Qi’s second (series “B”) investment round, will also allow Pixel Qi to build and to strengthen its engineering and sales capabilities.

Stefan Gabriel, president of 3M New Ventures said, “Pixel Qi’s technology enables displays of such lower power and high usability that the vision of ubiquitous displays comes much closer to realization. In combining Pixel Qi’s disruptive display technology with our technology platforms, we can create new business opportunities in the consumer and commercial markets for 3M.”

3M’s Optical Systems Division is a world leader in the specialized films used inside liquid crystal displays to optimize the light throughput. Pixel Qi’s innovative LCD designs use such film technologies, and other advances, to create novel displays and enable the best outdoor readable, power efficient displays available on the market. “By addressing the energy consumption and sunlight readability challenges in one package, Pixel Qi provides a ground-breaking solution for the next generation of displays,” said Jim Bauman, vice president, 3M Optical Systems Division. “The combination of Pixel Qi’s low energy, reflective display technology with 3M’s innovative technologies will create exciting products for the mobile, handheld, tablet and other display markets.”

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/3m-invests-in-pixel-qi-corp-2011-09-12

Sony NEX-VG20 at IFA 2011 (with samples)

Posted by – September 6, 2011

Sony is releasing their new NEX-VG20 semi-professional camcorder with some new 50p at 28mbit and 25p at 24mbitps an 17mbitps recording modes and with some new 16.1Megapixel CMOS sensor. It’s going to be released in January for 2200€.

Here are some sample files recorded with this camcorder:
25p 17mbitps: Watch on YouTube Download on Google Docs
25p 24mbitps: Watch on YouTube Download on Google Docs
50p 28mbitps: Watch on YouTube Download on Google Docs

Using the Vario Sonnar Lense:
25p 17mbitps: Watch on YouTube Download on Google Docs
25p 24mbitps: Watch on YouTube Download on Google Docs
50p 28mbitps: Watch on YouTube Download on Google Docs
Pictures of that Vario Sonnar Lense:

Sony, NEX-FS100 at IFA 2011 (with a 50p sample)

Posted by – September 6, 2011

This is a new semi-professional HD camcorder from Sony with a lot of manual features and controls on it, with 2 XLR audio inputs, a full HDMI output and many other features as well as being compatible with the Alpha lenses, offering some slow motion recording modes and more.

The NEX-FS100UK is an interchangeable lens camcorder featuring a Super 35mm sensor equivalent in size to Super35mm film cameras ( same as PMW-F3), and a Sony E-Mount 18 to 200mm zoom lens. Developed specifically as a digital motion camcorder, it captures fine detail and image texture with image fidelity, low noise and wide exposure latitude. Find more info at http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-broadcastcameras/cat-nxcam/product-NEXFS100UK/

Here’s a sample file recorded with the Sony NEX-FS100 at 50p: Watch on YouTube Download on Google Docs

Huawei Mediapad, 1.2Ghz Dual-core 7″ 1280×800 Honeycomb Tablet

Posted by – September 5, 2011

This is the new Huawei Mediapad Android Honeycomb tablet, to be released with Honeycomb 3.2 installed, full Google Marketplace support, it runs on a Qualcomm 1.2Ghz Dual-core processor and comes with an impressive 1280×800 screen, HDMI output, USB and more.

Super Clear LCD vs Super AMOLED Plus

Posted by – September 5, 2011

You can see in this video that the Super Clear LCD is brighter than the Super AMOLED plus. While Super AMOLED has real black, for the rest, is the Super Clear LCD better? It might be Samsung is now making this Super Clear LCD Tegra2 version of the Galaxy S2 in Galaxy R to either both slightly lower the price and perhaps also to satisfy the demand as they might not be able to manufacture them fast enough.

Samsung Galaxy Note, Testing out System Info (searching for CPU info)

Posted by – September 5, 2011

I tried to install the System Info apk on the Samsung Galaxy Note to try to learn more about the hardware used, especially that 1.4Ghz dual-core processor is interesting.

Huawei Vision, 3.7″ Android Smartphone

Posted by – September 5, 2011

Nice looking medium range Android Smartphone from Huawei, it may get released for around 250€ to 300€.

Huawei Boulder, 2.6″ qwerty Android phone

Posted by – September 5, 2011

Low-cost Blackberry-style Android phone from Huawei, it may be sold for around 150€.

Hannspree SN-10T4, OMAP4430 based 10.1″ capacitive tablet

Posted by – September 5, 2011

Hannspree is releasing this new Honeycomb tablet based on the Texas Instruments OMAP4430 processor.

HannsG Wireless USB from an Android Tablet to a Touch Monitor

Posted by – September 5, 2011

They have some kind of wireless USB dongle on the tablet, that can beam the Android screen and UI to a wireless USB touch monitor. The frame rate is not yet optimized but this seems to work.

HannsG HU193, 18.5″ Wide USB 3.0 Monitor

Posted by – September 5, 2011

This 18.5″ monitor runs just on the power from the USB 3.0 or 2.0 connector. This is quite amazing to see such a large monitor that can run exclusively on that power, this means it’s an easily portable monitor solution, with just one cable.

Philips GoGear Connect 3, Android PMP

Posted by – September 5, 2011

Philips releases its new GoGear Connect 3, with a 3.2″ HVGA capacitive touch screen with an unknown processor (please post in the comments if you know which processor they are using). Philips is also launching 3 new Android Speaker Docks, in different sizes, more or less portable and for home use from 100€ to 200€.

Samsung Galaxy Y, cheapest Samsung Android phone

Posted by – September 5, 2011

This looks like it may be a very cheap Android smartphone, with a 3″ QVGA capacitive LCD, a 832Mhz processor, 2megapixel camera, is Samsung aiming this at the potentially sub-$99 Android Smartphone market?

Samsung Galaxy Y Pro, Samsung’s cheapest qwerty Android phone

Posted by – September 5, 2011

This looks to be Samsung’s cheapest Blackberry-style Android phone with a 2.6″ QVGA capacitive touch screen, a 832Mhz processor, it runs on Gingerbread for now.

Samsung Galaxy S2 White

Posted by – September 5, 2011

Samsung releases this white version of the Samsung Galaxy S2 Android Smartphone. This is likely the best phone on the market, so if you prefer to have a white version of it, you can consider getting this one.

Samsung Galaxy W

Posted by – September 5, 2011

Samsung releases this new medium range Samsung Galaxy W, it has a 3.7″ WVGA LCD, an unknown 1.4Ghz processor (please write in the comments if you know which processor this has), it runs Gingerbread for now.

Samsung Galaxy Xcover

Posted by – September 5, 2011

Here’s an even cheaper smartphone from Samsung, it has a 3.65″ HVGA capacitive touch screen, runs a 800Mhz processor (Qualcomm MSM7227?) (if you know which processor this is, please post in the comments).

Samsung Galaxy M Pro

Posted by – September 5, 2011

Here’s a new Blackberry-style Android smartphone from Samsung with a 2.7″ HVGA capacitive LCD screen and a full qwerty keyboard.

Epson EH-TW480, 599€ 720p projector

Posted by – September 5, 2011

This is Epson’s latest 720p Home Cinema Projector.

Epson EB-W02, 499€ WXGA projector

Posted by – September 5, 2011

This is Epson’s new WXGA projector to be released for 499€.