Front-lit screen for new e-ink Kindle?

[Andrew H.]

Tech Crunch reports: http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/06/nex...rce=feedburner

The device I saw was crudely camouflaged in a sort of cardboard enclosure, but the screen was clearly visible. With a tap, a slider popped up on the screen, and as it was dragged to the right, the screen lit up evenly with a rather cool light. In the dark, it was plainly noticeable as a glow, and in uneven light — say, shade or a shuttered room — the slight illumination made the screen much more readable. At full blast it was definitely projecting some light (technically speaking it was reflecting it), but it was still a soft glow and not the harsh flashlight of a backlit LCD.

[mbelec]

Hmm, sounds interesting.

[Kumabjorn]

Sounds very interesting.

[HarryT]

Very interesting indeed. Sounds like some kind of electroluminescent lighting system, perhaps.

[Dulin's Books]

its this tech Harry-https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ht=light+guide

interesting - tech crunch and others are using the pics from Flex even while saying Amazon owns a separate light guide company Oy Modilis

[HarryT]

Thanks - that's very interesting.

[elemenoP]

It is not necessarily the flex lighting tech. They are just using that image as an approximation of what it might look like.

eP

[Dulin's Books]

its the same technology from two competing companies. light guide film that directs light from a hidden led source towards the surface of the display and distributes it evenly over the whole display. the pictures are from Flex Lighting while the article talks about Modilis which is now owned by Amazon and holds patents for light guide film.

[afv011]

That's cool. Somebody posted a similar story regarding the new nook touch; I guess it's a race now to be the first to market.

[Andrew H.]

I'm very curious to see this. I didn't like the light on the Kindle cover with integrated light because it was too uneven for me, and not as bright as I would have liked.

[silasgreenback]

Can't wait for this any longer than it takes to save the cash.

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

its this tech Harry-https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ht=light+guide

interesting - tech crunch and others are using the pics from Flex even while saying Amazon owns a separate light guide company Oy Modilis

That looks awesome! I'd buy one in a heartbeat!

[wizwor]

Interesting idea, I don't expect to be lined up outside Staples at midnight on launch day

Battery life and outside reading are pretty much the only advantages of the kindle over the fire for me. I guess this feature would not help much on a sunny day and will likely adversely impact the battery life.

As I read more (I read a lot of technical boooks), I am finding the kindle screen a little small for displaying images with words. I end up having to change the orientation to closely examine charts and images. The Fire is a little better in this respect due to the screen size and a LOT better due to the ease of reorientation.

I do, however, see how this could be the only reader for many people.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by wizwor

Battery life and outside reading are pretty much the only advantages of the kindle over the fire for me. I guess this feature would not help much on a sunny day and will likely adversely impact the battery life.

You don't need a light on a sunny day. eInk screens are superb in bright sunlight; the brighter the light, the better they are. This is for reading in the dark, or a poorly-lit room.

There's no particular reason why it should use more power than the current Amazon lighted covers do, which draw power from the Kindle. The Kindle still has a very respectable battery life when the light is being used.

[RainingLemur]

I keep waiting for these things to happen. They need to hurry up, I'm getting impatient.