Nemoptic's Sylen receives 2m Euro grant

[gnuuurff]

Paris - French bistable LCD manufacturer Nemoptic SA announced it has received 2 million Euro ($2.9 million) from the French Government for its SYLEN multiformat mobile e-reader project. This proves France's intention to foster the country's competitiveness in the bistable e-paper display market.

Nemoptic (Magny les Hameaux, France) explained that the SYLEN project aims to develop a more user-friendly multiformat e-paper reading device for mobile applications such as e-newspapers and electronic textbooks. The ultimate goal is to build a new French industry for digital publishing and content distribution on mobile e-reader devices.

Launched in September 2007 and scheduled to run for two years, the SYLEN project consists of two phases. The first phase involves several milestones that will result in mock-ups that explore various technical options to satisfy the user-friendly low-cost market criteria. Nemoptic said it intends to provide tailor-made displays that fit into new e-paper reading systems adapted to market needs.

The second phase concerns field testing a digital multimedia content supply and distribution channel to help French newspaper and magazine industries switch from an industrial business model to one of value-added services, and adjust its production to satisfy client expectations, in an increasingly "non-material" environment, the project partners explained.

It is estimated that 40 percent of the 5.4 million Euro project budget will be funded by the French Ministry of Industry, along with Paris regional councils.

"We and our partners are excited about the French government recognizing the innovativeness and potential of our mobile e-reader project," said Jacques Angelé, vice-president of Technology & Programs and co-founder of Nemoptic. "The SYLEN project will bring practical e-paper solutions to the digital media and electronic textbook markets that are emerging, which should stimulate the creation of thousands of new jobs over the next five years."

source:
Anne-Francoise Pele
EE Times Europe

[Hadrien]

You should quote other articles too.

Nemoptic is not the only company involved in this project, Bookeen is quite important too.

[GregS]

Great news, in fact the best - especially the mention of textbook use.

BTW, if France pulls this off, I will learn French, I will read French newspapers and whatever else is available on these devices. It appears that of all the nations of earth, France takes culture seriously, this is the best move made anywhere by anyone, I hope it meets with the success it should.

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by Hadrien

You should quote other articles too.

Nemoptic is not the only company involved in this project, Bookeen is quite important too.

Hey, considering it's gnuuurff's fourth post, I'd say that's doing pretty well!

[mores]

OT:
the euro sign does not come out right on the front page. but when viewing the thread they're fine.

[GregS]

This is worth a look; Details

Of special interest is this: "Improved cost/performance to enable mass market distribution"

And this: "Rich media content: larger e-paper displays that will be more compatible for news content and images"

At the moment eink is strongly biased towards smaller displays, which is fine for novels, but not a lot else.

Colour is essential for Magazines, even my favourites on Archaeology and history, Newspapers need large display spaces and a wide variety of technical and other matter are best suited to A4, serious works of non-fiction tend to fall within A5.

Ideally the price needs to come down so that it reasonable to own a few devices, including pocket readers.

If the French get it right, the design, the price and the content, with this large investment they get an edge way above anything else offering.

I am a great believer in Government investment in socially important production, it would be ironic that the second print revolution also signaled the end to surrendering everything to business interests (perhaps represented by the Kindle).

Anyhow in anticipation I will begin my French lessons.

[Jadon]

Originally Posted by GregS

Colour is essential for Magazines, even my favourites on Archaeology and history, Newspapers need large display spaces

Why? Yes, color is nice to have in photos or diagrams, but lots of content needs neither. A story on who won an election, or what disaster happened where, will often have a photo, but it's usually not one core to the story, it's just something put in to catch the eye. Which is less an issue when you have a small screen, and are not trying to draw attention to a particular part of a huge newsheet. Print newspapers have large sheets, but that's just how they're historically done. There's nothing about presenting news that truly requires huge display spaces. Just because print does something doesn't mean that it's right, or that epaper must do it the exact same way.

[GregS]

Originally Posted by Jadon

Why? Yes, color is nice to have in photos or diagrams, but lots of content needs neither. A story on who won an election, or what disaster happened where, will often have a photo, but it's usually not one core to the story, it's just something put in to catch the eye.

Unless things like fashion magazines and other such trivia comes over, everything will be much delayed - they need colour. In general I agree with you, but in terms of hastening the transition from paper, colour becomes much more essential.

Originally Posted by Jadon

Which is less an issue when you have a small screen, and are not trying to draw attention to a particular part of a huge newsheet. Print newspapers have large sheets, but that's just how they're historically done. There's nothing about presenting news that truly requires huge display spaces. Just because print does something doesn't mean that it's right, or that epaper must do it the exact same way.

There is a reason why newspaper's traditionally have competing stories with a few paragraphs, originally it was just to cram as much into the sheets, but layout is part of their function - A3 suits them best, A4 is a make-do, but a vertical list (like RSS) defeats the purpose of eye-glance browsing. That is why existing electronic newspapers keep their layout even if the stories have to be read on a "new" electronic page.

Likewise magazines, especially women's magazines, where pictures and layout direct attention to products - which seems their major reason for existence.

Some scientific publishing requires good colour images, and where would National Geographic be without its layout and photos. Then of course there are the art magazines where good colour is essential.

There are any number of ways that ebooks may succeed, as surely they will in the end (paper publishing is always expensive). One way is to capture the newspaper and glossy magazine market.