Amazon could be working on next-gen e-paper display

[Alexander Turcic]

E-Paper is great but there is still plenty of room for improvements. Think of a better, more paperlike contrast, faster response times, the introduction of color without sacrifice in display resolution, just to name a few. Christopher Mims of Quartz muses that following the acquisition of Liquavista, Amazon could be working on a new display technology "with unique properties—like long battery life and amenability to being used outdoors and in natural light - which not even Apple and Samsung could match".

The answer lies in a recent acquisition by Amazon of a company called Liquavista, which makes full-color displays that are reflective, like e-ink, but fast, like the LCD screens in our phones, tablets and televisions. The technology works on a principle called electrowetting, in which each pixel on the screen consists of tiny capsules of an oil that respond to electrical charge. [...]

This means there is no way of knowing when, or even if, Amazon will unveil a reflective, full-color display of its own devising. Amazon has demonstrated in the past that it will go as far up the technology pipeline as it needs to in order to accomplish its goals, and even once considered getting into the business of making its own microchips.

Link to the article: here

[Fourl29]

Musing is another way to say he pulled this speculation out of his anal-ysis or is this guy knowledgeable and with inside info, that's the crux imho.

[Graham]

I can't see that Samsung would have sold the technology if they thought it was going to be ground-breaking.

Graham

[pdurrant]

There doesn't seem to be any new information in the article, just speculation.

I certainly hope that Amazon come up with something using the Liquavista technology. A fast, bright, low-power, reflective colour display is something that we've been waiting for for years.

[mikij1]

The first kindle liquavista will arrive late 2014... have to wait.

[krischik]

Another Company for Amazon to close down. After all that what Amazon does: Mobipocket — closed down, Stanza — closed down.

Not good news.

[TadW]

Originally Posted by krischik

Another Company for Amazon to close down. After all that what Amazon does: Mobipocket — closed down, Stanza — closed down.

Washington Post...

[Graham]

Originally Posted by krischik

Another Company for Amazon to close down. After all that what Amazon does: Mobipocket — closed down, Stanza — closed down.

Why would Amazon buy and close down a company making colour reflective displays when they don't have a competing product with colour reflective displays?

Graham

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by krischik

Another Company for Amazon to close down. After all that what Amazon does: Mobipocket — closed down, Stanza — closed down.

Not good news.

And this is different from what B&N did to Fictionwise how?

[krischik]

Originally Posted by Graham

Why would Amazon buy and close down a company making colour reflective displays when they don't have a competing product with colour reflective displays?

Because that is what Amazon did before. Because Amazon has a track record for it.

With Mobipockt they took the technology but let the customer accounts dwindle away. With Stanza I don't know what Amazon did. Is it part of Kindle Desktop Edition or not?

Originally Posted by cfrizz

And this is different from what B&N did to Fictionwise how?

Simple: Fictionwise customers had the chance the transfer there accounts to B&N.

And that is my criticism. Not that Amazon closed down Mobipocket. That Amazon did it deceitful and by neglect.

B&N did it right: Set a proper deadline and transferred the accounts.

In any case: Amazon buying a company is not good news for the customers.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by krischik

B&N did it right: Set a proper deadline and transferred the accounts.

B&N tried to do it right for US & UK customers. Didn't work so well for some.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by krischik

B&N did it right: Set a proper deadline and transferred the accounts.

I've had an ongoing dialogue with them for nearly 8 months now. Latest is that my library will be transferred in 3 weeks. Of course, they've said that before.

It's also worth noting that they didn't 'transfer the accounts'. You had to set up a new B&N account yourself.

Graham

[krischik]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

B&N tried to do it right for US & UK customers. Didn't work so well for some.

Originally Posted by Graham

I've had an ongoing dialogue with them for nearly 8 months now.

OK, I confess: I only bought DRM free at fictionwise and kind forgot to transfer my account. But at least B&N tried to do it right.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by krischik

Because that is what Amazon did before. Because Amazon has a track record for it.

It's not what Amazon did with Zappos. It's not what Amazon did with Audible. It's not what Amazon did with IMdB or dpreview.com. Amazon owning these companies has been good for users of these products.[/QUOTE]

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

It's not what Amazon did with IMdB or dpreview.com. Amazon owning these companies has been good for users of these products.

I haven't been to dpreview in quite some time, so I don't know.

But I have quit going to IMDB unless i can't find what I need elsewhere, and I really really want to know (but knowing I will probably come up empty).

IMDB used to be strongly my choice over wikipedia for finding information about movies. wikipedia hasn't become any better, but I now strongly prefer it over IMDB.