Driving down the cost of Eink

mogui · 06-21-2007, 05:36 AM

Advertizing may be the killer app for Eink that will cause the colorful low-power displays to come down drastically in price over the next few years. The photo above shows a display that will run off of a couple of AA batteries for up to six months! Read more about Ink-In-Motion here.

If you have three or four thousand dollars you don't know what to do with, you can spring for E-ink's prototyping kit. It makes a good demo of what is possible in developing your own reader and can be had with a variety of display sizes. It is a hacker's dream. It comes with a Gumstix computer that runs Linux. You can add whatever reader software you like. See E-ink's site for details.

How low can we go?

rlauzon · 06-21-2007, 06:04 AM

Actually, the killer app will be for discount retailers (like Wal*Mart). They spend a great deal of money changing shelf tags and signs in the stores.

They would pay alot to have shelf tags and signs that can be automatically updated from a central source.

mogui · 06-21-2007, 07:10 AM

Yes, I saw tags like that somewhere -- being sold in Japan I believe. The animated gif in my post appears to be a book ad for display in a bookstore. Soon everything around us will be moving!

Robert Marquard · 06-21-2007, 08:10 AM

The green color and the XBox logo means it is a XBox game.

mogui · 06-21-2007, 03:17 PM

Here is a bit about the wireless Eink price tags.

NatCh · 06-21-2007, 04:14 PM

Huh. Bulkier than I expected them to be.

Hadrien · 06-21-2007, 04:41 PM

Nemoptic will produce this kind of display too, before using their technology for reading devices.

mogui · 06-21-2007, 11:14 PM

How long before we see them on the packages themselves?

Nightwing · 06-22-2007, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mogui

How long before we see them on the packages themselves?

Very good question.... ^_^

TadW · 06-22-2007, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hadrien

Nemoptic will produce this kind of display too, before using their technology for reading devices.

I completely forgot Nemoptic. That's right, I think this kind of shelf label applications is actually their primary target.

yvanleterrible · 06-22-2007, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mogui

How long before we see them on the packages themselves?

That is a frightening environmental puzzle! We're having problems with the present wrappings. Eink screens with batteries? Add this to food packaging and you also have a possible toxic mix.

mogui · 06-22-2007, 09:46 PM

So at the point where we basically have throwaway signs, we can go back to buying eBooks complete with throwaway eReader. We can carry the book and read it or put it in proximity to our good permanent leather bound eReader to transfer the file.

How would this affect DRM?

Nightwing · 06-22-2007, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

That is a frightening environmental puzzle! We're having problems with the present wrappings. Eink screens with batteries? Add this to food packaging and you also have a possible toxic mix.

The first group that figures how to create packages that can built and broken down with easy will make a bundle. To me that would be some interesting tech.

yvanleterrible · 06-23-2007, 12:05 PM

When are we going to throw out that throwaway culture?

06-21-2007, 05:36 AM	#1
mogui eNigma Posts: 503 Karma: 1335 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: The Philippines Device: HTC G1 Android FBReader	Driving down the cost of Eink Advertizing may be the killer app for Eink that will cause the colorful low-power displays to come down drastically in price over the next few years. The photo above shows a display that will run off of a couple of AA batteries for up to six months! Read more about Ink-In-Motion here. If you have three or four thousand dollars you don't know what to do with, you can spring for E-ink's prototyping kit. It makes a good demo of what is possible in developing your own reader and can be had with a variety of display sizes. It is a hacker's dream. It comes with a Gumstix computer that runs Linux. You can add whatever reader software you like. See E-ink's site for details. How low can we go? Last edited by mogui; 06-21-2007 at 05:57 AM.

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06-21-2007, 06:04 AM	#2
rlauzon Wizard Posts: 1,018 Karma: 67827 Join Date: Jan 2005 Device: PocketBook Era	Actually, the killer app will be for discount retailers (like Wal*Mart). They spend a great deal of money changing shelf tags and signs in the stores. They would pay alot to have shelf tags and signs that can be automatically updated from a central source.

06-21-2007, 07:10 AM	#3
mogui eNigma Posts: 503 Karma: 1335 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: The Philippines Device: HTC G1 Android FBReader	Yes, I saw tags like that somewhere -- being sold in Japan I believe. The animated gif in my post appears to be a book ad for display in a bookstore. Soon everything around us will be moving!

06-21-2007, 08:10 AM	#4
Robert Marquard Delphi-Guy Posts: 285 Karma: 1151 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Berlin, Germany Device: iLiad, Palm T3	The green color and the XBox logo means it is a XBox game.

06-21-2007, 03:17 PM	#5
mogui eNigma Posts: 503 Karma: 1335 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: The Philippines Device: HTC G1 Android FBReader	Here is a bit about the wireless Eink price tags.

06-21-2007, 04:14 PM	#6
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Huh. Bulkier than I expected them to be.

06-21-2007, 04:41 PM	#7
Hadrien Feedbooks.com Co-Founder Posts: 2,263 Karma: 145123 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Paris, France Device: Sony PRS-t-1/350/300/500/505/600/700, Nexus S, iPad	Nemoptic will produce this kind of display too, before using their technology for reading devices.

06-21-2007, 11:14 PM	#8
mogui eNigma Posts: 503 Karma: 1335 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: The Philippines Device: HTC G1 Android FBReader	How long before we see them on the packages themselves?

06-22-2007, 09:46 PM	#12
mogui eNigma Posts: 503 Karma: 1335 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: The Philippines Device: HTC G1 Android FBReader	So at the point where we basically have throwaway signs, we can go back to buying eBooks complete with throwaway eReader. We can carry the book and read it or put it in proximity to our good permanent leather bound eReader to transfer the file. How would this affect DRM?

06-23-2007, 12:05 PM	#14
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	When are we going to throw out that throwaway culture?

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