05-13-2013, 03:53 PM | #1 | |
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Earl: a 6" E-ink Android Tablet with Solar Panels and Radio
Meet Earl
"Earl" is an Android tablet with a 6" e-ink screen and solar cells on the back, designed to be a back-country survival tool with GPS and preloaded maps. It also is set up to read Epub, Mobi and PDF. Further, it has a fairly decent radio in it: Quote:
Originally seen on Engadget. Frankly, I'm interested in the thing just to have a full-fledged Android tablet with an e-ink screen. |
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05-13-2013, 04:02 PM | #2 |
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I like it!
I don't know why I'm so into things like this I'm not a survivalist, a prepper, nor am I even especially outdoorsy, but if I was in the business of designing gadgets, this is the kind of gadget I'd want to design. |
05-13-2013, 05:10 PM | #3 |
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Me want. I'm not the outdoorsy type either but the IP67 rating would make it an ideal reader in the bath or by the beach/swimming pool.
Android 4.1 means I can use Mantano Reader Premium or a host of other Android reader apps that, for some reason, have better library management and user-friendly features/options compared to commercial e-ink readers. |
05-13-2013, 07:45 PM | #4 |
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I'm an outdoorsman more in theory than in practice, but I like that it's designed to operate as a self-contained unit--a tri-corder of sorts, for the Trekkies out there
Too many apps and utilities on mobile devices demand a data connection for no good reason whatsoever (usually DRM and/or cross-marketing with social networks). My main interest in tablet technology from the start was offline reading and reference. |
05-13-2013, 07:54 PM | #5 |
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05-13-2013, 08:37 PM | #6 |
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Specs are impressive, solar cells a natural pairing with power-savvy tech like eInk. But when it comes to using of-the-shelf Android apps on eInk screen, I want to see it in action first. If it is as fast as Aura HD, they have a winner.
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05-13-2013, 10:32 PM | #7 |
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Interesting concept that definitely intrigues me. But, I have two reservations that make it a no-go. The first one is its size. It's too large to be lugging around on the trails. 5" would be much better. The second problem is it's lack of a hardshell snap-on cover to protect the display.
Last edited by tubemonkey; 05-13-2013 at 10:38 PM. |
05-13-2013, 11:03 PM | #8 | |
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05-13-2013, 11:14 PM | #9 |
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Cool! I've been wondering why e-ink readers don't have solar cells like lots of calculators do.
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05-13-2013, 11:15 PM | #10 | |
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Quote:
I'm sure it's a rugged device; but for outdoor use, the display needs hardshell protection similar to the snap-on covers used by OtterBox and Seidio. |
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05-14-2013, 12:03 AM | #11 |
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Wait, it has (or will have) a flexible e-ink display? And solar? Neat.
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05-14-2013, 01:22 AM | #12 |
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05-14-2013, 05:10 AM | #13 | |
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05-14-2013, 08:11 AM | #14 |
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They won't offer a European version until the end of the year.
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05-14-2013, 08:17 AM | #15 | |
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earl, gps |
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