the tablet Apple wished they created it

Ok, I've been on a short break for less than 2 weeks and when coming back I see this all over. This is the greatest thing to use as a tablet. This could just move away may laptop and get me back into writing again (and hopefully schools will start using it as well so kids actually learn to write again in such a way a 3rd person can actually read it)

This is Courier, Microsoft's astonishing take on the tablet. Courier is a real device, and we've heard that it's in the "late prototype" stage of development. It's not a tablet, it's a booklet. The dual 7-inch (or so) screens are multitouch, and designed for writing, flicking and drawing with a stylus, in addition to fingers. They're connected by a hinge that holds a single iPhone-esque home button. Statuses, like wireless signal and battery life, are displayed along the rim of one of the screens. On the back cover is a camera, and it might charge through an inductive pad, like the Palm Touchstone charging dock for Pre.

Until recently, it was a skunkworks project deep inside Microsoft, only known to the few engineers and executives working on it—Microsoft's brightest, like Entertainment & Devices tech chief and user-experience wizard J. Allard, who's spearheading the project. Currently, Courier appears to be at a stage where Microsoft is developing the user experience and showing design concepts to outside agencies.

Microsoft has a history of collaborating with other firms, especially in the E&D division: Zune and Xbox have both gone through similar design processes. (And plans for the Microsoft Store leaked through a third-party agency were confirmed as genuine prototype layouts and concepts.) This video is branded Pioneer Studios, a Microsoft division within E&D that specializes in this kind of work, working with another agency that's a long-time Microsoft collaborator on confidential projects.

The Courier user experience presented here is almost the exact opposite of what everyone expects the Apple tablet to be, a kung fu eagle claw to Apple's tiger style. It's complex: Two screens, a mashup of a pen-dominated interface with several types of multitouch finger gestures, and multiple graphically complex themes, modes and applications. (Our favorite UI bit? The hinge doubles as a "pocket" to hold items you want move from one page to another.) Microsoft's tablet heritage is digital ink-oriented, and this interface, while unlike anything we've seen before, clearly draws from that, its work with the Surface touch computer and even the Zune HD.

HDMI over IP is ‘Game Changing’

At CEDIA 2009, Just Add Power demos inexpensive ($299) solution to HDMI switching: infinitely expandable, HDCP compliant, sends IR commands.

09.12.2009 — How would you like to distribute multiple HDMI streams over your home IP network? It seems you can do that with a new solution from Just Add Power.

At the CEDIA Expo 2009 I found the company tucked away at a tiny booth in the corner of Exhibit Hall B.

Their product? Projector Connector: a solution for HDMI matrix applications that leverages a managed network switch to distribute multiple HDMI sources to multiple displays.

Because it's all IP you don't have to worry about exceeding the ins and outs of a typical matrix switch; and that's good because the limited offering for large frame HDMI matrix switches has handicapped the entire industry for years.

Here's how it works: an encoder unit (VBS-HDMI-308A) converts the HDMI signal to IP packets. This information passes through a managed switch on a specified VLAN. A networked receiver unit (VBS-HDMI0108A) decodes the signal at the display device.

The signal routing to each end point can be adjusted by controlling the network switch VLAN configuration via RS-232 or Ethernet. If a client wants to add another PS3 to the system just add another Encoder and set it up on the network.

I know that Netstreams developed a component-over-IP solution a while ago and it is very cool. It's also very expensive. Just Add Power's device for HDMI encoding is $299 and for decoding is $250. Add a managed switch and you are paying HDMI balun prices for an ever-expandable HDMI matrix switch!

Based on the manufacturer's specs the devices pass 1080p signal, are HDCP compliant, and support up to 5.1 digital audio via HDMI.

The receivers have an infrared eye to send IR commands to remote sources connected to the transmitters.

Each year I've asked friends and colleagues attending CEDIA Expo the same thing: "Have you seen anything mind-blowing on the floor this year?" Normally I hear something about a balun, a speaker, or a creative booth layout -- but never anything game-changing like this.

Projector Connector Specs

Projector Connector HDMI/IP Transmitter (VBS-HDMI-308A)

• 1 UTP/STP 100Mbps Ethernet Port
• Embedded HTTP Server
• Protocol: IP, UDP, TCP, ICMP, and IGMP
• 1 HDMI In (19 pin Type A female)
• 1 3.5mm IR Receiver Port
• Size: 5" W x 4.5" D x 1" H; 1.1 pounds
• 100-240V, 50/60 Hz, 5v DC Adapter - 1 Amp
• HDCP Compliant
• Plug-and-Play installation
• Supports DVI with HDMI-to-DVI adapter
• Video Bandwidth: 2.25Gbps (HDM1.3)
• Maximum LAN Bandwidth: 50 ~ 60 Mbps
• Input TMDS Signal: 1.2 volts (peak-to-peak)
• Input DDC Signal: 5 volts (peak-to-peak)
• Resolutions - practically any input from 16 x 16 to 2048 x 2048 pixels including the following:
  -- 640x480 @ 85fps
  -- 800x600 @ 85fps
  -- 1024x768 @ 75fps
  -- 1280x1024 @ 30fps
  -- 1600x1200 @ 30fps
  -- 720x480 @ 60fps
  -- 720x576 @ 50fps
  -- 1280x720 @ 30fps
  -- 1920x1080 @ 24fps
  -- 1920x1080 @ 60fps

Projector Connector HDMI/IP Receiver (VBS-HDMI-108A)

• 1 UTP/STP 100Mbps Ethernet Port
• 1 HDMI Out (19 pin Type A female)
• 1 3.5mm IR IR Transmitter Port
• Size: 5" W x 4.5" D x 1" H; 1.1 pounds
• 100-240V, 50/60 Hz, 5v DC Adapter - 1 Amp
• HDCP Compliant
• Plug-and-Play installation
• Supports DVI with HDMI-to-DVI adapter
• Scaler automatically adjusts for each display

Andrew Southern

Andrew Southern is director of automation Systems at CytexOne in New York City. CytexOne is a four-time Control4 MVP Award Winner and host of c4forums, the worlds largest public Control4 community.

OLED wallpaper is coming closer, new cheap production methods

OLED as cheap as newsprint

03 September 2009

Forget about video ads in printed magazines, in the future newsagents' shelves and newspaper stands may be filled with complete video publications. Researchers from the Riken Center in Japan claim to have developed a technique that can manufacture OLED as cheaply as printing a newspaper. The development was announced by Japanese research organisation, Riken Research.

Magazines as we know them could become a thing of the past as flexible, cheap display technology continues to gather momentum

The researchers acknowledge that the electrospray-deposition technique they are using isn’t new but claim their revolutionary ‘dual solvent’ technique improves the method to produce polymer films to a point where they can compete with other fabrication techniques.

In an article titled ‘Smoothing the way to superior screens’, the method is described as "a double-solvent concept" that makes "electrospray-deposited films smoother than before, thereby enabling superior devices to built".

Yutaka Yamagata, of the Riken Centre for Intellectual Property Strategies, was quoted as saying: "We have discovered a range of conditions using a two-solvent method that can make extremely smooth thin films using electoscopy deposition. Using this technology these devices could be manufactured as inexpensively as printing newspapers."

multi touch cafe or hard rock cafe......that's the touch

Hardrock cafe announced this press release and when watching the video, I have to admit it's a pretty cool thing. Hope they will do this in other hardrock cafes as well since I don't travel that much to vegas.



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
9/3/2009

HARD ROCK TO OPEN NEW FLAGSHIP CAFE ON VEGAS STRIP
Cafe to Unveil Innovative Memorabilia Interactive Technology

Orlando, Fla., September 3, 2009 – Hard Rock International is proud to announce the opening of the new Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas on September 5, 2009. Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas is located at 3771 Las Vegas Boulevard South, anchoring the Showcase Mall development at the heart of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.

Sure to contend as one of the city’s premier dining and entertainment destinations, the 42,000-square foot flagship cafe features a 950-seat restaurant, live concert venue and the world’s largest Rock Shop complete with Hard Rock’s limited-edition merchandise. This is Hard Rock’s second cafe location in the Las Vegas market. The original Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas at Hard Rock Hotel, located at 4475 Paradise Rd., remains open and will continue to provide Rock Star service for guests.

Hard Rock welcomes back former staff members and new local talent to the team at the new location on Las Vegas Blvd. Leading the team will be General Manager Greg Thomas, who has been successfully helming the original Las Vegas cafe for a number of years. The experienced Sales & Marketing Management team of Peter Lin and Diana Webber will also join Greg as members of the veteran staff. New additions to the Vegas management team include Marketing Manager Paula Pettit, Sales and Marketing Manager Cristina Baumann and Special Events Manager Andrew Courtney, who collectively will oversee all event, sales and marketing activities for the new cafe.

"We could not be more thrilled to welcome guests to our brand new location on the Las Vegas Strip," said Greg Thomas, Operations General Manager for Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas. "Our three-story location, complete with live venue and one-of-a-kind technology, will be sure to deliver a kick-ass guest experience that rocks!"

New Look ~ New Tech ~ New Vibe
In addition, the authentic memorabilia collection of Hard Rock will be showcased via innovative multimedia technology. The new Las Vegas cafe is the marquee location for new unique interactive experiences for guests – from right in their booth to throughout the Cafe with Microsoft Surface™ and the Rock Wall™ featuring multi-touch technology enabling fans to explore the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia collection and virtually tour all of the company’s 156 venues around the world.

• Rock Wall™:
  The largest item of the interactive suite is Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas’ one-of-a-kind Rock Wall™. Hard Rock partnered with Technomedia Systems and Obscura Digital on this venture to create an 18-foot wide by 4-foot tall interactive touch wall. This technology will also highlight Hard Rock’s unparalleled memorabilia collection on a grand scale. A guest can access and expand a single image or video to be as large as the wall itself; or up to six guests can explore their own collections in dynamic "zones" simultaneously. Crafted from a single sheet of Stewart film glass, this interactive touch screen is custom made for this Hard Rock venue. The technology behind the installation are almost as impressive as the incredible graphics of the multi-touch interface and user experience that will surely be a focal part of the cafe’s unique allure.
• Microsoft Surface:
  The new Las Vegas cafe will utilize Microsoft Surface, providing a 360-degree, multi-user interface that uses cameras to sense objects, touch and hand gestures on the 30-inch display. Hard Rock and Vertigo collaborated to create several custom applications for use on the Microsoft Surface platform. A key feature is the worldwide memorabilia application that allows the guest to locate Hard Rock properties from around the world, explore images of both the exterior and interior of the building, then deep-zoom into the iconic memorabilia items housed within those walls. Deep zoom was previously showcased via Hard Rock’s Memorabilia 2.0 online portal. This application also grants users the ability to pivot from one collection to another, using categories such as artist, year, genre, and type. Guests can also expect many other custom applications via Microsoft Surface designed to showcase Hard Rock's unique content.
• Booth Interactive:
  The 19" touch screen runs on a Microsoft Windows software platform and utilizes a Vertigo-written application, allowing guests to interact deeply with Hard Rock’s world-famous collection. From "Deep Zoom" functionality to background information on the pieces themselves, the technology grants access to a catalogue of more than 1,000 unique memorabilia items. Guests can also plug in to the in-house music video system to cast their vote on the next song, and explore Hard Rock memorabilia related to those artists. Marquee Rock Shop merchandise items will also be accessible for browsing as part of this interface.

"Microsoft Surface is excited to help connect Hard Rock Cafe guests with rock legend memorabilia in a new and interactive way," said Matt Champagne, Director of Marketing for Microsoft Surface. "At Hard Rock, patrons will be able to have fun with Microsoft Surface and get hands on exploring Hard Rock venues around the world - bringing them face to face with the records, clothing and instruments of music legends they love."

"We were excited to work with Hard Rock on this revolutionary project," said Obscura Digital CEO Patrick Connolly. "This is the longest, largest and most technologically sophisticated multi-touch wall we’ve built. It utilizes our newest Fireframe technology, and the result is the highest resolution, seamless multi-touch display we have ever seen. We are delivering a 6000 x 1000 pixel display, so that multiple users at a time can enjoy the vast Hard Rock Memorabilia collection in stunningly high resolution. With this display, customers can literally zoom so deep into the images, that things like a scratch on Buddy Holly's glasses can be seen 3 feet wide. The graphic quality of this system is something the public has never seen, and the impact on the customers is something they will not soon forget."

For more than 38 years, Hard Rock Cafe has offered guests classic American fare in a rock ‘n’ roll atmosphere. Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas features a hardwood smoker, which uses the very best Hickory wood chips to slowly cook Hard Rock’s classic ribs, chicken and pork to perfection. Hard Rock’s Legendary Experience menu is just that – legendary – offering six different mouth-watering Legendary Burgers made from Certified Angus Beef. In addition to its food, Hard Rock offers unmatched specialty drinks from its award-winning bar menu, from Hurricanes and Margaritas, to its Alternative Rock non-alcoholic beverage menu featuring favorites like Wildberry Smoothies and Crushed Velvet "martinis."

The Rock Shop offers an exclusive line of authentic Hard Rock Cafe items, including Hard Rock’s famous Classic and City T-shirts, as well as highly coveted accessories and pins, which reflect the spirit of the city and the authenticity of Hard Rock’s merchandise. New Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas limited-edition and city-specific merchandise is now available on site.

About Obscura Digital
Located in a 30,000 square foot warehouse in San Francisco, Obscura Digital is a creative technology agency specializing in immersive brand experiences that are both visually stunning and highly interactive. Based on its proprietary software and hardware systems, Obscura can turn any surface, any size and shape into a canvas for high resolution and interactive media that may be triggered through gesture, touch, movement and mobile technology. Obscura’s industry-leading creative and technology work for top brands worldwide delivering 360-degree video domes, large-scale building projection and multi-touch screens, earned them a spot on Fast Company magazine’s "Top Ten Most Innovative Companies in Advertising & Marketing in 2009." For more information, visit www.obscuradigital.com.

About Hard Rock International
With a total of 156 venues in 52 countries, including 127 cafes and 11 Hotels/Casinos, Hard Rock International is one of the world's most globally recognized brands. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. In addition to the two flagship Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Hotels/Casinos are located in Las Vegas, Biloxi, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego, Tulsa, Pattaya, Bali and Macau. Additional hotel and casino projects have been announced in Penang, scheduled to open in 2009; Singapore in 2010; Palm Springs, Atlanta and Panama, scheduled to open in 2011; Hungary, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2012. Hard Rock International is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. For further details on Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, visit www.hardrockhotels.com. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.

touchless interface. waving at the computer does the trick

Technologies opening for touchless user interfaces introduce many new ways for people to use computers, it be in computer gaming, surgeons operating in the sterile zone or use of mobile phones. However, to take today's 2D touch-oriented user interface solutions, such as touch screens, and make them touchless is not necessarily a feasible solution - "like putting a 3D foot in a 2D shoe".



Elliptic Labs has developed technology and new interaction solutions for use of computers without touching or holding a hardware control unit

Pretty cool and I can forsee some nice applications for this. Kind of touch without fingers on the screen

Finally.a reasonable/good pico projector

Ok we had to wait some time but LG managed to build a reasonbly goor pico projector. Enough light and nice resolution. According to engadget it should be available soon for 500 euro


LG's new HS200 DLP projector is here at IFA sourcing DivX video off local USB media and throwing the audio over its embedded FM transmitter. And because it's LED-based, it racks up numbers like 200 ANSI-Lumens and 30,000 hours of operation before burn-out -- that's 4 hours of operation per day for oh, say, 20 years. The 80-inch, 800x600 pixel moving image that we saw was reasonably bright in a demo-room where ambient lighting was on par with a daytime living room, curtains closed. The viewing and listening experience was more than passable, enjoyable even, and far superior to what you'll get from a pico projector. Jacks include HDMI, RGB / component, and composite with an expected price of €499 when it lands in Europe this month

And some more philips

OK they are still making this a 100 Hz instead of 200 or even 240 Hz but that is the only minor thing of this LED TV (so you can easy upgrade since you can sell this to yourself and family as a energy saver) . Ok and probably the price. However it's still the one I want agains my white wall. The 3rd generation of the Aurea TV's. According to again Engadget they claim:



Showing off the latest in LED edge-lighting. This third generation set features the same transparent Active Frame now sporting 250 LEDs with a promise of "exact" Ambilight color matching" with what you see on the screen. The result, according to Philips and our own experience with Ambilight over the years, is a more immersive viewing experience -- or maybe the experience is just peculiar, we can never be too sure.

The set still features the same, albeit tweaked, motion sensitive remote control and adds Net TV for quick access to content from YouTube, eBay, TomTom and more depending upon your location.

As to the display, well, it's still 42-inches by the looks of things, with a Full HD (1920x1080) resolution, 100Hz refresh, and snappy 2-ms response as before. The box itself feature an integrated DVB-T/DVB-C/CI+ HDTV receiver, 5x HDMI 1.3a EasyLink inputs, WiFi, Ethernet, and a DLNA-compliant network link for accessing media off your PC. Coming soon, that's when.

Now just let's hope the DLNA client is a serious good one with a nice and snappy interface so it might even be able to replace the mediacenter in the living room (just have to add the tuners then to the home server for the pvr part)

Update:

From the IFA leaflet as distributed by Philips:

Net TV with Wi-Fi
Experience a rich selection of online services with Net TV. Enjoy movies, pictures, infotainment and other online content directly on your TV whenever you like. Simply connect your TV directly to your home network through either the integrated Wi-Fi wireless or ethernet connections, and navigate and select what you want to watch with the TV remote control. The Philips menu gives you access to popular Net TV services fitted for your TV screen.

LED TV
No compromises! Stunning picture quality. Stunning design. Low energy use. With LED TV

Picture/Display
•Aspect ratio: Widescreen
•Brightness: 450 cd/m²
•Dynamic screen contrast: 80000:1
•Response time (typical): 2 (BEW equiv.) ms
•Viewing angle: 176º (H) / 176º (V)
•Diagonal screen size: 40 inch / 102 cm
•Panel resolution: 1920x1080p
•Picture enhancement: Perfect Pixel HD Engine, Perfect Natural Motion, Perfect Contrast, Perfect Colors, 3/2 - 2/2 motion pull down, 3D Combfilter, Active Control + Light sensor, 100Hz Clear LCD, Digital Noise Reduction, Dynamic contrast enhancement, Luminance Transient Improver, Progressive Scan, 2D/3D noise reduction, 1080p 24/25/30Hz processing, 1080p 50/60Hz processing, LED backlight Display
•Screen enhancement: Anti-Reflection coated screen
•Color processing: 2250 trillion colors 17bit RGB
Ambilight
•Ambilight Features: Ambilight Spectra, Auto adaptive to video content, Lounge light mode
•Dimming Function: Manual and via Light Sensor
•Ambilight light system: LED wide color
Supported Display Resolution
•Computer formats
Resolution
Refresh rate
640 x 480
60Hz
800 x 600
60Hz
1024 x 768
60Hz
1280 x 1024
60Hz
1360 x 768
60Hz
1600 x 1200
60Hz
1920 x 1080
60Hz
•Video formats
Resolution
Refresh rate
480i
60Hz
480p
60Hz
576i
50Hz
576p
50Hz
720p
50, 60Hz
1080i
50, 60Hz
1080p
24, 25, 30, 50, 60Hz

and another one in the 3D format war

After Sony Philips is now jumping into this. They already had some great 3D displays but I was under the impression they sold this business to LG. However they are back in the race according to this engadget story (click the link for the engadget gallery)

Philips 56-inch 21:9 3D TV's future is so bright we had to wear shades

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 3rd 2009 at 7:30AM

If you haven't noticed, 3D is going to be big in 2010. Not at Philips though, at least not yet. Instead of charging in to the market like Sony, Philips is willing to hedge its bets and wait on consumer demand. Consumers, of course, are waiting for content. And hey, maybe everybody's wrong and quad-HD will be the next big thing to drive TV sales. Regardless, Philips wants everyone to know that its technology is ready when you are so its got a 3D prototype Blu-ray player and stunning 3D version of its 56-inch Cinema 21:9 TV here at IFA in Berlin. While the idea of watching movies in 3D sounds like a novelty, the idea of gaming in 3D is downright compelling -- awkward passive polarized glasses be damned!

Ready for the next format war ... 3d format. Sony be first to deliver but can they set the standard

According to the Financiel Times 3D TV is now coming close.

Sony to throw its weight behind 3D TV

By Maija Palmer in London

Published: September 1 2009 22:01 | Last updated: September 1 2009 22:01

3D technology looks set to hit the home consumer market next year, with Sony on Wednesday announcing plans to sell 3D televisions globally by the end of 2010.

Sony’s decision to throw its weight behind the technology will be an important boost for the 3D industry, which has so far focused mainly on cinemas. British Sky Broadcasting has said it would introduce a 3D satellite channel in the UK next year, but it had been unclear whether there would be equipment available to view it on.

Speaking at the IFA technology trade show in Berlin, Sir Howard Stringer, Sony chief executive, will announce plans not only to sell 3D Bravia television sets, but to make Sony’s Vaio laptop computers, PlayStation3 games consoles and Blu-ray disc players compatible with the technology.

Mr Stringer is expected to tell the audience: “Today, 3D is clearly on its way to the mass market through technology, distribution and content.

“As with high definition a few years back, there are a variety of issues yet to be addressed. But the 3D train is on the track, and we at Sony are ready to drive it home.”

The consumer electronics industry has yet to agree on a single 3D standard, posing the risk of a format war akin to that between VHS and Betamax or Blu-ray and HD-DVD.

There are several types of 3D technology. Sony has opted for “active shutter” technology, using electronic glasses containing tiny shutters that open and close rapidly in synch with the television image to create a 3D impression. Cinema 3D uses “polarisation” technology with simpler glasses. However, this only works when viewers are at a certain angle to the screen, making it less suited to home viewing.

The electronics industry is looking for the next technology to boost sales, as high-definition television sales move past their peak. Hyundai is producing early 3D sets for the Japanese market and Panasonic has flagged up plans for products.

Sony’s commitment, however, improves 3D’s chances of becoming mainstream. It has given no indication of prices, but analysts expect early 3D TVs to cost several thousand dollars. Hyundai’s 3D TVs cost more than €3,400.

In cinemas, uptake of 3D has grown ninefold over three years, with 7,000 digital 3D screens expected to be in use worldwide by the end of 2009.

And some more OLED...........Smoothing the way to superior OLED displays

With kind regards to nanowork I found this article

(Nanowerk News) Electrospray-deposited polymer films can be used to make organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with better characteristics than those made from spin-coated films, according to Yutaka Yamagata of the RIKEN Center for Intellectual Property Strategies, Wako, and colleagues. These researchers have used a novel dual-solvent concept to make the electrospray-deposited films smoother than before, thereby enabling the superior devices to be built ("Thin-Film Fabrication Method for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Using Electrospray Deposition").

Organic light-emitting diodes are now entering the market place as screens for mobile phones and televisions (Fig. 1), and mass-production techniques are needed to simplify the manufacturing process and reduce costs and wastage.

Previous attempts to use the electrospray-deposition technique for OLED fabrication have failed to produce polymer films that compete with other fabrication techniques. Yamagata and colleagues decided to use a combination of two solvents to improve this technique, which uses a thin glass capillary with the polymer solution stored inside and a conductive wire inserted in it. When a high voltage is applied between this conductive wire and the OLED electrodes on the substrate, the solution sprays out of the capillary end as atomized droplets that are attracted to the substrate by electrostatic force. This means there is little solution wastage as the spray is highly directed.

They found that the first solvent evaporated rapidly after the atomization of the solution, leaving a small amount of the second solvent, which has a higher boiling point, in the droplets. When the polymer concentrations were finely tuned, the carefully chosen second solvent enabled the not-quite-dry atomized droplets to form a smooth, continuous film of high quality over the OLED electrode. Because the films dry quickly on the surface, it should be easy to fabricate multilayer devices without mixing of materials between layers.

From a series of comparative experiments, the researchers found that devices fabricated from electrospray-deposited films turned on at lower voltages and could support higher current densities than ones made from spin-coated films. At low voltages, the electrospray deposition also enabled higher pixel intensity.

“We have discovered a range of conditions using a two-solvent method that can make extremely smooth thin films using electrospray deposition,” says Yamagata. “Using this technology these devices could be manufactured as inexpensively as printing newspapers.”

Yamagata also notes that: “The advantage of using electrospray deposition is that we can fabricate both smooth films and nanostructured film using the same technology.” In the future he believes that this advantage “will also be useful in controlling the structure of organic semiconductor junctions for organic solar cells.”

Source: RIKEN

why not just as part of a cell phone

I like the idea and the concept is pretty much ok but I wonder why is this not past of a cell phone. Most cell phones have navigation already so using google maps the idea would be much easier. But I like the idea of projecting a map. Still go for one you can edit the view and data by touch

But anyway. For those without a cell phone it still might be cool and it still can generate some new concepts

Maptor is this wonderful combination of a map and projector that (predictably) projects the desired map onto any surface. Palm of the hand, floor, and walls included. What I really fancy about it, is its size. Small enough to pass off as a lipstick (or a chapstick for you guys), the device is discreet enough for you to quickly hop into a quiet corner, check for directions and make your way forth. All this without anyone knowing that you are lost or need help!

Another good thing about the Maptor is that it has GPS included; as a result there is this big red arrow on the map that points to your current location. Therefore getting your bearings and charting your course is easy.

Although the images of the projected map look visible enough even in daylight, I wonder if it’s really going to be that clear in its practical avatar.

Anyways, I think this project has the potential to make it to the market and be a hit, I would love to get one for my husband, who hates to ask for directions!

Designers: Jin-Sun Park and Seon-keun Park