Phoenix Display Formally Launches Perfect Match Program

What is Perfect Match? 

Phoenix Display has developed an LCD cross-matching process where we are able to duplicate any display manufactured by another supplier and retool it in house quickly and at minimal cost with optimal results. Phoenix Display has the ability to match almost all monochrome character, graphic and full-color TFT LCD displays.

Why Switch To Phoenix Display?

Our clients come to us to solve a problem with their existing LCD display.  A “problem” is defined as anything that Phoenix Display can improve upon.  The areas that we typically enhance are:

-Price

-Obsolescence

-Quality

-Delivery and Logistics-Additional Customization and/or Integration

We do this with minimum impact to our customers and provide 100% compatible drop-in replacement LCD displays in almost all cases, unless an LCD driver IC or raw TFT panel becomes obsolete.  Even in these cases of component obsolescence, we can often still create a 100% compatible hardware match.  This way, all our clients need to do is test and qualify the new Phoenix Display without making any changes to their existing design.

Because this is such a successful and common process, we have highlighted the details of this procedure.  Below are the typical steps for a Phoenix Display Perfect Match.

Client Qualification:

To keep our product costs optimized, we only work within our volume guidelines and not all LCD display projects or technologies will qualify.

Identify the Client’s Current Issue(s):

As stated above, the most common issues with our clients’ LCD display modules in order are:  price, quality, delivery, performance, and obsolescence.  We start with our technical evaluation of our client’s current product and current complaints, and from that, we create a commercial proposal that ensures that we are addressing the needs of this new LCD display moving forward.  Often it’s as simple as getting our customers a 15%-30% price reduction over their current supplier, but we also address each attribute from creative logistical stocking agreements to full or partial redesigns based on the product needs. 

Commercial Proposal:

We will submit a formal proposal stating the improvements to some or all of the potential characteristics of the LCD display.  Upon commercial agreement, we initiate the development process.  In many cases there is a tooling cost involved, and Phoenix Display guarantees the results, such that the tooling is never due until the client is satisfied that Phoenix Display has created the Perfect Match.

 Perfect Match Product Development:

Phoenix Displays starts the design process with our competitor’s LCD display specifications, then we use actual samples to match all of the softer attributes like contrast, background color, backlight color, backlight brightness, backlight uniformity, contrast binning, cross talk, viewing angle, viewing direction, over-driven or under-driven states, and mechanical dimensions.  Once we are satisfied that our module meets or exceeds the referenced competitors’ sample performance and attributes, then we test the new Phoenix Display LCD module in our client’s terminal or device to make sure that we have captured the optimal performance on all aspects in the same setting in which the display is actually used.  The strength of the Perfect Match Process lies in our ability to start with the optimal configuration and create the correct iterations to match attributes and to balance other performance matrices to end up with the ideal LCD display configuration.

Qualification Submittal:

The time and effort taken in the development stage greatly reduces the efforts required in the qualifications stage.  Because of our rigourus and up front testing , most often this is a plug-and-play process with no additional iterations or changes required.

Please contact Phoenix Display and tell us about your LCD project.

LCD Viewing Modes Explained

LCD Viewing Modes Explained

The optimal viewing mode is application specific. These definitions apply to any display type, whether it is monochrome character LCD, graphic LCD or full- color TFT LCD displays.

Find this and more information check out our Technical Resources page: http://www.phoenixdisplay.com/viewing-modes.php

Transmissive

For a transmissive LCD display, the glass cell has no reflective properties. The image is created solely by utilizing a backlight behind the display. The liquid crystal cell then acts as a light valve to either let the light through the display, or block the light. This technology is used when there are few ambient light sources available.

Reflective

This LCD display device has a reflector located on the rear of the cell. Ambient light is passed through the cell and reflected back to the user. The application is best used in direct sunlight or a well-lit office environment. This technology has the lowest power consumption because there is no backlight. This is the preferred lowest cost and lowest powered consumption type. Typical applications include desk phone and calculators.

Transflective

A transflective LCD display utilizes a transflector, which is a partial reflector that will still allow some light to pass through, while reflecting present ambient light as well. These LCD displays can achieve both reflective and transmissive properties, which results in acceptable transmissive performance with a backlight in low-light conditions, and allows the LCD display to switch to a reflective mode in adequate ambient-light conditions. These displays work great outdoors in direct sunlight as well as in completely dark applications. This is the most common monochrome LCD viewing mode. Unfortunately, true transflective color TFT LCD displays are much more difficult to produce and result in fewer available standard sizes with a higher cost.

Sunlight-Readable

The Sunlight- Readable LCD viewing mode grew out of the need for a transflective color TFT application, when there was no standard transflective LCD cell in that form factor available. The Sunlight-Readable TFT LCD module combines a highly efficient anti-reflective front polarizer and high-efficiency rear polarizer paired with a high-brightness backlight resulting in a legible display in an outdoor environment.

Positive Image

A darker pixel on a lighter background is the most common configuration for monochrome displays. In a non-powered state, the display will retain the lighter background appearance.

Negative Image

A lighter pixel on a darker background is the most common configuration for color displays. In a non-powered state, the display will retain the darker background appearance.

Plasma vs. LCD

TV Buying Guide: Plasma vs. LCD

When shopping for a new television, the question of whether to choose a plasma TV or LCD TV is a key decision. Both types provide bright, clear, and color-saturated images, and both now offer similar size options. There are some important differences, however, between plasma and LCD, and you’ll find that each type of TV has advantages and disadvantages to consider when making your decision.

Plasma and LCD TVs use different types of technology to turn video or computer signals into the images you see displayed. Plasma TVs use an electric charge to exite Zenon and Neon gas to emit light, whereas LCD TV displays rely on light filtered through a liquid-crystal matrix to produce the precise intensities of hues you see in the TV picture.

So what does this mean to you, the TV buyer? Here is an overview of the most important advantages and disadvantages of both plasma and LCD TVs.

LCD TV Advantages:

• Not susceptible to screen burn-in
• Operates at a cooler temperature
• Less screen glare
• Produces a brighter image, making for easier viewing in bright lighting
• Longer screen life
• Uses less energy to run
• Functions well at high altitudes
• Weighs less

LCD TV Disadvantages:

• Lower contrast ratio
• Less ability to render deep blacks
• Slight motion lag with fast-moving images

Plasma TV Advantages:

• Superior contrast ratio
• Deeper colors
• Better at rendering deep blacks
• Better response time with fast motion
• Greater availability in large screen

Plasma TV Disadvantages:

• Still somewhat vulnerable to burn-in, although improvements have been made
• Generates more heat when running
• Doesn’t function as well at higher altitudes
• More difficult to view in brightly lit rooms
• Weighs more
• More fragile to ship

The choice of plasma vs. LCD ultimately depends on your particular requirements and preferences, but both provide excellent value and a high-quality image. One of the best ways to make your final decision is to visit a retailer who can help you compare. So head to your nearest electronics store and see the difference for yourself.

Bonus tip: look for great bargains on TVs big and small as Super Bowl Sunday looms closer. Who wants to watch football on a TV with a subpar picture?

Best of luck in your decision making and happy shopping!

Smart Phone LCD Displays

Making a Smarter, Smart Phone with Mobile LCD

Ever wonder what it is that’s behind the slick inner-workings of your iPhone’s touch screen? When you get right down to it, the technology that enables mobile LCD touch screens can be pretty fascinating. Take your finger for example – this is where it all starts. That, and the overlay of conductive and transparent touch-screen layers and coatings that make all that magic possible.

The Magic of Mobile Touch Screens

While there are several different ways to achieve a similar effect on mobile touch screens and other small LCDs, the most common approach (and the method that the iPhone currently employs) is using these layers of LCD display to monitor incredibly small changes and variations. Let’s say you set out to get directions to the nearest pizza place and consult your smart phone for the answer – whenever you track your finger across the screen, miniscule, thin layers work together to detect the changes in the electrical currents running through them, the infrared light components, and even the pressure and vibration that your index finger is causing on the surface layer.

Touchy Business

This same approach is used for mobile LCD devices that employ a stylus for navigation. The magic is in the details that allow such tiny variations in pressure and contact to be monitored and tracked through the touch screen interface.

The iPhone uses a very specific version of multi-touch technology, often referred to as a multi-touch system, which is a method of reordering of the layers in your standard LCD touch screen, and some subtle changes to the capacitive materials to allow the screen to register more than one touch point simultaneously (iPhone users will be all-too familiar with the “pinch and drag” technique). The underlying multi touch user interface comprises two layers that work in conjunction to create this effect. One layer, constructed with conductive material works to carry current while the other carries sensing lines set up across a grid to detect changes in the currents.

When you consider that all this happens in the split seconds it takes for your finger to track across the screen and Google “pizza,” we think that is pretty cool.

TV Shopping? Buy Smart on Black Friday

If there is one thing people look forward to more than turkey this time of year it’s the hysteria of the biggest shopping day of the year. Welcome back, Black Friday!

From Target to Amazon and Best Buy, retailers pull out all the stops to get you – and your wallet – in the door at unreal hours of the very early morning by promising unheard-of deals and savings on the most sought-after holiday gifts.

With so much wheeling and dealing to be done promptly after ingesting large amounts of turkey, we wanted to give you an advantage in case, like us, your brain doesn’t function quite as well at the crack of dawn after all that dinner. So what should you buy?

Step 1: Start with the don’ts.

Don’t buy a CRT television.  In case the acronym is something you don’t remember, this is the old picture tube (cathode Ray Tube) televisions that were built into fine furniture and required 2-3 people to move.  These sets do not look good on your wall, the resolution is low, and the brightness and contrast is vastly inferior to what is available today.  One the plus side, these sets are now pretty inexpensive, and you could even find them at your local thrift store, curbside in your neighborhood on trash day, or at your local museum.

Step 2: Size it up.

“Bigger is better” when shopping for your next TV.  One should go with the largest display your room, viewing distance, and financial resources will accommodate. Historically, consumer’s will only possibly remorse wishing their display size was larger, never does anybody secretly wish their display was smaller.

If still unsure on how to determine the ideal size for your room, you can refer to the guidelines below.   Please note that the image quality is also a factor in the decision making process.  For higher quality pictures, you can be on the closer range to be able to see all of the detail created by your “high Definition” TV.  Conversely, viewing lower resolution and lower quality analog signals, you may want to sit a little farther back to hide the flaws of the image reproduction and make them much less noticeable.

Step 3: Technology.

Plasma

Although a plasma TV is within reach of most shoppers. The price gap between plasma and LCD technology has narrowed considerable and only in the larger, +50” size, is where plasma has much of a cost advantage.

But be sure to read reviews before spending. The top plasma televisions can produce top-notch image quality, with deep black levels, excellent color, wide viewing angles, and better response times than similar LCDs, thus making them a little less blurry during fast movement.

LCD

LCD, which stands for Liquid Crystal Display, technology has become the most popular to the average consumer.  This is the technology is also used in flat-screen desktop and laptop monitors.   The term LCD represents that front glass portion of the display which acts as an electronic light valve to either block light or allow it to come through from the backlight.

LCDs also use less power than plasma displays, minimize glare and are not susceptible to burn-in, which is what happens to an HDTV when an element of an image is displayed for a prolonged period of time in a single area of the display.  Both LCDs and plasma screen televisions are susceptible to burn-in, but it is relatively rare on LCDs, while plasma displays are more susceptible to it.

Newer LCD TV’s are now equipped with an LED (light emitting diode) backlight system which replaced the traditional CCFL tube lighting.  These new televisions, now termed LED TV’s, consume less power and are brighter with even whiter whites than their predecessors.

Full-array LEDs

Many brands use LED backlighting technology, which can offer benefits over CCFL LCD TVs of reduced energy consumption, better contrast and brightness, greater color range and more accurate image rendering.  The arrays use rows and columns of LEDs all placed directly behind the LCD.

Edge Lit LED

This configuration utilizes LED along the edge of the LCD and then emits the light though a specially textured light guide to evenly distribute the light throughout the display. This revolted in a much thinner TV and yet more efficient configuration.

RGB dynamic LEDs

This method of backlighting allows local dimming of specific areas of darkness on the screen by controlling the backlight brightness in accordance with the content display on the LCD. Additionally these LED’s can add color to increase the color gamut even further.  This can show truer blacks and whites, and at much higher dynamic contrast ratios.

3-D LCD TV

By employing either active 3D glasses or passive 3D glasses, the 3D LCD displays are capable of producing a unique image to each eye the creating the illusion of three dimensions. The passive glasses are much cheaper, simpler and lighter, but come at a cost of effective screen resolution.  Where the more expensive active glass method can maintain a higher resolution by employing a LCD display in each eye that acts as a shutter alternating the vision field from he left eye to the right.  Keep in mind; you still need 3-D content to utilize this function

Step 4: Caffeinate and Spend.

We can’t stress this enough. You’re going to need to be up very early, or in some cases staying up very late, but it is absolutely essential that you have your wits about you in the midst of the holiday shopping madness that you’re sure to experience. Mountain Dew, coffee, Red Bull, pick your poison – just don’t attempt while drowsy!

Then spend your money and help us get the economy going again……

and Happy Thanksgiving, shoppers!

Tablet Trials: Find the Right Tablet this Holiday Season

LCD touch screen tablets are popping up everywhere! With new brands getting into the game at an unprecedented pace, it can be a challenge to take stock of all the available options. We’ve pitted the myriad devices against each other in some fierce, feature-on-feature competition to help you decide which may be right for you (or for the people on your holiday shopping list). Experts suggest that the best way to start is to determine a few things first (and be completely honest with yourself for the best result):

• What will you use it for?
  • Work
  • Reading books & magazines
  • Web surfing
  • Music, photos, media
  • email
  • Gaming
  • What is your budget?

The Contenders:

We’ve broken down the options to give you some insight before you hit the stores this holiday season.

Amazon Kindle Fire

The Kindle Fire excels as an e-reader. Born and bred as the brainchild of Bezos, this tablet is the newest Kindle iteration to hit the scene and builds on what the original Kindle lacked in enhanced web browser capability. The Fire has emerged as the clear market leader for the bibliophile, so if you’re thinking ahead to holiday gift-giving, this is the tablet of choice for the truly bookish friend or family member.

Samsung Galaxy Tab

Becoming increasingly competitive in the market, the Galaxy’s latest version features an upgraded screen display size (bigger and with clearer resolution than the earlier versions), a dual core processor, and rumored to be utilizing organic LED technology and Google’s Android OS. Great for media and video calling, the Galaxy is sure to experience a few more impressive adaptations as Google and Samsung continue their collaboration with Honeycomb and Android. Perfect for the tech-savvy, on-the-go business traveler who wants to email, conference, share pictures, video, and media anytime, anywhere.

Asus EEE Pad Slider

Competitively priced for the market, Asus has produced a very reliable Honeycomb-based tablet with a high-quality LCD screen display resolution for the price. Just a bit less sophisticated than some of its counterparts, the Asus version is a great beginner tablet.

Archos 101 G9

Perhaps the most notable feature of the Archos version of the tablet is its 1080p video resolution and display interface. However, there are a few quirky design features, notably the button placement of its volume and locking features, which are awkwardly positioned when the device is used in landscape mode. Perfect for the jetsetter and the on-the-go types who need access to entertainment while en-route, the Archos design includes a kickstand for ease of viewing and utilizes the Honeycomb OS.

Lenovo IdeaPad

Lenovo tweaks its version of the tablet with some pre-loaded apps and runs the standard Android Honeycomb. It’s just a little bit heavy, just a little bit clunky, and a lot “ho-hum” when you consider some of the other more slender, sleek contenders on the market. It struggles a bit with LCD display screen resolution and brightness. When it comes to price point and visual appeal, it remains underwhelming and in the middle of the tablet road.

Toshiba Thrive

Toshiba brings a heavy hitter to the tablet party with its contribution to the market. And we do mean heavy: it’s just about the thickest tablet out there, but there are several advantages to this design. The Thrive’s size means it can fully support all sizes and styles of ports, making it one of the more flexible and adaptive tablets out there – great for the gadget junkie in your life who needs to be able to connect everything.

BlackBerry Play Book

BlackBerry stays true to its roots with its tablet, offering “Research in Motion (RIM)” OS, which the brand has declared the future of its forthcoming devices. Play Book has the advantage of familiarity for current BlackBerry users.

HTC Evo View

Edging ahead in the screen quality arena, the HTC tablet has a lot to offer as its ahead-of-the-pack pricing might suggest (the add-ons are where the HTC’s price really begin to add up). Like many of its competitors, this one also utilizes the 7-inch display screen size. HTC runs the Android Honeycomb OS, which is intuitive for those who already have Android-based smart phones.

iPad

The archetypal tablet, the iPad still commands the market for features, styling, pricing, and flexibility. Light and sleek with clean design and classic Apple simplicity, the iPad remains the tablet with the most to offer for mobile LCD and the discerning techie on your shopping list.

T-Mobile G-Slate

Leveraging the very best of Android technology, the T-Mobile Slate includes an impressive wide-angle IPS screen and comes standard with streaming TV – but you’ll want to be very careful with battery life where the 4G is concerned. T-Mobile’s option is great as a gift for the homebody in your life.

Motorola Xoom

Keeping true to its roots with robust hardware and an intuitive pairing with Verizon’s 4G service, the Xoom is possibly the most competitive contender for Apple’s industry-leading iPad. It will cost you in dollars and in a bit of extra weight, but we’re betting the 10-inch screen, dual cameras, HDMI output, and dual core processor will make it worth it.

HP Touch Pad

HP brings some interesting and unique software to the tablet table, but what it makes up for in WebOS, it may lose in handling. One of the biggest drawbacks of the Touch Pad is the thick design and stock materials that can make it feel almost slimy.

Acer Iconia Tab

For all intents and purposes, this tablet is the entry-level Motorola Xoom. With nearly identical features and offerings (the first difference you’ll note is that the Acer version is much heavier), the Iconia is priced more affordably than the iPad, at $450. For that you’ll get the 10-inch screen and great pixel resolution for the OS.

Barnes and Noble Nook

Like many of these tablets, the Nook comes in few varieties, some offering color and additional features. However, like the Kindle, the Nook remains true to its e-reader roots. It does however, have an updated app store for those times you need a diverting break from your book.

Dell Streak

This diminutive tablet sports all the features you’d expect from a smart phone and runs the Android OS. Walking the line between smart phone and tablet, you’ll need to evaluate what features you’re really after in a tablet or a smart phone, and where those two overlap…or not.

Vizio Tablet

Vizio seems to have set its sights on contending with the Samsung Galaxy tab, as you’ll find most of the same features and styling. The key differences you’ll find are its weight (1.3 lbs) and its thickness (0.5 inches).

ViewSonic ViewPad

The ViewPad is a multi-tasker, using both Windows 7 and Android for those consumers who have trouble fitting in to one box or the other. The attempt to be everything to everyone however, may leave a bit to be desired from either OS.

Kobo Vox

The Vox is Kobo’s rendition of the e-reader, running Android 2.3, backlight display and offering a variety of apps. Vox is a bit more customizable, for the style-conscious, bookish type on your list, since you can switch out the cover for one of four color options. Kindle Fire has Vox by processor capacity, however the Vox and the Nook tie up evenly with memory and speed.

Sony Tablet S

Consider this your go-to tablet for gaming and the gamer you’ll be buying for this season. Where brands like Amazon and Barnes & Noble typify e-reader products, the Sony Tablet comes to market with outstanding gaming capability (an intuitive extension complete with PlayStation certification) and a sleek wedge-shape design to add to the overall experience.

12 Innovative Real-World Applications for LCD Displays

How Long Could you Last Without…

Your laptop?

Your cell phone?

The ubiquitous nature of technology in society often leaves us taking for granted the things that contribute to the comfort of our everyday lives in such a big way. For example, could you imagine going an entire day without:

• looking at your watch?
• catching up with your friends and loved ones on your cell phone
• turning on the evening news?

I don’t know about you, but I start to get nervous and feel just a little bit unsettled if I leave for the office and realize I’ve forgotten my cell phone (That’s not true – my palms get clammy and I pull a u-turn, mid-street, to go back for it.). I know many people who would be in a similar predicament without ready access to their iPods for a steady stream of their favorite tunes.

LED and Life: The Real Story

If you’re at all like me, then you’re probably a lot more dependent on LCD display than you realize; the monitor on your computer, your laptop, the TV screen – there is a good chance that any time you’re looking at a screen, there is an LCD component to it.

Don’t believe it? Take a closer look at some of these products that all include LCD display:

Laptops: Chances are you either have one or know someone who does..Laptops come in a wide variety of sizes and offer an array of LCD screen displays.

iPods (and other portable music devices): Some come with touch display and various LCD backlight features.

TVs: Flat panel or the old cathode ray tube versions that are still around, you’ll find LED in both.

Cell phones: Mobile touch screen versions and basic phones also include LED technology.

Tablets: Now available in a variety of screen-resolution formats, tablets are utilizing more and more versatile display technologies for optimal screen resolution in a variety of environments.

e-readers: Especially notable for their screen-readable qualities, Kindles, Nooks, and other variations on the e-reader are a big hit with consumers as a result of their easy-to-use, back-lit graphics display.

Watches: Unless you’re among the analog types out there, the odds are good that your digital watch utilizes a sunlight readable panel display.

Digital thermometers: Similar to digital watches, these depend on LCD screen technology to let you know whether or not your latest flu merits a trip to Urgent Care.

Digital picture frames: Breathing cheer and blissful reminiscence of good times into grey cubes in offices throughout the world, these distracting photo frames leverage advances in LCD technology.

Cameras: Remember the days when you had to wait for your pictures to be developed before you could see if they were fit for the photo album or the trashcan?  You and your Facebook albums should thank LED display.

Hand-held video game consoles: Responsible for multitudes of peaceful, meltdown-free road-trips, Play Station Vita, PSP, and Nintendo DS and 3DS have built-in display using color filters and custom color displays.

Calculators: All judgments on arithmetic aptitude aside, you’d be scratching your head at an abacus without LED display.

Because so much of the interacting we do in a given day takes place via LCD, TFT, or LED, it’s no wonder more people than ever are interested in this technology and are choosing Phoenix Display as their premium vendor for color, graphic, and custom displays. Want to learn more? Contact us today for more information.

iPhone 4S Launches Amidst Speculation of 5′s Debut

It wouldn’t be the release of an Apple product if there weren’t a hefty amount of buzz surrounding the release date, features, and all the highly-anticipated bells and whistles. The iPhone 5 has so far lived up to tradition, as constant speculation swirls about the technological upgrades and, of course, the sleek new styling and features.

Better 4? Or 5?

What we can distill from the rumor mill is that iPhone 5 remains in production, but to satiate its clamoring customer base, Apple released the not-quite-5 with its iPhone 4S, a retooled version of the iPhone 4, released on October 4th. The 4S features several improvements on the 4:

• Upgraded graphics package
• More sophisticated camera
• Redesigned antenna system
• 1080p HD Video
• iCloud sync-able
• iOS5
• Now available on the Sprint network
• Siri voice assistant

It may be incognito since the iPhone 4S remains almost visually identical to its predecessor, with slick touch-screen capabilities and display technology, but Apple is promising faster and cleaner graphics display and performance, which will make it worth the switch.

What to Expect When Apple is Designing

Amid the hype for the iPhone 5, the expectation is that it will include, when it eventually surfaces on the market, 1 GB of RAM and advanced voice control. There has also been speculation that the 4S was a response to a screen defect that was uncovered during the 5’s production. Reports cited that a defect was discovered after the touch panel lamination during the assembly process, and won’t divulge what specifically the problem was. All guesswork aside, the iPhone 5 is sure to intrigue customers, whenever Apple decides to release it.

Kindle Fire Catches Mixed Reviews

Since its emergence on the market in 2007, the Kindle has enjoyed a specific niche when it came to its distinctive reflective monochrome paper like e-ink display technology. With the Kindle Fire, all that was abandoned to utilize a traditional backlight full color TFT LCD display This new full color Kindle Fire has been touted for its versatility, light-weight, portable design, but did give up some of the advantages of the traditional Kindle e-ink sunlight-readable screen quality in natural and even direct sunlight.

With roughly 25,000 pre-orders coming in to Amazon for the Kindle Fire every day, the anticipation is mounting and speculation circulating about whether or not it will live up to its incendiary name. And there are several good reasons why it may:

Sparked: New Ways Kindle’s Fire Competes in the LCD Tablet Market

Moving away from a monochrome e-ink “paper like” display opens up a whole new market for this device. The Fire boasts one of the cheaper sticker prices for reliable tablets out there at an affordable $199. It now features the new “Silk” browser, which should allow for faster caching and more seamless content browsing, and weighs an extremely portable 14.6 oz. The Fire is also competitive when it comes to screen size, measuring 7 inches to the iPad’s 9.

Amid all the buzz, however, there is one potential handicap for early-adopters of the Fire. It comes standard with 8 GB of memory, which content-happy consumers may burn through with relative ease. The Fire has no hardware-based workaround either, since there are no options to add additional memory capacity.

Content Consumption and Cloud Storage

Amazon instead has answered with its cloud storage system, promising that data will be available for consumers at few clicks with accessible cloud computing. This should allow consumers to simply delete content after it has been consumed; knowing it will be waiting for them in the cloud if they need it again later.

Can’t wait? Pre-order yours now or tough it out until they are available in stores on November 15th. Fair warning if you plan on waiting – the first generation Kindle sold out within 6 hours of its release.

What is a Sunlight Readable Display, anyway?

In the already confusing, acronym heavy, business of Liquid Crystal Display design, there is yet another term invented that may confuse, and mislead the design community. However, this term has been created to describe a useful subset of TFT color display modules that fit in between a traditional transmissive TFT display, and a transflective TFT display.

Traditionally, there are three viewing modes of LCD display modules: Transmissive, Transflective and purely reflective.

Transmissive: The liquid crystal cell has no reflective properties. The image is created on the LCD screen by utilizing a backlight behind the display, and the liquid crystal cell acts as a light valve to either let the light though the display, or to block the light completely. This technology is used when there are little ambient light sources available.

Transflective: Utilizing a transflector, which is a reflector that will still allow some light to pass through and some to get reflected back to the user, transflective LCD TFT displays can achieve both reflective and transmissive properties. This enables acceptable transmissive performance with a backlight on in lowlight conditions, and allows the application to utilize a reflective lower power mode in adequate ambient light conditions, while maintaining good LCD TFT module performance in direct sunlight.  Although this is the most common monochrome LCD viewing mode, it is technically challenging to create in a full color TFT cell.

Reflective This liquid crystal device has a reflector located on the rear of the cell.  Ambient light is passed though the LCD cell and reflected back to the user. This LCD module application is best used in direct sunlight or a well-lit office environment. This technology has the lowest power consumption because there is no backlight involved in the module construction.

The Sunlight Readability viewing mode grew out of the need for a transflective color TFT applications, when there was no standard transflective LCD cell in that form factor readily available.  A true Transflective TFT is much less common due to the additional manufacturing and design challenges associated with building the partial reflector on the active matrix backplane.  Conversely, the transflective construction is easily achieved in a monochrome graphic LCD display, as it simply utilizes a transflective polarizer film on the outside of the liquid crystal stack.  As a result, the monochrome transflective display is the most common viewing format of LCD modules used.   This is not the case for the full color TFT LCD display.

Given the need for outdoor applications, and lack of available transflective panels, a hybrid (Sunlight Readable Displays) display module was born.  The physics behind this custom LCD module are rather simple: by combining the right type of anti-reflective front polarizer, and high-efficiency rear polarizer, the cell is able to re-use some of the sunlight energy.  In combination with a higher-brightness backlight, the overall image quality in the high-ambient light environment is greatly improved.  It is important to note that to function in an outdoor environment the backlight will need to be on.

The Sunlight Readable TFT display will reflect more light, and be better suited for direct, outdoor sunlight use than the standard transmissive display.  In this configuration, it is considered to be Sunlight Readable, but it will not be as efficient in reflective mode as the true transflective TFT cell.  To further enhance the user experience in the direct sunlight condition, we also recommend limiting the image content to high-contrast images, like large bold images or icons, and larger black-on-white text when possible.