The Brilliant Future of the Portable Device Display

The Amazon Kindle and the Apple iPad have proven there's consumer demand for tablets and e-readers. The trick now is to master the technology behind their displays. E-ink like that used in the Kindle requires very little power but features no color or video abilities. The opposite goes for LCD screens like the iPad's. Can the two be combined to form both sharper views and better efficiency?As director of marketing for the Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) division that manufactures the Mirasol display technology, Cheryl Goodman is racking up the frequent flyer miles, thanks to the boom in the e-reader/tablet computer market. She's the one who educates journalists and analysts about Mirasol's promise of color e-reader screens, along with lower power consumption, better viewing in sunlight and a smaller environmental footprint.

During the latter part of 2009, however, she noticed that her audience had grown to include information technology specialists for publishers. Goodman certainly expected to be making plenty of trips to original equipment manufacturers' headquarters, but she never guessed that she would be spending most of her time in New York, visiting with media giants who want to know exactly how their newspaper, magazine, book and video content will look on a Mirasol device.

"Publishers are trying to find their digital road map and figure out their content in the new form factors," Goodman told TechNewsWorld. "Publishers are doing their best in creating compelling content, but when it comes to finding out how to engage with the hardware and what companies are creating, the consumer experience, they're absolutely trying to get up to speed as soon as possible."

Now Goodman has an additional title -- director of publisher relations -- and it's evidence that there's a white-hot spotlight shining on her part of the tech industry. Amazon's (Nasdaq: AMZN) Kindle set off a stampede in the e-ink reader category. The Kindle can last for weeks on a single charge, but that's because its monochromactic e-ink display demands less power. The success of Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPad has opened up the world of colorful books, magazines/newspapers and video for media consumption, but the battery life slips down to 10 hours of viewing.

Qualcomm's Mirasol e-readers -- due out in the fall -- use microelectromechanical (MEMS) systems to harness natural nearby light that's reflected back out of the screen. It cuts down on the need for power-sapping backlighting.

Mirasol's Origins, Competition
The current buzz for Qualcomm's technology has its roots in 2005, when the San Diego-based company acquired Iridigm Technology. The company immediately set to work on bringing a product to market that would allow for color content and video viewing in a portable device.

"It's not easy stuff" to develop, Goodman said. "You can take LCD technology and modify it. Everything so far has been some evolution of LCD. Instead of evolving that whole process, we've revolutionized a new way to display, using what nature is giving us."

The result has been lots of discussion with potential partners interested in Qualcomm's promise that it can triple the battery life found on current iPads. "If you can do that in an e-ink world, if you can give that power savings and have the color and video experience, well who wouldn't want that?"

Some 50 companies are either already battling or getting ready to fight for market share in the e-reader segment, Goodman estimates. Pixel Qi and E Ink Corporation are preparing products that they say will also allow for color screens without requiring two or more batteries.

Qualcomm is also deep into development for Mirasol-based screens for smartphones, and the success of the iPad may require another business model adjustment -- one that allows for tablet computers, Goodman said. "Apple has validated the form factor. They've made something very cool that people may want to add to their suite of devices. We'll have to watch that space too."

The Future of Display
The Society for Information Display's annual symposium in Seattle in late May provided a showcase for what the industry can expect in terms of evolutionary -- and revolutionary -- products over the next few years. The thrust of the promise continues to focus on active matrix OLED, especially with smartphone screens, Munisamy Anandan, SID president, told TechNewsWorld.

"A lot of the color you see on those screens is beautiful," Anandan said. "The angle of view is also wide -- almost 130 degrees and goes to 160 degrees with no problem. "

Color and white-light-emitting diodes are also developing at a very high rate, he said. "You saw efficiencies go up in the past year or so. We now have 150 lumens per watt, and people are galloping toward 200 lumens. It's going to reduce the power level of LCDs -- that means less backlight power consumption. They have four LEDs in the average cell phone, but now people tend to do three LEDs, and then the cost comes down. With the efficiencies, if the power is low, the cost is low."

The SID symposium also featured Sony's (NYSE: SNE) flexible OLED screen that could be spooled around a pencil, unrolled to show video, and then rolled back up again to carry in a shirt pocket.

New Droid on the Way to Kick Some iPhone 4 Aspirations

Verizon is elbowing its way into the Apple-dominated tech spotlight with the announcement that it's going to make a big announcement next week, and it's a very safe bet that it's going to take the wraps off a new Droid smartphone. How will the newcomer compare to its popular brother? Bigger and faster, with a belt packed with fancier tools, no doubt.Verizon and Motorola (NYSE: MOT) are planning to unveil the next Droid device at a launch event that will take place just a day before eager Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) fans will get their hands on iPhone 4.

Verizon Wireless, Motorola, Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) and Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) will share the stage on June 23rd in New York, with Verizon Wireless Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer John Stratton, Google Vice President of Engineering Andy Rubin, Motorola Co-CEO Sanjay Jha and Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen all scheduled to speak.

Reporters in attendance will get to demo the new Droid immediately afterward, according to the press invitaiton.

No further details were given.

"We've not made an announcement on a new Droid," Brenda Boyd Raney, a spokesperson for Verizon Wireless, told LinuxInsider. " We have sent out an invitation to a media event on June 23."

A 4.3-Inch Screen?
Speculation about the new handset has been running rampant.

"Call it a superphone or a mega-smartphone, but the 4.3-inch handset is absolutely Verizon / Motorola's answer to the HTC EVO 4G, and makes the Droid Incredible look like a bench warmer," wrote Engadget's Joanna Stern on Tuesday.

The Motorola Droid X device is "slightly longer and wider, and it has four physical buttons along the bottom of the screen rather than touch-sensitive ones like those on the EVO," Stern wrote.

With a 4.3-inch, FWVGA 854 x 480-resolution screen, the handset apparently runs Android 2.1 "with some new sort of Motoblur (perhaps Ninjablur) skin," she added.

Multitouch Keyboard
However, the screen could be as large as 4.4 inches, if Bianca Bosker's article on the Huffington Post has it right.

It's also possible that it's a Droid 2 device rather than Droid X, Clint Boulton says on eWeek.

An 8-megapixel camera, meanwhile, records 720p video, Engadget's Stern noted, and though the device preloads Swype, there's also a multitouch keyboard option -- plus a 1 GHz ARMv7 processor and 8 GB of storage space.

1GHz or 2GHz?
It's possible a 2 GHz processor could be in place, eWeek's Boulton suggested.

Such a device would be expected to sport a gyroscope, he pointed out, as well as "an Nvidia (Nasdaq: NVDA) Tegra-based graphics processor with full Flash 10.1 hardware acceleration."

'The High-End Experience'
A big screen and a powerful processor are consistent with the expectations of Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's mobile devices technology and trends team.

As for a price point, "with a two-year contract, we've seen a lot of smartphones around US$200, but the ultrapremium phones are scratching the $300 price point," so a high price tag isn't out of the question, Llamas told LinuxInsider.

"The Droid is meant to be the high-end experience," he explained. "I don't expect them to limit themselves on feature sets."

'Potentially a Risk'
A front-facing camera is a feature that's increasingly seen in high-end handsets, yet it doesn't appear to be part of the new Droid device, Alex Spektor, wireless analyst with Strategy Analytics, told LinuxInsider.

"That's potentially a risk," he noted.

Both the Evo 4G and the iPhone 4 are trying to push video conferencing and chat on mobile, though it hasn't yet really caught on in United States, Spektor noted.

Then there's the large screen and HDMI-out functionality, both of which are "expected of high-end handsets today," Spektor added.

HDMI-out lets users link their phone to a big-screen TV for sharing with others in the room. Phones like the upcoming Nokia (NYSE: NOK) N8 will feature such functionality, noted Spektor.

'I Seriously Doubt This Will Be It'
The big screen is certainly expected, but as for the processor, "Motorola has said something about pushing toward a 2 GHz phone, but I seriously doubt this will be it," Spektor opined.

"In the next 12 months, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if they put it out," he predicted -- "it's a good way to convince consumers that one product is better than another."

Still, faster processors have more of a negative impact on battery life, Spektor pointed out, so "I think consumers would rather have a phone that lasts through the day

How Can Linux Out-'Fabulous' Apple?

"When we wanted to compete with Microsoft, mediocre user interface design was good enough, but now that it's Apple we need to compete with, we need to raise our standards," said Slashdot blogger Gerhard Mack. "Apple has brand loyalty and brand recognition, [but] they are falling flat on features and lack flexibility due to the dictates of the Fuhrer," noted blogger Robert Pogson.In the collective psyche of the Linux community, there has traditionally been one primary enemy.

Just as Dr. Strange had Baron Mordo, just as Aragorn had Sauron, Harry had Lord Voldemort, and Odysseus had Poseidon, so we in the world of FOSS have had Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT).

That, however, appears to be changing.

'Open Source Needs to Be Fabulous'

"While Microsoft has been relegated to an also-ran in mobile computing, Linux has emerged as the main challenger to Apple," wrote the Linux Foundation's Jim Zemlin in a Businessweek commentary last week.

As a result, "Linux needs to more effectively compete with Steve Jobs and the magic of Apple," Zemlin added. "It's important that open-source products add more value for users than simply being free. Open-source software also needs to be fabulous."

Funny that Mark Shuttleworth was making similar comments about the desktop back in 2008!

How to achieve the goal in mobile is of course the new question -- one that's pervaded the Linux blogosphere of late.


Ubuntu for Tablets
At TuxRadar, for example, a Thursday podcast pondered how Linux devices can beat Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPad, specifically.

The 451 Group's Jay Lyman noted that Android excitement is just about on par with that Apple is generating -- even amid iPhone 4 hysteria -- while recent Gartner (NYSE: IT) data confirmed that Android has sprinted past Win Mobile to become a true global contender.

Then there was word that Canonical is developing a version of Ubuntu for tablets -- news that piqued the interest of legions of Slashdot bloggers, in particular.

'Shuttleworth Must Be Stoned!'
"I hope they hire a UI designer who isn't an Apple admirer," wrote neiras, for example. "We need fresh ideas."

Similarly, "I'm just dying to see the user interface," agreed vladisglad. "If there is any instance when I need to use scroll bars to scroll in any application it's insta-fail. Same goes for windows."

Then again: "Shuttleworth must be stoned!" opined The Darkener.

"8.04's focus was stability; 9.04's focus was netbooks; 9.10's focus was cloud computing; 10.04's focus was pretty themes (and apparently dyslexia); 10.10's focus is now tablets," The Darkener explained. "Am I the only one that thinks that a Linux distro should stick with focusing on doing one thing very well?"

'There's Not a Good Business Argument'
And another view: "Don't think the business model will work," predicted SethJohnson.

Using the iPad as an example, "the OS isn't the expensive part of that product," SethJohnson explained. "Apple sells the iPad for US$499 with the understanding that the purchaser will likely buy several apps and many movies through iTunes. You put Ubuntu on there, and the user can apt-get to bypass the App store. Same with movies."

The other problem is that "tablets are media consumption devices, and Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) doesn't work on Ubuntu," he added.

So, "using Linux isn't going to save any hardware manufacturer a significant component cost," SethJohnson concluded. "And since Android is there for free, there's not a good business argument for bundling Ubuntu."

Opinions on that question were all over the board, but the fundamental question remains: How can Linux "out-fabulous" Apple in the mobile world?

'We Need to Raise Our Standards'
"Give users what they have been asking for," Hyperlogos blogger Martin Espinoza suggested. Specifically, "a reliable tablet with good daylight viewability and long battery life, which is either highly compatible with existing distributions out of the box, or at least running a useful and highly modifiable version of Linux like Android."

For most people, "the ideal candidate has good daylight viewability, Wireless-N, real USB2 ports and a built-in memory card reader; most seem to want HDMI output including 1080p H.264" as well, Espinoza added.

Regarding the interface, Zemlin "is right in a way," Montreal consultant and Slashdot blogger Gerhard Mack opined. "When we wanted to compete with Microsoft, mediocre user interface design was good enough, but now that it's Apple we need to compete with, we need to raise our standards."

'Developers Prefer Freedom'
Yet that shouldn't be a problem, blogger Robert Pogson pointed out.

"While Apple has brand loyalty and brand recognition, they are falling flat on features and lack flexibility due to the dictates of the Fuhrer," he explained. "GNU/Linux can beat them on price, performance and features because developers prefer freedom to dictatorship."

Apple may well keep its share of loyal followers, "but there are billions of potential new customers at price levels GNU/Linux can reach on ARM," Pogson pointed out. "It may take a year or two to ramp up production and expand share, but GNU/Linux has all kinds of room to grow, whereas Apple has saturated the wealthy nations with its products."

Nintendo Looks Forward (3DS) and Backward (Warmed-Over Wii Games)

Nintendo used its turn in the spotlight at E3 Tuesday to show off its 3DS handheld, a portable video game system that's able to show 3-D images without using glasses. The 3DS "looks impressive," said IDC's Louis Ward, who got some hands-on time with the device. Nintendo also announced it will reissue a slate of older games for use on the Wii system.Nintendo unveiled its highly anticipated 3DS portable game console Tuesday at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

The 3DS offers 3-D viewing without the need for special glasses.

Nintendo also announced remakes of several of its popular older games for the Wii platform.
3DS Deets
The Nintendo 3DS has two stacked vertically screens. The top one is a 3.5-inch 3-D display; the bottom one is a touch panel. Players can adjust the depth of the 3-D effect using a slider on top of the 3DS.

The 3DS has two cameras on the back to snap 3-D digital pictures, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata announced at the device's launch. Owners can also view 3-D video on the device, but Nintendo did not elaborate on how this would work.

It also has a motion sensor and a gyroscope sensor, so players can tilt and move the device when playing games. Further, the 3DS has analog controls through its slide pad. This is a stick similar to the one on the Sony (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation Portable.

The device can connect to the Internet and download game updates automatically from the Web.

"I got a little bit of hands-on time with the 3DS, and it works and looks impressive," Louis Ward, an analyst at IDC, told TechNewsWorld. "They had demos of several different characters."

Nintendo did not announce pricing or a shipping date for the 3DS.

3DS Games
Nintendo is apparently developing new games from franchises like "Zelda," "Donkey Kong" and "Star Fox" for the 3DS.

The company also unveiled a version of "Nintendogs" for the 3DS.

Several publishers have announced support for the 3DS. Titles that will be available on the handheld include "Metal Gear Solid" and "Kingdom Hearts."

Pumping Up the Wii Volume
At E3 on Tuesday, Nintendo also announced reissues of several of its older games so they can be played on the Wii.

These include the classic James Bond game "Goldeneye," a new Kirby game titled "Kirby's Epic Yarn," and a Mario Brothers basketball game.

Nintendo further unveiled new games for the Wii. These include "Wii Party," an exclusive version of "NBA Jam," and "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword."

Most of the games are scheduled for release in the fall.

Are the Oldies Goodies or Moldies?
We have yet to see whether this decision to remake a slate of old games for a relatively newer platform will pay off.

"If there aren't compelling games the hardware won't matter because no one will buy them," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, pointed out. "Nintendo's pulling from titles that worked in the past, to try and revive the Wii, but, given that the Wii largely sold on the strength of the hardware and its sports games, I don't think there's a good match here."

Nintendo should have at least given the Wii hardware a cosmetic refresh and included the capability to pick up high-definition content so it can compete in the market, Enderle remarked.

However, relying on nostalgia among Nintendo game fans might actually work, IDC's Ward pointed out.

"Nintendo's got such a tradition with Mario and all these other characters that it has, like Disney," Ward explained. "These titles still have a relatively loyal fan base, and people don't forget about them as quickly as games on other platforms. It remains to see how this will play out with regard to marketing."

Gunning for the iEnemy
Nintendo's flurry of activity could be seen as an attempt to take on Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL).

Over the 18 months, Apple has taken about 5 percent, or US$500 million, of the $10 billion U.S. gaming market, according to Flurry Analytics.

"As prices come down for the iPod touch and games sold through the App Store continue to have lower price points, more of the young gaming generation may switch to Apple devices over Sony PSP and Nintendo DS for gaming," Peter Farago, vice president of marketing at Flurry, wrote in the company's blog.

Relying on that young gaming generation might prove to be a double-edged sword for Apple, as Nintendo is apparently targeting the same demographic in its bid to fight off the threat of the iPhone and iPod touch.

"The 3DS will show well, and that could make it a viable alternative to the more expensive Apple products for kids," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, told TechNewsWorld. "Given the choice, many parents will likely pick the less expensive alternative, which should favor Nintendo."

"I'm a fan of 3-D, and I think it will differentiate the Nintendo platform from competitors and be compelling to children, who will find the 3DS a more immersive, richer experience than traditional consoles," IDC's Ward said.

Sony Embarks on a New Crusade With 3-D Gaming

Sony's pushing hard for 3-D gaming on the PlayStation 3, but before anyone can enjoy in-your-face video games at home, they'll have to spend big on a 3-D television. It's a long-haul strategy, a course that Sony will have to remain on for years in order to start reaping benefits. In a way, it's reminiscent of the launch of the PlayStation 3 itself.The auditorium darkens, the audience members put on their 3-D glasses, and a screen fills up with point-of-view images of sci-fi warfare -- futuristic soldiers leaping from one military platform to another in special weaponized jetpacks, raining death and destruction.

A scene from a potential sequel to James Cameron's "Avatar?" No, just another attempt to take that blockbuster film's success and translate it into another medium -- this time video games. The sequence from the forthcoming "Killzone 3" game was used to highlight Sony's (NYSE: SNE) 3-D strategy for its PlayStation 3 console during the company's Tuesday keynote presentation at the E3 conference in Los Angeles.

Indeed, Sony Computer Executive CEO Kaz Hirai told the crowd that 2010 would be looked upon as the year that his company was able to bring a compelling "Avatar"-style 3-D experience to the gaming industry. However, the question remains: Will consumers have the real-world bucks to spend on a suite of products that has to include a US$3,000-6,000 3-D-capable television? Will those same consumers have the patience for wearing stereoscopic glasses, also required for the full experience?

3-D is Sony's biggest bet and one of the more surprising (and audience-pleasing) aspects of its E3 keynote. The company also announced pricing and availability for its motion-control PlayStation Move system: $50 starting Sept. 19 in North America. A Navigation controller adds $30 to the cost, but consumers are being offered two bundles -- $100 for a Playstation Eye camera (vital to the Move platform), the Move wand, Navigation controller and a sports-themed game. $400 bucks gets you all that and a PS3.

Enough 3-D Content?
"Killzone 3" won't be coming out until early 2011, but Hirai announced the names of a few 3-D titles that will be available in time for this year's holiday shopping season. There is some consolation on the hardware side: Fans won't have to buy any special peripherals for their existing PS3 units -- a software upgrade will make all existing PlayStation 3s ready for 3-D gaming.

Sony's 3D strategy reminds Michael Goodman, senior director of research and analytics for Mercury Media, of the first time the public was shown the PlayStation 3 itself half a decade ago. "It was a $600 unit that did everything but sit up and chew gum," Goodman told TechNewsWorld. "The problem was, they designed it for 2010 and launched it in 2006. Given the marketplace and penetration of HDTVs and broadband and over-the-box content, the PS3 is a wonderful product for this time. But in 2005, it was way ahead of the game."

Clearly 3-D gaming is a long-term play dependent on whether 3-D-ready TVs can come down enough in price. "Having that 3-D gaming perspective may help drive sales of 3-D TVs, but the reality is it's going to be quite some time, maybe five years, before there's any kind of installed base that makes it worthwhile. Sony thinks big -- you have to give them credit for that. But 3-D gaming is not about holiday 2010. It's about securing a place in the future."

3-D Gaming for the Industry
Perhaps "Killzone 3" can be the killer-app 3-D game, the "Halo" type of product that helps drive adoption of hardware, much as Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) futuristic first-person shooter did for the original Xbox.

"They're trying to create some solid examples of high-quality games that really illustrate the technology's potential," Scott Steinberg, CEO of video game consulting firm TechSavvy Global told TechNewsWorld. "They're creating what they hope are killer apps that allow players to experience what they think is compelling about 3-D."

However, without a "triple-A blockbuster" title to push people into consumer electronics stores, the current cost of 3-D gaming remains one of the higher obstacles for enthusiasts. Both Steinberg and Goodman used the "chicken-and-egg" metaphor to illustrate the concerns analysts have with 3-D and the gaming world. "There's not a massive range of compelling gaming content at this point. Manufacturers are hoping to drive sales of TV sets but they don't have the financial incentive to produce large investments in blockbuster-quality games, because there's not a potentially large enough audience to buy them," Steinberg said. "And you have shoppers who are saying, without content, why should we make the upgrade, especially when times are tight?"

Nintendo, Steinberg added, stands poised to reap better, immediate benefits of the 3-D craze in entertainment with its Nintendo 3DS, also introduced Tuesday in Los Angeles. The upgrade to the company's bestselling line of handheld gaming devices doesn't need glasses or a wallet-shredding 3-D TV to enjoy. It also doesn't put you in the driver's seat of a 22nd-century military jetpack, but "it's very portable, and while you're not going to have the same level of graphic fidelity or advancement, it may very well be the more compelling of the choices out there," he said.

SF Law Puts Cellphone Radiation Info Front and Center

Although studies on the effects of cellphone radiation on health are far from conclusive, San Francisco city officials want customers to be able to easily compare the specific absorption rates of phones when they make their buying decisions. Needless to say, the wireless industry opposes the requirement that stores post that information, but the mayor is expected to sign it into law.San Francisco's Board of Supervisors has voted 10-1 to approve a law requiring cellphone retailers and vendors to post how much radiation their devices emit. The measure calls upon stores to display the "specific absorption rates" next to the devices.

SAR -- that is, the amount of radio frequency energy absorbed by the body when using a wireless phone -- is a standard specified by the Federal Communications Commission. Levels can vary, from 0.3 to the legal limit of 1.6, as measured in watts per kilogram of body weight.

Noncompliance with the measure -- assuming it is signed into law by Mayor Gavin Newsom, who was an early proponent -- could lead to fines of US$100 to $300.

This law would be a first for a U.S. city, said Alex Formuzis, director of communications for the Environmental Working Group, which releases studies every year on the various levels of radiation emitted by cellphones.

The organization hopes that the San Francisco law will highlight this issue for consumers -- as well as lead device manufacturers to build lower-emitting phones.

"Having this information available at the point of sale will be a tremendous educational tool," Formuzis told the E-Commerce Times.
Customer Confusion?
The wireless industry lobbied against the measure, arguing it would confuse consumers.

"It suggests that some phones are safer than others, which is contrary to the FCC standard," John Walls, VP of public affairs for CTIA, told the E-Commerce Times.

"All devices have to comply with FCC safety standards, and studies show that one compliant phone is not 'safer' than another," Walls insisted.

That, however, is exactly what the EWG maintains.

Good List
"The spectrum of the radiation these devices emits is all over the board with some producing very high levels and others very little," said Formuzi.

The organization produces a list of cellphones, ranked by the levels of radiation they emit.

EWG points to studies that suggest high levels of cellphone emissions lead to higher risks for brain and salivary gland tumors among people using cellphones for 10 years or longer.

For example, people who used cellphones for more than 10 years had a significantly increased risk of developing glioma, a usually malignant brain tumor, on the side of the head they had favored for cellphone conversations, researchers in Europe found.

Long-term cellphone users were 10 to 20 percent more likely to be hospitalized for migraines and vertigo than people who had taken up cellphones more recently, concluded a study of 420,095 Danish adults.