This one is predictable, but it seems an Italian company is marketing a new (Italy only) digital reading device based on e-paper technology.
If the main draw of e-paper is its low power usage and flexible nature, it needs to be on a device without a huge battery and without a giant pocket foot print. The handheld device should be half as thick and act as a digital document folder you can flip forwards and backwards through. Lastly, it needs to do what a cell phone, regular paper, or tablet PC can’t do. That would mean targeting applications that involve being far from power sources and only requires reading of data. This could include:
- Sales people on the field (such as realtors) to store figures, buyer information, and prices
- Presenters for storing digital note cards
- Anywhere crystal displays are used
In other words, it is still too clunky to be useful in the implementation we saw today, but this is still an important first step.
Again, I cover e-paper news because I believe it will become a major component of our daily lives in the coming years as its prices drop and its resolution and color capabilities increase.