A Different Approach To Electronic Ink

from the sounds-promising dept

For years we've been running stories about electronic ink that focus on the same two companies that never seem to be going anywhere. The products don't seem to advance very much, and each attempt to commercialize the technology fails miserably (partly because they can only produce black and white images). However, a third company has entered the picture and might have a slightly more interesting solution. Instead of using charged capsule that have different colors on each side, Magink uses tiny prisms that can be resized to reflect the color wanted. They're also require very little power - and are much cheaper than comparable video screens. The article claims that a billboard made from the system with a single charge will continue to work for 12 years. Perhaps that's why the technology is getting plenty of interest as a billboard replacement - something that other electronic ink makers couldn't get much traction with. It would be nice if this technology catches on, and prices start coming down. Magink talks about potential future products like digital wallpaper and there are plenty of other possibilities - if the technology can advance that far.