Monec Holding Ltd., a Switzerland-based communications company, filed a lawsuit against Apple. The lawsuit alleges that Apple is infringing on its patents, conducting unfair trade practices, monopolizing and interfering by promoting the iPhone as a touchscreen ebook reader.
Monec develops and markets data transmission tools for mobile electronics. The company filed a patent seven years ago titled “Electronic device, preferably an electronic book.” The details of the patent describe a light electronic device sporting a touchscreen LCD display for reading e-books–sounds like the iPhone. Apple is violating Monec’s patent by marketing the iPhone as an e-book reader by distributing applications that allow the iPhone to read e-books via the App Store.
Source: Wired, cnet, Apple Insider, Engadget
Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Corning’s credit outlook from stable to negative on Tuesday, March 24, 2009. The reason? Moody’s cited a declining demand for LCD goods that began in late 2008. Corning announced that it will reduce 3,500 jobs after posting a 65% decline in profits in Q4’08. Moody’s is remaining cautious stating that Corning’s “debt holders could face slightly elevated risks until… operations and returns from joint-venture investments produce more robust levels of profitability and free cash flow generation.”
Source: Forbes
Samsung NC310 / N310 Specifications
Display: 10.1″ Wide TFT LCD with LED Backlight
Pixel Format: 1024 x 600
Webcam: 1.3MP
GPU: Intel GMA 950
CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270
RAM: 1GB
HDD: 160GB
Connectivity: WiFi BGN, Bluetooth, HSDPA, WiMAX/WiBRO, USB (3), Ethernet, VGA
Storage: 3-in-1 Memory Card Reader
Battery: 4-cell (up to 5 hours), 6-cell (up to 11.5 hours)
Dimensions: 272 x 184.5 x 28.0mm
Weight: 1.23kg
Availability: Now in South Korea, May in UK
Pricing: £399
Samsung launched the N310 netbook (or in some circles the NC310) in South Korea on March 23, 2009. I had to look hard at the N310 to form an opinion. On the one hand it has a lot of high-end netbook specs: ultra-glossy edge-to-edge front glass, chiclet-style keyboard, a lot of connectivity options and a 6-cell battery that can keep it running up to 10.5 hours. But then you look at the design and it looks as if Samsung went for the K-12 crowd. The price is a bit on the high side too. Hmm…
Source: SamsungHub, Electricpig, Engadget
Pioneer announced that it will exit the TV market. That’s no news. The new news is that Pioneer will continue to manufacture just four models until April 11, 2009. That’s not a lot of time. And those lucky models? KRP-500A, KRP-500M, KRP-600A (pictured above), KRP-600M. Pioneer will make 2500 units of the 50″ models (KRP-500A and KRP-500M) and just 500 of the 60″ models (KRP-600A, KRP-600M) and then will completely exit the TV businesses. The company will honor warranty claims until 2017: clearly in Japan but elsewhere… not so clear.
Source: Pioneer (translated), CrunchGear, Slashgear, Engadget
The joint venture between Sharp and Sony will be called Sharp Display Products and will be launched on April 1, 2009. Sharp will own 66% and Sony will own the remainder at 34%. LCD production is expected to start in March 2010. The LCD fabrication plant will be located in Sakai, Japan where Sharp is already running the world’s largest LCD fab.
Sony is also in bed with Samsung with the S-LCD joint venture, which provides 50% of its output to each company and is focused on 40″ and 50″-class LCD TV panel production. Sharp’s G10 LCD fab is designed to be most efficient cutting 60″ LCD TV panels and that’s what Sharp Display Products will likely focus on. With the equity split 66/34, it wouldn’t be surprising if Sony’s allocation was just 34% of the total production at this new joint venture.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, Engadget
Samsung is getting into the e-book reader bandwagon with its Papyrus. There isn’t that much technical details available for the Papyrus but there are some:
No WiFi? OK, then you’d expect it to have some WWAN connection. But nope. Not on the Papyrus. And that will doom the Papyrus unfortunately. (more…)
Peek Pronto is out. What’s different from the original Peek? Push email. That means you get email on your Pronto (almost) immediately. Exchange is now supported. All you business folks out there should be happy. Your company will be replacing your expensive BlackBerry with one of these cute little things. Texting is new and it is unlimited. UNLIMITED. That means you texting freaks out there (I saw you guys and gals on TV!) that text hundreds if not thousands each and every day should tell your parents pronto to get a… er… Pronto. They will love you for it. Search is supported. Word and PDF files can now be seen. The original Peek was $49.95. The new Pronto is $79.95 and comes in gray, gray and gray.
What’s not different? The monthly service price. It’s still $19.95/mo. No contract. Still nice. Oh, there aren’t any taxes or surcharges or extra government fees, etc. that you see on your monthly cellular bill. It’s just $19.95/mo. More videos after the jump.
Samsung N120 Specifications
Display: 10.1″ Wide TFT LCD
Pixel Format: 1024 x 600
Webcam: 1.3MP
Storage: 3-in-1 Memory Card Reader
Connectivity: USB (3), Bluetooth (option)
Other: Full-size Keyboard
Battery: 6-cell (up to 10.5 hours)
Availability: April 2009 in Europe
A full-sized keyboard in a netbook? You bet. Samsung‘s N120 may be a 10.1″ netbook but thanks to the enormous bezel width on each side of the LCD the company was able to cram a full-sized keyboard into it. Another special feature of the N120 is the battery: it’s a 6-cell and it can last up to 10.5 hours. That would mean about 9 hours in real life and that’s quite a long time.
Source: Netbook News (translated), Engadget
Sharp started it. Samsung ended it. Sharp slapped Samsung with a LCD patent infringement lawsuit back in late 2007. Samsung countered with its own infringement suit in June 2008 claiming that Sharp infringed on Samsung’s LCD patents. Well, it’s over now: a Tokyo court gave Samsung the victory.
Source: Engadget, Wall Street Journal
On March 20, 2009, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) announced that Asanga Padmaperuma, a scientist at PNNL, and his colleagues have designed, synthesized and tested a new blue phosphorescent OLED material with a power effiency that is at least 25% enhanced relative to today’s typical blue OLED material. By combining red, green and blue OLED materials a white OLED can be manufactured. White OLEDs can be used for general lighting. Lighting consumes about 20% of the electricity that is generated in the United States. Shifting that from CCFL to LED and then finally to OLED can significantly reduce the energy consumption by lighting. In addition, with a more efficient blue OLED material we can expect longer-lasting OLED displays as well as the potential of OLEDs to be used as the backlight in LCDs.
Source: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, OLED-Info, OLED-Display, Engadget
DisplayBlog is written and produced by Jin Kim. Subscribe via RSS.
