Electronic paper's green credentials will boost adoption

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: The use of electronic paper, also known as 'e-paper', is increasing as a result of its ultra low power consumption, a similar user experience to real paper and 'green' benefits, according to a new report from Gartner Inc.

E-paper is a display medium intended to mimic the appearance or ordinary ink on paper while being rewritable. Gartner said that despite disadvantages of poor color and refresh rate characteristics, e-paper will have significant benefits over other display media and will positively impact the traditional paper market, the retail display sector, a number of consumer markets and the office environment in years to come.

“E-paper does have has some barriers to overcome before gaining credibility with the mainstream market,” said SJ Chae, senior research director at Gartner. “However, it is generating a great deal of interest and we expect adoption to increase steadily over the next few years as the technology improves.”

Chae said that one of the key drivers for e-paper adoption is the way it is continuously evolving to include new technologies. Recent additions include touchscreen, wireless connection and rewritable colour support capability into devices using e-paper.

Multiple e-book readers have also been introduced and applications of the technology are now expanding beyond e-book readers to include device displays for phones, clocks and watches.

E-paper also has the advantage of providing a similar user experience to real paper display. Its thinness gives users the benefits of a portable, paper-thin rewritable display while its readability in bright sunlight gives a similar user experience to that of reading a paper display.

According to Gartner, low power consumption is the main driver for e-paper adoption in most cases and this is enabling initial applications in signage (for retail and roadside applications), static displays (e-books) and small information-centric screens.

Low power consumption also boosts e-paper’s green credentials. Its potential environmental benefits are significant, resulting in the saving of trees, preventing the generation of waste water and reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases.

Despite these benefits, there are a number of disadvantages to e-paper that must be overcome in order for it to gain more widespread adoption. Overall, e-paper content is limited and the current colour capabilities of e-paper displays are poor.

E-paper is also typically weak in its handling of moving images and a compromise must be found between the requirements for full-motion video and low power consumption.

Gartner believes that the cost of e-paper displays will need to fall further if it is to act as a viable mainstream alternative to print media, especially as the falling costs and increasing quality of alternative technologies –- such as OLED and LCD –- could moderate the growth potential of e-paper.

Some examples of e-paper technologies include:
-- Electrophoretic e-paper, where the image is generated by an array of electrically charged particles suspended in fluid.

When current is applied, the particles are moved to the opposite electrode side. Switch the field, and the particles will move to the other side, and this will change the colour and finally change the images. Electrophoretic technology from E Ink is currently used in commercial devices such as the Amazon Kindle, Sony Librie reader and Plastic Logic's e-newspaper

-- Electronic Liquid Powder (ELP) from Bridgestone, which uses a similar electrophoretic approach to E Ink's e-paper, but with the ELP particles suspended in air instead of fluid.

-- Cholesteric LCD, an LCD variant, such as the technology from Kent Displays that is used in Fujitsu’s new e-book reader FLEPia, using multiple layers of different colour LCD crystals to generate the image.

COMPUTEX TAIPEI moves into new era with green technology and precision design

The worlds leading ICT event COMPUTEX TAIPEI was held on 2-6 June. The five-day exhibition has attracted numerous international professions and players to showcase the most advanced technologies as well as the best innovative products.

While global companies tend to put more efforts into Green Technology and Precision Design product developments, more electronic components and end-user products apply with green concepts that will drive future markets. Being the head of global ICT industry, Taiwan manufacturers have shown ambitious to provide a full range of green products through the whole supply chain. In addition, to showcase their capabilities to connect with energy-saving, cost-reducing and green-power industrial design trend.

Saving green for new generation technology
At the COMPUTEX TAIPEI CEO Summit Forum, Ike Harris, VP, Notebook Supply Chain, Personal System Group, HP has particularly indicated that 2 percent of the global carbon emission is generated by IT industry. Among all, PC and monitor account for 39 percent of IT-related products, while servers and cooling devices account for another 23 percent.

Ike mentioned, that every IT company should take their responsibility to cool down our earth, particularly to penetrate eco-friendly, energy-saving and environmental-sustainable resources into current production and research-and-development sectors. These considerable product lines include CPU, HDD, PCB, power supply, LED backlight and NB. Intel Ultra-Low Voltage Intel Core 2 dual core processor and 50 percent less power consumption HDD from Hitachi EcoTrac Travelstart5K500.B new range are some examples. The Travelstart5K500.B HDD even claims to achieve REACHs no-halogen PCB standard.

COMPUTEX TAIPEI is the best indicator to foresee computer products trend. Launched in the second season of this year, Intel ULV has specifically positioned at 11- to 13-inch NB market. Due to power-efficiency ULV platform, balance-price and ultra-thin, CULV NB will bring more possibility at mainstream system price points.

Taiwan suppliers who are specialized in rapid market demand response also take further steps to emphasize at green design and green marketing. Leading brands such as ACER, ASUS, MSI and GIGABYTE all introduce a number of CULV NB ranges.

The market also forecasts that CULV NB may also overlap Netbook market by the end of 2009 due to fierce price competition. CULV NB has significant potential to grab the first and second computer market opportunity. Moreover, CULV NB and Netbook will drive the whole NB market growth in 2009.

In power supply sector, COMPUCASE Enterprise has launched its full range of 80PLUS Bronze, Silver and Gold standards. These power supplies all achieve minimum 80 percent conversion efficiency rate at any target power loading condition. 80PLUS is the new black to identify quality power-saving products now.

The GIGABYTE ODIN Plus serial deploys ultra durable solid capacitor technology as well as 80PLUS Bronze ready. Moreover, GIGABYTE ODIN GT power supply range also presents software controlled PSU which allows users to adjust suitable wattage, current, voltage, temperature and fan speed. The module cable management design further gives end-user a better option when considering "sufficient" green power usage.

To further extend the sufficient concept, SSD is another ideal green consideration. Exhibitors such as TRANSCEND, A-DATA and APACER have clearly positioned its SDD market segment with advantages such as slimmer, less energy usage, quieter and anti-shock. On the other hand, company such as ASIA VITAL COMPONENTS also introduced environmental-friendly fans.

Its upcoming biodegradable fan frame that developed together with international partner is going to launch by the end of this year too. Meanwhile, one winner of the Best Choice-Green ICT Award, ACER K10 pocket projector, also benefits from its handful appearance, 550g light weight, LED project lamp and mercury-free features that only consume 20 percent power than traditional projector.

Apart from energy-saving IT products, options such as solar power, fuel cell and LED applications are highly stressed too at the show ground. COMPUTEX TAIPEI is certainly the most ultimate trading platform in the global ICT industry together with complete green product solutions to meet global market demands.

Precision design key to drive market
From manufacturing to design, global IT companies not only aim at better product appearance but also material, outfit, technical, color scheme and packaging. It is essential to enhance good quality as well as value-added concept.

COMPUTEX TAIPEI, thus, is also the platform for Taiwan suppliers to compete their new innovations and creativities before stepping into the global market too. Design & Innovation Award and Best Choice of COMPUTEX TAIPEI Award presented by the organizers and iF aims at encouraging precision design products.

Whether are the winners or candidates, most of the selected products tend to present the guideline of simple is good, fine line cut and fashion. User-friendly and easy-to-operate are also taken into account when considering seamlessly user experience.

For instance, SpinQ CPU Cooler by THERMALTAKE TECHNOLOGY, adopts spiral fins and two-way cold air intake utility tower design which both provides 360 degree heat dissipation and excellent user experience. Other products such as BONE ZOO USB flash drive by FRUITSHOP INTERNATIONAL and A-DATA octopus pouting mouth USB flash drive both equip with creative and lovely elements into product design process. These somehow charming ideas turn so-called stereotype cold technology into beautiful daily collection.

Furthermore, "real-time finger touch" and "interaction interface" have generally taken one place to drive future development. The newly launched MICROSOFT Windows 7 at COMPUTEX TAIPEI this year has gathered more than 60 hardware and software partners to transfer a number of outstanding operation features onto a variety of practical consumer products.

Real-time, interactive, graphic interface are keys for next generation communications. SHARP, who launched its new personalize notebook in Japan in April, is a great example. This new Mebius PC-NJ70Apro notebook equips an optical sensor LCD pad that supports normal mouse gesture, hand writing as well as some interactive small features such as calculator, dictionary and gaming. Its renewable touch pad wallpaper and replaceable cover case definitely attracts female users market.

Besides, US-based FUGOO, who also demonstrates its digital home entertainment box that combines Windows 7, VIA C7 CPU and Wi-Fi technology which easily networks with digital photo frame, coffee machine, music players and many more home appliances. This popular digital home entertainment box certainly pictures future lifestyle in various possible aspects.

The special guest speech of MICROSOFT Forum 2009 on 3 June, FUGOO Co-Chairman, John Hui, also briefly presented how FUGOO bring the idea of "Windows Makes Life Simpler" into daily life. Easy but efficient and entertaining communication experiences are keys to shape future life.

Being the most important platform in ICT industry, COMPUTEX TAIPEI has reached another record high with more than 4,498 booths to showcase at Hall 1 and Hall 3 of Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei International Convention Center as well as Nangang Exhibition Hall. With such a large exhibition scale, Taiwan further ensures its key role in the global ICT industry as well as its pioneering position in driving future ICT markets.