E Ink broadens product mix, shows 32-inch display

Mention E Ink, and most people familiar with the company name associate it with a product for e-readers, but the company has been spreading its wings to apply its technology in broader areas. Technology watchers see E Ink leading electrophoretic technology into still broader paths. This week at Computex, the company left distinct impressions in other areas. E Ink was in the news Wednesday on Engadget with a report from Zach Honig that an upcoming smartwatch model from E Ink could appear with full wraparound display; the smartwatch panel would stretch from one end to the other.

Zach Honig said, "an upcoming model could have a much larger curved display that covers the majority of the wearable's footprint, according to company representatives we spoke with at Computex." He said there was "apparently a prototype floating around HQ," although there was no device shown at Computex. The practical benefit of such a display would be access to more information, in pairing one readout, for example, with another.

The motto of the company, after all, is "E Ink. See More." The motto can be interpreted in light of diversifying their product portfolio to include smartwatch displays enabling users to see more information, as reported Wednesday in Engadget, or interpreted by yet another announcement from E Ink this week, this time involving a 32-inch display in color and black and white modules, for such use as digital signage and information kiosks. The display was showcased at Computex. The company said it is the largest single display ePaper module. The display has a resolution of 2560 X 1440; measures 27.75" by 15.75"at 94 DPI.

Key features are low power and readability in all light conditions. Michael Kozlowski, editor in chief of Good e-Reader, noted the technology could be leveraged for public spaces with lots of natural sunlight. The new module will enable the deployment of digital signs in areas that were not possible using standard emissive displays. Harit Doshi, head of signage business at E Ink, said the module was one of the first milestones in bringing low power and sunlight-readable products to the market.

The display was developed by E-Ink in partnership with Global Display Solutions. E Ink is the creator of electrophoretic, or, electronic ink, which the company explains is the optical component of a film used in electronic paper displays. The company said electronic ink "is actually a straightforward fusion of chemistry, physics and electronics. It's so much like paper, it utilizes the same pigments used in the printing industry today."