Glare-Free, Self-Cleaning, Water-Repellent Glass Of The Future From The Minds At MIT

by Ed Caggiani on May 1st 2012, 12:49am
tagged MIT, research, screen, screen technology

How would you like your future smartphone screen to be completely glare-free, water-repellent, and self-cleaning? Researchers at MIT published a paper describing how they selectively removed parts of the glass to create microscopic cones, which apparently gives the glass the ability to resist fogging and glare. The MIT news site states the following:

“The new ‘multifunctional’ glass, based on surface nanotextures that produce an array of conical features, is self-cleaning and resists fogging and glare, the researchers say. Ultimately, they hope it can be made using an inexpensive manufacturing process that could be applied to optical devices, the screens of smartphones and televisions, solar panels, car windshields and even windows in buildings.”

The lack of glare or fog would make the glass nearly invisible. Also, water would literally just bead and bounce right off, taking any dust along with it, making it super easy to keep dust-free. Check out the video of water droplets rolling off the glass after the break.

» Read the rest

Size Matters: Who Wants a Phablet?

by Ed Caggiani on Feb 8th 2012, 7:24am
tagged Android Tablets, Galaxy Note, phablet, screen

When mobile phones first became ubiquitous, the best phones were the smaller ones. Every new model got smaller and smaller and would sell better than the bigger, clunkier models. Then, in 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone…a phone that was all touch screen and was meant to be looked at as much as be held to one’s ear. Suddenly, the tiny phones of the past seemed severely inferior, and the shrinking trend halted and began to reverse.

Product Identity
Fast forward a few years and the trend continues. The proliferation of Android devices flooded the market with devices of varying shapes and sizes. From the iPhone-esque 3.2″ HTC Hero, to the beefy 10.1″ Xoom tablets, Android ran the gamut of sizes. When Dell came out with the 5″ Dell Streak, people didn’t know whether it was a large phone or a small tablet. The common belief of why it ultimately failed was exactly that…product identity.

Samsung has done well with its 5.3″ Galaxy Note overseas, and is about to make a splash with it stateside. But shouldn’t it succumb to the same fate as the Dell Streak since it’s nearly the same weird size? I don’t think so, and here’s why:

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[Video] Galaxy Nexus Submitted to Vicious Scratch Test

by Stacy Bruce on Nov 17th 2011, 2:07pm
tagged display, fortified, glass, Gorilla glass, samsung galaxy nexus, scratch test, screen, video

Many of you have expressed concern with the fact that Samsung has decided to equip the Galaxy Nexus with an alternative fortified glass as opposed to Corning’s Gorilla Glass. Just because the the popular glass maker wasn’t chosen to outfit the GN’s display doesn’t mean that Sammy cut any corners.

A video recently surfaced on the interweb showing somebody putting the screen to the test by trying to scratch the crap out of it with a key. Although I definitely cringed a bit and felt a shiver down my spine, I was pleased to see the outcome. Here, just check it out for yourself and tell us what you think. Will you be issuing such a test once you get your mitts on one?

Nippon Announces New ‘Invisible Glass’ – Removes Annoying Glare

by Stacy Bruce on Oct 29th 2011, 4:18pm
tagged Corning Gorilla glass, display, glare-free, nippon, screen, smartphone, touchscreen

Booyah! What you see above is the possible future for our beloved smartphones and tablets - for all technology with screens for that matter!

What you are looking at is two variations of glass, the left being untreated and glare ridden, while the right, treated and virtually glare free. This new technology called “invisible glass” was developed by Nippon Electric Glass and hopefully device manufacturers team up with these geniuses sometime in the near future.

Studies show that regular glass reflects 8 percent of all light while the remaining 92 percent passes directly through it. This new “invisible glass” creates a huge difference and only reflects 0.5 percent of light, rendering the surface virtually glare-free. The glass is constructed with over 30 layers of special film on each side, each layer measured in mere nanometers. » Read the rest

UCLA Engineers use Photovoltaic Polarizers to Create Self-charging Devices

by Jim Farmer on Aug 12th 2011, 11:03am
tagged battery, battery life, lcd, screen

In my last article, I wrote about an app called DrainGuard that can help you monitor your battery usage in standby mode; still on that battery power tangent, how about a screen that recycles light energy well enough to charge the phone? Engineers at UCLA have developed a process for harvesting and recycling the light energy of LCDs in electronic devices. By equipping a LCD with their photovoltaic polarizers, the device can convert ambient light, sunlight, and its own backlight into usable electricity. The UCLA team explains that currently a device’s backlight is responsible for consuming around 80 to 90 percent of the battery and in the current design of LCDs, as much as 75 percent of light is simply lost. The polarizing organic photovoltaic cell can potentially harvest that 75 percent back into usable electricity. Essentially, as long as you have a light source, your phone may stay charged forever. The UCLA team, as well as the rest of us, hope to see technology manufacturers utilize this concept with future products.

[via UCLA]

Don’t Like Your Current Home Screen Launcher? Replace It! A Near Exhaustive List Of Launchers

by Joe Sirianni on Jul 7th 2011, 4:14pm
tagged Android, applications, apps, home, launcher, replacement, screen

Without a doubt, one of the greatest aspects of the Android operating system is its openness and versatility. Regardless of whether you root your device or not, you can make some pretty hefty modifications if you’re not happy with the current or default settings. One of the biggest applications often replaced on any given device is its home screen or launcher. More often than not, someone might purchase a Sense UI device or a device with TouchWiz and feel slightly disappointed with its functionality or lack thereof. Well, we’ve got good news for you. There are a plethora of home screen replacement apps for you to choose from which offer tons of added functionality, from adding more than 7 home screens if required to the ability to modify icon sizes and layouts. The possibilities are endless. We’ve taken the time to list a few of these home screen replacement apps for you to try out. Hit the break and give them a go until you find the one that’s perfect for you. And as always, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below. Which one do you prefer? The Talk Android apps database also includes a QR Code for your convenience. We know we haven’t listed them all, but this should be enough to get you started » Read the rest

Nexus S 2.3.3 update changes your screen color slightly

by Jesse Bauer on Feb 27th 2011, 4:03pm
tagged Android, android 2.3, android 2.3.2, Android 2.3.3, android2.3, Android2.3.2, Android2.3.3, changes, color temperature, ColorTemperature, display, display performance, display temperature, display tone, DisplayPerformance, DisplayTemperature, DisplayTone, featured, features, firmware update, FirmwareUpdate, fix, Gingerbread, Google, hands on, Nexus S, NexusS, OTA update, OtaUpdate, Patch, poll, Samsung, screen, screen performance, ScreenPerformance, slight, Software Update, SoftwareUpdate, super amoled, SuperAmoled, temperature, tone, update

There’s been a bit of buzz online about the new Nexus S Android 2.3.3 update making the coloring on the display a little ‘different’ than what it was before the update. Google’s Ry Guy has let us know that this update and the effects on the coloring is intended to tweak the Nexus S display, and therefore, it was expected.

With your new OTA complete, you may notice a slight difference in the way colors are displayed on your Nexus S. For Nexus S, we have adjusted the color temperature settings to more accurately reflect darker colors at all brightness levels. The Gingerbread UI being darker, we found that the colors were not as accurate when the device was being used at lower brightness levels. For example, some users reported that the initial color temperature was too high leading to some darker greys having a reddish tone; with the new color temperature this is no longer the case.

Engadget went on and updated their own Google Nexus S and found the update did in fact change the color. Whether this is intended or not, still leaves some upset about the changes, as many Nexus S users have reported their unhappiness on forums as well. Here is a good look at the changes from Android 2.3.2, to 2.3.3, which Engadget is happy with after the update. I have to say as well, it does look like an improvement overall. have a look below.

[via Engadget]

Windows Phone 7 UI comes to Android, fanboys weep

by Dustin Karnes on Dec 10th 2010, 11:51am
tagged 7, Android, app, home, launcher, Phone, replacement, screen, ui, windows, wp7

Ever wanted to try out the Windows Phone 7 experience, but can’t bring yourself to get a Windows Phone 7 device? Not only can we not blame you, but it looks like xda-developers can help. Xda member seraph1024 has brought some UI magic to the table in the form of an Android / WP7 merge-and-clone, and it actually doesn’t seem half bad. According to xda, the lite version includes:

Pin to front page tiles
Remove from front page
Uninstall apps
Dark and lite themes
4 accent colours (blue, green, red and orange)
Limited system messages at top of screen

Also, if you’re not interested in replacing your launcher, but still want to try it out, it comes as a standalone application.

Be sure to hit up the source link to find the application thread, and be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

[via xda]

Install the Android 2.3 Gingerbread launcher / home screen on your 2.2 device

by Dustin Karnes on Dec 7th 2010, 8:29pm
tagged 2.2, 2.3, Android, app, froyo, Gingerbread, home, launcher, market, ported, screen

Want some more awesome Gingerbread porting? Of course you do! Last night, we showed you how to install the Gingerbread keyboard on your rooted device, but today, we’ve got something else. The Gingerbread luncher / home screen has been ported by PaulOBrien of MoDaCo, and released it in the market. We can expect to see more and more pieces and parts from Gingerbread being ported in the coming days and weeks, so be sure to check this out. Gallery below.

You can check out the launcher in our app database here, or scan the qr code below. Remember, aside from any changes made to make it compatible with Android 2.2, this launcher is totally stock. Hit the break for the gallery and links, and be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

» Read the rest

Acer announces new Android phone with 4.8″ screen, 1024×480 resolution

by Dustin Karnes on Nov 23rd 2010, 11:47am
tagged 1024x480, 4.8, Acer, Android, inch, new, Phone, screen

According to a press release straight from Acer, the company has a new Android device coming out, and it’s loaded with display goodness. How does a 4.8″, 1024×480 resolution screen sound? Pretty sweet? Yea, we think so, too. The specs on this bad boy include:

2MP front-facing camera
8 MP rear camera (with LED flash)
720p video recording
six-axis Gyroscope + accelerometer package
LED edge lighting
21:9 aspect ratio
Bluetooth 3.0
802.11n WiFi
HSDPA support
1GHz Snapdragon processor
HDMI output

Looks like Acer is hopping onto the slightly-larger-than-a-standard-phone train, and the specs are impressive. Be sure to hit the break for the full presser and photo gallery, and let us know what you think in the comments.

» Read the rest

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