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For all of the speak of synthetic intelligence over at Computex 2024, I discover myself extra drawn to a brand new laptop computer lid on show over at Asus HQ. It is a easy idea achieved properly: a color e-ink display screen built-in into the rear of a laptop computer lid.
I noticed the e-ink lid in motion. Not solely on the again of a laptop computer correct, however as a wall of lids with pictures flickering throughout them. They do not at all times flicker—as soon as a picture is chosen, the panel glints into life, the pixel values replace steadily, and it freezes in place as soon as the picture is totally displayed. The entire course of takes round 10 seconds, and the newly picked picture is now caught on the laptop computer’s exterior.
The e-ink picture on the finish is impressively vibrant, too.
An Asus worker says the system would not draw any vital energy in any way as soon as a picture is about. That checks out with most e-ink tech—it is also how Kindles final an age earlier than the battery dies.
The picture is adjusted through an software, and a decent-looking one at that. It seems nearly able to ship. But I am instructed there isn’t any actual info on when such a panel might launch. If it ever does.
I’ve no concept of the sensible repercussions of this sorta panel. It would make for a flimsy lid, or a really breakable one. I’ve an old-school Kindle that is nonetheless going robust, and each time that is taken a bump on the e-ink display screen it is killed a pixel or three ceaselessly. I think about the identical might occur right here—a laptop computer lid is extra prone to get into a number of scrapes, too.
And but I nonetheless actually wanna see this panel make the leap from idea to real-world, if just one time. It has plenty of potential, supplied it is achieved proper.
