Devices

E Ink are showing a new credit card with a small E Ink display. It is used to display a generated secure transaction code with the press of a button. The battery lasts for 3 years. Apparently they're already producing and shipping these in Korea:

Fujitsu and Sapporo Shirakaba-dai Hospitalannounced that it jointly developed a clinical appointment guidance system that uses color e-paper. The system has began full operation at the hospital. The new system guides patients to examination rooms or diagnostic testing rooms and is wirelessly connected to an electronic medical record system. Patients can view in real-time their place in queue when waiting to see their doctor.

We're guessing Fujitsu is using their own color e-paper technology. Fujitsu announced a hospital registration system back in July 2010, which used monochrome E Ink, but the new one uses color e-paper.

The Samsung Zeal is a clamshell CDMA phone that has a QWERTY keyboard in which the keys are actually small E Ink displays (like in the Samsung Alias 2). The Zeal is now shipping for free (with a Verizon contract) or for $199 without a service plan. Here's a short CNet video review:

Fujitsu has a new hospital registration system. It uses a small tag that has an E Ink display, into which you insert your "patient" card which then analyzes your medical history and latest info and uses wireless connectivity to tell when a doctor/nurse will be available to attend. The service will start in February 2011.

via GadgetReview

Amazon has announced an upgrade to the original Kindle DX: the new Graphite Kindle DX. It has a new 9.7" E Ink display that has 50% improved contrast, and is cheaper - $379 (down from $489!). It still has free US 3G access (Sprint 3G) and 4GB of internal memory. Oh, and it's gray.

The Graphite Kindle DX will ship on July 7th for $379. You can pre-order it now.

Skiff (owned by Hearst corporation) has announced their Skiff e-reader. It has the largest display of all current e-readers at 11.5". It's actually a flexible E Ink touchscreen, with a 1200x1600 pixel resolution. 

The display is a rugged metal-foil on a flexible stainless-steel substrate. It is made by LG Display (who licensed E Ink just a few days ago). Skiff say that it's shatter-proof and crack-proof.

Smarthouse reports that Apple will soon launch a new tablet with a 10.6" display, made by LG Display. It will either be an OLED, or a LED-based LCD. The new tablet will double as an e-reader, competing with Amazon's new Kindle DX).

This is interesting. E Ink displays are much more suited for books than LCDs (more efficient, readable in the sun, and easy on the eye) - but a general table has much more usages, and also color, of course. What will people prefer?