There’s some interesting news (courtesy Wired) about PixelQi, the company that is all set to revolutionize electronic reading with its new 3Qi epaper.
First, on the 3Qi screens -
- They’re based on LCDs so should be cheaper to produce than eInk.
- They have color and support video.
- 3Qi screens will operate in three modes -
* A full-color, bright, conventional LCD mode.
*A very low-power, sunlight-readable, reflective e-paper mode.
*A low-power, basic color transflective mode. - There will be 7.5″ and 10.5″ versions.
The new news is that Team Research, the company behind the Astak Mentor eReader, will be releasing an eReader called Spectrum based on 3Qi screen technology by end of the year (October 2009). It’ll also be showcasing them at CES 2010.
Here’s what the Astak Mentor looks like (details available at Astak Mentor AKA Netronix EB900 post) -
Netronix Eb900 AKA Astek Mentor Pro
Meanwhile PixelQi is having a rather tough time as a company -
The company completed its first round (Series A) funding two months ago. It hasn’t disclosed its investors or how much it has raised, though Jepsen says getting investors for Pixel Qi has been the biggest challenge of her career. The LCD and display industry has become “incredibly risk averse,” says Jepsen, and convincing companies to bet on her idea has been “ridiculously hard.”
Wouldn’t have thought someone on Time’s ’100 most important people in the world’ list would have problems raising finance.
The hold-ups in getting financing haven’t stopped Pixel Qi from trying out new non ePaper products -
We have begun design of a sub-10 watt HDTV that can be used in hundreds of millions of households that don’t have steady, if any, access to electrical power … a target price of $100.
PixelQi will be talking at Annual SID Display Week and Computex in June, and at the TechCrunch Netbook Conference in July. Perhaps we get a demo of 3Qi ePaper then.
Filed under: eBook Reader Devices, Pixel Qi 3qi Tagged: | 3Qi epaper, pixel qi, spectrum reader
