Apple: pixels as touch sensors for brighter, thinner screens

How can you make a touchscreen thinner and brighter at the same time? Use the pixels as touch sensors, says Apple.

Touchscreens and multitouch technology make up a significant majority of Apple's

research into future user interface improvements, and the iPhone introduced some of

those UI paradigm shifts into our increasingly mobile computing. Since almost all

interaction with the iPhone—and presumably the hopefully imminent Apple tablet—

involves a touchscreen, Apple hopes to improve on touchscreen technology by using

each individual LCD pixel as a touch sensor.

Apple has filed a patent application, published today, for a "display with dual-function

capacitive elements." By mixing display and sensing functions into each individual pixel, it

would make touchscreens thinner, lighter, and brighter than they currently are today.

The way current touchscreens found on most smartphones work is by overlaying a touch-

sensitive panel on top of a traditional LCD panel. The touch-sensitive panel is essentially

a grid array of capacitors, most commonly made from the transparent conductor indium tin

oxide (ITO). When your fingertip comes in contact with the small magnetic fields present in

the capacitors, it causes the voltage along those capacitors to fluctuate. A processor

translates these fluctuations into touch positions.

The need for additional layers covering the LCD screen means it is thicker, and despite

the fact that ITO is transparent, it does absorb some light coming from the LCD display

underneath. Apple's solution involves using each individual pixel as a capacitive sensor,

eliminating the need for an additional layer for a separate touch sensor.

Part of the magic of Apple's patent relies on forming an IPS LCD display using a low

temperature polycrystalline silicon instead of the more common amorphous silicon.

Materials engineering nerds may want to look at the patent for a more detailed

explanation, but suffice it to say that the poly-Si allows for a much faster switching

frequency for driving the individual pixels. (For those unaware, the individual pixels in an

LCD panel switch on and off at a rate much faster than we can perceive—it's this same

switching that can cause eye fatigue from staring at your screen all day.)

Apple's idea takes advantage of the faster switching of poly-Si to drive the pixels one

instant, and use the capacitive properties of the individual pixels as touch sensors the

next. The switching happens fast enough to give a clear, bright display, as well as

responsive touch sensing. The elimination of the separate touch-sensing layer also makes

for a thinner, lighter, brighter, and simpler touchscreen unit.

Apple proposes its solution for mobile devices, making references to iPhones, iPods, and

even MacBooks, but don't be surprised if such an innovation also makes its way into an

Apple tablet.

Apple's latest patent probably isn't tablet related, but feel free to speculate anyway

Yeah, we're pretty sick of the iSlate talk too, so we'll completely refrain from predicting any possible future applications for Apple's latest patent, a new type of LCD circuitry that better integrates capacitive touch by somehow integrating touch sensitivity into the display pixels themselves. It's pretty obscure, techy stuff, but the result should be less circuitry within the display in theory boosting efficiency and, notably, reducing thickness. You know what that means: even thinner tablets. (Sorry, we couldn't resist.)

CES – Robotics: Evolution Robotics Mint bot is the Swiffer of Roombas, keeps track of its positioning

If you haven't figured out how to clean your floor robotically by now, you might be a lost cause, but Evolution Robotics is willing to give it a try with its new Mint machine. The bot uses regular Swiffer pads, and is designed for cleaning hard floors with a shove of the wet-nap. Outside of its lack of vacuum, the Mint also differentiates itself with its "NorthStar" positioning tech, which lets the bot keep track of its exact location with GPS-style tech, relative to a base station, ensuring that it hits every spot and doesn't waste time with random meandering. Mint should hit retail in Q4 of this year for under $250. Check out a video of it in action after the break.

CES – Apple: Greenpeace Ranks Apple Highest Among Tech Companies: Whaaaaa?

Given their long and storied feud, you would think Captain Ahab would have a better chance than Apple of being accepted by Greenpeace. Believe it or not, the impossible has actually happened.

Indeed, Greenpeace has ranked Apple highest on the list of eco-conscious tech companies. In fact, they got a perfect score thanks to their commitment to eliminate all toxic PVC and BFRs from their product line. Has Apple finally got the Greenpeace endangered species-protected monkey off its back?

January 7, 2010

Greenpeace's Electronics Guide cuts through the greenwash at CES

Apple, Sony Ericsson and Nokia products free of worst hazardous substances – Samsung, Dell, Lenovo and LGE disappoint

LAS VEGAS - As technology companies jostle for attention at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) , Greenpeace's newest edition of the Guide to Greener Electronics, released at CES, cuts through the greenwash. Apple, Sony Ericsson, and Nokia lead the way for introducing products free of the worst hazardous substances with HP following just behind.

Samsung, Dell, Lenovo, and LGE pick up penalty points in the Guide (1) for failing to follow through on a promised phase-out of toxic chemicals in their products. The majority of the companies in the Guide had pledged to remove toxic PVC vinyl plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) (2) from their product range by the end of 2009, which would have meant a greater show of greener, toxic-free products for visitors to preview at the CES. But, for now, it's a no show for these companies, who have delayed their phase-out to 2011 or beyond.

"It's time for a little less conversation and a lot more action on removing toxic chemicals," said Casey Harrell, Greenpeace International Electronics campaigner. "Apple is leading and HP is playing catch up, but the lack of action from other companies is ensuring that customers and the environment are still losing out."

Several companies see their scores reduced in this edition of the Guide, with the bar being raised on hazardous substances. Having endorsed the precautionary principle, companies now need to actively support bans on PVC, BFRs and chlorinated flame retardants (CFRs) during the revision of the European Union‘s Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electronics Directive.

"Companies need to support legislative bans to ensure a consistent phase out of PVC and BFRs across all electronic products," said Casey Harrell, Greenpeace International toxics campaigner. "Sony Ericsson and Apple are already calling on EU institutions to support such a ban. Other big players, such as HP and Dell – who have so far been silent - and Acer, need to ensure the ban is passed in the European Union parliament."

Nokia leads the ranking with a score of 7.3. Sony Ericsson follows closely, and is the only company to score full marks on all the toxic chemicals criteria. In third place is Toshiba, but it risks losing points if it fails to meet its commitment to market new models of all its consumer electronics products that are free of PVC and BFRs by April 1, 2010. Philips comes in fourth place, while Apple rises from ninth place to fifth.

Samsung drops dramatically from second place to a tied seventh place for failing to eliminate BFRs in all its products by January 2010. With only its latest models of mobile phones free of toxic substances, it has set January 2011 as the deadline for eliminating them from new models of its notebooks and still has no definitive timeline for removing them from its TVs and household appliances. Nintendo continues to languish at the bottom of the ranking.

"In 2010, we should see significant developments, with products free of PVC and BFRs in the PC and TV markets," continued Harrell. "Any company failing to achieve this goal is taking a big gamble with its green reputation. More positively, it's good to see non-ranked companies beyond the PC and TV sectors, like Cisco (3), committing to eliminate these harmful substances."

[Greenpeace]

CES – PALM!: Palm Pre Plus (Verizon) First Hands-On: Super-Fast, Button Removal Is No Problem

Jon Rubinstein dropped the news only minutes ago that the new Palm devices—the slightly-upgraded Pre Plus and Pixi Plus—would be arriving on Verizon later this month.

I got some hands-on time with them, and while the Pre Plus has had the navigational button removed, little else has been touched aesthetically. The inductive TouchStone back comes as standard now—but looks just like it always did. Still feels rubbery, which I like. Makes you feel like you're holding a proper gadget. The removal of the button isn't big news, I don't think it'll hamper use of the Pre, with the touch input being reliable most of the time anyway.

Otherwise, everything else is exactly the same. The keyboard is actually improved and a lot less mushy—instead it feels solid when you press down and comes back up quickly. The bottom edge of the slide-out QWERTY can still cut cheese, it's still that sharp. Shame they didn't improve upon that aspect. Or make it even SHARPER to do the "Plus" name justice. I want to cut a steak.

It's speedier, thanks to the double RAM that's been added, and noticeably easier flipping between apps and programs. The screen is responsive, but no more responsive than it was before. All in all, it's the same Pre experience you've had before, just faster. Oh, and guess you'll have to fork out for a TouchStone now.