The Gadget Blog » Displays

What is the World’s Largest Multi-Touch?

Rico Mossesgeld — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:00:50 +0000

Need ammo for your next trivia competition, formal or not? What if someone asks you “What’s the world’s largest multi-touch screen?”* The answer: a massive 4574 square-foot display at Nürburgring, known to Formula One enthusiasts as the venue for the German Grand Prix.

Drool-worthy specs follow:

The two-piece wall consists of a huge LED media facade (at the top), and a multitouch information-wall (at the bottom), and impresses by its physical size, as it totals a surface of about 425 square meters, equaling more than 6000 computer displays.

The interactive interface emerges out of 34 million pixels generated by 15 high definition projectors, supported by sound produced by 30 directional speakers. The multitouch capturing itself is based on laser technology, also called Laser Light Plane Illumination (LLP). This means more than 80 users can simultaneously get informed about news and activities around the ringworld.

What does all that hardware provide? Apparently a dynamic information kiosk for anyone wanting to learn more about what’s up at Nürburgring. To be fair, my source doesn’t conclusively declare the display as the largest multi-touch screen in the world. And I couldn’t find any information on how user-friendly and responsive Nürburgring’s display is. So, for those who were lucky enough to visit the venue, or know of any larger multi-touch display, feel free to hit the comments below.

Source

*As of December 2, 2009

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Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals from Dell

Rico Mossesgeld — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:00:13 +0000

Dell’s marketing is busy cranking out deals for the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday, perhaps inspired by the maker’s strong laptop reliability showing. So expect a constant stream of discounts and promos, starting today until November 30, 2009. American shoppers, take note of the following below, and their corresponding end dates! Discounts available during this period of the year are notoriously short-lived.

Promo	Starts	Ends	Highlights
Electronics Sales Event – Save up to $690 on select TVs and Electronics	Ongoing	11/26/09 11:59 PM CST	Sony BRAVIA 55″ KDL55V5100 120Hz 1080p LCD HDTV $1769.10 after $529.90 instant off Nokia N86 Unlocked Smartphone $369.99 after $130 off
Ultimate Value of the Season. Black Friday at Dell Home + Free 3-5 day shipping on all items on landing page	11/27/09 12:00 AM CST	11/27/09 11:59 PM CST	The new Inspiron Zino HD desktop for only $199 Mini netbook for only $249 42″ Sharp TV for only $599 (limited quantities available)
Entertainment Sale – The great offers continue at Dell Home!	11/28/09 12:01 AM CST	11/29/09 11:59 PM CST	Mini 10v netbook with TV tuner only $499 Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle only $269.99 after $30 off
Great Cyber Monday Deals at Dell + Free 3-5 day shipping on all items on landing page	11/30/09 12:00 AM CST	11/30/09 11:59 PM CST	Inspiron 15 laptop for only $449 TomTom One 130 GPS only $79.99 Corel Photo & Video Bundle Software $69.99
Black Friday Alienware Special: Get $200 off when you purchase $200 or more in upgrades.	11/27/09 12:00 AM CST	11/30/09 11:59 PM CST	Upgrades are FREE if worth $200

CST stands for Central Standard Time. If you’re not familiar with this time zone, more information is available here (you can use the time zone converter here as well). As mentioned above, the promos only apply in the US. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are American institutions anyway.

Don’t forget, other “Black Friday” promos by Dell are still ongoing!

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Sony Australia Giving Away 25,000 PS3s

Rico Mossesgeld — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:00:36 +0000

Through some clever use of time-scape photography and sound editing, Sony Australia makes a pretty compelling ad for their campaign to give away 25,000 PS3s. Slow-mo video of a PS3 crashing into a Sony BRAVIA HDTV is below:

Gizmag was on the scene during the production of this unique and cringe-inducing (for gadget lovers) video. Full details are available here.

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Sub-$200 Twenty-Inch 1920 x 1080 Displays: Dell ST2210 and ST2310

Rico Mossesgeld — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:52:58 +0000

Two Full HD 1080p displays, one very affordable price point. The Dell ST2310, a 1920 x 1080 23-inch display, supposedly starts at $229, but thanks to “instant savings” of $50, the price can go as low as $179, before shipping and taxes.

Compare that to the Dell ST2210, a monitor that features the same resolution, but a smaller panel size at 21.5″. The “starting price” is already below two-hundred dollars at $199, but $40 is “slashed off” immediately, leaving a total of $159.

Of course, extra charges may apply thanks to the aforementioned delivery- and IRS-related charges, but unless you purchase a mouse-keyboard bundle with either monitor, it’s unlikely the total bill will go over $200, easily making both the ST2210 and ST2310 the most affordable 1920 x 1080 displays I’ve seen.

It also helps that, despite Dell’s issues with customer support and computer reliability, its displays usually score well among reviewers, with complaints mostly about the price. That may be true for displays that for some reason, are priced quite high by Dell, which clearly doesn’t apply here. Below are specs and buy links at Dell.com for your convenience.

Display	Dell ST2210	ST2310
Panel Size	21.5″	23″
Aspect Ratio	Widescreen (16:9)
Panel Type	TN – Twisted Nematic
Optimal Resolution	1920 x 1080 at 60Hz
Contrast Ratio	Dynamic Contrast Ratio 50000:1 (max)
Brightness	250 cd/m2 (typical)
Response Time	5ms
Viewing Angle	(160 vertical / 160 horizontal)
Color Support	16.7 million colors
Pixel Pitch	0.248 mm	0.266mm
Display Type	Anti-glare
Connectivity	High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) Digital Visual Interface – Digital (DVI-D) with High Definition Content Protection (HDCP) Video Graphics Array (VGA)
“Starting Price”	$199	$229
Actual Price	$159	$179
Buy Link	Dell ST2210 21.5-inch Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor	Dell ST2310 23-inch Full HD Widescreen Monitor

As you can see, both displays are practically the same, with differences only in panel size, pixel density, and of course price.

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First 21.5″ LED (Not LCD) Display is From BenQ

Rico Mossesgeld — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:06:43 +0000

BenQ recently announced the V2200 Eco and V2400 Eco, both LED displays, with the V2200 declared as the first in the 21.5″ category. So what’s the importance of changing the C to E in LCD? Well, compared to LCD technology, LED displays consume less power and last longer. The light-emitting diodes found on BenQ’s new displays are basically advanced tinier versions of those lights used to indicate on and off on your TV, remote control, and computer.

Courtesy BenQ

According to BenQ, the V2200 Eco and V2400 Eco feature 36% power savings, 14.6% less weight, and 21.2% less thickness compared to CCFL displays (those backlit by cold cathode lights, or practically any LCD display on the market) of “comparable screen size”.

No word on pricing or availability, just a vague of statement of a “worldwide rollout” sometime this month. The newer technology onboard these displays will most probably lead to more expensive prices though.

Source

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A Reason to Buy a Netbook With Standard Video-Out

Rico Mossesgeld — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:30:55 +0000

Simply put: You’ll have to rely on expensive “solutions” which create more problems than they solve.

Courtesy Village Tronic

A review of the Village Tronic ViBook mysteriously calls the USB graphics extender “a good option” for those who want to power a secondary display with their PC, laptop, or netbook. To the reviewer’s credit though, he realizes that there are ways to do this for less than the ViBook’s $129 price, including just getting a PCI or PCIe graphics card for a desktop.

It’s clear that the ViBook is perfect for owners of portable computers that don’t feature VGA-out, specifically netbooks like the HP Mini 1000. Unfortunately, like other USB graphics extenders, Village Tronic’s product is very demanding on the CPU. Granted, some netbook processors are powerful enough to handle the load—which, according to the review, can go as high as 95% on a Core 2 Duo laptop. But guess what a constantly high load does for battery life? (Answer: cut it down significantly)

These realities limit the ViBook to a very niche market—netbooks that don’t support an extra monitor out-of-the-box—and makes it an impractical solution for even this market, as a USB graphics extender would put too much strain on a netbook’s limited capabilites. In short, just avoid all the trouble, and support netbooks that come with its own VGA-out port. Nothing sends a better message to manufacturers than ignoring portables that require you to purchase a separate adapter just to get it working with a second display or projector.

Source

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Dell S2409W Full HD Monitor = Drool Factory

Rico Mossesgeld — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:51:28 +0000

The Dell S2409W currently retails for $219. For that price, you get a 24″ wide display that features:

Courtesy Dell

Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution
16:9 dynamic aspect ratio
Support for HDMI, DVI, and VGA
Compatibility with VESA mounts

As a point of comparison, my HP w2228h cost around $320. It’s a 22″ display that also supports HDMI, DVI, and VGA, with a resolution of 1680 x 1050 and a 16:10 aspect ratio.

The advantages that HP display has over Dell is its built-in cable management system, speakers, and USB hub. The Dell on the other hand is much cheaper, features more visual real-estate, but takes a more no-frills approach.

Display fanatics would probably like to know about the S2409W’s 1000:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m brightness, 5ms response time, and 160° / 170° viewing angle, and 0.276mm pixel pitch (note that these values are manufacture claimed). But that’s them: I personally would like to see this display on my desk, and gape at how wide it is!

Having no review unit to play around with, I can only assume that the relatively thick 8.76 depth of the monitor might be too much for some. And it’s a display, nothing more. In any case, you can buy the Dell S2409W through the link below. For its features and price, it seems like a very good deal.

Dell S2409W 24″ Full HD Widescreen Monitor ($219 after instant savings)

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New Mimo USB Displays Perfect for Ops Center Dreams

Rico Mossesgeld — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:00:30 +0000

Today Mimo Monitors announced the US availability of two 7″ USB-driven displays, the Mimo UM-710 (top-left) and UM-740 (top-right).

From all appearances, the 740 ($200) seems like a better deal than the 710 ($130). The extra $70 gets you touchscreen capability, and a built-in webcam and microphone as well. Specs and purchasing info available to those who continue.

Both models draw their power and video input through USB, can swivel between landscape and portrait modes, and feature a 400:1 contrast ratio. Support for Windows XP, Vista, and Mac OS X are promised as of press time.

Personally, Mimo’s new monitors look like specialty devices designed for professionals with some money to burn; adding a touchscreen panel (or two, three, four…) to your desktop setup may be cool, but just how practical is it for everyone? As a frustrated graphic designer, I’d be interested to see just how well the 710 and 740 can reproduce colors on their respective 800 x 480 screens.

Visit mimomonitors.com for more info and to buy.

(Images courtesy of Mimo)

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Deal of the Week: 21.5″ Asus 1920 x 1080 HDMI Display at $50 OFF

Rico Mossesgeld — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:01:16 +0000

If you’re on the market for an affordable HDMI-capable display, consider the Black ASUS VH226H currently available on NewEgg.com. With a max resolution of 1920 x 1080, this monitor also features built-in speakers, and also supports DVI-input. Out of the 222 reviews left by customers on the retail site, over 3/4 give the product a 5 out of 5.

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More About What’s Hot (and What’s Not) About the HP w2228h

Rico Mossesgeld — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:35:21 +0000

The HP w2228h is still a great 22″ HDMI-capable display (see HP w2228h: What’s Hot, What’s Not). But after a few months of use, I’ve realized that there are at least three more irritations with it:

Delayed Speaker Kick-in. Whenever the display detects something coming through its audio in or HDMI cable , you have to wait a second or so for the monitor to fade in the sound at full volume. This was probably done to protect the built-in speakers from damaging sudden noise, but it’s irritating to have to move back to the start of a song just to hear the first second or two.

Heftiness. I’ve already talked about adjusting the monitor requiring “two hands and some muscle”, and the overall heavy weight. Bottom line: this display is meant to stay on a desk for a very long time.

Default Colors. I’m no color management expert, but the HP w2228h is bluish when you first turn it on. Some people can adjust their Gamma settings or whatever to compensate, but I’m actually considering a Spyder purchase to fix the problem.

On the other hand, the HP w2228h’s HDMI connector provides another advantage. If your HDMI-device (like say, my laptop) pushes audio through said port, there’s no more need for the audio in jack; I only need two cables to get my laptop up and running with the display!

(Image from HP)

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