Brief 647 | TruLED HDTV, Alex eBook Reader, inPulse SmartWatch, Droid
Posted on: October 20, 2009
Posted in: Video
Posted by: Cali Lewis
Shownotes:
Vizio released the TruLED HDTV. It uses LEDs and has a contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1.
The Spring Design Dual Screen eBook Reader is called Alex. Like the Barnes & Noble eReader, it’s Android based and allows for full Internet browsing.
A Blackberry accessory called the inPulse SmartWatch displays incoming calls and RSS headlines from your phone.
I’m very much looking forward to the Droid. The Boy Genius Report got his hands on a unit and says it’s the most impressive handset since the iPhone.
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October 20th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Who’s the second dog I spy in this episode? Oh, and did I notice your license is creative commons now? maybe I’ve just never noticed it before, but didn’t it used to by copyright?
October 20th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Yes, two dogs. :) It’s always been creative commons.
October 20th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Wonder when someone is going to release an eBook reader with text highlighting and audio. The reader can teach someone to read by having the listener pause the reader’s output after hearing a highlighted word or phrase. Then, the listener can try to say the word or phase aloud.
October 21st, 2009 at 3:22 am
Cali,
How can an LCD TV not use LCD technology??? The LEDs replace the florescent panel in order to give the vibrant colours and the superior contrast ratio. I suggest you do some research at HD Nation at Revision3.com.
October 21st, 2009 at 3:38 am
Hi Cali, the Visio is still an LCD screen, it just uses an array of white LED’s for the backlight,
I can understand why people might be mistaken about this, I find it really annoying that manufacturers are trying to mislead consumers by calling a product TruLed or some such name, it’s disgraceful
October 21st, 2009 at 7:36 am
Loved this brief, bec:
1) You loved the Hero.
2) You mentioned the Driod!
I wish someone makes an impressive Driod that’s a beaut on the inside and on the outside, because frankly speaking the Driod won’t win any pageant awards…
October 21st, 2009 at 2:34 pm
OLED TV’s are the way to go anyhow. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_XEL-1
October 21st, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Yes Cali, I’m chiming in on the same error you made about the TV… It is still LCD technology but instead of using white CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) to back light the screen, it uses white LED’s as back light.
In a nut shell the way an LCD screen works is you have a highly reflective, pure white surface in the back that is illuminated by a white light source (any white light source). Over that reflective surface is a grid that contains the liquid crystals. The holes in that grid are very small and they are what make up the individual pixels. And the pixels them selves are split into three separate holes as well… One for red, one for green and one for blue (RGB). What happens is when a liquid crystal in a specific pixel is not electrically charged it is closed over the hole in the grid and it blocks the light from shining through and is a black pixel. But when you electrically charge the liquid crystals in that pixel, the pixel opens up and light shines through. When all three colors of the pixel are wide open, they combine to make white. You can also vary the amount the liquid crystals open by varying the electrical charge… Think of a pixel on an LCD screen like one of those mores code spot lights you see on a battle ship… Same basic principal. Now imagine that happening at 240 times per second (that’s where the 240Hz comes in) across the whole screen.
But again, in this case they’re talking about white LED’s providing the white illumination for the back lighting… not CCFL.
I hope this helps you (and others) understand the technology a little better. ;-)
October 24th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
DeanS, an update if I may, the TruLED HDTV uses ‘grouped’ (or groups of) LEDS that can be controlled as to brightness according to setup and *dynamic program content* … this according to other technical refs, to wit:
Features
LED backlighting with local dimming highlights the Vizio’s feature set. Local dimming, which Vizio calls Smart Dimming, means the array of LED zones behind the screen can be individually dimmed or brightened according to program content, which allows the TV to produce deeper black levels than would otherwise be possible.
Best regards, _Jim
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October 24th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Cali,
As veteran BedVloggers, Sweetie & I are really digging your Bed Vlogs…. keep them coming…. stay in bed.
– Eric ZORK Alan & Sweetie [Professional poets & BED VLOGGERS]
– BedVlogs . com
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:18 am
Dear, please get your facts straight before reading off a script, it makes you look kindda dumb about technology. LED TVs are STILL LCD Displays. They just use LEDs rather than Florescent. i just laughed out hard when you said “Using LED Technology rather than LCD blah blah blah”.
If you want to have a technology podcast which copies and reads most of thier stuff from engadget and gizmodo, might as well do some research eh? :)
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:23 am
Sorry about the nasty comment, I just feel like you need to be responsible about the facts before publishing anything. :) Cheers.
November 17th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
i have 5 question to ask?
and expecting to receive any answers
because i reported about the alex ebook reader as our tech news in school.
1.it is said that alex is a mobile type device ebook reader, how did they come-up using android os?why not maemo os like installed in nokia n900 that is said a mobile computer like device that has also full internet browsing?
2.it is also said that alex is a full internet browser,do it supports any anti-virus to protect the device?
3.i’m wondrin why Spring Design called their product “Alex”?why not their company’s name(Spring Design)?
4.what particular multimedia formats does alex support?
5.i read that the battery life of alex last for days.
may i know if how many particular number of days it last.