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Монитор для чтения манги за $ 1900

Onyx International выпустила Boox Mira Pro, цветной монитор E Ink по цене 1900 долларов. Этот 25,3-дюймовый дисплей имеет разрешение 3200×1800 и использует технологию E Ink Kaleido 3, способную отображать до 4096 цветов.

arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/0

Mon #smartphone de 2018 est en train de me lâcher (batterie et gestion de l’alimentation malgré un remplacement l’an passé). Je pense le remplacer, je me demandais si quelqu’un•e avait de l’expérience avec un smartphone #eink avec un écran de type #liseuse? J’ai besoin de reposer mes yeux et mon attention, tout en utilisant quelques apps (lecteur rss, gps, mail, messagerie, masto, podcasts… souvent dispos sur #fdroid ). Des avis sur les marques (principalement chinoises) ? Repouets appréciés!

Gadget Review: 6-Colour ePaper Name Badge

shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/04/gadge

The good folks at SmartDisplayer Technology Co have sent me a six colour eInk badge to play about with.

Here's a quick video and then a walk-through of its features.

You can also view SmartDisplayer's official video.

The Badge

It is a single block of plastic. There are no seams, screws, or rough edges. The ePaper appear right on the surface of the badge, there's no recessing or anything to indicate that this is a high-tech gadget. It uses their "cold lamination" technology which creates an impeccable matt finish.

The display area is 56.4mm x 84.6mm - which is pretty close to the size of a standard credit card - for a resolution of 180PPI.

The eInk

This uses E-Ink Spectra 6 technology. With only 6 colours to play about with there's a lot of dithering needed to make a picture look presentable. Those 6 colours are:

  • #000 Black
  • #F00 Red
  • #0F0 Green
  • #00F Blue
  • #FF0 Yellow
  • #FFF White

I used a standard Monitor Calibration Image, dithered it using the supplied software, and flashed it to the card. I then scanned in the card so you can see exactly how faithful the image reproduction is.

On the left, the eInk. On the right, the original image.

That's pretty bloody good!

Using Bruce Lindbloom's RGB Reference image is also a good way to test a range of colours.

Not bad for red, green, blue, yellow, white, black, eh?

It's hard to find a good test-card with a variety of skin-tones (there's a creepy Getty one with naked women), so I used the Murideo Portrait Reference Photograph. The original:

On eInk:

And here's another one:

The Card Writer

For Linux nerds, the USB writer showed up as: 1fc9:0102 NXP Semiconductors IT-102MU Reader.

There's almost no information about it other than a brief discussion on an OpenBSD mailing list, and a mention on the CCID database. Apparently it will work as on ChromeOS. It makes a hideous beeping sound when the card is inserted.

Once the card is inserted, two LEDs light up.

The green one quickly vanishes, but the blue one pulses until the card is removed from the reader.

Detailed lsusb Output
Bus 005 Device 084: ID 1fc9:0102 NXP Semiconductors IT-102MU ReaderDevice Descriptor:  bLength                18  bDescriptorType         1  bcdUSB               2.00  bDeviceClass            0   bDeviceSubClass         0   bDeviceProtocol         0   bMaxPacketSize0        64  idVendor           0x1fc9 NXP Semiconductors  idProduct          0x0102   bcdDevice            1.12  iManufacturer           1 InfoThink  iProduct                2 IT-102MU Reader  iSerial                 3 1.00  bNumConfigurations      1  Configuration Descriptor:    bLength                 9    bDescriptorType         2    wTotalLength       0x005d    bNumInterfaces          1    bConfigurationValue     1    iConfiguration          0     bmAttributes         0x80      (Bus Powered)    MaxPower              500mA    Interface Descriptor:      bLength                 9      bDescriptorType         4      bInterfaceNumber        0      bAlternateSetting       0      bNumEndpoints           3      bInterfaceClass        11 Chip/SmartCard      bInterfaceSubClass      0       bInterfaceProtocol      0       iInterface              0       ChipCard Interface Descriptor:        bLength                54        bDescriptorType        33        bcdCCID              1.10  (Warning: Only accurate for version 1.0)        nMaxSlotIndex           0        bVoltageSupport         7  5.0V 3.0V 1.8V         dwProtocols             3  T=0 T=1        dwDefaultClock       3685        dwMaxiumumClock     14320        bNumClockSupported      0        dwDataRate           9909 bps        dwMaxDataRate      848000 bps        bNumDataRatesSupp.      0        dwMaxIFSD             254        dwSyncProtocols  00000000         dwMechanical     00000000         dwFeatures       000404BE          Auto configuration based on ATR          Auto activation on insert          Auto voltage selection          Auto clock change          Auto baud rate change          Auto PPS made by CCID          Auto IFSD exchange          Short and extended APDU level exchange        dwMaxCCIDMsgLen       271        bClassGetResponse    echo        bClassEnvelope       echo        wlcdLayout           none        bPINSupport             0         bMaxCCIDBusySlots       1      Endpoint Descriptor:        bLength                 7        bDescriptorType         5        bEndpointAddress     0x81  EP 1 IN        bmAttributes            2          Transfer Type            Bulk          Synch Type               None          Usage Type               Data        wMaxPacketSize     0x0040  1x 64 bytes        bInterval               0      Endpoint Descriptor:        bLength                 7        bDescriptorType         5        bEndpointAddress     0x01  EP 1 OUT        bmAttributes            2          Transfer Type            Bulk          Synch Type               None          Usage Type               Data        wMaxPacketSize     0x0040  1x 64 bytes        bInterval               0      Endpoint Descriptor:        bLength                 7        bDescriptorType         5        bEndpointAddress     0x82  EP 2 IN        bmAttributes            3          Transfer Type            Interrupt          Synch Type               None          Usage Type               Data        wMaxPacketSize     0x0040  1x 64 bytes        bInterval               4

The Software

It is Windows-only software, and it is bare-bones. You can load an image, select if you want it dithered or not, and then download it to the badge. That's it.No image editing; it just resizes everything to 400x600. There's no badge design software or QR generator. And, to be honest, I think that's fine. You're better off designing your badges in dedicated software.

Unsurprisingly, the app wouldn't run under WINE in Linux. I used Oracle's VirtualBox. Note, the included software requires you to install Microsoft's .Net Windows Desktop Runtime 6 and the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Version.

VirtualBox initially refused to see the USB peripheral. I had to unplug the reader, create a USB filter using 1fc9:0102, start the VM, and only then plug in the USB reader. Then it worked. Bit of a faff!

Pricing

I've got good news and bad news!

First, the bad. SmartDisplayer Technology Co are B2B sellers. They'll sell you a single badge for US$70 + shipping. If you're buying more than a thousand, the price drops to $65. The NFC reader is $120.

In terms of badge pricing, I think that's pretty fair. If you want to buy a demokit of just the screen, that'll cost you US$99 direct from eInk. So $70 full assembled is a bargain.

The good news? They'll shortly be bringing out a USB-C badge which doesn't require the NFC reader. The badge itself will be slightly smaller (and a little thicker). That should make it easier to update the badge on the fly - but possibly not as convenient if you're programming hundreds of them.

If you're buying in bulk, they will also do custom printing on the badge, and can replace the plastic with wood.

For more information, or to place an order, contact SmartDisplayer.

Verdict

If you want a fun lanyard which is easy to change, and can reproduce a decent range of colours, this is excellent. Ideally it would be easy to flash with a phone, but the supplied software is adequate.

The USB writer is a little bit clunky, but it holds the badge in place while data and power are transmitted.

I'm astonished by just how flat this badge is. SmartDisplayer cold-lamination process is incredible. The image is on the badge, not under it.

It looks stunning - a real premium product and the price reflects that.

As a personal gadget, I think it is great. But for other uses, I'm not so sure. Are you really going to be handing out $65 lanyards to all of your event attendees? Perhaps at a very expensive conference! But even then, you might want to take a deposit.

Anyone with a suitable reader can reflash a badge; there's no way to lock these. So they're not ideal for security.

If you attend lots of conferences, and are perpetually annoyed by ugly conference badges which misspell your name or don't have a personal QR code, these are a great (albeit pricey) gadget.

Thanks to SmartDisplayer for the review unit. Next time you see me at an event - please snap a photo of my badge!

Skintones rendered on eInk.
Terence Eden’s Blog · Gadget Review: 6-Colour ePaper Name Badge
More from Terence Eden
#demo#eink#gadget

🆕 blog! “Gadget Review: 6-Colour ePaper Name Badge”
★★★★⯪

The good folks at SmartDisplayer Technology Co have sent me a six colour eInk badge to play about with.

Here's a quick video and then a walk-through of its features.

You can also view SmartDisplayer's official video.

The Badge

It is a single block of plastic. There are no seams, screws, or rough…

👀 Read more: shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/04/gadge

#demo #eink #gadget #review

Skintones rendered on eInk.
Terence Eden’s Blog · Gadget Review: 6-Colour ePaper Name Badge
More from Terence Eden

eInk Mode: Making web pages easier to read

Eink mode, as the name suggests, is a web browsing mode specifically designed for users of Electronic Ink (E Ink) devices. Its purpose is to present the website's content in a way that is most suitable for electronic ink devices, allowing E Ink users to have an immersive experience similar to reading a physical book while viewing the website's content. With the presentation of the Eink mode and electronic paper, the act of going online is transformed from merely "surfing" the internet to being more akin to "reading" the internet.

jackscogito.blogspot.com/2025/

I've just discovered this server-side web-dev tool. It delights me in exemplifying several of the principles of e-ink design principles I'd first enunciated in 2022:

diaspora.glasswings.com/posts/

I strongly recommend you try the demo, especially on a mobile device, and e-ink if possible. I've checked it out on my Onyx BOOX under Einkbro, and it really is pretty magical.

The principle limitation is that this is a server-side hack, and unless there are ways to hook it in locally (a javascript bookmarklet might work though I don't think Einkbro supports those), it won't be widely available. The good news is that an extension is being considered, and the author is aware of Einkbro and I hope will have this integrated into that browser (long my own preferred driver for mobile use).

I'm thinking of how I might integrate this with my "paperize" news-site generator: toot.cat/@dredmorbius/11435606

One of the coolest things I've seen in years, quite honestly.

HN discussion: news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4

jackscogito.blogspot.comEink Mode: Making Web Pages Easier to Read ...

#eink devices aren't that cheap. Was looking at something DIY to display server stats or weather on a wall, and the cheapest stuff starts around 50 USD and you easily get up to 100 USD.
#inkplate looks like a nice project, but prices for something mostly plug and play is already above 100 USD.
It's a similar price to find a used ereader. Maybe that's a good excuse to get another second hand one and put #postmarketOS on it

Auf der Touch Taiwan hat Johnson Lee von der E Ink Corporation einen faltbaren und farbigen E-Reader vorgestellt, der von Readmoo produziert wird. Das 8-Zoll-E-Paper-Display wird wie ein Buch zusammengeklappt. Die ersten Demonstrationen der Technik sind stolze 19 Jahre her. Das Unternehmen, das die Technik erfunden hat, existiert aber nicht mehr.

#epaper #eink #ereader #touchtaiwan #display

notebookcheck.com/E-Ink-Faltba

Notebookcheck · E-Ink: Faltbarer und farbiger E-Paper-Reader MooInk V auf der Touch Taiwan präsentiertBy Andreas Sebayang
Continued thread

First colour test of this "6-colour" #eInk screen.

The physical device is on the left, the colour chart is on the right.

Got to say, that's pretty damned impressive!

If you have some suitable calibration images you'd like to see on here, let me know. I'm especially keen to see how it performs with those.

Continued thread

A Taiwanese manufacturer has just sent me a *six* colour eInk badge to test.

Comes with a chunky USB writer.
Here's a close-up of the #eInk dithering - zoom in to see the individual eInk capsules.

Will put it through some tests later today. Let me know if there's something specific you want to know about it.