New screen technology may hit stores Dec-designer
By Jim Finkle
BOSTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Computers and cell phones with screens that can be read in direct sunlight could be on store shelves by the end of this year, the designer of the breakthrough display technology said.
The high-resolution monitors switch from color to black and white, allowing the screens to be clearly viewed in direct sunlight, a feature unavailable in current high-end laptop computers that cost thousands of dollars.
The display was developed by Mary Lou Jepsen while she was working for the One Laptop per Child Foundation, which produces low-cost computers for poor children around the world.
Jepsen left her post as chief technology officer at the foundation at the end of last year to start her own company, Pixel Qi, which will license the display technology.
"My target is first screens in stores by end of 2008," Jepsen said via e-mail late on Thursday.
Pixel Qi will also develop and license technology that extends the battery life of laptops by reducing power consumption, she said.
"I don't want to sell last year's technology next year," Jepsen said. "Both the price and performance of display and power management technology can be improved. They need to be made in different sizes and shapes and for different platforms with different goals."
Analysts said they expect the world's top computer makers to be eager to incorporate some of Jepsen's technology into their products as easily readable displays and long-lasting batteries are highly coveted features for any laptop.
"Any remote worker wants to be able to read the screen in direct sunlight -- along with in darkness or any other lighting situation," said Laura DiDio, a Yankee Group analyst who follows the PC industry. "You want to be able to read it all the time."
Jepsen said she is seeking initial funding for Pixel Qi.
In addition to licensing technology to other companies, Pixel Qi will develop its own laptop computer, which it aims to sell under its own brand and hopes to one day produce for as little as $75.
Her computer will run on the Linux operating system but she is also considering designing hardware that will be compatible with other operating systems, including the dominant Windows from Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O).
"I am exploring many paths," Jepsen said. (Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
