Update: We found two videos (of the color and low-frequency displays), see below
Samsung is showing new Electrowetting 6.2" display prototypes. They are showing 3 different displays - a color reflective one, a mono reflective one and a low frequency one. We don't have any technical information yet...
E Ink released a couple of very interesting videos. The first shows a SURF (segmented) E Ink display printed on cloth. E Ink are obviously thinking about wearable displays here:
The second video shows an E Ink display on a Tyvex cloth - which is a very durable cloth (used as insulation on houses and for shipping envelopes):
Canada's Human Media Lab is showing a new flexible E Ink display prototype called Snaplet. This device is a wrist-mounted bracelet that has a touch display and shape sensing: when you open it up it automatically opens a notepad applications, and when you take it and curve it next to your ear it answers a phone call... pretty neat:
Bridgestone is showing two new "tablets" called AeroBee that use the company's color touch e-paper panels. The panels are sized 13" (A4) and 21" (A3) - these are the largest e-paper panels around. Bridgestone will market those to businesses - to be used as in-store displays or kiosks.
Back in January we saw an e-reader playing video (by Bookeen) - and today we found out that someone ported Doom 2 to an E Ink e-reader (a prototype PocketBook 360 Plus). Pretty neat:
Researchers from the University of California developed a new display based on silica-coated nanoscale iron oxide rods. Those rods align themselves when a magnetic field is applied and they diffract light into color. This display is very low power and offers great sunlight visibility. They released a short demo of the rods under magnetic influence:
This research is in early stages, but the researchers already patented the technology and licensed it to (an undisclosed) company to commercialize.
Update: We just got word from Bookeen. They say that everything is done on components that are available on the market with Bookeen's software - and they expect such performance to be available on the next-gen e-readers to appear soon. The power consumption, interestingly, is said to be equivalanet to a non-backlit LCD while running videos. The video, by the way, is a standard H.264 with no special treatment needed.
Bookeen's R&D team has achieved smooth video playback on an E Ink Pearl display. They are using a TI OMAP 3621 CPU (with its embedded software controller) and show a H.264 encoded video:
We don't know what are Bookeen plans here - whether they'd want to release a video-enabled reader or perhaps license their new technology?
Bridgestone were showing their QR-LPD (Quick Response Liquid Powder Display) displays at CES. There are reports that the display is very dim and washed out, and the refresh rate is slow. They do support color, though. Here's a short video:
Vivitek is also showing two e-readers using the QR-LPD displays (made by Delta Electronics) one is a 8.2" and the other is a large 13.1" display.