This week we include in LDM a special report on the Digital Signage Summit in Munich, which continues to gain momentum. Our Mobile Display Monitor issue, on the other hand has all of the “Display Daily” articles.
The Display Daily articles are written by our correspondents on a free subject basis. Occasionally, they will ask if a subject is appropriate or has already been covered, but generally our writers choose their own topics. This week, all of their articles are about small displays – three of the five cover VR & AR, while the other two both cover smartphones. I think that’s the first time in the time since I took over the editing of Display Daily that all the topics have been appropriate for just one newsletter.
Of course, we’re all waiting for the new Samsung and Apple smartphones, and the smartphone market is both in the middle of a big move from LCD to AMOLED, but is also seeing little growth and a concern that the market may just see falling ASPs unless there is more significant innovation. One of the main potential innovations is in foldable displays. That was Sweta’s topic. Steve looked at the move to 18:9 (or 2:1) display form factors.
Meanwhile, Matt looked at a new social media concept for AR/VR and Arthur looked at a hardware platform. Our guest editor, Kathleen Maher, had written a nice piece about the problem of having to have glasses for AR and VR and had agreed to allow us to re-publish that article. I’m conflicted about her point of view. On the one hand, I hate the full face mask VR headsets. I have never used one for an extended period simply because I find them so uncomfortable. Most are very heavy and put too much weight on the bridge of the nose, for me.
On the other hand, as my eyes have aged, I have had to adopt reading glasses to deal with some issues of presbyopia. So, the reality is that I wear glasses all day every day, although I only use them for reading and close-up work. So, I see no fundamental problem in requiring glasses. However, the reading glasses that I use are incredibly light. My sight only needs a simple lens, so I am able to buy glasses with plastic lenses and very, very light titanium frames (and cheaply as I buy them online from China).
On that basis, providing that AR glasses gave a good enough benefit, I’d be happy to adopt them, if they were light enough and comfortable to wear for extended periods.
As last week, I’m in France still, and, at least theoretically, on vacation. When I write editorials on holiday, I like to include an image of my view, but as I did that last week, I show a view of the outside of the house we are renting in the historic town of Dinan in North West France.
As part of the holiday planning, we are taking a publishing break next week (21st July) and will resume on the 28th. Of course, we will continue publishing online.
Bob
