E-book reader has built-in thin-film solar cell
Here’s another entry into the e-book reader market, following on the heels reports that Barnes & Noble would also be fielding their own Kindle-killer. This most recent entry is from LG Display, and its twist is that it comes with a solar cell to boost outdoor reading time. LG says, "Exposure to sunlight for about four to five hours would extend the running time of the e-book’s battery by a day without the need for additional charging. This would allow longer outdoor use of the e-book and lessens worries about battery discharging."
LG’s interest in thin-film solar cells is that it uses a process (not surprisingly) similar to thin film displays that places electrodes onto a glass or plastic substrate rather than on a relatively heavy, expensive, and fragile silicon wafer. LG claims the efficiency at present for its thin-film solar cells is 9%, with 12% efficiency planned for next year, and 14% by 2012.
Chris PE commented:
