We Have an ePaper Challenger! (And Its Name is LCD)

Sharp may not do much in terms of ePaper, but they know their way around an LCD. And they’ve just shown off a new type of eight-colour LCD that can hold a static image even when the power is cut.

The 14.1, 6.1, 2.4 and 1.7-inch displays are believe to use a cholesteric LCD material to freeze the images. Power specifications were not provided, but freezing data into the display apparently takes a “relatively large” amount of energy.

And while Sharp hasn’t pitched the tech for displaying the newspaper, they do see a lot of potential in the commercial market. One Osaka grocery is already testing several smaller displays that are hooked up to Wi-Fi and can change prices easily. The same principle would work well for nightly restaurant specials and the ever-fluctuating pricepoints at children’s lemonade stands everywhere. [Tech-On via Slashgear]