#20: Amazon Tablet without Processors, Batteries
Amazon Chairman and CEO Jeff Bezos wants to take it to a whole new level. GeekWire reports that he and Gregory Hart have filed a patent for "remote displays" that would get data and power from a centrally located "primary station." The tablets or e-readers would simply be screens, and the need for a large internal battery or significant local processing power would theoretically be obviated by the primary station.
The patent sees processors and large internal batteries as the next major roadblocks in the pursuit of thinner and lighter devices. "The ability to continue to reduce the form factor of many of today's devices is somewhat limited, however, as the devices typically include components such as processors and batteries that limit the minimum size and weight of the device. While the size of a battery is continuously getting smaller, the operational or functional time of these smaller batteries is often insufficient for many users."
Transferring power and data wirelessly to displays as described in the patent is currently infeasible, but it does present an interesting idea for the future of tablets and e-readers—the latter devices in particular have low bandwidth and power requirements as it is, making them ideal candidates for such an infrastructure.
Cool write up. This technology would be pretty epic as long as the signal to the readers and tablets is wide-spread and strong. If not, I'd think users would probably just stick to normal devices.
ReplyDeleteSo when they say the device would have no battery what do they mean in the article? There has to be a battery of some sort doesn't there? Or at least an alternative to a battery?
ReplyDeleteThis would be legit, but I'm not sure that people would also have access to data all the time. There could be an alternative rechargeable battery in the tablet.
ReplyDeleteHaving Amazon move into the tablet space goes to show how open source software is a double-edged sword. With their share price on the up and up and seeing big success with the release of their Kindle HD, the affordable alternative to the iPad, one has to wonder if they really are just going to limit themselves to tablets and not move into different devices with an Android platform.
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