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Computers

Portable 'transflective' LCD monitor uses the Sun as its light source

By Paul McClure
March 12, 2024
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A portable, super-efficient monitor that can use the sun as a reflective light source for superior vision outdoors
Eazeye
A portable, super-efficient monitor that can use the sun as a reflective light source for superior vision outdoors
Eazeye
The Radiant uses 70% less electricity compared with other monitors with their brightness setting on full
Eazeye
The touchscreen enables Radiant to be used like a tablet
Eazeye
Wireless screen monitoring is built-in
Eazeye
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Backlit monitors can be harsh on the eyes, causing eye strain. In October last year, New Atlas reviewed the Eazeye monitor, the world’s first naturally lit, anti-eye-strain monitor. At the time, its designer, high school student Louis Huang, was looking for backing on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo.

The upgraded Eazeye Radiant is about to hit the market, touted as the world’s first portable monitor to use ‘transflective’ LCD or TLCD, meaning the monitor can be front- or backlit to produce an image. In TLCD displays, natural light acts as a light source and in darker environments, a full-spectrum LED backlight illuminates it like a regular monitor.

When used outdoors, directly facing the sun, Radiant produces a brighter, more visible image than a standard 100-nit monitor. (A nit is how bright a screen appears to the human eye. Fun fact: It comes from the Latin word nitere, which means ‘to shine.') Eazeye says it uses 70% less electricity compared to similar-sized monitors that have their brightness maxed out to achieve a viewable screen image.

Similar to an e-ink display, Radiant’s 60 fps, 60 Hz refresh rate means it can be completely front-lit. Its decently sized 15.6-inch 1080-p touchscreen display means it can be used like a tablet. Built-in wireless screen mirroring is also an added feature.

The touchscreen enables Radiant to be used like a tablet
Eazeye

The portable monitor’s all-aluminum body houses two USB-C ports and a mini-HDMI. VESA-compatible, Radiant can be attached to a desk or table using a VESA mounting system.

You can sign up via the Eazeye website for an early-bird deal on the Radiant TLCD monitor when it launches.

Source: Eazeye

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Paul McClure
Paul brings extensive knowledge and real-world experience to New Atlas. His qualifications include a Bachelor of Nursing, Graduate Diplomas in Advanced Nursing and Psychological Studies, a Master of Laws (Juris Doctor), and a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and creative writing. Paul has worked as an intensive care nurse at one of Australia’s busiest trauma hospitals and as a criminal defense lawyer before pivoting to journalism. His diverse professional background informs his writing, providing unique insights.
6 comments
pmshah
There is nothing new about the technology. I have actually used device with LCD screens with this technology. It was the EXCELLENT Win CE 4,0 based PDA from Compaq. Steve Balmer the du*my killed Win CE instead of just adding telephony function to create the Microsoft smartphone.

Forget legibility. Backlit LCD screen just not being visible in bright light has been an issue for more than 30 years. It persists even today. Have suggested use of these screen in many fora. With transflective screen, colour inversion was no longer required to use the device even in direct bright sunshine incident on the device.
pmshah
This is further to my other post. Actually it did not even need sunlight. Just plain bright ambient environment was sufficient to use those PDAs without backlight.
Pupp1
I read on their web page that there is a back-light included in the design. I don't recall if past transfection displays had a backlight or not. Past versions certainly faded away, as they were never really very good as a display. And then other technologies took over that had increased visibility in bright situations. Though, I am surprised it the transfective technology didn't stay common for use in smartphones.

Certainly, over the decades, backlighting technology had improved, as well as the LCD technology itself. So, perhaps this technology is different from past versions.
dwreid
I've been using transflective displays for more than a quarter of a century. In fact they were common on devices in the late 90s and early 2000s. They were back lit indoors and ambient lit when outdoors or in high ambient light. What's old is new again. I still have a handheld with transflective display and Windows CE on a shelf somewhere. I've never understood why we were squinting at our screens when a solution has always been there.
Trylon
@pmshah, stop being such a Debbie Downer. The article did not claim that it's a "new technology." It's about a new product. If you know about any other laptop-size transflective displays on the market, then bring it up. But it's not comparable to a 4" screen on your PDA. And as for your "excellent" technology, it has always had problems including poor color rendition and contrast ratio. Based on the photos and video, they haven't licked those problems. It still looks relatively dim and washed out compared to the vivid color displays of today's phones, tablets and laptops. The company doesn't even provide a contrast ratio on their website, one of the basic specs given with any display today.
c w
As others have said, I used iPaqs with this illumination and liked being able to use them in good lighting with little or no backlight. I have wondered science then why they fell out of favor (other not being used by Apple). I'd like a transflective resistive touch device running Android and modern, decently speedy hardware to use as a GPS device on my motorcycle.

Now that light-sensors are nearly ubiquitous in mobile devices, it seems all the more logical that this display tech would make a comeback.

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