bezel

iPad 5 may shed thickness by trimming LEDs

The iPad 5 might jettison grams and millimeters via a redesigned LED backlight apparatus, according to NPD DisplaySearch.

"It's likely that part of the thinner/lighter design will be reducing the size of the LED backlight, partly by making the display more efficient and partly by using more efficient LEDs," said Paul Semenza, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch, in an e-mail to CNET.

He said he also expects other modifications to reduce thickness. "The other significant change that we feel is likely is a shift to a film-based touch sensor," Semenza said.

It's still … Read more

Vizio's M TV, shipping now, means major features up to 80 inches

Vizio is traditionally known for cheap TVs, but in 2013 it's doubling down on its foray into step-up, feature-rich (read: slightly more expensive) territory with the 4K XVT models announced at CES and the all-new non-4K "M" series detailed here.

The company's newest M range of LED-based LCD TVs goes from 32 inches up to the company's first 80-inch model, the M801d pictured above. All of the sizes in the series are shipping now to retailers nationwide including Best Buy, Amazon, and Walmart.

In all, the M series comprises a whopping nine sizes, with the … Read more

Vizio's M TV, shipping now, means major features up to 80 inches

In all, the M series comprises a whopping nine sizes, with the … Read more

Vizio's M TV, shipping now, means major features up to 80 inches

In all, the M series comprises a whopping nine sizes, with the … Read more

Rumor: 7-inch iPad to feature slim bezel display

First of all, let's clear the air about Apple's iPad and the Kindle Fire. Apple couldn't care less about the Kindle Fire. There is not a single device in the tablet market that requires Apple to create a "competitor" product.

In fact, one could argue that there is not a single device in the smartphone market that Apple is worried about either. The new iPad has reportedly sold out of preorder units, and the iPhone 4S drove Apple to its biggest quarter (and one of the best by any company) ever.

So, to suggest that the Kindle Fire is a catalyst for Apple to develop a new product is a little insulting to Apple. That being said, the rumors exist. The latest, from (who else) DigiTimes, suggests this Kindle Fire competitor from Apple will feature a 7.85-inch screen with a slimmer bezel to help maximize display area.… Read more

Does the iPad 3 really need a redesign?

Back before the iPhone 4S was officially unveiled, there was a lot of buzz over whether Apple would give its iPhone a revamped look. The look, in fact, stayed identical. I argued that the iPhone didn't really need a redesign, and to my surprise, 59 percent of you said the opposite: that the 1.5-year-old iPhone needed a makeover.

Now that the next iPad stands on the cusp of being unveiled, I ask again: does the iPad need a redesign? And, how badly?… Read more

LG Blade: A thin-bezel laptop available everywhere but the U.S.

The LG P430 and P530 are 14- and 15.6-inch laptops, respectively, with something that we hope becomes a trend: smaller screen bezels that reduce the effective size of the chassis. The P430, in particular, promises a "14-inch screen in a 13.3-inch body," with an upper lid design that looks like a return to the thin-bezel laptops that used to exist not so long ago. (We actually already admitted to pining for small bezels...guess we're not alone.)

As far as we can tell, there's not much differentiating the Blade series from similar laptop designs by Samsung, Sony, Acer, and others, but a metallic 13-inch laptop with a slightly bigger screen? Sure, who wouldn't go for that? A second-gen Intel Core i3/i5/i7 CPU and optional Nvidia GeForce GT 520M graphics sound like a solid package.

Of course, there's a catch: these laptops will be available starting in May in Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Asia...but not in North America. LG, may we humbly suggest an addendum?… Read more

Samsung UND8000 TV review: Nearly naked picture lacks uniformity

The Samsung UND8000 LED-based LCD TV shows the company's considerable technological know-how brought to bear on a simple design goal: to make the "TV" itself disappear to as large an extent as possible when turned on, leaving nothing but the picture. Seen in person, the design is a spectacular success that will command attention and be worth the exceedingly high price to some buyers with cash to burn. And despite its compact dimensions the UND8000 also manages to squeeze in more features than just about any TV we've ever reviewed.

Other buyers, however, will have a … Read more

Stupid iPad 2 trick: Make your white bezel glow

Chalk this one up as a stupid iPad 2 trick, but it's just another thing Apple fanboys (and fangirls) can crow about. That's right, the iPad 2's bezel glows when you hold a light up to it, which makes for an interesting "Tron" effect when you turn the lights out. A colored laser pointer can also spice things up a bit with a green or red hue.

Apple patent hints at bezel displays for iPhone

As iPhone 5 rumors have trickled over the past month, one that's popped up repeatedly is a screen so big it nearly does away with the bezel. That's the area around the display, and right before the very edge of the device that sits as unused space.

But such a screen might be at odds with a new Apple patent application unearthed by Patently Apple. The patent outlines a secondary display embedded within the bezel that would extend what's happening on the main screen to the surrounding area.

The applications for such a design are broad, from notifications and other indicators to a display area that apps can make use of to extend the user interface. Such features could be handy on a small screen where even given a high-pixel density, total real estate is limited by the casing itself.

The patent description spells this much out:

To assist a user in providing inputs, traditional devices use the display to provide indicators to the user regarding where and how to provide a touch input. For example, a traditional device may display a virtual button on a touch screen to indicate that a user can touch that portion of the screen to provide an input. However, providing such indicators occupies space on the touch screen that could otherwise be used for displaying visual content.

The patent describes this functionality including not just phones, but media players like the iPod, PDAs, laptops, and cameras. … Read more