South Korean companies have made new steps in the ePaper game, with both LG Phillips and Samsung developing technologies that stand to make ePaper a highly functional reality.  

In late March, the LG Display R&D center previewed their latest prototype in bendable ePaper, which looks like a micro-thin plastic writing pad.

"Electronic paper is the ultimate goal we are pursuing," said senior LG researcher Park Yong-In. "We want to manufacture a display that is as thin, flexible, and portable as paper."

At Samsung, which recently developed flexible A4 size displays in black and white and in color, senior researcher Roh Nam-Soek predicts that color ePaper will be in everyday use in two years.

"The flexible paper will likely evolve into a foldable one. People will read newspapers anytime, anywhere, and in any size," Roh said.

In LD and Samsung's vision, future e-paper models, printed in electronic ink, will consume little electricity, and will be rechargeable in the same manner as a cell phone. They will also eventually feature color video-clips.
 
Their efforts mirror those of companies like Hearst who are also in the process of developing their own variations of ePaper. Other papers such as the Dutch publication NRC Handelsblad have introduced ePaper versions for purchase, albeit on a less advanced reader than those in the works at the Korean companies.

Source: Donga.com through IFRA Executive News Service