Global ePaper Industry Weekly Bulletin #23｜Mudita Will Release New Minimalist Mobile Phones - NEWS - ePaper Industry Alliance, EPIA, International ePaper display Association

Quadrant Lab, in collaboration with the ePaper Industry Alliance (EPIA) has launched the Quadrant.ePaper weekly bulletin, aiming to provide readers with insights on global industry innovations and the latest news on the ePaper industry and connecting the global IoT ecosystem.

01 Walworth Road in London Deploys ePaper Smart Signs to Display Booking Information for Loading Bays

Walworth Road is a commercial street in London, consisting of independent cafes, restaurants, bars, small shops, supermarkets, major retailers, nail salons, and local businesses. As part of the Walworth Road curbside management project, businesses and retailers will be able to book the use of loading bays on this busy commercial street in South London. Double-sided ePaper-based smart signs will display booking information for each loading bay.

The project, initiated jointly by Grid Smarter Cities and Southwark Council, will commence in late February 2024, aiming to improve access for delivery drivers on Walworth Road to existing allocated loading bays and prevent unauthorized loading activities in these spaces. Additionally, the project aims to reduce congestion during peak hours on the commercial street and alleviate parking pressures when delivering to local businesses and restaurants.

02 DIY Keepsake Box with Raspberry Pi Zero W and ePaper Display

Software engineer Mike Buss customized a keepsake box for his three-year-old son using a Raspberry Pi Zero W and an ePaper that can be used as a digital photo frame. Apart from storing keepsakes, the keepsake box made by Mike Buss can unlock images of special significance through fingerprint recognition and display them on the ePaper display embedded in the box lid.

Mike Buss used a custom iPhone application to upload images to the Raspberry Pi Zero W and optimized the image display using the Floyd-Steinberg algorithm, employing dithering to achieve subtle shades of black, white, and red.

03 Lidl GB Will Roll out the Use of ESLs in All Stores

Starting in September 2022, retailer Lidl GB began piloting electronic shelf labels at 35 locations, including Epsom and Tooting. The experiment showed that automatic price updates using electronic price tags allowed store staff more time for customer service and restocking. Lidl GB has decided to roll out the use of ESLs in all stores, a move expected to save 2.06 million tons of carbon emissions annually.

Established in Germany in 1973, Lidl GB has grown to become one of the leading food retailers in Europe. Latest data shows that Lidl GB has over 960 stores and 14 regional distribution centers in the UK, with a workforce of over 31,000.

04 Mudita Will Release New Minimalist Mobile Phones

Mudita plans to release two phones, Kompakt and Pure 2, with Mudita being a touchscreen phone with an ePaper display, using the Android operating system, capable of internet connectivity, and supporting mobile applications for Facebook or Twitter; Pure 2 will offer better cellular network, higher quality speakers, and advanced calendar features compared to Pure. Like Pure, Pure 2 will not have any applications or even a browser.

Pure is a minimalist phone launched by Mudita in 2019 through crowdfunding, officially released in 2021. Pure features a 2.84-inch, 600 x 480 pixel ePaper, resembling a feature phone with physical buttons. Additionally, the Mudita team developed MuditaOS based on FreeRTOS specifically for Pure, with custom user interface, applications, and other features, and has made it open-source.

References：

https://www.transportxtra.com/publications/parking-review/news/75220/bookable-loading-bay-trial-launched-in-southwark/

https://goodereader.com/blog/technology/creating-a-personalized-memory-box-with-raspberry-pi-zero-w-and-E Ink-display

https://www.retail-insight-network.com/news/lidl-gb-esls-stores/

https://goodereader.com/blog/smartphones/mudita-is-going-to-be-releasing-the-kompakt-and-pure-2

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