I’ve been fascinated with E Ink displays ever since my days at IBM as an intern. An industrial designer alerted me to the technology, and talked about the possibility of making the packaging of a product be self-documenting.

Alas, that was back in 1998. Since then, other products have been announced. I’m especially interested in Readius but am worried that it’ll be as much a letdown as other products on the market.

But now, in 2008, some more functional uses are available. Casio Hitachi has announced a line of devices using E-Ink to decorate the outside of the phone. Yes, in Japan and not the US. When an incoming call occurs, the outside animates and shows you the caller ID or message notification.

See the Slash Phone article with lots of pretty pictures and the E-Ink press release.

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Little Springs Designs the user experience for mobile devices and services. Our practice of user-centered design means the user comes first, not the technology. We learn about the user, design for the user, and talk to the user - but we understand the technology and its limitations and potential.

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