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Flexible wireless charging sheet could eventually turn your skinny jeans into power pants (video)

If you haven't already heard, wireless charging is all the rage -- cars, cameras, and, of course, cellphoneshave all benefited from the burgeoning technology. Now a team of researchers at Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) are showing off a 2D power transmission system that could turn your pockets into wireless charging stations. According to its creators, "When a 2.4GHz high frequency signal is transmitted through the sheet, it becomes a wireless conductive object." Electromagnetic waves are captured in the sheet and can be concentrated in particular areas, allowing for individual activation of multiple devices, and thus increasing efficiency -- systems like Qi currently require a dedicated transmitter per device. The NICT says the power it provides is still relatively weak -- about 1W -- but it has plans to eventually bring the technology to soft fabrics. So maybe that Snuggie charging station you've been dreaming o...

Polymer Vision's latest display rolls up, still doesn't ship out (video)

Despite a litany of missed launch dates, bankruptcy filings, and corporate buyouts, Polymer Vision continues to trudge forward, and we're more than happy to ogle its latest flexible screen. This time, the new hotness is a six-inch SVGA display repeatedly rolled-up 25,000 times at a radius of only six millimeters. The resulting scroll is apparently slightly smaller than a dime. With that kind of repetitive endurance, this tech seems well suited for building that Readius-like eReader Wistron promised a while back; not that we're holding our breath, or anything. CrunchGear Polymer Vision (YouTube)

NHK's flexible OLED is both literally and figuratively green (video)

When it's not pushing Super Hi-Vision, the hopeful 7,680 x 4,320 successor to HD, NHK also dabbles in small, flexible OLED panels. The Japanese public broadcaster recently showed off a 5-inch prototype display that, while bearing a heavy green tint and very noticeable rows of dead pixels, was still a significant improvement over a similar screen it demoed in 2009. Sure, it's not quite as flexible or vibrant as Sony's rollable OLED from last year, but it does seem to suffer from fewer bad pixels -- an important step towards maturation. Don't miss the video after the break which offers some pretty nifty glimpses at a number of bendable OLEDs. It's clear the tech is still a little wet behind the ears, but we're definitely getting closer to a future populated with TVs that roll up for storage and e-readers that fold like a paperback. Computerworld

Flexible PaperPhone wants to get bent out of shape (video)

We love our smartphones (in part) because they're flexible, in the sense that they are mighty multitasking machines. Researchers from Queen's University in Ontario Canada, however, want flexible phones in a literal sense -- less five-tool player, and more master contortionist. Using a ductile e-inkdisplay and elastic electronic underpinnings, they created a device called the PaperPhone that literally bends to its user's will. Curling the corners of the device isn't just for show, either, as folding the phone is how users navigate menus and make calls. We aren't completely sold on the idea of a bend-based UI, but we're definitely digging the lithe and lightweight phone form factor. Video of the new flexi-phone is after the break. Update : A second video showing the same 3.7-inch display in a wearable computer project dubbed, "snaplet," has been added after the break. Human Media Lab Queen's University Ontario

New silver-packing transparent conductive film could mean more durable touchscreens

We first heard of the wonders of silver ink back in 2009, but it wasn't until earlier this year, with talk of 3M's newcapacitive touchscreens, that we experienced its real-world potential for display technology. Well, it looks like 3M's not the only name in the Ag game, in fact Tokyo-basedToray Industries recently announced the development of a transparent conductive film that ditches the traditional ITO (indium tin oxide) for silver wire. In order to produce this new material, a layer of Ag wires, measuring several hundred nanometers, is applied to a polyester (PET) film by way of a wet method. The result, the company said, is a more flexible, durable, and transparent film that is well suited to touchscreens of just about any size. There's no word yet on when the film will appear on real-deal devices, but we'll definitely keep an eye out for the silver screens. Full PR after the break. Tech-On Toray