Earl: 6-Inch eInk Outdoor Tablet with Solar Power and GPS for Adventurers

An interesting project, in my opinion, is currently in the works, which goes by the name Earl. It is an outdoor tablet with an eInk display designed especially for people who spend a lot of time in nature. Earl isn’t merely an eInk reader with additional software; it’s a water- and dirt-resistant specialized tablet with an integrated solar panel. However, to make “Earl” commercially available, the initiators still need quite a bit of support—because this is a crowdfunding project, which is currently at 10% and still needs nearly $225,000 to become a reality.

Technical Specifications

Let’s start with the general technical specifications: Known from most eBook readers, an e-Ink display is used in Earl, which with a screen size of 6 inches and a resolution of 1024×768 pixels, is quite decent. The panel, produced by LG, is flexible and therefore relatively resistant to external influences—an important factor for outdoor use. The choice of an eInk display also makes sense because it is very readable even under strong sunlight due to its low reflectivity. Additionally, for touch input, infrared technology, known from Sony eBook readers, was used instead of capacitive sensors. This allows for operation without having to take off gloves.

The fact that Earl is a serious outdoor device is demonstrated by its IP67 rating, which indicates that the device can survive 30 minutes in water, withstand temperature fluctuations from 0-50°C, and is operational up to heights of 12,000 meters. The aforementioned built-in solar panel can also be unfolded, supplying the tablet with enough power and thus preventing dead batteries on the mountain. It takes 5 hours in direct sunlight for the Earl tablet to complete a charging cycle.

Connections

In addition to a particularly accurate GPS module, according to its own statements, the Earl is also equipped with AM/FM/SW/LW radio tuners and FRS, GMRS, and MURS transceivers. This allows Earl to stay connected with the environment—both via the various radio channels and via the transmission function, which allows for walkie-talkie use or can send distress signals in an emergency. To fully utilize the GPS module, the Earl also comes with pre-installed topographical “100k” maps (that is 100,000:1 scale). For an additional $49, the system can be upgraded to “24k” maps (24,000:1 scale). Moreover, the Earl is connected with GPS weather sensors, which can display detailed information on sun, shade, rain, or even views of the moon and stars on the map. For now, a small drawback for European customers: both integrated maps and radio frequencies currently only work in North America—however, further versions are expected to follow by the end of 2013.

Incidentally, Earl measures 183mm x 121mm x 15mm with a total weight of 303 grams. It runs on Android (version unknown), so apps can be installed freely. This naturally makes Earl a much more flexible device, which, thanks to the built-in lighting, allows for reading a book or two in the evening. If Wi-Fi is available, the Earl can also be used to browse the internet.

Conclusion

All in all, the tablet appears to be a truly serious outdoor instrument. It is all the more hopeful that this ambitious project manages to come to fruition. However, as mentioned at the beginning, a significant amount of support is still needed, as only $23,845 has been raised so far. Once a total of $250,000 from pre-orders is reached, the project will be implemented. As an incentive, Earl offers pre-order customers a price advantage; they can get the device in the standard 100k version for just $249, with no shipping costs within the USA and a charge of $20 for other countries. An additional $49 is charged for the upgrade to the 24000:1 map, making a maximum total of $299 possible—which the manufacturer claims is 30% cheaper than the price after production starts. The earliest shipping date, if the project materializes, is likely to be August 2013, though some delays in practice are to be expected. Anyone interested can pre-order Earl at www.meetearl.com.