Ghosting happens to be one of the inherent issues with an E-Ink display. Since e-paper displays take longer than conventional displays to refresh, remnants of the previous display are often visible even if the display changes. While recent innovations in this space have minimized the issue to a large extent, the fact is, it isn’t eliminated altogether. Now, this can pose a security risk given that e-paper displays have come to be adopted on more diverse devices such as smartphones or tablet devices.
So, if you are in a public space where there are chances of others getting a view of what you are up to with your device, there is always the chance of a keen-eyed viewer to pick up on what you have typed on the display. The particular keys you have typed in continue to remain in focus albeit in a washed out manner but still visible enough for anyone to have an idea of what the character sequence is that forms the password. The problem is, this can be an issue even with devices that claim to have one of the fastest screen refresh times.
カラーE InkのKobo、パスワードを入力した跡が残像でバレバレでうおおおおおおいって感じ。もちろん画面が切り替わったら消えるけどショルダーハックにはなる pic.twitter.com/toO0bdKT4H
— 山口真弘 (@kizuki_jpn) May 3, 2024
This has come to light thanks to an X user @kizuki_jpn who was sharing his thought on the new Kobo Libra Colour device. Ironically, the X user was highlighting how good the display is, one that has a minimal ghosting effect. However, with the password keyed in on the on-screen keyboard, the keys continue to remain visible as has been demoed in the image the user shared.
It is going to be interesting to see if the same happens in dark mode as well as the surroundings would already be dark to camouflage the ghosting effect. It would be worth mentioning the Kindle Paperwhite 11th gen does better so far as ghosting is concerned as the keys that have been typed in do not leave behind any residual image. Maybe this is a software issue with the Kobo, one that would improve with future updates.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.