With liquid crystal display (LCD) technology having reached a point of maturity from where there can only be evolutionary changes rather than revolutionary, the field is open to disruptive, cost-effective technologies. Some of these include organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), 3D and holographic displays, as well as multi-touch interfaces.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Innovations in Display Technologies, finds that OLED and 3D holographic display technology likely to revolutionize the display arena in the coming years.
3D holography is a much-vaunted technology, since scalability issues do not limit it. Once perfected, it could be the most viable solution for terrain mapping, civil planning applications, and entertainment applications such as game consoles, cinema, and billboards. The medical industry can also benefit from 3D displays in surgical guidance equipment and areas such as radiation oncology.
Of all display technologies, OLED expects to find extensive adoption in a variety of portable consumer electronics, home entertainment, and automotive applications. However, for all its advantages, OLEDs might find the going tough in the large-screen displays. Even in the small- and medium-sized displays, LCD still dominates. "To pose a serious threat to LCDs, the technologically superior OLEDs will have to resolve certain issues such as its color element lifetimes and manufacturing techniques," says Technical Insights Research Analyst Prithvi Raj.
"OLED displays are limited by the relatively short lifetimes of blue OLED and this makes such displays currently unsuitable in a primary television unit," notes Technical Insights Research Analyst Sharmishta S. "However, it should be noted that the half-life of the color elements (including blue) have vastly improved over the past few years and it is likely that it will soon achieve acceptable standards."
-optics
OLEDs are ideal for smaller displays on space/power-critical portable applications such as mobile phones and mp3 players. This is because OLEDs draw far lesser power than LCDs and as they do not require backlighting, these displays can be made extremely thin.
Once OLEDs replace LCDs in the portable consumer electronic displays sector, they can try to forge a path in the larger display segment, provided they employ scalable manufacturing methods. Although OLED technology prices are not likely to drop anytime soon to match LCD displays, its advantages of higher viewing angles, thinner displays, and increased contrast, offers OLED the upper hand.
"OLEDs with their wide viewing angle, high contrast ratio, and absence of backlighting allow for the realization of ultra-slim displays," says Sharmishta S. "3D holography also has tremendous potential and along with OLEDs, is likely to revolutionize the display landscapes in the coming years."
Meanwhile, multitouch display interfaces offer multi-user, multi-input functionality and have been making waves for its simple interface. Applications for this technology range form infrastructure planning to navigation and mapping. This technology could also find applications as a table-top interface in a variety of locations like hotels, clubs, offices, and homes.
"Projection technology has also progressed a great deal with MEMS-based micro-mirrors," says Raj. "Developments are underway to miniaturize current projectors down to levels where they can be housed within mobile devices, thereby opening up new avenues in portable entertainment."
Innovations in Display Technologies, a part of the Technical Insights subscription, provides a technology overview and outlook for display technologies. The study covers OLEDs, 3D display technology, carbon-nanotube-based FED, and MEMS-based displays. Furthermore, this research service includes detailed technology analysis and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Osram and lighting designer Ingo Maurer unveil OLED table lamp
The limited-edition table lamp shows the potential of using OLEDs as flexible or transparent light sources with a uniform light-generating surface.
OSRAM Opto Semiconductors and lighting designer Ingo Maurer have unveiled a revolutionary lighting application based on organic LEDs (OLEDs) at the Light+Building Fair in Frankfurt, Germany. Ingo Maurer is the first to use OLEDs from OSRAM in a functioning table light.
The limited-edition light, known as "Early Future," shines with tiles directly from the OSRAM laboratory and demonstrates the enormous potential of using OLEDs to create future applications with eye-catching illumination and design elements.
OSRAM Opto Semiconductors made prototypes of OLEDs available to the designer for his exclusive creation.
"We are proud that our OLEDs have inspired such a renowned artist as Ingo Maurer to create such an exciting work of art. Early Future is a vision that has become reality. It gives us a glimpse of just how versatile organic OLEDs can be in terms of their design options and applications," said Martin Goetzeler, CEO of OSRAM.
Ingo Maurer used OLED tiles with an area of 132 x 33mm for his creation. For Maurer, unusual design is not an end in itself. "Early Future represents an important stage in the transition from abstract object to functional designer lighting," he said. Maurer has been shaping developments in light-as-art and lighting design for many years. In 1966 he exhibited the designer luminaire Bulb which has been on exhibit in the New York Museum of Modern Art since 1969 along with other works of his. Through the years, Ingo Maurer has received numerous awards for his avant-garde work with light.
Organic LEDs offer all the familiar benefits of LEDs such as high energy efficiency, low operating voltage and mercury-free design, and also have some impressive properties of their own. The light source is not a collection of individual light points but a uniform light-generating surface. Initial laboratory prototypes from OSRAM showed last year the property of transparent light in a usable tile size. Thanks to the layer structure, it is possible to produce not only very thin OLEDs but also scalable ones.
OSRAM Opto Semiconductors has a team of ~50 research engineers working on the development of OLEDs, turning what may seem like science fiction applications into reality. "In the future it will be possible to use OLEDs as flexible or transparent light sources. A transparent OLED over a window in a roof would allow natural light in during the day and provide fascinating illumination for the room at night," said Dr. Bernhard Stapp, head of Solid State Lighting at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors.
There are possible applications for these new light sources in the automotive industry as well. Rear lighting elements could someday be integrated entirely within the rear windshield.
-Leds magazine
OSRAM Opto Semiconductors and lighting designer Ingo Maurer have unveiled a revolutionary lighting application based on organic LEDs (OLEDs) at the Light+Building Fair in Frankfurt, Germany. Ingo Maurer is the first to use OLEDs from OSRAM in a functioning table light.
The limited-edition light, known as "Early Future," shines with tiles directly from the OSRAM laboratory and demonstrates the enormous potential of using OLEDs to create future applications with eye-catching illumination and design elements.
OSRAM Opto Semiconductors made prototypes of OLEDs available to the designer for his exclusive creation.
"We are proud that our OLEDs have inspired such a renowned artist as Ingo Maurer to create such an exciting work of art. Early Future is a vision that has become reality. It gives us a glimpse of just how versatile organic OLEDs can be in terms of their design options and applications," said Martin Goetzeler, CEO of OSRAM.
Ingo Maurer used OLED tiles with an area of 132 x 33mm for his creation. For Maurer, unusual design is not an end in itself. "Early Future represents an important stage in the transition from abstract object to functional designer lighting," he said. Maurer has been shaping developments in light-as-art and lighting design for many years. In 1966 he exhibited the designer luminaire Bulb which has been on exhibit in the New York Museum of Modern Art since 1969 along with other works of his. Through the years, Ingo Maurer has received numerous awards for his avant-garde work with light.
Organic LEDs offer all the familiar benefits of LEDs such as high energy efficiency, low operating voltage and mercury-free design, and also have some impressive properties of their own. The light source is not a collection of individual light points but a uniform light-generating surface. Initial laboratory prototypes from OSRAM showed last year the property of transparent light in a usable tile size. Thanks to the layer structure, it is possible to produce not only very thin OLEDs but also scalable ones.
OSRAM Opto Semiconductors has a team of ~50 research engineers working on the development of OLEDs, turning what may seem like science fiction applications into reality. "In the future it will be possible to use OLEDs as flexible or transparent light sources. A transparent OLED over a window in a roof would allow natural light in during the day and provide fascinating illumination for the room at night," said Dr. Bernhard Stapp, head of Solid State Lighting at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors.
There are possible applications for these new light sources in the automotive industry as well. Rear lighting elements could someday be integrated entirely within the rear windshield.
-Leds magazine
Friday, May 2, 2008
Apple looking to 3G and OLED for iPhone
Apple may be ready to move its mobile phone offering, the iPhone, over to 3G, according to analysts at Gartner.
The consumer electronics giant, whose new phone has a touch screen interface, has been planning a 3G version of the phone, according to Ken Dulaney at Gartner.
He told the iPod Observer that 3Gs HSDPA protocol, which offers download speeds faster than EDGE and GPRS technology which the iPhone currently supports, will be used in future.
The iPhone has not been as successful in Europe, with analysts suspecting that the slower download speeds have put business users off.
Gartner expert Bob Hafner said: "We absolutely believe that in the next-generation iPhone 3G will be there."
Another improvement which is being predicted for the next handset is the inclusion of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen.
The OLED screen, which would be of a higher resolution than the current LCD screen would cut down on power consumption, allowing longer talk time.
OLEDs are also thinner, so the manufacturer could decide between reducing thickness of the phone or adding a larger battery.
Rapid Electronics are one of the UKs leading suppliers of electronic components, electrical products, and industrial supplies to the Consumer Electronics sector.
The consumer electronics giant, whose new phone has a touch screen interface, has been planning a 3G version of the phone, according to Ken Dulaney at Gartner.
He told the iPod Observer that 3Gs HSDPA protocol, which offers download speeds faster than EDGE and GPRS technology which the iPhone currently supports, will be used in future.
The iPhone has not been as successful in Europe, with analysts suspecting that the slower download speeds have put business users off.
Gartner expert Bob Hafner said: "We absolutely believe that in the next-generation iPhone 3G will be there."
Another improvement which is being predicted for the next handset is the inclusion of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen.
The OLED screen, which would be of a higher resolution than the current LCD screen would cut down on power consumption, allowing longer talk time.
OLEDs are also thinner, so the manufacturer could decide between reducing thickness of the phone or adding a larger battery.
Rapid Electronics are one of the UKs leading suppliers of electronic components, electrical products, and industrial supplies to the Consumer Electronics sector.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Motorola U9
Motorola's mobile phones division is in a bit of trouble at the moment having been hived off as a separate business and suffered the indignity of a very public lambasting. The company can only remain a serious player if it produces handsets that people want to buy. With that in mind, what do we make of the U9?
This is a quad-band clamshell phone and it comes in pink and purple. I feel duty bound to explain that Moto suggests this is a handset for the ladies and offers an inane quiz to help you decide which colour suits you.
The phone is Christmas-decoration shiny all over the front and rubbery on the back. The visual design is distinctly PEBL making it two years old in concept.
Despite the design's age I can't really fault Motorola on the rounded ‘bar of soap' style shape. It means the U9 feels as comfy in the hand as the PEBL ever did. And dimensions-wise you are looking at a pocket-friendly 90mm x 49mm x 16mm that weighs a reasonable 87g.
And there is something very new to this mobile - its outer OLED display. Now, OLED displays should not be new to regular readers, but Motorola has done something rather clever with its implementation. The front OLED sits under the outer shell and you'd never know there was a front screen at all when it's not active. When it is, its 128 x 160 pixels provide information in a way that dominates the front of the phone. Moreover there is a touch-responsive element.
When playing music, for example, the screen displays track info for a few seconds and then turns itself off. You can reactivate it by touching the front screen, and this could be handy because there are touch controls for forward, back and pause/play.
When a call comes in the OLED pops up and tells you who is making contact. When nothing much is going on you can tap the volume rocker and change profiles.
When someone sends you an SMS the OLED alerts you. It can display the message and you can send a quick reply using a combination of the left side volume rocker and select key. There are various predefined texts and you can add more. It is a bit of a fiddly system, especially as you need to unlock the side keys before using them, but it could come in handy.
-trustedreview, Sandra Vogel
This is a quad-band clamshell phone and it comes in pink and purple. I feel duty bound to explain that Moto suggests this is a handset for the ladies and offers an inane quiz to help you decide which colour suits you.
The phone is Christmas-decoration shiny all over the front and rubbery on the back. The visual design is distinctly PEBL making it two years old in concept.
Despite the design's age I can't really fault Motorola on the rounded ‘bar of soap' style shape. It means the U9 feels as comfy in the hand as the PEBL ever did. And dimensions-wise you are looking at a pocket-friendly 90mm x 49mm x 16mm that weighs a reasonable 87g.
And there is something very new to this mobile - its outer OLED display. Now, OLED displays should not be new to regular readers, but Motorola has done something rather clever with its implementation. The front OLED sits under the outer shell and you'd never know there was a front screen at all when it's not active. When it is, its 128 x 160 pixels provide information in a way that dominates the front of the phone. Moreover there is a touch-responsive element.
When playing music, for example, the screen displays track info for a few seconds and then turns itself off. You can reactivate it by touching the front screen, and this could be handy because there are touch controls for forward, back and pause/play.
When a call comes in the OLED pops up and tells you who is making contact. When nothing much is going on you can tap the volume rocker and change profiles.
When someone sends you an SMS the OLED alerts you. It can display the message and you can send a quick reply using a combination of the left side volume rocker and select key. There are various predefined texts and you can add more. It is a bit of a fiddly system, especially as you need to unlock the side keys before using them, but it could come in handy.
-trustedreview, Sandra Vogel
Friday, April 18, 2008
Panasonic plasma screen cellphones ‘pre-emptive�� strike against OLED
Panasonic AbleComm plasma screen cellphones
In the regular world, plasma TVs are large and cellphones are small; in Panasonic’s world, however, a cellphone is just another opportunity to squeeze in a tiny, plasma-based display. The new, low-voltage screens - developed with AbleComm, Inc. - have apparently been a decade in the making, and rival OLED displays for brightness, contrast, thinness and, most importantly of all, cost less to produce. They’ve already found interest from AT&T, using the screens with the carrier’s new Mobile TV service.
Cellphones aren’t the only devices Panasonic envisages getting a tiny plasma injection:
“Our plasma expertise and our large-scale, efficient manufacturing will allow these new small Panasonic plasma screens to replace LCDs in many applications — gasoline pumps, automated teller machines, camera viewfinders, MP3 players, vending machines, automotive displays, digital photo frames, appliance touch screens and even the little pop-up screens on printers. In fact, I am pleased to announce that we will be supplying mini plasma screens to HP for an exclusive two-year period for use in their printers. We view our thin low-voltage PDP technology as a pre-emptive strike against OLED technology” Robert A. Perry, Senior Vice President of Panasonic Consumer Electronics
-phonemag
In the regular world, plasma TVs are large and cellphones are small; in Panasonic’s world, however, a cellphone is just another opportunity to squeeze in a tiny, plasma-based display. The new, low-voltage screens - developed with AbleComm, Inc. - have apparently been a decade in the making, and rival OLED displays for brightness, contrast, thinness and, most importantly of all, cost less to produce. They’ve already found interest from AT&T, using the screens with the carrier’s new Mobile TV service.
Cellphones aren’t the only devices Panasonic envisages getting a tiny plasma injection:
“Our plasma expertise and our large-scale, efficient manufacturing will allow these new small Panasonic plasma screens to replace LCDs in many applications — gasoline pumps, automated teller machines, camera viewfinders, MP3 players, vending machines, automotive displays, digital photo frames, appliance touch screens and even the little pop-up screens on printers. In fact, I am pleased to announce that we will be supplying mini plasma screens to HP for an exclusive two-year period for use in their printers. We view our thin low-voltage PDP technology as a pre-emptive strike against OLED technology” Robert A. Perry, Senior Vice President of Panasonic Consumer Electronics
-phonemag
Friday, April 11, 2008
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1
Sony Ericsson has unveiled the new XPERIA X1 at the Mobile Asia 2008, India's largest consumer exhibition on mobile phones and accessories. The XPERIA X1 will address the growing needs of consumers demand for mobile web communication and multimedia entertainment and also position the company at the forefront of mobile convergence.
The XPERIA X1 combines a 3-inch clear wide VGA display and a full QWERTY keyboard within a quality metal-finish body. Powered by Windows Mobile 6, the new Windows Mobile software from Microsoft, the XPERIA X1 allows users to choose from a dynamic range of activities such as enjoying their favourite entertainment content or working efficiently on the move, anytime and anywhere.
The OLED optical touch screen allows users to access a world of experiences simply by touching the XPERIA� panel on the screen. Other features include a unique arc slider, a wide pitch easy-to-use QWERTY keyboard, 3.2 megapixel camera (with photo light), A2DP Bluetooth, aGPS, and WiFi support.
-domain-b
Sunday, April 6, 2008
LG unveils first AMOLED display device
LG has launched its first active matrix OLED handset in its native Korea, the Cyon SH150A.AMOLED display technology is a hybrid between the new organic LED display type and TFT LCD, which has been common on phones for years. Manufacturers like OLED, which does not require a backlight to operate (each pixel generates its own light), because of its power efficiency.
However, OLED displays often suffer from ghosting and similar effects when fast moving animations are displayed.
LG says the display in its SH150A handset is 1000 times faster than conventional OLED displays when it comes to response time.
LG’s close competitor Samsung will follow soon with its own AMOLED phone, the SPH-W2400.
-Mobile Entertainment
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