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Here's a Shocker: Apple Tablet Delayed Again

Paul Lilly — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:27:38 -0600

It looks like the ever-elusive Apple tablet will stay out of sight a little longer than last planned. According to the latest chatter from component makers, Apple plans to postpone the launch from next March to sometime in the second half of 2010.

Apparently Apple has decided to fiddle with its component selection, including a model that will launch with a 9.7-inch OLED panel from LG. Another model said to be in the works will sport a 10.6-inch TFT LCD panel.

Outside of the rumored panel choices, we still don't have any information on what hardware Apple plans to use, but the chatty sources were able to estimate a price. Most 9.7-inch OLED panels run about $500, which typically makes up about 30 percent of the device's total cost. That being the case, Apple's tablet could end up commanding $1,500 to $1,700, the sources say. However, those figures are based on today's prices, and OLED panels are dropping in costs. By the time the second half of 2010 rolls around, the Apple tablet could drop to $1,200 to $1,500, based on the above scenario.

As for the 10.6-inch LCD tablet, sources expect the device to cost anywhere from $800 to $1,000.

White Paper: OLED Screens

Nathan Edwards — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:02:23 -0600

Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens offer better picture quality and draw less power than traditional LCDs. But what are OLEDs?

Organic light-emitting diodes, or OLEDs, are often touted as the next big thing in display technology, offering brighter colors, true black, lower power consumption, and better off-axis viewing than traditional LCD screens. They’ve popped up in gadgets from high-concept to mundane: The infamous Optimus Maximus keyboard, for example, utilizes many tiny OLED screens in its programmable and customizable keycaps, and both Sony’s new X-series Walkman and Microsoft’s new Zune HD have OLED screens. OLED technology has made great strides in the past 10 years, and cheaper and better manufacturing processes mean they’ve started appearing in everything from media players to phones to high-definition televisions—even keyboards. But what are OLEDs?

What’s Inside

In the simplest terms, LEDs (light-emitting diodes) emit light by running an electrical current through a diode. Diodes create unidirectional electric flow, moving electrons from the negatively charged cathode to the positively charged anode, creating electron holes, or spaces where electrons could be. Electrons flowing in drop into these holes and emit light. An organic light-emitting diode uses the same principle, but between the cathode and anode are two layers of organic semiconductor compounds: the emissive layer, near the cathode, and the conductive layer, near the anode (organic compounds are chemical compounds that contain carbon). The cathode sends (negatively charged) electrons into the emissive layer, while the anode draws electrons from the conductive layer, leaving positively charged “electron holes.” This creates a negatively charged emissive layer and a positively charged conductive layer, which attract each other, drawing electron holes to the emissive layer. The positive-charged holes and negative-charged electrons recombine, lowering the energy levels of the electrons, emitting light as a by-product. Simple, right?

From a development standpoint, OLEDs have a lot of potential. Organic chemistry is a fairly well-understood science—reds, blues, and greens were developed in a much shorter time frame in OLEDs than in regular LEDs. And new molecules that can be used in the layers, which have longer lifetimes and produce brighter colors, are being discovered frequently.

In an OLED, an electrical current causes electrons (-) to move from the cathode to the emissive layer, creating a negative charge in the emissive layer. The positively charged anode attracts electrons from the conductive layer, creating a positive charge in the conductive layer, which recombine with holes (+) in the conductive layer attract electrons from the emissive layer, which recombine with the electron holes, lowering the energy level of the electrons and emitting light as a by-product.

It turns out that OLEDs are great for use in displays, because the organic molecules that comprise the emissive and conductive layers can be deposited in very thin, large sheets onto a variety of substrates—from glass to metal to fiber—so that millions of individual OLEDs can be crammed together, row by row and column by column, into a very small space. Each of these OLEDs becomes one pixel of the display. The organic compounds can be deposited using several methods, depending on the type of organic molecule used in the display.

There are two types of OLEDs currently in production and development, differentiated by the size of the molecules in their organic compounds. Small-molecule OLEDs are usually manufactured via organic vapor phase deposition (OVPD)—the organic molecules are evaporated and carried via inert gas, then deposited on a substrate through a series of very small nozzles held near the substrate’s surface. Large-molecule, or polymer OLEDs, can be created via a process similar to inkjet printing—the polymers are dissolved into a solution and “printed” onto the substrate.

Advantages & Disadvantages

The advantages of OLEDs over traditional LCDs are many. First, unlike liquid-crystal displays, OLED pixels actually emit light, so they don’t require backlighting. Traditional LCD screens often utilize traditional LEDs or CCFLs for backlighting, which—in addition to increasing the thickness of the display to accommodate a light source—prevents the display from rendering true black, as even “black” LCD pixels are backlit. Since OLED pixels produce light when on and don’t produce light (or draw power) when off, a darker, richer black can be created. Having light-emitting pixels also enables richer colors, a broader color gamut, higher contrast, and a greater viewing angle than an LCD screen. Because “off” pixels don’t draw power, and because there’s no need for a separate light source, OLED displays require less energy to run. And because the organic molecules can be printed onto a variety of substrates, flexible displays are possible.

OLEDs, however, are not without their disadvantages. The manufacturing process is still expensive, so large OLED displays are rare—most OLEDs are used in small-screen applications, such as media players and smartphones, though HD displays up to 40-inches have been demonstrated. And the materials used in OLEDs don’t necessarily last as long as regular LCD displays—another reason they’re more frequently found on phones and media players, rather than computer monitors and televisions. Monitors are typically turned on for much longer stretches of time. And finally, the organic materials in OLEDs are extremely susceptible to water damage, so displays must be well-sealed.

OLED to the Future

What’s next for OLED technology? The European Union, among others, is investigating the use of OLEDs as cheap solid-state lighting to replace incandescent bulbs. Their stated goal is to create a 100x100cm square of OLED material that creates 100 lumens per watt of power, has a working lifespan of at least 100,000 hours, and costs less than 100 euros per square meter to produce.

OLEDs have found their way into concept cars, lighting fixtures, PMPs, and laptop prototypes, with the latter expected to enter production by Q3 2010. As manufacturing processes become less expensive, OLED displays could start to replace LCDs, not just in media players and phones, but also in notebook computers, monitors, and televisions, on a much larger scale.

LG Predicts OLED Panels Will Cost Less than LCD by 2016

Paul Lilly — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:45:57 -0500

During the FPD show in Japan, LG laid out its future plans for OLED displays with a roadmap that extends into 2016. And according to Wom Kim, LG's sales and marketing VP, that's the year OLED panels will cost less than LCD displays, providing it can leap over a handful of technological hurdles.

"We will be able to use a lwo-temperature polycrystal silicon with the sixth-generation size glass substrate," Kim said. "However, for 40-inch and larger panels, we have to use the eight-generation size glass substrate.Therefore, we have to develop equipment that can deal with an SPC process at a temperature of more than 700C."

Despite the challenges facing low-cost OLED displays, Kim believes his company will be able to transition from 50 percent higher material costs and 30 percent lower yields compared to LCDs in 2012, to a 20-30 percent lower material cost and equivalent yield in 2016.

Up until then, don't look for too many deals when it comes to OLED.

"Forty-inch and larger OLED panels will be fairly expensive in 2012, but they will be available in the market," Kim added.

Image Credit: LG via Engadget

Kodak Displays Flexible OLED Display that Works Underwater

Paul Lilly — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:30:26 -0500

Common sense dictates that most displays don't fare well under water, and that includes OLED technology. Or at least it used to. According to Kodak, OLEDs "are notoriously moisture-sensitive," so kudos to Kodak for demonstrating its flexible display under water.

The quirky demonstration consisted of a small flexible OLED screen submerged in a cup of water surrounded by Playmobil people. A fish (what else?) swam across the display just under the water line. Aside from the gee-whiz factor, a flexible underwater display opens the door to some innovative designs.

"Fleixble OLEDs have the potential to be a game-changer for the display world, realizing a unique form factor at lower cost," Kodak said. "They also have broad applications in the lighting industry."

Image Credit: Kodak

LG to Start Selling 15" OLED TV this November

Paul Lilly — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:35:02 -0500

It's not very big, but come November, LG plans to start selling a gorgeous-looking 15-inch OLED television set. It will first be commercialized in South Korea and then offered overseas sometime next year, LG said. Larger OLED displays are also expected to follow.

"We are planning to unveil a 40-inch grade (OLED) product in a not too distant future," an LG executive said.

It's anyone's guess what the 15-inch display will cost. High prices have kept OLED technology from being mass produced to compete with LCD technology, which has fallen in cost dramatically in the past several years. To put it into perspective, Sony's two-year old 11-inch XEL-1 still sells for a hefty $2,500 in the U.S.

Image Credit: LG via Engadget

Liquid OLED Technology Brings Flexible Displays One Step Closer

Pulkit Chandna — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:20:21 -0500

Japanese researchers have made a major breakthrough that could prove to be a watershed in the development of flexible OLEDs. Scientists from the Center for Future Chemistry at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan have concocted a “liquid-OLED.”

They have detailed their innovation in the latest issue of Applied Physics Letters. The “liquid-OLED” is named as such on account of its use of a liquid semiconductor layer. This latest technology could yield more pliant and reliable roll-up OLEDs compared to other technologies currently undergoing the rigors of testing and fine-tuning in other part of the world.

Image Credit: OLED Devices

OCZ Announces Sabre OLED Gaming Keyboard

Paul Lilly — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:00:20 -0500

First shown at CES earlier this year and more recently at CeBIT, OCZ this week officially announced the Sabre OLED gaming keyboard, a plank the company promises will be "affordable."

"The OCZ Sabre Keyboard offers the best of both worlds when it comes to OLED technology and a truly functional yet affordable gaming keyboard," commented Eugene Change, VP of Product Management at OCZ.

Nine OLED keys sit on the left side of the Sabre, each one user-programmable and capable of converting digital images or text into icons. Furthermore, the Sabre's proprietary software makes it possible for the OLED keys to change their icons and command tiers on the fly based on whatever application is running. Fire up your favorite FPS, for example, and the icons and macros change to whatever was programmed.

Other features include "glowing amber LEDs", blue side lighting, 128MB of onboard flash memory, "super tactile, low-noise key feedback," and a 5-10 degree tilt design.

No word yet on price or availability.

Image Credit: OCZ

Microsoft Confirms Fall Release for Zune HD

Paul Lilly — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:12:21 -0500

Going toe to toe with Apple's crazy popular iPod Touch is no easy task, but that's exactly what Microsoft will do with its new Zune player, and it isn't shy about saying so. The software giant this week confirmed plans to release the Zune HD this fall, which will be made available only in the U.S. at launch.

"This device is created to go head to head with the iPod Touch," Chris Stephenson, general manger of global marketing for Microsoft Zune, said in a telephone interview with CNet.

Helping it do that will be an OLED touchscreen and HD Radio tuner. The Zune HD will be based on Windows CE with a version of Internet Explorer customized for its touchscreen, Microsoft said. The company also indicated that Zune owners will be able to play HD content on their televisions with a dock.

Expect to see the Zune HD become the definitive Zune product going forward," Stephenson said. "You will continue to see the hard drive product in the market. (The Zune HD) will take over from existing flash devices."

No word yet on price, capacity, or release date.

Image Credit: Microsoftsoft via CNet