LED and Solar Lights

June 26, 2009

Samsung May Provide OLED Displays for “Holographic” In-Car Display

Just in case the 3-D dashboard didn’t pique your interest, Samsung has also been looking into the automotive industry to see where they can provide some improvement. Their idea of a futuristic dashboard provides a somewhat similar experience as the 3-D cousin, but is based on Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED) that create pseudo-holographic image to provide you with data.

Traditionally, when OLEDs are used in the televisions, or similarly constructed products, the OLEDs are placed in front of a black background. This creates a contrast that makes the color more vivid and easier to distinguish from the surrounding environment. The dark color also provides a sense of depth to the image and grounds it to whatever product is being viewed.

For vehicle information however, Samsung opted to remove the black backdrop and essentially make a transparent OLED board that, when illuminated, projects an image into thin air. The effect is basically the same as a 2 dimensional hologram, only smaller.

According to Samsung, the technology could easily be adapted to fit on the inside surface of the windshield and display anything from GPS Navigation data to your favorite playlist. The system could also be installed above the steering wheel and act as the vehicles information center.

The has been no official word about plans to move forward with this, but considering the current trend of in-car technology, it shouldn’t be too long before we see these in almost every vehicle on the road.

Jalopnik , How Stuff Works

June 16, 2009

Banish Backyard Bugs with Repelight Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Repelight, from Compact Impact of Japan, is a 26-watt compact fluorescent “bug light” that glows gold but acts green.

With tropical mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile Virus and Dengue Fever on the rise, it makes sense to bolster your backyard bug banishers before the pesky varmints put the bite on you and your family. Now you can do just that while at the same time save bucks – and the environment – with the Repelight CFL (compact fluorescent light) energy efficient bulb.

June 9, 2009

OLED Television Wallpaper Gives You a Room With a View

Imagine walking into the room of tomorrow… no need to reach for a light switch; the walls are already gently glowing with scenes of an undersea paradise. Hit the remote and one wall transforms into a floor-to-ceiling TV screen or the backdrop to the newest video game.

Sound like a dream? Engineers at Japan’s Toshiba corporation are well on the way to making it reality.

The crux of the biscuit is the wallpaper. Not just ANY wallpaper, of course, this is a specially developed material that utilizes flexible OLED (organic electroluminescence) screen technology to emit light in a controlled manner.

Anything from a featureless glow that serves as room lighting to action-packed movies, TV programs and computer games is possible. Those impressed by the newest flat screen TV wall mounts are sure to do a neck-snapping double take.

Although OLEDs are not new, their low efficiency has been a roadblock to more widespread applications. Toshiba’s answer is nanotechnology.

According to Toshiba spokesman Kaori Hiraki, “The wallpaper uses light that has been redirected by an ultra-fine grating that is fabricated by self-assembled nano particles.” It would seem that the effect might be similar to that of a Fresnel lens like those used in traffic lights, amplifying the intensity without requiring additional energy.

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