Archive for category Other Technology
Mitsubishi Chemical and Pioneer form OLED alliance
Posted by LED Larry in LED, Other Technology on March 9th, 2010
Mitsubishi Chemical plans to release OLED lighting products through its Verbatim brand in 2011.
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation and Pioneer Corporation have entered into an alliance covering their OLED lighting businesses, as well as a capital alliance that will strengthen their inter-company relations.
Mitsubishi Chemical is entering the OLED lighting business, and is aiming to begin full-scale mass production and launch of illumination products in 2011 through its Verbatim brand. The company’s target sales for the OLED lighting business are ¥30 billion (about $330 million) for 2015, and ¥100 billion ($1.1 billion) for 2020.
Mitsubishi Chemical plans to use OLED lighting panels supplied by Pioneer, but is also looking into performing joint research on printable OLED lighting development, as well as commercialization of such products.
Also, in order to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two companies, Pioneer will issue Mitsubishi Chemical about ¥600 million in new stock through third-party allotment.
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| OLED Lighting Panel Prototype |
Both companies are currently performing joint research on OLED lighting panels that use printable hole injecting material (HIM) and new emitting materials. In line with its goal to start early stage mass production and marketing of new printable emitting materials, Mitsubishi Chemical is moving on with research and development, as well as looking into the commercialization of printable OLED lighting.
OLED lighting panels are typically created through a vapor deposition process, which makes it difficult to mass-produce large, uniform surfaces with no defects. However, Mitsubishi Chemical says that its unique printable materials can enable the mass-production of panels with an area of about 14cm square, using Pioneer’s commercial lines.
Mitsubishi Chemical plans to display the world’s first dimmable/tone-adjustable OLED prototype this year at Light+Building (April 11 – 16 in Frankfurt, Germany) in the Verbatim GmbH booth.
Targeted Ads: Bagging Times Square Billboards
Posted by LED Larry in Other Technology on October 12th, 2009
When thousands of trendy fashionistas converge for New York Fashion Week, Sept. 10-17, Target is ready. The retailer kicked off an eight-week outdoor campaign in Times Square Friday, transforming its giant billboards into art-commissioned works. When the creative effort ends, the vinyl will be refitted into 1,6000 limited-edition totes by Anna Sui.
The giant graphics marry elements of New York City to Target’s popular bulls-eye symbol.
Four New York-based artists — Laurie Rosenwald, Michael Anderson, Josh Goldstein, and Charles Wilkin — were chosen in partnership with ad agency, Mother. They produced original art pieces inspired by both the city and the brand’s well-known graphic.
The billboard bags sell for $29.99 at Target.com while supplies last. At purchase, buyers can customize their tote by selecting an artist’s design for their restyled bag, which ships in January.
“Target is thrilled to give emerging artists the most visible canvas in the world to display their work,” says Michael Francis, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Target, in a statement.
Added Anna Sui: “My design fuses art and ingenuity with New York City street-chic.”
Rosenwald created two collages — one with a cheery face, the other sporting pop typography with the words “See” and “NYC.” Anderson was inspired by the Statue of Liberty and Big Apple. Goldstein intersects images of New York City signs from bodegas and Coney Island to produce a giant red bulls-eye. Wilkin fashioned a collage of classic New York images, including a yellow taxi and a subway stop.
Minneapolis-based Target Corp. has 1,719 stores in 49 states.
LED Take-A-Number Systems
Posted by LED Larry in LED, Other Technology on June 18th, 2009
LED Take-A-Number System
LED Take-A-Number Systems provide flexibility and organization for your changing business needs. The Take-A-Number Displays are available in 2 or 3-digits featuring 5.5” characters visible up to 125 feet. Each display is designed with “picture-style” wall mounts for easy installation. Optional ceiling mounts are available if needed. Every display is equipped with an internal audio chime that can be adjusted or turned off. With simple and easy-to-follow installation instructions, customizing your Take-A-Number System has never been easier.
WIRELESS OPERATION
With our convenient remote control you can advance the numbers, go back a number, or reset the numbers. Multiple remotes can be utilized within line of sight for up to 30 feet.
WIRED OPERATION
Each LED display includes two push buttons with 40 feet of wire (free of charge) for manual/wired operation. Additional push buttons andwire may be added as needed.
• Take-A-Number Systems offer a variety of multicolored ticket options and feature large, easy-to-read displays
• Weather-resistant display casing along with ultra-bright LEDs
are available for outdoor applications
BENEFITS
• Customize a solution to meet your dynamic needs
• 2 and 3-digit displays available to help manage customer volumes
• Counter top and floor stand ticket dispensers available
• Improve customer service by eliminating waiting lines
• Order replacement tickets and accessories online anytime
• Low-maintenance, easy to install, and easy to operate
FEATURES
• Push buttons and wireless remotes provide convenient, easy to-use operation
• LED displays offer internal and external chime features
•Take-A-Number Systems offer a variety of multicolored ticket options and feature large, easy-to-read displays
• Weather-resistant display casing along with ultra-bright LEDs are available for outdoor applications
Purchase LED Take-A-Number Systems Here
UV LEDs can create lettuce with deeper color, more antioxidants
Posted by LED Larry in LED, Lighting, Other Technology on June 17th, 2009
Plants grown with LEDs
Plant physiologists from the USDA have developed a way to use UV LEDs to make lettuce darker and redder, and therefore healthier.
Steven Britz, a plant physiologist from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and colleagues have developed a way to make lettuce darker and redder – and therefore healthier with more antioxidants – using ultraviolet LEDs, according to an article posted on the Laser Focus World magazine website.
The research will be presented at the 2009 Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics/International Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/IQEC), which takes place May 31 to June 5 in Baltimore, Maryland.
When bombarded with ultraviolet rays from the sun, the lettuce leaf creates UV-absorbing polyphenolic compounds in its outer layer of cells. Some of these compounds are red, and help block UV radiation, which can mutate plant DNA and damage the photosynthesis that allows a plant to make its food.
To create red leaf lettuce plants enriched with these antioxidant compounds, Britz purchased low-power LEDs that shine with UVB light, a component of natural sunlight. In small quantities, this ultraviolet light allows humans to produce vitamin D, which has been cited for its health benefits.
Britz exposed the plants to levels of UVB light comparable to those that a beach goer would feel on a sunny day, approximately 10mW/sq.m. After 43 hours of exposure to UVB light, the growing lettuce plants were noticeably redder than other plants that only saw white light.
Inside an LED TV
Posted by LED Larry in LED, Other Technology on April 20th, 2009
Posted By: Michael J. Miller
Original Source: blogs.pcmag.com
Ever wonder what’s inside your TV? Yesterday afternoon, I went to a press event hosted by Samsung Electronics where the company not only showed its new line of TVs, but had all of the pieces on display.
The TV in question is one of Samsung’s new “LED TVs.” Technically, these are LCD televisions with what others call “LED-edgelighting” meaning that the display is lit from LEDs on the edge of the TVs rather than the display being lit from behind (as in most LCD TVs, which use fluorescent backlighting; or traditional LED-backlit displays in notebooks, etc.)
After the jump are pictures of all the components.
The part of the display in front is the bezel, and these LED TVs continue Samsung’s “Touch of Color” theme, with a reddish tint. The speakers and an IR receiver are built into the bezel.
Behind comes the LCD panel itself, the guts of any TV. Some of the LED TVs (the 6000 and 7000 series) have a 120 Hz refresh rate; the high-end 8000 series features a 240 Hz refresh rate. Samsung’s 240 Hz rate includes frame interpolation for all the missing frames, as opposed to inserting black frames in a strobe fashion.
What makes this TV different from most TVs is the lighting. It has LEDs on the edges of the panels, and the light is aimed at a “light guide” – a special sheet with tiny prisms that reflect the light toward the front of the set. There are more prisms towards the center (which is farther from the light source) than near the edges, creating a more consistent level of brightness.
The light guide is part of the overall backlight unit. In front of it are sheets of glass that diffuse, filter, and polarize the light; and in back of it goes a reflective panel so all the light stays in the set.
Behind the backlight goes the electronics that run the TV. In this case, they are separated into three distinct groups, including the main circuit board, TV tuner, and the power supply. I noticed how there were holes in the motherboard itself so some thicker pieces could be places within the holes, making the combined electronics a bit thinner.
This set has two USB ports (one powered), 4 HDMI ports, and the usual other assortment of ports.
Of course, at the end the TV is put together, with a back case as well. The LED lighting , along with other things such as the thinner electronics, help make this set very thin: just 1.2-inches deep. And Samsung has a mount that lets it attach to the wall in only 0.6-inches.
Samsung actually will have three lines of LED TVs – the 6000 series, which features a 120 Hz refresh rate; the 7000 series, which adds IPTV features that Samsung calls “Media 2.0″; and the 8000 series, which includes the Media 2.0 features and goes up to a 240 Hz refresh rate.
I thought this was a great display of the things that go into making a modern TV.