OLED vs. LED-LCD and Current HDTV Technology

TV Technology always seems to be improving. With CES 2012, we have been exposed to more OLED devices, and more notably OLED TVs. OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode, and it is paving the way for better picture, higher contrast, and thinner televisions and visual devices.

OLED TVs on display at CES 2012.
Image source: treehugger.com

What is the difference between OLED and LED-LCD TVs which are available now? To summarize a huge subject in to a few sentences: OLED does not require a backlight, as compared to an LCD which requires a backlight (the backlight being LEDs in an LED-LCD TV). This simple fact allows an OLED to be drastically thinner than conventional HDTVs out today.

Another huge advantage of OLED displays is the fact that they have the potential be twisted and turned to almost any degree, given their extremely thin nature and no need for a backlight.

OLED displays have the potential to be twisted and bent in many different angles
while preserving the image. Try that with a conventional screen.
Image source: mydigitallife.info

OLED technology has always been in the back of manufacturers' minds, but recently the technology has finally seen the momentum that the market has been waiting for. With an already saturated LCD TV Market, new technologies must break the barrier of what is possible in terms of image quality, contrast, and realism. OLED is exactly that new technology which will revitalize a market that currently seems capped.

Many cellphones already use an AMOLED screen which offers a drastic different when viewing pictures and video. OLED technology has been expensive to develop, but like any other technology, with time prices come down (we can see this same trend in the SSD market).

OLED redefines how thin TVs can be.
Image source: treehugger.com

Get ready for the new revolution past the standard HDTVs that we have on the market today. With OLED, we will certainly see drastically better picture quality, contrast, and with that, the possibility of a new HDTV standard with a much higher resolution than 1080p. Strap yourselves for an exciting decade in visual technology.

Chairman and Three Directors from Yahoo Step Down

Yahoo! Inc. has been experiencing a plethora of changes recently. First beginning with CEO Carol Bartz being removed as CEO and replaced with Mr. Scott Thompson. And now, three directors from Yahoo's Board of Directors are stepping down. In addition, the Chairman, Mr. Roy Bostock has also stepped down.

Former Chairman of the Board, Roy Bostock stepped
down along with two other directors.
Image Source: AP

What do the new changes mean for Yahoo? With Google continuously applying pressure to Yahoo's search engine, and a failure of the Bing contract with Microsoft, Yahoo is in need of dire change. Perhaps this change will not only please stockholders, but may introduce inherent changes to the company's technological direction and focus.

Only time will tell—over at Yahoo however, time is something far from perpetual—which gives further reason to the changes to the Board of Directors.

Google Acquires Motorola Mobility - What Now?

Google (GOOG) has recently announced that they will be acquiring Motorola Mobility (MMI) for a whopping $12.5 billion. The deal was under wraps even within Google, as only top management knew about the acquisition up until this week, when Google officially announced their largest acquisition.

The acquisition shakes things up in an already competitive mobile-phone market comprised of giants like Apple, Microsoft, and RIM. What makes this acquisition more interesting is the fact that Google is the developer of the widely popular Android mobile operating system, which already comprises approximately 48% of the market share of worldwide phones operating systems (Canalys, 2011).

The Android operating system is designed by Google and is one

of the most popular operating systems in the mobile phone world.

Image Source: android.com

However, this poses antitrust and regulatory issues for Google in court. Google is optimistic that the acquisition will be given a green light albeit it is possible there will be several conditions set forth by the court. Such conditions include a "chinese wall" between Google's Android division and Google's hardware/manufacturing divisions for handsets to avoid any preference for Motorola products before other manufacturers such as LG, Samsung, and HTC. For example, Google may effectively seize more market share with Motorola if they choose to release new versions of Android onto their Motorola products prior to releasing them for use on other phones. In addition, if the acquisition does go through, Google has agreed to pay $2.5 billion in cash to Motorola Mobility--a sign of the regulatory risks involved with this acquisition.

Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility may put Google in a stronger position to
compete with the Apple iPhone's huge market share in the mobile phone market.
Image Source: eastersealstech.com

One of the primary benefits of this acquisition is that Google will now have the ability to manufacture and design their own phones with ease, something that rival Apple has had the power of doing for years with their iPhone. Additionally, Google gets an arsenal of patents (17,000 and counting to be exact, with 7,500 pending) to defend their designs with. Recently patents have been an essential part of defending and attacking other companies which attempt to replicate certain design features and software features; for example, Apple recently sued Samsung over their Galaxy Tablet 2, which resembles the Apple iPad 2.

With the ability to manufacture phones on a much larger scale than before, as well as the ability to defend intellectual designs with thousands of patents, Google may be making quite a good decision in acquiring Motorola Mobility. Only time will confirm whether or not it was a good decision in the long run.