Jeez, you lot are a critical bunch, and obviously have never worked in product development or engineering.
This is effectively a demonstration, a prototype, a working proof of concept. It's not a finished product for sale. Do you expect the first sight of a new development to appear in a retail item?
In a decade or two these will probably be cheap enough that consumer packaging will be made of them, and going to the grocery store will be a seizure-inducing neon nightmare.
I seem to remember Cambridge Labs demo-ing a plastic, bendable screen a decade or so ago, albeit only in mono-chrome and only displaying a static image.
The cynic in me says that OLED is being pushed over the Cambridge tech because it has a guaranteed failure point (once the organic element breaks down enough).
For once it makes a lot of sense to see the potential of this kind of thing a decade or two ahead. It's yummy, desirable and addictive, although it's not yet available - the fucking thing will almost sell itself... Like the touch-screen hunger met by Apple after a lot of previous experiments by other makers. The first company out with a stunningly designed and easy-to-use product will rake it in. Like, say, Apple... The future is with us to stay, so to say - as long as our masters and betters don't incinerate us all.
Samsung UN55B8000 55" LED TV (Widescreen, 1920x1080, HDTV)
Panasonic VIERA TC-L32X1 32" LCD TV (Widescreen, 1366x768, HDTV)
Panasonic VIERA TC-P50X1 50" Plasma TV (Widescreen, 1366x768, 30,000:1, HDTV)
Samsung LN52B750 52" LCD TV (Widescreen, 1920x1080, HDTV)
Toshiba 32AV502R 32" LCD TV (Widescreen, 1366x768, HDTV)
Firm touts bendy, wearable OLED screen
Mark Lockwood
Ergonomic design #
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 09:14 GMT
Wow, that circuit board wrist strap looks so comfortable....
Shaun Austin
Hmmmm #
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 10:35 GMT
And please no one notice the enormous lump of not particularly flexible or compact hardware that actually drives the thing!!
Anonymous Coward
Flexible? #
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 10:35 GMT
If that's the maximum curvature, it'll only ever fit American forearms...
Peter Kay
Fake pic #
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 10:35 GMT
I'll be more impressed when I see a picture which isn't so obviously fake. Real example of technology, please!
Lloyd
Looks great #
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 10:35 GMT
Presumably you can run the cable to a backpack containing the huge pcb attached?
drunk.smile
"initially developed for military use" #
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:13 GMT
Until they realised that full body chameleonesque camoflage only has an application in computer games.
fifi
prototype? #
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:13 GMT
Jeez, you lot are a critical bunch, and obviously have never worked in product development or engineering.
This is effectively a demonstration, a prototype, a working proof of concept. It's not a finished product for sale. Do you expect the first sight of a new development to appear in a retail item?
Trevor Watt
Samsung have a folding screen in a concept phone. #
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:13 GMT
Don't forget Samsung's OLED phone concept: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/11/24/folding_oled_samsung_phone/
Now that is a flexible screen!
Anonymous Coward
Prediction? #
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:58 GMT
In a decade or two these will probably be cheap enough that consumer packaging will be made of them, and going to the grocery store will be a seizure-inducing neon nightmare.
EvilGav
Errr #
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 12:20 GMT
I seem to remember Cambridge Labs demo-ing a plastic, bendable screen a decade or so ago, albeit only in mono-chrome and only displaying a static image.
The cynic in me says that OLED is being pushed over the Cambridge tech because it has a guaranteed failure point (once the organic element breaks down enough).
Anonymous Coward
Time to lower the tone.... #
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 12:51 GMT
With screen quality like this on your wrist, it's the ideal place for p0rn on the go!
Mines the dubiously stained mac.....
xjy
Beyond our noses #
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 14:14 GMT
For once it makes a lot of sense to see the potential of this kind of thing a decade or two ahead. It's yummy, desirable and addictive, although it's not yet available - the fucking thing will almost sell itself... Like the touch-screen hunger met by Apple after a lot of previous experiments by other makers. The first company out with a stunningly designed and easy-to-use product will rake it in. Like, say, Apple... The future is with us to stay, so to say - as long as our masters and betters don't incinerate us all.
(Paris because she nose everything that matters)
Stuart Halliday
Get real #
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 14:14 GMT
Far too many posters here are non technical.
The picture is of a bog standard development board set up.
These are products sold to us technical Bods to enable us to make the pretty gadgets you know and love.
Once its finalised it's wrapped up in a nice case.
Whether or not that'll be a bendy box is up to the maker.
Obviously not only the display needs to be bendy, but the PCB needs to be too of course.
Dan
How big? #
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 16:21 GMT
I'm thinking 10-20 years from now, when wallpaper can be made of the stuff and I can redecorate a room in seconds!
How flexible? The prototype doesn't seem to flex much, but long until predator-style active camouflage is a reality?
And yes, it is a prototype, so stop bitching about the attached PCB!