2002's coolest tech. CNN's summary of hot tech trends for 2002 is amazingly clueful, especially given the normally lightweight reportage we've come to expect from CNN.
Scintillating screens: Organic-light-emitting diodes
What is it? A replacement for LCD screen technology.
What's cool? OLEDs rely on organic materials that emit light, so they require no backlighting. That makes them cheaper to produce and less power-hungry than LCDs. They're a natural choice for portable devices when battery life is a key concern. OLED screens are also thinner than LCDs, and the technology can be printed on flexible materials such as plastic. Imagine a computer screen that rolls up and down like a window shade.
When's it coming? Two to three years for PDAs and cell phones; five to ten for laptops and desktop displays.
What's the catch? It's early. Color fidelity can be a problem. Building active-matrix OLED displays — in which each pixel is controlled by two transistors, or twice as many as on a standard notebook LCD — erodes some cost and power advantages.
Impact meter: 5
