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Philips debuts 'world's first' AC-powered white-light OLED module

By | September 10, 2010, 8:04am PDT

Summary: OLED technology being used for just smartphones and computers. Philips has unveiled what the company declares as the “world’s first” 230V AC-powered white-light OLED module, with plans for mass-market products eventually.

OLED technology being used for just smartphones and computers. Philips has unveiled what the company declares as the “world’s first” 230V AC-powered white-light OLED module, with plans for mass-market products eventually.

One of the reasons this is a bit of milestone is that OLEDs have always been powered by DC source. But with the switch to AC power, OLEDs can draw power directly from an ordinary wall socket, leading the way to plenty of more consumer goods being produced with these solid-state light emitters.

Philips argues that OLED lighting is preferable over LEDs because OLED is a calmer light source, easier to dim, and it covers an extended area. Either way, it’s difficult to predict where this will go from here until we see the new OLED white-light modules in consumer goods and what kind of price tags they have attached.

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Rachel King is a staff writer for ZDNet based in San Francisco.

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Rachel King

Rachel King has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted in this blog.

Biography

Rachel King

Rachel King is a staff writer for CBS Interactive in San Francisco. Before serving as a contributing editor at ZDNet in New York City for two years, she previously worked for The Business Insider, FastCompany.com, CNN's San Francisco bureau and the U.S. Department of State. Rachel has also written for MainStreet.com, Irish America Magazine and the New York Daily News, among others. Rachel has a B.A. in Mass Communications and History from the University of California, Berkeley and a M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University, where she served as art director for the student magazine, Plated.

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Philips debuts 'world's first' AC-powered white-light OLED module
xyhj0909 4th Aug
OLED technology will more and more used in the electronics industry.
http://www.blueboo.cn
Before the Internet, news had informational content. What does "OLED" stand for?
@thosmason@...
This is a blog.....I am sure it was very difficult for you to search the term seeing as you can only ready this on internet. Do you not look up things you do not know when you read novels?
@thosmason@...
Organic Light Emitting Diode.
Great for Europe and their dangerous home voltage. The US uses 120VAC. Let us know when they have something for the #1 market.
@MSBassSinger. What ignorance and arrogance! Take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_power_around_the_world
you'll see that the clear majority of countries of the world use 220-240VAC. #1 Market - what a laugh!
This is new? There are scads of normal, 120VAC LED lights for home use. Who cares if it is "organic" so long as it works?

http://www.ledlight.com/ is just one of the many sites to find out what is available.
@MSBassSinger
Most of those products you are referring to have built in AC/DC converters. This Phillips product, I believe, claims to power the OLEDs directly from AC current leaving behind expensive and possibly fault prone circuitry.
@CFD220
Considering these LEDs are diodes, maybe they constructed the product using the LEDs as a bridge rectifier to convert the AC directly. That way they're just eliminating extra non-LED diodes.
I know Philips is great, but we only have small company's products, like http://www.nkt-led.com, so helpless.
OLED technology will more and more used in the electronics industry.
http://www.blueboo.cn

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