Leyard Optoelectronic to Acquire Planar Systems
In August, Oregon-based display manufacturer Planar Systems announced that it would be acquired by a U.S. affiliate of Leyard Optoelectronic, a Chinese electronics manufacturer specializing in LED-based products. The transaction is still subject to regulatory approval and a shareholder vote by Planar, but is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2015. Planar’s board unanimously approved the merger.
Gerry Perkel, president and CEO of Planar, said, “The acquisition by Leyard will provide our investors with a 42% premium to market based on our latest closing price and a 51% premium based on a 7-day volume-weighted average price of Planar common stock of $4.35 and will position the Planar business for continued growth and innovation.”
DisplayMate Nods to Galaxy Note 5 in Shoot-out
DisplayMate recently reviewed the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 edge smartphones – in typical exhaustive fashion. Its conclusion, based on weeks of testing early production units sent to DisplayMate from Samsung Headquarters in Korea: “… the Galaxy Note 5 is the best-performing Smartphone display that we have ever tested. It takes over from the Galaxy Note 4, which was the previous record holder for mobile-display performance.” For more information, see: http://www.displaymate.com/Galaxy_Note5_ShootOut_1.htm.
Qualcomm Develops Update to Mirasol Technology
Using a structure comprising a mirror and an absorbing layer to take advantage of the wave properties of light, researchers at Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, have developed a display technology that harnesses natural ambient light to produce what it claims is an unprecedented range of colors and a superior viewing experience. An article describing this approach recently appeared in The Optical Society’s journal Optica.1
This technology, which is the latest version of an established commercial product known as Qualcomm Mirasol, is designed to reduce the amount of power used in multiple consumer-electronics products. Based on a new color-rendering format its creaters call Continuous Color, the new design may help solve problems affecting mobile displays, such as how to provide an always-on display function without requiring more frequent battery charging and a high-quality viewing experience anywhere, especially in bright outdoor environments.
Futaba Announces Flexible PMOLEDs
Futaba Corporation has announced production availability of its flexible, passive-matrix OLED display. The product is now being made at Futaba’s plant in Kitaibaraki, Japan. It is ultra-thin – 0.3 mm in overall thickness – with a 1.4-in.-diagonal black-and-white format, supporting a resolution of 128 × 16 pixels at a minimum luminance of 600 cd/m2. The display can be formed around any curved object with a radius of 40 mm or larger. Other notable benefits are that it is shatterproof – thereby easier to handle in assembly production lines – and very lightweight, an advantage for wearable devices. Wearables is one of the major intended markets for the product.
Philips Introduces New 55-in. TV
Philips has added another quantum-dot-based display to its portfolio. The new 55-in. 4K TV is based on QD Vision’s Color IQ optics and complements Philips’ existing lineup of quantum-dot displays, including a 27-in. LCD monitor.
Gooch & Housego Has New 6-in.-Diameter Veiling Glare Integrating Sphere
The new Veiling Glare Measurement System from Gooch & Housego was designed for performing veiling-glare test measurements on sensor samples in accordance with VESA 2.0, IDMS1, and other applicable standards on measurement solutions. The sphere consists of a sample port, light trap, and two illumination sources, all located on the sphere’s horizontal axis. The sphere assembly also comes mounted to a rugged base plate. Its internal surfaces and baffles are coated with Gooch & Housego’s Optolon2 high-reflectance coating, which has an effective wavelength range of 300–2500 nm. •
1http://www.osa.org/en-us/about_osa/newsroom/news_releases/2015/mirror-like_display_creates_rich_color_pixels_by_h/