Art Lebedev, a well-known design studio in Russia and also the developer of the innovative Optimus keyboards, has quietly adjusted the shipment date for its Optimus mini three keyboard, which was set to be released commercially in mid-May, 2006, but will be actually launched in mid-June, 2006.

Optimus mini three keyboard is a pad with three keys each of which incorporates 20mm x 20mm small PMOLED (organic light-emitting diodes) screens with 96x96 pixels resolution that can display different information, depending on the application. The main advantage the Optimus mini three has is that it can be reprogrammed to perform certain actions depending on the launched software using special configuration utility and reflect the changes in the actions to be performed on the OLED screens.

TI introduced today two new high-efficiency, dual-output DC/DC boost converters that can manage two sets of six white light emitting diodes - all from a single integrated circuit plus inductor. The devices feature an input voltage of 3 V to 6 V and can deliver up to 0.7 A of output current, making them well suited to drive organic LED (OLED) sub-displays and white LED backlighting for the liquid crystal display (LCD) main display in today's clamshell phones.

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Advanced Analogic Technologies Incorporated, a developer of power management semiconductors for mobile consumer electronic devices, today announced the AAT1230, a new 2MHz, 18V, 100mA step-up converter optimized for powering both Organic LED (OLEDs) and general purpose LCD and CCD modules in portable systems.

Using an advanced architecture developed by AnalogicTech, the AAT1230 delivers fast transient response, high stability, and excellent load isolation while dramatically reducing system footprint.

Novaled and Ciba Specialty Chemicals announce an industrial collaboration in the field of OLED materials. Ciba Specialty Chemicals will produce the unique organic dopant and transport materials developed by Novaled.

The unique organic dopant and transport materials for its proprietary OLED technology Novaled PIN OLED(TM) allow OLED devices to perform with the highest power efficiency. While Ciba Specialty Chemicals will produce these materials using its specific know how in the synthesis of organic materials in reliable highest purity, Novaled will continue to market the materials. The two companies will also collaborate in the development of future OLED products and platforms based on the Novaled's technology and materials.

Scientists in the US have devised a new flexible material that could revolutionise the way we light our homes and offices.

The material is the product of a 13 year research project by scientists at the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and the University of Michigan. It is similar to an OLED in that it uses layers of blue, green and red screens to create white light.

The new material replaces the blue screen with a dyed sheet, which cuts power consumption by 20 per cent but still allows the panel to remain clear when not supplied with current. This would allow the panels to be used as sky-light by day or as the transparent top to a laptop.

Sensics today announced the commercial availability of the piSight TM, a high-end panoramic virtual reality (VR) display system that delivers an unprecedented feeling of space and mass in a lightweight head-mounted display. The product of nearly a decade of research supported by NASA and a global car company, piSight uses a breakthrough patented optical design that provides for a 3D wrap-around visual sensation with 150° field of view, 2200x1200 pixels per eye in full color.

The head-mounted display weighs only 2 lbs (1 Kg) and includes an integrated six-degree motion tracker for a fully-immersive VR experience. It uses 24 eMagin OLED microdisplays.

The European OLLA project has demonstrated white OLEDs with an efficacy of 10 lm/W, as well as green ITO-free devices.

Europe's OLLA project, which brings together a consortium of 24 partners to investigate OLEDs for lighting applications, has delivered its first milestone to the European Commission.

We have added a new section to OLED-Info: A list of conferences and events. Enjoy!

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DisplaySearch celebrated its 10th anniversary by holding its 8th Annual US FPD Conference at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, California.

• Kodak discussed new solutions to improving a number of the manufacturing problems that have limited the progress of OLEDs. Kodak claimed to have improved AMOLED yields by a factor of ten over two years and expects AMOLEDs to be cost competitive at up to 4" vs. TFT LCDs by 2007.
• UDC is making real progress with blue phosphorescent solutions and a commercial solution is expected soon.
• CDT indicated it expects the first full color ink-jet printed polymer OLEDs to become available in 2006.
• Samsung SDI revealed their cost reduction strategy to make AMOLEDs competitive with TFT LCDs.

imaging Technology international (iTi) announces the opening of its Inkjet Development Laboratory (IDL) for rental to customers. The IDL enables developers to test inkjet materials and processes on iTi's complete line of development tools at a fraction of the cost of purchasing such equipment.
The IDL is ideal for companies exploring inkjet's potential for nanoparticle fluids, printable electronics, organic electronics, OLED and PLED flat panel displays, touch panels, biomedical and other applications that benefit from the digital control and precise fluid metering offered by inkjet technology.