Digital Lifescapes

There once was a time when mobile phones merely made voice calls. That era of mobile technology now seems like a very distant past, given the typical capabilities of today's multifaceted smartphone.  The advent of voice-activated features on media tablets ads yet another dimension to evolving mobile devices. Furthermore, developments in display interface technologies are making it possible so that your personal mobile device may become the hub for all your computing experiences at home, in the office, and on-the-go over the next 5 years. According to the latest market study by ABI Research, hundreds of millions of PCs, displays, and projectors offer this interface capability today -- and 2.1 billion smartphones and tablets are forecast to ship with this functionality through 2018. For decades, PCs have included a VGA port to extend displays outside the box, such as monitors and projectors. Now, market demand is increasing for this functionality from the smartphone and tablet...

After struggling in 2011 with a challenging market environment, due to sliding demand and price erosion, 2012 marks a year of recovery for the flat panel display (FPD) industry. According to the latest market study by NPD DisplaySearch, worldwide FPD revenues will reach $120 billion in 2012 -- that's up 8 percent from $111 billion in 2011, and exceeding 2010 revenues. Among the various FPD technologies, TFT LCD accounts for the majority of revenues at $107.7 billion in 2012, up from $99.4 billion in 2011. However, AMOLED displays once again showed the strongest Y/Y growth, as manufacturing capacity and market players continue to expand. However, with the exception of LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon, a form of microdisplay) all other display technologies, including plasma and passive matrix forms of LCD and OLED, are declining in 2012. In a sharp reversal, AMEPD (active matrix electrophoretic display), which is used in monochrome e-readers, swung from strong growth in 2011 to ...