The Kindle e-reader explosion as well as several lesser successes in other market segments over the past year since the publication of NanoMarkets 2009 e-paper report have really put e-paper displays on the map. Despite the economic turmoil of the past two years, e-paper has continued to gain a toehold in shelf labels, smart cards and electronic signage, and pent-up demand for e-paper’s unique properties suggests that once economic conditions improve, the dam of applications could burst. Moreover, e-reader euphoria is generating a lot of activity in the e-paper industry, including acquisitions, the entrance of large companies, accelerated R&D and more.

The power grid transmission system is generally considered separately from both the generation systems and the distribution systems, which are closer to the customer.  “Transmission” is traditionally taken to consist of the step-up transformer located near the generator, the long-distance power lines themselves, and transmission substations that connect to other utilities.  Implicit in this definition is the idea that transmission systems are very much about high capacity.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) and the narrower category of radio frequency interference (RFI) have been a persistent problem in the electronics industry since the earliest days. The traditional example is the "snow" seen on analog television displays; audible static on telephones and radios is another. Such interference can also harm the operation of computers, cell phones, networks and other electronics. And as this list indicates EMI/RFI challenges (and hence opportunities) exist whether any kind of wireless communication is involved or not.

A microgrid, as defined by the Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology Solutions (CERTS), is an "aggregate of loads and micro resources operated as a single system providing heat and power and presented as a single controlled unit to the overall grid." This rather formal definition hides the fact that microgrids will be a crucial component in the trend toward distributed electricity generation that is so central to the Smart Grid concept.

A new class of electronic devices, often associated with the "Internet-of-things" concept, is emerging and includes RFID tags, electronic shelf labels (ESLs), active cosmetic/drug delivery patches, low-cost medical diagnostic products, remote sensor arrays, powered smartcards and smart packaging of various types. Although these devices may be powered to some extent by an energy harvesting approach or by an inductive field generated by some kind of reader system, battery power installed in the electronic device itself usually enables such devices to provide a much higher level of functionality. For example, battery-powered smart cards can have their own displays for one-time password and other applications--something that would be hard to achieve any other way.

Let's face it, printed electronics hasn't turned out the way we all hoped. Just a few years ago the market was talking itself into a frenzy--sharing fantasies of those majestic R2R fabs churning out organic RFID tags and display backplanes with the speed of the New York Times coming off the presses. Seems rather silly in retrospect.

A microgrid, as defined by the Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology Solutions (CERTS), is an "aggregate of loads and micro resources operated as a single system providing heat and power and presented as a single controlled unit to the overall grid." This rather formal definition hides the fact that microgrids will be a crucial component in the trend toward distributed electricity generation that is so central to the Smart Grid concept.

OLED lighting appears to be moving into the product phase - major OLED and lighting firms are starting to reveal how they plan to bring OLED lighting to market and what their longer-term product and market strategies will be.

OLED lighting appears to be moving into the product phase - major OLED and lighting firms are starting to reveal how they plan to bring OLED lighting to market and what their longer-term product and market strategies will be.

High-temperature superconductor (HTS) cables can carry an order of magnitude greater power than traditional cabling and conduct electricity at near zero resistance. Smart Grid Analysis believes there is considerable potential for this new type of cabling to be deployed in the power grid to increase grid capacity, integrate renewable energy, and enhance reliability and security, all key requirements of the Smart Grid vision.