Wholesale electronics offers resellers high profit margins along with high volume sales, when done right.
Resellers, whether flea market vendors, eBay sellers, or dollar stores, will be faced with competition from online and offline retailers who can buy wholesale electronics at a lower price.
To outmaneuver this competition in the wholesale electronics business, resellers need to have a strategic plan in place.
Part one of their plan deals with finding the best sources for wholesale electronics at the lowest possible prices.
For this reason I would recommend resellers to stay away from drop shippers when looking for wholesale electronics.
Since the drop shipper is set up to offer his products to thousands of other resellers, you will not be able to compete based on price. All the resellers are paying the same price to the wholesale electronic drop shipper, so how can your prices be lower?
When looking to buy wholesale electronics you want to get as close to the source as possible.
Since you will not be able to buy brand name wholesale electronics for a lower price than major retailers can, you will want to look for lesser known wholesale electronic sellers.
For instance, ABC Electronics might not have the name recognition that Sharp enjoys, but you can show customers that the quality is the same, and as long as your prices are lower some customers should buy the wholesale electronics manufactured by ABC Electronics.
When you contact these companies looking for wholesale electronics ask them for their overstock, overrun, and closeout deals. You would be surprised at the wholesale electronics deals you can find from small manufacturers that are looking to move merchandise out.
You can find great wholesale electronics deals but it will take some solid leg work.
Donny Lowy is the CEO of http://www.closeoutexplosion.com, an online wholesale and closeout business, and http://www.wholesalecloseoutforum.com, an educational site for the wholesale and closeout business.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donny_Lowy
Monday, October 29, 2007
Electronics Show Influences Still Reverberating
The CES (International Consumer Electronics Show) for this year may be over, but its after effects are still reverberating around the blogosphere and beyond. Electronic giants, Media conglomerates, Satellite Television Companies, HDTV (High Definition Television) manufacturers and everyone else in the digital universe attend the CES. The CES is the premier location for them to show their wares. How we sit on the cusp of the transition from an analog to a digital world was one of the big topics explored this year. From the popularity of all-digital Satellite Television, digital video cameras and the newest digital televisions, we see proof that the transition is very real. Monumental changes are happening in the entertainment world. Mobile TV or streaming video on the handset or cellular phone was another one of the stars at the CES.
Another topic was the fact that consumers are purchasing, recording, saving, using, moving and creating more of all types of digital media. The emerging digital lifestyle is changing all of the time and one way that companies try to get a handle on this shifting universe is doing research. One small, but very important method, is for the experts to actually come to your home! They call it Environmental Observation Research. They come to your home (with permission) and bring digital video cameras and watch you interacting with your digital stuff! They also conduct interviews and in general snoop around and try to discover all that they can about the home entertainment habits of consumers. Anthropologists call this ethnographic research and they do the same thing, except that they stay around for a year or two.
Some experts in the industry are worried that consumers are falling behind in their knowledge of the new technologies. For example, many consumers confused HD television with Digital Television. Some erroneously thought that HDTV was coming in about two years. Plasma television was also a source of confusion for some—one consumer thought that he would have to spend 20,000 dollars to get a plasma set. Most consumers knew little to nothing about DVR technology (Digital Video Recorders). After they were told that DVR’s allow you to record and pause live television and replace and improve the old VCR technology, they could readily understand it. However, this research underscored the lack of information in large segments of the population. Interestingly, the researchers found out that every household has an unofficial IT manager, and they are the go-to person when someone in the family needs help and information on a new topic or device. I just bet you are the IT expert in your home, aren’t you?
One of the largest lessons from the CEA: Back up your digital memories, files, photos, and videos… And do it now! This is a poorly understood and poorly actualized area. Most consumers just aren’t aware of the importance of backing up, and furthermore they don’t know the technologies to back up their files, such as burning data discs, having copies at other locations, and storing their information on the Internet. Do not lose those precious videos!
You will find only the best Dish Network deals in L. Dixon's articles. Check back frequently for new submissions from Dixon about new technology and how you can find the best Dish Network Promotions for your home and family.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_Dixon
Another topic was the fact that consumers are purchasing, recording, saving, using, moving and creating more of all types of digital media. The emerging digital lifestyle is changing all of the time and one way that companies try to get a handle on this shifting universe is doing research. One small, but very important method, is for the experts to actually come to your home! They call it Environmental Observation Research. They come to your home (with permission) and bring digital video cameras and watch you interacting with your digital stuff! They also conduct interviews and in general snoop around and try to discover all that they can about the home entertainment habits of consumers. Anthropologists call this ethnographic research and they do the same thing, except that they stay around for a year or two.
Some experts in the industry are worried that consumers are falling behind in their knowledge of the new technologies. For example, many consumers confused HD television with Digital Television. Some erroneously thought that HDTV was coming in about two years. Plasma television was also a source of confusion for some—one consumer thought that he would have to spend 20,000 dollars to get a plasma set. Most consumers knew little to nothing about DVR technology (Digital Video Recorders). After they were told that DVR’s allow you to record and pause live television and replace and improve the old VCR technology, they could readily understand it. However, this research underscored the lack of information in large segments of the population. Interestingly, the researchers found out that every household has an unofficial IT manager, and they are the go-to person when someone in the family needs help and information on a new topic or device. I just bet you are the IT expert in your home, aren’t you?
One of the largest lessons from the CEA: Back up your digital memories, files, photos, and videos… And do it now! This is a poorly understood and poorly actualized area. Most consumers just aren’t aware of the importance of backing up, and furthermore they don’t know the technologies to back up their files, such as burning data discs, having copies at other locations, and storing their information on the Internet. Do not lose those precious videos!
You will find only the best Dish Network deals in L. Dixon's articles. Check back frequently for new submissions from Dixon about new technology and how you can find the best Dish Network Promotions for your home and family.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_Dixon
Electronic Locks - Revolutionizing The World Of Door Locks
You are not safe behind locked doors. Yes, you definitely aren’t. With thieves and burglars getting hold of every possible way to get past doors locked with the conventional mechanical locks, locked doors aren’t safe enough anymore. A simple twist and the conventional locks give way. But now there is hope, and it has found the form of a great new technology – Electronic Locks. An electronic lock, as the name suggests, is a device using a certain form of electronics to authenticate the identity of every person it. Electronic locks are more secure than conventional mechanical locks. Electronic locks are definitely a step ahead of conventional mechanical locks with regards the level of safety offered. Electronic locks provide many advantages over conventional locks which can be aptly termed to be “electronic lock services”. For example, electronic locks offer a log of successful attempts in getting past them, as also a log of failed attempts of sneaking through them.
Electronic locks can be used almost everywhere. Unlike conventional locks, electronic locks come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The best application of an electronic lock is to use one as a door lock. Electronic door locks are undoubtedly the best amongst all alternatives available today. Electronic door locks, like a lot of electronic lock have a magnetic lock to use it manually. Also prevalent is the use of other older mechanisms which often use an electronic motor to move a deadbolt. Electronic lock services require providing electrical currents to the lock. Providing electrical currents to a lock within a door can be difficult. Hence a common solution to this is a use of an electronic strike plate.
Electronic door locks score over other mechanical locks due to the fact that electronic locks provide a variety of means of authentication such as the use of Numerical codes, passwords and pass phrases, Security tokens, Biometrics etc. An electronic lock service using numerical codes for authentication is the most prevalent form of electronic locking. In these kinds of electronic locking services, the correct code must be entered in order for the electronic door lock to deactivate. These kinds of electronic lock services typically provide a keypad, and some electronic door locks also feature an audible response to each press. Combination lengths are usually between 4 and 6 digits long. The larger the combination, the stronger is your electronic door lock. Electronic lock services are also available with a slight variation to the above. The variation on this design involves the user entering the correct password or a pass phrase to deactivate the electronic lock.
Another means of authenticating users used in electronic locks is to require them to scan or "swipe" a security token such as a smart card or similar, or to interact a token with the lock. Biometric electronic lock services are the latest in electronic door lock systems. Such electronic locks use features such as scanning of fingers, fingerprint scanning, eye scanning, and security features such as voice recognition etc to authenticate users.
David Jones - Security expert. Working in NY City, for http://www.VertexSecurity.com, Providing a wide range of products and services evolving Security cameras, high-end electronic locks, and all types of security systems.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_Richards
Electronic locks can be used almost everywhere. Unlike conventional locks, electronic locks come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The best application of an electronic lock is to use one as a door lock. Electronic door locks are undoubtedly the best amongst all alternatives available today. Electronic door locks, like a lot of electronic lock have a magnetic lock to use it manually. Also prevalent is the use of other older mechanisms which often use an electronic motor to move a deadbolt. Electronic lock services require providing electrical currents to the lock. Providing electrical currents to a lock within a door can be difficult. Hence a common solution to this is a use of an electronic strike plate.
Electronic door locks score over other mechanical locks due to the fact that electronic locks provide a variety of means of authentication such as the use of Numerical codes, passwords and pass phrases, Security tokens, Biometrics etc. An electronic lock service using numerical codes for authentication is the most prevalent form of electronic locking. In these kinds of electronic locking services, the correct code must be entered in order for the electronic door lock to deactivate. These kinds of electronic lock services typically provide a keypad, and some electronic door locks also feature an audible response to each press. Combination lengths are usually between 4 and 6 digits long. The larger the combination, the stronger is your electronic door lock. Electronic lock services are also available with a slight variation to the above. The variation on this design involves the user entering the correct password or a pass phrase to deactivate the electronic lock.
Another means of authenticating users used in electronic locks is to require them to scan or "swipe" a security token such as a smart card or similar, or to interact a token with the lock. Biometric electronic lock services are the latest in electronic door lock systems. Such electronic locks use features such as scanning of fingers, fingerprint scanning, eye scanning, and security features such as voice recognition etc to authenticate users.
David Jones - Security expert. Working in NY City, for http://www.VertexSecurity.com, Providing a wide range of products and services evolving Security cameras, high-end electronic locks, and all types of security systems.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_Richards
Saturday, October 27, 2007
What are the best features of a portable DVD player?
A great movie can make a long trip go by very easily, especially when flying. Often however, the movie you watch on the small screen at the front of your cabin is edited and interrupted by announcements from the crew about dinner. Have you ever considered taking a portable DVD player with you? With one of these and a good set of headphones, you can enjoy that action flick while everyone else is stuck hearing about the Grand Canyon. Check out our list of recommended features below to help you choose the best portable DVD player.
* Dimensions A portable DVD player can end up feeling like a small brick to some, especially those which have large rechargeable batteries attached to them. While all players tend to run small, weight can vary by several pounds so make sure to check the side of the box before you buy.
* Disc Formats Supported Besides playing standard DVDs, many portable players today can double as CD players as well, eliminating the need to take one extra device on your trip.
* You should also consider seeing if your player can support CD-R,CD-RW or DVD-R as well, as these do-it-yourself disc formats are becoming popular amongst those who have burners at home.
* Outputs One of the great things about portable DVD players is that they can substitute for regular size cousins on the fly when you need to plug into your home entertainment system. You'll want to consider a player which has high quality outputs, such as S-Video for video and Optical Out for audio, so you can get the best quality playback possible.
* Screen Many players today come with built-in screens, which make it the ultimate DVD entertainment device for the road. While screen size varies somewhat, larger is definitely better. You should expect to pay a higher price however. If you are looking for budget, you can also consider a player without a screen, though you'll need to make sure you have something you can hook it up to so you can watch your movie.
* Virtual Surround Sound For those times when you don't have the ability to hook your DVD player up to a home entertainment system, consider a model which has virtual surround sound. This neat feature enhances the sound quality of the movie, giving it a more realistic edge.
Now that you have down the basics about what makes a great portable DVD player, put your skills to the test by browsing our Top Portable DVD Player picks and choosing the player which best fits your needs.
http://portables.about.com/cs/portabledvd/f/portdvdbg.htm
* Dimensions A portable DVD player can end up feeling like a small brick to some, especially those which have large rechargeable batteries attached to them. While all players tend to run small, weight can vary by several pounds so make sure to check the side of the box before you buy.
* Disc Formats Supported Besides playing standard DVDs, many portable players today can double as CD players as well, eliminating the need to take one extra device on your trip.
* You should also consider seeing if your player can support CD-R,CD-RW or DVD-R as well, as these do-it-yourself disc formats are becoming popular amongst those who have burners at home.
* Outputs One of the great things about portable DVD players is that they can substitute for regular size cousins on the fly when you need to plug into your home entertainment system. You'll want to consider a player which has high quality outputs, such as S-Video for video and Optical Out for audio, so you can get the best quality playback possible.
* Screen Many players today come with built-in screens, which make it the ultimate DVD entertainment device for the road. While screen size varies somewhat, larger is definitely better. You should expect to pay a higher price however. If you are looking for budget, you can also consider a player without a screen, though you'll need to make sure you have something you can hook it up to so you can watch your movie.
* Virtual Surround Sound For those times when you don't have the ability to hook your DVD player up to a home entertainment system, consider a model which has virtual surround sound. This neat feature enhances the sound quality of the movie, giving it a more realistic edge.
Now that you have down the basics about what makes a great portable DVD player, put your skills to the test by browsing our Top Portable DVD Player picks and choosing the player which best fits your needs.
http://portables.about.com/cs/portabledvd/f/portdvdbg.htm
True vs 'PMPO' Power
1 Introduction
The term '''audio power''' is used in the specification or measurement of audio amplifiers or loudspeakers. A meaningful and reliable measure of the power output of an audio amplifier, or the power handling of a loudspeaker is ''continuous sine wave power'', or more strictly 'continuous average sine wave power'. Such a figure will often be found in advertising literature referred to as "true RMS power", but this is quite incorrect. Although there is such a thing as RMS (root mean square) power, it is neither useful as a measurement nor what is intended by those who use the term. The sine wave power is found by averaging the instantaneous power output over a long period of time (or one complete cycle), so it is actually the ''average power'' or ''mean power''. The term RMS is used mistakenly due to the fact that the mean power is calculated from the RMS voltage and current (or one of them and the impedance); power being proportional to the square of voltage or current.
2 ‘Music Power' - the Real Issues
The term ''"Music Power"'' has been used in relation to both amplifiers and loudspeakers with some validity. When live music is recorded without amplitude compression or limiting, the resulting signal contains brief peaks of very much higher amplitude (20 dB or more) than the mean, and since power is proportional to the square of signal voltage their reproduction would require an amplifier capable of providing brief peaks of power around a hundred times greater than the average level. Thus the ideal 100-watt audio system would be capable of handling brief peaks of 10,000 watts in order to avoid clipping (see Programme levels). Most loudspeakers are in fact capable of handling peaks of several times their continuous rating (though not a hundred times!), since thermal inertia prevents the voice coils from burning out on short bursts. It is therefore acceptable, and desirable, to drive a loudspeaker from a power amplifier with a higher continuous rating several times that of the speaker, but only if care is taken not to overheat it, which is difficult, especially on modern recordings which tend to be heavily compressed and so can be played at high levels without the obvious distortion that would result from a 'real' recording when the amplifier started clipping.
Music power is a less valid term when applied to most amplifiers. Most power amplifiers can give more output on brief bursts than their continuous rated output, but not usually to an extent that is relevant in the context of the above. There are three reasons for the enhanced short-burst power.
Most amplifiers do not have regulated power supplies but rely on a full-wave rectifier and large smoothing capacitor to provide a reasonably steady supply voltage. This charges to its peak voltage on quiet passages where little current is being drawn, but 'sags' to around 10% less under heavy current demand. Since 10% voltage drop corresponds to 20% power drop, the steady-state power output of the amplifier, which has to be quoted is always some 20% lower than the brief power capability. A 100-watt amplifier is therefore likely to handle brief peaks of up to 120 W without clipping. This might sound good in a specification, but it should be noted that it is only 1 dB, which is a change in level not usually even detectable by the human hearing system! It is also usually only available for some 10 milliseconds, which is too short to be of much benefit in real programme material. The term peak music power, in this context, is of no real significance.
It is possible to take a cost-effective approach to power amp design by reducing the size of the heat sinks on the output devices below that needed to avoid overheating on continuous sine wave drive at maximum output. Such an approach was once valid, as it recognised that fact that on 'real' recordings there is no need to provide for continuous full output as the gross distortion caused by clipping on brief peaks will result in the user turning down the volume before damage is done. On modern amplifiers it is possible to take such an approach without risk of damage, using integrated amplifier chips, which tend to incorporate 'thermal protection'. However, the trend towards heavy compression and limiting on commercial recordings in recent years means that people expect to play these at high volume without clipping, and so the validity of the 'peak music power' approach to amplifier design has mostly been removed.
While the above is true for most 'domestic' amplifiers, it need not be so, especially in relation to monitoring, and uncompressed reproduction. Some professional amplifiers, and 'active' speakers, incorporate sophisticated electronic thermal protection circuits which integrate the power delivered to the speaker and take account of its thermal capacity properly. This enables them to handle peak power levels safely while limiting the continuous power that can be applied in a way that makes sense.
3 Power Handling in 'Active' Speakers
Active speakers often use two or three power amplifiers, each handling only part of the audio frequency spectrum. The main benefit of this approach is that it enables complicated crossover filters to be used on the low level signal, and eliminates the bulky and awkward inductors and capacitors normally used in crossover networks. There is, however, another big advantage that is not usually recognised. When two tones are reproduced simultaneously, a single amplifier normally has to handle the peak power that results when both are at their crest. Because of the square-law relationship, this means that two tones each generating 10 watts result in a power handling requirement of 40 watts. With multiple amplifiers, the two tones can be handles separately, by 10 watt amps. Thus a 'bi-amped' system can handle peaks of up to twice the combined rating of its amplifiers, and a 'tri-amped' system, on three tones, gains even more! This is of course because the signal has a high 'crest factor'. In practice, music peaks often consist of percussion riding on top of bass notes, and so the benefit is very real, as these are each always handled separately. This is a benefit that would cost a lot to realise if the single amplifier approach were taken, making 'bi-amping' a very cost-effective approach.
4 US Market Regulations
In the US on May 3, 1974, the Amplifier Rule CFR 16 Part 432 (39 FR 15387) was instated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requiring audio power and distortion ratings for home entertainment equipment to be measured in a defined manner with power stated in RMS terms. This rule was amended in 1998 to cover self-powered speakers such as are commonly used with personal computers (see examples below). This regulation did not cover automobile entertainment systems, which consequently still suffer from power ratings confusion. However, a new regulation called CEA 2006 includes car electronics, and is being phased into the market as slowly as possible by many manufacturers.
Unfortunately there are no similar laws in much of the rest of the world.
http://www.lindos.co.uk/cgi-bin/FlexiData.cgi?SOURCE=Articles&VIEW=full&id=15
The term '''audio power''' is used in the specification or measurement of audio amplifiers or loudspeakers. A meaningful and reliable measure of the power output of an audio amplifier, or the power handling of a loudspeaker is ''continuous sine wave power'', or more strictly 'continuous average sine wave power'. Such a figure will often be found in advertising literature referred to as "true RMS power", but this is quite incorrect. Although there is such a thing as RMS (root mean square) power, it is neither useful as a measurement nor what is intended by those who use the term. The sine wave power is found by averaging the instantaneous power output over a long period of time (or one complete cycle), so it is actually the ''average power'' or ''mean power''. The term RMS is used mistakenly due to the fact that the mean power is calculated from the RMS voltage and current (or one of them and the impedance); power being proportional to the square of voltage or current.
2 ‘Music Power' - the Real Issues
The term ''"Music Power"'' has been used in relation to both amplifiers and loudspeakers with some validity. When live music is recorded without amplitude compression or limiting, the resulting signal contains brief peaks of very much higher amplitude (20 dB or more) than the mean, and since power is proportional to the square of signal voltage their reproduction would require an amplifier capable of providing brief peaks of power around a hundred times greater than the average level. Thus the ideal 100-watt audio system would be capable of handling brief peaks of 10,000 watts in order to avoid clipping (see Programme levels). Most loudspeakers are in fact capable of handling peaks of several times their continuous rating (though not a hundred times!), since thermal inertia prevents the voice coils from burning out on short bursts. It is therefore acceptable, and desirable, to drive a loudspeaker from a power amplifier with a higher continuous rating several times that of the speaker, but only if care is taken not to overheat it, which is difficult, especially on modern recordings which tend to be heavily compressed and so can be played at high levels without the obvious distortion that would result from a 'real' recording when the amplifier started clipping.
Music power is a less valid term when applied to most amplifiers. Most power amplifiers can give more output on brief bursts than their continuous rated output, but not usually to an extent that is relevant in the context of the above. There are three reasons for the enhanced short-burst power.
Most amplifiers do not have regulated power supplies but rely on a full-wave rectifier and large smoothing capacitor to provide a reasonably steady supply voltage. This charges to its peak voltage on quiet passages where little current is being drawn, but 'sags' to around 10% less under heavy current demand. Since 10% voltage drop corresponds to 20% power drop, the steady-state power output of the amplifier, which has to be quoted is always some 20% lower than the brief power capability. A 100-watt amplifier is therefore likely to handle brief peaks of up to 120 W without clipping. This might sound good in a specification, but it should be noted that it is only 1 dB, which is a change in level not usually even detectable by the human hearing system! It is also usually only available for some 10 milliseconds, which is too short to be of much benefit in real programme material. The term peak music power, in this context, is of no real significance.
It is possible to take a cost-effective approach to power amp design by reducing the size of the heat sinks on the output devices below that needed to avoid overheating on continuous sine wave drive at maximum output. Such an approach was once valid, as it recognised that fact that on 'real' recordings there is no need to provide for continuous full output as the gross distortion caused by clipping on brief peaks will result in the user turning down the volume before damage is done. On modern amplifiers it is possible to take such an approach without risk of damage, using integrated amplifier chips, which tend to incorporate 'thermal protection'. However, the trend towards heavy compression and limiting on commercial recordings in recent years means that people expect to play these at high volume without clipping, and so the validity of the 'peak music power' approach to amplifier design has mostly been removed.
While the above is true for most 'domestic' amplifiers, it need not be so, especially in relation to monitoring, and uncompressed reproduction. Some professional amplifiers, and 'active' speakers, incorporate sophisticated electronic thermal protection circuits which integrate the power delivered to the speaker and take account of its thermal capacity properly. This enables them to handle peak power levels safely while limiting the continuous power that can be applied in a way that makes sense.
3 Power Handling in 'Active' Speakers
Active speakers often use two or three power amplifiers, each handling only part of the audio frequency spectrum. The main benefit of this approach is that it enables complicated crossover filters to be used on the low level signal, and eliminates the bulky and awkward inductors and capacitors normally used in crossover networks. There is, however, another big advantage that is not usually recognised. When two tones are reproduced simultaneously, a single amplifier normally has to handle the peak power that results when both are at their crest. Because of the square-law relationship, this means that two tones each generating 10 watts result in a power handling requirement of 40 watts. With multiple amplifiers, the two tones can be handles separately, by 10 watt amps. Thus a 'bi-amped' system can handle peaks of up to twice the combined rating of its amplifiers, and a 'tri-amped' system, on three tones, gains even more! This is of course because the signal has a high 'crest factor'. In practice, music peaks often consist of percussion riding on top of bass notes, and so the benefit is very real, as these are each always handled separately. This is a benefit that would cost a lot to realise if the single amplifier approach were taken, making 'bi-amping' a very cost-effective approach.
4 US Market Regulations
In the US on May 3, 1974, the Amplifier Rule CFR 16 Part 432 (39 FR 15387) was instated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requiring audio power and distortion ratings for home entertainment equipment to be measured in a defined manner with power stated in RMS terms. This rule was amended in 1998 to cover self-powered speakers such as are commonly used with personal computers (see examples below). This regulation did not cover automobile entertainment systems, which consequently still suffer from power ratings confusion. However, a new regulation called CEA 2006 includes car electronics, and is being phased into the market as slowly as possible by many manufacturers.
Unfortunately there are no similar laws in much of the rest of the world.
http://www.lindos.co.uk/cgi-bin/FlexiData.cgi?SOURCE=Articles&VIEW=full&id=15
Friday, October 26, 2007
Videogame Systems Top 'Planned Gift' Lists This Year
According to research by the Consumer Electronics Association, sales of consumer electronics are expected to top $22 billion this holiday season, with videogame systems topping the list of gifts people intend to give to others. Though consumers are expected to cut down on expenses like home decorations and travel, they'll still be spending plenty on gifts.
http://powerelectronics.com/power_systems/
Not surprisingly, videogames made the top five most wanted items for teens, along with clothes, computers, MP3 players, and cell phones. Adults who were hoping to get some kind of electronic gizmo for the holidays put game systems on their wish list beside MP3 players, laptops, TVs, and digital cameras.
http://powerelectronics.com/power_systems/
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Wear your electronics
An electronic revolution could be on the way with the development of a thin film of plastic that conducts electricity and produces solar power, changing the way we light our homes and design clothes.
An international research project has begun that could bring organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) to the mass market.
The devices are thin and flexible, which means that lighting and electronic display screens could be created on almost any material, so that clothes and packaging can display electronic information.
The devices' uses vary from lighting that is more efficient than current bulbs to clothes which change colour at the press of a button and beer cans that display the latest football results.
At present, the devices are used as displays in some mobile phones and MP3 players, but they are not reliable enough for larger screens such as TVs and computers as they stop working after a few months.
"Their use in large televisions, clothes, lighting etc is longer term: 1-3 years away for televisions; 2-5 years for clothes; maybe 5-10 years for lighting and large displays," Dr Alison Walker of the British University of Bath's Department of Physics said.
An international consortium of researchers, led by the university, has begun a three-year project to put the science behind the devices on a firmer basis, so helping make them efficient enough to be mass produced.
The consortium, called Modecom, consists of 13 groups from nine universities and two companies. Three groups are from Britain, six from the US and one each from China, Belgium, Italy and Denmark.
"The consortium is funded by the European Commission," Walker said.
"Modecom's output is primarily scientific and will be published in the open literature and presented at international conferences so will be accessible to Australian researchers."
The devices make use of a discovery made 15 years ago that some polymers have the property of either turning electricity into light, or light into electricity, depending on how the devices are made.
Because these polymers are thin and flexible, they could be used in a multiplicity of ways:
*
As a transparent window. This is like a conventional window during the day, but when it gets dark a switch is turned on and the entire window area emits light in a more efficient way than conventional or energy-saving bulbs, promising huge savings;
*
In clothing which displays strips of the polymer which run off solar power, allowing electronic messages to be displayed which can be updated. This could be useful for the emergency services;
*
In packaging for common goods that could be made to display electronic messages such as health warnings and recipes or could emit light;
*
As a source of solar power to top up mobile phone batteries;
*
As lightweight, solar power sources that could be rolled up and stored and which would also be suitable for people requiring electricity in remote locations, such as field researchers, mountaineers, sailors and military personnel.
However, Walker doesn't think this technology will replace traditional solar power sources as they are very inefficient.
Their key advantage is cost: they are cheap and their energy cost in manufacture would also be low, so the devices themselves will cost a few cents. They are also portable and flexible so their main use would be to replace batteries that, according to Walker, could happen in 5-10 years.
Walker goes on to say, the main thing holding the technology back is efficiency and degradation for displays, lighting and clothing and for solar cells, efficiency, then degradation.
The polymer is made from chains of molecules, and is called organic because they contain carbon. Electrons and holes injected into the polymer film form bound states called excitons that break down under electrical current, emitting light as they do so.
Walker's part of the consortium's research uses a mathematical technique called Monte Carlo analysis in which computer-generated random numbers are used to plot the paths of electrons, holes and excitons as they move across the film.
The results from this can be used to calculate how the chemical structure and impurities affect the device's performance. Chemists can use this data to design more efficient materials.
The Modecom consortium will work on the molecular level and also look at the workings of the device as a whole. This research will aid the understanding of the polymer materials used in plastic electronics in applications such as electronic paper and intelligent labels on groceries.
http://www.electroline.com.au/feature_article/article.asp?item=1319
An international research project has begun that could bring organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) to the mass market.
The devices are thin and flexible, which means that lighting and electronic display screens could be created on almost any material, so that clothes and packaging can display electronic information.
The devices' uses vary from lighting that is more efficient than current bulbs to clothes which change colour at the press of a button and beer cans that display the latest football results.
At present, the devices are used as displays in some mobile phones and MP3 players, but they are not reliable enough for larger screens such as TVs and computers as they stop working after a few months.
"Their use in large televisions, clothes, lighting etc is longer term: 1-3 years away for televisions; 2-5 years for clothes; maybe 5-10 years for lighting and large displays," Dr Alison Walker of the British University of Bath's Department of Physics said.
An international consortium of researchers, led by the university, has begun a three-year project to put the science behind the devices on a firmer basis, so helping make them efficient enough to be mass produced.
The consortium, called Modecom, consists of 13 groups from nine universities and two companies. Three groups are from Britain, six from the US and one each from China, Belgium, Italy and Denmark.
"The consortium is funded by the European Commission," Walker said.
"Modecom's output is primarily scientific and will be published in the open literature and presented at international conferences so will be accessible to Australian researchers."
The devices make use of a discovery made 15 years ago that some polymers have the property of either turning electricity into light, or light into electricity, depending on how the devices are made.
Because these polymers are thin and flexible, they could be used in a multiplicity of ways:
*
As a transparent window. This is like a conventional window during the day, but when it gets dark a switch is turned on and the entire window area emits light in a more efficient way than conventional or energy-saving bulbs, promising huge savings;
*
In clothing which displays strips of the polymer which run off solar power, allowing electronic messages to be displayed which can be updated. This could be useful for the emergency services;
*
In packaging for common goods that could be made to display electronic messages such as health warnings and recipes or could emit light;
*
As a source of solar power to top up mobile phone batteries;
*
As lightweight, solar power sources that could be rolled up and stored and which would also be suitable for people requiring electricity in remote locations, such as field researchers, mountaineers, sailors and military personnel.
However, Walker doesn't think this technology will replace traditional solar power sources as they are very inefficient.
Their key advantage is cost: they are cheap and their energy cost in manufacture would also be low, so the devices themselves will cost a few cents. They are also portable and flexible so their main use would be to replace batteries that, according to Walker, could happen in 5-10 years.
Walker goes on to say, the main thing holding the technology back is efficiency and degradation for displays, lighting and clothing and for solar cells, efficiency, then degradation.
The polymer is made from chains of molecules, and is called organic because they contain carbon. Electrons and holes injected into the polymer film form bound states called excitons that break down under electrical current, emitting light as they do so.
Walker's part of the consortium's research uses a mathematical technique called Monte Carlo analysis in which computer-generated random numbers are used to plot the paths of electrons, holes and excitons as they move across the film.
The results from this can be used to calculate how the chemical structure and impurities affect the device's performance. Chemists can use this data to design more efficient materials.
The Modecom consortium will work on the molecular level and also look at the workings of the device as a whole. This research will aid the understanding of the polymer materials used in plastic electronics in applications such as electronic paper and intelligent labels on groceries.
http://www.electroline.com.au/feature_article/article.asp?item=1319
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)