Hasta La Gadget!

LG plans to launch a flexible OLED smartphone before the end of the year, the company’s VP of mobile has confirmed, though it’s unclear to what extent the work-in-progress handset will actually flex. The OLED panel in question is the handiwork of LG Display according to VP of LG mobile Yoon Bu-hyun, the WSJ reports, with the proposed device set to launch sometime in Q4.

LG Display’s work on flexible OLEDs has been underway for some time, though the company’s efforts have perhaps been overshadowed somewhat by rival Samsung’s YOUM development. Last year, according to a Korea Times report, LG Display was preparing for mass-production of flexible screens by the second half of 2013.

Samsung, meanwhile, demonstrated a flexible OLED concept back at CES, though the screen wasn’t implemented in quite the way many had expected. Rather than being a clamshell device, with the flexibility used to allow the prototype to open up and reveal a bigger panel, Samsung instead wrapped the display around the edge.

That allowed the handset to display status updates along the side, making for at-a-glance notifications without needing to power up the whole display. However, Samsung insisted at the time that the device was merely a concept of what flexible OLED could be used for, not an indication of an actual product in development.

While OLED panels have become more common in their use on mobile devices, LG Display still faces potential bottlenecks in ensuring supplies for its smartphone affiliate. Analysts have already warned that the next-gen displays still suffer from low yields, which likely means high prices and low numbers of products.

That would probably put the eventual device in line with LG’s curved OLED TVs, demonstrated at CES, officially intended for the market but at a cost that will make the potential audience tiny. Nonetheless, as a proof of capabilities, it suggests we could see flexible OLED phones more widespread in 2014 and beyond.

[via OLED-Info]

LG’s first flexible OLED phone due before the year is out is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Haven’t been reading every Netflix quarterly report or listening to each earnings call for the last several years? No problem: you can quickly get caught up on the company’s strategy thanks to a “Long Term View” document posted to its investor relations site. Boiling down many of the things executives like Reed Hastings have been saying into a single PDF, it’s an easier to digest road map of where Netflix thinks this whole online video thing is going. Among other things, it sees the simplicity of its offering — no ads, no VOD, no-hassle cancellation, access on any screen at any time mobile or TV — as a main selling point. How to keep customers happy? Make sure that they think of Netflix as the better option for their entertainment time than other possible choices. Hit the source link to dig into it yourself or check below for a breakdown.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Netflix (PDF)

There was a rumor earlier on concerning the Motorola X Phone arriving in 20 different colors, which would be a range that would even put Nintendo and their collection of 3DS XL models to shame, and it would be a throwback to the heydays of Nokia when they rolled out as many colors as there were models. Well, it seems that a new device has been spotted on an AnTuTu benchmark, where it described the device simply as the “Google X”, and not a Motorola X Phone or the X Phone, so it remains to be seen whether this device in question is the same X Phone from Motorola or not.

To make matters all the more interesting, this particular benchmark showed that said handset would operate on Android 5.0.1 as the operating system of choice. As we all know, Android 5.0’s nickname would follow in the dessert naming convention, that is Key Lime Pie, but unfortunately, the most recent word concerning Key Lime Pie was it will be delayed at Google I/O. Bummer!

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Nokia Lumia 521 From T-Mobile Arriving At HSN This April 27th, T-Mobile’s HTC One S Gets Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Update At Last,

All EVs have their own particular merits: some climb, some race, some only have three wheels, and some are even prone to melting. Chevrolet’s Spark EV may not have any of these credentials, but now it’s found the right feather to fit its cap as the “most efficient” retail car. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the Spark has a combined city / highway range of 82 miles on a full charge of its 21 kWh battery, and has given the vehicle a rating of 119 MPGe (a gasoline-equivalent figure). As Autoblog notes, Honda’s Fit EV will go 82 miles on a smaller 20 kWh battery but, once the regulators have done fiddling with digits, it only scores 118 MPGe. That’s the efficiency number that matters, and whether you’re saving the world or just trying to save money, every mile counts. You’ll be able to put that EPA rating to the test this summer when the Spark EV goes on sale in California and Oregon, but until then, check out the official certificate below the fold for more juicy details (read: efficiency stats).

Filed under: Transportation

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Via: Autoblog

On November 27, 2012, Chevrolet unveiled the 2014 Spark electric vehicle at the LA Auto Show, an EV offering a 130 HP electric motor alongside a 20+ kWh lithium ion battery. Fast forward half a year, and the small electric car has been dubbed the most efficient retail EV in the US, offering an EPA-estimated range of 82 miles. Calculated out, this comes out as a 119MPGe equivalent.

The 2014 Spark hasn’t hit the market yet, slated for Oregon and California later this year. The numbers indicate, according to General Motors, that it will save drivers up to $9,000 in fuel over the course of a five-year period. In addition to its high fuel rating, this electric car is also said to be on the verge of setting the new acceleration benchmark for urban EVs, clocking in at less than 8 seconds in the 0 to 60mph test.

Such a benchmark is made possible, says GM, by the Spark’s oil-cooled electric motor, which features a permanent magnet design that outputs in excess of 100 kW of power and 400 lb-ft of torque. Recharging the Spark has been expedited via approval for an SAE combo charger that enables DC Fast Charging, resulting in an 80-percent charge in 20 minutes. General Motors says this is the first EV to offer the feature.

General Motors’ Executive Chief Engineer for Electrified Vehicles Pam Fletcher said: “Being able to provide our customers with the best overall efficiency of any retail EV has always been a key target for the Spark EV engineering team. We’re poised to deliver to the market an EV that’s not just efficient, but also thrilling to drive thanks to the 400 lb-ft torque output of its electric motor.”

[via GM]

Chevrolet Spark dubbed most efficient electric vehicle in US market is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.