Kodak is a pioneer in Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) technology for displays and lighting applications. Recently, we've taken our leadership a step further and demonstrated our latest flexible OLED displays under water! OLEDs are notoriously moisture-sensitive, so this is quite an achievement for our team.

Here are a few close-ups of Kodak's flexible OLED display:

Flexible OLEDs have the potential to be a game-changer for the display world, realizing a unique form factor at lower cost. They also have broad applications in the lighting industry. Lots of people are thinking about how to use flexible OLEDs to create cool new gadgets and lighting. What would you do with a rugged, flexible display? Stay PluggedIn for the latest news from Kodak and flexible OLEDs!

If you are clicking through Discovery, A&E, Bravo or CNBC this week you might catch the infomercial for the Kodak ESP 7 All-in-One Printer. History, HGTV, Lifetime and USA are also running shorter infomercials for the Kodak ESP 3 this week.

If you watch any of the segments you will see how a Kodak ESP All-in-One Printer can save you $110 per year on ink. * Kodak has everyday low ink prices... $9.99 for black ink and $14.99 for color ink.

Also if you order through the TV offer you get free bonus items... a Kodak Gallery gift pack, a USB cable and free delivery!

Here is a clip from the infomercial if you are curious.



or you can go right to the TV offer web site kodakoffer.com

* Results based on average ink costs of leading consumer inkjet printers using average annual print volumes of 150 4x6 in. color photos (printed on KODAK ULTRA Premium Paper, glossy finish & highest quality photo papers from other manufacturers), 800 black text pages and 550 mixed color graphic pages. Actual results may vary. See www.kodak.com/go/inkdata for details.

Summer is a great time to spend in the basement on a rainy day, rummaging through all of the things you "know" you need, but don't quite know what to do with.  Despite your best intentions to try to clean up, you know you're still going to hold on to a lot of the things you find, like your high school yearbook, or the clay - something - you got from your kindergartener one year for Father's Day.  For others, you're not quite sure how they got there in the first place.  (Look at that - I did pretty well on my second-grade spelling test.)  But every so often, you come across something that really offers an interesting perspective on the past.

A little while ago, we were going though Kodak's "basement" and found an old trade-show display for our Image Sensor business.  We haven't used this display in about 10 years - when we moved to our new design, we must have put the old one in storage "in case we needed it." 



It's always fun to see how things have changed over time.  Ten years ago, our image sensor portfolio had 21 sensors, while today we have almost twice that number.  "High-resolution" was 16-megapixels (now we're at over 50 for professional photography), and we were proudly working with Kodak's newest "Digital Science" branding.  And while the display was certainly well constructed, it was anything but lightweight (just ask the group of people we needed to help move it out of storage). 



But as you look through the products in the display, you suddenly realize something else.  Of the 21 image sensors shown in the display, two of them - known today as the KAI-0330 and KAI-1010 - are still available for sale (the part numbers have changed slightly, but they are actually the same products).  Another eleven are the direct ancestors of devices we sell today - they have the same pixel size and resolution count, but have incorporated design and process manufacturing changes to improve their performance.  That's over half of the sensors in this ten year old display - all of which can be traced directly to products offered in our CCD portfolio today. 

To really appreciate this, take a minute to think about what was going on ten years ago.  Apple Computer had just released the first iBook and the Power Macintosh G4.  Microsoft was releasing its latest operating system:  Windows 98 Second Edition.  And no one was quite sure just how bad the Millennium bug would really be.  While all of these have come and gone, these image sensors designed by Kodak over 10 years ago are still going strong.



That's not to say that we've been sitting still.  Two-thirds of our current CCD portfolio consists of products launched after this display was retired - new products for photographic, medical, scientific, and industrial imaging.  And we continue to bring out new products based on the latest image sensor technology, like our family of image sensors based on the KODAK TRUESENSE 5.5 micron Interline Transfer CCD Platform.

Memories can be fun, especially on a rainy day (like so may we've had this summer in Rochester).  But what really makes this old trade-show display so special is the planning it represents - not in the visual design of the display, but in the architectural design of the image sensors that are in it.  Designs done over a decade ago that are still current today. 

In the end, this display is about more then just memories.  I think we'll hold on to it just a little while longer.

After last week's media event with all the new product announcements there are lots of great reviews out there. Here are just a few...


For the Zi8 Pocket Video Camera...

Gizmodo - The Zi8 earns Gizmodo's "bestmodo" tag reserved for the best of the best that the editors review. "The reason the Zi8's video really stands out is image stabilization. This is a much bigger deal than it might sound, because it accomplishes something that might not be immediately obvious: it cuts down on shimmering—that queasy rippling effect you get whenever you move a cheap camcorder too quickly."

CNET - A four-star review from CNET warrants the label "EXCELLENT."  "With the Zi8, Kodak finally surpasses Flip Video's video quality and feature set."

WIRED.com - "In short, if you were thinking of buying a Flip Ultra HD, you should be taking a long look at the Kodak instead."

Engadget -  "The perks of face recognition for improved exposure and gyroscope-based image stabilization are also pretty snazzy at this $180 pricepoint."

PCMag.com - "The Zi8 also offers electronic image stabilization, a rarity among pocket camcorders."



For the Kodak Theatre HD Player...

Engadget - "We didn't have a problem playing 30fps 1080p video on the Kodak Theatre HD Player when we tested it back in January, but apparently we were living on the edge -- the box just got an update officially supporting 1080p playback."

DeviceMag.com - "Another feature to be relished is the-collage view which brings you images from a networked PC sorted by date."



For the Kodak Z950 Digital Camera...

Pocket-Lint.com -  "Sitting at the top of the pile is the Z950, a 12-megapixel 10x optical zoom monster that sports Kodak's "Smart Capture" feature which auto adjusts focus, flash, and exposure."


For the Kodak S730 Digital Frame...

PhotographyReview.com - "The battery powered digital picture frame allows for new ways to enjoy and share digital images."

Whew! That's a lot of good stuff!

There are two new frames being announced today. Starting in September, the Kodak S730 Digital Frame will be available in the US. Some exciting features on this frame is the rechargeable battery (so you can unplug it and carry it around), and the Picture Finder feature that allows users to find photos and video from a specific time frame.

You can use the S730 for one hour unplugged! So many possibilities for sharing! I carried it around for a bit just because I could.

The second frame is the Kodak D830 Digital Frame. This is a frame in the Decor Series that can be inserted into 8"x10" traditional frames. With this capability you can have your digital frame perfectly match your home.

These frames are the first from a US company to receive ENERGY STAR qualification in the "End-Use Product with Qualified Adapter" category. The frames were designed with programmable timers so users can set the frames to turn on and off at preferred times. Another great feature!