The Apple Watch was officially announced earlier this month, with the promise that it will come with a flexible display. However, there is some confusion about what the term means and what the benefits are for consumers. Dr Guillaume Chansin, co-author of the IDTechEx report "OLED Display Forecasts 2014-2024: the rise of plastic and flexible displays" gives his view on flexible displays.

The event Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Forum consisted a conference with about 70 delegates and a small display area for a few organisations. Here we give some details of the presentations that particularly caught our attention.

The heart of the e-textile business as it emerges is electric and electronic functionality from sensing to light emission, achieved entirely by use of e-fibers.

The new IDTechEx report, "Internet of Things: Business Opportunities 2015-2025" is unique in being up-to-date and very thorough in examining the challenges not just the opportunities for this hyped subject.

Some use the term Internet of Things (IoT) to rename a large number of existing topics including the burgeoning world of cellphones, tablets and wearable connected devices, better referred to as the Internet of People (IoP).

The IDTechEx report "Functional Materials for Future Electronics: Metals, Inorganic & Organic Compounds, Graphene, CNT" looks at the new electronics and electrics from the point of view of suppliers of fine chemicals and associated high added value processes.

The brand new IDTechEx Research report E-Textiles: Electronic Textiles 2014-2024 External Link has a particular focus on the narrow definition of those entirely reliant on e-fibers for electronic, electro-optic and electrical functionality.

World's first flexible multi-functional timer to be distributed at Printed Electronics Europe.

SiC devices will be widely designed into electric vehicles from 2014 and GaN from 2018. With manufacturers currently designing vehicles to be launched onto the market in 2018, it is predicted that by this date GaN semiconductors will attain price parity with silicon devices. This will make the technology attractive as a replacement for silicon for use in the power electronics in both pure electric and hybrid vehicles.

As the next Printed Electronics Europe event is now less than 2 weeks away, it is opportune to take a closer look at the successes of the printed electronics industry in Europe. One of the areas where Europe is making a huge impact is in printed sensors.

In this article we share some of the findings in the new IDTechEx report "Future Mobile Phone/Cell Phone Technology and Functions 2014-2024".

The term the Internet of Things was conceived when the Massachusetts Institute of Technology set up the Auto ID Center in 1998.

There has been varying levels of interest in different types of energy harvesters over the past few years. For powering small or mobile devices, photovoltaics dominate - they are widely produced, robust and relatively low cost.

IDTechEx forecasts that the market for printed and flexible sensors will increase by more than $1 billion by 2020. This is one of the many findings discussed in the latest report "Printed and Flexible Sensors 2014-2024: Technologies, Players, Forecasts" (www.IDTechEx.com/sensors).

The Japanese are working very hard on thermoelectric energy harvesting from tiny forms for use on hot running electronics components the 1.5 kW versions for use on furnace flues etc.

IDTechEx has just completed an intense study of Printed Electronics in Japan involving 35 visits to companies and institutions there and interviews and lectures at the IDTechEx Printed Electronics Asia event there.

The chemical industry will end up with most of the added value from printed electronics, one of the fastest growing technologies in the world.

This article summaries some of the technology and market analysis from the IDTechEx research report "Metal Oxide TFT Backplanes for Displays 2013-2018: Analysis, Trends, Forecasts".

In 2013 the market size for gold ink for electronic and electrical applications is less than $1 million - used mainly for academic work and some early stage work in healthcare products. However, a new report from IDTechEx Research titled New Opportunities for Gold: Conductive Inks for the Electronics Industry 2013-2019 finds that with demand from medical applications, edge connectors and interfaces with organic materials such as sensors the market will growth to $50 million in 2018, in the "most likely" scenario.