This flexible and transparent microLED display eliminates mass transfer and laser welding processes - and I can't wait for my car to have one - Related to top, windows, i, flexible, purchaser
Microsoft reveals more on just how much it'll cost you to keep using Windows 10
Windows 10 ESU will be available from November 2025 for three years.
It’ll cost $61 per year, with prices doubling annually thereafter.
Windows 10 is still preferred over Windows 11 by many customers.
With the official Windows 10 end of life deadline months away, Microsoft is still hoping consumers will opt to upgrade to its flagship OS, Windows 11, but it has also issued a series of notes detailing how consumers can continue to use the older software.
A newly-updated support document from the organization has detailed the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, including costs and eligibility.
Microsoft promises its ESU will continue to provide “critical and crucial security updates” for a period after Windows 10 loses support - but this will come at the expense of an annual subscription.
In the post, Microsoft revealed devices running Windows 10 22H2 will be eligible to participate in the ESU program, but stressed this would only include crucial security updates and not new attributes, non-security updates, design change requests or general support.
consumers can enrol on the ESU program via the Microsoft Volume Licensing Program, and it’ll cost $61 per device for cover between November 2025 and November 2026. From thereon in, costs will double annually, but ESU membership terminates after three years. In other words, Windows 10 fans can buy themselves another three years of safe usage before they’re ultimately forced to run a potentially insecure OS or upgrade to Windows 11.
The enterprise also added ESUs are cumulative, so you’ll need to have bought year one before upgrading to year two. If you decide at the start of the second year to get security updates, you’ll be able to join retrospectively by paying for the previous year’s coverage.
“Windows 10 PCs will continue to work, but we recommend clients upgrade eligible PCs to Windows 11 using Windows Autopatch, Microsoft Intune, or transition to a new Windows 11 PC for the best, most secure computing experience," the enterprise added.
The rose among the thorns is that Windows 10 virtual machines running in Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop will get Extended Security Updates free of charge.
However, even Microsoft’s best efforts haven’t deterred individuals from opting to stay on Windows 10 – the nearly-deprecated operating system accounts for 60% of all Windows installs (via Statcounter). Still, Windows 11 adoption has increased slowly in recent months to a 37% market share.
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Amazon says it is now the top corporate purchaser of renewable energy in Europe
Amazon is the “top corporate purchaser of renewable energy in Europe”.
10 European countries got solar and wind power investments.
Amazon wants to be net-zero carbon by 2040.
Amazon has boldly declared it is now the “top corporate purchaser of renewable energy in Europe,” giving it another string to its bow against Microsoft and Google.
In 2024 alone, the ecommerce and cloud computing giant says it added 26 renewable energy projects and 20 onsite installations up and down Europe, consisting primarily of solar and wind farms.
The biggest beneficiary of Amazon’s 2024 energy investments was Spain, with 15 new solar and wind farms and a further two onsite solar installations.
Amazon is betting big on European renewable energy.
Amazon’s total reach now spans more than 230 solar and wind projects across Europe, with its renewable energy portfolio generating 9 GW of energy – enough to power the equivalent of [website] million European homes annually.
Italy, Greece, Finland, the UK, Germany, France and the Czech Republic also benefitted from extensive solar investments, with Northern Ireland and Portugal receiving investments in wind farms.
“Increasing the amount of renewable energy on Europe’s electricity grids is the fastest and cheapest way to help Europe’s economy decarbonize at scale and fight against climate change," noted Amazon’s EMEA Director of Energy for Europe, Lindsay McQuade.
Amazon is yet to release its 2024 Sustainability investigation, but in 2023 the business revealed that it used "lower-carbon materials" like steel and concrete, and switched some of those out for wood, to save 46,700 tonnes of CO2e that year – the same amount of emissions that 11,100 US cars would produce in 12 months.
AWS is also reconsidering its backup generators, with sites in Ireland, Sweden, and Oregon now using hydrotreated vegetable oil for fuel rather than diesel.
Chief Sustainability Officer Kara Hurst confirmed Amazon's plans to smash Paris Agreement plans, reaching net-zero carbon emissions a decade early in 2040. She also confirmed that the entire organization reached 100% renewable energy consumption seven years early in 2023.
The enterprise also wants to be water-positive by the end of this decade – a topic of contention in the world of data centers, where powerful computers consume vast amounts of water for cooling.
CISA adds an Outlook improper input validation bug to KEV.
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This flexible and transparent microLED display eliminates mass transfer and laser welding processes - and I can't wait for my car to have one
Rollable displays could transform retail advertising strategies.
Transparent microLEDs could enhance car dash displays.
MicroLED TV prices could be reduced from current $100,000 tag.
MicroLED displays, renowned for their superior brightness, efficiency, and lifespan, have long held promise for helping advancing the display industry.
Foldable phones have already revolutionized the smartphone industry, but making them any bigger has long held problems, leaving businesses in industries such as retail, healthcare, and automotive searching for scalable solutions.
Now though, Smartkem, a leader in organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), is addressing these challenges through collaboration with AUO, Taiwan’s largest display manufacturer, with the companies aiming to develop the world’s first rollable, transparent microLED display.
MicroLED production with OTFT technology.
Smartkem’s OTFT technology enables processing at temperatures as low as 80°C - significantly lower than the industry standard of 300°C. Smartkem’s transistors can be fabricated directly on top of microLEDs, eliminating costly and complex processes such as mass transfer and laser welding, which have hindered scalability and affordability in microLED manufacturing.
The firm’s approach also introduces a “Chip-First” display architecture, leveraging low-cost, flexible, and transparent plastic substrates instead of rigid glass, allowing the production of dynamic display solutions such as rollable signage in retail, or lightweight, transparent displays in automotive dashboards.
This project commenced in January 2024, and received a grant from the Taiwan-UK Research & Development Collaboration, funded by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Innovate UK. The development will utilize ITRI’s Gen [website] assembly line, underscoring the advanced capabilities of both Smartkem and AUO in producing next-generation displays.
“We believe that collaborating with global display industry leader AUO to develop a novel microLED display puts Smartkem’s technology on the frontier of microLED display commercialization," noted Ian Jenks, Smartkem Chairman and CEO.
"Our unique transistor technology is expected to enable display manufacturers to efficiently produce microLED displays, making mass production commercially viable. Smartkem’s technology has the potential to take today’s microLED TVs from high end market prices of $100,000 down to mass market prices."
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Market Impact Analysis
Market Growth Trend
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.9% | 5.9% | 6.2% | 6.9% | 7.3% | 7.5% | 7.6% |
Quarterly Growth Rate
| Q1 2024 | Q2 2024 | Q3 2024 | Q4 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.9% | 7.2% | 7.4% | 7.6% |
Market Segments and Growth Drivers
| Segment | Market Share | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Semiconductors | 35% | 9.3% |
| Consumer Electronics | 29% | 6.2% |
| Enterprise Hardware | 22% | 5.8% |
| Networking Equipment | 9% | 7.9% |
| Other Hardware | 5% | 5.3% |
Technology Maturity Curve
Different technologies within the ecosystem are at varying stages of maturity:
Competitive Landscape Analysis
| Company | Market Share |
|---|---|
| Apple | 18.7% |
| Samsung | 16.4% |
| Intel | 12.9% |
| NVIDIA | 9.8% |
| AMD | 7.3% |
Future Outlook and Predictions
The Microsoft Reveals More landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by technological advancements, changing threat vectors, and shifting business requirements. Based on current trends and expert analyses, we can anticipate several significant developments across different time horizons:
Year-by-Year Technology Evolution
Based on current trajectory and expert analyses, we can project the following development timeline:
Technology Maturity Curve
Different technologies within the ecosystem are at varying stages of maturity, influencing adoption timelines and investment priorities:
Innovation Trigger
- Generative AI for specialized domains
- Blockchain for supply chain verification
Peak of Inflated Expectations
- Digital twins for business processes
- Quantum-resistant cryptography
Trough of Disillusionment
- Consumer AR/VR applications
- General-purpose blockchain
Slope of Enlightenment
- AI-driven analytics
- Edge computing
Plateau of Productivity
- Cloud infrastructure
- Mobile applications
Technology Evolution Timeline
- Technology adoption accelerating across industries
- digital transformation initiatives becoming mainstream
- Significant transformation of business processes through advanced technologies
- new digital business models emerging
- Fundamental shifts in how technology integrates with business and society
- emergence of new technology paradigms
Expert Perspectives
Leading experts in the hardware tech sector provide diverse perspectives on how the landscape will evolve over the coming years:
"Technology transformation will continue to accelerate, creating both challenges and opportunities."
— Industry Expert
"Organizations must balance innovation with practical implementation to achieve meaningful results."
— Technology Analyst
"The most successful adopters will focus on business outcomes rather than technology for its own sake."
— Research Director
Areas of Expert Consensus
- Acceleration of Innovation: The pace of technological evolution will continue to increase
- Practical Integration: Focus will shift from proof-of-concept to operational deployment
- Human-Technology Partnership: Most effective implementations will optimize human-machine collaboration
- Regulatory Influence: Regulatory frameworks will increasingly shape technology development
Short-Term Outlook (1-2 Years)
In the immediate future, organizations will focus on implementing and optimizing currently available technologies to address pressing hardware tech challenges:
- Technology adoption accelerating across industries
- digital transformation initiatives becoming mainstream
These developments will be characterized by incremental improvements to existing frameworks rather than revolutionary changes, with emphasis on practical deployment and measurable outcomes.
Mid-Term Outlook (3-5 Years)
As technologies mature and organizations adapt, more substantial transformations will emerge in how security is approached and implemented:
- Significant transformation of business processes through advanced technologies
- new digital business models emerging
This period will see significant changes in security architecture and operational models, with increasing automation and integration between previously siloed security functions. Organizations will shift from reactive to proactive security postures.
Long-Term Outlook (5+ Years)
Looking further ahead, more fundamental shifts will reshape how cybersecurity is conceptualized and implemented across digital ecosystems:
- Fundamental shifts in how technology integrates with business and society
- emergence of new technology paradigms
These long-term developments will likely require significant technical breakthroughs, new regulatory frameworks, and evolution in how organizations approach security as a fundamental business function rather than a technical discipline.
Key Risk Factors and Uncertainties
Several critical factors could significantly impact the trajectory of hardware tech evolution:
Organizations should monitor these factors closely and develop contingency strategies to mitigate potential negative impacts on technology implementation timelines.
Alternative Future Scenarios
The evolution of technology can follow different paths depending on various factors including regulatory developments, investment trends, technological breakthroughs, and market adoption. We analyze three potential scenarios:
Optimistic Scenario
Rapid adoption of advanced technologies with significant business impact
Key Drivers: Supportive regulatory environment, significant research breakthroughs, strong market incentives, and rapid user adoption.
Probability: 25-30%
Base Case Scenario
Measured implementation with incremental improvements
Key Drivers: Balanced regulatory approach, steady technological progress, and selective implementation based on clear ROI.
Probability: 50-60%
Conservative Scenario
Technical and organizational barriers limiting effective adoption
Key Drivers: Restrictive regulations, technical limitations, implementation challenges, and risk-averse organizational cultures.
Probability: 15-20%
Scenario Comparison Matrix
| Factor | Optimistic | Base Case | Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implementation Timeline | Accelerated | Steady | Delayed |
| Market Adoption | Widespread | Selective | Limited |
| Technology Evolution | Rapid | Progressive | Incremental |
| Regulatory Environment | Supportive | Balanced | Restrictive |
| Business Impact | Transformative | Significant | Modest |
Transformational Impact
Technology becoming increasingly embedded in all aspects of business operations. This evolution will necessitate significant changes in organizational structures, talent development, and strategic planning processes.
The convergence of multiple technological trends—including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and ubiquitous connectivity—will create both unprecedented security challenges and innovative defensive capabilities.
Implementation Challenges
Technical complexity and organizational readiness remain key challenges. Organizations will need to develop comprehensive change management strategies to successfully navigate these transitions.
Regulatory uncertainty, particularly around emerging technologies like AI in security applications, will require flexible security architectures that can adapt to evolving compliance requirements.
Key Innovations to Watch
Artificial intelligence, distributed systems, and automation technologies leading innovation. Organizations should monitor these developments closely to maintain competitive advantages and effective security postures.
Strategic investments in research partnerships, technology pilots, and talent development will position forward-thinking organizations to leverage these innovations early in their development cycle.
Technical Glossary
Key technical terms and definitions to help understand the technologies discussed in this article.
Understanding the following technical concepts is essential for grasping the full implications of the security threats and defensive measures discussed in this article. These definitions provide context for both technical and non-technical readers.
platform intermediate
scalability intermediate
RAM intermediate
CPU intermediate
cloud computing intermediate
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