Samsung Demos Laptop With See-Through Screen

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 2010— -- Who cares if you never need a see-through laptop screen? This transparent OLED prototype from Samsung is simply cool.

To show off the benefits of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology, Samsung Mobile Display trotted out this 14-inch laptop at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

When the device is turned off, the screen is transparent, allowing about 40 percent of the light from behind it to get through. When it's turned on you can see icons and applications on the screen, as well as anything in the background.

Manufacturers like Samsung, Sony and others are interested in OLED because the technology allows for brighter, clearer pictures while using less energy.

This week, Samsung also unveiled IceTouch, an MP3 player with a 2-inch transparent OLED screen. Users can control the device by tapping on the back of the screen while watching videos on the front.

Samsung says this 14-inch screen is the world's first and largest transparent OLED panel prototype. The technology is still very much in the research stage, but this panel shows the possibilities. Maybe the future won't be filled with see-through laptop screens like this, but do you remember the transparent touch screens in "Minority Report?" They no longer seem so far off.