Currently LEDs are widely used for consumer electronic products. The advent of the newer LECs (light-emitting electrochemical cells), however, changes things a bit. Researchers from the University of California discovered a way to manufacture hybrid light--a combination of LED and LEC.

Previous studies of LEC made it appear non-viable for commercial use. After all, it takes minutes to achieve full illumination, since LEC technology entails rearrangement of bulky molecules called ions, which must either gain or lose electrons to create light. LECs also die more quickly than LEDs. These problems with LEC are solved with the hybrid light.

Since LEDs use electrons (tiny negatively-charged atoms), they're able to reach full illumination faster than LECs. Hence, in the hybrid light, the LED mechanism works as soon as you flick the switch; the electrons instantly flow onto the barium metal component to light up. Within 15 to 20 minutes, however, iron ions start taking center stage, transitioning the light into using the LEC mechanism and thus consuming less energy than traditional LEDs.

When this hybrid light is used for commercial purposes, there might be an influx of cheaper high-definition TVs, displays, and monitors which are literally as flat as film. After all, LEC manufacture costs little and is as easy as printing the components on film, unlike LEDs, which need to be manufactured. Also, since LEC tends to become brighter as time goes by (unlike LEDs, which dim as they age), dimming of the hybrid light occurs a thousand times slower than LEDs.