GE builds an OLED Holiday Tree, makes mistletoe out of disused RAM

The R&D-types at GE have high hopes for their roll-to-roll OLED manufacturing process, but it looks like we have a couple years to wait before the tech is cheap enough to really catch on. In the meantime, what do we have for you? How about some super-expensive digiframes and a YouTube video of the world's first ever "OLED Holiday Tree?" Man, we hope those "War on Christmas" people don't catch wind of this one...

[Via OLED Display]

[Google @ Dec 17th 2008 3:11PM]

You spelled Christmas Tree wrong, silly ol' bear.

[Stereotype @ Dec 17th 2008 4:46PM]

I know right? Whats wrong with "Christmas"? If you think about it...if we go around saying "Happy Holidays" (or whatever) instead of Merry Christmas, shouldn't we say it for all Holidays? Instead of Happy Thanksgiving it would be "Happy Holidays". Call it what it is and leave it at that...

If some people get offended because the word "Christ" is in Christmas...then they should be offended at alot of other things too. I don't hear people getting offended at the Jews or Buddhists and making them change there words or whatever...
What is Christmas? It is a celebration of Christ's birth...look it up. So people should call it what it is and leave it...or make the Jews replace Happy Hanukkah with Happy Holidays as well. No offense to the Jews, I am just using it as an example.

Ok...I am done ranting now... ;)
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

[Google @ Dec 17th 2008 4:52PM]

I mean, it's clearly a Christmas tree.... what other holiday symbol looks like that? We should call a menorah a holiday menorah even though it's clearly tied to Hanukkah? It's just a complete overcompensation to call this anything other than a Christmas tree.

Here's how I see it. When people say Happy Holidays to me, I take it in the plural. I assume they mean Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, since both are holidays are just 8 days away. Regardless of which December-ish holiday you choose to celebrate, usually you take the 1st of January as something to celebrate too.

The PC people get their way, and I make sense of it and have no un-PC ax to grind.

[a8a4 @ Dec 17th 2008 6:35PM]

Actually it looks a lot like a tree that pagan would use to thank mother nature during the winter solstice.
you know, a evergreen that is decorated with lights, maybe a star on the top.

[Google @ Dec 17th 2008 7:21PM]

For others holding out hope for it being Pagan or Non-denominational.... the use of "mistletoe" in the title is a dead giveaway.

Hmm... Dead Giveaway, sounds like something Engadget would do near Halloween

DEAD GIVEAWAY (1 OF 8): 183 ZUNES!

[jinushaun @ Dec 17th 2008 7:48PM]

Non-Christians don't care about the phrase "Merry Christmas". Only Atheists do.

[MatthewJ @ Dec 17th 2008 8:00PM]

No, you're wrong there, I'm an atheist, and I couldn't give a stuff what you call it, as long as its prefixed by the word 'awesome'

[Cassini @ Dec 17th 2008 11:17PM]

Merry Christmas!!!

[CraigJ @ Dec 17th 2008 11:38PM]

@Jin,

I suppose you are one of those that thinks atheism is like some sort of anti-religion. Well, I can tell you that the great majority of us don't give a rip what you believe in. A few, the vocal minority, (kind of like the vocal Christians or the vocal Muslims come to think of it) go around trying to get the 10 commandments out of courthouses and crap like that.

Let me sum it up this way:
A Christian gets up in the morning and acknowledges god and spends (maybe) Sunday in Church
a few atheists get up in the morning and denounce the existence of god, and spend all day Sunday protesting said existence
The rest of us just get up in the morning and on Sunday we sleep in.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Whatever. Just be nice and go buy a bunch of shit you can't afford to get the economy moving...

[Jeremy @ Dec 18th 2008 1:21PM]

ARE YOU SERIOUS? "HOLIDAY" TREE? This just doesn't make any sense.

[Rory @ Dec 17th 2008 3:14PM]

Nice idea, but call it what it is GE; "Holiday Tree" sounds preposterous.

[Dr. Spaceman @ Dec 17th 2008 3:21PM]

They did, if you click the link it says "OLED Christmas Tree"

Don't worry, Engadget. My Jewish family doesn't get a tree for Hanukkah. You are offending more people by calling it a "Holiday Tree" than you would by calling it a "Christmas Tree."

[Rory @ Dec 17th 2008 3:27PM]

Thanks for pointing that out, I guess engadget chose to use the video's term over the GE blog post.

[MI @ Dec 17th 2008 3:28PM]

Well said.

[maveric101 @ Dec 17th 2008 3:33PM]

seriously, do we call menorah's "holiday candle holders?"

merry christmas to all of you.

[Paul @ Dec 17th 2008 4:15PM]

and Happy Hanukkah to you!

[Zinger314 @ Dec 17th 2008 3:17PM]

OLED Holiday Tree: $2000
Mistletoe out of disused RAM: $50
Telling a young child that Santa doesn't exist: Priceless.

[Richard @ Dec 17th 2008 3:23PM]

WHAT??!!

[tom @ Dec 17th 2008 3:31PM]

@Zinger

You are no different to a grinch stealing Christmas from the kids! If you were a parent, your kids will hate you for the rest of their life.

[Zinger314 @ Dec 17th 2008 3:34PM]

@tom

Then it's a good thing I'm Jewish. :D

[Jason @ Dec 17th 2008 3:38PM]

Whatever man, I told my kids that St. Nick was this guy from Turkey who gave surprise presents to lots of people, and they thought that was really cool.

My youngest: Daddy, you could do that, too.

[tom @ Dec 17th 2008 3:40PM]

@Zinger

Fair enough. Don't tell my kids =P I was once caught in a limbo, "Daddy, why is there a Santa in every mall?" LOL

[Richard @ Dec 17th 2008 3:53PM]

@ Tom

My parents always told me that Santa was so busy at the North Pole that he hired helpers to go out and greet the kids. I bought it hook, line, and sinker when I was little.

[KezMondo @ Dec 17th 2008 9:48PM]

Hahahaha, I grant you 1 internet, good sir.

[jK @ Dec 17th 2008 11:39PM]

I think i see some HUGE DEAD PIXELS.. do you?

[ger @ Dec 17th 2008 3:20PM]

what is a "holiday tree?"
i worked 38 yrs for ge..i can't believe this????

[Zavrion @ Dec 17th 2008 4:07PM]

Well, the holiday tree surely doesn't belong to the Christians. Just because you stole and bent something doesn't make it your own exclusive completely original idea. If you'll excuse me I have to decorate the Solstice fur.

[jere @ Dec 17th 2008 10:19PM]

@Zavrion

lol, nice one. I was reading your comment and starting to get annoyed, but then that ending hit me. thank you. had to give credit where it's due.

[jere @ Dec 17th 2008 10:22PM]

Hmmm... after reviewing some of your other comments you left on this post, I am inclined to believe you were not joking. If this is the case, I suppose my credit wasn't due, but no matter what, that comment is funny.

[crystalsinger @ Dec 17th 2008 10:32PM]

@Zavrion You just keep your Solstice 'fur' to yourself. We don't need to be seein' that at this time of year.

Merpy Christmukkah everyone!

[Boarderwoot @ Dec 17th 2008 3:22PM]

OLED must be bad for your eyes. They're all wearing protective goggels.

Also, since when did a tree with a star ontop of it often decorated with pretty lights (or made of pretty lights) represent any other holiday besides Christmas? From the way the threads have been going lately, this site is a forum for anything BUT political correctness.

[maveric101 @ Dec 17th 2008 3:36PM]

the funny part is they capitalized holiday.

but seriously, i'm christian, but i wouldn't be offended if someone said "happy Hanukkah" to me.

[headchem @ Dec 17th 2008 3:47PM]

Apparently there is at least _some_ risk of explosion... which to me gives this "Holiday Tree" the edge over its natural counterparts.

[Kevin @ Dec 17th 2008 4:25PM]

I guess technically having a tree as part of a celebration has ancient roots in pagan religions, including the one that Christmas originated from. It's a bit comical, because there are references to this in the Bible, yet we use trees in our homes to celebrate the birth of Christ.

That is not really important, though, because clearly Christmas is the holiday the trees are targeted at and retailers are going overboard to be politically correct. "Holiday tree" just sounds like something that would make Charlie Brown upset. Where is Linus when you need him?

[MyHeadisFed @ Dec 17th 2008 3:30PM]

Lol @ "holiday tree". So politically correct that it's completely wrong. Retards.

[Zavrion @ Dec 17th 2008 4:11PM]

So ignorantly stated that it is completely wrong. Ignorant commenter.

[dcoaster @ Dec 17th 2008 4:26PM]

@ Zavrion:

Sure doesn't look like a Hanukkah Bush to me...

[MyHeadisFed @ Dec 17th 2008 4:34PM]

@Zavrion. I would appreciate you pointing out where exactly my statement is "completely wrong." Perhaps I used the language of the internet, which is rudimentary, terse, and often insulting. I don't see, however, how this negates the material of the comment, which you have deemed to be completely wrong. As you can see I am perfectly capable of writing proper English, but prefer not to due to laziness. You sir, are the ignorant commenter, and your contribution is quite useless.

[Marc @ Dec 17th 2008 3:35PM]

As an atheist, I'm highly offended at holiday tree. Just call it a damn christmas tree.

[CraigJ @ Dec 17th 2008 3:58PM]

Well it could be a Hanukkah bush: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah_bush. Anyway, I agree. Speaking as someone who has no theism, anyone who is offended by Christmas tree or menorah or any other damn thing obviously has it way too easy and has way too much time on their hands, since they can get worked up over something like that. My Christmas message to you people is that you can kiss my fat, white, atheist ass over by the manger scene.

C'mon Engadget, if your going to pick and choose when to be politically incorrect you're lame. Do what Mel Brooks does: insult everybody.

[Ross @ Dec 17th 2008 4:12PM]

Hanukkah bush sounds like a nasty disease

[CraigJ @ Dec 17th 2008 4:22PM]

Rockin' around the Hanukkah bush
It's a Jewish holiday...
Everybody dancing and singing along
In the Hebrew National way...

[Sanskrit @ Dec 17th 2008 3:35PM]

I'm offended by the offense of offending the offenders...or something like that.

Nice tech, though. Maybe someday we'll all be able to use our OLEDXMASTRIZ (tm) for the particular celebratory event of the season.

[tom @ Dec 17th 2008 3:36PM]

A "holiday tree" is essentially a Christmas tree. They purposely do that to avert racism against other religion as not everyone believes in J.C. or Christianity. One of the state government office was once sued for putting up Christmas decoration. To me, this is completely bull. But hey, the court ruled the government is against the constitution.

[ijyt @ Dec 17th 2008 3:41PM]

It's a Christmas Tree because it's used during Christmas, not any other religious "holiday". I don't put Christmas trees up during Summer Holidays do I? No, because it's called a CHRISTMAS tree. God damn it, I hate political correctness. (This wasn't directed at you tom, just the general topic of your post).

[Justin @ Dec 17th 2008 3:46PM]

"racism against other religion"

huh?

[tom @ Dec 17th 2008 3:47PM]

@ilyt

no offense taken =)

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, and the word relates to "Christian"

[Zavrion @ Dec 17th 2008 4:23PM]

@Tom

Why do you hate the pagans so?

[loosely_coupled @ Dec 17th 2008 6:43PM]

Regardless of what you really intended to say, that post is definitely in the running for most idiotic of the week.

[maveric101 @ Dec 18th 2008 9:04PM]

"government is against the constitution."

huh?