Biological implants that communicate with the brain to control paralyzed limbs or provide vision to the blind are one step closer to reality thanks to research by Brian Collins, an assistant professor of physics at Washington State University.

Today Current, powered by GE (NYSE: GE), announced the acquisition of Daintree Networks, an Industrial Internet provider of building controls solutions for commercial facilities. This acquisition will enable Current to expand its building automation platform and its energy-as-a-service offering to small- and medium-size facilities through the deployment of Daintree’s open, standards-based wireless control systems.

LEDinside has released two important research reports this week, in case you missed our research director Roger Chu’s talk at Taiwan International Lighting Show 2016 (TILS 2016) last week, you can find the complete summary of his talk from the contracting Chinese LED chip market piece. In addition, the company has unveiled the top 10 LED package manufacturer rankings in 2015. Nichia has defended the top ranking position, and Everlight edged up one spot. Taiwanese LED package manufacturer Lite-On has also squeezed into the top 10 rankings for the first time, for more details please see below.

Authorities of Vietnam capital Hanoi plans to roll out LED streetlight upgrade across the city, and has recently called on municipal agencies to scale up installation of LED lights in public lighting system in the locality to save energy, reported Vietnam Plus.

Korean researchers from Department of Bio and Brain Engineering and KAIST Institute for Optical Science and Technology have been able to boost OLED efficiency significantly by imitating nanostructures found in fireflies, according to a latest paper published in Nano Letters.

Greg McNevin sheds light in this Greenpeace blog entry how LEDs are illuminating invisible radiation levels in Chernobyl and Fukushima. 

Today, the U.S. Senate passed the Energy Policy Modernization Act by a vote of 85-12. This vote comes four months after a December 3, 2015, vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on its comprehensive energy legislation, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act.

On April 18, 2016, United States District Court for the Northern District of California entered judgment in accordance with the jury’s verdict in Enplas Display Device Corporation v. Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (N.D. Cal., Case No. 3:13-cv-05038-NC) that EDD’s sale of light diffusion lenses #9854D, #9854E and #9879 in Japan and Taiwan induced unnamed parties to infringe claims 1, 6, 33, 34 and 35 of United States Patent No. 6,473,554 (USP ‘554) and its sale of those lenses and lenses #4922 and #9853A in Japan and Taiwan induced unnamed parties to infringe claim 20 of United States Patent No. 6,007,209 (USP ‘209) (under 35 U.S.C. § 271(b)). 

Lighting leader OSRAM SYLVANIA is announcing an exclusive partnership in North America with Senmatic A/S in Denmark to bring total greenhouse system solutions to the horticulture market that enhance operational performance and offer optimal lighting. OSRAM SYLVANIA will work directly with Senmatic A/S in the design, development and distribution of high-quality horticulture LED fixtures sold under the OSRAM brand.

Hubbell Control Solutions announces the appointment of three new US Regional Sales Managers. Greg Ortt takes over the Southeast states, while Joe Osterwyk handles the North Central states and Mark Westgate takes the Western states. Hubbell Control Solutions leverages a history of innovation to create future-proof lighting controls.

GSR Capital announced the formation of a US$ 1 billion cornerstone fund, "GSR Go Global Fund", with Limited Partners from Chinese leading high-tech companies, Taiwan industrial group, and world renowned entrepreneurs. The aim is to invest and build a world-class lighting industry through global acquisitions of leading LED lighting assets. The fund has already been oversubscribed and agreements have been signed by anchor Limited Partners. Industry experts Frank Fan and Jianghua Su will join the core general partner team.

At its meeting today, the supervisory board of OSRAM Licht AG decided key changes in the composition of the managing board. In line with the company’s stronger technology focus, the supervisory board appointed Stefan Kampmann, 52, as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) with effect from July 1, 2016. “We are happy to gain an experienced top manager and technology expert for Osram’s managing board,” said Peter Bauer, chairman of the supervisory board of OSRAM Licht AG. “His experience will give additional momentum to our innovation and growth initiative.” The supervisory board has also decided, for reasons of differing views regarding the strategic direction of the company and in best mutual agreement with Klaus Patzak, to launch a structured process to find a successor for the position of Chief Financial Officer.

Opposition party Projet Montréal in Canada is asking the city to halt its CA$ 110 million project to replace 110,000 streetlights with LEDs lights over health risk and light pollution concerns, reported Montreal Gazette.

Due to an ongoing positive business development in the second quarter the managing board of OSRAM Licht AG raises the revenue and profit outlook for fiscal year 2016.

QD Vision, a technology and market leader in the rapidly-growing quantum dot display market, has dismissed Nanosys’ recent legal action as an attempt to slow down the Company’s legitimate progress with an improper lawsuit.

Philips Lighting, the global leader in lighting and a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Philips, announced that it entered into a patent license agreement with the Italian company iGuzzini. The license, based on the terms and conditions of the EnabLED Licensing Program, provides iGuzzini with full, worldwide access to a wide range of basic LED control and system-level technologies. Both companies have also agreed to dismiss all outstanding litigations related to patents offered under Philips’ EnabLED Licensing Program for LED Luminaires and Retrofit Bulbs.

Daintree Networks®, the leader in open networked wireless control, sensing and Enterprise Internet of Things™ solutions for smart buildings, and North American lighting leader OSRAM SYLVANIA, today announced their collaboration to enable out-of-the-box wirelessly controlled LED fixtures. The OSRAM Connected Lighting Module (CLM) is certified to work with Daintree Networks’ ControlScope® open networked wireless control solution, which further expands the availability of open standards-based controllable luminaires and facilitates the Enterprise Internet of Things (E-IoTTM).

The AT&T Center, home to the award-winning San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, the San Antonio Spurs, Stars, and Rampage, shines a little brighter. As part of a $110 million infrastructure and technology renovation project, new state-of-the-art light-emitting diode (LED) lighting was installed at the Bexar County-owned arena. The LEDs maximize energy efficiency and enhance the entertainment experience at the venue.

Policymakers, business leaders and financiers agreed that the global transition to energy efficient lighting solutions such as LEDs is an unprecedented opportunity, at a global event which took place in Vijayawada in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, on April 7-8.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) announced that ANSI Accredited Standards Committee C82 published ANSI C82.16-2015 American National Standard for Light-Emitting Diode Drivers—Methods of Measurement. This standard describes the procedures to be followed and the precautions to be taken in measuring performance of LED drivers. The scope includes, but is not limited to, LED drivers with these characteristics:

Company representatives from LiteOn, China Electric and Monocrystal urged Taiwanese LED manufacturers to direct resources to develop niche market products, instead of developing products in the overtly competitive general lighting and application markets during a press conference for the upcoming lighting show LED Taiwan at Taipei World Trade Center Club, Taiwan. 

The sapphire industry has never been the same since Apple dropped sapphire screens in iPhone 6 in 2014, followed with the bankruptcy of GTAT in October the same year. Things have been rough and hard for the sapphire industry over the last three years, as it enters a restructure phase, said Jerry Chen, General Manager, Taiwan, Monocrystal during a press conference held by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) at Taipei World Trade Center Club, Taiwan on Tuesday.

LED Taiwan to take place in Hall 1 of Nangang Exhibition Center starting this Wednesday has added three new theme pavilions including LED Components, Power Device Pavilion, Smart Lighting Pavilions, said organizers during a press conference held at Taipei World Trade Center Club, Taiwan earlier this afternoon.

Researchers from the School of Medicine, Ajou University found that regular exposure to IR LED light reduces scars and improves the healing condition, compared to a controlled group, reported Healio.

Cornawall, a city in eastern Ontario, Canada, is expected to complete the upgrade of 5,000 LED streetlights by the end of 2016, reported Seaway News.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) announced that ANSI Accredited Standards Committee C78 published ANSI C78.374-2015 Light-Emitting Diode Package Specification Sheet for General Illumination Applications. The purpose of this new standard is to specify the standardized white light-emitting diode (LED) package specification sheet, or data reporting format, as the means of communication between LED package producers and users in general illumination applications. The minimum defined contents and format of the specification sheet are provided. 

Humanscale® announced that it has recently acquired VesselTM, an architectural lighting solution from celebrated designer Todd Bracher. Available to ship in May, this clear cylindrical light is made of the highest quality quartz crystal, providing beautiful, glare-free light in a simple, refined form. Architectural lighting is a new category for Humanscale, although the company has long been the worldwide leader in task lighting for individual workstations. 

As crews installed the 30,000th energy efficient L.E.D. (light emitting diode) streetlight fixture of a planned 50,000 units in Hempstead Town, Supervisor Anthony J. Santino detailed energy cost savings associated with the major project.  At the same time, Santino “illuminated” residents on the expansion of planet friendly/cost saving the initiative to include the conversion of 17,000 interior light fixtures at town facilities.  Joining the Supervisor at a press briefing on Hamilton Avenue in Island Park was Councilman Anthony D’Esposito, along with Ricky Tripodo of Facility Solutions Group (FSG), a private sector partner that is converting streetlight elements in tandem with town work crews.

Royal Philips has listed six banks and filed draft documents to the Dutch market regulator for a possible IPO for its lighting division as it proceeds the sale of the lighting business, according to a recent Bloomberg report.

Lawbreakers will now have a more difficult time recognizing the profile of the best-selling police vehicle in their rearview mirrors.