Apple has finally arrived to a settlement with GTAT, and the former sapphire supplier will be repaying loans by selling sapphire furnaces at the Arizona plant. In the aftermath of the settlement that required greater transparency from the Cupertino company, the upcoming Apple Watch is likely to turn to other sapphire suppliers, analyzed a Seeking Alpha report. Philips Lumileds which was spin-off from parent company Philips will be trading under a new company name in 2015, said Sean Zhou, Regional Marketing Director, Asia, Philips Lumileds at LEDforum 2014. 

UC Santa Barbara Nobel Laureate Shuji Nakamura has been selected to receive one of Japan’s highest honors: the 2014 Order of Culture Award. The medal, which recognizes contributions to the nation’s culture, will be presented by Emperor Akihito in a ceremony at the Imperial Palace on Nov. 3, which is also Day of Culture in Japan.

A small girl wading around in a glowing LED Minnie Mouse stick figure costume recently received a lot of Internet attention.

Cree achieves another fundamental breakthrough in lighting-class LED performance with the groundbreaking SC5 Technology™ Platform. The new platform powers the next generation of lighting with the introduction of Extreme High Power (XHP) LEDs. This new class of LEDs can reduce system costs by up to 40 percent in most lighting applications.

LED prices will continue to fall over the next few years, but this is a phase that will probably pass, said Sean Zhou, Regional Marketing Director, Asia, Philips Lumileds at LEDforum 2014, which took place Friday in Taipei, Taiwan. Manufacturers aiming to improve profits will be increasingly turning towards cost-effective technologies, such as flip-chip LEDs.

Global LED trends show backlight applications are in decline, and that lighting will remain the major market driver, said Sean Zhou, Regional Marketing Director, Asia, Philips Lumileds at LEDforum 2014, which took place Friday in Taipei, Taiwan. In terms of regional market performances, LED market growth in Japan has waned compared to other regions.

Taiwanese LED epiwafer manufacturers received backlight orders from Apple for iPhone products and the upcoming Apple Watch, according to a latest report by Chinese-language Liberty Times report.

Leading U.S. LED manufacturer Cree’s patent application which integrates LED with OLED technology to generate white light was recently approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

The spectral emission of LEDs is a frequent subject of concern, so to set the record straight, the U.S. Department of Energy has published a technical brief entitled True Colors: LEDs and the Relationship Between CCT, CRI, Optical Safety, Material Degradation, and Photobiological Stimulation. Using an example dataset of 20 CALiPER-tested LED lighting products that cover the full range of market-available CCTs and CRIs, it separates myth from fact regarding the potential of LEDs to cause retinal damage, changes to artwork or other media, and stimulation of the human circadian system (which impacts health).

Noribachi, a leading U.S.-based custom LED manufacturer for high output commercial and industrial solutions along with Intelligent Energy Light and Power, an electrical engineering and installation firm, are proud to announce the completion of the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) Headquarters Energy Efficient Project.

LED applications are getting creative by the day, the latest addition is a rather unique application of transforming the mundane trip to the toilet to take a leak into an experience close to hitting the disco dance floor.

Japanese pump and LED manufacturer Nikkiso will start mass producing UV LEDs with a wavelength between 255-350 nm in Spring 2015, according to a report by Japanese media Nikkei Technology.

After parting ways with former sapphire supplier GT Advanced Technology (GTAT), Apple will turn to third party sapphire suppliers to supply sapphire watch covers for the upcoming smartwatch, analyzed Seeking Alpha.

Cree, a market leader in LED lighting, today announced revenue of US $427.7 million for its first quarter of fiscal 2015, ended September 28, 2014. This represents a 9% increase compared to revenue of $391.0 million reported for the first quarter of fiscal 2014. GAAP net income for the first quarter was $11.1 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, a decrease of 64% year-over-year compared to GAAP net income of $30.5 million, or $0.25 per diluted share, for the first quarter of fiscal 2014. 

Scientists have created a drug for type 2 diabetes that is switched on by blue light, which they hope will improve treatment of the disease.

Joining the acclaimed LUXEON CoB group, Philips Lumileds introduces LUXEON CoB 1202s. LUXEON CoB 1202s has unsurpassed light quality with a compact array that delivers industry-leading center beam candle power (CBCP). With the same performance as the LUXEON CoB 1202, LUXEON CoB 1202s contains a smaller LES and footprint than most competitors with similar performance parts. 

Norwegian design studio Drap og Design has developed a color-changing LED jacket inspired by squids color-morphing ability to blend in with its surroundings.

ForceField Energy Completes Acquisition of ESCO Energy Services, a Leader in Energy Efficiency Upgrades and Lighting Retrofit Projects ForceField Energy Inc. ("ForceField" or the "Company") (Nasdaq:FNRG), a designer, seller and distributor of energy products and solutions, today announced that it completed the acquisition of ESCO Energy Services Company ("ESCO"). Based in Lenox, Massachusetts, ESCO is a leader in energy efficiency upgrades and lighting retrofit projects with strong utility company relationships and long-standing master agreements with global engineering firms.

Acuity Brands, Inc. announced it will build a world-class engineering and technology center at a site it owns in Decatur, Georgia, and will invest in facility upgrades at its complex in Conyers Georgia, as part of a plan to enhance a workplace that will drive  innovation and technology advances.

The seal on confidential documents signed between Apple and sapphire supplier GT Advanced Technology (GTAT) is expected to be gradually lifted in its bankruptcy case, according to a Bloomberg report.

Puducherry, an Indian Union Territory, recently completed distributing low cost LED bulbs to every household, according to a Deccan Chronicle report.

Lumia   Oxford   Series   proudly   represents   the   highest   standards available in the market for T8 Tube Lights. With lockable rotatable end caps, long life time of 50,000 hours (L70) and high colour rendering, Oxford Series assures stable performance for years to come. 

Absen Optoelectronics, a global manufacturer of LED displays, announced the appointment of Christopher Backhaus, former Sales Director of Barco NV and Daktronics Inc. as its Regional Sales Director for the German Speaking Market with effect 1 October 2014. His experience in closely related businesses will be a valuable asset to Absen for the further expansion of the business.

Key developments this week: GTAT wind-down approved by U.S. court, company slashes 890 jobs. Indian Energy Ministry actively promotes LED bulbs, and plans to sell them for less than US $1 each in rural areas. Lextar board approves Cree NT $83 million (US $2.73 million) investment in company, company stocks to be sold at NT$ 30 per share. Nichia announces first global spokesperson to be based in Taipei, an interesting development for a company mostly involved in B2B operations.

Global LED market prices have been disrupted by heavily subsidized Chinese manufacturers, to stay relevant Taiwanese manufacturers need to work on strengthening patent portfolios, said Katsuyuki Akutagawa, Chief Legal and IP Officer Board Director for Nichia at a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan on Thursday.

Taiwanese LED manufacturer Lextar has approved leading U.S. LED manufacturer Cree’s NT $83 million investment in the company during a recent shareholder meeting, according to several Taiwanese media reports.

DOE's Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium (MSSLC) has released the results of a voluntary web-based inventory survey of public street and area lighting across the U.S., conducted during the latter half of 2013 and intended to improve understanding of the role of public outdoor lighting in national energy use.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a solid-state lighting (SSL) R&D funding opportunity on October 14, 2014. Under this funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0001171, “Solid-State Lighting Advanced Technology R&D – 2015”), a total of up to $10 million in funding is directed toward all three existing DOE SSL R&D program areas:

The phase-out of traditional incandescent bulbs in the U.S. and elsewhere, as well as a growing interest in energy efficiency, has given LED lighting a sales boost. However, that trend could be short-lived as key materials known as rare earth elements become more expensive. Scientists have now designed new materials for making household LED bulbs without using these ingredients. They report their development in ACS’Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Today is the first day of the deodorant revolution, as ClickStick launches on Kickstarter. ClickStick (www.getclickstick.com) is the world's first smart electric deodorant applicator, equipped with push-button delivery, adjustable amounts, LED indicators and a free mobile app.