iMotion control and touch sensors has brought people closer to the sci-fi world in the movie Minority Repot where objects on a screen can be changed and enlarged with hand gestures. The technology has been largely limited to game consoles in the past, but iMotion is bringing the technology from the living room TV screen to computer monitors. The motion control which uses LED sensors for 3D space positioning can replace the mouse and even keyboards, allowing tech enthusiasts to show off their Jedi skills on the computer monitor.

Fairchild Semiconductor, a leading global supplier of high performance power and mobile semiconductor solutions, has appointed Chris Allexandre to the position of Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales.

Walmart today announced the launch of a Great Value line of LED lightbulbs for less than $10 in all of its U.S. stores, with the goal of making LED lightbulbs more accessible and affordable for consumers. The new line will be available exclusively at Walmart stores nationwide and Walmart.com. Building on a history of collaborative innovation between Walmart and General Electric (GE), the retailer will also offer a new, dimmable 60-watt equivalent GE LED lightbulb for less than $11.

Lextar Electronic’s newly developed dual-sided LED panel light Harmonia has won the Good Design Award 2013, one of the most influential design awards in Asia. The light’s simple and clean appearance, dual-sided LED that gives a harmonious lighting environment was awarded the Good Design Award. This is the third time that Lextar has received recognition from Good Design Award in Japan. The company had previously clinched two prizes at the awards in 2012 with two LED bulb designs. Harmonia is expected to debut in October at the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition).

The supply and demand situation for the LED industry has affected LED prices.  Foreign investment firm Goldman Sachs in the most recent global LED industry report pointed out that due to lowered demand expectations from Japanese, Korea, North American and European LED manufacturers, MOVCD equipment volume increase for 2013 has been lowered.

Taiwanese design company Gixia Group was invited by German Vitra Design Museum to display its Luxifer LED bulbs at the Lightopia exhibition. According to the group, this is the first LED luminaire manufactured by a Taiwanese company displayed at the exhibition. The exhibition will also be traveling to other museums around the world.

The LED package market value reached US$ 12.5 billion in 2013, and projected to grow at a Year-over-Year growth rate of 7% to US$ 13.39 billion in 2014, according to the latest LEDinside research report. Tablets and smartphone backlight applications will still be the main highlights in 2014. The lighting application market will see most growth in industrial, commercial and outdoor lighting markets.

The LED industry after entering into the lighting era still continues to face pressure to lower prices. LED manufacturers have thus begun competitively pushing their way into package free chip development. Manufacturers like Philips Lumileds, Toshiba, TSMS Solid State Lighting, Epistar, and Formosa Epitaxy have already begun promoting package free chip products.

The popular doll gets a wearable technology update with an LED infused LBD.

Fujifilm Corporation and imec have developed a new *photoresist technology for **organic semiconductors that enables the realization of submicron patterns. (For * please see note at bottom for further explanations.)

Xicato announced an exclusive LM-79 testing program that lowers testing costs by 50% per luminaire, and reduces testing turn-around time to just five business days, in comparison to industry norms of approximately four weeks. This unique program, in cooperation with UL is open now to all manufacturers whose luminaires have passed Xicato's thermal validation, a complimentary program offered by Xicato to all its customers.

Veeco Instruments Inc. has completed the previously announced acquisition of Synos Technology, Inc. (Synos). Synos designs and manufactures Fast Array Scanning™ Atomic Layer Deposition (FAST-ALD™) systems that are currently expected to enable the production of flexible OLED displays for mobile devices. The business, with operations in California and Korea, has been renamed Veeco ALD Inc.

GE develops LED technology to provide consumers with practical solutions that are accessible, flexible and intuitive. The company unveils plans to introduce six new LED light bulbs at major retailers across the U.S.

The downward trend in price has not surprisingly grabbed a lot of attention. Many large LED manufacturers are using the lowered prices to help quicken the pace for popularizing LEDs. This however is putting a squeeze on medium and small LED businesses (SMBs).

Taiwanese LED manufacturer Shuoen Tech has developed a graphite heat sink that solves heat dissipation issues in high-powered LEDs in standard MR16 sized products or smaller. The heat sink’s dissipation potential is about 7W and it can control and maintain LED system temperatures at about 80 degrees Celsius. The light has a Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) of 3,000 K and can reach 500 lumens. It has the full capacity to replace conventional 50W MR16 halogen lamps.

Goldman Sachs latest global LED industry report pointed out decreasing LED lighting products are driving LED lighting market growth. Goldman Sachs believes LED and general lighting demands have climbed up 70% and 40% respectively in 2013 and 2014. The financial institute upheld its previous outlook that LED lighting penetration rate will reach 70% by 2020, but indicated future lighting demand growths will be much faster than expected.

Guangdong LED industry market value grew at a Year-on-Year rate of 27.73% this year to RMB 125. 17 billion (US$ 20.45 billion), according to the “2Q13 Guangdong Province LED Industry Operation Monitoring Report” published by Guangdong Semiconductor Lighting Industry Joint Innovation Center (GSC) recently. This is the fourth consecutive year that the LED market value surpassed 20%. In addition, the region showed outstanding performance in exports, patents and other key indicators. The GSC report was officially released at the Guangdong Province’s LED industry forum recently. Highlights of the report are listed below:

Taiwanese LED wafer manufacturer Genesis Photonics has benefited from the drive in demands. Performance in the 3Q was outstanding and September revenue is expected to be a driver for lighting product line deliveries and maintain a high level.

As previously announced, Osram addresses structural challenges for its reporting segment Luminaires & Solutions business in line with the lighting market’s shift to semiconductor based products and solutions. In a first step the company will restructure its traditional lighting maintenance service business in North America, Sylvania Lighting Services (SLS), and focus on the growing demand for energy-efficient lighting upgrades and new value-added services. These measures will affect around 900 positions in total.

After a two year "Strategic Alliance," LED Canada, with this partnership, extends its ability to produce proprietary niche, Canadian LED Lighting designs and innovation, while ensuring product quality every step of the way. LED Canada is extending its LED Lighting technological leadership and manufacturing capabilities by joining forces with the proven track record and manufacturing excellence of the Shenzhen Optoelectronics Technology Company. From the beginning of the LED revolution, Shenzhen Optoelectronics Technology Company has been producing innovative high power and industry specific niche LED solutions that solve real world problems in sustainable and cost effective ways.

Arbrux Manufacturing, the leading designer and manufacturer of floating lake fountains, pond aerators and marine dock de-icers, has announced plans to develop an LED light for fountains, ponds and reflecting pools after the success of its submersible light kit, which launched earlier this year.

Lüme is an electronically infused clothing collection which integrates dynamic, user customizable elements driven wirelessly from a common mobile phone. 

Rigid Industries® LED Lighting Announces Its New and Innovative RDS-Series™ Radius Light Bar as the First Ever Linear Light Bar with an Arc.

Renovation.com.my, Malaysian company for all resources on renovation, homemaking and fittings will be launching a new range of LED lighting services

Many new and innovative lighting designs have been displayed at this year’s 100% Design Show at Earl’s Court, London. Chief among the inventions is an LED light with a thin butterfly wing-style film – The Air – a circle of light that uses LED lights along its outside rim. Several products showcased at the show have just been made available in the UK.

Recently Philips in Chengdu announced a new masterpiece: the Master LED bulb. The 7W Master LED bulb has a luminosity equivalent to a 60W incandescent bulb with an energy efficiency of around 85 percent. The life span of the bulb is about 15 years with the ability to be switched on and off roughly 50 thousand times. Such a long life span allows consumers to avoid the troublesome task of replacing bulb after bulb.

Foxconn announced its future smartphone business strategy plan will be focused on diversifying its products to avoid “solely munching on Apple,” according to high ranking company official Chen Hui Long at the Zhengzhou factory’s third anniversary celebration.  Foxconn is extending its product range in its “eight monitor” plan to include smartphones, tablets, notebooks, all-in-one computers, portable TV, smart TV, electronic billboards, and large outdoor LED displays, said Chen. 

Larson Electronics has announced the release of an LED roadway lamp designed to provide superior performance and longevity for more cost effective operation. The RWL-LED-20 48 Watt Street Light provides output comparable to a 70 watt HPS lamp, but with much better light quality, enhanced durability, and a 100,000 hour service rating.

Barco is proud to introduce a brand-new LED projector. The single-chip FL33 projector offers training, simulation and visitor attraction industries an affordable, yet durable high-quality product. The FL33 will be presented to audiences across several industry events in the coming months.

Applied Materials, Inc. and Tokyo Electron Limited announced a definitive agreement to create a global innovator in semiconductor and display manufacturing technology via an all-stock combination which values the new combined company at approximately US$29 billion (¥2.8 trillion). This combination, which has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, brings together complementary leading technologies and products to create an expanded set of capabilities in precision materials engineering and patterning that are strategically important for customers.