OSRAM Opto Semiconductors today announced a major breakthrough in the laboratory with its direct emitting green indium-gallium-nitride laser. It achieves an optical output of 50 mW and emits light in true green with a wavelength of 515 nm. Compared with semiconductor lasers based on current technology that operate with frequency doubling, direct emitting green lasers are more compact, offer greater temperature stability, are easier to control and have higher modulation capability, according to the company.

European consumers are switching to green products as a result of the EU ban on incandescent lamps. According to a market research company, sales of traditional light bulbs fell by up to 35 percent in the first quarter of 2009 in a number of European countries. Increases in purchases of regular light bulbs are a regional phenomenon, particularly in Germany and Austria. EU ban on incandescent lamps will help consumers and the climate

Celsia Technologies has been chosen by Taiwanese based United Innovation to cool the company's 9-, 11-, and 13-watt LED spotlights. Each of these spotlights includes a combination of United's unique multi-chip LED package along with Celsia's patented NanoSpreader vapor chamber.

Enfis, a specialist in the design and manufacture of LED Light Engines for high-power Solid State Lighting (SSL), announces the formal launch of its Lighting Evolution Centre (LEC) in Swansea, UK. The LEC enables Enfis customers to ‘evolve’ their lighting product portfolios quickly and effectively into efficient SSL solutions – either existing legacy products or new SSL-focused luminaires.

A street lighting test facility with LED technology has now been set up in Fürth near Nuremberg, Germany. A total of six LED lamps have been installed on the road to the airport in the town’s north and will provide an insight into the street lighting of tomorrow.

At Morrissey's 2009 "Tour of Refusal", 12 BB7 beam lights from i-Pix have been used to bring different dynamics to the stage with the quality and feel of the BB7 light output.

Cree, Inc. yesterday reported its 4Q09 revenue and forecast better-than-expected first-quarter results. The company scored record revenue of $148.1 million for its fourth quarter of fiscal 2009, representing a 9% increase compared to revenue of $135.9 million reported for the fourth fiscal quarter last year and a 13% increase compared to the fiscal third quarter of 2009. And for fiscal year 2009, the company reported revenue of $567.3 million, which represents a 15% increase compared to revenue of $493.3 million for fiscal 2008.

Nualight Ltd., a specialist in LED lighting for food retail, has signed a strategic supply and partnership agreement with Kysor//Warren, a division of Manitowoc Foodservice. The three year agreement enables Kysor//Warren to offer its customers temperature-controlled food displays that are high on impact and low on energy combining Nualight's award winning Vantium™ LED Lightbars with Kysor//Warren's next generation display case, STRATUS.

Solid-state floodlights recently installed in Tokyo’s Chidorigafuchi Park were developed specifically to reduce the park’s carbon footprint, particularly during the annual cherry blossom viewing season when the park plays host to thousands of people every night. The new luminaires utilizing LUXEON® LEDs from Philips Lumileds were designed by Nagasaki-based lighting manufacturer INEX Corp.

In River Forest, IL, the U.S., the village board has approved a project studying the effectiveness of energy-efficient light-emitting diodes (LED) in outdoor streetlights. And the LED pilot project in the village, which encompasses just one streetlight near the corner of Central and Lathrop Avenues, could be expanded later this year.

Inventronics announced today that another six of its new lighting driver families have now been approved to the UL 8750 safety standard. This new standard, specifically written for solid state lighting applications, incorporates requirements from a broad array of standards each of which have some applicability to the LED lighting industry.

Linear Technology has announced the LT3599, a 45V, 2.1MHz DC/DC boost mode converter designed to operate as a constant current LED driver for up to 40 white LEDs. From a 12V input, the LT3599 can drive four strings of LEDs, each with up to ten 120mA white LEDs in series while delivering efficiencies up to 90%. Its multichannel capability makes it ideal for medium-sized TFT-LCD backlighting applications.

Sharp extends its range of industry-compatible LCDs with LED background lighting with two new displays in diagonals of 12.1 and 23 inches. The range now comprises nine displays with screen diagonals of 2.5 to 23 inches.

FEIT ELECTRIC, a U.S.-based manufacturer and supplier of energy-efficient light bulbs, announced its general purpose line of new Performance LED light bulbs available in several popular reflector sizes, plus a household "A19" shape.

Under increasing demands for LED backlights for LCD TV and notebook computers, the board of directors at Epistar Corp. recently approved to issue 110-135 million units of global depository receipt (GDR) to raise some NT$10 billion (US$303 million at US$1:NT$33) to build up inventories of materials for the blooming market, according to Taiwan Economic News. Some industry watchers believe Epistar would use the GDR offering to attract foreign shareholders.

Lighting Science Group Corporation (LSG) recently announced that Arizona State University (ASU) has taken another step in its commitment to 'going green' by retrofitting six parking structures on the Tempe campus with new light emitting-diode (LED) fixtures. Changing the existing fixtures to Lighting Science's LED low bay solution will afford ASU with an annual savings of up to $127,000 in energy and maintenance costs for the six structures that were retrofit.

Nexxus Lighting, Inc. announced that it has launched its new narrow optic (25 degree Beam Angle) product offering for its Par 30, Par 16 and MR16 Array™ LED replacement lamp line and that it has received purchase orders valued at over $565,000 for Array™ lamps in the last 60 days. 

Lite-On Group announced last week it had won a five-year contract to supply 140,000 LED traffic lights to the California State government, according to an article on Taiwan Economic Times.

The Jewelers of America (JA) summer show was recently held at the Jacob Javitz Center in New York City. Econo-Lite Products, the jewelry lighting division of Eco-Lite Products, LLC, showed their new LED lighting product, the LED Vantage © which was designed to be placed inside of a jewelry showcase. 

Custom Dynamics® has introduced eight new LED tail lights designed to fit most 1999 and newer Harley Davidson® motorcycles. These new product line is a direct replacement for the stock OEM tail light.

LightWild today announced it has completed the LED in-grade lighting for the Royal York Courtyard Garden located in New York City.

Enfis Group Plc, an innovator of intelligent LED lighting systems and technologies, today announced that it has retained Associated Component Sales (ACS) of Atlanta, Georgia to represent its line of LED products throughout the United States and Canada.

Powermicro Technology Sdn Bhd has received a contract to supply LED lighting to a prestigious shopping centre in Singapore's renown shopping mile - Orchard Road.

RECOM POWER Inc. and Future Electronics today announced that both companies have agreed to an Americas franchise distribution partnership. Future's strong application engineering, marketing, and supply chain management will provide RECOM with a differentiated partner and the opportunity to service customers in the Americas.

GlacialTech Inc. is launching the GL-Spotlight (60W) LED high brightness spotlight which ranges in luminous flux between 2,450lm in the warm white (3000K) light version to 3,450lm in the cold white (6000K) light version. The new product can directly replace 400W mercury lamps and consume no more than 60W of power. The lifespan is 20,000Hrs and the predicted power savings rate is 85%.

Lite-On Group announced a full range of “Love the Earth, beginning with LED” illuminating products, together with its subsidiary companies. Lite-On Group CEO David Lin indicates that LED illuminating products are estimated to contribute NT$4 billion to the Lite-On Group’s revenue in 2009 and that figure is expected to multiply in the following year.

Epson has recently rolled out the V500, its latest scanner designed for home and office use. With the new ReadyScan™ LED Technology, the V500 is the first in the Epson scanner family to replace the traditional cold cathode flourescent lamp (CCFL) light source with the light emission diode (LED) technology.

Macroblock, a Taiwan-based manufacturer of LED driver, has released its half-year results of 2009, assessed the business environment, and outlined the business strategy at the investor conference on August 05, 2009. In 2009 half-year financial report, Macroblock reached revenue of NTD553 millions, decreased by 12.4% compared to that of the same period of last year. The consolidated gross profit margin reached 42.8%. The net income was NTD69.8 millions and the earnings after income tax was NTD2.28 per share.

Evluma, a SSL manufacturer located in Seattle, the U.S., announces the new Clearlight 40W Wide Optic LED luminaire for dusk-till-dawn area lights, the latest in its line of energy efficient, LED replacement lamp / luminaries. With a peak intensity vertical angle of 53º the new wide optic delivers light in an evenly dispersed NEMA Type 5 (circular) pattern.

Dongwoon Anatech today announced it has selected Tower Semiconductor, Ltd. as its sole manufacturing partner for high volume, energy saving LED lighting devices used in both home and industrial applications. Tower was chosen for its 20V to 60V scalable LDMOS power management process technology which provides design optimization and the lowest die size at any given breakdown voltage.