Macroblock, a leading manufacturer of LED driver, today released its annual results of fiscal year 2008 and the first quarter results of 2009. The gross profit margin in the first quarter of 2009 outperformed that of the same period of last year. In addition, Macroblock also assessed the business environment and outlined the business strategy at the investor conference held by Gre Tai Securities Market (the GTSM) at Grand Formosa Regent Taipei on April 29, 2009.

At the SMT (Systems Integration in Microelectronics) fair in Nuremberg, Leica Microsystems is presenting its innovative LED illumination modules for stereomicroscopes, which offer optimum illumination even for difficult material samples. Thanks to modern LED technology, operating costs are significantly lower than for conventional halogen illumination. 

Henry Schein, a distributor of healthcare products and services, has introduced a pen-style, MAXIMA LED Curing Light with Ramp-Up.

Luminus Devices, developer and manufacturer of PhlatLight® LEDs, and EBV Elektronik, an Avnet Company (NYSE: AVT) specializing in EMEA semiconductor distribution, have just announced a partnership through which EBV will distribute Luminus PhlatLight LEDs to general illumination customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Rubicon Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:RBCN), a provider of sapphire substrates and products to the LED, RFIC, Semiconductor, and Optical industries, today reported financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2009.

Nichia and General Led/AgiLight have entered into an agreement whereby AgiLight will utilize Nichia's white LEDs for its ThinRayz and ThinRayz Extra product line. General LED/AgiLight has chosen Nichia as its preferred supplier for a range of new white LED products currently under development, as a result of evaluating their world-class white LED products, coupled with Nichia's strong patent portfolio and clear leadership in the LED industry.

Cyberlux Corporation, a LED lighting solutions provider, has introduced a new line of portable lighting systems, the WhiteEye Tactical Illumination Systems, to address the large opportunities for white-only portable lighting in the military, law enforcement, first responder and commercial markets.

Intematix Corp., a innovator in phosphors, LED components and solid state lighting modules today announced the release of a new series of high-efficiency power LEDs.  The new Cetus “E-series” products boast efficacies of up to 100 lumens per watt (lm/w) for the cool white versions, and 97 lm/w for warm white, and will facilitate wider adoption of LEDs in general and outdoor lighting.

Cree, Inc. has lately introduced the LRP-38 LED lamp. Now shipping in volume, this light provides a tightly-focused beam, exceptional color quality, extended life and unmatched energy-efficiency.

The new headquarter of the Commercial Bank of Qatar has recently been constructed, with an 8 x 6 panel (5.12m(w) x 2.88 m (h)) LED screen installed in the building’s lobby to provide an instant impression of the bank’s high quality standards. The P6-FA panels were from Lighthouse Technologies and the screen were installed by Technomight.

GlacialTech Inc. is launching a new range of environmentally friendly Green LED spotlights. The GL-SP15 Series comes in various models, ranging from an Infra red sensor driven light, to a CCD camera option. Both products will consume no more than 21W of power and will replace traditional Halogen lamps which usually consume in excess of 150W per lamp. The lifespan of these LED lamps is 35,000hrs, whereas the halogen spotlight lasts for 3,000hrs only. The predicted savings rate is 86% when compared with Halogen spotlights.

Philips Lumileds today released LUXEON Rebel ES, the world’s first high-efficacy power LED specified to deliver a minimum of 100 lumens per Watt. As the global demand for efficient lighting solutions increases, Philips Lumileds is focusing on the performance characteristics that are most important to the lighting industry. The company’s attention to efficacy makes it simpler to create solid-state lighting solutions that eclipse conventional solution efficiency in many applications such as outdoor and refrigeration.

  In Da An Art Gallery in Zhongshan, China, the traditional spotlights have been replaced with LEDs for lighting of the exhibits. Comparing with the traditional halogen and fluorescent lamps, the LED spotlights emit no ultraviolet radiation and require no filters to protect the pictures.

The Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Regensburg, Germany has recently had its conference room renovated with linear modules with Golden Dragon LEDs from OSRAM. The LEDs hidden behind a large panel can provide any lighting of any mood, color and intensity depending on different occasions in the room. The renovating project was completed by OSRAM Opto Semiconduct together with LI-EX (LED Light Design Expert)

Albeo Technologies, a Solid-State (SSL) manufacturer, announces a breakthrough in white-LED lighting technology, with its C-Series High-Bay overcoming the challenge in price and performance for large scale industrial-commercial deployment. Priced at better than $50 per kilo-lumen in quantities of 250 units or greater, the combined energy and maintenance savings enable customers to achieve pay-back in 1 to 3 years.

Lighthouse Technologies Ltd., an LED technology provider based in Hong Kong, has recently launched its new digital out-of-home system. The HELIOS (High Efficiency LED Informative Operations System) delivers and manages advertising messages easily and efficiently, in indoor and outdoor settings.

Samsung just released three new 240Hz LED TVs, the PAVV 8000, 7000 and 6000 series, for competing with LG’s 240Hz LH90 LED TVs. These series are compatible with YouTube, DLNA, and feature a USB 2.0 port to display both photos and DviX videos from USB flash drives. Coming in 46 and 55 inch, The PAVV 8000 series will be available in May in the US, Europe and Southeast Asia, while the PAVV 7000 and 6000 series will not be available for the time being.

The Designer LED Lighted Cabinet range is a dramatic storage solution from Lasertron, a Florida-based company.

Taiwan would standardize light-emitting-diode (LED) products with China to tap into the global market against the intense competition from Japan, South Korea, Germany and the US, Taiwan Premier Liu Chao-shiuan said last Friday. As part of Taiwan government’s “Bridge-Building” Plan, Taiwan would talk with China in June to reach an agreement on the standardization of LEDs and a certification system, establishing a platform for cross-strait industrial cooperation.

Toshiba Corporation announced last week in Milan that it will start to launch its new lighting business in Europe and the U.S.  By this summer, the company will set up a marketing base for new lighting business operations in the U.K., Germany and the United States, joining a French operation established earlier this month, to launch a wide range of high efficient lighting products such as LED lamps. The company also targets to further expand the business to India, Russia, Brazil, the Middle East and China in this fiscal year.

Leds America, Inc. announces a breakthrough in developing a LCC- LED Cluster Chip technology light source to replace incandescent bulbs. The 10W Led-O has replaced a 100W standard bulb to offer the same lumens output and saves 90% of the energy used currently, or 50% compared to a CFL, emitting no of UV light and having no mercury.

LED TV, the latest high-end technology product in TV market, is to be available in India within the next few months, as Samsung, LG, Panasonic and TCL all targeting to release their products in this market soon.

Taiwan has plans to replace all of the traffic lights on the island, with the total number to be approximately 700,000, with energy-saving LED lights by 2011, said the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) on Thursday, as a part of the government's ambitious green energy industries development project to be implemented by 2015.

The Cabinet of Taiwan announced yesterday (April 23) that it will invest NT$ 45 billion ($1.3 billion) to expand and upgrade the island's green industries including solar and wind energy, with the aim to help reduce the island’s fuel consumption and carbon footprint. Windfarms in Kuanyin town of Taiwan

Mainland China and Taiwan have reached an agreement on the items in which China is to be permitted to invest in Taiwan. New-town development and sewerage construction of the 12 i-Taiwan projects and manufacturing and service businesses are included in the list, as a part of the "cross-Taiwan Strait bridging program," according to Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN).

Christie Digital Systems, Inc., a global provider of visual solutions in business, entertainment and industry, has introduced the world’s first LED-based SXGA+ and WUXGA resolution projection display system, purpose built for control room and videowall applications.  The new Christie Entero™ LED is a pioneering, LED-illuminated, 1-chip DLP® product line that features a “zero maintenance” design.

The Netherlands-based Royal Philips Electronics introduced Thursday the world’s first OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes) -based interactive lighting concepts during the Euroluce International Lighting Fair in Milan. Interactive in use, the concepts boast ultra flat shapes, soft light-effects and design possibilities never before seen in lighting products, making lighting an experience in itself rather than mere illumination.

Korea’s first 240 Hertz (Hz) LED TV—LG TruMotion LH90 HDTV series with the headline-grabbing 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio has recently got officially priced in Korean. The LH90 TVs come in 42, 47 and 55-inch sizes, and will be sold at $2,449, $3,116 and $4,749 as start prices respectively.

An "adaptive lighting" concept is now being tested in San Jose, Calif., in the heart of Silicon Valley. In this test, streets can be made brighter, darker or even be illuminated with flashing strobes upon command.