Apple has been criticized by some environmental groups for not being a leader in removing toxic chemicals from its new products, but the company has pledged to mend its ways. It appears now that Apple will indeed live up to its promise as it is set to replace all the CCFL backlights in its MacBook range with energy-efficient LED systems by 2009.

South Korea aims to become one of the top three manufacturers of light emitting diodes (LED) by 2012 by expanding facility investment and redoubling research efforts, the government said Thursday.The plan calls for the government to allocate 400 billion won (US$383 million) for research and development (R&D) and infrastructure building in the cited period, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said.

Physicists at the University of St. Andrews (Fife, Scotland) have developed a laser with a variety of colors that is powered by a simple, low-cost light-emitting diode (LED). This compact visible laser can be created at a fraction of the cost of existing technologies and used for a wide range of applications, from medical treatment to light-emitting clothing.

New Product Introduction: SL-42 — reduced depth in-ground aimable pedestrian-level landscape lighting fixtures, with LED. Design: ALLSCAPE In-House Product Design Team. Manufacturer: ALLSCAPE, a Philips group brand.

xpedx announced on May 20 that it will be the exclusive U.S. marketer and distributor of the world's first LED-UV print curing system, an offset printing technology from Ryobi that provides significant environmental, pressroom and financial advantages. A 14"x20" RYOBI 525GX will be the initial platform for the LED-UV curing system, with plans to extend the system to press models such as the 23"x31" RYOBI 750 Series in the future.  The new technology will be demonstrated at drupa 2008 in Düsseldorf, Germany, May 29-June 11. 

The new CERAMOS™ Reflector LED from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors provides unprecedented high brightness and power in a very small package, the ideal solution for backlighting mid-size (5”-20”) LCDs. Specifically designed for light guide-based backlighting of displays in high ambient light conditions, such as those found in today’s TFT displays, automotive dashboards and aircraft cockpits, the slim profile of the CERAMOS™ Reflector LED is well suited for in-coupling into light guides as thin as 2 mm.

Billed as the ultimate immersive desktop display, the 42.4in Ostendo CRVD wraps around the viewer and delivers billions of colours with better than 300cd/m2 brightness. Ostar-Projection LED modules from Osram Opto Semiconductors are used to backlight a novel ultrawide curved display from Ostendo Technologies The Ostendo CRVD curved display measures 42.4in diagonal and provides a 2880 x 900 pixel resolution (double WXGA+)

BBQing at night is as American as apple pie, NASA and the occasional race riot. But even when there's enough ambient light to keep track of where everything essential is being kept, it's still kind of tough to see whether the burger is done without resorting to the kludgy solution of wielding a spatula in one hand and a flashlight in the other.

The automotive parts supplier Hella has developed new LED daytime running lights that can be retrofitted to the front bumper and switch on automatically when the engine is started up.The LEDayline can also be used as a position light and measures only 28 millimetres in height and 220 millimetres in width fitting elegantly into the contours of most modern vehicle front-ends, Hella said.

Carmanah Technologies Corporation (CMH - TSX, QCX - FWB, CMHXF - OTCBB_Pink_Sheets), Carmanah solar-powered area lights are now better and brighter than ever, thanks to a new partnership between Carmanah Technologies Corporation and Beta Lighting.

Units are IP54 certified and UL1310 Class 2 recognised, and so are suitable for outdoor and other locations where they may be exposed to moisture. A new range of high-power LED drivers from Marl Optosource are designed to power the Lamina TitanTurbo, billed as one of the world's brightest LED light enginesLED light engines can now match the luminosity of a 100W tungsten lamp - but this new generation of products imposes a much heavier load on the drive electronics.

Portland, Oregon LightsAndKnives.com, the Portland, Oregon based online retailer of discount LED lights and outdoor knives, will have the LED Lenser High Performance line of professional flashlights and headlamps available for online retail sale starting May 20th, 2008. LED Lenser HP tactical flashlights are built for use by law enforcement personnel, fire and rescue crews, military personnel and industrial workers. These products are now being offered to the general public for use as well.

LEDs are more energy-efficient than light bulbs, but fall short when it comes to light output. But a new optical component could change that by concentrating LED light like a spotlight and directing it precisely where needed.

This lightweight furniture by Meritalia is so light you can pick it up with one hand, and so light that you can probably read by it.

Flame Tip LED Chandelier Bulbs (DEC02-B11E25 series) are comprised of LED bulb in flame-tip-shaped, UV-protected plastic lens covering. Suited for any situation that accepts 26 mm Edison screw base attachments, products can directly replace 20-26 W standard-base incandescent bulbs and offer lifespan of up to 50,000 hr. Products are resistant to shock and vibrations as well as frequent switching, and will not burn out from being switched on and off.

LEDtronics® announces Flame Tip LED Chandelier Bulbs that offer beautiful lighting in many versatile applications. The DEC02-B11E25 series LED bulb comes in a flame-tip-shaped, UV-protected plastic lens covering that allows the LEDs to shine in multiple directions (three dimensions) while still being protected from the environment.

Brothers Gerard and Anton Philips founded the company now known as Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Royal Philips Electronics) in 1891. That company largely made its fortune making incandescent light bulbs before moving into vacuum tubes, semiconductors, consumer electronics and medical equipment.

Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has completed the lighting renovation at the Oaks Country Club tennis facility in Sarasota, Fla. The renovation required that Sunovia replace the existing incandescent light fixtures at the facility with Sunovia's proprietary LED light fixtures, sold under the brand name EvoLucia(TM). As a result of the renovation, the Oaks facility is now using less than 19 percent of the energy that was being consumed by the incandescent light fixtures and has reduced its carbon emissions by more than 81 percent at the facility.

Researchers at Siemens Corporate Research have succeeded to transmit data at a bandwidth of 100 Mbit/s using visible light. The technology could be used to supplement current WLAN approaches. The Siemens researchers used a white LED as transmitter, using a digital modulation scheme. A photo detector served as receiver. The company did not provide technical details as to LED, photo detector and the modulation process. The signals were transmitted over a distance of 1 meter under laboratory conditions.

 The advantages of LED lights over conventional lighting of all types are significant; for example, they burn cool and last 40,000 hours. OceanLED, maker of underwater lights, is a leader in marine lighting technology and through its testing with Viking Yachts the company has discovered that different colored lights attract different species of fish.

The San Antonio arts community was on hand at the lighting of the dynamic color lighting the Alamo, a historical Texas landmark. Philips Solid State Lighting Solutions of Burlington, Massachusetts USA, illuminated the important symbol of Texas liberty and American history. The temporary installation was reportedly the first time the Alamo was illuminated on a grand scale. The installation demonstrating the ease with which LED lighting can transform venues for special occasions.

Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has completed the lighting renovation at the Oaks Country Club tennis facility in Sarasota, Fla. The renovation required that Sunovia replace the existing incandescent light fixtures at the facility with Sunovia's proprietary LED light fixtures, sold under the brand name EvoLucia(TM). As a result of the renovation, the Oaks facility is now using less than 19 percent of the energy that was being consumed by the incandescent light fixtures and has reduced its carbon emissions by more than 81 percent at the facility.

Another day, another ultra-slim LCD TV. Right now it's AUO's turn to release a super-skinny panel, and their 42-inch TFT-LCD measures in at just 9.98mm deep. It also weighs significantly less than rivals - 44-percent less, according to AUO - and uses LED backlighting to reduce power consumption and make construction more straightforward.

Diguang International Development Co., Ltd. (OTC Bulletin Board: DGNG) (''Diguang''), an emerging, China-based leader in CCFL and LED backlights and LED general lighting technology, today announced launch of a citywide LED lighting project in Xiangfan, Hubei Province, a city of 6.5 million.

DUSSELDORF is not well-endowed with nostalgic charm, and soon may be shorter of it still. The 17,000 or so gas lamps that still bathe the streets of the old centre in their glow are on their way out. The German city's municipal power utility plans to replace about 10,000 of them with a technology that is cheaper to operate but so modern that only a handful of cities have begun to use it: light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

Metro Red Line subway passengers are now seeing 15-second LED tunnel ads designed to generate more revenue for the transit agency as well as advertisers. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority debuted the new electronic ads earlier this week with a flickering advertisement for the movie "Speed Racer." The video floats outside the train's window in a dark tunnel. The videos are actually 360 LED lights hung over a quarter-mile span of the tunnel. When trains go past the lights, the human eye perceives movement.

Faiz Rahman, a nanoelectronics researcher at the University of Glasgow, predicts that LED light bulbs for the home will start appearing on store shelves in the next 2-3 years to compete with incandescent and fluorescent bulbs.If so, the LED bulbs would provide a much greater efficiency (up to 70%) compared with incandescent (5%) and fluorescent (25%) bulbs.

Most people already know that excessive exposure to the sun is dangerous to the skin. UV light causes environmental damage, fine lines, wrinkles, dryness and spots. So how is it possible that a certain light therapy can actually be good for the skin? Skincare-News.com's latest article, "LED Light Therapy Treats Aging and More," explains the benefits of this new treatment. How LED works

A line of professional-grade panel LED Indicators from APEM Components are available in package sizes of 6, 8, 12, 14, 16, 19 and 22 mm with prominent, recessed, or flush bezel styles and bright chrome, black chrome, or satin grey bexel finishes.

Leadis Technology, Inc., an analog and mixed-signal semiconductor developer of color display drivers, power management ICs, LED drivers, and audio ICs for mobile consumer electronic devices, today announced sample availability of the LDS6000 and LDS6020, the first two products in a new family of low power controllers designed for capacitive touch applications. Targeted at both mobile and non-mobile applications, the devices support a variety of touch input types including buttons, sliders, and scroll wheels.