Catalyst Semiconductor has expanded its line of patented, Quad-Mode fractional charge pump LED drivers with two high-resolution brightness devices, featuring 32-dimming levels to provide enhanced LCD backlight control in emerging portable product applications. The CAT3647 and CAT3648 address the need for high-resolution LCD control and longer battery life in cell phones, digital cameras and other handheld devices, where designers constantly need to balance higher performance features with longer battery life.

Spas have now begun using LEDs as an effective tool in spa capsules. The Med Spa Clinic at Tunbridge Wells are claiming the world's first usage of LEDs in a whole capsule. I'm claiming them the creepiest.

Each year, May is designated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. States and motorcycle organizations across the country conduct a variety of activities to promote the importance of motorist awareness and sharing the road with motorcyclists.

Kim Lighting, a leading manufacturer of outdoor architectural lighting, announced today its Site Lightform Bollard Series now includes new super bright white LED technology.

According to market research firm iSuppli,due to their low power consumption, thin form factor, light weight and environmental friendliness, LEDs are set to take the notebook PC display backlighting market by storm during the next few years, with nine out of 10 large-sized mobile PC LCD panels expected to use the technology by 2012.

Lamina Lighting Incorporated (Lamina), an innovator of LED lighting systems and technologies, has announced that the use of their new TitanTurbo TruColor LED product has been certified to avoid more than 3 tons of CO2 emissions into the earth’s atmosphere as compared to its incandescent equivalent. This certification was awarded to the product by First Climate (formerly called the 3C Group). Lamina is also engaging this Frankfurt-based company to help them achieve total “climate neutrality” throughout all company operations.

Cree, Inc., a market-leading innovator of lighting-class LEDs, LED lighting retrofit solutions, and semiconductor solutions for backlighting, wireless and power applications, today announced revenue of $125.0 million for its fiscal third quarter ended March 30, 2008. This represents a 5% increase compared to the fiscal second quarter of 2008 and a 38% increase compared to revenue of $90.3 million reported for the third fiscal quarter last year.

Shares of Cree fell in after-hours trading Tuesday after the company released fiscal third quarter earnings and a fourth quarter outlook that failed to meet analysts projections. Durham-based Cree (Nadsaq: CREE), which sells products for light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, said net income was $5.7 million, or 6 cents a share, in the quarter.

The total operating revenue of Taiwan LED companies this March hit $188 million, up 18.4 percent month-on-month compared to the prior month's $161 million and up 17.17 percent y-on-y. This is according to the latest statistics from LEDinside, a subsidiary division of DRAMeXchange Tech Inc.The total operating revenue of LED crystal grain manufacturers grew 15.31 percent over the last month. Operating revenues of LED-packaging manufactures climbed 20.89 percent from February's figures.

LED lighting supplier Cree has launched LED University to promote and accelerate the adoption of LEDs by showcasing their use at universities. North Carolina State University, the first to sign up with the initiative, has installed recessed LED lighting in a dorm and chancellor's office and is putting in LED lighting in parking garages. The university reports LED lighting in the dorm has cut energy use by 66 percent so far.

LCD panel makers are gearing up their development for the growing market trend of low-cost notebooks, with the makers planning new sizes and applications for the segment.AUO plans to adopt LED backlighting for all of its notebook panels by the end of 2011, in line with its goal to roll out lighter, thinner and more power-saving solutions. The maker will also give heavy emphasis to 16:9 notebook panels, according to Peng.

It's reported that Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO) is aiming to have the world's largest capacity for IT panels by the end of 2009 in terms of capacity from its fifth-generation (5G), 5.5G and 6G lines.

Recently, the American government says that if every American home replaced one light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb, we could save enough energy to prevent greenhouse gases equal to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars. Certainly great news, yet recycling burned-out CFL light bulbs poses a quandary for homeowners.

Venture capital firm VentureTech Alliance, mostly owned by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), recently put around US$40 million into LED epitaxy-wafer maker BridgeLux of the United States for a seat at the company`s director board.

The ISL78100 can use a DC bias current or an external PWM signal for more accurate control of the LED colour temperature.Intersil has released the ISL78100, a high-power integrated LED driver designed for display backlighting and body electronics applications. The ISL78100 is designed to withstand harsh automotive environments and can be configured to optimally drive from one to eight high-brightness LEDs, while being capable of operating in boost, buck or SEPIC configurations.

Texas Instruments Inc. has released a 16-channel, 50 mA constant-current sink LED driver, with an input voltage of up to 17V. The TLC5943's integrated enhanced spectrum pulse-width modulation (PWM) improves image quality and reduces flicker noise in monochrome, multicolor and full-color LED displays, as well as LED signboards and display backlighting.

It's reported that AU Optronics (AUO) will roll out LED TV panels in small volume this year, chiefly in the 40-inch class, but the company is still evaluating whether the TV segment will adopt a strategy as aggressive the one for notebooks as far as LED backlighting is concerned, according to Yong-Hong Lu, AUO's vice president for Global Supply Chain Management.

The MacBook Air has become the best advertisement for why companies should use LED (light-emitting diode) backlights in notebook screens, and is driving adoption, according to market researcher DisplaySearch. LED backlights in display screens are an improvement over old CCFL (cold-cathode florescent lamps) technology for several reasons, including a stunning picture due to more vibrant contrasts, better power savings, and they're easier on the environment because they contain no mercury and last longer.

Despite producing a 50lm output with all LEDs illuminated, the SEPW devices are not power hungry, using just 100lm/W (at 20mA) with all LEDs illuminated.

Citizen Holdings Co., a Japanese maker of watches and industrial machinery, plans to increase the number of research workers dedicated to light-emitting diodes as the devices replace incandescent bulbs in homes and offices. The company will allocate almost half its research employees of about 200 to LED development as soon as possible, rising from 10 percent now, Mitsuyuki Kanamori, who was appointed president of Tokyo-based Citizen on April 1, said in a Bloomberg Television interview broadcast today.

To be held in Tokyo on October 16-17, the conference will center on the worldwide market for high-brightness LEDs. 

On April 8, 2008 Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley signed Senate Bill 713 authorizing the use of certain auxiliary lighting on motorcycles.Effective June 1, 2008, Maryland motorcyclists can legally ride with light emitting diode (LED) pods and strips on their motorcycle, provided they do not blink, oscillate, or flash and are not red or blue, as these colors are reserved for law enforcement and emergency vehicles. That leaves amber, green, hot pink, jade, orange, purple, and white.

The World's Largest LED Free-Hanging Chandelier was illuminated for the first time by Meyda Lighting on April 2nd, at the Stanley Center for the Arts in Utica, New York. Meyda Lighting, a Meyda Tiffany company and nation's leading manufacturer of decorative lighting, recently installed the chandelier after one year of planning and production in its manufacturing facilities.

Springtime doesn't just bring flowers, short shorts and silly Red Sox pranks. No, it also brings new information on HDTVs that will be released throughout the year. Someone at BGR got a hold of Sony's HDTV roadmap for its LCD lineup and it looks like the XBR6, XBR7 and XBR8 will getting a little more than a new coat of paint, the XBR8 especially.

More contrast all round, as Bravia televisions get major boostIn a move that could have a major impact on the display industry, a leaked report discovered on Monday suggests that Sony will offer LED-backlit screens in its high-end Bravia line of HD TVs this autumn.According to the Boy Genius Report, Sony's not-so-secret roadmap includes an LED-backlit display on its Bravia XBR line, as well as support for DLNA media sharing and online program guides, all of which will appear in the as-yet announced XBR7.More contrasty

Lightscape Technologies, a provider of large scale LED screens and installations, LED lighting design solutions, and advanced lighting products, announced that its joint venture has completed the installation of its first mega-sized LED outdoor advertising display in Beijing, China, with another to follow by early May.

The Hutchinson City Council will discuss during a study session today whether to place a moratorium on LED signs in Hutchinson.Hutchinson's current sign code does not address LED signs, which are becoming a trend. However, staff and a consultant are working on a new code that will, among other things, regulate LED signs specifically. The new code should be ready by October.

A cycling safety jacket with embedded light-emitting diodes (LED) which was tested around London has won a prestigious James Dyson international design award at an event in New York.UK-based designer Michael Chen developed the Reactiv cycle jacket with LEDs that illuminate and change colour in response to the cyclists behaviour, turning red when brakes are applied, flashing green with acceleration and lighting up in amber to indicate a turn.

The LED Edge Lit Acrylic Point of Sale Sign from Poly Optics Australia is used for sales promotions and can be customised with colour changing signs and custom made company logos or brand. This lighting system uses microprocessor controlled LED’s to provide superior messages when compared to traditional signage.The Step and Aisle lighting systems from Poly Optics Australia turns ordinary stairs into amazing lighting features. These fibre optic strips come in a number of diameters and colours.

Delta Electronics, Inc. announced it has developed an advanced, energy-saving High Brightness 5W/9W/12W LED Lamp, and will demonstrate the new lamp at the Light+Building 2008 exhibition in Frankfurt, April 06-11. The LED lamp is 100% compatible with current sockets (E27) and is similar in appearance to compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) of the same wattage. The lamp is easily installed and readily replaces CFL and incandescent lamps.