Often imitated but never duplicated, the elusive vintage MXR Phase 90 guitar pedal is at the top of the list for pedal collectors world-wide.

Sources at AUO recently indicated that the company is supplying LED-backlit panels for Apple's latest 13.3-inch slim notebook. AUO also ships 13.3-inch notebook panels with cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlighting technology and a resolution of WXGA (1280×800). As the rival of AUO, Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO) commented that the company already began volume producing 13.3-inch LED panels last October.

Advanced Analogic Technology has introduced a new LED driver, the AAT1239-1. The driver, a high frequency, high efficiency constant current boost converter, can drive up to ten white LEDs in a series. The driver is designed for backlight applications in PDAs, eDictionaries, Electronic Photo Frames and cellular handsets.

The city of Austin will begin taking steps toward using more LED lighting as part of a national LED use initiative. The LED City initiative (www.ledcity.org) is sponsored by Durham, North Carolina-based company Cree Inc. Cree [NASDAQ: CREE] produces semiconductors that increase the energy performance of LED lighting.

There'll be some bright lights in the big city once the new 2008 Cadillac Escalade Platinum edition hits town, over the summer. The newest and most lavishly-equipped version of the popular SUV will be the first mainstream automotive product to feature high-tech LED headlamps.

City Council on Jan. 28 approved a $134,902 contract with Portsmouth-based Tri-Master Inc. to replace or retrofit all existing signal heads, pedestrian signal heads, school flasher signs and railroad flasher signals with LED lenses, which are brighter and use less power than traditional lights.To increase traffic safety, a battery backup system will be installed at the intersections of Mason-Montgomery and Tylersville roads, Tylersville and Reading roads, Kings Mills Road and state Route 741, Mason-Montgomery Road and Main Street and Reading Road and state Route 741.

After 4 years of extensive Research & Development, Remco Solid State Lighting Inc., a Toronto, Canada-based SSL Solutions Company, has broken through the barrier to replace conventional street lighting with its recently patented SSL technology and LED-based street light.

Everlight Electronics claims that it has successfully resolved issues concerning heat-dissipation for LED headlamps, and estimates that the LED headlamp will soon pass heat-dissipation tests and be ready for commercialization by 3Q08.

SUV is first to use longer-lasting, more stylish diode headlamps.When the 2008 Cadillac Escalade Platinum arrives this summer it will include the first fully functioning LED headlamps in an SUV, General Motors Corp.'s luxury brand announced Monday.

This holiday season the consumer market was a-buzz with the relatively new holiday lighting product, LED Christmas lights. The new lighting technology boasted energy savings of over 95% and lamp life of 50,000 hours or more. The consumer market embraced this new technology and now many people are looking for LEDs suitable for other applications. LED technology has been around for more than 30 years but it was largely used only in industrial applications. Most consumers didn't even know it existed until recently.

Last year Ann Arbor joined forces with LED manufacturer Cree, Inc, on an ever-expanding citywide LED initiative to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With a recent retrofit contract signed with Lumecon, Ann Arbor is on its way to being the first U.S. city to light up its downtown with 100% LED technology!

Recently, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors announced its OSTAR Headlamp LED have been selected to power the headlights of Cadillac Escalade Platinum sports utility vehicle (SUV). The Cadillac Escalade Platinum, scheduled to be launched this year, is claimed to be the first SUV with LED headlights as standard. OSRAM LEDs powered the functions in the headlights supplied by Hella KGaA Hueck & Co.

Global Warming Solutions company has devised an LED lighting technology it says increases the shelf life of produce. The company's proprietary PureRay lighting technology reportedly kills or at least suppresses E. coli, Listeria, Penicillium (blue mold) and yeasts. As a result, the company contends it slows down spoilage of produce. The PureRay System is proprietary design comprised of LEDs assembled in arrays.

January 24, 2008... Making a good thing better, CAO Group has introduced a compact new High Flux Dynasty™ LED bulb, designed with a driver included in the base to provide constant current, transforming AC/DC low voltage to ~3.3 V. Available with both white and color LEDs, the new bulb is screw-mounted on a waterproof 1156 base.

Martin Professional has been awarded a technology grant from the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation for the development of new LED technologies. The project, called INLED (Intelligent Light Emitting Diodes), is a cooperation between Martin Professional A/S, Denmark's Aalborg University, and the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation.

Television and outdoor advertising will soon merge with the launch of South Africa's largest and highest resolution outdoor digital advertising screen at the country's busiest shopping destination, Sandton City. This 40m² LED screen will be capable of delivering 4,4 trillion colours with unequalled brightness and contrast levels, even in full sunshine.

Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc. announced that its CAT4201, 7W buck LED driver has been named to the EDN Magazine's list of Hot 100 Products of 2007. The CAT4201 was selected one of nine hot products in the "Power Semiconductors and ICs" category, which includes leading analog semiconductor suppliers.About the CAT4201 LED Driver

LED makers from Taiwan project that the cost of LED backlight units (BLUs) will shrink to 1.5 times that of CCFL-based units during late 2008. Despite that the current penetration rate of LED-backlit notebooks barely exceeds 10% due to LED patent issues and insufficient LED chip supplies, many industry players and research firms project that the rate will rise in the 10~20% range in 2008.

This LED concept watch requires you to slide the band open to reveal the time.If it does end up getting made, it'll be made by Gucci, as its who the concept was created for.

It's reported that Epistar Corp of Hsinchu has placed a third multiple order for MOCVD systems from Aixtron of Aachen, Germany. The order was placed in Q407, and includes both multiple CRIUS Close Coupled Showerhead (CCS) reactors and AIX 2800G4 HT Planetary Reactor systems for volume production of GaN-based LEDs. Aixtron says that the latest order, along with a multiple order announced last October, made Epistar the single largest individual system investor in Q407.

It's reported that the village of Frankfort is looking into replacing its traffic and street lights with light emitting diodes, also known as LED lights.Department of Public Works Supervisor for the village of Frankfort Ron Vivacqua says the village could cut its electric payments by a significant amount if it switches to LED lights.