A new paradise for climbing fans has been available since mid-2016 in Telfs, located around 30 kilometres from Innsbruck in Austria. At the "Bergstation", recreational sportsmen, hobby/professional climbers and boulderers can scale 80 routes within a climbing area of more than 1,000 square metres both indoors and outdoors. Osram developed a customised, high-performance and efficient LED lighting solution for the climbing centre, enabling cost-efficient operation of the system and contributing to climbers having ideal sight and therefore a safe grip throughout.

Following in the footsteps of Apple and Samsung, Taiwan’s contract manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn, announced that Sharp and other Foxconn group companies will acquire an U.S. startup to develop Micro LED display technology.

Philips Lighting announced that its Philips iColor Accent MX Powercore LED lights provided the interactive digital lighting for the exterior architectural frame of Montreal’s iconic Jacques Cartier Bridge Illumination.  The bridge illumination was unveiled during a grand opening celebration earlier this week to commemorate both Montreal’s 375th birthday and Canada’s 150th.

Nanoco Group plc, a specialist in the development and manufacture of cadmium-free quantum dots and other nanomaterials, and Japanese OLED startup Kyulux Inc., announced the signing of a collaboration and joint development agreement.

Thermal management innovator Cambridge Nanotherm announces the launch of Nanotherm DMS, a unique direct-metallised single-sided thermal management solution that addresses the challenges created by UV LED modules.

Tata Consultancy Services, a global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, unveiled intelligent software that allows cities to derive greater value from costly LED lighting by reducing the typical four to five year payback period almost in half – to just two to three years. This allows cities to invest in other smart city projects sooner, cuts energy consumption using self-learning algorithms and improves public safety by responding to real-time changes in traffic, weather and people movement.

Micro LED, the next generation display technology, has lighten up a new path for the LED industry. As global key players continue to jump on the Micro LED bandwagon, a whole supply chain has gradually taken shape. The development process of related applications has been ramped up, making possible an earlier than expected volume production for Micro LED-based large screen TVs. However, there are still many challenges lying ahead of commercial developments. Among them, two key elements play a pivotal role.

Award winning lighting designer Paul Pyant returned to London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) to light a production of the Steven Sondheim classic, A Little Night Music directed by Edward Kemp and staged at RADA’s Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre in central London.

Molex has solved the challenge of backlighting capacitive keys on a curved surface for user-interface designers. Molex PEDOT Clear Conductive Sensors are flexible translucent conductive circuits printed on a polyester substrate that can be implemented on three-dimensional surfaces, allowing for more elaborate designs and greater design freedom. Translucent PEDOT sensors can be used in space-restricted applications where previous methods of backlighting (light guide film or side fire LEDs) are impractical.

Digi-Key Electronics, a global electronic components distributor, was awarded ON Semiconductor's "2016 Distributor of the Year, Global High Service Distributor" Award at the 2017 EDS Banquet in Las Vegas, NV. The award was presented by Jeff Thomson, VP Global Channel Sales at ON Semi and given to David Stein, VP, Global Semiconductor of Digi-Key.

Phoseon will showcase the latest UV LED curing solutions for printing applications at the upcoming TopCon & IMDA Symposium 2017 event in Lincolnshire, IL. Visit the Phoseon exhibit to learn how Phoseon LED technology is a perfect fit for printing applications due to the compact size, ease of integration, and high intensity output achieved through optimized LED thermal management. 

Cree, Inc. announced that Chairman, President and CEO Chuck Swoboda will step down from his executive positions and as a member of the Board of Directors following a transition period.  Mr. Swoboda intends to stay on until a successor is appointed, and thereafter will remain available as a consultant to the Company to ensure a seamless transition of leadership responsibilities.

For a natural day light effect, a modish set of Luminaries comprising an assortment of Lumibright Spotlights, Track Lights, Panel Lights, Surface Profiles and Cove Lighting Corner Profiles were installed for ample illumination in the Sharjah Urban Planning Council (SUPC) New Government Office at Al Hind Towers, Sharjah.

Corning Incorporated announces Samsung Display’s selection of Corning Lotus™ NXT Glass as the carrier glass for its line of polyimide (PI) low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels, which today power the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Nike continues to bring running to a new level, this time with the world’s first LED running track. Built by BBH Singapore, a global advertising agency, the “Unlimited Stadium” is a giant reimagined pop-up arena taking over an entire city block in Manila, Philippines.

PixelDisplay is introducing Vivid Color™ technology, a new approach to improve the quality of the display experience, on smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs, VR, AR, and digital signage. Retaining the key benefits of (inorganic) LEDs, and extending to include:

Buster + Punch take their lighting to unexpected yet stylish levels with their HEAVY METAL Pendant and LED BUSTER Bulb. A London-born home fashion label that works with unusual, solid materials to make extraordinary items for everyday use, Buster + Punch's custom lighting fuses unique design and attitude to light up any room in the home from the kitchen to the bathroom and even the home bar area. Buster + Punch's striking British-infused lighting makes a design statement for all.

Merkury Innovations, designers of personal electronics and accessories that combine technology, aesthetics, and value, announced Google Assistant compatibility for its line of Geeni smart bulbs and smart plugs, building on its existing Amazon Alexa compatibility. Included is Geeni offering the first smart surge protector that works with Google Assistant to turn on or turn off each individual device plugged into the power strip.

From 2011 to 2015, the global LED general lighting market undoubtedly underwent the most dramatic changes. LED lighting technologies witnessed unprecedented advancements during these 5 years, contributing to expanded range of applications: from indicator lights to lighting fixtures; from lighting fixtures to outdoor landscape lighting; and from display backlighting to general lighting. LEDs have been invincible and grabbed the market shares of incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps, and HID lamps.

Ultratech, Inc., a major supplier of lithography, laser­ processing and inspection systems used to manufacture semiconductor devices and high-brightness LEDs (HBLEDs), as well as atomic layer deposition (ALD) systems, announced that it has received a multiple system follow-on order for its LSA101 dual-beam laser spike anneal (LSA) systems. 

2017 marks an important year for Apple as it plans to release its new Apple Watch alongside the highly-anticipated next generation iPhone to celebrate its tenth anniversary. Although the tech giant has kept a low profile regarding the innovations it will bring to the market, there have been numerous rumors circulating around the devices already.

LIGHTFAIR International (LFI) 2017 is held by Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) and International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). This year is LFI's 25th anniversary. LFI is currently the largest international lighting expo in the USA and attracts the most amount of visitors among international lighting expos. LFI is held once per year, and it takes turns being held in New York City, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas. LFI is the grand event of luminaire industry in the North America.

ABCOMRENTS reports a highly successful venture at the ExhibitorLive 2017 tradeshow and event marketing conference, held March 12-16 in Las Vegas. The technology solutions rental company was part of the Exhibit Hall and saw its' Innovate 4K Digital Kiosk highlighted in the event's New Product Showcase.        

LIGHTFAIR International (LFI) 2017 began on May 9th. Among the exhibitors, FSP, ranked as 10th power device supplier globally, provides smart & highly efficient, highly reliable, and customizable products & services. FSP would like to attract more manufacturers to collaborate together.

H5 Data Centers, a national colocation and wholesale data center provider, announced the receipt of Xcel Energy’s 2016 Data Center Efficiency Award. Xcel Energy recognized H5’s sustainability leadership through its $15 million energy efficiency and infrastructure improvement upgrades at its Denver data center campus. The energy-efficient investments resulted in the annual reduction of 3.2 million kwh – the equivalent reduction of over 1,850 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.

New Product Introduction: liniLED® 316 S/S Curved Handrail new curved profile, with a 15 foot or greater radius, joins innovative handrail system that integrates specification-grade liniLED Top, linear LED strips, within high-quality design stainless-steel handrails.

Power Iluminare has recently joined efforts with Fortius Electromecanica to create a joint venture to supply public lighting for the next 18 years to Zapopan, a city with a population of 1.2 million. The contract for the project has a net worth of more than USD $238,751,010 and will include the installation, maintenance and operation of over 70,000 streetlights.

Higher efficiency, increased power density, smaller footprints and reduced system costs: these are the main advantages of transistors based on silicon carbide (SiC). Infineon Technologies AG is starting volume production for the EASY 1B, the first full-SiC module announced during PCIM 2016. On the occasion of this year’s PCIM in Nuremberg, the company is showcasing additional module platforms and topologies for the 1200 V CoolSiC™ MOSFET family. Infineon is now able to bring the potential of SiC technology to a new level.

Production Resource Group LLC, (PRG), a major provider of entertainment and event technology solutions, announced that a new product innovation along with the application of an industry-first technology solution – SPACEFRAME™ and a 4K Broadcast Camera System – have been integrated into the design, production and operations for the U2 The Joshua Tree Tour 2017. Both solutions demonstrate PRG's dedication to innovating products that anticipate the needs of tour managers, designers and artists seeking to push boundaries and deliver a more immersive concert experience onsite or virtually.

Epson announced it has enhanced its Carson, Calif. Demo Center with the addition of the new SurePress® L-6034VW. The Epson Demo Center provides potential customers and dealers an opportunity to see and experience the complete lineup of Epson's label and packaging printing solutions. With the addition of the SurePress L-6034VW, both prime labels and flexible packaging capabilities will now be on display.