Microvehicles and other devices that can change shape or move with no power source other than a beam of light may be possible through research led by the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering. The researchers are investigating polymers that “snap” when triggered by light, thereby converting light energy into mechanical work and potentially eliminating the need for traditional machine components such as switches and power sources. 

Researchers from the universities of Bonn and Regensburg have developed a novel type of organic light-emitting diode (OLED). These lights are suitable for the design of particularly energy-efficient cheap displays, which find applications in smart phones, tablet PCs or TVs. Applications in lighting such as in luminescent tiles are also conceivable. The scientists have now reported their findings in the journal “Angewandte Chemie” (DOI: 10.1002/anie.201307601).

Pop star Little Boots dons an LED dress designed by The Creators Project in her upcoming show in London.

Sensity Systems has announced the availability of its comprehensive NetSense-enabled LED luminaire portfolio, the first LED lighting products designed from the ground up for LSNs. Each luminaire supports a broad set of cloud applications with Sensity’s NetSense platform.

Larson Electronics has announced the release of a powerful new LED spotlight designed to mount to the rails, cages and roll tubes commonly found on marine vessels and all terrain hunting vehicles. The BCML-LED-21S Bar Clamp Mount Spotlight features high output and efficiency, bar clamp mounting with manual operating post handle, and produces an intense light beam capable of reaching 600 feet in length.

This week U.S. Department of Energy released two new reports that manufacturers might want to check out over the weekend. The first is pricing and efficacy trend analysis for utility program planning, and the second is a subjective evaluation of LED PAR38 lamps. As Apple signs a long term agreement with GTAT for sapphire substrate production, Chinese manufacturers are also eager to grab a share. Also this week, Beijing court rulings give Nichia an upper hand in its patent wars with Everlight. For further details please see below:

Taiwanese LED package manufacturer Everlight announced the launch of a brand new RGB LED package product. The full color 1-035 SMB package product is the world's smallest at only 0.5mm x 0.5mm (0505) in size and can be applied in high resolution LED TVs.

Taiwanese LED chip manufacturer Epistar saw earnings turn to losses in 3Q13, due to loss on valuation of financial liability. Although, the company’s gross profit rebound rate was much lower than expected in 2013, higher gross profits from Embedded LED chip (ELC) and AlInGap products will help gross profits return to 17.8 percent levels, CLSA forecasted.

LiteOn global consolidated revenue for October reached NT $19.45 billion (US $66 million), a growth of 9 percent compared with last October. The company’s core businesses including power solutions and camera modules both reached record highs in October. Accumulated global revenue from Jan. – Oct. reached NT $173 billion

Everlight responds to Nichia's press release on November 7th regarding Chinese Patent Nos. ZL97196762.8 and ZL03159595.2 (YAG patents).

DOE has published the first in a series of four special investigations intended to extend the findings of CALiPER Application Summary Report 20: LED PAR38 Lamps, which was published late last year. The new report, CALiPER Report 20.1: Subjective Evaluation of Beam Quality, Shadow Quality, and Color Quality for LED PAR38 Lamps, focuses on a subset of the lamps from Report 20, which were separately assessed by members of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.

A small study research has revealed patients in average hospital rooms are getting inadequate lighting exposure that it is affecting their bodies normal sleep-wake cycle, according to a Reuters report. 

Universal Display Corp., enabling energy-efficient displays and lighting with its UniversalPHOLED® technology and materials, reported its financial results today for the quarter and nine-month period, ended September 30, 2013.

Families, fun, and the magic of Christmas will be center stage in Marshall, Texas during the 27th annual Wonderland of Lights Festival.  The largest Christmas festival in the region, visitors will enjoy millions of Christmas lights and hundreds of lighted Christmas displays. These lighted exhibits are carefully placed in the historic Washington Square District of downtown Marshall, allowing visitors the opportunity to see the displays by horse-drawn carriage, on a nostalgic English-style double-decker tour bus, or in their own vehicle. 

Assisted Vision had developed a pair of OLED glasses that can allow blind people to see again.

Retail refrigerated displays will come to life with better color and reduced glare and heat with Amerlux's SlimBar LED. The new luminaire beautifies packaging with consistent light levels while reducing energy consumption by nearly 50 percent in supermarkets and other grocery retailers.

Kingsun LED Lights (Kingsun) has signed a LiFi communication and positioning system partnership agreement with Beijing Tsinghua University in May 2013, according to a company post on Chinese social media website Weibo. The company has successfully developed LiFi cellphone samples. The company expects the products can reach marketization once it achieves iPhone size and weight.

GT Advanced Technology (GTAT) announced that it has entered into a multi-year supply agreement with Apple Inc. to provide sapphire substrate materials for US $578 million (NT $17 billion). Feeling the effect, Chinese sapphire substrate listed company stockholders yesterday start preparing to make a move. Shanghai and Shenzhen have 8 related concept stocks and aside from Crystal Optech stocks which is under trade suspension, all others increased.

Leotek, a subsidiary of LiteOn Technology Corp., has officially announced the debut of its first color tunable LED bulb and entry into the residential lighting market on Nov. 6. The bulb comes with a special patent that allows it to be switched to warm white light within one second. Leotek has taken its past 20 year experience in making good quality foreign outdoor lighting products to the indoor lighting market, said Danny Liao, CEO of New Business Development at Leotek. 

Samsung Electronics CEO Kwon Oh Hyun promised that the company will be delivering foldable phones by 2015 during the company’s Analyst Day, according to reports by Engadget and GottaBeMobile. com. The Engadget report noted Galaxy Round was an “incremental nudge” towards this development, and the flexible phone concept can be further expanded into wearable electronic gadgets that the company has high interest in.

North American lighting manufacturer Osram Sylvania is upgrading its portfolio of Sylvania Ultra LED lamps, providing higher efficacy, competitively priced LED lamps and downlight retrofit kits for commercial applications. These long life, energy-efficient alternatives to traditional lighting sources such as incandescent, halogen and compact fluorescent lamps now have a variety of enhancements, including efficiency increases of 10 to 15 percent compared to previous versions resulting in more light with less energy usage, improved design and dimming capabilities.

MaxLite® introduces two- and three-watt LED G9 Retrofit Lamps as versatile, energy-efficient alternatives for up to 40-watt halogen T4 G9-based lamps. MaxLite has developed the new LED lamps to retrofit easily into existing G9-socket mini pendants, desk lamps, as well as undercabinet, display, track and task lighting fixtures, that are used in dry locations in homes, offices, hotels, restaurants, retailers and other commercial and residential applications.

Thomas Research Products is excited to introduce a line of Low-Voltage AC LED products, offering OEM customers more options for developing solid state lighting. Thomas Research Products is a leading manufacturer of SSL power solutions.

Next Evolution of  LED Lights Doubles Brightness and Lifespan, Decreases Power Usage, Nearly Eliminates Heat for Longer-Lasting Film and Video Shoots

Two prominent lines from Littman Brands, Hudson Valley Lighting®, manufacturer of contemporary and traditional lighting fixtures for more than 30 years, and Corbett Lighting, manufacturer of decorative lighting, are pleased to announce their participation in the renovation of The Ronald McDonald House in Long Island, New York (RMH-LI), a respite for seriously ill children undergoing treatment at area hospitals, as well as their families.

Situated in a Rapid Transit Station in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the huge art work “Emerald Laminata” simulates a water-like surface, representing a shimmering lighting effect in a three-dimensional glass structure. Artists, architects, engineers and lighting designers from Canada, Europe and Taiwan worked together to complete this remarkable installation.

Osram, a lighting fixture manufacturer, is equipping the Sistine Chapel in Rome with a new type of LED solution. After 500 years, the art-historically outstanding works can now be viewed to a level of precision unique, and the especially art-conserving installation enables significantly higher illuminance values.

Japanese LED manufacturer Nichia announced recently , it had received the court verdict from the Beijing First Intermediate People's Court pertaining to the decision by the State Intellectual Property Office’s Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences that Nichia’s two YAG patents (ZL97196762.8, ZL03159595.2) were valid.

Taiwanese LED chip manufacturer Epistar has released their 3Q13 financial results, feeling the effects of  LED for TV backlight applications inventory adjustments.

With the continual low price trend of  in the LED market, manufacturers are beginning to consider options for lowering productions costs. LED package free products have become the focal point of the industry in 2013 with many manufacturers actively breaking into R&D and production.