In line with reports, Peter Holm and Brandon Williams, the Firefly Pick creators, are wrapping up their fundraiser for an LED flashing guitar pick that creates a rhythmic light show synchronized to music as it is being played. The duo launched the campaign on July 10th, and has currently raised almost $35000 from supporters who want to see the pick make it to market in return for a Firefly Pick of their own. The project reached its goal more than a week early, and if the project raises another $10000, the team promises to revamp the circuit board one last time to make room ...

With information pouring in about the launch of new iPhone and iPad products this September, the whole world is watching to see if Apple will be able to perform as well as they did 3Q. It is rumored that the new iPhone will come with dual-LED flash which will increase the phone’s flash power. With the iPad mini, the new generation will use a 0.6t double die packaging but the number of LEDs used in backlighting will remain the same making the new device lighter and thinner.

On Aug. 13, Cree, Inc., a market leader in LED lighting, announced revenue of $375.0 million for its fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, ended June 30, 2013. This represents a 22% increase compared to revenue of $306.8 million reported for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, and a 7% increase compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2013. GAAP net income for the fourth quarter was $28.2 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, an increase of 182% year-over-year compared to GAAP net income of $10.0 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. On a non-GAAP ba...

Dialight, the innovative global leader in LED lighting technology, yesterday announced its innovation program has gained UL certification and CE compliance for its DuroSite® LED High Bay and Low Bay product portfolios for industrial applications with a new long life power supply. With efficiencies up to 107 lumens per Watt, the new power supply will be available in 17,000-3,800 lumen output fixture versions. “This latest achievement in our LED power supply development gives our customers up to a 7% increase in efficiency across the high bay and low bay por...

According to reports by American website 9to5Mac, the new iPhone5S will be equipped with a dual-LED flash module. French website NEW leaked pictures of the phone's rear shell which shows a slot large enough to hold two LEDs.

On August 13, Technical Consumer Products, Inc. (TCP), with 20-year history in energy-efficient lighting, announced its most advanced and comprehensive lineup of LED lamps: the LED Elite Series. The LED Elite Series bulbs transform nearly every lighted environment into something extraordinary while consuming 20 percent less energy than prior generations of TCP lighting technology.  Shipments of LED Elite Series bulbs will begin September 2013. TCP’s LED Elite Series incorporates some of the most advanced technology available on the marke...

The modular headquarters of the Organizing Committee for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic and Paralympic Games is the first commercial building in Brazil to adopt GE Lighting’s Lumination™ ET Series Recessed LED Troffer, an ultra-thin fixture as thin as the width of a finger that brings modern styling to traditionally uninspired commercial ceiling spaces. Approximately 3,000 Lumination ET Series Troffers offer an indoor lighting solution with lower energy consumption, longer life and lower greenhouse emissions resulting from power consumption compared...

"Energy conservation must start from 'lighting on demand', especially in the public construction sectors, such as underground garage, corridors, and stairwells. There is a big difference between effective lighting time and actual lighting time in these sectors, with radar microwave technique, the intelligent LED lights can play the dimming effect that 'to light up when people is coming and to be dim when people is away', not only can it provide lighting, but also achieves a good energy saving effect.”, Shukui Bing, vice president of China Illuminating Eng...

A mature LED market has seen a surge in demands this year. Upstream die manufacturers one by one are transforming their market strategies in response to continual decrease in prices. Chinese manufacturer Hong Hai has been dropping prices rapidly in the mid-to-low range LED market. Taiwanese wafer manufactures have turned to the mid-to-high range LED market in order to maintain their gross margin performance. Flip Chip technology has become this year’s new battle ground with companies like Epistar and Genesis vigorously racing to start production.

Plansee uses the creep-resistant tungsten material WVM to manufacture heaters for sapphire growth. These have more than twice the service life of conventional tungsten heaters. Sapphire growth takes place at high temperatures of approximately 2100 °C. In the Kyropoulos process, rod heaters made from pure tungsten are generally used. These often have to be replaced after just a few cycles. This is due to the high level of embrittlement and deformation. It can sometimes be so extreme that the heater rods touch the shielding and cause short-circuits. To meet the needs of ...

Osram Opto Semiconductors launches the Duris S 8, a new, multi-chip, high-power member of the Duris “S” LED series. The close grouping of the LED permits very good color consistency in combination with a high luminous flux. The new Duris S is primarily used in directional and omnidirectional retrofits, as well as in LED spots in indoor lighting. It is particularly suitable for directional lighting in office and business premises, as well as in the home. The very good color consistency (color binning) in the directional retrofits is achieved through the cl...

Kumho Electric, Inc., a global leader in lighting technology, is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. However, it intends to move its operations to produce light-emitting diode (LED) lighting devices to China. This is the first occasion for a Korean LED manufacturer to relocate its production base to China. The company said on August 11 that it is currently building an LED mass-production facility in Shenzhen in Guangdong Province.   Kumho Electric will assemble finished goods in its Shenzhen plant with parts and components such as LED chips and packages...

As companies like Apple and Samsung are heralding the end of the button, LG is taking its design in a different direction. This new "Classic TV" features a wood-panelled front complete with tuning knobs and buttons to create what LG describes as a "classic Scandanavian-style design that emphasizes simplicity, modernity." LG's Classic TV CRT TV the 70-80 design is a modern reinterpretation of the product. Roundabout way to apply the channel dial and wood frame while making it feel classic Scandinavian-style design that emphasizes simplicity, ...

The widespread use of LED display allows advertisers to apply more interactive campaigns with audiences, and the QR code is proven to be an effective way for marketing campaigns on LED displays or LED billboards. However, the popular use of QR code on LED display brings a higher threshold in LED display technology. Critical Limitations of QR Code Scan-ability on LED Display The errors below are common in LED display applications to affect QR code scan-ability. 1.  Positioning Failure in Position Detection Patterns Position detection p...

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) installed 48 Incito™ LED downlights​ embedded with nLIGHT® lighting controls​ from Acuity Brands Inc.​ as part of the University’s renovation of the Great Dome in the Barker Engineering Library. MIT updated the historic dome using integrated Gotham® LED downlighting with embedded controls to provide consistent light levels for reading in the library, while complementing daylighting from the Dome’s skylight. The daylighting and electric lighting work together seamlessly to provide round-the-clock illumination during the library’s 24-hour operation.

Philips continues to lead the smart lighting revolution by launching ‘Friends of hue,’ stepping beyond light to bring dynamic immersive lighting to the home through your fingertips. A Friend of hue is any product or app, created by Philips or an independent developer that integrates and works seamlessly with the hue lighting system. By introducing Friends of hue, Philips is amplifying the possibilities to feel and experience light – from transporting your TV experience to the whole of the living room making it more immersive than ever before, to bringing stories to life with light, making them more magical.

As Japan makes significant breakthroughs in agricultural LED lighting technology, the country’s largest agricultural trade show, International Agricultural Material & Technology Expo Tokyo (AGRITECH Japan) is attracting LED manufacturers to participate. In its third year, the agricultural technology, machinery, horticultural and fertilizer trade show will be hosted at Makuhari Messe from Oct. 9-10, 2013. Building upon last year’s success, the upcoming show organized by Reed Exhibitions Japan has nearly doubled in size to showcase products from 350 exhibitors.  

Epistar has received orders from Japanese automobile manufacturers making it the first Taiwanese chip maker to enter into the automotive industry. The company plans to begin shipments at the beginning of next year. They have also received qualifications by the Korean manufacturers Samsung and LG for TV chips which will also begin shipment 1Q of next year.

As Japan makes significant breakthroughs in agricultural LED lighting technology, the country’s largest agricultural trade show, International Agricultural Material & Technology Expo Tokyo (AGRITECH Japan) is attracting LED manufacturers to participate. In its third year, the agricultural technology, machinery, horticultural and fertilizer trade show will be hosted at Makuhari Messe from Oct. 9-10, 2013. Building upon last year’s success, the upcoming show organized by Reed Exhibitions Japan has nearly doubled in size to showcase products from 350 exhibitors.  

With the recent granting of four new patents, Albeo Technologies advances its strategy of LED fixture innovation. The new patents protect fundamental innovations in LED chip integration, fixture construction and electronic architecture that significantly reduce costs and improve efficiency. The company’s most recent patent is for a “chip-in-fixture” (CIF) LED lighting platform, titled LED chip-based lighting products and methods of building (US Patent 8,058,659). This innovation covers the integration of unpackaged LED chips directly on the ins...

Revolution Lighting, a leader in advanced LED lighting technology, yesterday announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Relume Technologies, a leading manufacturer of outdoor LED products and smart grid control systems for outdoor lighting applications. Under the terms of the agreement, Revolution Lighting will pay a total purchase price of $15 million for the Relume business on a debt-free basis and with a minimal level of working capital. Approximately $5 million of the purchase price will be paid in cash with the remaining value of $10 million paid i...

As early as 2011, the Municipal Solid-State Streetlighting Consortium (MSSLC) of US Department of Energy (DOE) has conducted a trial on nine SSL streetlights in Kansas City. Recently, DOE released a Gateway report in support of the result of the test that the Municipal Solid-State Streetlighting Consortium (MSSLC) conducted on nine LED-based luminaires relative to high-pressure-sodium (HPS) lights. The report reveals that the LED lights didn't universally best the HPS incumbents in terms of lumen output or efficacy, but the solid-state l...

According to reports, Epistar won orders of Japanese LED car lights, it is the first time for Taiwan-based LED chip manufacturers to enter into high-threshold and high-profit car lights supply chain. It is expected to begin a small shipment early next year. Meanwhile, Epistar also won Samsung's and LG's new TVs certification; also they will be shipped in Q1 of next year. Legal persons pointed out that Epistar has accessed to the Japanese car supply chain and received orders of brake lights and turn signals, the major markets are in Asia, mainly focusing on J...

CAO Lighting, Inc., a spinoff of the lighting division of CAO Group, Inc., received favorable decisions from the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in response to petitions in inter parte re-exam filed by GE Lighting, Inc. and OSRAM Sylvania, Inc. Both companies sell LED lighting products that are alleged to infringe claims of CAO Lighting, Inc.’s US patent’s 6,465,961 (961 patent), 6,634,770 (770 patent) and 6,746,885 (885 patent). Prior to the filing of these petitions, the USPTO determined that various arguments presented ...

Rambus Inc, the innovative technology solutions company that brings invention to market, yesterday announced that the company’s revolutionary 60 watt equivalent A19 LED bulb has gained provisional ENERGY STAR™ certification. In order to meet the provisional ENERGY STAR certification, the bulb delivered 850 lumens that greater than the 800 lumens requirement, maintained appropriate lumen output and color temperature, and provided an incandescent-like luminous intensity distribution during testing. “Our bulb delivers efficiency and performance t...

Grocery and convenience store owners now have an extra-appetizing lighting solution for open deck cases that delivers a quick payback without sacrificing performance: GE’s Immersion™ RH30 LED lighting system. GE’s new Immersion LED lighting system attracts customers by making food packages shine with crisp LED light. The refrigerated display lighting transforms horizontal cases housing fresh meat, packaged dairy and deli items, as well as service cases at butcher and seafood counters.

In 2013, LED package industry in China still grows very fast. Take Refond, a representative company of medium-large size LED package manufacture, for example, their revenue in the first half of 2013 meet RMB 294 millions, 67% higher on a year-on-year basis. The LED revenue for meidun-large sized backlight application went to RMB 135 millions with a 113% growth on a year-on-year basis; at the same time, their LED revenue from new small-sized backlight LED also jumped over 10 millions. Beside of this, Shenzhen Jufei Optoelectronics co., Ltd., another representative Chinese small-sized backlight LED package manufacturer’s net profit improved 25%-55% on a year-on-year basis as well. LEDinside, a green energy branch of international market investigating institute TrendFoce said that as Chinese manufacturers’ package technology keep improving, it is obvious that LED package for backlight in China is going ready emerge.

After experiencing fast expansion in 2010, the LED display industry went through an integration period. Most companies experienced a period of low gross profit margins, slow increasing revenue, and chaotic competition within the industry. The market generally believed that the LED display industry had no competition barriers, serious homogenization, and low investment prices. However, after in-depth exploration of the industry chain, we discovered that the benefits of export oriented LEDs come from their superiority in cost, technology horizontal development, and the expanded market space in other countries. With the growth rate continuing a positive trend for the future, investors should pay appropriate attention to the affiliates that will benefit from the rapidly expanding export businesses.

Financial reports for first half of 2013 released by several Taiwanese LED manufacturers recently showed Epistar rebounded from losses as subsidy Huga Optotech reached break-even point (BEP) in June. For the first half of 2013, Epistar’s EPS was NT$0.11. Spurred by rising backlight demands, Everlight’s 2Q financial results showed continual profit growths with EPS from 1H13 reaching NT$1.45 (US$0.05). Vertically integrated manufacturer Lextar also showed stable profit performance with an EPS of NT$1.49.

Dialog Semiconductor, a provider of highly integrated power management, audio, AC/DC and short-range wireless technologies, today announced a new SSL LED driver iW3623. The new iW3623 integrates boost and flyback converters into a single IC to reduce the bill of material (BOM) costs and simplify the design, compared to conventional two-stage driver approaches, while delivering exceptional performance. It was developed by Dialog's Power Conversion Business Group, formerly iWatt Inc., acquired in July 2013. The iW3623 offers a universal 100VAC to 277VA...