The stadium of American football team the Dallas Cowboys is now the home of the largest high-definition LED screen in the world.

A young Kelabit scientist has co-invented the world's fastest spontaneous Light Emitting Transistor (LET) and Light Emitting Diode (LED). Gabriel Walter, 32, an electrical engineering doctor from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign (UIUC), scored both a national and personal breakthrough in technology by co-inventing light emitters capable of transmitting at speeds of up to 7GHz. For more than 40 years, the scientific community believed that efficient spontaneous light device cannot be operated at bandwidths larger than 1 GHz.

Luminus Devices Inc. and LG Electronics yesterday announced that Luminus’ PhlatLight LEDs are powering the LG HS-200G, a new ultra-mobile projector that delivers increased brightness, performance and reliability. Luminus and LG previously announced an agreement through which PhlatLight LEDs power the HS-102 pocket projector. LG is demonstrating the new HS-200G in Booth #5321 at the InfoComm Conference 2009, June 17-19, in Orlando, Florida.

Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE) announces the first commercially available water-resistant, surface-mount, high-brightness LEDs for outdoor video screens. This RGB (red-green-blue) LED has an IPx5 rating, indicating that the LED is protected against low-pressure jets of water from all directions.

Taiwan-based Walsin Lihwa Group has invested US$200 million to build an LED lighting plant in Shannxi, China, to seize the huge business opportunities in Chinese LED market, according to the group chairman Chiao Yu-lon.

MagnaChip Semiconductor Ltd., a S. Korean provider of analog and mixed signal semiconductor products, newly entered the power LED driver market. MagnaChip announced today that it released two new LED driver models (MAP1040, MAP1042) for constant current-based portable applications.  

Korean researchers have developed a new, simpler white LED that shows promise as a more efficient and stable source of pure white light for improved illumination of homes and offices. The new approach yielded what the scientists describe as the most efficient and stable source of pure white light ever achieved.

The innovative lighting of low energy bulb manufacturer Megaman performs like traditional halogen spotlights, but uses a fraction of the power. The new range of mains voltage are direct plug-in replacements for traditional halogen spotlights.



Luminus Devices Inc., developer and manufacturer of PhlatLight® LEDs, yesterday announced that Doug Lawson has joined the company as General Manager of the UV Business. Lawson will be responsible for leading the strategic business unit and for developing new products to bring PhlatLight LEDs to the ultraviolet (UV) curing market, which Luminus technology provides a fast-growing approach to hardening paints, adhesives, varnishes, printing inks and a wide variety of polymer systems.

Several U.S. cities are planning to use federal stimulus funds to replace traditional streetlights with energy-efficient LED ones. Seattle plans to retrofit all 40,000 residential streetlights with energy- and cost-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) technology. It estimates that four to six years will be needed for the city to replace all streetlights with LEDs.

Traxon Technologies, a subsidiary company of Osram, announces that it has joined the cross-licensing program between Osram and Philips for LED-based technology used in luminaires.

High-Brightness Device Offers Low Thermal Resistance of 10 K/W, High Luminous Intensity of 25,000 mcd Typical, and High Luminous Flux From 76,500 mlm to 99,400 mlm Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE: VSH) expanded its Little Star® family of SMD power LEDs with a new automotive-qualified, 1-W natural white device that combines extraordinarily high brightness with a compact package outline. Utilizing InGaN technology, the VLMW711T3U2US LED offers a low thermal resistance of 10 K/W and high luminous intensity for a wide range of applications.

LightTools® 6.3, the newest release of the illumination design and analysis software from Optical Research Associates (ORA®), delivers an expanded, more powerful tool set for optical system modeling and optimization. The software now features an Alternate Optimization Engine, which supplements the existing optimizer and enables users to successfully address an even broader range of design problems.

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), fabricated with layers of organic polymers, are flexible and use less power and less expensive materials than liquid crystal displays. However, OLEDs are expensive to produce-- because the polymers react easily with oxygen and water, they have to be created in high-vacuum chambers--and they need extra protective packaging layers to make sure that once they're integrated into display devices, they don't degrade when exposed to air or moisture.

Illumitex, a U.S.-based company, says that it is now in beta production of a light-emitting diode (LED) that it claims can brighten PC screens while using less electricity. The company had raised $10.5 million in March in its first round of funding, and is expecting an additional $20 million early in the summer, according to CEO Matt Thomas. The product is expected to reach full production in September.

Supply of LED chips is expected to fall behind demand until the second half of 2010, with prices to trend upward, Robert Yeh, chairman of Everlight Electronics Inc., a leading LED chipmaker in Taiwan, said at the Photronics Festival in Taiwan 2009 which took place last week.

The New Mexico Department of Transportation will start replacing incandescent lighting at intersections throughout the state with LEDs to save money and energy. The department says the work will begin Monday. Some 380 intersections will be upgraded with the new lighting. The Transportation Department signed a contract with the state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department to do the work. EMNRD received a $5 million grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the project.

Eco Alternative Solutions, LLC is looking for 25 large US cities to participate in a no-cost 90 day trial of the recently announced Integrated Solar Series (ISS). ISS is an innovative solar-powered street light system that is expected to result in substantial energy and money saving for cities.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, the world's largest contract IC maker, plans to explore business opportunities in the green energy sector, including light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and solar energy. The plan is in line with the company's goal to diversify its revenue channels besides its foundry business. TSMC has decided to set up a new business development unit and Rick Tsai has been appointed to head the unit.

In China, energy-efficient bulbs and alternative power sources are increasingly used in the Christmas lights industry. Two years ago, about one-fifth of the 1,000 suppliers had the capability to make LED-equipped models. And less than 20 percent of their total production was allotted to the segment, as incandescent designs were mainstream. By now, nearly all the suppliers boast regular manufacturing lines for LED Christmas lights. In fact, such types now account for 60 to 70 percent of the output in most factories.

Light-emitting diodes (LED) back-lit panel shipments for computers and TVs are expected to grow to 104.5 million units by the end of 2009, with a market penetration above 25 percent, comparing with 12 percent now, a market researcher recently said. LED back-lit computer and TV panel shipments would exceed the shipments of those with cold-cathode-fluorescent-lamp liquid-crystal-displays (LCD) in the third quarter, the researcher said.

A procurement delegation from mainland China is currently visiting Taiwan, and according to members of the delegation, would place lucrative contract orders with the island’s light emitting diode (LED) manufacturers by the end of this year, the Taiwan Economic News reports. The orders will include LED products like epitaxy wafer, chips, packages and lighting systems. Chinese government has brought forward an aggressive plan to install 1.4 million LED streetlights in major cities by the end of 2009 as part of its energy-saving effort.

Toshiba America Consumer Products L.L.C. (”Toshiba”) Wednesday announced that it is now shipping its premium REGZA® HDTV Series, including the ZV650 LCD TV and SV670 LED TV.

The City of Welland, Ontario, Canada, has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for switching all the street lighting in the city to LEDs. This is a first in the preparation of municipal, provincial or state RFPs or tenders in Canada that calls specifically for LED lighting. The RFP and tender calls for the replacement of 5903 street lights and an on-hand inventory of 97, making this a 6000-unit project over 3 years. The closing date is Monday July 6. Further details can be found on the City of Welland website.

The Photonics Festival in Taiwan 2009, which has attracted about 360 exhibitors, with 800 booths filled in, is particularly shining with LED and PV— two potential industries that are expected to lead the world to a better and greener future.

Sharp Corporation will introduce into the Japanese market nine models of LED lamps. With the same standard screw-in base and fit in the same sockets as ordinary incandescent lamps, the lamps are easy to use as replacements for ordinary lamps.

Market analyst says that LED revenues from notebook PCs will surpass $800 million next year. Jamie Fox, a market analyst at UK-based IMS research, said that the proliferation of notebook PCs backlit with LEDs will deliver annual revenues of $800 million to chip makers next year. He describes the ramp as "explosive". "Dell has already publicly committed to using LEDs in all [of its] notebooks by 2010, and other manufacturers are also committed to a surge in LED notebook backlighting in 2009 and 2010," said Fox.

Light-emitting diode (LED) manufacturers in Taiwan and mainland China can work together to develop better technologies and create a win-win situation, said representatives from the industry during a cross-strait LED forum held in Taipei on Tuesday, reports The China Post. Taiwan has formed a complete LED supply chain network, with manufacturers having developed expertise in LED applications in notebook PC and LCD TV back-light panels, said Huang Chung-chiu, Taiwan’s deputy minister of economic affairs.

Epistar Corp, Taiwan’s biggest LED chipmaker, Tuesday said that it is optimistic over the next quarter’s prospects, as demand for LED chips used in new applications such as LED TVs keeps growing, reports the Taipei Times. The company plans to expand capacity by 5 to 10 percent this year, with production ramping up by the end of the year, Epistar’s chairman Lee Biing-jye said in an interview during a cross-strait cooperation seminar of the light-emitting diode (LED) industry.

Outdoor LED signs are becoming increasingly popular because it is a targeted medium that speaks to your most important audience, the people who can drive onto your property and purchase something immediately. LED signs have become extremely popular for outdoor advertising. The Small Business Association reports that businesses that choose to install an electronic LED message typically see an increase in business of 15% to 150%.