Recently, ON Semiconductor has introduced a new 6W LED driver - the CAT4106. The company says the LED driver with an integrated, high-power DC-DC boost converter and on-chip diagnostics can maximize efficiency in larger, general purpose LCD panel backlighting applications.

Philips announced that it has reached an agreement to buy Italy-based Ilti Luce Srl, one of the leading LED design companies in Europe for architectural indoor lighting. Ilti Luce will become part of the Professional Luminaires business within the Philips Lighting sector.

Global Lighting Technologies (GLT) has introduced new high-brightness LED-based backlight assemblies that enable independent control of the brightness and color of individual zones within the backlight. The company says they can be used to achieve color fading, pulsing, or steady state illumination, and can be utilized in a wide array of consumer electronics displays as well as in keypads/keyboards used in mobile phones and laptop and desktop PCs.

ilumisys, Inc., a developer and producer of next-generation solid-state lighting technology, announced that its channel partner IHNcorp has installed several LED light tubes at Four Seasons Resort Aviara in Carlsbad, Calif. illuisys notes Los Angeles-based IHNcorp and its subsidiary Ecogreen Solutions Inc. replaced fluorescent lights with ilumisys MK1 T-8 LED light tubes in select areas of the hotel.

UV LEDs are reportedly beginning to challenge the traditional $500M UV lamp business. The report notes that the UV lighting business is a market of about $500 million with traditional UV lamp technology. Thanks to its compactness, lower cost of ownership and environmental friendly composition, UV LEDs are expected to replace traditional lamps and also open the door to many new applications, especially portable ones.

At Strategies in Light (SIL) 2009, Nuventix unveiled three new active cooling solutions for LED lighting industry: the SynJet PAR20 LED Cooler, SynJet 3-inch LED Cooler and SynJet PAR30 LED Cooler. All three of these patented, quiet, adaptable and extremely reliable active thermal management solutions house Nuventix’ SynJet technology as well as standard heat sinks to effectively and uniquely cool LED lighting solutions.

The winners of the first annual Next Generation Luminaires(tm) competition have been disclosed at Strategies in Light conference(SIL) in Santa Clara, California, February 18-20, 2009. The awards recognize excellence in the design of energy-efficient LED luminaires for general illumination, using white light in commercial lighting applications.

Macroblock launches a new 40V PWM-embedded 3-channel constant current LED driver, MBI6030, for LED architectural lighting applications. MBI6030 may cascade over 250 RBG LED clusters or large LED pixels at a distance of 2 meters between two clusters or pixels. Moreover, MBI6030 provides 16-bit gray scales at a low clock frequency of 4MHz.

Royal Philips Electronics let the Titan Crane in Clydebank, Scotland more striking visual display at night. This great icon to the River Clyde’s shipbuilding heritage has been fittingly restored after a £3m redevelopment plan to transform it into a unique exhibition and visitor center. The two-year restoration project was carried out by urban regeneration company, Clydebank Re-built, whose vision also included a spectacular lighting design to show off this historic landmark to full effect.

At the International Nanotechnology Exhibition & Conference (nano tech 2009), Toshiba Corp showcased a near-ultraviolet LED that is being developed for use in next-generation LED lighting. The company says the LED features a high external quantum efficiency of 36% and an emission wavelength of 380nm band.

Leadis Technology, Inc. has announced that its proprietary LED-Sense(TM) Temperature Sensing and Compensation Engine, implemented in the LDS8160, is now available for licensing to third parties as an embedded, stand-alone IP block.

The Neo Neon Holdings Ltd. is building its own tech support by collaborating with the elite South China University of Technology in southern mainland China to open an optoelectronics technology institute to back its expitaxy-wafer factory, which began production in Nov. 2008. Industry watchers notes the school can help improve not only Neo Neon’s LED manufacturing but also corporate plans to transform from a traditional enterprise into a high-tech manufacturer.

Recently, Tokyoflash has upgraded the line of Kisai aluminum LED watches, these are said to be one of the more striking pieces. Each features multicolored LEDs beneath black acrylic lenses. The wrist band design has the appearance of a one-piece bracelet and is easily adjustable for different wrist sizes. This one features an animation mode so that once every minute for 12 minutes after the time is displayed, the LEDs rotate on and off in a circular formation.

Recently, Universal Display Corporation, an innovator behind today's and tomorrow's displays and lighting through its UniversalPHOLED(TM) phosphorescent OLED technology, announced that the company's research advances in white OLED lighting performance was honored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) during the DOE's Annual Solid-State Lighting Workshop. With the support of the DOE, Universal Display has been working on developing highly-efficient white OLEDs for use in myriad lighting applications.

It’s reported that Cape Town-based light manufacturer Kubik has manufactured a color-changing LED floor with 95m², which is the largest of its kind in the world. The glass floor, designed by UK-based architect Darnton Elgee's Mari Stassen, was manufactured in Montague Gardens in 134 modular elements, and was shipped to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) earlier this month.

NXP Semiconductors, the independent semiconductor company founded by Philips, has launched the world’s first integrated dimmable mains LED driver - the SSL2101, and has demonstrated it on the NXP booth at the Strategies in Light Conference(SIL) form February 18 – 20 at Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California, USA.

Luminus Devices, Inc. has introduced its new white PhlatLight® LEDs - the SST-90 and the SST-90. The SST-90 white PhlatLight® LED, produced in a surface-mount package, delivers 100 lm/W at 6500 K and up to 2.25 kilolumens in total. Launched in parallel, the CST-90 features standard mounting, also delivers 100 lm/W efficacy, and reaches a maximum output of 2.75 kilolumens. Two new PhlatLight LEDs are expected to enter volume production in the second quarter of the year.

Global LED street lamps shipments are estimated to grow 224% to 1.46 million units in 2009, according to Taiwan's Photonics Industry & Technology Development Association (PIDA). PIDA reports that the total revenue from the increased number of LED street lamps ordered worldwide will double instead of tripling to US$816 million, a rise of about 99%. This means that the price charged for LED street lamps will go down somewhat in 2009.  

Cree, Inc. announces it will work with both the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Propulsion Directorate and high-power module pioneer Powerex, Inc., to develop a demonstration dual switch 1200-volt, 100-amp power module featuring all-SiC semiconductors and capable of operating at junction temperatures up to 200 degrees C. The combination of advanced SiC devices and innovative package design allows the module to operate at temperatures beyond those achievable with a silicon IGBT-based module.

Avago Technologies, a leading supplier of analog interface components for communications, industrial and consumer applications, has introduced a 1-Watt, miniature LED for SSL applications. The company says its features include robust package design, wide viewing angle, and extended operating life.

National Semiconductor has introduced a TRIAC dimmable LED driver - the LM3445. The company says the constant-current controller enables uniform dimming of high brightness LEDs, without flicker.

China Sourcing Fires – Electronics & Component will be on April 12 ~ 15, 2009 in Hong Kong, China.

Photonics Festival in Taiwan will be on June 10-12, 2009.

Future Lighting Solutions announced the availability of its first off-the-shelf optic for uniform mixing of multiple LED light sources. The company says Polymer Optic's 230 Color Mixer Reflector can uniformly mix light from up to four closely mounted Luxeon Rebel LEDs (from Philips) into a single +/- 5 degree full width at half maximum (FWHM) beam.

Ruud Lighting has laid off about 50 of its nearly 600 employees. Company President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Ruud says the collapse of the construction industry forced the actions. He says the company is restructuring and the layoffs are considered permanent. The privately owned Ruud Lighting, 9201 Highway 20, makes lighting fixtures for commercial, industrial, institutional and residential settings. The dearth of construction work during the recession has sapped sales, Ruud says.

The Rs 220-crore Usha Shriram Ltd, plans to enter the LED lighting products segment. It proposes to import such lighting products from Europe and market them under its own brandname. Usha Shriram's mission is to position its LED portfolio in the consumer segment and launch them at more compelling rates than the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) range. LED lighting products are more energy efficient than CFL items.

It’s reported that French Center for Building Science and Technology (CSTB), major French academic lighting laboratories and the French branch of Philips Lighting has formed a R&D program to research and promote the optimal use of LEDs in buildings.  

South Korean electronics giant Samsung Electronics Co. is reportedly setting up a 50-50 joint venture with its affiliate Samsung Electro-Mechanics to jointly produce LEDs. It’s disclosed the veture is tentatively named Samsung LED. LEDs are known to have many advantages to traditional light sources, such as low energy consumption, longer lifetime, which are increasingly used in products from mobile phones to flat-screen televisions.

Recently, the Clinton Foundation has announced the Outdoor Lighting Program of the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) is working with Los Angeles on the largest LED street lighting retrofit project over the next five years. In all, 140,000 LED streetlight fixtures will be installed throughout the city. That not only will improve L.A.'s lighting quality and reduce its electricity use, but also will help the city to save money in the process.

ROAL Electronics announces its TROPO Series is a family of LED drivers designed specifically for powering LEDs in new and retrofit lighting applications. These drivers operate directly from the AC line and provide an isolated, low voltage constant current DC output. Wide range (10%-100%) dimming is possible with standard incandescent dimmers (triac based, standard phase – leading edge) and electronic low voltage dimmers (reverse phase – trailing edge).