Taiwan Unity Opto Technology Co., Ltd. holds a 25% stake in South Korean LED packager Lumens, making it the primary institutional shareholder of the South Korean packager. Now, Unity has been contracted by Lumens to supply it LED emitters. Which Lumens will build into backlight modules for Samsung’s LCD TVs. Unity will use chips made by Formosa Epitaxy Inc. of Taiwan, which has its chips verified at Samsung.

Lynk Labs Inc., the leading supplier of AC LED device, light engine and power supply technology, has been awarded its first U.S. patent for an AC LED drive method and aparatus. The newly awarded patent, U.S. Patent, No. 7,489,086 is entitled “AC light emitting diode and AC LED drive methods and apparatus."

Aimtec Inc. has introduced the first two series of its new line of step-down DC-DC LED drivers - the AMLD-IZ and AMLDL-Z. The company says the new LED drivers meet the rigorous demands for environment friendly LED lighting solutions.     the AMLD-IZ

Citizen Electronics of Japan appoints Supreme Components International (SCI) of Singapore as their official distributor for High Brightness LED for ASIAN market. Citizen electronics has been producing LEDs since 1983 and is a major player for mobile phone LED in the world with significant market share. Citizen LEDs have high reliability and high CRI.

The Orvis Outlet Store, a globally-known retailer of outdoor lifestyle products, has become a showcase for one of Efficiency Vermont's latest energy-conservation experiments: LED lamps for retail stores. Orvis personnel replaced about 300 lamps in the outlet store last summer. According to the company, the store has used 8,400 fewer kilowatt hours a month, which has saved almost $900 a month in electricity. The LED lights are cooler than incandescent lights so the store also saved on air-conditioning costs.

Murata Power Solutions has introduced its low-power, high brightness, three-and-a-half digit, DMS-20PC digital panel voltmeters. The company announces that they are now available with 'brilliant blue' or 'pure green' LED colors in addition to the current 'low-power red'. The DMS-20PC series provides a sub-miniature, low-cost solution in applications such as battery chargers, power amplifiers, rack-mounted power and high-end consumer electronics.

Recently, Veeco Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq: VECO) announced that LG Innotek Co., Inc. of Korea, has ordered an additional four TurboDisc® K465™ gallium nitride (GaN) Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) Systems for HB-LED production. The orders were received in the fourth quarter of 2008.

The 2nd International Optical Film & High Performance Film (Shanghai) Expo will be on 10-12 May 2009 in Shanghai, China.

Luminus Devices announced that BenQ’s new GP1 versatile and lightweight pocket projector is powered by the high-brightness PhlatLight® LED PT-39 chipset. The company says its PhlatLight LEDs offer high levels of brightness and performance not available today in pocket projectors using traditional lamp technologies, making the GP1 an ideal mobile entertainment companion for instant projection anywhere.

A petition filed recently with the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) seeks to require LEDs be used in all new street and area lights to save money and energy. It’s said to the requirement would save NorthWestern Energy customers between $800,000 and $2.5 million a year.

ATG Electronics announces that its Smart™ Series XPower LED Wall Washers are successfully approved by C-UL US. They are the perfect solution for dynamic illumination of facade structures and landscapes.

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed and demonstrated a new polarization-matched LED. The new type of LED, developed in collaboration with Samsung Electro-Mechanics, exhibits an 18% increase in light output and a 22% increase in wall-plug efficiency, which essentially measures the amount of electricity the LED converts into light.

Journée Lighting Inc of California, USA announces that its Lotus LED track system is selected by the US National Park Service to illuminate the new LEED Platinum Visitor Center at the Lassen Volcanic National Park in northeast California. As the primary light source for the 1500 square foot exhibit, 50 Lotus LED luminaires illuminate interactive displays, kiosks, historic photos and much more.

Perfect for those romantic candle light dinners, it’s Lightware - the LED lit cutlery (see picture). This silverware features a silver head and an engraved crystal body, sure to add to the ambience of any darkly lit dining experience. The cutlery has a small LED powered by a watch battery at the bottom. The electronic part can be removed for washing, because otherwise things would just get gross. Your fork will still stab, but now you will be able to see what you are stabbing.

Dialight has introduced a new ETL-recognized version of its ultra high brightness Powerwhite® LV Linear Modules. The company says it is the first complete LED solution product of its type on the market and it will enable the rapid development of many LED lighting applications including existing fixture formats and entirely new product designs.

It’s reported that Philips has plans to manufacture LEDs lighting products in India in future. Philips, the largest player in the Indian lighting market, also intends to enhance the production capacity of its compact fluorescent light (CFL) plant based in Mohali (Punjab) by 50-60% by 2010.

It’s reported that Daktronics Inc will design, manufacture and install full-color LED display technology throughout Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers.

Renaissance Lighting has introduced the world’s most efficient, most powerful architectural grade RGB LED downlights with its Rhapsody Color Management System. The company says its Rhapsody Color Management system is a unique technology for the creation of intelligent, state-of-the-art lighting effects for these new downlight fixtures.

Philips Lumileds has launched a free online tool that makes it easier for manufacturers of LED-based luminaires to show compliance with ENERGY STAR® standards. The new tool addresses the requirements of the “Chromaticity and Spatial Uniformity” test in the ENERGY STAR® specification for LED lighting that requires the beam of light to appear the same color to the human eye, regardless of which area of the beam the viewer looks at or where they are at in relation to the light source.

It’s reported that Jameco Electronics has purchased a significant quantity of excess inventory of Lite-On brand LEDs. The inventory includes packaged LEDs of many varieties and LED-based numeric displays. It is reportedly being sold at a significant discount.

It’s reported that the residential development of more than 200 houses in Azabu no Oka, Japan will use only LED fixtures for all its outdoor lighting. That means the areas will be lit entirely by LEDs. The development is being built by Toyota Smile Life Inc and has been dubbed Toyota “LED Town.”

Dialight has introduced its innovative SafeSite range of LED fixtures - 100W high brightness SafeSite® 250 Series. The company says the LED fixture is designed to replace 250W High Pressure Sodium (HPS) light sources in hazardous location applications.

Taiwan LED maker Epistar Corp. announced that it has won contract orders from Korea’s Samsung for LEDs used in LED-backlit LCD TVs.

The Levi ski resort in Finland has installed LED street lighting from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. It is the first LED street lighting in Finland. The local authority is investing heavily in its regional infrastructure, placing great emphasis on innovation and sustainability.

Bivar, a leading provider of optoelectronics and assembly hardware, has launched the ORCA series of Super Flux LEDs. The company says its new ORCA product family is an expansion of its high power LEDs designed for use on standard printed circuit boards (PCBs) for LED indication. The new ORCA series replaces the Bivar MAKO product family and enhances its capabilities with greater luminous intensity, higher power efficiency and additional lens configurations while maintaining its industry standard 7.6 mm square package form factor.

Cooper Lighting, a division of Cooper Industries, Ltd., announces that its Halo® LED recessed downlight meets stringent ENERGY STAR® requirements for solid state lighting (SSL) luminaries. Eligibility Criteria – Version 1.0 for Category A – Recessed Downlights. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping consumers and organizations save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.

San Francisco LED street lighting demonstration is one of DOE Gateway demonstrations that showcase high-performance LED products for general illumination. This Gateway report provides an overview of project results including lighting performance, cost effectiveness, and potential energy savings.

PerkinElmer, Inc. (PKI), a global leader focused on improving the health and safety of people and the environment, announced it has bought Opto Technology Inc., a supplier of LED based lighting components and subsystems, as PerkinElmer looks to broaden its presence in the LED lighting market. PerkinElmer did not disclose a purchase price for the Illinois-based company.

NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd. has announced two new amorphous-silicon thin-film-transistor (TFT) LCD modules incorporating white LED backlights for industrial applications. The company says that the modules consume less power, are substantially thinner and lighter than comparable LCD modules incorporating cold-cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlights.

Luminus Devices Inc. announced that it will make components for LEDs lamps that give off white light with Nichia. That makes LEDs attractive for a wide range of uses. Until now, Luminus has made chips for colored LED lights that go into projectors and TVs.