Panasonic Corporation is promoting its “100 Thousand Solar Lanterns Project,” in which a total of 100,000 solar lanterns will be donated to regions around the world without access to electricity by the year 2018, which marks the 100th anniversary since Panasonic's establishment. In hopes of getting more people to know about the challenges faced by people in regions without access to electricity, Panasonic will open up the "Cut Out the Darkness" project for participation to people all around the world, delivering solar lanterns and manufactured shades based on designs recruited from all over the world to schools and households located in regions without access to electricity.

The LIGHTEXPO 2015, Africa’s largest International architectural and commercial lighting trade show will be staged at the KICC Nairobi Kenya from 2nd-4th May, 2015.

Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) will be the game changer in the TV and display industry over the long-term while quantum dot (QD) technology will not have a powerful impact, a report from The Korean Herald cited Korea CEO Michael Grund saying.

Product testing and certification laboratory DEKRA has recently released new international LED luminaire and lighting standards to be released next year. For details please see below:

Union Tool Co, a cutting tool manufacturer based in Japan, will release a system that monitors an elderly person, etc by using an LED lamp equipped with a laser device in September 2015.

Nov 10, 2014 - LED components have been successfully introduced in light source products, according to the new report “2015 Global Lighting Market Outlook” by LEDinside, a division of the Taiwan-based market intelligence firm TrendForce. As the commercial lighting market expands, lighting tubes have become the most in-demand product with light bulbs second. Additionally, in the luminaire market, demand for ceiling lights high, but mostly in the home.

After releasing Pad Extension Chip (PEC) in 2013, LED chip manufacturer Epistar, has improved the technical and support system for the product, and now the product is applied in direct-type LED TV backlight, lighting and flash lights. Epistar’s PEC chips will be applied in large volumes in direct-type LED TV next year, with target products being 32 inch to 45 inch LED TVs. The company’s orders are mainly from China and South Korea, said Epistar Deputy Director of Marketing Center, Dr. Chiu-Lin Yao while attending LEDforum 2014 held in Taipei, Taiwan on Oct. 24, 2014.

Nov 4, 2014 ---- The global LED lighting market will reach $25.7 billion dollars and its market penetration will increase to 31% in 2015 as the overall lighting market grows to $82.1 billion, according to a new report by LEDinside, a division of the Taiwan-based market intelligence firm TrendForce.

China’s Standardization Administration has issued three new LED luminaire standards.

Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (“INCJ”), Japan Display Inc. (“JDI”), Sony Corporation (“Sony”), and Panasonic Corporation (“Panasonic”) announced hat they have executed a definitive agreement to establish a new company, JOLED Inc. (“JOLED”), to integrate Sony and Panasonic’s R&D functions for organic light-emitting diode (“OLED”) display panels. Through this collaboration, the companies aim to accelerate the development and early commercialization of OLED display panels. JOLED is scheduled to be launched in January 2015, subject to receipt of any necessary approvals.

Observance of an International Year of Light in 2015 will help raise awareness of the important role of photonics in solving challenges in healthcare, communications, food supply, and other important issues for people everywhere, say leaders of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. SPIE is among scientific organizations around the world that have championed proclamation by the United Nations of the observance, and whose members are planning outreach activities and celebrations.

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.

After Philips transferred its Audio and accessories businesses to Japanese companies, this consumer electronics giant has completely taken off the "electronic" coat. It was pointed out in the latest news from Philips that the "Royal Philips Electronics of Netherlands" has been replaced by "Royal Philips of Netherlands". Recently, Philips Lighting being one of the main businesses of Philips revealed in Guangzhou that Philips's LED sale is expected to take up 50% of its total business volume in 2015. In accordance with the earnings...