Our favorite picks of the week might be a bit of a surprise, smart LED light yoga mat TERA makes headlines this week. The new application is a good demonstration of integrating smart lighting technology with health and fitness products. More rumors about Apple have emerged too, as the company is actively seeking out potential smart lighting partners for its smart home projects. The much anticipated iPad Air 2 is also rumored to be using sapphire material, although, liquid metal will be temporarily ruled out.

Drifting into government policies, the U.S. Department of Energy has announced new R&D funding for LED and OLED projects. Philips and Cree have clinched the majority of spots in the LED funding sector. Manufacturers looking forward to the L Prize PAR38 competition might be slightly disappointed to find out the competition this year has been suspended.

In the Asian market Epistar Chairman B.J. Lee projects a prosperous golden three years for the LED industry, while Everlight Chairman Robert Yeh quits from Epistar Vice Chairman role. LEDinside also recently observes the rising trend among Chinese LED lighting package manufacturers, even though sales have slightly dipped this year. We also have come up with some interesting reports and observations from Guangzhou International Lighiting Exhibition be sure to read up on what Samsung, Toyoda Gosei and Bridgelux representatives have to say about this year’s trends in packaging, patents, and other LED related sectors.

Editor Recommendations

1. Philips and Cree LED Projects Receives DOE SSL R&D Funding

2. Epistar Chairman: Golden Three Years Ahead for LED Manufacturers

3. Lunera Introduces Smart LED Yoga Mat TERA

4. Apple On the Hunt for Lighting Partners in the Smart Home Sector

5. iPad Air 2 Rumored to be Using Liquid Metal and Sapphire Material

6. Everlight Chairman Robert Yeh Steps Down from Epistar Vice Chairman Role

7. DOE Suspends L Prize PAR38 Competition

8. Chinese LED Lighting Package Manufacturers on the Rise, Analyzes TrendForce

GILE 2014 Interviews

1. Samsung SVP: 2014 is the Year of the Flip Chip 
2. Toyoda Gosei: New LED Patent Competitions to Bring New Opportunities and Challenges
3. Optimistic about Chinese Market Growth, Bridgelux Highlights COB Products at GILE 2014
4. Honglitronic: Small Sized High Power LED Component Trend Becoming More Evident
5. Seoul Semiconductor: Smart Lighting to Head Global LED Development Trends
6. GILE 2014: Russian Government Energy Efficiency Projects Spur LED Market Growth
7. BYD to Reap Benefits in 2014 After A Decade of LED Investments
8. Show Report: Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition 2014 Bigger than Ever 

What’s Trending

1. Taiwan LED Lighting Alliance Signs Standards Promotion MOU with TCL
2. TLLIA to Launch MIT Specs and Luminaire Database
3. Taiwan MOEA Promotes Solving Heat Dissipation Issues with AlN LED Technology
4. Korean Institute IBS Uses Blue LED Light to Control Cell Protein Functions
5. Chinese Government Evaluating LED Lighting Subsidies
6. Only 22.5% of Business Owners Believe Current Quality Standards Are Sufficient, says Leapfrog Lighting
7. OLED Materials Market to Reach $3.7 Billion by 2019 According to NanoMarkets
8. Manufacturers Make Outlandish Claims for LED Products at LDA
9. Lighting Research Center Issues New Report: LED Lighting in a Campus Building

Industry News

1. Chinese Government to Focus on Energy Efficient Industry Subsidies
2. UK Warrington Borough Council and Liverpool City Convert Streetlights to LED
3. Nationstar and Baewoon Electronics Form Alliance to Expand LED Bulb Market
4. Agreement Reached on OLED Lighting Joint Venture with Saint-Gobain Group
5. Taiwanese Sapphire Manufacturers Rigidtech and Aceplux Revenue Grow Exponentially in May 2014
6. Lite-On Technology Appoints Current CEO Warren Chen as Vice Chairman
7. Philips and Shanghai LED Company Jointly Establish LED Lighting Manufacturing Base in China
8. Silver Spring Networks Extends Speed-to-Value Program To Municipal Utilities For Building Smart Infrastructure
9. Lighting Science Announces Formation of Blue Ribbon Scientific Advisory Board
10. Taisei Corporation, Okamura Corporation and MHI to Jointly Develop OLED Desk Lamps for Offices

New Products

1. GE’s Albeo™ ABV1 Series LED High Bay Fixture Reaches High Luminous Efficacy
2. Access Fixtures Expands Parking Garage Lighting Options
3. Acuity Brands Introduces New Lithonia Lighting Brand LED Closet Light
4. Hadar Lighting Launches New LED Floodlights
5. Hubbell Industrial Lighting Brightens LUNABAY LED High Bay
6. Philips SimpleSet: Velocity Unplugged
7. MaxLite Unviels LED Flood Lights with Patent-pending MaxFOCUS™ Technology that Delivers Narrow Beam Distribution
8. MKS Advanced Recessed LED Lighting Downlight Featured on Architectural Lighting
9. Liteon Presents Full Innovative Lineup for Lighting Application at Photonics Festival 2014 in Taiwan
10. LED Skin Regeneration System to Astonish Healthcare Market
11. Osram Creates a Milestone with Laser Diodes for Projectors
12. Panasonic Introduces Trio of New LED Professional Displays at InfoComm 2014

Interesting Applications

• IKEA Launches LED Stool

Lighting Projects

1. Al Jassimiya Tower in Doha Radiates Colorful Hues after LED Upgrade
2. Churches Modernize with LED Switch
3. Cree and Musco Team Up to Transform Lighting of San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
4. Illuminate the Arts Kicks Off Fundraising Project to Keep Bay Bridge Lights On
5. New Pedestrian Tunnel with Integrated Art-wall to Open at King’s Cross