The next generation display technology Micro LED draws lots of attention, but Micro LED will take time to reach the mass production (MP) phase. Before that happens, mini LED with lower technical barrier will enter its MP phase first. Sources said, panel makers and LED die manufacturers already started their collaboration. Initially, mini LED will be used for two major categories: signage and TV panel backlight source. The cooperative effort will launch ultra-fine-pitch signage and super energy-saving, ultra-slim direct lit mini LED backlight TV panels.

The U.S. Department of Energy's GATEWAY program has released a new report on a trial installation of tunable-white LED lighting systems in three classrooms in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in Carrollton, TX, which provides valuable insights into the use of this technology in a real-world setting.

Plessey announces a partnership with leading Dutch alstroemeria grower Together2Grow, following a successful trial of its LED grow lights combined with existing high-pressure sodium (HPS) lighting in a hybrid installation.

Philips Lighting has signed a partnership agreement with Ball Seed, one of North America’s leading wholesale horticultural distributors.

Philips Lighting has expanded its collaboration with Amazon to create an easy way to start with a voice-controlled smart home. While supplies last, customers who purchase an Echo Plus will receive a Philips Hue white connected light bulb, which can be controlled using your voice and Alexa.

Most people agree that athletic activity is healthy for mind and body, but harmful bacteria in locker rooms, restrooms and on equipment introduces the risk of infection. To combat these infections, Kenall has incorporated Indigo-Clean technology into two of the company’s best-selling sealed, high-abuse, LED light fixtures: the Millenium™ Stretch MLHA and SimpleSeal™ HASEDI Luminaires. These luminaires combine white ambient light with 405nm Indigo light in order to kill harmful bacteria, including staph, such as MRSA, and are part of a comprehensive portfolio of lighting products that Kenall has developed utilizing this revolutionary new technology.

Kenall continues to expand its offering of white LED luminaires using Indigo-Clean Technology (ICT) with the recent introduction of new luminaires for behavioral health and correctional applications, along with three new downlights.

Rapid expansion of Las Vegas commercial cultivation facility relies on Heliospectra’s technology to control product consistency and crop quality

OLED panels manufactured by LG Display are regarded as high-quality products, which has already been proven by LG's OLED TV and recently-launched V30 smartphone. However, LG did not limit the adoption of its OLED panels in the range of consumer electronics. Recently, LG has presented OLED lighting panels as desk lamps.

Philips Photonics, expert in VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers) technology solutions for data communications, consumer and industrial applications, announced the successful completion of its ‘VIDaP’ project (VCSEL Pilot Line for Illumination, Datacom and Power Applications), a €23 million project jointly sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the EU, and executed under the umbrella of the European ECSEL program.

AIXTRON announced that the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne (Switzerland) has purchased a BM NOVO system. This versatile tool which can produce virtually all variations of 2-dimensional materials (2D) required for emerging optoelectronic applications is dedicated to support the University’s research projects coordinated by Prof. Andras Kis and Prof. Aleksandra Radenovic.

LASER COMPONENTS announces that the first of its products has achieved qualification for use in the automotive industry. Pulsed Laser Diodes (PLD) with a wavelength of 905 nm are key components for the LiDAR technology (Light Detection and Ranging) used in autonomous driving.

On July 16, an Industry collaboration agreement that is laying the foundation for a technology that could supersede Wi-Fi and greatly benefit the IoT Industry has just been signed between Monash University Australia and Malaysia, and Australian technology company nextLiFi.

On September 5, TUV Rheinland issued Zigbee 3.0 certification for the LEEDARSON LED Dimmable Bulb. This is the first LED light in the world to be officially Zigbee 3.0 certified and implement Green Power Proxy Basic (GPPB) functionality.

Sengled, an expert of intelligent lighting products that integrate consumer electronics inside energy efficient LED light bulbs, announced their Element smart lighting capabilities are now compatible with the Wink smart home platform.

Trilliant, a provider of IoT and smart energy communications solutions, signed a deal on August 15 with Saigon Hi-Tech Park (SHTP) to deploy Southeast Asia's first smart city project.

Trends in the display industry are heavily influenced by the developments in the consumer electronics markets, and this is seen in the rapid growth of the OLED panel market due to the rising demand from smartphone and TV brands. 

Israeli-based LiDAR developer Innoviz Technologies announced in early September that it has raised $65 million in Series B funding as its groundbreaking LiDAR solution moves into mass production. Strategic partners and global experts in automated driving solutions Delphi Automotive PLC and Magna International participated in the round, along with additional new investors including 360 Capital Partners, Glory Ventures, Naver and others. All Series A investors, including Zohar Zisapel, Vertex Venture Capital, Magma Venture Partners, Amiti Ventures and Delek Motors, participated in this round. A second closing of this round is expected to be announced soon, introducing additional strategic partners.

Research published today in Scientific Reports shows that light from RayVio's 293nm ultraviolet (UV) LED is more efficient than sunlight at producing vitamin D3 in skin samples. Tyler Kalajian and his research team, led by Dr. Michael F. Holick, Ph.D., M.D., and supported by Boston University School of Medicine and a Boston University Ignition Award, found that skin samples exposed to RayVio's UV LED for just 0.52 minutes produced more than twice as much vitamin D3 as samples exposed to 32.5 minutes of sunlight.

More than 200 outdoor LED luminaires from Osram Lighting Solutions bathe the municipality of Balgheim in new light. Thanks to the refurbishment of their lighting the southern Baden district in Germany achieves not only distinctly improved quality of light but also significantly cuts its energy costs. The long-life, low maintenance LED technology also reduces costs for maintenance and repair.  

Seoul Semiconductor announced on Sept. 19, 2017 that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit, together with its affiliate, Seoul Viosys Co., Ltd., against Archipelago Lighting, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

AIXTRON announced that it has received an order for an AIX G5+ platform from Swedish-American company glō-USA, Inc. The group focuses on the commercialization of Micro-LED products based on their proprietary defect-free GaN nanowires technology. Such 3D structures enable the growth of Micro LEDs while maintaining the reliability of an inorganic material system. AIXTRON’s AIX G5+ Planetary Reactor® system was selected in the scope of glō’s strategic expansion and will be delivered with an 8x150 mm configuration in the course of Q4/2017.

Parks and Street Lights Office, Taipei City Government has been replacing HPS lamps with LED lamps that save more energy and are much brighter since early 2017. A new NTD 240 million budget will be granted to remove the remaining 20 thousand HPS lamps in 2018. The project is expected to be completed by the end of June, 2018. HPS lamp will soon be history.

Plessey, a UK-based developer of LED technologies and manufacturer of solid-state lighting products, announces the results from a trial of its LED grow lights combined with existing high-pressure sodium (HPS) lighting in a hybrid installation with a leading tomato grower in the Netherlands.

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is collaborating with Cornell University on a $6.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Specialty Crop Research Initiative to develop the next generation of grapes. The project, VitisGen2, is a collaboration of 25 scientists from 11 institutions who are working in multidisciplinary teams to accelerate development of new grape varieties that are more flavorful and sustainable.

Velodyne LiDAR Inc., the world leader in 3D real-time perception systems for autonomous vehicles, announced its selection by Mercedes-Benz Research & Development as a critical sensor supplier for the VLP-32C Ultra Puck™ for further development of fully automated and driverless vehicles.

AEye Inc, a robotic vision pioneer, announced completion of a successful live metropolitan demo showcasing its solid state commercial LiDAR system with 360° vehicle coverage. AEye’s high performance system employs a dense 150-vertical-channel LiDAR scanner, paired with region of interest configurability, for enhanced ranges up to 300 meters. AEye is the first to announce a commercial solid state system capable of 360° coverage and real-time software configurability - key milestones for the delivery of high performance, compact, cost-effective advanced vision systems that enable self-driving vehicles to safely navigate roadways.

CYNORA, a Germany-based provider of highly efficient organic emitter materials for OLEDs, announced that the two Korean tech giants have decided to support CYNORA on its way to becoming a major player for OLED emitting materials.

AIXTRON SE, a worldwide provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry, received a multiple MOCVD system order from IQE plc, the British supplier of advanced wafer products and wafer services to the semiconductor industry. The AIX 2800G4-TM automated Planetary reactors® expected to be deployed for the growth of gallium arsenide-based (GaAs) epi-wafers on 6-inch substrates for the production of VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) for a range of photonic applications.

Well, it is not much of a surprise that the design and features of the iPhone X are largely in line with expectations. It, different from all previous iPhones, sports a full screen OLED display with a bit of ‘bangs’, where Apple puts the sensors, cameras, and the speaker. “For more than a decade, our intention has been to create an iPhone that is all display. The iPhone X is the realization of that vision,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design officer.