Puducherry, a Union Territory of India, has launched its second phase LED bulb distribution project, The Hindu reported Puducherry Electricity Minister T. Thiagarajan saying recently.

Sigma Designs® (NASDAQ: SIGM), a leading provider of intelligent system-on-chip (SoC) solutions focused on Internet of Things ( IoT) , Smart TV and media connectivity  markets , and QD Vision, the global leader in quantum dot display technology, announced a strategic partnership to develop a cost-effective UHD TV platform with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Rec. 2020 performance. The platform will be based on Sigma’s TV SoC and frame rate conversion (FRC) chips, and QD Vision’s Color IQ™ quantum dot (QD) technology.

Osram, one of the world's leading lighting manufacturers, continues to make progress with the carve-out of its general lighting lamps business. After the supervisory board of OSRAM Licht AG approved the carve-out of the unit in June 2015, the name of the new company has now also been decided. “We have opted for a combination of the terms ‘LED’ and ‘advance’ and will call the newly established company LEDVANCE,” said Olaf Berlien, Chief Executive Officer of OSRAM Licht AG. “The name reflects the trend toward LED in the lighting market as well as the opportunities arising from this development – opportunities LEDVANCE will actively exploit.”

A MIT research has caught on like wild-fire in the industry this week, since it holds the potential of reviving the nearly phased-out incandescent bulbs. The research claims that by using nano optic crystal structures, they were able to raise incandescent luminous efficiency to 6% and holds the potential of reaching 40% rivaling LEDs. However, there was a slight glitch in the press release. The cited luminous efficiency data was a bit outdated, most likely traced to 2013 results. Thanks to a reader from Epistar, who pointed us into the right direction

Use of copper as a fluorescent material allows for the manufacture of inexpensive and environmentally compatible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) ensures high light yield. Scientists of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), CYNORA, and the University of St. Andrews have now measured the underlying quantum mechanics phenomenon of intersystem crossing in a copper complex. The results of this fundamental work are reported in the Science Advances journal and contribute to enhancing the energy efficiency of OLEDs.

Universal Display Corporation, enabling energy-efficient displays and lighting with its UniversalPHOLED® technology and materials, announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Universal Display its 2,000th patent, U.S. Patent No. 9,231,218 (the '218 Patent) for a new family of “Phosphorescent Emitters”. Additionally, UDC’s 2,001st patent was issued on the same day, U.S. Patent No. 9,231,227 (the '227 Patent) for a novel “OLED Display Architecture”.

A report from Korean media ET News pointed out that Samsung Display will be supplying flexible OLEDs for the next generation Apple iPhones.

A Zambia-based power utility company Zesco has distributed more than 480,000 energy efficient lamps nationwide out of its 1 million bulb target, according to reports by Zambia Reports and others.

Osram, one of the leading lighting companies, has granted Taiwan’s Unity Opto Technology Co. Ltd. a royalty-bearing license to produce white LED packages under Osram core patents covering phosphor conversion technology. This technology is widely used in the LED industry for the generation of white light based on a semiconductor chip emitting blue light that is partially converted into one or more other colors by suitable phosphor materials.

In the fabrication of solid state lighting devices, scientists are learning, oxygen also plays a two-edged role. While oxygen can impede the effectiveness of gallium nitride (GaN), an enabling material for LEDs, small amounts of oxygen in some cases are needed to enhance the devices' optical properties. GaN doped with europium (Eu), which could provide the red color in LEDs and other displays, is one such case.

Apple’s latest software update iOS 9.3 has built in blue light reduction features to make it easier for users to sleep at night, according to a Mac Rumors report.

Researchers combine the warm look of traditional light bulbs with 21st-century energy efficiency. Traditional light bulbs, thought to be well on their way to oblivion, may receive a reprieve thanks to a technological breakthrough. Incandescent lighting and its warm, familiar glow is well over a century old yet survives virtually unchanged in homes around the world. That is changing fast, however, as regulations aimed at improving energy efficiency are phasing out the old bulbs in favor of more efficient compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) and newer light-emitting diode bulbs (LEDs).

Leading Dubai-based AV and IT specialist, Almoe Group - which operates across the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and India - have invested in 100 Chroma-Q Color One 100 premium performance colour-changing LED PAR fixtures for their busy rental inventory.

STG Aerospace, the pioneering aircraft cabin lighting company, is delighted to announce that Icelandair has selected its next generation saf-Tglo® SuperSeal UltraLite® (SSUL) photoluminescent floorpath lighting  for its 767 aircraft, becoming the first 767 operator for this newly certified system.

By replacing traditional luminaires with LEDs, India could save US$ 6 billion annually by 2018, said Piyush Goyal, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy in the Government of India.

The Optical Society (OSA) has announced that Dr. Gregory Quarles has joined The Optical Society as Chief Scientist. In this position, Dr. Quarles is responsible for the scientific infrastructure of the society. This includes content development for OSA incubators, annual meetings and the establishment of partnerships with research laboratories around the world. Quarles is a globally recognized leader for his strategic partnerships with the federal government, industry and academia, as well as his innovative work in the progression of global materials research, specifically developing new laser devices for medical, military and industrial applications.

U.S. football team Miami Dolphins’ home stadium, Sun Life Stadium, will become one of the leading NFL football stadiums in the country to replace traditional lights with LEDs, reported Miami Herald.

Anne Kustner Haser, president and design principal at Anne Kustner Lighting Design (AKLD) in Evanston, Illinois started her professional career as a graphic designer, but quickly fell out of love with graphic design in favor of lighting design. Perhaps this decision was influenced by the way some photographers she worked with utilized lighting to instill excitement into an otherwise ordinary product. Or, maybe it was an instinctive aptitude that Anne displayed while arranging lighting throughout her house as a young teenager. Even more so, it could have been the influence of her supportive family and especially her encouraging father, who himself was involved in electrical engineering. Since that fateful decision, and after opening her own lighting design studio 21 years ago, Anne has created stunning lighting environments for a unique blend of commercial, hospitality, and high-end residential clients that allow their individual personalities to shine through.

A lot of new products and electronic gadgets have been released on the market following the start of CES 2016. One of the interesting trends observed from the latest product releases has been the growing usage of OLED backlight products in laptops and displays, LG Display, Samsung, and Dell have been a couple to release OLED-screen devices.

U.S. UV LED manufacturer, Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc.(SETi), is selling deep UV LEDs to the Chinese market to extend the life of fresh product on store shelves, reported Fresh Plaza recently.

From their use in telecommunication to detecting hazardous chemicals, lasers play a major role in our everyday lives. They keep us connected, keep us safe, and allow us to explore the dark corners of the universe.

Orion Energy Systems, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance, energy-efficient retrofit lighting platforms, today announced a Fortune 500 packaged food company selected Orion fixtures for its new multimillion-dollar production line expansion in Waterloo, Iowa.

Shanghai Feilo Acoustics and The Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) recently signed a termination agreement that ended the international bank’s role as the sole financial consultant for the Chinese LED luminaire company’s plan to acquire Osram’s lighting business.

Bermuda will be rolling out a nationwide LED streetlight upgrade plan, Bernews cited the country’s Public Works Minister Craig Cannonier saying at a press conference.

Veeco Instruments announced  William (Bill) J. Miller, Ph.D. has been promoted to President, effective immediately.  In his new role, Dr. Miller will have direct responsibility over all of Veeco’s business units and central R&D.  He will also oversee global manufacturing operations, a responsibility he assumed in 2015.

Demand for lighting equipment jumped 4.4% between the second and third quarters of 2015 to achieve what the National Lighting Bureau hails as “the best quarterly performance since the second quarter of 2008.” The dramatic improvement – a 4.8% year-over-year gain – was revealed by data developed by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) for the NEMA Lighting-Systems Index (LSI). According to NLB Executive Director John Bachner, “Three months ago we said that ‘lighting-equipment demand is moving in the right direction’ and “We’re optimistic that the next report will show continued growth over the third quarter.’ Our optimism has been justified; in fact, it has been more than justified. Lighting’s back!”

James “Jim” Yorgey, P.E., LC, CTS, Lutron Electronics Company’s technical-applications manager, has been re-elected chair of the National Lighting Bureau, the independent, not-for-profit, lighting-education foundation sponsored by professional societies, trade associations, manufacturers, utilities, and agencies of the U.S. government.

The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in Taiwan and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group have established a joint fund to support the development of laser technology in Taiwan, and assist local companies brushless DC motor controlled IC modules enter the large Japanese vendors supply chain.

HC Semitek announced recently that it would be investing in total RMB 6 billion (US $915,625) in the construction of a new LED epiwafer, chip and production line in Yiwu Industrial Park, according to a report from Chinese-language China Securities.

Chinese LED manufacturers San’an Opto and Silan Microelectronics both announced receiving massive subsidies from the local government recently.