In 2012, the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute published a study that changed the way we think about using “self-luminous devices” such as tablets, laptops and e-readers at night. The study led by Professor Mariana Figueiro, Light & Health program director at the LRC, found that light from tablets can affect evening melatonin and, therefore, may delay sleep. The research results were widely covered by the news media, with stories appearing in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Scientific American, The Economist, and other major news organizations around the world.

Servcorp, the world’s leading premium office space provider with over 150 locations in 23 countries worldwide, is to use Nualight LED lighting in all of its new and refurbished office locations it has been announced.

Philips is raising its LED lamp outsourcing ratio in LED lamps to 70% in the Indian market in the next six to eight months to meet local market demands, reported Indian media The Economic Times.

Pepco Energy Services, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings and a leader in energy savings performance contracting, announced that it has commenced implementation of an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) with Florence County, South Carolina. Under the contract, Pepco Energy will install over $6.6 million of energy efficiency improvements at thirty Florence County facilities that are guaranteed to save more than $432,000 annually and $7.6 million over the term, while also addressing critical infrastructure needs.

This has been a rather slow week for the LED industry. LEDinside has released latest reports for LED package and bulb prices. LED package prices have slid over the past months as market intensifies, and more manufacturers are moving to more profitable industries. In the LED bulb market, Chinese market is seeing a price uptick as lower quality products exit the market.

When Chris Bajuk, founder and CEO of the urban farming company "Urban Harvest" enters the production halls of his vegetable crop business in the mornings, he sees hundreds of square meters of sprightly growing lettuce heads. What's special: Bajuk isn't standing in giant greenhouses set in a rural atmosphere, but in the center of the million-strong U.S. metropolis of Seattle.

Apple recently announced it will be launching Apple HomeKit devices next month, denying a previous Fortune report that pushed back the release date to fall, according to several tech and business media reports.

Noribachi, a leading U.S.-based custom LED manufacturer for high output commercial and industrial lighting solutions, announced 117% quarter over quarter revenue growth (Q1 2014 vs. Q1 2015). This marked the 8th consecutive quarter over quarter revenue growth for the company.

Lextar, a large LED manufacturing company under the AUO group, has sold one of its factory in Hsinchu County, Taiwan for NT $361 million (US $11.82 million) to Twoway Communications.

A recent survey commissioned by Philips shows that while New Zealand consumers now tend to opt for energy efficient light bulbs over traditional incandescent bulbs, they need more information and encouragement to make the shift from CFL light bulbs to LED for their homes. Philips’ release this month of its latest LED bulb range, with a further reduction in recommended retail prices across the range, provides consumers with another reason to move up the lighting technology curve. 

Blue light is important for the body to regulate the circadian rhythm, but too much exposure can cause permanent damage to the eyes, reported Pocono Record.

Shopping in a big department store can quickly devolve from a simple errand to an odyssey filled with frustration. What section do they put the bath towels in again? Is there a route to take that avoids the chemical attack of the perfume aisle on the way to kitchenware? Where do they put the on-sale jackets?

Apple might be releasing limited edition of sapphire screened phones for the larger sized 5.5-inch models in the upcoming iPhone 6S, an Apple Insider report quoted Ming-Chi Kuo, Analyst of KGI Securities saying.

Sony is expanding its Life Space UX product series this month in Japan with the launch of a new Bluetooth speaker LED bulb.

The intelligent lighting system of the future will make its premiere in the new Opel Astra generation at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt (September 17 to 27, 2015). With the new Astra, the ground-breaking full-LED matrix light IntelliLux that enables driving with glare-free high beams will be available in the compact class for the first time, making top-of-the-range lighting technology accessible to the largest audience ever. After having introduced bi-xenon adaptive lighting in the current generation Astra, Opel again takes on a pioneering role in lighting technology with its next compact bestseller.

Taiwanese LED lighting manufacturers revenues reached new heights last month, with Unity Opto, Edison Opto and Ledlink heading the trend, reported UDN.

LED manufacturers have announced their revenues for April lately, with Taiwanese LED chip and package manufacturers Epistar and Genesis Photonics Inc. (GPI) performance outshone other competitors, reported China Times.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced on May 5, 2015 the competitive selection of nine projects for solid-state lighting (SSL), in response to the SSL R&D funding opportunity announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0001171. The one- to two-year projects will focus on the areas of Core Technology Research, which involves the application of fundamental scientific concepts to SSL technology; Product Development, which involves using the knowledge gained from basic or applied research to develop or improve commercially viable SSL materials, devices, or systems; and U.S. Manufacturing, which involves accelerating SSL technology adoption through manufacturing innovations and improvements that reduce costs and enhance quality and consistency.

The U.S. Department of Energy has released a follow-up GATEWAY report on LED system performance at the Yuma (Arizona) Sector Border Patrol Area. Six LED luminaires – installed on three poles as part of a trial installation detailed in a prior GATEWAY report – continue to be monitored, with illuminance measurements recorded initially in February 2014 and again in September 2014 at about 2,500 hours of operation and in March 2015 at about 5,000 hours of operation.

Dow Corning, a global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, reported today that the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) granted a patent protecting the company’s high refractive index (RI) phenyl-based optical silicone encapsulant technology, which targets advanced LED lighting applications. Specifically, the patent protects the composition of curable organopolysiloxane chemistry used to formulateDow Corning® Optical Encapsulant products, which offer numerous high-value benefits to LED devices. 

Dialight announced the launch of it’s next-generation DuroSite® LED Conveyor Light. The fitting is designed specifically to eliminate lighting maintenance in the harsh environment of mining applications, where maintenance of thousands of light fittings installed on kilometers (km) of conveyors and walkways across vast sites is an expensive and ongoing burden. 

The Noida Authority in the National Capital Region plans to upgrade streetlights with energy efficient LED bulbs to cut down electricity and maintenance costs, reported The Times of India.

Ketra, the supplier of premium digital lighting systems, today announced that it will be illuminating newly reinstalled galleries of medieval art, as well as additional areas at the Art Institute of Chicago, a world-renowned art museum with one of the largest permanent collections in the United States. Chicago-based design firm Lightswitch Architectural was tasked with designing the Art Institute of Chicago’s lighting and presented the museum with the concept of transitioning to LED light using Ketra’s premium LED system.

Osram is definitely showcasing how it is exploring more profitable niche markets, such as the launch of green LEDs for heart rate monitoring in wearable devices. LEDinside thinks Osram might have been Apple Watch’s green LED supplier, due to the many similarities in the product features.

Authorities in Zhejiang Province, China reported seizing nearly 8,000 counterfeited Opple LED tubes valuing RMB 176,760 (US $28,483.03), reported Nanhu Evening News.  

NXP Semiconductors announced a partnership with Xiaomi, a global leader in wireless connectivity and security solutions. The agreement will see NXP provide its latest innovative low power wireless connectivity solution for the new Xiaomi Smart Home Suite.

Osram Opto has released new green LED products specifically designed for heart monitoring. The green LEDs for heart rate monitoring are probably similar to the ones used in Apple Watch for heart rate tracking. The mechanism used to measure heart rate is similar, in which it relies on measuring light absorbed by blood vessels and surrounding tissues. For further details about the new green LEDs please see Osram Opto’s full press release below:

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) announced that today’s Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) has approved the separation of the Lighting business from Royal Philips. Following the vote in Amsterdam, Royal Philips will continue the process to set up two market-leading independent companies that will focus on the vast opportunities in health technology and lighting solutions.

Rubicon Technology, a leading provider of sapphire substrates and products to the LED, semiconductor, and optical industries, today reported financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2015.

Universal Display Corporation, enabling energy-efficient displays and lighting with its UniversalPHOLED® technology and materials, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2015.