The U.S. Department of Energy has released a report on the longer-term performance of an LED lighting system that was installed on the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis in September 2008 and represents one of the country's oldest continuously operated exterior LED lighting installations. The report is a welcome addition to the literature on LED lighting, which is lacking in the area of longer-term field performance.

U.S. startup Axentwear’s new cat ear styled headphones are bound to turn eyes and put the wearer in the center of attention.

Heliospectra, a world leader in intelligent lighting technology for plant research and greenhouse cultivation, has had its U.S. patent application approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent concerns methods in optimizing LED lighting for plants as well as to make working processes more efficient in greenhouse environments of the future.

The LED industry has been on a rollercoaster ride this week. Starting off with the bad news, U.S. MOCVD manufacturer GTAT dropped a bomb on the financial market, with its abrupt bankruptcy announcement on Monday. Investors were scrambling to retain any value in their investments as stock prices tumbled more than 92% to a sad US $0.8 per share. Recent reports that the company CEO Thomas Gutierrez sold out a majority of stocks prior to the launch of the iPhone 6, has put the company in a bad light of susceptible insider trading.

Since GT Advanced Technology (GTAT) abruptly filed for bankruptcy protection this Monday, many industry insiders have speculated how this will impact Apple. While most Wall Street financial analysts believe Apple could walk away with GTAT’s sapphire equipment and patents at a bargain price, one report believes Apple could acquire GTAT.

Taiwanese sapphire manufacturer Tera Xtel Technology filed a sapphire camera lens patent infringement lawsuit against Apple, Senao International and Vibao on Oct. 9, 2014 (Taipei time). The company is seeking compensation totaling NT $300 million (US $9.88 million) from the three companies.

The CEO of Apple sapphire supplier GT Advanced Technology, which recently filed for bankruptcy protection, might have known financial doom was looming, according to a latest report from Wall Street Journal.

Japanese trio Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura are probably still in a festival mood after being awarded the Nobel Prize for their technological breakthrough in blue LEDs, but the man behind the first LED has been left feeling bypassed by the committee, according to a AP report.

Have you ever wondered why you always hit the snooze button for an extra 15 to 30 minutes of sleep in the morning? A whitepaper by Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), the global leader in lighting, has compiled insights from over 10 years of ongoing research1 on the effect of light on our sleep/wake cycle or “circadian rhythm”. It reveals that the amount and quality of light you are exposed to every day may be responsible for your Monday morning blues. Indeed, light ultimately dictates whether you are a morning person or a night owl. 

Intelligent LED lighting company Lighting Science Group Corporation announced today that Wayne Nesbit has been appointed Chief Operations Officer. Nesbit brings his proven global experience in manufacturing operations to lead the company’s expansion of its domestic and international manufacturing capabilities. Their state-of-the-art LED product assortment ranges from commercial and retail applications, to biologically correct lighting for home and work, as well as those that accelerate the growth of plants.

Taiwanese sapphire manufacturer Tera Xtal Technology remained upbeat about claiming payment from the bankrupt U.S.-based MOCVD manufacturer GT Advanced Technology (GTAT), according to a UDN report. Tera Xtal held a press conference on Wednesday under Taiwan’s Gretai Securities Market request to explain to investors the impact from GTAT’s bankruptcy filing.

GE Lighting today announced the resolution of a patent infringement lawsuit filed in February 2012 against AgiLight, Inc.

Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. and OSRAM GmbH, Germany have extended their agreement which allows the companies to use each other’s patents for specific light emitting diode (LED), including white LED, and laser technologies.

Soraa, the world leader in GaN on GaN™ LED technology, announced today that one of its founders, Dr. Shuji Nakamura, has been awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics. Recognizing that Nakamura’s invention, the blue light emitting diode (LED), represents a critical advancement in LED lighting, the Nobel committee explained the innovation “has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources.”

This year’s Nobel Laureates are rewarded for having invented a new energy-efficient and environment-friendly light source – the blue light-emitting diode (LED). In the spirit of Alfred Nobel the Prize rewards an invention of greatest benefit to mankind; using blue LEDs, white light can be created in a new way. With the advent of LED lamps we now have more long-lasting and more efficient alternatives to older light sources.

Shareholder Rights Law Firm Johnson & Weaver, LLP is investigating potential violations of the federal securities laws by GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: GTAT) and certain of its officers. GT Advanced Technologies Inc., a technology company, provides materials and equipment for the solar, light emitting diode (LED) and electronics industries worldwide.

Sapphire manufacturer GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) bankruptcy protection announcement sent shockwaves throughout Wall Street on October 6, 2014. Investors and financial institutes were shocked, no one expected the seemingly promising Apple sapphire supplier to declare insolvency.

GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT), announced that it had, together with certain of its direct and indirect subsidiaries (collectively, GT), commenced voluntary cases under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Hampshire. GT expects the court will authorize the company to continue to conduct business as usual while it devotes renewed efforts to resolve its current issues and develops a reorganization plan.

OLED lighting’s short lifetime and high retail prices has been a major obstacle for the luminaires to acquire more market share, but new developments in Japan might be changing this, according to a MoneyDJ report.

Benefiting from Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus sales, Taiwanese sapphire manufacturer Tera Xtal’s revenue for September 2014 increased 38 percent compared to August. The company set a new monthly record last month, with order visibility extending well into late 2014.

Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Indian state of Kerala, is making little progress in converting the city’s 84,000 streetlights to LEDs, according to a report by The Hindu.

Concerned residents in New Orleans East, Louisiana, U.S. reported new LED streetlights are leaving more unlit areas than conventional streetlights, according to a WDSU New Orleans report.

B/E Aerospace new Emteq unit Diehl Aerospace and other aircraft cabin lighting might be getting LED lighting upgrades from Panasonic in the near future, according to a report by Runway Girl Network.

Cree a market leader in LED lighting, announced preliminary estimates of financial results for its first fiscal quarter ended September 28, 2014. Revenue for the quarter is expected to be approximately US $428 million, with earnings expected below the company’s previously announced target range of $0.25 to $0.30 per diluted share on a GAAP basis. These preliminary financial results are subject to completion of the company’s customary quarterly closing and review procedures.

Molecular Glasses, a division of Molaire Consulting LLC has filed for patent protection for its new class of organic semiconductor materials for OLED and other organic electronic applications.

Advantek announced they have acquired all the assets of Tempo Electronics and the Surftape® product line. Effective immediately Advantek will be offering Surftape® through its extensive global sales organization.

Wrapping up this week’s top news, Samsung might be closing down its LED luminaire business soon, according to a Yonhap report. A bankrupt LED manufacturer’s suicide once again highlights bad financial practices in China’s LED industry that are hurting SMEs. Philips focus onto health applications becomes more evident with the launch of a wearable blue LED light therapy device to treat skin disease. LEDinside’s Senior Analyst Figo Wang gives an in-depth six point analysis on Philips recent business restructure. For more please see below:

The iPhone 6 might not come with sapphire glass cover, but the Apple Watch will, according to MyDrivers.com. Just how much is this tiny piece of glass worth?

Unable to pay back creditors, a bankrupt decorative luminaire manufacturer from Henglan Town in Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, China chose to end his life by jumping off a building. Videos of the manufacturer leaping to his death have been widely circulated on the Internet. Rumors surfaced that the company declared insolvency after receiving a bad check for several hundred thousand Chinese Yuan. The information has not been confirmed, though.

Korean electronics conglomerate Samsung Electronics intends to close down its LED luminaire business, according to a report by Korean media Yonhap Infomax.