The markets GT Advanced Technology (GTAT) are involved in include LEDs, smart phones, and solar panels are all multi-billion dollar opportunities with accelerating growth. Each of these markets is driving demand for specialized crystals such as polysilicon, photovoltaic, and sapphire crystals.

Researchers at the U.S. Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) are now studying the impact of different types of lighting in military shelters on soldiers, according to U.S. Army report.

Revolution Lighting Technologies (Revolution Lighting), a leader in advanced LED lighting solutions, today announced that it has entered into a strategic distribution partnership with Ganga Hospitality (Ganga), a leading provider of equipment and financing to hotel, hospital, gas station and convenience store customers.

Major Taiwanese LED package manufacturer Everlight delivered a solid performance in 2Q14, and is likely to set new revenue records in the following quarter as the industry enters conventional peak season, according to a Money DJ report.

Philips lighting comparable sales increased 1 percent year-on-year. LED-based sales grew 43 percent and now represent 36 percent of total Lighting sales, compared to 25 percent in Q2 2013. The EBITA margin, excluding restructuring and acquisition related charges and other items, improved to 8.6 percent, an increase of 0.5 percentage points year-on-year.

Recently, China’s Ministry of Science and Technology and State Key Laboratory of Solid State Lighting (SKLSSL) held a meeting in Beijing to discuss the inception of LED specs, according to a Xinhua.net report.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will be changing LED bulb energy efficiency tests, according to a report from Chinese media Xinhua.net.

Taiwanese lighting manufacturer Everlight has released a statement that clearly shows the company’s aim of developing the Chinese lighting market, the statement also assured investors recent restructures were made to meet challenges ahead. The notice outlined the company’s intent to attract more distributors in the future.

Long hours of nighttime driving can cause eyestrain because while our vision adapts to the surrounding darkness, the sudden stabs of brightness from streetlamps can be irritating, distracting and even painful. Even as LED technology has transformed the lighting industry, bringing the promise of more energy-efficient road illumination, some fear that the new lights could cause even more troublesome, unsafe glare.

Targeting the US $5.6 billion indoor lighting market, Taiwan has recently set up an Organic Light-emitting Diode Lighting Commercialization Alliance (OLCA), according to a China Post report.

This week analysts forecast a potential setback for Apple as manufacturing issues might delay the launch of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 to 2015.  GTAT’s stocks have also been hurt by low sapphire yield rates at its Arizona plant over the last two weeks, as analysts from large financial institutes including UBS, CLSA and Canaccord Genuity mark down the company's investment ratings. Analysts from CLSA and Conaccord Genuity have suggested the limited sapphire yield will signal limited usage in the new iPhone models

Whenever innovative technologies emerge, speculators often will sail with the wind and urge for the technology’s advancement. They will also start listing the old technology’s flaws. In reality, there is nothing definite in new and old technology. By using innovative technologies for reference, old technologies can further advance, while immature new technologies might meet an early demise.

Over 80 percent of Chinese LED companies have reported good profits in first half of 2014, according to data compiled by Shanghai Securities News.

Philips is currently in talks with Google owned thermostat company Nest on integrating thermostats into smart bulbs, according to a Slash Gear report.

Under a new UK energy department plan to cut UK power consumption, British households might be paying out millions of pounds in energy bills to provide supermarkets and airports with free LED lighting, according to a Telegraph report.

Russian freight railway manufacturer UralVagonZavod (UVZ) has launched a prototype tram using smart LED lights ahead of the next World Cup games, according to a CNBeta.com report.

Nanoleaf, the LED bulb startup company that released that successfully kickstarted a campaign to fund a highly energy efficient bulb last year is now stepping up its game with a new dimmable bulb that is dimmer-free.

Once three market indicators that signal the arrival of the maturing LED industry are reached, clients will no longer be focused on energy efficiency anymore, a China-led.org report cited Taiwan LED Lighting Industry Alliance Secretary Horng-Ching Hsiao saying at Green Lighting 2014 in Shanghai, China.  

Taiwanese LED lighting manufacturer Lextar revenue will grow steadily in second half of 2014, as the company benefits from international manufacturers rising lighting OEM orders and new LED TV backlight clients that is alleviating the risks of relying on orders from a single client, according to a Money DJ report.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo has preliminary approved Osram Sylvania US $ 30 million settlement over falsely advertising superiority of halogen headlights to deceive consumers into overpaying, according to a Law360 report.

Increasingly market popularity for Patterned Sapphire Substrate (PSS) has led to Aceplux Optotech to increase capital by NT $297 million (US $9.90 million), according to a Money DJ report.

While importers have been shifting their focus to LED lamps and are importing from Chinese manufacturers, it is important they get the right kind of information about requirements and qualifications of their Chinese suppliers. Here is an article by LED Lights Supplier - Lightinstar

Plessey announced it has entered into a distribution agreement with CODICO GmbH, a demand creation distributor for electronic components, headquartered in Perchtoldsdorf, Austria and with offices across Europe. With CODICO, Plessey will be expanding its European network with coverage in Central and East European, Italian and Danish market for its GaN-on-Si LED products.

LED Lighting manufacturer Evluma moves into a larger manufacturing facility at the end of July 2014. Located in Renton, Washington, U.S., the new facility embraces Lean Manufacturing philosophies and increases Evluma's manufacturing capacity by up to five times. The new site provides room to expand, allowing Evluma to bring on additional Lean lines in parallel with demand. Evluma makes the move to better serve and support their customer base.

Top Taiwanese LED manufacturers Epistar and Everlight delivered strong revenue performances in 2Q14, according to statistics compiled by Chinese media Sinai.

Aoto Electronics announced on an investment platform the latest developments of a new naked-eye 3D LED TV model that “utilizes multi-view technology, and is glasses free,”  according to numerous Chinese reports.

Known as the “Oscars of Invention,” the 2014 R&D 100 Awards were announced by R&D Magazine last week in U.S., the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) again singled out for excellence in technology development. This marks the seventh consecutive year ITRI has won these awards, with its development of eco-related “In-Line Compact Thermal Analyzer (ICTA)” being one of the accolades this year.

GT Advanced Technology (GTAT) low sapphire yield rates seem to have confirmed earlier rumors that the iPhone 6 sapphire cover version will come in limited volumes, according to numerous reports.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a notice of recalling 14 Halco LED bulb models due to risk of injury and potential burn hazards. Consumers should stop using this product unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Agnitron Technology is scheduled to ship its latest 1500°C+ reactor upgrade for the Veeco MOCVD D-series Legacy System platform. The single 2 or 3 inch wafer, vertical quartz tube reactor upgrade will be fitted to a D180 system at the Korean Photonics Technology Institute (Kopti) in Gwangju, Seoul, South Korea. The upgrade will ship from Agnitron’s facility in Eden Prairie, MN in July after completion of final preshipment verification testing.