Gold Crest Care Center is taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint, minimize its environmental impact and cut back on emissions. To do this, the nursing care facility will begin using environmentally safe products like smart cars, low-energy light fixtures and LED light bulbs.

Everlight General Manager Wu Cheng-che and another high ranking officer Wang Bing-bing have resigned, according to an Ofweek report. Wu will be succeeded by Lee Chien-nan (李建南), while Su Hui-hsian will take over Wang’s role.

NVC Lighting recently announced a series of management changes. The company’s high ranking managers including founder and Chairman Wu Changjiang, Vice Presidents Wu Changyong, Mu Yu, Pei Jinhua, Yang Wenbiao and others have all resigned from company subsidiary boards. This has been the largest restructure tide since Mu left the board in May 2014. All high ranking officers will step down from 11 subsidiaries board positions after the recent adjustments

Harvatek Corporation (“Harvatek”) and Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd (“TG”) have voluntarily signed and entered into a License Agreement relating to silicate-based LEDs.

An ambitious Canadian researcher hopes to be able to plant strawberries and cherry tomatoes on the moon or other planets in the near future, according to a CBC report.

A Mexican software development company Sisoft has caught up with Scottish research team headed by Harald Haas in achieving 10Gbps Internet data transmission using Visible Light Communications (VLC) aka LiFi, according to an Engineering and Technology Magazine report.

An unusual emerging LED market has appeared in North Korea as more residents turn to the power efficient light source from China, according to a Radio Free Asia report.

Dubai’s The Roads and Trasport Authority (RTA) has started to replace halogen traffic lights in the emirate with LEDs, according to a Gulfnews.com report.

This GE blog entry interviews Japanese plant physiologist and farmer Shigeharu Shimamura about the developments of LED indoor farming and what the future holds for hydroponics.

Earlier today, Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd, Messe Frankfurt’s Indian subsidiary, announced the acquisition of the LED Expo and Media Expo trade fairs from founders Media Exposition & Events and MEX Exhibitions Pvt Ltd. With LED Expo and Media Expo, Messe Frankfurt is expanding its portfolio by two additional events in its Technology & Production division and by three in Entertainment, Media & Creation. 

Sensity Systems, the pioneer of Light Sensory Networks (LSN), today announced the appointment of Phil Rehkemper as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In this newly created position, Rehkemper will lead the company’s financial and administration operations, reporting directly to Sensity Chairman and CEO Hugh Martin.

After Epistar and FOREPI’s merger earlier this month, Everlight is also showing a rarely ambitious side, according to a China Post report. The company has decided to expand capital expenditure (CapEx) from less than NT $ 1.0 billion (US $ 30 million) to NT $1.5 billion to NT $ 1.7 billion. The move highlights the LED industry’s high growth.

A small Taiwanese technology company Gunitech’s Bluetooth lighting controlled smart LED bulbs are now being used at Google’s headquarters in California, according to a Taiwanese Sanlih E-Television report.

LED prices are anticipated to drop around 20 percent in 2014 and pricings are already at a level comparable to traditional lighting, according to an Ofweek report. At the Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (GILE) LEDforum, Dr. Ke Zhang, Director of Business Development and Government Affair, Asia Pacific Osram and Dr. Guoqing Tang, General Manager, LED China, Samsung and Sr. Vice President, expressed their optimism about LED prices continual decline. The LED industry remains upbeat despite faltering macroeconomic growth for LED products, and manufacturers aggressive production expansions.  

Veeco  Instruments  Inc.  (Nasdaq:  VECO)  has  formed  a  strategic partnership  with  Agnitron  Technology,  Inc.,  a  focused  compound  semiconductor  research  and  development company specializing in the refurbishment and upgrade of Veeco legacy metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) equipment. 

Apple fans might be slightly disappointed to note the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 launch date might be pushed back to 2015, according to an Apple Insider report.

A video released by Chinese media Apple Daily shows rumored Apple iPhone 6 sapphire phone cover withstanding coin and key scratches, and does not deform when bending. The phone cover even emerges unscathed after being forcefully thrown to the ground, and being roasted by a lighter. It took a 1.6-ton car to break the cover to several dozen pieces.

The LEDinside editorial team has released our July edition feature, discussing in-depth the impact of the two biggest mergers in the industry so far this year: Epistar and Philips Lighting. 

LED chip manufacturer Genesis Photonics Inc. (GPI) announced that June revenue reached NT $397 million (US $13.2 million), down 5.82 percent MoM, but growth of 27.54 percent YoY. Revenue for 2Q14 was NT $1.2 billion, up 10.68 percent compared to 1Q14. 

It has been reported that Apple has been granted new three new sapphire glass related patents from the U.S. Patent Trademark Office (USPTO) on July 8, 2014. Discovered by AppleInsider, the three new patents cover a method to strengthen weak areas in sapphire display covers, application of sapphire to illuminate buttons, and embedded product details under a sapphire layer. 

China based Elech-Tech’s Yangzhou subsidiary has begun mass production of LED wafers. Equipment used at its Yangzhou factory are mainly 14x4” MOCVD wafer production units from U.S. manufacturer Veeco. The company currently has 12 units in operation with a yearly production capacity of 190,000 pcs, which can then produce 50,000 chips. 

China based Jufei Optoelectronics released their 2014 half year performance report on July 10, 2014. The company estimates net income available to stockholders to reach around RMB 76.57-97.88 million (US $12.3-15.7 million), up 25-50 percent YoY. 

The U.S. Department of Energy's Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium (MSSLC) has released the first updated version of its Model Specification for LED Roadway Luminaires. A “living document” that's updated as needed to reflect changes in technologies and associated standards, and to incorporate feedback from users, the model specification enables cities, utilities, and other local agencies to assemble effective bid documents for LED street lighting products.

The two German high-tech companies temicon GmbH and holotools GmbH join forces to expand their product portfolio in the area of micro and nanotechnologies. In the future they are going to operate under the corporate roof of temicon, continuing the well established brand “holotools” as their trademark for laser interference lithography. Both companies have been working together successfully over many years using complementary technologies in the production chain of high-tech components for optical, medical, solar and environmental applications.

The LED industry has entered into a period where penetration rate is rapidly increasing each quarter. Consumers continue to purchase traditional lighting products in large volumes, but distributors have begun reducing the proportion of products for sale. Manufacturers are facing saturated orders and rising lighting order visibility.

Chinese manufacturer Refond Optoelectronics (Refond Opto) released their 2014 half year financial report on July 9. The company estimates net income available to stockholders for the first half of the year to reach RMB 19.64-23.56 million (US $3.2-3.8 million), YoY drop of 10-25 percent. 

Epistar reported good revenue performance in June, benefitting from high backlight and lighting demands, according to the China Times. Consolidated revenue in June reached NT $2.82 billion (US $94.2 million), increase of 0.85 percent MoM, making it the fourth consecutive month with record high revenue. Lextar performance in June was equally good, hitting a single month high of NT $1.36 million. FOREPI reported revenue of NT $500 million in June, up 4.36 percent MoM. 

Lite-On Technology Corporation reported a combined revenue of NT $20.24 billion (US $676.35 million) for June 2014, up 3 percent MoM, and growth of 18 percent compared to the same period last year. Lite-On core products maintained growth on the back of rebounding end market demands and increased market share. Consolidated revenue from January to June this year was NT $110.2 billion, up 14 percent YoY. 

Taiwanese manufacturer Advanced Optoelectronic Technology (AOT) announced the company has been listed as of July 9, 2014, according to the Economic Daily News, with the backing of two strong parent companies which include Hon Hai and Nichia. AOT poses a threat to Taiwan based rival Everlight. It is estimated that Everlight’s net income will reach NT $5 per share this year, while AOT’s will approach NT $6 per share. 

China based San’an Optoelectronics (San’an Opto) released their 2014 half year (Jan. 1, 2014 to June 30, 2014) financial report, announcing a net profit of RMB 648 million (US $104.6 million), up 40 percent from RMB 462 million in the first half of 2013.