Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) and key strategic partners of the UAE’s Ecological Footprint Initiative announce the introduction of an indoor lighting standard in the UAE and call on residents and businesses to switch to energy efficient lighting as of today.

According to a recent top-hundred ranking list of domestic patent application in 2013 by Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Lextar Electronics Corp. remained in the first place in LED industry in Taiwan,. In the ranking, Lextar was also second to none in number of granted patents and invention patent applications. This was the third consecutive year that Lextar topped in patent application in Taiwan LED industry, revealing its effectiveness in technology and patent deployment.

In response to Nichia’s press release on February 20 related to the U.S. Patent No. 6,653,215, Everlight clarifies that the decision made by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is not final and still appealable. The decision itself has no effect on Everlight’s products.  Everlight will appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) against the USPTO’s decision.

The most populous city in the Philippines is making the switch to LED streetlights. Quezon City, part of Metro Manila, will replace the current sodium streetlights with new energy efficient LEDs.

Following two years of revenue decline, HTC is hoping the launch of new wearable devices will help turn profits around. The company may demonstrate one of three wearable devices at the upcoming tradeshow in Barcelona, though the company is still unsure if they will show the devices publically or just give carriers a glimpse.

Philips new LED light positioning system for retail applications has caught the market attention this week, with some media noting it can be a contender for Apple’s iBeacon system. Samsung has launched new LED packages for smartphone applications, which will also be applied in its Galaxy S5. Veeco revenue plunges 36% in 2013 compared to a year earlier. Breakthroughs in Mn 4+ red phosphor technology will also be creating new trends in the LED industry. For more please see below:

In the sapphire substrate industry, GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) has reaped benefits from its multi-year partnership with Apple, but other sapphire substrate manufacturers have seen revenues drop. Veeco’s latest financial reports showed losses in 4Q13, reflecting a dire need to change business strategies, while Rubicon’s yearnings were below financial analyst estimations. With smartphone applications on the rise, manufacturers that enter the smartphone market early will be the biggest benefactors. 

LiteOn Technology announced on the 19th that the merger date with Leotek Electronics will be pushed back from April 7th to June 29th due to business requirements.

At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a federal court has ordered a light bulb manufacturer and its owners to pay more than US$21 million for misleading consumers by exaggerating the performance of their Light Emitting Diode (LED) light bulbs.

GAAP Results ($M except per share data)             Q4 ‘13         Q4 ‘13         Revenues     $106.8    ...

The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) of Taiwan announced recently a total of eight cross straight business cooperation conferences will be held this year, including automotive, LED, panel, and telecommunications. The conferences will begin in 2Q14, according to Economic Daily News.

On Feb.,11, 2014, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)  issued a Final Written Decision in inter partes review (“IPR”) proceeding IPR2012-000005. The USPTO held that all claims of United States Patent No. 6,653,215 (the “’215 Patent”) are not patentable, and ordered them cancelled. The USPTO also denied Emcore Corporation’s Motion to Amend Claims. A copy of the Final Written Decision is attached below.

Leyard anounced the company will be temporary suspended from the stockmarket starting Feb. 20 due to restructuring.

Rubicon Technology, a leading provider of sapphire substrates and products to the LED, semiconductor, and optical industries, today reported financial results for its fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2013.

Philips, the world’s leader in lighting is proud to support the announcement of the Di (ESMA) on its indoor lighting standard, because moving to the digital technologies in lighting will positively impact people’s lives. Named last week as one of the Top 50 Most Innovative Companies by Forbes Magazines, Philips believes that adopting more energy efficient lighting solutions such as LED technology will not only help save the environment, it will also allow people to create inspiring environments that can improve lives.

Bridgelux, announced semiconductor industry veteran Dr. Cem Basceri has joined its Executive Staff. Basceri will serve as CTO and oversee the technology and product development programs at Bridgelux.

Gloria Chen, Administrator Manager, Fairchild Semiconductor speaks about the company’s decision of using the trademark Xian Tong (Fairy Child) in China in this blog entry.

Taiwanese manufacturer Lextar benefited from  backlight client Chinese Lunar New Year preorders in January, with consolidated revenue of NT $1.22 billion (US $40.3 million), monthly growth of 11 percent. February however only has a utilization rate of around 70 percent due to preorders and fewer working days. Utilization rates are  anticipated to rebound in March, driven by the upcoming peak season for backlight and lighting. Order visibility will remain at one month.

Major Japanese LED manufacturer Nichia has always been aggressive in deploying patent strategies and lawsuits. Since the company’s core YAG phosphor patent term will expire in 2017, the company has been deploying patent strategies in new materials, especially in Mn 4+ red phosphor powder to maintain a stronghold in LED patents.

Technologically, resin bond diamond wire produced by Tanlong Photoelectric (Tanlong) is not ready for cutting sapphire, commented the company during a meeting with investors on Feb. 17, 2014. Sapphire cutting is mainly done by electroplated diamond wire.

Just one day after Samsung released its new LED product portfolio for smartphone applications, the company will be packing one of these products into its new smartphone Galaxy S5, according to a CNET report.

Taiwanese manufacturers could soon see an increase in flip-chip shipments as Samsung begins to purchase LED flip-chips from Taiwanese manufacturers.

Philips, the global leader in lighting, continues to deliver on the company's commitment to making quality LED bulbs more affordable for consumers with its second generation 75-watt and 100-watt LED equivalent bulbs that are now ENERGY STAR certified. With utility rebates of up to US$ 10 per bulb, these latest additions to the industry's largest portfolio of ENERGY STAR certified products may be found on shelves for as little as US$ 9.97 and US$ 14.97 respectively. 

A year after GE Lighting acquired Boulder, Colorado-based Albeo Technologies, Inc., the company has seen such promise for growth that it’s moved the Colorado-based team to a larger site in nearby Longmont.The site at 1844 Nelson Road in Longmont is five times its former footprint in Boulder at approximately 174,000 square feet (3.99 acres), offering room to expand manufacturing operations for the company’s industrial LED fixtures in the future.

More and more American cities are being installed with LED light fixtures with embedded cameras and sensors. Newark airport is the latest among the long list of areas investing in surveillance technology in combination with LEDs. The newly installed LED fixtures are connected to a wireless surveillance system to provide safety for fliers and cut down on operating costs. Around 171 LED fixtures have been installed around the airport so far.

As Ultra High Definition (UHD) 4K2K TV continues to be a trendsetter in the market, TV manufacturers are hoping to develop high color gamut TV. Using quantum dot (QD) technology, Sony has successfully released high color gamut TV in 2013.  TV brands that have achieved technological breakthroughs with Mn 4+ red phosphor powder are also planning to stimulate market purchases with NTSC 100% high color gamut TV.

Swiss industrial design website Designerei GmbH has recently released a new concept design for the upcoming Apple iWatch. Although this is not the official Apple design, it can still be used to analyze possible developmental directions for the new technology used in the smart watch.

Chinese research institutes have been interviewing listed companies after the Chinese New Year to get a better picture of the 2014 “investment guide,” according to Chinese media Sina.com report. As the industry rebounds, investors are also following research institute’s lead of entering into specific manufacturing fields to explore opportunities and determine whether the industry will generate a new gold wave. 

During the second annual Honglitronic’s Board of Directors meeting on February 17th, the board approved the establishment of a new subsidiary in Shaoguan, China.

Whether walking on the streets or driving around the city, people are surrounded by outdoor LED displays. They are known as the fourth type of screen, after TVs, computers, and mobile phones. So what do outdoor LED displays mean for city dwellers?