This fall 2013, GE Lighting released a groundbreaking LED light bulb as part of the GE reveal brand, engineered to have the same familiar size and shape of an incandescent bulb but deliver big energy and cost savings.

Silica will be showcasing the latest innovative lighting solutions at LuxLive 2013 in London. Technical and market experts will be available on booth D12 to discuss advances in lighting technology and applications.

A couple of interesting LED technologies on the editorial radar this week. A UK team has now managed to increase Li-fi transmission speed to 10 Gbps, can this be the next big trend for industry non-lighting applications? We can only wait and see. Breakthroughs in quantum dot technology and phosphor have also taken place this week manufacturers just might be able to benefit and implement better cost control from these newer technologies. For more info, please see list below:

The LED industry’s development has been anything but a smooth ride. Foreign manufacturers have monopolized the technology market in China. The industry in China also faces challenges of being overtly small, incomplete supply chains, and oversupply in the midstream and downstream markets. Despite being the “star” of the era, the industry is facing a bottleneck. How can companies cope pragmatically during an industry low tide? How should social awareness change to create a better environment for industry development? How can the Chinese government speed up industry standardization and corresponding development policies?

Soraa Chief Technology Officer Mike Krames recently ressponded to LED Magazine article's claims that the company's GanN-on-GaN MR16 emits large quantities of UV rays. Below is Krames blog entry on the company website:

By determining simple guidelines, researchers at UC Santa Barbara's Solid State Lighting & Energy Center (SSLEC) have made it possible to optimize phosphors –– a key component in white LED lighting –– allowing for brighter, more efficient lights.

Accent lighting is an approach used to create an emotional tug in ways general lighting or static integrated lighting systems typically cannot achieve. If you are looking for an accent lighting solution that provides beam flexibility, superior “candlepower punch” and maximum light output at minimum watts per square foot to meet the latest ASHRAE codes, the following lighting solution is your best pick to meet your retail & hospitality project needs. Discover now how PHILIPS LIGHTOLIER Alcyon LED Vertical is taking LED accent lighting to the next level!

A U.S. manufacturer Dog-E-Glow has launched a series of LED dog leashes and collars to keep pets safe during walks at night. The company claims the leashes are visible at a range of 304.8 meters (1,000 feet), which could help prevent road accidents as drivers and motorists will be able to see the glowing animal from afar.In addition, the weather resistant leash uses LEDs with 100,000 hours lifetime, and a battery with 150 hour life. These dogs below party hard after a week of hard work in the office.

Dimplex's acclaimed OptiMyst® Electric Fireplace technology is the most realistic flame effect in the industry today and the first ever 3D fire. Previously launched with only one model, Dimplex plans to release 5 new models and designs for the 2013 holiday season available on ElectricFireplacesDirect.com, the largest online retailer of electric fireplaces.

Lumishore a maker of underwater LED lighting fixtures has announced the company significantly upgraded their highly acclaimed series of surface mounted underwater LED lighting fixtures. The SMX Underwater LED Lights are one of the most popular underwater led lights on the market today and they just got better.

The trend in lowered prices in the LED market has not changed. With LED chip prices expected to drop substantially in the next few years, packaging is also facing pressure to lower costs. According to current LED component costs, package costs make up 60 percent of the overall cost. U.S. DOE estimates that LED package costs will drop 50 percent by 2016. Advantages in Epoxy Molding Compound (EMC) lead frames in galvanizing high electrical currents, having UV resistance, and ability to withstand high temperatures has draw the attention of package manufacturers. Philips Lumileds plans to introduce high volume EMC lead frame LED package components in 2014. 

San’an Optoelectronics revealed their 3Q financial report on October 30th.

LED package manufacturer Ledtech benefited from low temperature lighting orders.

CRS Electronics Inc. ("CRS" or the "Company"), a developer and manufacturer of LED lighting products, today announced they have selected Cree to provide the LEDs for their new QuantumLED commercial lamp (bulb) brand. QuantumLED lamps will feature Cree's latest XP-G2 LED technology.

Financial research institute Zacks Equity Research recently picked Cree as Bear of the Day—a label used to define companies that financially have not been performing too well. In July, Cree had topped the financial company’s list as one of the most promising companies. Below is Zacks analysis of the company’s financial situation:

ANTENNA REVEAL: As a special surprise and gift to New York City and the world, Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. has installed for the first time lights to the Empire State Building's antenna—the highest structure on the building.  These custom LED lights can be seen for miles in every direction. On Halloween night, the antenna LEDs will be unveiled for the first-time ever, and will become part of the Empire State Building's light shows and iconic tower lightings, further enhancing and redefining the New York City skyline. 

Evolucia Inc., a global LED lighting solutions company, today announced that its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Executive Vice President (EVP), Charles Rockwood, has resigned from the Company for personal reasons.

On October 29th, French OLED lighting company BLACKBODY opened its New York City showroom in SoHo, making remarkable new OLED technology accessible to American architects and the interior design communities. 

After Chinese researchers successfully connected four computers to the internet through the use of a LED bulb with broadband speeds of 150Mbps, UK researchers have gone a step further, saying they have achieved high data transferring speeds of 10Gbit/s via “li-fi.”

Korean electronics manufacturer LG Display is rumored to become one of Apple iWatch’s OLED suppliers, according to a report by the Korean Herald. The report noted Apple has a tendency of diversifying its supply chain, and Taiwan’s RiTDisplay is a strong OLED candidate. The OLED supply chain is likely to be led by RiTDisplay with LG Display as the secondary Apple OLED supplier. 

Rubicon Technology, Inc.yesterday reported financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2013.

Light meets high performance design, with the launch of Hubbell Industrial Lighting's LunaBay Series LED Highbay. The new fixture delivers an exceptional combination of low glare light, energy efficiency, and long life to attractively light retail spaces, schools and light industrial facilities.

Korean designer Lee Myung Su first released his SEIL Bag, a LED bag for bikers in 2010. The company is now trying to take the product into the mass production phase with its Kickstarter project. 

In LEDforum 2013, CN Sun, Principal of GUANG Lighting Design, had a speech on "LED Lighting in Hotels and Grand Residences". In the presentation, he mentioned an important idea -- awareness of light, and pointed out the benefits of control system. Previous article: Think With the Right Brain – Interview with CN Sun, Alexander in LEDforum2013 (1/2)

Chinese LED manufacturer Elec-Tech released their 3Q financial report on October 29th, 2013.

Taiwanese LED manufacturer Laster Tech has set its sights on the automotive lighting market as LED technology matures in this particular field. The company has settled most production order for 2014 and have recently announced the increase in funds in its Shanghai factory to meet capital turnover demands from soaring 2014 shipment orders.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published a new report, Color Maintenance of LEDs in Laboratory and Field Applications. Although concern for parametric failure of LED lighting products has largely been focused on lumen maintenance, color shift is a cause of early failure for some products, especially in applications where visual appearance is critical.

Everlight Electronics CO., LTD. showcases varieties of new series of LED lighting components and fixtures at 2013 Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition). This year, Everlight represents most updating series of high efficient LED lighting packages including High, Mid and Low Power LED and COB LED packages and certification listed including CE, UL or Energy Star LED retrofits and fixtures to show customers the ability of OEM/ODM and the one stop purchasing experience.

Silver Spring Networks, Inc., a leading networking platform and solutions provider for smart energy networks, announced today it has been selected to deliver the networking platform for a citywide intelligent street lights project in Copenhagen, Denmark. Under a new partnership with Citelum, the global leader in lighting, traffic management, and other urban electrical systems, Silver Spring is expected to begin networking 20,000 street lights in Copenhagen in 2014. 

Tridonic recently launched a new laser LED module. The new compact TALEXXengine STARK NEW DLE modules are 80 percent more efficient than their predecessors. A larger light emission surface also leads to a lower luminance and better glare reduction options for downlights.