Following recent trends in the industry, TFT LCD panel maker Chi Mei Opotelectronics (CMO) is focusing on 16:9 aspect ratio and LED backlight products, estimating such applications will reach a penetration rate of around 55% of the company's shipments by 2010, outpacing the global average. CMO is being active regarding its lineup for 16:9 LCD monitors with sizes including 15.6-, 18.5-, 21.6- and 23.6-inch.

Philips Electronics India, a consumer electronics and healthcare equipment company, is looking for acquisitions in the lighting, lifestyle and healthcare segments. "We are working on around three proposals currently for possible acquisitions. We are sitting on a cash surplus of Rs 600 crore," said S M Datta, chairman of the company. Meanwhile, the company is scouting for local partners to launch economical range of products across its lighting, lifestyle and healthcare segments.

AccessDiscounts.us - a leading supplier of grow lights, residential lighting and commercial lighting, today announced the rising interest in LED lighting for commercial and residential lighting needs.

It's reported that HB LEDs used for lighting applications is one of the fastest growing market segments in the HB LED industry. With a growth rate over 60% since 2006, this application is one of the most intriguing elements for adaptation of HB LEDs. In order to address this market, Strategies Unlimited will be releasing its third edition of The Market for High-Brightness LEDs in Lighting Applications - 2008. This report will contain the following information: • Market data and forecasts through 2012 broken out by material type, color, and package type.

On June 2, 2008, a date that will live in infamy, the solid state lighting community was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the combined communication and policy forces of the Office of Air and Radiation the US Environmental Protection Agency... It will be recorded that the distance from a government-inspired concept to an actual policy makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago.

A research team at Saga University in Saga, Japan, has created a new green LED that the researchers contend is only a fraction of the cost, but can be as energy efficient, according to an article in Nikkei Net. Instead of using the more expensive molecular beam epitaxy, the researchers used what the article called thermal diffusion. Also, instead of using gallium phosphide, one of the frequently used but pricy compounds for green LEDs, the researchers used zinc telluride. Author: LIGHTimes Staff

DURHAM, N.C., June 11, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Cree, Inc (Nasdaq:CREE) announces the sample release of a 90W, highly efficient GaN HEMT microwave transistor for general-purpose military and industrial applications such as electronic warfare, radar, tactical radios and EMC applications. This transistor provides superior performance over wide bandwidths compared to other technologies such as GaAs MESFET or Si LDMOSFET.

The new OSTAR® Projection SMT LED from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors is more compact and efficient than ever before and is designed for integration into ultra-miniature pico projection applications where space is at a premium. This compact LED module measures just 5.8 x 4.7 x 1.5 mm and, in contrast to its predecessor, does not require additional connectors on board for electrical interface. Thanks to SMT (surface mount technology), this new version of the OSTAR® Projection LED is now suitable for standard soldering processes.

Taipei, June 9, 2008 (CENS)--Lite-On Technology Corp. has begun small-volume shipments of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for notebook PC backlight units (BLUs) in May, while the firm`s many other related products would be launched steadily in the second half, according to company CEO Teng Kuang-chung, Lite-On Technology registered revenue of NT$2.73 billion (US$89.5 million at US$1: NT$30.5) for the first quarter, down 12% from the fourth quarter of 2007, yielding the position of Taiwan`s No. 1 LED packager to major rival Everlight Electronics Co., Ltd.

LCD-TV today uses CCFL backlight technology, but many think that LEDs backlights is the future. But costs remain an issue in the adoption of LED backlights for larger-sized LCDs. Using a new cost model tool developed by Insight Media and validated by industry experts, the model finds that the price decline for LED backlights will be steep, allowing a rapid changeover to begin around 2011.

Japan's Toshiba Corp (6502.T: Quote, Profile, Research) aims to raise sales of its non-commercial LED lights and other energy-saving light bulbs to 1 trillion yen ($9.50 billion) in 12 years by expanding sales abroad, its president said on Thursday.

Now, the revolution has come in PC industry. Users can get new screen technology, which avails sharper and more vivid images, longer battery life and slimmer design in laptops. In computex trade fair in Taiwan, laptops showcased featured with light emitting diode (LED) - backloit displays. One of the world's popular PC makers, Apple has introduced Macbook Air, which is featured with LED display, lighter with CCFLs and consumes less power.

Lamina Lighting has opened the Lamina Design Center, a product showroom and design studio at 336 West 37th Street in Manhattan. The Center is located in the Arts Building (www.theartsbuilding.com). The building is also home to lighting designers, artists and other businesses in the creative field.

Lamina Lighting of Westampton, New Jersey USA announced that it has launched a new line of high lumen output white LED products. The company says that the line, which includes the Lamina TitanTurbo TruColor White LED, delivers light output of up to 2000 lumens. In addition, the company notes that it offers a unique "TruColor" feature that maintains the natural colors of an illuminated object. The special optics give the packaged LED the ability to focus light into a tight 60-degree cone angle.

Sony celebrated the launch of its XBR8 tricolor-LED-backlit LCD TV lineup with a Pioneer-style darkened-room shoot-out. The 55" XBR8 was pitted against an unnamed popular plasma set. What you see above is the LCD on the left, and the plasma on the right. But wait, we thought plasmas always had the upper hand when it comes to non-crushed black levels!

Missouri City is about to begin a pilot study that involves using more energy efficient, improved streetlights throughout neighborhoods in the city. City council authorized the study with CenterPoint Energy during this week's regular meeting. The city will be looking at replacing existing incandescent streetlights with light emitting diodes, commonly known as LEDs.

FLOWERY BRANCH - Flowery Branch City Council Wednesday ended the city's moratorium on LED billboards and passed a regulation ordinance amendment that the city attorney said he defend in court.Craig Lutz made the motion to approve after proposing changes other council members accepted.Those changes control sign message transition and duration; they prohibit message sequencing, and regulate illumination and brightness; Lutz said the city could defend it.

LEDs and their target markets are changing rapidly. David Spragg looks at how distributors must evolve to meet the needs of this rapidly evolving arena.

Sunovia EnergyTechnologies, Inc. is pleased to announce that ithas been awarded a LED lighting contract by the city of Fairview, Texas. Thecontract calls for Sunovia to provide its energy-efficient EvoLucia(TM) LEDlighting products for street lighting within the city.

Philips Solid-State Lighting Solutions of Burlington, Massachusetts USA, announced that its chief scientist, and Color Kinetics co-founder, Dr. Ihor Lys has been named 2008 National Inventor of the Year. The Intellectual Property Owners (IPO) Education Foundation selected Dr. Lys for the award for his invention of Powercore technology that integrates power management and data management within a fixture. The company says that the patented Powercore technology increases electrical efficiency and lowers production costs.

Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) has begun commercial shipment of aluminum-gallium-indium-phosphide (AlGaInP) ultrabright red LED chips with luminous efficiency of 80lm/W, touted to be the highest level on the market. The luminous efficiency of the new product represents a 40 percent improvement over SDK's existing grade.The new product features high efficiency of bringing out light with the improved shape and arrangement of electrodes and chip surface treatment. This enables to maintain same level of brightness with less of LED lamps, thus contributing to energy conservation.

SunJet, the inkjet ink division of Sun Chemical ( Web Site  Executives  Related Articles  Google), has announced at drupa the development of new and novel ink chemistry specifically designed for curing under exposure to UV light from LED sources. In laboratory tests line speeds in single pass applications have exceeded 100m or 300ft per minute. SunJet is present on the Sun Chemical stand at drupa 2008, Düsseldorf from May 29 to June 11, in Hall 6, Stand B75.

Well Positioned With Golden DRAGON Plus LED Offering

Partner Network Continues to Expand as Market Interest in LED Lighting Increases

WASHINGTON, June 2 IPO-foundation-awardPowercore(R) Technology Recognized for Breakthrough in Powering LED Illumination

New high-resolution brightness LED devicesCatalyst Semiconductor, Inc. has expanded its line of Quad-Mode fractional charge pump LED drivers with two new high-resolution brightness devices. Both feature 32-dimming levels to provide enhanced LCD backlight control in emerging portable product applications.

With its DECOSPOT® LED, OSRAM now adds colour to lighting design–in the usual high quality and attractive styling. These new lamps will fit in all standard fixtures with E14 or GU10 holders - as easy as changing a light bulb. DECOSPOT® LED   A colourful future with Decospot LED Modern LED technology –extremely efficient and effective

DOMINANT is offering a new series of through-hole LEDs in a 5mm round package for use in a wide range of solid-state lighting and illumination applications. These 5mm round through-hole LEDs have been designed specifically to provide a well-defined radiation pattern and a cost-effective lighting solution. 

BIXBY, MAY 29: The use of LED lights for signage in Bixby are clearly going to be allowed without condition according to a decision made by the council Tuesday night, May 27, at a Bixby city council meeting. City Planner, Erik Enyart, had brought a proposal to the council earlier at which time the mayor said there should be no limiting of the lights when the city wants businesses to be welcomed. Enyart had to return to the council, however, because a change had to be made in the current ordinance to allow for the LED lights.

Mission assignment: Sort through the zillion or so exhibits in the Las Vegas Convention Center to find the companies that claim they are serious about selling solid state lighting fixtures or enabling technologies/modules that bring LED-lighting to everyone's life. In 2007, that narrowed the field to about 1/2 the exhibitors. Here in 2008, it almost appeared as though the only ones not offering some kind of LED-lighting products were the security people (but I suspect they were merely in stealth mode and likely have products in late-stage R&D).