A new cause campaign, ‘Brighter Lives for Refugees’ will run in IKEA stores globally from 3 February to 29 March 2014. For every LEDARE (LED light bulb) sold during the campaign, the IKEA Foundation will donate Є1 (US$1.37) to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). Funds raised by the campaign will help to provide solar street lights, indoor solar lanterns, and other renewable energy technologies such as fuel efficient cooking stoves in UNHCR refugee camps in countries including Ethiopia, Chad, Bangladesh and Jordan. 

LEDinside team would like to wish all a Happy Valentine’s Day and a merry Lantern Festival. This week more exciting Apple rumors, LEDinside Senior Editor Pinchun Chou latest scoop points to iPhone 6 specs becoming thinner, lighter and wider screened. In addition, the LED specs for the phones will be upgraded as a result of the much slimmer designs. 

As countries kick off incandescent bulb phase out policies, soaring LED lighting demands has attracted market attention. Credit Suisse latest report is optimistic that the LED industry will enter another expansion phase in 2014. In addition, LED stocks will also be on the rise this year. 

China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) recently announced it will be strongly promoting energy efficiency and carbon emission reduction policies in 2014, according to a Chinese-language Huagu.com report. The implementation of the country’s “2014-2015 Carbon Reduction Plan” is expected to spur LED market development in China. 

Apple has filed for a new flexible OLED display patent, and is rumored to be developing a bezel-free iPhone display, according to numerous media reports.

U.S. singer Katy Perry’s favorite clothing brand CuteCircuit, recently showcased its latest collection of interactive wearable LED miniskirts, jackets and accessories controllable by iPhones at Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week on February 12th at 5pm.

Hubbell Lighting, a world leader in lighting innovation, announced the release of the 2014 lighting education course schedule at its state-of-the-art Lighting Solutions Center (LSC).  The schedule is available at www.lightingsolutionscenter.com.  

Taiwanese LED secondary optic lens manufacturer LedLink has received orders from three major international lighting brands and from other regional LED luminaire manufacturers this year, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News report. The company hopes its market share will increase from 35 percent in 2013 to 40 to 50 percent in 2014.

The financial industry’s interest has obviously increased as the Taiwan LED industry recovers. Rising LED lighting market penetration rates will lead to improvements in Taiwan LED industry demand and supply situation resulting in overall industry growth. In turn, manufacturers’ better gross margin performances will also boost stockholders Return On Equity (ROE), 

Taiwanese LED manufacturers Jan. 2014 performances showed stellar results spurred by rising lighting and backlight demands. Taiwanese LED package manufacturer Everlight product growth momentum was evenly distributed in 1Q14, and there has been good backlight and lighting demands, said the company Chairman Robert Yeh. The company expects increased 1Q14 revenue growth compared to 4Q13.

Two U.S. cities Detroit and Philadelphia have recently announced plans of upgrading to LED streetlights, according to recent U.S. media reports.

Rubicon Technology, Inc., a leading provider of sapphire substrates and products to the LED, semiconductor, and optical markets, announced that it will showcase large-diameter patterned sapphire substrates (PSS) as well as its line of 6”polished sapphire wafers for the LED industry at LED Korea 2014 at COEX, Seoul, Korea, February 12-14, 2014. Rubicon will exhibit its line of sapphire products in Booth #4707.

CIMCON Lighting, Inc., a provider of intelligent, centralized Wireless Outdoor Lighting Management Systems, today announced its immediate support for the NEMA's recently published "ANSI C136.41-2013" standard for external locking type dimming and management controllers into its iSLC series of Street and Roadway Lighting product line.

Tanlong Photoelectronics will benefit from Apple’s push in the sapphire substrate market, Aastocks.com cited a member from the Chinese company’s security department saying. Although, there has been no growth in the company’s sapphire growth furnace orders, increased downstream demands are expected to spur the company’s furnace sales.

Mexico’s Secretariat of Energy has announced the effective date for 40W and 60W incandescent phase out will be extended to Dec. 31, 2014, according to an article by Chinese-language media CAIT. The effective date of the phase out was first announced in Dec. 2010 and originally scheduled for Dec. 31, 2013. 

Certain events beneficial to the LED industry have occurred in the past few weeks. UBS Analyst Fredric Stahl noted Philips LED lighting business 4Q13 revenue has soared 48 percent compared to the same period in 2012. Osram also reported the company’s LED lighting business had grown 28 percent in 4Q13 compared to 4Q12,

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) published white paper NEMA LSD 68 Remote Phosphor Devices Used in LED Lamps, Engines and Luminaires.

The Art & Culture Program at Denver International Airport (DIA) is pleased to present a light art exhibition for passengers and airport visitors to experience at the Art Gallery on level 5 of Jeppesen Terminal beginning in February and concluding in early May. The exhibition titled, A Light Journey, features works by local artists Dorothy Tanner and the late Mel Tanner of Denver-based Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery.

As the market continues to speculate iPhone 6 specs and release dates, industry insiders have revealed iPhone 6 monitor size will be expanded to 4.7 inches. Besides larger sizes, the new generation iPhone will maintain its advantages in lightness. As a result industry rumors have surfaced that the new generation iPhone LED backlight specs will also become much lighter.

GE Lighting today announced the settlement of a patent infringement lawsuit filed in December 2012 against CRS Electronics Inc.

ElectroniCast Consultants, a leading market/technology consultancy, today announced the release of a new market study of the global consumption of packaged light emitting diodes (LEDs) used in Biophotonic and Medical Science devices.  

Revolution Lighting Technologies (“Revolution Lighting”), a leader in advanced LED lighting technology, provided a business update prior to announcing financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2013 on March 13, 2014.

For those that miss the old fashioned 2D pixel graphics seen in old video arcade machines, a collaborated project Pixel LED art project allows collectors to keep their favorite video game characters, such as Pacman animated and alive on wall hangings. The display is interactive and can be programmed with smartphones.

Epileds consolidated revenue in dropped by an incremental 1.82 percent in Jan. 2014 to NT$ 108 million (US$ 3.56 million) compared to the previous month. However, the company revenue increased incrementally on a YoY basis to 2.87 percent.

Taiwanese LED package manufacturer Edison Opto consolidated revenue for last month increased 9.51 percent to NT$ 229 million (US$7.56 million) or YoY of 52.22 percent. 

Taiwanese LED package manufacturer Unity Opto announced consolidated revenue for Jan. 2014 increased 23 percent to NT$ 560 million (US$ 18.49 million), compared to Dec. 2013 or 9 percent YoY. According to the company, as impact from 4Q13 low season is lifted, 1Q14 will reinitiate positive revenue growth cycle.

Vertically integrated LED manufacturer Lextar announced revenue for Jan. 2014 was up 11 percent to NT$ 1.22 billion (US$ 40 million) compared to the previous month, or 28 percent YoY.

Qatar Intermediate Industries Company (Alwaseeta)  signed a joint venture agreement with Qatar Korea LED Consortium (QKLC) to set up a LED lighting system manufacturing facility in Qatar, according to a Gulf News report. 

LED streetlights will be changing how Los Angeles (L.A.) appears on camera, according to a Gizmodo article. As the city decides to replace warm colored high-pressure sodium streetlights with new blue-tinted LEDs, ‘Hollywood will never look the same,’ the article quoted No Film School article by Dave Kendricken.

This week new rumors surrounding Apple’s latest sapphire substrate applications emerge on the market. The company is rumored to launch its sapphire factory sometime this month to make critical components for the upcoming iPhone 6. Taiwanese sapphire substrate manufacturers are also scrambling to file patents as Apple aggressively acquires sapphire substrate materials. In addition, Osram Opto has expanded InGaAlP LED capacity to meet rising demands. For more details please see below: