Not wanting to be left in the dust, in the wake of by Samsung’s curved smartphone Galaxy Round announcing the first ever curved smartphone, the Galaxy Round, LG confirmed their own curved smartphone is in the works, according to reports by the Verge, Engadget and CNET.

The LED lighting market value will soar 47.8% to reach US$35.3 billion by 2014, compared to 2013, according to projections by LEDinside, a green energy research subsidiary of TrendForce. In addition, LED lighting penetration rates are expected to increase 32.7%, with bulb and tube penetration rates at 20% and 15% respectively. To meet new LED bulb and tube market demands in 2014, an estimated 250 MOCVD equipment will be required, according to Jack Kuo, Senior Analyst, Trendforce. 

British company Mineheart goes against the idea that bigger is better by releasing the world’s smallest chandelier, small enough to be installed inside a light bulb.

The Black Eyed Peas truly lit up the stage at the historic three night stand at the Stade de France that marked the start of their last World Tour. The shows took place in the three times sold out 80,000 capacity stadium, in the suitably named City of Light: Paris. Fergie’s leather catsuit has been artfully integrated with 175 OLED panels, which sparkle like mirrored glass when turned off. When illuminated, the panels are controlled remotely through a software program to orchestrate patterns and lighting sequences to the set-list, resulting in a truly innovative and integrated performance of music, lighting and technology.

Crash risks while driving at night are higher than during the daytime, but most roadways in the U.S. do not have roadway lighting. In fact, many state and local governments find it difficult to pay for installing, operating and maintaining roadway lighting. Despite these concerns, the proportion of nighttime driving is not likely to go down in today's round-the-clock economy, making car headlights increasingly important to nighttime driving safety. Through its Transportation Lighting and Safety program, the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is evaluating the potential for new lighting technologies and approaches to improve driving safety at night, including new car headlight systems.

The Okapi LED luminaire is the latest addition to GE Lighting's exterior range. This energy efficient luminaire is available in three mounting options, to offer a flexible LED outdoor lighting solution.

Soraa launched the first line of high color rendering LED MR16 GU10 120V line voltage lamps. Uniquely, the company has released a 10o spot version, not available in halogen or from other LED manufacturers, as well as a 25o version that has a center beam candle power higher than halogen and all other LED GU10 products in the market place worldwide. Now you can buy transformer-free, full visible spectrum Soraa LED lamps that render the widest range of colors in the objects that we see, without ultraviolet (UV) or infrared (IR) radiation.

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has invested another US$15.50 million into future R&D of semiconductors and chips, according to a blog entry by Michael Cooney, Online News Editor for Network World.

In recent years, TV has shifted from LED to OLED technology, while High Definition (HD) is moving towards Ultra High Definition (UHD), indicating restructure of the global TV industry. Korean manufacturers that are currently the “leading ram” of the industry are using technology advantages to grab more market share. While Chinese and Japanese manufacturers might sink into a technology competition similar to the race between Soviet Union and U.S. during the Cold War.

Taiwan LED chip manufacturer Genesis actively developed flip chip technology this year. Taking advantage of flip chip technology to propel development of high voltage and high powered LEDs in order to break into Japanese brand named smartphone manufacturers’ flash supply chain.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. introduced Galaxy Round, the first mobile phone with a curved display last week, the Galaxy Round. With this new curved display technology, Galaxy Round blends the latest smartphone screen innovations with unique design features are blended into Galaxy Round.

The global Breast Cancer Awareness Month takes place every October. To help raise awareness on this health issue that affects approximately 1.4 million women around the world, Philips has decorated 100 buildings and landmarks around the globe in pink lights. This is also the first time that Philips Taipei office is joining the showy display and lighting up four Taiwanese buildings in pink.

LED Canada announced a new paradigm in high Bay LED pricing has arrived, making the ROI for LED High Bay conversion a clear winner in lighting technologies.

Larson Electronics has announced the release of a powerful new LED fixture designed to provide powerful output combined with rugged construction capable of withstanding the rigors of offshore operation. The HAL-24-3L-LED-BMSW Hazardous Area LED Light Fixture features Class 1 Division 2 approvals, second generation HO LED tubes, and corrosion resistant aluminum construction.

The AreaMax, Evluma’s 40W LED Light for Area and Security Lighting, has been awarded the IDA (International Dark Sky Association) Seal of Approval. To qualify, a fixture cannot emit any luminous output above 90 degrees in the vertical plane.It is apparent that many consumers are choosing outdoor LED fixtures that not only support their environmental ideals, but also save maintenance expense.

ToiletTree Products is pleased to announce that their new LED Fogless Shower Mirror with Squeegee is now available for purchase at all Bed Bath & Beyond stores.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency dropped a bomb this week, by announcing a temporary termination of Energy Star programs due to funding shortage caused by political stalemate in the U.S. congress. Moving towards Middle East, GE and Philips have both signed agreements with local organizations in the area. In Asia, Foshan Lighting (FLS) finds itself entangled in financial lawsuits, as 515 investors press for compensations over misleading company information. OLED for mobile devices also appear to be the next hype as Apple and LG reveal their new application plans. Other news highlights this week are the following:

Chinese LED manufacturer San’an Optoelectronic Co. (San’an) has been picking up its pace in internationalization and deployment of business strategies this year. In the LED chip field, the company has become a top international manufacturer with its acquisition of Luminus, with its investments in Taiwanese LED manufacturer FOREPI has greatly improved its competitiveness. In terms of its overall business strategies, the company has set up a lighting sales company, and plans to extend its reach in downstream applications.

A total of 515 investors have filed lawsuits against Foshan Electrical Lighting (FSL). Guangzhou Municipal Court will begin court hearings on October 22, 2013. Guangzhou Municipal Intermediate People’s Court judge has revealed that the court accepted the case of over 900 accumulated lawsuits totaling RMB $100 million (US$16,343).

Benefiting from street light bids, and recognized revenue from German luminaire subsidiary WOFI, The company’s 3Q13 revenue grew at a Quarter-on-Quarter (QoQ) rate of 18.13%, and an Year-over-Year rate (YOY) of 41.84% to NT$ 7.01 billion (US$ 24 million). The company’s 3Q13 performance outshone other LED packagers.

Sumitomo Electric has successfully developed Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) for LED applications that can tolerate high temperature of 150 degrees Celsius, according to a report by Nikkei.

GE Lighting, the lighting business of GE, and The Change Initiative, a one stop destination specializing in solutions that reduce human impacts on the environment and promote sustainable development, announced a joint venture initiative to promote energy-efficient lighting across residences and commercial establishments in the UAE, according to reports by local UAE media Zawya and Dubai City Bling. 

With its Ledriving Fog combined daytime running light / fog lamp Osram is introducing its first fully functioning replacement LED headlamp. It replaces conventional halogen fog lamps in many car models with state-of-the-art LED technology.

Control and dimming is an essential feature of many LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL) systems. However, there has been a shortage of standards to ensure compatibility between dimmable LED light engines (LLEs) and phase-cut dimming controls. 

Suppliers explore cooling options and materials, and adopt high-power SMD diodes. China suppliers of LED modules are enhancing product designs to address the light source’s elevated temperature. They use high-power diodes, mainly 1W SMD units, to achieve greater luminance and boost penetration of the indoor and outdoor illumination markets.

Inspired by the unmistakable style of the most legendary sports cars, the Carbon Appearance package utilizes a new palette of accent colors to make the 2014 Cirrus no less than stunning on the tarmac. Interior details such as jet black vents, carbon fiber instrument panel lobes and two-tone leather bolster seats complete this exhilarating new look.

Larson Electronics have released an explosion proof LED drop light that provides higher performance and safer operation than traditional incandescent drop lights.

Carmanah Technologies Corporation announced that it has filed a final prospectus in respect of a shareholder rights offering (the “Offering”). Under the Offering, Carmanah will seek to raise up to approximately $6 million. The proceeds from the Offering will be used for general corporate purposes including, but not limited to: (1) funding restructuring costs and process improvement expenditures all of which will be directed at reducing operating costs; (2) investments in new product development activities to meet market demands and improve gross margins; (3) funding a...

EMS provider Lite-On Technology has reported consolidated revenues of NT$20.361 billion (US$681 million) for September, hitting the highest monthly level since October 2011 and increasing 7.34% sequentially and 5.04% on year. September sales from LED lighting components rose nearly 20% on year, while other segments also saw strong growth in the month: LED street lamps, 40%; CCMs (compact camera modules), nearly 50%; and SSDs (solid-state drives), over 30%, Lite-On indicated. Lite-On Technology's consolidated revenues of NT$57.220 billion for the th...

The Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement retailer, announced on October 9 that Cree won the retailer's 2013 Innovation Award for its LED light bulb. The annual award recognizes the most revolutionary new products that provide true benefits to consumers and the companies that exceeded expectations in sales, service and program execution. Mohawk Soft Spring Carpet received first runner-up honors for Soft Spring Carpet, and Plantation Patterns Patio won second runner-up honors for its Create Your Own Collection patio furniture. Cree, Inc. introd...