Cree, represented by Cutter Electronics in Australia, has announced that it is demonstrating the new addition to its XLamp LED family—the XLamp MC-E LED—at LIGHTFAIR International in Las Vegas, N.V. The multi-chip XLamp MC-E being demonstrated retains the same 7mm x 9mm footprint as Cree's existing XLamp XR family LEDs while providing four times the light output of the existing XR-E.

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).

Carmanah Technologies Corporation, as part of an ongoing commitment to equip Transport for London transit routes with solar-powered lighting and communications technology, Carmanah Technologies Corporation (TSX: CMH) has received an additional purchase order of $1.1M from Trueform Engineering Ltd. for London Bus Stop systems. Carmanah currently has more than 3,000 of the London Bus Stop systems and 650 transit shelter lighting systems installed throughout the City of London, England.

Four consumer electronics companies including Sony Corp. and Sanyo Electric Co Ltd, Exceed Perseverance Electronic Ind. Co Ltd and Lucky Light Electronics Co Ltd, have agreed to license patents owned by a Columbia University Professor that cover basic semiconductor technology used in Blu-ray video players as well as mobile phones, digital cameras and other devices, Dreier LLP announced. Details of the agreements were not released.

Kramer Lighting is launching a new brand, KramerLED, utilizing groundbreaking light emitting diode (LED) technology featuring daylight harvesting, dimming capabilities and superior light control. The patent-pending product line is for commercial indoor lighting. The keys to a high efficiency LED interior luminaire are thermal management and optical control. With its heat pipe technology and patent-pending offset axial optics, KramerLED delivers superior efficiency, performance, and longevity.

Four consumer electronics companies, Sony Corp and Sanyo Electric Co Ltd, Exceed Perseverance Electronic Ind Co Ltd, and Lucky Light Electronics Co Ltd, have agreed to license patents owned by Gertrude Neumark Rothschild, professor emerita of Materials Science and Engineering at Columbia University.

Constant current board demonstrates the high power density of the PRM with current accuracy of 99.7% across the load range.

The City Council approved on Tuesday its own restrictions on LED billboards to enhance those of the Texas Department of Transportation. The reason the amendments were before the City Council was because the Texas Transportation Commission adopted a rule that will take effect June 1, said Ray Shanaa, Harker Heights planning and development director. "We believe we need to have something in place before June 1," Shanaa said.

LEDs will light the notebook-PC-display-backlighting market ablaze during the next few years, with iSuppli Corp predicting that nine out of 10 large mobile-PC LCD panels will use the technology by 2012. The market-research company estimates that 90% of large LCD-notebook-PC panels manufacturers ship in 2012 will employ LEDs to backlight their displays, rocketing up from just 4.7% in the fourth quarter of 2007. LED-backlit large LCD-notebook-PC-panel shipments will surge to 17.4 million units by the end of 2008, up by more than a factor of six from 2007, the company forecasts.

Bright View Technologies, Inc., a market leading developer of microstructure-based optical films for display and lighting applications, announced today it has begun shipment of its ACEL™ light management films for light emitting diode (LED) based lighting applications. The new ACEL™ films delivers highly efficient light transmission while providing multi-point light source mixing and the appropriate far-field light distribution that is enabling for emerging multiple LED based lighting fixtures.

OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, in their ongoing efforts to support energy savings initiatives, continues to broaden their product portfolio to offer LEDs that will help lighting designers and manufacturers meet or exceed ENERGY STAR® standards for the solid state lighting (SSL) market. These new standards define requirements for SSL such as efficacy or lumens per watt, chromaticity, and lumen and color maintenance. OSRAM Opto Semiconductors Golden DRAGON Plus LED is the premium product for designers and developers interested in meeting the ENERGY STAR standards.

Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA and Toyoda Gosei of Aichi, Japan have entered into an agreement providing the companies (including wholly owned affiliates) with access to each other's patented LED chip and packaged LED technology (including white LED technology). The firms have also agreed to discuss 'have made' rights for LED chips in the future. Cree and Toyoda Gosei both hold broad and substantial optoelectronic patent portfolios. The agreement will make it easier for both firms to develop and manufacture LED products without concern for the other's patents.

Nexxus Lighting, Inc., a world leader in advanced lighting technology, including solid-state LED and fiber optic lighting systems and controls used in commercial, architectural, signage, swimming pool and retail lighting, today introduced the world's first 95 lumens per watt LED lamps as part of its new Array™ Lighting brand. The Array Lighting LED lamp line features Nexxus Lighting's patent-pending Selective Heat Sink™ technology, which lowers thermal resistance to record levels producing the lowest power, high efficacy LED lamps on the market.

Light-emitting diode manufacturer Cree (Nasdaq: CREE) and Toyoda Gosei, a rival manufacturer, have struck an agreement covering patent-sharing and other product technology. Financial terms were not disclosed. In other news Wednesday, analyst firm Kaufman Brothers initiated coverage of Cree with a "buy" rating. The agreement provides both firms with "access to each other's patented LED chip and packaged LED technology,” Cree said in a statement.

Drivers one day could take 30-minute "baths" in blue light at truck stops and gas stations to prevent them falling asleep at the wheel.That's one suggestion from Mariana Figueiro and colleagues at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., who have put together a bid for research funding to investigate using light to reset drivers' body clocks.

Delivering high performance lighting with color temperatures similar to that of incandescent, Cylindrix II LED can be track, canopy, or busway mounted. Life at 70% of initial lumen output is rated at 50,000 hr. Construction includes die-cast lens bezel, lamp, and ballast housing along with die-cast aluminum heat sink with machined face. Designed with architectural look, units feature lockable vertical tilt (0~90°) and 360°rotation for precise aiming.

Apple products have often been called pieces of art; their design and functionality have been trend setters in the industry. The Apple Cube was a product of Steve that never really got off the ground, but it laid the groundwork for the MacMini.

The new CERAMOS(TM) Reflector LED from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors provides unprecedented high brightness and power in a very small package, the ideal solution for backlighting mid-size (5"-20") LCDs. Specifically designed for light guide-based backlighting of displays in high ambient light conditions, such as those found in today's TFT displays, automotive dashboards and aircraft cockpits, the slim profile of the CERAMOS(TM) Reflector LED is well suited for in-coupling into light guides as thin as 2 mm.

Suited for in-coupling into light guides as thin as 2 mm, Ceramos(TM) Reflector LED is used for backlighting 5-20 in. LCDs used in high ambient light conditions. ThinGaN® LED technology allows operation at optical efficiency of 70 lumens/W at 80 mA. With 50,000 hr life and up to 150°C operating temperature, unit comes in 2.3 x 3.2 x 0.8 mm SMD ceramic package. Mercury-free and RoHS-compliant CERAMOS(TM) can also be used for camera flash and strobe lighting.

Mayor Henry Martinez asked City Council members Tuesday to give him written suggestions for a possible ordinance to regulate commercial signs using light-emitting diode technology.At a meeting earlier this month, council members discussed a possible moratorium on LED signs, but took no action.At Tuesday's meeting, a father and son who operate a feed and garden supply store urged the council not to prohibit the signs, saying they can be operated without causing a hazard to passing motorists.

Extends Lighting-Class XLamp LED Performance With Multi-Chip PackageCree, Inc. (Nasdaq:CREE), a market leader in LED lighting, announces that it is demonstrating the newest addition to its industry-leading XLamp(r) LED family -- the XLamp MC-E LED -- at LIGHTFAIR International in Las Vegas, N.V., May 28-30, 2008.  

Four consumer electronics companies, including Sony and Sanyo Electric, have settled a complaint that they were infringing a patent on semiconductors related to LEDs and laser diodes used in products such as mobile phones, billboards, Blu-ray disc players and data storage devices, according to lawyers for the patent holder.  

The Harker Heights City Council will discuss regulations for digital signs in a public hearing today (May 27, 2008) at a 5 p.m. meeting. The City Council has been discussing placing regulations on LED billboards in Harker Heights for about a month after the Texas Transportation Commission adopted a rule that will take effect June 1.

Kim Lighting, a manufacturer of outdoor architectural lighting, announced that its Lightvault Series and Minivault in-grade up light series both now include new super bright white LED technology. Kim Lighting's LED Lightvault and Minivault lines assure rugged, high endurance performance for decades.

Lynk Labs Inc of Elgin, IL, USA has added Cree Inc of Durham, NC to its AC LED Technology Strategic Supplier Network as a second supplier of LEDs for its AC-driven light engines and system solutions, which are designed to provide OEMs with ‘bulb and ballast' simplicity for LED-powered luminaires.

NTE Electronics, Inc. has added LED tubing to its expansive line of optoelectronic devices. These new flexible tubes come in an assortment of colors including: blue, green, red, white, amber, and red/white/blue. Each tube contains 15 super bright LEDs that are encased in a flexible clear encapsulate. Measuring approximately one foot long, up to 15 individual tubes can easily be connected in series and powered by just one 12VDC power supply. NTE's LED tubing is easy to install and is ideal for a variety of applications:

Available in blue, green, red, white, amber, and red/white/blue colors, LED tubing contains 15 bright LEDs that are encased in flexible clear encapsulate. Measuring approximately 1 ft long, up to 15 individual tubes can be connected in series and powered by one 12 Vdc power supply. Available accessories include multi-strip surface mount connector, surface mount multi-strip L connector, rotatable mounting clip, multi-strip electrical connector, and power supply adapter.

Announcement of advanced direct replacement LED Light bulb that allows the user to dynamically control light output and energy conservation based on light needed with an innovative three stage dimming function called EvoDim. New pricing and form factors also announced for existing EvoLux LED Light Bulb lineup. Advanced Lumonics, LLC - An early innovator in the direct replacement LED light bulb market through its consumer oriented EarthLED brand announces its latest product, the EarthLED EvoLux R.

The latest wrinkle in LED lighting is a three-way bulb, much like might be used in a living room lamp. The EarthLED EvoLux R gets successively brighter as you hit the switch.It's not cheap, though, at $100 for a version that's as bright as a 100-watt incandescent bulb. A tiny fan in its base helps cool the LED light.

Triangle Digital INX Co. (TDI), a member of INX Digital, has stepped up the pace in global ink leadership, partnering with LED curing specialist Summit UV in developing EVOLVE™ UV — the first UV LED-curing ink to deliver eye-popping 4-color with single-pass through-cure at speeds of 80' per minute or higher, running with Xaar™ 1001 piezoelectric printheads. All with no inert curing atmosphere. DRUPA visitors can see the system in action at the INX Digital Exhibit CO2 in Hall 8b, from May 29 through June 11, 2008 in Dusseldorf, Germany.