Panasonic recently decided to slash 7,000 jobs in the semiconductor business to boost earnings in fiscal 2014 due to rising competition from Asian manufacturers and eroding sales. However, this has not deterred the financially ailing company from donating 100,000 solar LED lamps to people in areas with limited access to electricity.

Rubicon announced the launch of the first commercial line of large diameter patterned sapphire substrates (PSS) in four-inch through eight-inch diameters. This new product line provides LED chip manufacturers with a ready-made source of large diameter PSS to serve the needs of the rapidly growing LED general lighting industry.

Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has announced the first devices in its second generation of LETERAS white LEDs fabricated using a gallium nitride-on cilicon (GaN-on-Si) process. The 1W TL1F2 LEDs offer a cost-competitive alternative to current LED packages, allowing manufacturers of general purpose and industrial LED lighting to drive down costs.

LG Electronics (LG) has officially taken the wraps off the LG G Flex, a smartphone curved to follow the contour of the face, the first device to offer such a design in the smartphone market. The latest device in LG's premium G Series, the G Flex incorporates proprietary innovations from other LG companies in the form of the display and battery that have never been seen before. The LG G Flex also boasts new user experience (UX) features that take advantage of the curved form factor.

Dramatic advances in the field of quantum dot light emitting diodes (QD-LEDs) could come from recent work by the Nanotechnology and Advanced Spectroscopy team at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

To make the case of Glasses Free 3D Displays in public areas viable, the size and quality of displays are critical. Thanks to Osram Opto Semiconductors’ cutting edge technology, a recent Glasses Free 3D Display introduced by Atech Korea Co., Ltd. measures up to 500 inches. These video display walls are intended to be used in indoor public areas, such as shopping mall and exhibition hall. With a contrast ratio of 4000:1 and screen brightness at 4,500 cd/m2, the viewing distance can be up to 30 meters.

Pro-Teq Surfacing (UK) Ltd, developed and patented a world first for spraying a liquid based product in combination with either soft or hard media. This innovative pathway re-surfacing methodology called STARPATH is the result of an extensive period of chemical trials. Comprising a multitude of product samples, mix ratios and application techniques. STARPATH is currently being trialled in Christ’s Pieces, a well-known park in the east side of the centre of Cambridge by Cambridge City Council.

LEDs provide consumers with many benefits and advantages, but there are still some drawbacks that need to be worked out. Inventors David Horn and Chris Vogdes have released a patent (no. 8558436) for one problem in particular that they hope to counter, which is the contamination that can occur in the thermally-conducive liquid in some LEDs.

Light and plants expert Tessa Pocock, Ph.D., recently joined the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as a senior research scientist, leading the development of a new plant physiology lighting program. Her research focuses on plant photosynthesis, and plant development and regulation by light for traditional greenhouse crops and the emerging field of medicinal plants.

With the unchanging trend of falling LED prices, chip manufacturers are constantly improving LED chip production process and technologies to lower costs. Semiconductor equipment company GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) has developed Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxial (HVPE) system that can replace nGaN and uGaN growth process in MOCVD. In the future, LED chip manufacturers can add HVPE systems to speed up epitaxy growth rates. Compared to adding MOCVD to expand production capacity, using HVPE system can increase production capacity and help LED chip manufacturers cut up to 25 percent of costs.

At the start of the Dutch Design Week on Saturday 19 October the interactive light artwork CRYSTAL can be experienced in Eindhoven. The permanent artwork consists out of hundreds of LED-crystals which brighten when people touch them. Artist Daan Roosegaarde calls them "Lego fro Mars." The name refers not only to its futuristic design, but also to its endless potential to play. CRYSTAL has been previously exhibited in Amsterdam, Paris, Moscow and is now permanent in Eindhoven NL.

LED lights are an energy efficient and bright choice for upgrading, remodeling, and new construction. Pacific Northwest lighting company Solid Apollo LED has increased its range of lighting controllers to enable architects, interior designers, artists and home owners to fully utilize their LED lights.

Larson Electronics released a camouflage LED Golight in time for the 2013 hunting season. Featuring high power LED technology and remote control operation, the GL-30814 Camouflage LED Golight Stryker offers excellent power and performance in a rugged spotlight design.

Wavien, Inc. announces the availability of an ultra long range LED illuminator, designed for use with gun-mounted scopes.

Chinese scientist might have just opened doors for a technology revolution by claiming to have successfully connected four computers to the internet through the use of a one-watt LED bulb, according to a report by Xinhua News.

Dialog Semiconductor plc, a provider of highly integrated power management, audio, AC/DC and short-range wireless technologies, today debuted the iW7025, a 16-channel LED backlight driver that delivers enhanced picture quality, robust, patented short protection and lower cost for next-generation 2D and 3D LCD TVs.

Ringdale, Inc. announces that ActiveLED fixtures have shattered LED lighting stereotypes experienced in the auto dealership market with durable, high-output fixtures delivering over 100 lumens-per-watt. Ringdale's patented lumen delivery method helps dealerships by enhancing illumination and replacing 1000-watt High-Intensity Discharge (HID) fixtures with 102-watt fixtures for a 90 percent energy savings.

Using LED light sources as a medium for light therapy devices can stimulate the human body’s metabolism rate and greatly reduce medical risks associated to conventional light therapy, such as laser and intense pulse light, said Simon Gau, President of Liverage Biomedical during LEDforum Taipei 2013. Gau was a guest speaker at the forum organized by LEDinside, which runs from Oct. 16-17 at Evergreen International Convention Center in Taipei, Taiwan.

Texas Instruments (TI) announced the availability of a ZigBee Light Link™ development kit that simplifies the development and control of wirelessly connected LED lighting products. The new kit includes a remote control and supports smartphone and tablet connectivity through gateways including Ninja Blocks, cloud-enabled computers based on the BeagleBone open-source computer platform powered by TI's Sitara™ AM335x ARM® processors. Through simplified control, users are able to dynamically configure colors, groups and scenes. With a simple connection to a cloud gateway, the new kit makes it easier to connect LED bulbs and other lighting products to the Internet of Things (IoT) using ZigBee networking. For more information, visit: www.ti.com/lprf-zllkit-pr.

Everybody loves gold. It is traditionally believed to have the powers of healing, protection, wisdom, money, and success. In some cultures gold is linked to the powers of the Sun, and in others it is associated with demi-Gods and monarchs. Whatever gold represents, it is the most cherished and one of the most valuable metals in the world. Now, Aeon Lighting Technology (ALT) has come out with a special edition – the MR16 – coated in gold.

Cree, Inc.  introduces the LMH2 LED Module with sunset dimming – Cree’s game-changing dimming technology that provides a dimming experience similar to incandescent lighting. The new module enables a natural dimming profile that was previously unachievable with any other energy-saving technology. Cree’s sunset dimming technology dims smoothly from 2700 K to 1800 K, delivering rich, warm light for applications requiring a traditional style of dimming, such as hospitality and residential settings, while still achieving over 80-percent energy reduction compared to energy-inefficient incandescents.

LEDtronics®, Inc., announced that their “Pehli Kiran” initiative provided LED solar lanterns to top students from impoverished villages in Pakistan. Top students received a solar lantern or a solar cell phone charger to help them continue their studies and encourage them to stay in school.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.