LED applications are getting creative by the day, the latest addition is a rather unique application of transforming the mundane trip to the toilet to take a leak into an experience close to hitting the disco dance floor.

Japanese pump and LED manufacturer Nikkiso will start mass producing UV LEDs with a wavelength between 255-350 nm in Spring 2015, according to a report by Japanese media Nikkei Technology.

Scientists have created a drug for type 2 diabetes that is switched on by blue light, which they hope will improve treatment of the disease.

Norwegian design studio Drap og Design has developed a color-changing LED jacket inspired by squids color-morphing ability to blend in with its surroundings.

Today is the first day of the deodorant revolution, as ClickStick launches on Kickstarter. ClickStick (www.getclickstick.com) is the world's first smart electric deodorant applicator, equipped with push-button delivery, adjustable amounts, LED indicators and a free mobile app.

In support of energy reduction initiatives underway at the Naval Support Activity Annapolis and the US Naval Academy, Ephesus Lighting Inc., the industry leader in LED lighting for sports facilities, has been selected under two contracts to install energy efficient and high-quality LED lighting at seven outdoor sports complexes, three indoor sports arenas and five additional outdoor locations on Naval Support Activity Annapolis. The announcement was made by Amy Casper, CEO of Ephesus Lighting, and Lieutenant Commander Cristopher Neish, Energy Officer, Public Works Department Annapolis.

A new wearable medical device can quickly alert a person if they are having cardiovascular trouble or if it’s simply time to put on some skin moisturizer, reports a Northwestern University and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign study.

The U.S. Department of Energy has released a report on the longer-term performance of an LED lighting system that was installed on the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis in September 2008 and represents one of the country's oldest continuously operated exterior LED lighting installations. The report is a welcome addition to the literature on LED lighting, which is lacking in the area of longer-term field performance.

Concerned residents in New Orleans East, Louisiana, U.S. reported new LED streetlights are leaving more unlit areas than conventional streetlights, according to a WDSU New Orleans report.

B/E Aerospace new Emteq unit Diehl Aerospace and other aircraft cabin lighting might be getting LED lighting upgrades from Panasonic in the near future, according to a report by Runway Girl Network.

The iPhone 6 might not come with sapphire glass cover, but the Apple Watch will, according to MyDrivers.com. Just how much is this tiny piece of glass worth?

Inspired by a desire to help wounded soldiers, an international, multidisciplinary team of researchers led by Assistant Professor Conor Evans at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) has created a paint-on, see-through, “smart” bandage that glows to indicate a wound’s tissue oxygenation concentration. Because oxygen plays a critical role in healing, mapping these levels in severe wounds and burns can help to significantly improve the success of surgeries to restore limbs and physical functions.

Here at Valuelights we all knew LED lighting was awesome but we didn’t realise how much they had been snapped up in the media, hitting the big screens of Hollywood for their chance to shine with the stars. We’ve compiled the top 10 moments LED has gained its 15 minutes of fame, and schmoozed with the rich and famous.

Ford Motor Company is investing in the future as it begins installing LED lighting at manufacturing facilities across the globe. The new lights, valued at more than US $25 million, will save energy and money while improving safety and lighting quality.

In this latest blog entry by Philips Lauren Spinella, LED devices take on the task of aiding the visually impaired.

The art of video projection is becoming a widespread phenomenon. “3D projection mapping creates the illusion of multidimensional movement across or around the contours of any surface.” Many cities are now incorporating this ambitious technological art form as part of their events to tell a story using graphic, historic, cultural or mythical content. We have seen fascinating 3D projections on building façades and cathedrals all over the world, from the Sydney Opera House in the southern hemisphere, to the Canadian Parliament Building in Ottawa, to the Sagrada Cathedral in Barcelona.

Princeton University researchers have developed a new method to increase the brightness, efficiency and clarity of LEDs, which are widely used on smartphones and portable electronics as well as becoming increasingly common in lighting.

Digital Lumens, the leader in intelligent LED lighting and energy management systems, today announced that its Digital Light Agent family of products integrates directly with the recently announced Philips Advance Xitanium SR family of drivers to make any LED fixture part of a LightRules-managed intelligent lighting system.

Albeit smart LED bulbs rising popularity among LED manufacturers, for the time being these are still novelty products that only adventurous consumers with enough patience in sorting out the set up will try out, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Since inception, Illumitex has invested more than US $45 million into the development and commercialization of our innovative LED technology. An expert in the field of optics, company founder and Chief Technology Officer Dung Duong based the design of Illumitex LED optics on basic physics principles, which ensure that the vast majority of the photons being emitted from the LEDs are captured and delivered directly to the cannabis canopy. As a result, the highest level of efficiency and light intensity is achieved in a proprietary and patented LED package. A vertically integrated company, Illumitex manufactures its LED packages in Penang, Malaysia (including robotic die placement, gold wire bonding, phosphor application and optic assembly) and assembles fixtures in Austin, TX.

Dayton Power & Light Company (DP&L), a subsidiary of The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) awarded Victoria Theatre Association with an energy efficiency rebate of US $67,650 for extensive lighting upgrades in The Arts Garage.

At a meeting with investors and analysts in London, Royal Philips announces the next strategic step to capitalize on fundamental market changes, by creating two market-leading companies focused on the HealthTech and Lighting solutions opportunities. Both companies will continue to benefit from leveraging the Philips brand. With 2013 sales of EUR 15 billion for Philips’ combined HealthTech businesses and EUR 7 billion for the Lighting solutions businesses[1], each company has the scale to fully leverage Philips’ heritage of more than 120 years of innovation.

Toshiba Lighting has been the latest international manufacturer to show interest in the Indian market, according to a report from The Economic Times.

Images associated to the British name Dyson brings to mind innovative vacuum cleaners, bladeless fans, and hand dryers. Sir James Dyson was the master mind behind the design and manufacturing of these high-end electric appliances, and now his son Jake Dyson is following closely in his footsteps in LED luminaire designs.

Here's a little story about some innovation soon to show up in Copenhagen. In a city with many bus stops and cycle tracks, there is the question of coexistence. For a number of years, the City of Copenhagen has worked hard to establish islands at bus stops for the bus passengers to use when disembarking. It really is the baseline for infrastructure and the City, by and large, prefers it over anything else. Since the City starting retrofitting bus stops to provide islands, safety has increased dramatically across the city.

Have you read Malcolm Gladwell’s longtime-bestseller The Tipping Point? In it, the author discusses the phenomenon where something goes from being marginal to mainstream. For LED (light-emitting diode) lighting, the tipping point has arrived. U.S. Department of Energy statistics show that about 49 million LEDs were installed in the U.S. in 2012 — saving about US $675 million in annual energy costs. And, switching entirely to LED lights over the next two decades could save the US $250 billion in energy costs, reduce electricity consumption for lighting by nearly 50 percent and avoid 1,800 million metric tons of carbon emissions.

Winners in the Indoor category of the sixth annual Next Generation LuminairesTM Design Competition were announced today at The LED Show in Los Angeles. Sponsored by DOE, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, and the International Association of Lighting Designers, NGL promotes excellence in the design of energy-efficient LED products for commercial lighting applications.

China’s Standardization Administration has issued three new LED luminaire standards.

When it comes Smart LED light bulbs, which can be dimmed and made to change colour, the most popular product must be Philips Hue, using the Zigbee protocol, which you can control via iOS and Android devices though a Zigbee gateway, and costs about £50 on Amazon. Alternatives have started to show up such as LIFX, with WIFI technology, that you can control with recent iOS and Android device without the need for a gateway, but with a price starting at £80. 

DOE has published a new report forecasting the energy savings of LED white-light sources compared with conventional white-light sources. The sixth iteration of the Energy Savings Forecast of Solid-State Lighting in General Illumination Applications compares the annual lighting energy consumption in the U.S. with and without further market penetration of LED lighting.