Taiwan-based LED packaging company Ledtech Electronics received an order for commercial-use LED light bars from Japan, with shipments to begin in September, according to market sources. The order was for NT$12 million and was for a commercial use applications.

Recently, Philips and Sony both unveiled new LCD televisions that use LED backlights at IFA, a major consumer electronic show held in Berlin, Germany on August 29 - September 3. Both companies had new TVs that used the LED backlights to achieve local dimming, while Sony also had a 40-inch LCD TV with LED edge-lighting – almost certainly a first.

The new 42PFL9803 FlatTV from Philips won the “European LCD-TV 2008-2009” award from the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA). According to Philips, its 42-inch set "delivers levels of contrast and motion smoothness never achieved by an LCD before." In its official citation, the EISA judging panel said, “The new 42PFL9803 solves two of the most critical challenges in current LCD TV technology: black level and motion blur. Thanks to its genius LED backlight. The 42PFL9803 is the first LCD TV to feature Philips' "LED LUX" local dimming backlight technology. Local dimming requires the distribution of LEDs across the backplane of the LCD. Unlike a conventional CCFL backlight that can be either on or off, each LED pixel can be individually dimmed to correspond to the brightness of the image.

The LED LUX system comprises a total of 1,152 RGB LEDs, split into 128 segments. Each of the 8 rows contains 16 segments, with 9 LEDs in each segment. These LEDs can be individually dimmed to precisely control the output of each pixel. So, even if a segment contains both bright and dark portions, the pixel values of the dark portions can be dimmed to deliver optimum contrast performance. The set also has the Ambilight Spectra 2 technology, which identifies dominant on-screen colors and then uses LED lighting to generate accurately-matched ambient lighting from both sides of the screen onto a rear wall.

Sony's new Bravia KDL-55X4500 is a 55-inch 1080p Full HD TV that uses local dimming of the RGB dynamic LED backlight to achieve a contrast ratio of over 1,000,000:1. The arrangement of the LEDs is likely to be broadly similar to the Philips TV i.e. multiple RGB devices distributed across the backplane.

Using a completely different approach to LED backlighting, the new ZX1 Series is a 40-inch display that is only 9.9mm thick at its slimmest point. As with ultra-thin notebook computers such as the MacBook Air, the secret is edge-lighting using white LEDs.

White LED edge-lighting is used in smaller LCD screens, from mobile phones all the way through to notebooks and some smaller monitors. But we're not aware of any screen this large that has used this technology. One major problem is that when the light sources are at the edges of the screen, it is difficult to achieve sufficiently high brightness and uniformity across the entire display. As you can see from this YouTube clip, Sony has clearly solved this problem.

Recently, Cree, Inc., a market leader in LED lighting, and the City of Welland, Ontario, Canada, announced that Welland has joined the LED City initiative, an international program that promotes the deployment of energy-efficient LED lighting. The city has converted many of its lighting applications to LEDs, including streetlights and traffic signals, and has additional projects underway. Welland has also amended its municipal standards to facilitate LED lighting for all future streetlight installations.

Welland has installed 50 LED streetlights along the revitalized area of Fitch Street and is formalizing plans for the installation of 50 additional street and pedestrian lights. The city's growing use of LEDs is targeted to help decrease the CAN$550,000 per year cost of operating its streetlights. The city plans to eventually retrofit all streetlights with LEDs, which could yield a savings of $253,980 per year.

Mayor Damian Goulbourne said "Welland is committed to high-quality LED lighting that reduces energy and maintenance costs, it has been immersed in the testing of LED street lighting and aspires to become a green community, improving life for our residents. We look forward to promoting the benefits of our installations and sharing our experiences within the LED City program, helping to build a global municipal community committed to energy-efficient lighting."

According to Deb Lovig, Cree's LED City program manager, cree welcome Welland into the LED City community. Welland city officials have carefully evaluated LED lighting options and are responsibly deploying LED lighting to provide better light while reducing energy and maintenance costs, Welland is joining the LED lighting revolution and taking a leadership role in helping other cities learn the benefits of LED lighting in their own communities.

About LED City

The LED City is an expanding community of government and industry parties working to evaluate deploy and promote LED lighting technology across the full range of municipal infrastructure to: Save energy; Protect the environment; Reduce maintenance costs; Provide better light quality for improved visibility and safety.

About Cree

Cree is leading the LED lighting revolution and setting the stage to obsolete the incandescent light bulb through the use of energy-efficient, environmentally friendly LED lighting. Cree is a market-leading innovator of lighting-class LEDs, LED lighting retrofit solutions, and semiconductor solutions for backlighting, wireless and power applications. Cree's product families include LED recessed down lights, lighting-class power LEDs, high brightness LEDs, blue and green LED chips, power-switching devices and radio-frequency/wireless devices. Cree solutions are driving improvements in applications such as general illumination, backlighting, electronic signs and signals, variable-speed motors, and wireless communications.

It’s reported that the sales of Taiwan's LED makers rose 16.1 percent in the first half of this year from the same period a year earlier. This is helped by the Beijing Olympics and higher energy prices that are encouraging the use of lower-cost lighting. According to information the companies provided to the Taiwan Stock Exchange, the companies' first-half 2008 sales rose to NT$24.2 billion from NT$20.8 billion in the same period a year earlier, The LED market is expanding, and demand attributable to the Beijing Olympics is boosting sales.

Ivan Lin, an analyst with market researcher LEDinside in Taipei, said "New applications are increasing, LEDs are increasingly used as backlights for notebook computers, in street lights and for factory lighting." According to LEDinside, Taiwan has the world's second largest LED industry with a 20 percent share of the global market, Japan has the world's largest LED industry with a 37 percent share of the world market. LEDinside forecasts that Taiwan will have a 30 percent share of the market by 2010 as many of Taiwan's flat-panel display makers prepare to enter the business.

People are switching to LEDs to save energy and cut electricity bills with these lights, originally familiar to most people as decorations on Christmas trees. LEDs reduce energy consumption by emitting light from a chip rather than an incandescent filament in a light bulb or charged gases in a fluorescent light tube. LEDs use about a tenth of the energy of an incandescent bulb and can last a decade or longer. They also produce almost no heat, thereby reducing fire potential.

Taiwan LED makers have been among the first to enter the high-brightness (HB) segment. HB LEDs are a new generation of lights bright enough for car lights, interior and architectural lighting, projection, flat-panel display backlighting and signage. The organizers of the Beijing Olympics used LEDs to illuminate the stage at the opening ceremony for the games with 44,000 of the lamps in a 147 meter x 36 meter screen at the venue. At least 36,000 LED lamps illuminated the translucent exterior of the gigantic Water Cube where the swimming competitions took place. The Olympics venue also had a gigantic LED screen measuring 30 meters x 200 meters. Opto Tech Corp. of Taiwan supplied LEDs for the screen, according to LEDinside. The Taiwan supplier also won a contract from the Suzhou city government to supply the lamps for a gigantic screen,

Taiwan's government aims to boost the domestic industry by replacing all the island's incandescent-type traffic lights with LED lamps in three years. Traffic signals that use LEDs consume 80-90 percent less energy and generally last 5-7 years, compared to just a year for a comparable incandescent light signal. In 2001, the city of Portland, Oregon replaced nearly all its red and green incandescent traffic signals with new lights using LEDs. The project resulted in annual energy and maintenance savings totaling $400,000 and net payback in less than three years. The Chinese government aims to exploit various green technologies including LED and solar energy to help it reach the goal of trimming 10% of electricity consumption nationwide by 2010.

LEDinside said "despite the downturn in the global economy, Taiwan LED packaging company Ledtech Electronics continues to explore markets for new products, citing industry sources. The company is planning to work with international partners to develop low-cost LED lamps and reading lights for underdeveloped countries, citing market sources."

Taiwan-based LED packaging company Harvatek estimates its August revenue total will fall a little short of its total in July, but revenues in the third quarter will be better than that it saw in the second quarter, according to market sources.

Recently, PureSpectrum, Inc. has begun testing the viability of its innovative ballast design for use with LED applications with its ongoing efforts to continue development of the company's breakthrough ballast technology,

PureSpectrum has already engineered and introduced breakthrough ballast technology for fluorescent lighting, and during the past several months the company has transitioned from research and development into implementation and is engaged in licensing discussions with multiple manufacturers. However, PureSpectrum president and CEO Lee Vanatta said that PureSpectrum's core business will remain technology and now the company has begun adapting its base technology to be compatible with LED lighting systems.

Vanatta said that the ballast technology in fluorescent lighting was the first and most obvious of many applications, they have been told repeatedly that their approach to ballast circuitry topology is unique within the industry, and they believe their ballast can also provide performance improvements for LED-based lighting devices. By researching the feasibility of interfacing with LED lighting, they expand the scope of marketable applications for their technology and place PureSpectum squarely in the middle of the lighting conversation for the foreseeable future.

PureSpectrum's unprecedented ballast design is separated from commercially available electronic ballasts by its unique circuitry which is constructed to achieve high Power Factor and optimum efficiency without the addition of extra circuits. The cost effective PureSpectrum ballast topology attains ultimate efficiency by maximizing productive energy usage and minimizing components.

LED lamps utilize light emitting diodes to produce light as opposed to electrical filaments in incandescent bulbs or stimulated phosphorous gas in fluorescent bulbs. Solid state lighting creates visible light with reduced heat generation or lost energy dissipation while providing for greater resistance to shock, vibration and wear which significantly increases the expected lifespan of a bulb. Only 15 years ago, LED design advanced to the point where white light could be produced, but earlier this year a company in Wisconsin was able to light both the interior and exterior of a newly built factory almost exclusively with LED bulbs.

LED lighting has been embraced by the green movement for its energy efficient properties and heavily promoted by national and international media for its novelty and rapid development. However, while LED devices are exponentially more energy efficient than even Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL), the exorbitantly high per unit cost is still a major obstacle to overcome for both residential and commercial consumer adoption.

However, according to Vanatta, the LED market has almost unlimited growth potential as progressive technology companies like PureSpectrum work diligently toward improving performance and lowering the price tag for LED products. LED Market leader Cree, Inc. earned more than $490 million in revenue in fiscal 2008 and is expected to top $500 million in 2009.

Recently, AIXTRON AG announced a multiple order from Century Epitech Corp, located in Shenzhen, China, one of China's leading players in the high brightness LED sector.

The latest order is a multiple package comprising three AIX 2600G3 MOCVD tools - one in the 24x2” wafer configuration and two in the 49x2” configuration plus a single AIX 2800G4 HT tool in the 42x2” configuration. The systems were delivered to the company’s state of the art facilities in the new Shenzhen Guangming Technology Zone in the second quarter of 2008. The high capacity MOCVD reactors will be used for Century Epitech’s planned expansion of power LED production.

According to Mr. ZhiMin Liang, board member, they have been consistently impressed with the AIXTRON Group’s MOCVD equipment and process technology. It was therefore a straightforward decision to place the order for our future production capacity expansion plans. Their equipment matches our needs for the manufacturing of power LEDs in high volume, cost competitively and with rapid time to market.

In addition, Dr. Ruquin Chen, COO of Century Epitech notes that the reputation of these MOCVD tools is well known. AIXTRON reactors are constantly proving their capabilities for LEDs and other devices. In terms of uptime, uniformity and efficiency of precursor usage, and so on, they are unequalled.

Cologne has been graced with a new landmark: the high-water pumping station in the Bayenthal suburb of the city. The pumping station is already a sight to see during the day thanks to its architectural aesthetic, which includes an organically landscaped area that inconspicuously tucks the structure into the banks of the Rhine.

Generally, a normal water mark is indicated by white light, rising water levels by amber and on reaching the high-water mark, the light turns red. The station then begins pumping off the discharge in the reinforced conduits. As a result, the citizens of Cologne are not only aware of when the pumping station is at work, but can also enjoy the eye-catching light spectacle as a thing of simple beauty.

It’s reported that the breathtaking illuminations concept developed by the Semperlux lighting technology specialists in Berlin ensures the pumping station lights up in one of three colours depending on the water level of the Rhine.

From its company seat in the German town of Kamp-Lintfort, Vossloh-Schwabe Optoelectronic provided the LED technology that made the artistic aspirations of this unique illumination system possible.

Project decision makers opted for the LED solution for several reasons. Next to low energy consumption, high light output and flexible light control thanks to RGB technology, LEDs guarantee an extremely long service life, practically no maintenance and with that very low life-cycle costs. To suit this specific project, a system was developed that involved encapsulating standard VS Optoelectronic Flex modules fitted with SMD LEDs inside the aluminum sections of the metal-grid façade. The white, red, green and blue Flex line modules, each backed with self-adhesive tape, were first precisely trimmed to fit and then fixed within the inside face of the respective segment.

The LED modules were also specifically adapted to ensure even light-point spacing and uniform light density over the entire building. With the fitting order of the modules having been precisely calculated by the light engineers at Semperlux, actual installation was problem-free thanks to the highly flexible nature of the LED modules. Finally, the standard Flex modules were permanently encapsulated within the metal sections using a transparent potting material to ensure protection against environmental factors. The indirect LED lighting system works by light hitting the walls of the building and then being reflected to appear as an evenly illuminated surface. In response to the actual water level of the Rhine, a DALI unit triggers the respective light scene and a EUTRAC® DALI LightComposer®-REG module enables overall system control. As a result, both the citizens of Cologne and visitors to the city can enjoy these special illuminations night after night.

The extremely flexible standard Flex modules provided by VS Optoelectronic are fitted with humidity-protected SMD LEDs that are suitable for indoor and outdoor applications. Further Flex advantages include practically no heat generation during operation as well as small dimensions and self-adhesive backing, which make the line modules quick and easy to mount.

The products feature lead-free solder and thus comply with all environmental standards and requirements. Blessed with this impressive set of product benefits, VS Optoelectronic’s standard Flex modules are set to add the final sparkle to many more architectural highlights in the future.

Applications of LED during the Beijing Olympics have raised audience's eyebrows. According to non-official statistics from China, the Beijing Olympics has consumed a total of 500mn RMB worth of LEDs at 36 stadiums, excluding other public lighting applications that are installed at the Olympics villages and parks. But as Olympics grand completed, concerns about whether there exists a fundamental demand for LED surfaces.

Landscape lighting is the key demand driver in the China LED industry. LEDinside believes that the recent Beijing Olympics should help encouraging second-tier cities to adopt low-power LED for landscape decoration thereafter. Amid the anticipated demand, corresponding CAGR for LED packaging is estimated to hit 25% during 200X-2010.

Beijing Olympics lights up LED industry

LEDinside estimates that a total of 4mn units of LEDs were adopted during the opening and closing ceremony at the Beijing Olympics. By including those being installed at stadiums, subway, outdoor billboards, total amount of LEDs that are being installed should have surpassed several million units.

Among all landscape LED lighting applications, the National Aquatics – Water Cube, must be the venue that draws most attention. Built on an investment budget of 51mn RMB, the Water Cube has installed a total 36,000 sets of specialized lighting tools, which include 470,000 of LEDs, to illuminate the translucent bubble-clad exterior.

LED also plays a vital role during the opening and closing ceremony. During the opening ceremony, a LED-powered scroll that composed by 44,000 LEDs, was displayed for performers to dance on. Another 45,000 of LEDs were also being used to illuminate the Olympics' five interlocking rings. After seeing a heavy adoption of LED during the Beijing Olympics and Doha Asian Games, LED should be widely used in decoration lighting and displays at large-scale performances and events.

China government plays prominent role on LED penetration

Underpinning a meaningful LED penetration is the China government. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has identified LED as a prioritized item for energy-saving applications development in the 「Mid-to-Long Term Development Program for Science and Technology for the years between 2006-2020」as announced in 2006.

Two phases of LED lighting infrastructure is planned for 2003-2005 and 2006-2010 periods. In the first phase of construction, the Central government has spent 140mn RMB to activate a joint program among six government departments (including Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Industry and Information) and 14 provincial governments to adopt LED lighting.

Another investment budget of 350mn RMB has been spent on the second phase of the Program already. Of which, 60% of the budget was spent to subsidized corporate that develop LED, and the remainder to institutes, universities and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

There are about 3,500 private enterprises there in China developing LED. Of which, half of these enterprises design LEDs for use in end applications such as landscape lighting, displays and road signs and automotives. More production bases are also being developed for LED industry players. In addition to the existing five bases, the China government has also approved establishment of two more production bases in Yangzhou and Shijiazhuang in 2007.

LED to flourish at World Expo Shanghai 2010

Shanghai World Expo 2010 is believed to mark another climax for LED adoption after the Beijing Olympics as bountiful of LEDs will be applied for flowing lighting sources at core centers and facilities. Three key landscape lighting applications will be seen at: 1, Huang Pu Jiang (river side of Huang Pu); 2, Expo axis and bridges between eastern and western Pudong and; 3, skywalks bridging key pavilions. 

Domestic LED makers, especially for those which located nearby Zhangjiang Hi-tech Park, should be benefited from the substantial business potential accordingly. Players ranging from the upstream epitaxy wafer production to downstream packaging and system makers should be able to gain full support from nearby partners by maximizing the synergy of consolidation.

Olympics help encouraging second-tier cities to grow LED lighting

Ongoing development of solid-state LED lighting has drawn players' attention after the Beijing Olmypics. As the Olympics has made a good example to demonstrate LED application in displays and billboards, second- and third-tier cities in China are expected to follow by using more LED-powered billboards and displays.

According to a revealed report from the China LED Industry & National Solid-State Lighting Program, landscape lighting for city decoration will account for 37% of LED production value, being the largest application among all. Handset will be the demand driver after with its production value to account for 28% of all.

If each of the 100 mid- to big-scale cities in China to invest 100mn RMB in landscape lighting installation, total market size will hit 10bn RMB, with an approximate of 10-20bn of high-luminance LED required. As of 2007, LED shipments reached at 82bn units. Based on this shipments amount, it is expected that about 20-30% of the LED capacity will go to landscape lighting. As investment budgets among second-tier cities grow, demand for LED will on the rise also.

Production value of the LED packaging industry in China has already reached 16.8bn RMB in 2007. Driven by aggressive expansion among domestic players and consistent growing demand, the value is expected to grow almost double to 32bn RMB in 2010, representing a CAGR of 25%.

Despite a booming market growth is expected, the China LED industry is still caught in a low sufficiency rate of upstream LED chips at the current stage. As of the 82bn LEDs shipped in 2007, only 46% of them were fabricated locally. Many China-based LED makers have to source wafers from third parties (including Taiwan players) for re production. Therefore, how to raise sufficiency rate will be an imperative issue to solve.

Recently, GlacialTech Inc announces the availability of BR30 LED lights - the LED BR30 Globes come in two models which range in brightness.

The LED BR30 bulbs are designed to replace the equivalent BR30 globes and lamps available in markets today. Using lower wattage compared with the original product, with the high brightness 720 Lumen illumination. The innovative product incorporates the same structure and style of traditional BR30 bulbs but delivers a brighter performance per watt, with less heat radiation.

GlacialTech LED-BR30 luminary uses Super High-brightness LED emitters that consume just 11 Watts. As a result, the LED-BR30 luminary is much cooler within a range of -20 to +40⁰C with a beam angle of 120 degree. The LED-BR30 globe, using a fraction of the power, is a safe, green environmentally friendly solution which reduces global emissions through reduced power consumption. The efficient cooling structure of the heatsink is optimally designed to keep the >50000hr longevity of the device intact, while maintaining full brightness for longer.

Accepting an Input voltage of 90-240V (AC), with an 11W power consumption. The diameter is 95mm at a length of 127mm, and a weight of 0.3kgs, which means the LED-BR30 lamp can replace any traditional BR30 bulb product.

It’s reported that Springfield Park District officials hope they will soon be able to turn on the lights for the first time at Dreamland Park, 2300 Taylor Ave. However, Elliott McKinley, director of parks for the park district, said work is under way to run electricity to Dreamland Park and also install energy-efficient outdoor lights.

The new LED lights will use about 48 watts of power each compared to the 175 to 200 watts of standard lights. That averages out to be about 75 percent more efficient when it comes to power use, but there are also additional savings. also, LED fixtures last for about 50,000 to 75,000 hours, while standard lights last about 10,000 hours. That means workers will be buying and replacing fewer bulbs.

Areas where the 13 new lights are going to be installed include the parking lot — now illuminated only by a few nearby city streetlights — and the walking trails. Without a doubt, the new lights will enhance the safety and security. In addition, having electricity at the stage means more community events can be scheduled at Dreamland. Besides, people will be able to plug in appliances or equipment at the shelters and stage and also have the benefit of outdoor lighting during the evening.

The cost of the project is about $93,000. About $17,300 of that amount will cover the extra cost of 15 LED lights, and $6,600 will go toward lights in the parking lot. With the LED energy savings, the park district should be able to recoup its extra investment in less than 10 years. According to McKinley, the work is expected to conclude by mid-September.

Recently, Sony Corp announced a new product line of Bravia LCD TVs including the XR1 series, which has an RGB LED backlight unit. The company said that the XR1 series offers "the highest picture quality in the history of Bravia," and also has an extremely wide color gamut of 122% NTSC. It is scheduled for release on Oct 10, 2008, many of the details have yet to be released.

Based on the backlight unit of the latest series exhibited at the conference hall, we made a comparison between the XR1 series and LED backlight models released in the past.

In 2004, Sony unveiled the Qualia 005, which was its first LCD TV incorporating an LED backlight unit. The Qualia 005 adopted a backlight technology dubbed "Triluminous," which used LED devices in RGB colors. It has a color gamut of 105% NTSC and uses a set of five LED devices arranged horizontally in the order of green, red, blue, red and green.

The second Triluminous model, the KDL-70X7000, was announced in August 2007. In this model, Sony drastically changed the alignment of LED devices, combining four LED devices, namely one red, one blue and two green, into one set. They are arranged in the shape of a diamond, with the two green devices vertically located, while the blue and the red were aligned horizontally. A lens-like component was placed on top of each device.

In the third version, Sony changed the alignment and the shape of the LED devices again. The layout, which consists of a set of one red, one blue and two green arranged in a square, is similar to that of the second version, but the alignment was changed. The green and blue LED devices are arranged on the upper row, and the red and green are set out on the lower one. The package size of each LED is smaller, and the distance between the packages looks narrower. The lens-like external part is not attached to the devices.

Thanks to the LED devices that are densely mounted in each set, the RGB colors can be effectively mixed to emit white light with less unevenness. Estimating from the small and densely mounted packages, the heat generated by each LED device may be lower than that of the existing models. The heat value of each LED device presumably decreased because its luminance efficiency was improved. Alternatively, the package size and the distance between the packages may be reduced by slashing the power input to each device. Sony has not disclosed the number of LED devices used in the backlight or the input power per device.

It’s reported that Japanese consumer electronics maker Sharp Corp announced it aims to generate sales of $1.8 billion from LED market by the business year to March 2013. Moreover, Sharp would enter the lighting gear market with energy-saving LED technology to establish a new earnings pillar in addition to its flat panel and solar cell businesses this month.

AU Optronics (AUO) plans on basing its OLED development using a-Si technology, and the company estimates it will enter into mass production in 2011.

It’s reported that Samsung Electronics has not only released the world’s largest OLED television at the IFA exhibition in Berlin, but it has committed itself to commercial production of mid to large screens by 2010.

At IFA, Samsung displayed two OLED screens – a 14.1-inch model and a 31-inch model, whereas its arch rival and LCD business partner Sony had the XEL-1 which will be the first OLED introduced to Europe and a 27-inch prototype which was introduced at the CES in Las Vegas earlier this year.

OLED is seen as a powerful contender for the future display market mainstream, given it is very high resolution, has a svelte profile and is extremely lightweight, Electronics manufacturers have already begun exhibiting these next generation displays at major trade shows. However, Samsung is going a step further at IFA 2008, presenting the OLED as a finished TV product that features an elegant, optimised design. Samsung’s OLED TVs represent greater technology innovation and set a new standard for TV sophistication.

Recently, Delta Electronics, Inc., a long-time industry leader in DLP® optics, light engine and projector development for a wide variety of applications, announced it has completed the development of a groundbreaking full HD LED projector for the consumer market.

Delta has developed LED projection technologies for years. LEDs provide end users with benefits that are not available from a lamp system. With Delta’s high throughput LED optics, 1080P resolution, plus wide color gamut, this projector provides a high image quality unmatched by any other lamp projector. It gives the viewer a completely new home theater experience with the bonus that the user is free from lamp replacement, as the life of the LED module is estimated at over 20,000 hours of normal operation.

With its experience and close partnership with Texas Instruments, Luminus Devices and other key suppliers, Delta has a unique early advantage in recognizing the feasibility of PhlatLight® LED and the value of LED projectors, and has commercialized this product for customers. Delta is supporting customer demonstrations of the projector at IFA 2008, Berlin, Germany, between August 29th and September 3rd, and CEDIA, Denver, Colorado, USA.

Jeff Fu, Director for Projection Display at Delta’s Display Solutions Business Unit, noted that the image quality of the projector’s full HD resolution plus saturated color and dynamic contrast is extremely impressive. With this product, they believe the era of the LED projector has arrived. Home theater projectors are just the beginning. What is crucial is the need for a precise and complex control algorithm that allows the LED to work with the DMD to get high image quality.

About Delta Group

Delta Group is the world’s largest provider of switching power supplies and brushless fans, as well as a major source for power management solutions, components, visual displays, industrial automation, networking products, and renewable energy solutions. Established in 1971, Delta Group has sales offices worldwide and manufacturing plants in Taiwan, China, Thailand, Japan, Mexico, India and Europe. As a global leader in power electronics, Delta’s mission is, “To provide innovative, clean and efficient energy solutions for a better tomorrow.”

It’s reported that Lite-On Technology Corp., a world leading supplier of mobile keypads, is venturing into the LEDchip market by investing US$10 million in SemiLEDs Corp., a U.S. producer of high-power LED chips.

In fact, Lite-On has been producing LEDs for notebook PC backlights as Taiwan`s first supplier of this kind, having already shipped between 7 million and 8 million units this July. At the end of this year, the company is expected to post annual shipment of between 10 million and 15 million units. The product line is even expected to lend major growth momentum to its business operation next year.

Now, Lite-On is the foremost supplier building fully integrated supply chain of LEDs among Taiwan high-tech companies, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Delta Electronics Inc., AU Optronics Corp., Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp. and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., who all have moved to produce LEDs.
 
Teng Kuang-chung, CEO of Lite-On, noted that SemiLEDs`s current non-MOCVD production process can effectively help their company to achieve cost efficiency in producing high-power LED chips, adding that this cutting-edge production capability enticed Lite-On to invest US$10 million in the company. At the same time, Lite-On is very optimistic about the market outlook of LEDs for notebook PC backlights, because presently LED-backlit notebook PCs commands a 15% share of overall global sales of notebook PCs, with only 3% of such models adopting Lite-On`s LEDs.

Lite-On posted sales revenue of NT$37.5 billion, pretax profits of NT$1.696 billion and net profits of NT$1.354 billion, or NT$0.63 per share, for the second quarter of this year. With efforts on production of LEDs gradually paying off, the company`s second-quarter gross profit rate grew to 10% from 8.7% posted in the first quarter. With a seasonal boom to hit the LED sector in the third quarter, the company projects its sales of the product to further rise 10% from the second quarter.

Find Quality Suppliers at
HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair 2008
27 - 30 October 2008
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Light up your life
What better way to illuminate the future of your business than to see the very latest in the design and technology of lighting? The HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair, now in its 10th year, brings buyers all that is new and fashionable in lighting products at one of the top three lighting events in the world. At its 2007 edition, a record 1,344 exhibitors showed the best in lighting from 31 countries & regions.

The attraction for the buyers is clear. This vast resource of new lighting products is thematically organised to allow visitors to navigate the show with ease. It is in touch with the market, with product zones which represent the powerfully emerging trends in the consumer market. Themed zones for 2008 are Crystal Indulgence, Galaxy of Stars, Green Lighting, Holiday Favour, Outdoor Lighting, Parts & Accessories and World of Table Lamps.

Adding to the brilliance of the 2008 fair will be the 2nd Hong Kong Lighting Design Competition. With its design theme 'The Power of Light', the competition once again fostering bright new talent for the industry. Buyers will also have many opportunities to network with international peers at social gatherings and to update their knowledge of trends and markets at the information events.
 
Going green on a global scale
The worldwide emphasis on global warming has put environmentally-friendly lighting products on the shopping list of every buyer. The industry has risen to the challenge, creating a wide range of energy-saving products which can be seen - and sourced - in the Green Lighting Zone.

Shining a light on outdoor living
Both the urban and the suburban landscapes have changed. Homeowners are now spending more time outdoors in leisure pursuits and especially home entertaining. The demand for outdoor lighting, including street lighting, has escalated with lifestyle changes and the Outdoor Lighting Zone meets the need.

Buyers' quotes

「We are surprised by the good concentration of a large quantity of good quality products here. We are optimistic about business prospects as we've already found some interesting products such as LED outdoor lamps, office lighting and products of good design for commercial projects. I expect to make orders after further discussion with the suppliers.」
Dariusz Stępień, Director, Daste, Poland
「The show is very big, interesting and concentrated. You will find suppliers from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and all over the world. I've already made two full containers of orders for ceiling lamps and energy-saving items with two new suppliers. The organiser has made continuous improvements with a larger number of exhibitors and the opening of new halls. It's good for meeting and doing business as well as learning the new market trends.」
Federico Ariel Palacio, General Manager, Palacio Ilumina, Argentina
「We've been coming to the fair since 2003; it's large, has a broad range of products and we can meet all our suppliers and visit their factories across the border in the Chinese mainland. We like the convenience of the fair, everything's in one spot.」
Giuseppe (Joe) Portelli, Executive Manager, DPA Lighting, Australia

More sourcing opportunities
Visitors to the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair will also be able to source related products from two other concurrent trade events. The Hong Kong International Furniture Fair and the Hong Kong International Building and Decoration Materials & Hardware Fair are being staged alongside the lighting show from 28 to 31 October at the AsiaWorld-Expo.

It is easy for buyers to visit all three fairs. A complimentary shuttle bus service will run between AsiaWorld-Expo, which is located adjacent to Hong Kong International Airport, and Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and Tung Chung on Lantau Island, at regular intervals throughout each day of the shows.
Don't miss this fabulous opportunity to source a huge variety of products in one trip!
 
At your service
With a Wireless LAN-enabled (IEEE 802.11b compliant) laptop computer or PDA you can check emails and surf the Web at the fairground. Alternatively, visit our hktdc.com Email Lounge.

Hong Kong is known for its efficiency and dedication to promoting business. At the fair you can find ample evidence of this in a host of services and facilities, large and small, to help you. The Dragon Lounge, for example, offers relaxation and convenience to VIP buyers as well as holders of Cathay Pacific First and Business Class boarding passes. You can enjoy complimentary snacks and beverages, free Internet access and other features.

hktdc.com Customised Sourcing Service
Now you can locate the right products you need by getting a list of relevant exhibitors with booth numbers and product photos at the fair. Look for this friendly sign.
 
Free Admission Badge
Pre-register before 5 October for buyers from outside Hong Kong and 22 October for local buyers – to receive a free admission badge by mail.

Recently, Microsoft is readying a mouse that uses a blue LED rather than red lasers because the former can be used on a greater number of surfaces; this would mark the fourth great revolution in the way mice have evolved over the past few decades or so.

The blue LED will be used in conjunction with wide-angle lenses to replace balls, optical red and laser mice in one swoop.

The mouse itself is quite chubby but should fit in most hands, although it is a right handed device. Interestingly, rival company Logitech already has a Blue LED mouse on the market and there are countless DIY web pages on how to convert your red LED to a blue one.

Recently, GlacialTech Inc, announced the availability of the LED–MR16 bulb, designed to replace the Halogen MR16 globe currently available in markets worldwide.

The LED-MR16 can be used for general everyday use, and incorporates all the latest luminary technology garnered from GlacialTech’s unique resources; combining years of experience in designing cooling systems as well as all manner of consumer electronic device power supplies. GlacialLight, the new sub-brand of GlacialTech will leverage the GlacialLight products to be better and higher in quality than competing products using high quality heatsinks, specialized power units and LED luminaries, giving them longer life with higer lumen throughout the lifecycle.

GlacialTech LED-MR16 uses just 3.5Watts of energy whereas traditional halogen light sources burn at 50Watts, while emitting harmful UV. Alternative CFL light sources on the other hand contain mercury, creating recycling problems. The LED-MR16 is a safe, environmentally friendly solution that reduces harmful chemical exposure to the environment, but also reduces global emissions through reduced power consumption. The efficient cooling structure of the heatsink is optimally designed to keep the 50 000hr longevity of the device intact.

GlacialTech is developing a comprehensive range of products under the GlacialLight brand, stretching from street lighting solutions to all forms of industrial lighting and architectural lighting. The products on offer and in development include serious product enhancements over the current range of competing products available on the market, such as MR16 / PAR30 / PAR38 / BR30 / BR40 / T8 Tubes and Spotlights as well as an innovative and unique types of Torches and Bicycle lamps designed with multi-functionality as the key ingredients. These LED products will retain the customary shape and design of standard globes to allow easy replacement of legacy products. The product line is quite extensive and includes replacements for standard light bulbs and tubes for homes and offices.

About GlacialLight

GlacialTech Inc., is a diversified provider of cooling, power supply, PC enclosure solutions for the consumer and industrial applications. Having established strong relationships with LED semiconductor Co.’s, thermal, SMPS and mechanism technology leaders worldwide, GlacialTech leverages world-class engineering, efficient manufacturing and highest-quality materials to provide high brightness, low power LED lighting solutions for indoor, outdoor and other customized applications under the GlacialLight brand.