Today’s high-speed wired communication networks use lasers to carry information through optical fibers, but wireless networks are currently based on radiofrequencies or microwaves. In an advance that could one day make light-based wireless communications ubiquitous, researchers from Facebook Connectivity Lab have demonstrated a conceptually new approach for detecting optical communication signals traveling through the air.

Philips reports Q2 sales of EUR 5.9 billion (US $6.49 billion) and comparable sales growth of 3%, a 9% improvement in Adjusted EBITA to EUR 544 million and net income of EUR 431 million

China’s LED industry produced 296.3 billion LEDs during first half of 2016, up 19.21% Year-on-Year, reported China Light Industry Internet (CLII).

Chinese LED manufacturer Honglitronic Optoelectronics announced it had rebranded itself as Honglizhihui Group, and is in the process of acquiring  connected car technology assets.

After three long years, Opple Lighting’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) application was finally approved by China’s Securities Regulatory Committee (CSRC), and is closer to its goal of being listed on the Chinese bourse.

Lexington Luminance plaintiff filed against Google for using patent infringed LEDs in two Google Nexus phones has taken a new turn recently, reported The National Law Review.

Going net-zero carbon is the smart, inevitable choice for the companies of today and of the future – where “the business model fits as a solution glove to all the things that we need to address in the climate change challenge,” says Harry Verhaar, Head of Global Public & Government Affairs, Philips Lighting, in a Climate TV interview during the Business & Climate Summit convened in London last month by The Climate Group.

Royal Philips announced the results of the first published study to demonstrate that absolute oxygen saturation of arterial blood (SpO2), a vital sign that is commonly monitored in hospitalized and other patients, can be accurately measured across multiple patients using contactless technology. 

Osram and Epistar have been especially active this week. The German lighting giant has announced many new developments one week ahead of its latest financial result announcement. Changes in the company structure include the appointment of their new CFO Ingo Bank, OLED taillights being supplied to BMW, and acquisition of U.S. LED module manufacturer Novità Technologies.

German lighting giant Osram announced two important developments in its automotive lighting business this month, such as supplying OLED taillights to BMW and its latest acquisition of U.S. automotive LED module manufacturer Novita Technologies. How will the acquisition affect the LED industry, though?

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona, U.S. finished installing more than 3,000 LED bulbs in the East Economy parking garage, reported KTAR News.

Six cities in Indian state Chhattisgarh in central India to replace conventional CFL streetlights and tube lights with LEDs soon, reported the largest English newspaper in the region The Hitadava.

IGNIS Innovation (IGNIS), a Canadian emissive display technology company, announced the execution of a Patent License agreement with LG Display, the Seoul-based world-leading display manufacturer. Under the agreement, IGNIS will provide LG Display under a non-exclusive license, access to its circuit technology to enhance the performance of OLED displays. As recognized by the display industry leaders, circuit technology is crucial for today’s AMOLED applications including TV, IT, high resolution smartphone, virtual reality, automotive and next generation printing.

Once again, pioneering lighting technology from Osram is being fitted to a production vehicle. This time it is OLED technology (Organic Light Emitting Diode) in the tail lights of the new BMW M4 GTS. These organic area light sources take up very little space, opening up design options that car manufacturers have so far only dreamed about. “Our OLEDs in the tail lights of the BMW M4 GTS make us the first company to have this new technology on the road in a production vehicle. 

Many households in impoverished regions around the world are starting to shift away from inefficient and polluting fuel-based lighting—such as candles, firewood, and kerosene lanterns—to solar-LED systems. While this trend has tremendous environmental benefits, a new study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has found that it spurs economic development as well, to the tune of 2 million potential new jobs.

In a July 14 meeting, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Board of Governors elected four new members to the board, including Annette Kay Clayton, Chief Executive Officer and President of North America Operations and chief supply chain officer for Schneider Electric, Schneider Electric North America; Lee Cooper, president and CEO of GE Healthcare U.S. and Canada; Jack Nehling, president of Phoenix Contact USA; and Rich Stinson, president and CEO of Southwire Company.

Osram’s managing board is complete again. At an extraordinary meeting on Monday, the supervisory board of the lighting company appointed Ingo Bank as new CFO of OSRAM Licht AG. Ingo Bank, 48, joins Osram from Parexel, a U.S. biopharmaceutical service provider where he served as Chief Financial Officer. He will take up his post at Osram on September 1, 2016. "In Ingo Bank, we have found a financial expert with a proven track record and a strong international background. At the same time, he has extensive knowledge of technology markets, including the lighting industry," said Peter Bauer, chairman of the supervisory board of OSRAM Licht AG. Ingo Bank's term will run for three years.

Ritdisplay, a subsidiary of Ritek Group, is an OLED panel maker. This year the market's demand has been strong. In first half of 2016, its revenue reached NT $997 million (US $31.21 million), and its annual growth rate surpassed 40%, according to a MoneyDJ report.

pureLiFi, the global leader in LiFi technologies, has announced the completion of its Series B Financing Round led by Temasek. The funding will support the development and commercialization of its proprietary cutting-edge LiFi technology that uses modulated LED light to provide wireless communications, with the potential to be significantly faster than current WiFi technology. Harald Haas, the founder of pureLiFi and the “father of LiFi”, said “I am absolutely delighted that this significant step for pureLiFi has been achieved towards unlocking the grand LiFi vision”.

The University of South Wales (USW) and the Lighting Industry Association (LIA) have agreed a formal partnership, cementing a relationship which will see the development of a range of specialist lighting courses.

 Vauxhall is introducing Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) and full LED headlamps to its new Zafira Tourer and Mokka X models.

Is the long-anticipated rebound in the panel industry finally coming? South Korean panel maker, LG Display (LGD) CEO Sang Boem Han expressed on Wednesday that the market already showed signs of improvement. He expected that LGD's revenues will improve by second half of 2016.

Cree has sold off its profitable GaN driver and RF business to Infineon for $850 million, so it can focus on its LED business, said the company. The Asian Development Bank announced it will be financing about US $50 million in Malaysian state Melaka smart LED streetlight project, which involves retrofitting 100,000 streetlights. LEDinside also had the chance to speak to Lawrence Lin, General Manager of MLS or Forest Lighting, about the company’s strategic distribution partnership with YACG in Taiwan, and its current LED package strategies.

The U.S. Department of Energy's CALiPER program has released a new Snapshot report on linear LED lamps, commonly known as TLEDs. 

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) announced that ANSI Accredited Standards Committee C136 published ANSI C136.49-2016 American National Standard for Roadway and Area Lighting Equipment—Plasma Lighting. This new standard defines the electrical and mechanical requirements of plasma type light sources for use in roadway and area lighting luminaires.

Noribachi, a leading U.S.-based custom LED manufacturer for high output commercial and industrial lighting solutions, today announced its continued growth in second quarter of 2016 due to the launch of its ALiVE product line, expansion of its regional sales organization and enhanced manufacturing capabilities.

Zylight, a leading manufacturer of innovative LED lighting solutions and North American distributor of Aladdin products, today announced more than 80 Aladdin Bi-Flex LED lighting instruments will be used for coverage of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland and the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia later this month for two national cable news networks, including Bloomberg Television.

Cree, a market leader in LED lighting, today announced execution of a definitive agreement to sell its Wolfspeed Power and RF division (“Wolfspeed”), which includes the silicon carbide substrate business for power, RF and gemstone applications, to Infineon Technologies AG for $850 million in cash. 

Ryuchi Kaga, Head of the Office of Public-Private Partnerships of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Datuk HJ. Kamarudin Bin MD Shah, CEO of Melaka Green Technology Corporation, signed a transaction advisory services agreement today that will pave the way for a public-private partnership (PPP) project to install energy efficient road lights in the Malaysian state of Melaka. 

The BILTON Group has established itself on the market with innovative products and newly-conceived production processes as a specialist for flexible linear LED lighting and intelligent light management systems. With the recently-conducted capital increase of EUR 1.6 million (US $1.78 million), the model company from Salzburg is now fit for rapid expansion. After a growth of over 70% in the last fiscal year, an increase in turnover for this year of more than 100% is planned.