More homeowners and businesses than ever are replacing their old incandescent holiday lights for efficient LED bulbs, according to Pacific Gas & Electric Co. officials and businesses that sell lighting. Joe Molica, spokesman for PG&E, said as the public becomes more aware of them, they are becoming more popular. They are trying to raise the awareness that energy efficiency is one of the most important tools we have in the fight against global warming.

Lumidas Japan Co Ltd exhibited a number of "LumiDas" series LED lighting products developed and manufactured by Fawoo Technology Co Ltd of Korea at Eco-Products 2008 (from Dec 11 to 13, 2008, at Tokyo Big Sight in Chiba Prefecture, Japan).

It’s reported that cree will be one of the 31 main suppliers featured at the "Energy Efficiency & Lighting" global technical learning and networking event, held virtually at Premier Farnell's Live EDGE EcoSphere on December 11, 2008 from 8am to midnight EST.

StockerYale Inc., a leading designer and manufacturer of structured light lasers, LED modules and specialty optical fibers for industrial OEMs, medical and defense markets, introduced its first LED product — the COBRA Slim for linescan applications. The COBRA Slim family includes optical, thermal, electronic and mechanical improvements in an innovative modular concept to address linescan and web inspection from 100mm up to several meters.

Recently, Nuventix, Inc., creator of SynJet® technology cooling solutions, its innovative LED cooling design for lighting giant and Nuventix design partner, Philips wins the Austin Business Journal’s Tech Innovations Award. The Nuventix product is an active thermal management solution utilizing SynJet fanless air cooling technology providing silent operation, long life, and optimal cooling for the Philips Downlight LED Module (DLM) line of products.

ilumisys Inc., developer and producer of next-generation solid-state lighting technology, is on behalf of its parent company Altair Engineering, announced that a favorable ruling was received from the United States Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences relative to Patent Interference Number 105,602.

The worldwide OLED display revenue in Q308 was US$141 million, down 11% quarter by quarter, but up 60% year by year, according to market sources. Chi Mei EL, the second supplier of AMOLED displays, posted record high shipments in Q308, while the leading AMOLED supplier Samsung SDI experienced lower shipments quarter by quarter. As a result, AMOLED shipments increased only slightly compared to Q208 reaching 1.7 million units.  

Recently, Japan semiconductor manufacturer Rohm developed LED backlight driver ICs that incorporate an ultra-compact wafer-level chip scale package (WL-CSP), which are designed for small 1.6- to 4-inch LCDs in portable devices requiring high efficiency for maximum battery life.

LiquidLEDs is a Taiwanese LED manufacturer, which is experienced in developing AC LED lighting solution. It recently made AC LED bulbs the only lighting source for its new office in Taipei, Taiwan. This office is the first in the world to use AC LED bulb as it's main source of lighting.

It’s reported that Konka Group Co., Ltd., of Shenzhen, China, announces that it is to open its LED backlight design and production line in Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province, Eastern China in mid December 2008. Established in May 1980, the Shenzhen company plans to spend three to five years building a complete LED industrial chain in China. The industrial chain is expected to produce LED related products with a value of more than CNY 10 billion per year.

The incandescent lamp is being discontinued in Europe because it is so inefficient, the replacement of 3.5 billion incandescent lamps installed throughout Europe will lead to a reduction in the power consumed by lighting systems by more than 30 percent.

Marktech LED Lighting Products, the definitive source for LED lighting products, introduces the T5 LED light tube. The high output, energy-efficient product was designed to insure the highest of quality and design to meet market demands. With an 80 CRI (color rendering index) and its slim design, the T5 is ideal for a variety of applications, including general or indirect lighting of display cases, wall washes and alcoves, in addition to backlighting of POP displays and vending machines.

UPEC Electronics Corp. announces the high-power RGB ceramic LED — HP 650 Series.

Carmanah Technologies Corporation introduced a new benchmark in solar-powered obstruction lighting: the solar-powered A810 Obstruction Lighting System. Suitable for marking towers and other fixed obstructions up to 150 feet in height, this stand-alone lighting system installs quickly to produce a bright, steady red signal wherever it's needed.

Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas (SMA), announced the availability of two industrial LCD modules 10.4-inch model and 15.0-inch model. Both displays feature LED backlighting rated up to 50,000 hours of operation in all temperature ranges.

The World Economic Forum has recognized and selected SemiLEDs Corporation as a 2009 Technology Pioneer. SemiLEDs is the world first company that mass produces High Power Light Emitting Diode (HPLED) on flexible Copper alloy base in large volumes at high brightness efficiency (>100lumens/watt), reliability and low cost, which makes the solid-state lighting (SSL) becoming possible for the mass: bringing low cost SSL to the unlighted areas of the Globe.

Carmanah Technologies Corp. has received an order valued at $700,000, to supply solar-powered portable airfield lights from Bariven S.A. in Venezuela. The order will provide a stand-alone system of solar-powered LED aviation lights to Airport De Guiria in Venezuela.

The shipments of notebook-PC panels with LED backlights grew by 63% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) to 2.1 million in the third quarter from 1.3 million in the previous quarter, according to the related report. Taiwan TFT-LCD panel suppliers AU Optronics Corp. (AUO) and Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp. (CMO) ranked the world’s third- and sixth-largest, respectively, LED-BLU notebook PC panel makers during the period.

Taiwan epitaxial wafer maker Genesis Photonics Inc. has successfully landed orders from a globally leading printer supplier for yellow, green and blue LED light sources used in LED printers.

Universal Display Corp., a developer of OLED technologies and materials, and SFC Co. Ltd., a fine chemicals manufacturer, have entered into a strategic business agreement. Their collaboration will focus on developing and commercializing highly-efficient phosphorescent OLED (PHOLED) material systems for displays and lighting.

RUSNANO, ONEXIM and the Ural Optical and Mechanical Plant (UOMP) establish the joint company to manufacture the new generation lighting products which based on the gallium nitride（GaN）semiconductor chips. The successful establishment of a new enterprise will allow to return one of the most promising projects developed by the Russian scientists back to Russia.

Based on recent global economic crisis, Stock prices of LED makers, packagers, and fixture makers have declined tremendously over the last few months. Many companies have been forced to take drastic measures to make ends meet. Taiwan LED packager company Everlight is the only one of them.

PhotonStar LED Ltd. and the University of Cambridge have won funding from the government’s Technology Strategy Board. Together they will undertake a collaborative programme of work entitled LED Lighting for the 21st Century (LL21C).

Recently, Kim Lighting, a leading manufacturer of outdoor architectural lighting, announced the availability of the LED Compact Floodlight using new super bright white LED technology.

Nexxus Lighting, Inc. announced that its Advanced Lighting Systems subsidiary completed a lighting project for the Tulalip Resort Casino in Tulalip, Washington.

Yesterday, Panasonic Electric Works Co Ltd released a trimless LED lighting device — "Everleds Trimless Universal Downlight" in Japan.

General Electric has decided to end all plans for revitalizing their century-old incandescent bulbs. Instead, it plans to focus on LEDs and OLEDs.

It’s reported that Taiwan there private companies have jointly developed an automatic-charging LED bicycle lamp. It’s disclosed that the high-tech LED bicycle lamp will be commercialized and launched in the market in February 2009. Lee Shui-yuan, president of Acxing Industrial Co., Ltd., one of the joint developers, pointed out that the new LED bicycle lamp is the only multi-function LED illumination device available on the market that can function as a bicycle front lamp, rear warning light, brake lamp, or an emergency flashlight.

Edison Opto, a Taiwan-based high power LED packaging manufacturer, has announced Edixeon Federal series into its Edixeon family of products

The 10th annual business-oriented conference and exhibition on high-brightness LEDs will be held on February 18-20, 2009 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California by Strategies Unlimited and PennWell Corporation.