Highly efficient, LEDs could slash the world’s electricity consumption. They are already sold in stores, but more widespread adoption of the technology has been hindered by high costs due to limited availability of raw materials and difficulties in achieving acceptable light quality. But researchers will report today that they have overcome these obstacles and have developed a less expensive, more sustainable white LED.

Orion Energy Systems, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance, energy-efficient retrofit lighting platforms, today announced Curtis Stout will represent all Orion lighting products in the mid-south region of the US as of August 19, 2015.

As part of the Graphene Applications Innovation Centre, CPI is bringing together specialist dispersion characterization, and applications testing capability alongside a team of leading scientists with a vast array of experience in industry, research and development and technology innovation.

Advances at Oregon State University in manufacturing technology for “quantum dots” may soon lead to a new generation of LED lighting that produces a more user-friendly white light, while using less toxic materials and low-cost manufacturing processes that take advantage of simple microwave heating.

Qualcomm announced that its indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary, Qualcomm Global Trading, has completed its acquisition of CSR, a leading fabless provider of end-to-end semiconductor and software solutions for the Internet of Everything (IoE) and automotive segments. The acquisition, which was completed at an enterprise value of approximately $2.2 billion ($2.4 billion equity value)*, complements Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.’s (Qualcomm Technologies) current offerings by adding a compelling portfolio of new products, sales channels and a large number of customers in the areas of IoE and automotive – both key growth priorities for Qualcomm Technologies.

“It is only a matter of time before white LEDs using blue LED chips will disappear from the market,” said Shuji Nakamura at a forum on GaN technology in July organized by Nikkei Asian Review. The comment from the inventor of the blue LED chip and Nobel Laureate shocked the industry. Nakamura shares a Nobel Prize in Physics with two Japanese inventors Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano for their invention of the blue LED. Yet, Nakamura’s recent remark completely derails his previous accomplishments. Industry insiders in China try to decode Nakamura’s comments to determine whether it reflects embedded flaws in blue LEDs design, or whether his motive is to promote Soraa’s purple LEDs.

More wearable projects have surfaced on the net as tech-savvy girls try to add LEDs to their wardrobes. Apparently, the cute, innocent Hikaru Skirt is not for everyone, some have started to redesign the tutu skirt. Moreover, many wearables are not designed for daily use, but for special shows or Cosplay conventions. A female designer known as SexyCyborg on Reddit set out to customize her own "adult version of Hikaru Skirt," and later matched the skirt with a pair of sparkling LEDs platform high heels.

Professor Kyung-Cheol Choi and his research team from the School of Electrical Engineering at KAIST have developed fiber-like LEDs, which can be applied in wearable displays. The research findings were published online in the July 14th issue of Advanced Electronic Materials.

Previous rumors surrounding Apple’s sapphire usage were focused on whether iPhones would be equipped with sapphire screens in the future, but new reports claim the company has received a new sapphire antenna patent.

A Kent State University professor in the College of Arts and Sciences has received a grant from the Binational Science Foundation to continue his development of a combined LED and organic transistor that could be used in flexible displays. Bjorn Lussem, Ph.D., an assistant professor of physics, was awarded US $180,000 to use vertical transistors to create organic displays that are more power efficient and could potentially have a higher resolution.

Philips Hue LED bulbs and other smart home devices that incorporate ZigBee wireless standards are vulnerable to hacking, according to recent findings by IT firm Cognosec.

Scientists are tapping into photographs taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to reliably measure the amount of light pollution worldwide. This study not only includes the well-known signatures of cities and streets, but also the effects of faint indirectly scattered light, which up to now had not been measured quantitatively. The new results confirm that this diffuse glow, which is seen from space, is scattered light from streetlights and buildings. This is the component responsible for the brightening of the night skies in and around cities, which drastically limits the visibility of faint stars and the Milky Way.

Ameresco, a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company, announced today that it has completed an LED street lighting and control project for the City of West Richland, WA. The project team converted 1,097 high pressure sodium (HPS) street lights to energy efficient LED luminaires and installed a wireless monitoring and control system. The new LED street lights are expected to reduce the system’s annual electricity consumption by 61 percent, saving the City approximately $67,000 in energy costs per year. Under an agreement with the City’s electric utility, Benton Rural Electric Authority (REA), the lighting control system will enable the City to implement dimming strategies projected to reduce energy use by an additional 10 to 20 percent.

Shopping in a big department store can quickly devolve from a simple errand to an odyssey filled with frustration. What section do they put the bath towels in again? Is there a route to take that avoids the chemical attack of the perfume aisle on the way to kitchenware? Where do they put the on-sale jackets?

Bordine’s is the largest family-owned grower and retail garden center operation in Michigan. The original Bordine’s location, which opened in 1939 in Rochester Hills, is one of the nation’s busiest garden centers. In the company’s 75-year history, Bordine’s has expanded to four locations including the 100-acre Bordine’s Farm in Grand Blanc, which was purchased in 1999.

Forest Lighting (also know as MLS) plans to non-public issue stocks 6.1 million shares at RMB 38.11 (US$ 6) per share. The offering will raise about RMB 2.3 billion and will be used to fund several initiatives, including Xiaolan SMD LED packaging technical innovation project, phase one of Ji’an SMD LED packaging facility construction project and phase one of Xinyu LED application construction.

Museums around the world are swapping conventional lights in favor of LEDs to protect famous paintings from being damaged by light exposure, according to a Wired report.

Chinese LED manufacturer Honglitronic recently announced the company will release 300 million non-public offering shares to raise RMB 725 million (US $116 million). The purposes of this round of financing is mainly for the construction of SMD LED manufacturing facilities, acquiring 49% of Liangyou Hardware’s shares, and increasing bonds payable and circulating capital.

Chinese LED manufacturer Mason Technologies intends to acquire OML Technology for RMB 30 million (US $4.8 million). According to Mason Technologies, about RMB 28.2 million will be used to increase capital, while RMB 27.1 million will be used as additional paid-in capital. At the same time, the company will undergoes transfer of share. Mason Technologies will be securing 22% of OML shares through the acquisition.

The LED industry is gradually maturing in 2015, with products cost/performance (C/P) ratio becoming increasingly important. Low and mid-power flip chip products are increasingly valued by the industry. To further understand this trend LEDinside recently interviewed Lattice Power Chief Technology Officer Hanmin Zhao.

While lasers were invented in 1960 and are commonly used in many applications, one characteristic of the technology has proven unattainable. No one has been able to create a laser that beams white light.

Vivid Bike Lock is a wearable LED strip that lets bikers to be seen by other road occupants and also functions as lock that secure bicycle when needed.

Apple’s HomeKit development has been progressing at a sluggish pace, due to the company’s high security standards and specific identity chip requirements, reported MacRumors and other technology media reports.

The DesignLights Consortium™ program and trademarks are assets to the DLC, its members and stakeholders. The July 2015 issue of the DLC Industry Update states the following: "It has come to our attention that 49 manufacturers have misrepresented the nature of their products to the DLC during the application process and were able to obtain DLC qualification for products that employ screw bases. Under current requirements, the DLC specifically excludes products that employ screw bases from qualification.

Cleveland, the most populous city in Ohio, U.S. will be rolling out a major streetlight upgrade, according to a report by Associated Press (AP).

Growing vegetables in greenhouses extends crop production seasons in northern latitudes, but the greenhouse environment is far from ideal for providing plants with optimal photosynthetic light. In fact, available photosynthetic daily light in greenhouses can be reduced by up to 50% or more by the structures' glazing material, superstructure, and shading. In northern latitudes, low light is considered the most limiting environmental factor in greenhouse vegetable production.

Audi is presenting its next step in automotive lighting technology at the IAA in Frankfurt. The new Matrix OLED lights enable a previously unattainable level of lighting homogeneity, opening up further creative opportunities for design.

Different types of smart LED lighting solutions have taken the spotlight at lighting exhibitions these years. There has been a heated discussion about whether smart lighting’s entry in the market. Bestselling smart lighting products in China are not necessarily those with the best quality, and are often average quality. The fact that they are manufactured in China also doesn’t excite consumers.

A research team from Beijing Tsing Hua University has made a groundbreaking graphene LED that is capable of color tuning to most colors under the visible spectrum, according to a Phys.org report.

LED package manufacturer Everlight and Japan’s largest LED manufacturer Nichia initiated patent wars in Japan, Taiwan, Germany, U.S. and other countries for the past decade, reported Chinese-language magazine Money Weekly. Nichia is one of the top five global LED manufacturers, and spending largely on patent lawsuits against Everlight.  The reason behind these tactics is patents are the only arsenal left for LED Japanese manufacturers that are falling behind Taiwanese and Chinese counterparts production expansion.