It's reported that Catalyst Semiconductor has expanded its recently introduced family of large LED video display drivers with the new CAT4008, an 8-channel, constant-current sink LED driver for billboard, marquee, instrument and other large, general-purpose LED displays. The CAT4008 joins Catalyst's CAT4016, 16-channel, constant-current LED driver introduced in October 2007.

The MBI5039 is a 16-channel constant current LED driver with smart error detection functions released by Macroblock. The MBI5039 supports constant output current from 3mA to 90mA and sustains up to 17V at the output ports. In addition, the high clock frequency (30MHz) satisfies the system requirements of high volume data transmission. The MBI5039 includes two error-detection functions: in-message error detection and silent error detection.

It not only cuts cost and weight, but it also boosts battery life by getting rid of the display or touch screen completely. Instead, all functions and displays use LEDs below the translucent surface.

Osram will be giving its LED for use in headlights of a new class of automobiles, the sport utility vehicle or SUV.Osram announced that the Cadillac Escalade Platinum will be the first SUV to feature LED headlights as standard. Osram says its LEDs drive the headlights supplied by Hella. The full function headlights offer low beam, high-beam, daytime running light, position lights and side marker lights. The luxurious automobile will be launched in 2008.

Microsoft has set up a "Home of the Future" exhibition to share their vision of a high-tech home 10 years from now. It involves a mix of software technology, hidden projectors and organic LEDs (light-emitting diodes) that could display information or images on walls and other surfaces; personal devices like smart phones that can control the lights, home security, the television and other devices; and interactive devices and appliances that respond to voice and gestures.

Forge Europa of Ulverston, UK, has introduced a line of LED light strips. The company's strips are either rigid or flexible and can come in a choice of RGB combination or single colors such as cool white, warm white, red, amber, green, and blue. The RGB strips measure 400mm, and the single color strips measure 500mm. The strips have a single connection at one end, and up to four strips can be connected end-to-end for illumination lengths of 1600mm or 2000mm.

On January 17, 2008, Lamina Lighting Incorporated (Lamina) announced that the company's LED lamps will be utilized in an energy efficiency initiative launched by RWE Rhein-Ruhr, the major regional energy company of the RWE Group. The program represents an effort by RWE Rhein-Ruhr to help commercial and residential customers conserve energy and reduce utility bills by replacing their current light sources with Lamina's SōL™ MR16 LED product, the only LED in the world which carries a CO2 offset certification.

A unique LED safety warning lamp with a wide range of applications and features has been released by Australia's leading automotive lighting company, Narva.The 'Sentry' LED strobe is powered by two common 'D' size dry cell batteries providing more than 100 hours of life for this convenient portable warning lamp.

LED traffic signals use about one-tenth of the energy consumed by the traditional incandescent lights.Knoxville is in the process of switching to more environmentally friendly traffic lights that officials say will reduce energy costs.The new LED lights and other such projects will help create a more vibrant Knoxville, said Madeleine Weil, chair of the task force.

 These Star Wars lightsaber lamps are just the thing for geek lighting in your humble abode. They won’t light up a whole room or anything, running on just AAA batteries, but they will emit a subtle LED glow. Just enough for visitors to sense a minor tremor of coolness in the force. They come in your choice of Jedi green and Sith red.

New Option Lighting has developed a solar-powered LED headlamp that is ideal for outdoor activities such as camping, backpacking, hunting, fishing, bicycling, etc. Because consumers are increasingly aware of the environment, this solar LED headlamp fulfills an upsurging interest in green products. In addition to a battery charge indicator, users can also charge a cell phone, iPod or GPS device using either 12VDC or USB Converter accessories also being offered at www.newlite.com

The 「MacBook Air」was introduced on January 14th. At 3 pounds, it's right there with some of the lightest notebooks and 2 pounds less than the current MacBook, though still heavier than the 2-pound Eee PC from Asus. The MacBook Air feels like a big blade in your hand.The MacBook Air will be 0.16 inches thick. The thickness part of the MacBook Air is still thinner than the Sony thin and lights, and will fit into an interoffice letter envelope. It will have a full-size keyboard and display, at 13.3 inches widescreen.

Outdoor architectural fixture, PathMaster, provides energy-efficient illumination of walkways, decks, sidewalks, and landscape areas for normal and emergency use. Each light engine utilizes 3 white LEDs for illumination and can be applied from one to all 4 sides of bollard to optimize path of egress. Solution is fabricated from fiberglass-reinforced polymers, all exposed hardware is stainless steel, and light engines are constructed of die cast aluminum.

Alan recently began installing lighting built from tiny chips, light-emitting diodes or LEDs. They use less power than traditional bulbs, don't have the harmful mercury found in fluorescent lights and can last for 20 years.

Osram Opto Semiconductors of Santa Clara, California USA was presented with Electronic Products’ 2007 Product of the Year Award from Electronic Products magazine for its 1000 lumen Ostar LED for general lighting applications. The award was given in a ceremony held at the company’s North American headquarters in Santa Clara.Osram noted that Electronic Products is one of the top publications serving the electronics original equipment market.

TerraLUX, represented by Cutter Electronics has announced a 600 Lumen LED light bulb upgrade which replaces the standard incandescent bulb in Maglite D cell flashlights. The TLE-300 upgrade fits into and converts a Maglite flashlight with 4, 5 or 6 D cell batteries into a bright LED flashlight. TerraLUX uses three of the latest Luxeon K2 flip chip high powered bright LEDs to make this performance possible.

Taiwan LED Maker Lei Yueh'sLED Belt Light receives the prestigious 2008 iF Product Design Award. The international IF Awards, which are awarded to products on their design based on many criteria, highlights and recognizes the outstanding solution from Lei Yueh LED Belt Light, for 2008. The iF Product Design Award is given to select from total number of 2,771 product entries from 35 different countries this year.

austriamicrosystems expanded its LED driver portfolio with the AS1112, a full color LED driver ideally suited for full color applications such as LED video displays, LCD TV backlighting, indoor/outdoor full-color LED displays and large-size stadium displays.

Austria Microsystems announced that Falk, a leading provider of Portable Navigation Devices (PNDs), has selected the AS3654 Power Management Unit for its latest F-Series, successfully launched in Q4 2007.

Allegro announces a new, high-brightness, adjustable constant current LED driver to complement its existing portfolio of display driver ICs. Targeted at the automotive lighting market, this LED driver is also an excellent fit in industrial and consumer LED applications. This new device is designed to operate over the typical automotive battery and temperature ranges.

It's said that Contrel Technology, Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO) LCD equipment affiliate,  will extend its presence in the LED sector with shipments to Chi Mei Lighting Technology, another CMO LED affiliate, to start in 2H08.Contrel will ship equipment to Chi Mei Lighting in the second half of 2008, though the shipment volume may be small. Corresponding sales contribution is expected to emerge from 2009, they projected. CMO will remain as the largest sales contributor to Contrel in 2008, with an expected sales contribution of over 70%.

The market scale of global lighting market totals US$70 billion every year, including the market scale of the general lighting market valued at about US$40 billion, but the penetration rate of LED products utilized in the lighting market accounts for about 1%, according to Technology Development Association (PIDA).