LEDs: An Update on Studio Lighting

Shuji Nakamura, Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano were the three winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for Physics in 2014. Their work, completed in the early 1990s, was the foundation for the most exciting technology in studio lighting, the blue LED. On the set of the film “Of Fortune and Gold” (now in post production), Gaffer Jacob Abrams handholds a 4x4 frame of light gridcloth to diffuse the intense light coming from the 12K Cinemills LED fixture. After the Blue LED came into being, LEDs suddenly graduated from the thankless and oft-dismissed world of indicator lights into a whole new world as a legitimate luminary. Although our first years with LEDs were filled with 1x1 panels and small onboard lighting fixtures, the past couple of years have seen a rise in legitimate studio lighting fixtures.

Making LED Light Bulbs Less Attractive to Insects

Making LED light bulbs give off less blue light might help protect people from insect-borne diseases, according to a scientist who specializes in the environmental effects of artificial light. The scientist, Travis Longcore, a professor of spatial sciences at the University of Southern California, is working with Royal Philips, a Dutch electronics company, to develop bulbs less attractive to insects. He took experimental Philips LED bulbs whose mix of red, blue, green and white could be “tuned” and tested them against off-the-shelf LEDs and compact fluorescent bulbs — all suspended at night over traps of soapy water in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Cree's LED floodlight gets a price cut

Cree is giving its BR30-shaped LED floodlight a price cut, the North Carolina-based lighting manufacturer announced this week. Originally priced at $20, then lowered to $15, the new second generation of the bulb will now sell at just a few cents shy of $10 per bulb, or $11 for a hotter, whiter, daylight version of the bulb that shines at 5,000 K.

IndyCar shakes up tradition with built-in LEDs that show race position

"The greatest spectacle in racing" is getting a futuristic face lift this year. In addition to a brand new aero package, the high-speed machines of IndyCar will feature LED panels that display each driver's positioning at this year's Indy 500. Even though many tracks feature multiple scoring towers and scoreboards, fans aren't guaranteed to have a clear view of them, and at street or road courses there's no view of the entire course. That can make it difficult to make out which driver is where in the standings, especially when the race leaders are running in lapped traffic.

Adatech launches smart outdoor LED lighting platform with Fara Vela luminaire

Adatech has launched its Fara Vela, an innovative and economic solution for outdoor LED lighting. Due to our patented technology we are able to customize the Fara Vela to get a completely individual product with optimized and homogeneous light distribution. Options such as HD camera, thermal and infrared imaging, radio frequency identification (RFID), motion sensor, Wi-Fi, and GSM server-receiver can all ne integrated into the luminaire - virtually all you see is the luminaire itself. Fara Vela takes actions on its own. These actions can be any combination of lighting events, sounds, pre-recorded, dispatched emails, SMS messages and even phone calls.

Philips Uses LEDs To Guide Shoppers Indoors

Apple’s iBeacon platform is one of the ways that many believe will change the way we do our shopping in stores. Basically for those unfamiliar with the technology, it uses Bluetooth to detect when a customer is nearby, which in turn could prompt them on their phone with announcements such as discounts on a particular food product, and so on. However Philips might have something up their sleeves too with the company’s LED bulbs which can also be used as an indoor navigation system. Recently over in France, a Carrefour supermarket has become the testing ground of Philips’ LED navigation system. How it works is that the LED bulbs can transmit codes via light waves.

Plasmonic nanostructures for enhanced LED efficiency

Due to the important role that they play in solid-state illumination, LEDs represent a promising candidate for next-generation lighting technology. However, confinement—which occurs due to the large difference in refractive index between the semiconductor and the ambient media—leads to severe total internal reflection at the interface, lowering the light extraction efficiency (LEE) of III-nitride LEDs. The light trapped inside of the LED device is eventually reabsorbed, thereby decreasing its efficiency. To achieve high light excitation and output performance, LEE enhancement is crucial.

SolarMax LED provides financial assistance for cities installing LED street lights

SolarMax Technology, Inc. is starting a new LED program in response to President Obama’s “Presidential Challenge for Outdoor Lighting” program that is being administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under the Better Buildings program.

Since outdoor lighting consumes enough energy to power 6 million homes for a year costing cities about $10 billion annually, the challenge was launched to reduce energy consumption by 60% and reduce 40,500 tons of CO₂ emissions per year. Originally, the Obama administration set a goal of working with cities and municipalities to upgrade 500,000 light poles to LED street lights as part of its Better Buildings program. Due to the strong interest in the program since its first announcement in 2011, the administration decided to triple their goal and call for 1.5 million light pole upgrades by May 2016.

Through the Better Buildings Outdoor Lighting Accelerator, the Presidential Challenge for Outdoor Lighting will work with dozens of municipalities to accelerate the adoption and use of efficient LED street lights in order to reduce carbon pollution in communities across the Nation. As a strong supporter of renewable energy and green living, SolarMax Technology has launched a program to assist with this challenge.

Can LEDs Challenge LCDs for Indoor Signage?

Indoor stand alone and video wall displays have been dominated by LCD technology having successfully vanquished CRT and Plasma display options. But now, fine pitch LED in tiled or modular formats under 2mm are in the market today and offer compelling images – even up close. Can LEDs make a chink in the LCD armor? Can OLEDs or light rejecting projection solutions gain a foothold?

Vishay Intertechnology Releases Super Red, Red, Amber, and Yellow Ultra-Bright LEDs

The Optoelectronics group of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. VSH, -0.46% has introduced a new series of super red, red, amber, and yellow ultra-bright LEDs in compact untinted surface-mount packages with dome lenses. Utilizing the latest ultra-bright AllnGaP on Si chip technology, the Vishay Semiconductors VLD.1235.. series delivers the industry’s highest brightness with luminous intensity to 35500 mcd.

With their high brightness and small 2.3 mm by 2.3 mm by 2.8 mm footprints, the LEDs released today are the perfect choice for reliable performance in a wide range of applications, including traffic signals and signs, interior and exterior lighting, and indicators and backlighting for audio and video equipment, visible light barriers, appliances, and industrial equipment.

Available in gullwing and reverse gullwing versions, the devices offer high luminous flux and incorporate larger chip sizes to withstand drive currents up to 70 mA. The LEDs offer a narrow ± 11° angle of half intensity and withstand ESD voltages up to 2 kV in accordance with JESD22-A114-B. The devices are luminous- and color-categorized per packing unit.

RoHS-compliant, halogen-free, and Vishay Green, VLD.1235.. series LEDs are compatible with reflow soldering processes per J-STD-020 and preconditioned according to JEDEC Level 2a.

LED is the new red

Eveready's Give Me Red campaign that dominated the advertising space in the early 1990's, but lost much of its colour subsequently, was introduced about two decades back. It followed the introduction of the red plastic shielded leak-proof batteries which replaced the earlier range of white ones. Now, once again the Eveready brand, which was hitherto identified with dry cell batteries, is regaining its lost colour . And the company is actively branding itself as a portable power and lighting company. In fact, the Kolkata-based company, which has recently launched an aggressive "switch to the brightest LED bulbs" campaign, wants its LED bulbs to be the face of the brand in the coming days. It has already spent close to Rs 9 crore on advertising during the ongoing IPL.

LED renovations and retrofits: Evaluating codes and costs

According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE), LED lighting can have the greatest potential impact on energy savings in the United States. The DOE estimates that widespread use of LEDs could save the equivalent of the annual electrical output of 44 large, 100-MW electric power plants for a total savings of more than $30 billion at today's electric rates. This solid-state lighting technology that uses a semiconductor to convert electricity into light is one of the most energy-efficient and durable lighting technologies today. In fact, LED light sources can be six to seven times more energy efficient than conventional incandescent lights, allowing for significant reductions in energy use.

Samsung innovates further in LED chip packaging to save cost and increase light

Samsung has improved its chip scale LED packages by compacting even smaller to a dimension of 1.2 mm by 1.2 mm, compared to its previous 1.4 mm by 1.4 mm measuring Chip Scale Packaging (CSP) LEDs. Samsung uses CSP to save another packaging process after the actual LED chip manufacturing. While this is saving in production of LED itself, there are other benefits by using CSP LEDs such as lower thermal resistance and high current availability, resulting in high light intensity and improved reliability.

Articulated Computer Lamp Lights up your life

[Samimy] raided his parts bin to build this articulated lamp (YouTube link) for his computer workstation. Two pieces of aluminum angle form the main body of the lamp. Several brackets are used to form two hinges which allow the lamp to be positioned above [Samimy’s] monitor. The light in this case comes from a pair of 4 watt LED bulbs.

Sensor-Laden Light Sockets

How many CEOs of the Internet of Things companies does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Apparently all of them, since every IofT company—from General Electric to Samsung to startups like Sensity—wants to get into your light sockets. Coming off this month’s lighting industry conference, LightFair International, there is nothing hotter in the networking space than the idea of sensor-laden LED bulbs sending back data about stuff like air quality, commuting patterns or whether your dog gets on your sofa when you’re not home.

Edison Opto launches AC LED modules with chip-on-board design

Edison Opto is the first manufacturer to launch chip-on-board (COB) based AC LED modules, releasing the 7W omnidirectional AC COB module, EdWing Series, and the high efficacy driver on board module, DOB Series, respectively. The EdWing Series COB is a 7W omnidirectional AC LED module that can achieve 450 lm, replacing 40W halogen lamps. The EdWing Series provides uniform light distribution with wide beam angle (270°), and there are no obvious dark areas while being applied in lamps. Combined with the AC structure, the COB module helps customers to reduce the circuit problem and the cost of luminaires. It is undoubtedly the most energy efficient and cost saving solution.

Sony plants a Bluetooth speaker in an LED light bulb

What if your light bulb could also play your favorite tune every time you flipped the switch? This is what Sony wants to give its customers with its new LED light bulb speaker. The item was just announced in Japan, and it may be the perfect solution for creating instant ambiance. This 360-lumen bulb has Bluetooth capabilities that allow you to connect it to your smartphone and control it from afar.

Making the switch to LEDs is a bright idea

LEDs or light emitting diodes are environmentally friendly. The light does not emit heat, and they use a fraction of the energy of a traditional light bulb. I spoke with Tom Herstad, owner of Regal Lighting Designs, regallightingdesigns.com. Tom is passionate about LEDs, and the changes in the lighting industry that they represent. He explained that LEDs offer far higher lumens per watt, which means much lower wattage provides the same light. As an example of how much can be saved in energy, think about a chandelier that has six little lamps. Each traditional light bulb will be 30 watts, making 180 watts in all. To get the same amount of light, the LEDs need only be three watts each, so 18 watts in all. That’s a 90-per-cent saving in energy.

Plano lightbulb company shines brightly on Shark Tank

A LED light bulb called ilumi fits into regular fixtures, but comes with a Bluetooth connection built-in. You turn it on, off, change between millions of color choices, and adjust the brightness — all with a smartphone app. Co-creator Swapnil Bora calls it a "total evolution in lighting." After he and friend Corey Egan came up with their 'bright' idea, friends prodded them to go to a local tryout for the ABC reality show Shark Tank.

Philips survey shows misperceptions about LED lighting

A recent survey commissioned by Philips shows that while New Zealand consumers now tend to opt for energy efficient light bulbs over traditional incandescent bulbs, they need more information and encouragement to make the shift from CFL light bulbs to LED for their homes. Philips’ release this month of its latest LED bulb range, with a further reduction in recommended retail prices across the range, provides consumers with another reason to move up the lighting technology curve.

Global packaged LED sales to reach $22 billion by 2019

Strategies Unlimited, which has researched the LED industry for over two decades, has published its latest report investigating the global packaged LED market. The Worldwide Market for LEDs: Market Review and Forecast 2015 analyzes the market for packaged LEDs used in display backlighting, automotive lighting, mobile applications, signs, lighting and other applications; and provides detailed forecasts for many applications used within these sectors.

Navy Moves to LEDs, Saves Fuel & Money

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus recently directed that brighter, longer-lasting and more energy-efficient lighting be installed in U.S. Navy ships under construction as part of a strategy designed to help increase these ships’ time on-station, decrease time spent on maintenance, and prevent shipboard injuries.

Program managers for all new construction ships have been directed to pursue installation of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs). Their reduced drain on the ship’s electrical load, compared to conventional florescent bulbs, translates to increased time between refueling, which means more time on-station.

Philips rolls out LED carpets

The future of flooring might be brighter than you think, if Philips has its way. After a few years spent developing the idea, the Dutch tech company is set to begin shipping and installing LED-enhanced "Luminous Carpets" throughout North America, with an official launch set for this week's Lightfair International trade show in New York City. The notion of carpets outfitted with LEDs is nothing new -- Philips has been working on the concept since 2013, when it partnered with Desso, a high-end European flooring manufacturer, with numerous test roll-outs last year in cities like Venice and Berlin.

LED Notification Cube is a Good First Project

Two years ago, [Matt] made a move away from his software hacks and into the physical world. He was part of a pilot program to provide mentorship to children as part of the Maker Education Initiative. This program gave him access to 3D printers, CNC machines, and laser cutters within the New York Hall of Science makerspace. [Matt] chose to build an illuminated notification cube for his first physical project. The idea being that smart phones have so many alerts, many of which are unimportant. His project would help him to visualize and categorize each alert to better understand its importance.

A 'green' shopping list ranges from LEDs to solar panels

Many of us are not likely to sit down and craft a "green" shopping list. But it's not a bad idea to mull over what you might want or could afford. "Almost every product I have bought in recent years has been purchased to save me energy and money," said Jim Detjen, Knight Professor of Environmental Journalism Emeritus at Michigan State University. Among other things, he and his wife, Connie, have replaced all of their incandescent lightbulbs with either compact fluorescent lightbulbs, or more recently LED bulbs.

IndyCar shakes up tradition with built-in LEDs that show race position

"The greatest spectacle in racing" is getting a futuristic face lift this year. In addition to a brand new aero package, the high-speed machines of IndyCar will feature LED panels that display each driver's positioning at this year's Indy 500. Even though many tracks feature multiple scoring towers and scoreboards, fans aren't guaranteed to have a clear view of them, and at street or road courses there's no view of the entire course. That can make it difficult to make out which driver is where in the standings, especially when the race leaders are running in lapped traffic.

maarten baas + bertjan pot sculpt LEDS clay light series for DHPH

Unique pieces from dutch designers maarten baas and bertjan pot for den herder production (DHPH) where shown during milan design week 2015. the ‘LED clay light’ series showcases a range of luminaires that draw on the creative explorations of both baas and pot. ‘bertjan worked with those fun park- lights before, and I have obviously worked with clay in the past,’ states maarten baas. ‘it was just the most material and formal choice when we decided to do something together. there was not that much of an idea, apart from the fact that bertjan made this angle in the hanging mirror for me to see how much thinner my hear is getting every year…’ baas continues.

Light Gives Us Life But Is Actually a Terrible Business

Without light there is no life. Yet the two biggest companies that allow us to inhabit the hours from dusk to dawn can’t wait to try other businesses. Shareholders of market leader Royal Philips NV vote on whether to spin off the lighting operations. Why? It all comes down to light-emitting diodes. Traditionally Philips, Osram Licht AG and General Electric Co. were the three biggest brands in lighting. Indeed, GE was founded by Thomas Edison, the 19th century lightbulb pioneer. The growth of LEDs has opened the industry up to new competitors, particularly those with expertise in semiconductors such as North Carolina-based Cree Inc. and Samsung Electronics. That’s added to price pressure and eroded market share.

Ketra’s bright idea brings dynamic LED lighting to affluent smart homes

The transition from incandescent light bulbs to LEDs improved home lighting in a number of ways. For one, LEDs are more efficient, so even though the upfront cost is higher, the bulbs last much longer than incandescent and use far less energy. LED bulbs also light up to full intensity almost immediately, they don’t produce much heat, and unlike compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), they’re not sensitive to cold temperatures.

Sounds like a slam dunk in favor of LEDs, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. Far from it, a startup called Ketra is advancing LED technology through dynamic light, which is light that changes in intensity and color temperature based on the time of day or other factors, such as a special occasion or simply consumer preference.

You’ll be able to turn GE’s new LEDs on and off with Siri

Apple’s take on home automation, HomeKit, understandably generated a lot of buzz when it was unveiled last year at last year’s WWDC. HomeKit promises to be an integrated, easy-to-manage solution for iOS users with networked devices — but the wait for approved products has been unexpectedly long. The delay was apparently thanks to a thorough certification process, but it seems the first wave of approved hardware is finally beginning to emerge. In early May, GE took the wraps off new color-changing LED smart bulbs compatible with HomeKit.

GE Lighting jumps in with Apple HomeKit

You can add GE to the list of companies hitching themselves to the launch of Apple HomeKit, with a new HomeKit-enabled smart LED due out by the end of the year. Building on GE's existing brand of Align LEDs, which offer fixed color temperatures aimed at helping you wake up in the morning and wind down in the evening, the new HomeKit-enabled bulb is fully color tunable. That means you'll be able to use your phone to dial the color temperature up from a warm, amber glow to something higher, hotter and more bluish in tone. You'll also be able to automate those changes to happen automatically throughout the day -- an approach that makes a lot more sense than buying separate bulbs with different, fixed color temperatures.

Belkin gets WeMo LEDs onto IFTTT

Belkin's smart bulbs are set to debut a dedicated channel on IFTTT this week, along with a much lower price tag. Originally priced at $30 per bulb, or $100 for a two-bulb starter set featuring the WeMo Link plug-in bridge, the bulbs will now sell for $25 each -- or $50 for the starter set. For now, the new pricing only applies to US shoppers. Currently, the bulbs sell for considerably more in the UK (£25/£80) and Australia (AU$60/AU$180), though Belkin's team tells me that they're working on revamped international pricing, too.

Libraries Make Space For 3-D Printers; Rules Are Sure To Follow

At hundreds of libraries across the U.S., 3-D printers can sometimes be heard whirring in the background, part of an effort to encourage interest in the new technology and foster DIY "maker spaces." In some libraries, officials have begun to set restrictions on the 3-D printers amid concerns about how they'll be used. At the University City Public Library in St. Louis, Patrick Wall recently printed a green plastic sword from the game Minecraft.

Global LED lighting market in Japan to grow at a CAGR of 17.73 percent

TechNavio's analysts forecast the LED Lighting market in Japan to grow at a CAGR of 17.73 percent over the period 2014-2019. The LED Lighting market in Japan can be divided into three application segments including: Automotive LED Lighting, LED Backlighting, and General LED Lighting.

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor diode that emits visible light when voltage is applied. A diode is an electronic component that allows electricity to flow solely in one direction. LEDs were initially used as indicators in different applications. Later, they were used to display numbers in electronic meters and sign boards. Currently, LEDs have penetrated nearly every application that makes use of lighting systems. The control that users have over LEDs in terms of luminescence and power consumption has made them popular in industry applications.

Pay power bill punctually, earn cheaper LEDs

Consumers with zero arrears pending against them will be given LED (light emitting diode) lights at subsidised rates in Lucknow. LED bulb Rs 400 worth will be given at Rs 135 under the Centre`s Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP) and consume 85% less electricity illuminating as much as any other bulb. The scheme will start in Lucknow in a month`s time. Switching over to LED bulbs will cut down electricity bill. A single LED bulb of 7watt can help save Rs 180 in a year. Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration (LESA) is getting ready database of consumers for distribution of LED bulbs at subsidised rates.

Cree LEDs Light 42-Campus Toledo Public School District

Toledo Public Schools in Ohio selected LED lighting by Cree to illuminate the exterior of 42 of its school-district campuses, saving energy compared to its existing metal-halide and high-pressure-sodium alternatives. TPS anticipates that the new Cree LED lighting will help reduce energy consumption  by 2.8 million kWh – equating to $254,000 in annual savings.

It's the end of Perpetual Noon as Cree introduces new LED office lighting fixture

In Perpetual Noon: Fluorescent Lighting and the Modern Office, Margaret Maile writes about lighting design in offices of the sixties: Far from being perceived as a necessary evil, the artificial environment of the mid-century corporate office was praised and celebrated for its stability. Things have changed since then; we no longer design luminous ceilings with wall to wall fluorescents. Architects try to give people a bit of natural light. Suspended ceilings are no longer universal as designers aim for higher ceilings. And most importantly, fluorescent bulbs are being replaced by LEDs.

Levitating lightbulb takes Flyte

Need something to place alongside your levitating Bluetooth speaker? Or just sick of utilitarian lighting solutions anchored down by ghastly wires and fittings? It looks like progress in magnetic levitation, wireless charging and a particular product designer's brain have come together to save the day. Flyte is a globe that hovers freely above its base, offering a unique way to light up a room.

Noesis financing service facilitates Titan LED commercial lighting project deals

Noesis, the tech-enabled lending marketplace for financing energy-saving commercial building improvements, has announced that Titan LED, the leader in advanced LED solutions for commercial building owners, has seen its deal approval rates increase by 40 percent. This increase is due to Noesis’ ability to simplify and facilitate the sales and lending process for its partners and their customers.

An INC 500 recognized company, Titan LED proposes over 7,000 commercial lighting projects per year, leading the industry with proprietary American made products. Signing up with Noesis in the fall of 2014, the company has already closed multiple commercial lighting deals using Noesis; half of which were financed with Noesis and the remainder were closed with the help of Noesis sales tools yet chose to use internal funds for the project.

LED bulbs are now two for 5 dollars

If you’re among the holdouts who cling to their incandescent light bulbs like plastic eggs on Easter morning, you may want to loosen that grip. A new 60-watt equivalent LED bulb from Philips could be what finally convinces you to upgrade your lamps with a tiny dose of the future. There are more capable and longer-lasting LEDs than the new Philips LED A16 bulbs, but you won’t find any that are cheaper. A single bulb, rated for ten years, will set you back $4.97 once they go on sale in May at Home Depot.

LED lights to replace streetlights

LED lights will phase out the existing streetlights across Goa before the year is up, according to Power Minister Milind Naik. The move will render the current lighting woes almost non-existent, and will also reduce the power department’s spending on maintenance and manpower. Presently, Goa has around 1.70 lakh streetlights - sodium, CFL and tubes. Once the switch to LEDs is made, the State will save at least 15 megawatts, or 60 per cent of the electricity consumed by the existing setup. The electricity department will save at least 75 per cent of the total electricity consumed.

Finally, A Real Floating Lightbulb

Simon Morris makes floating objects. He has created everything from sneakers to speakers that hover magically above the ground, using magnets. But his ultimate dream was to create a floating light source without using batteries. Now, with Flyte, he's turned his wish into reality. Harnessing the wireless power discovered by scientist Nikola Tesla and the magnetic levitation powering Morris's other creations, his team has designed a subtle and stylish floating lightbulb, whose wood base is made from sustainably sourced ash, oak, and walnut.

LED lighting to replace old bulbs in Rutland Town

In a bid to save thousands of dollars in annual energy costs, Rutland Town is preparing to swap its outdated street lights for light-emitting diode, or LED, bulbs. Joseph Zingale Jr., Rutland Town administrator, said all 83 of the town’s old streetlight bulbs will be replaced with new LEDs, saving the town an estimated $4,000 in energy costs in the first year of use.