Sylvania debuts retro-style HomeKit A19 filament bulbs

HomeKit-connected smart lights are easy to find these days, but there are still opportunities to make specific bulb types smarter. Sylvania is doing just that with its new Smart+ Soft White A19 Filament Bulb, the first HomeKit-connected filament bulb to hit the market. These retro-style bulbs can be controlled and automated with Siri and Apple’s Home app thanks to HomeKit compatibility. Each bulb is dimmable with brightness rated at 650 lumens with soft white 2700K color temperature. That compares to Philips Hue White LEDs at 840 lumens and Sylvania Soft White A19 LEDs at 800 lumens. The brightness is a bit duller, but that’s the trade-off for the retro look.

Sylvania unveils smart lighting sytems at UAE summit

Sylvania Middle East, one of the leaders in intelligent lighting systems, unveiled its range of cutting edge smart lighting solutions at the LightingTech Abu Dhabi 2017 Summit held recently. The LightingTech Abu Dhabi Summit brought together leading project owners, developers, design architects, planners and lighting innovators who discussed at length about the upoming industry trends, planned projects and ways to meet requirements for energy efficiency and quality standards.  At the summit, Sylvania showcased its innovative lighting solutions including the new SylSmart platform. These have been built using the latest state-of-the-art IoT technologies such as distributed intelligence, advanced sensors, interoperable Bluetooth Mesh communications, cloud based software services and mobile application interfaces, said a top official.

Festively lighting Winnipeg with LEDs makes cents

Winnipeg has always embraced Christmas, decking the downtown in festive lights. But what is the cost of all that shimmer and shine?A lot less than it used to be. The City of Winnipeg uses LED rope lighting for all of its 600-plus holiday fixtures, which illuminate 7.6 kilometres of Portage Avenue and Main Street. The light-emitting diodes draw far less energy than the old bulbs — 188,818 lamps, to be exact.

Add LEDs to your Christmas or birthday cards

Domestic rare earths eyed to make LEDs

Researchers, lawmakers and businesses are hoping to use rare earths in deep waters near the coast of Japan to produce LEDs, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. Both the public and private sectors are aiming to jointly develop LED products in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Rare earths are highly concentrated in the deep seabed mud at a depth of over 5,000 meters off Minami-Torishima island, Japan’s easternmost territory in the Ogasawara Islands. Its reserves are predicted to cover 200 years or more of domestic demand.

Cree launches first XD-family packaged LEDs based on the NX platform

Cree has announced the XLamp XD16 packaged LEDs with the XD prefix indicating that the product is part of a new Extreme Density family of LEDs. The LED is based on the NX LED technology platform and Cee said it delivers lumen density of 284 lm/mm2. The XD family is essentially Cree’s answer to the chip-scale package (CSP) LED trend that essentially has a footprint that is the same size as the LED chip. Cree had announced the NX technology platform back in April with few details and had originally suggested that the components would be commercially available by the end of the summer. Clearly it took a bit longer for the company to deliver the XD family.

eLux Granted Patent Covering Micro LED Fluidic Assembly

eLux announced that the U.S. Patent Office has issued in early December US Patent No. 9,825,202 titled “Display with Surface Mount Emissive Elements”. This is the first issued eLux patent which covers the foundational work done on massively parallel fluidic assembly of µLEDs to make high resolution displays. The µLED display technology covered by this patent and 11 other filings currently in progress has the potential to revolutionize the display industry. The inorganic µLED display will have a wider color gamut, higher efficiency and better reliability compared with competing OLED technology.

Star Trek Tabletop Lamp

A new lamp from The Bradford Exchange Online will be of interest to Star Trek fans.
The limited-edition Star Trek Tabletop Lamp with Illuminated Transporter Base features Kirk, Spock, and McCoy in the process of transporting from the transporter room. The lamp is sixteen inches high and the shade, which features the USS Enterprise, is ten inches in diameter. There is a Starfleet delta finial on top of the lamp.

LED Market The Brightest Spot in a Difficult Economy

Kwality Photonics has put India on the global LED map by setting up an ultra-modern fully-automatic LED plant with a capacity of a billion LEDs per year. The company has high brand equity in the domestic market. Last year LED business in India contributed to 54% of total Lighting sale and it is expected by end of 2017, this will be more than 70%.  This in spite of fact that the industry faced issues like Demonetization, GST, E-waste rules, MEITY CRO scheme etc which disrupted the sales from time to time.

Las Vegas’ Plaza Hotel and Casino Makes the Switch to LEDs

The Plaza Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is the first in downtown Las Vegas to make the switch from cold cathode lamps to energy efficient LED sign lamps. According to the news release, this change provides a more traditional, warm lighting effect throughout the Main Street walkway and North Tower waterfall. The LED lamps, installed by local lighting company YESCO, mimic the true color and look of the iconic incandescent lightbulbs used years ago. The lights will replace the cold cathode lamps that were installed during the property’s 2011 renovation. At the time, cold cathode lamps helped to save energy, but their look sacrificed aesthetics. The LED lighting offers the opportunity to achieve both energy efficiency and a warm atmosphere.

World's first remote-controlled vinyl record with flashing LEDs launched

Glowing Plants Engineered With Firefly Protein Could Be Your Next Desk Lamp

What if you could read a book by the glowing light of a plant? Engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are making that a reality. Specialized nanoparticles embedded into the leaves of a watercress plant cause a dim light to glow from the plant for nearly four hours. The light from one 4-inch watercress seedling is about one-thousandth the amount needed to read by, but further optimization can improve how much light is emitted and for how long. Eventually, the plant could function as a desk lamp which you don’t have to plug in, according to chemical engineering professor at MIT and senior paper author Michael Strano.

Lunenburg resident cites LED health concerns

A Lunenburg resident is fed up with the town’s latest LED street lights, and she’s urging town council to deal with what she considers a growing health hazard and eyesore. Anke Holm delivered her eight-page presentation at the town’s last regular council meeting in late November. Citing several sources including the American Medical Association, the report raised concerns from the quality of the “cold blue/white light” to the unsettling glare it produces.

Optronics Expands Its High-Style Next-Gen Opti-Brite LED Headlamp Series

Optronics International, a manufacturer and supplier of heavy-duty LED vehicle lighting, broadened its Opti-Brite LED Headlamp family today with the introduction of its new five-by-seven-inch, combination high- and low-beam headlamp. Like the other headlamps in the Opti-Brite Headlamp Series, the new lamps are designed with a unique retroflective LED light beam technology that enables them to project an optimized beam pattern conducive to superior driver comfort and performance. The lamps also feature the Opti-Brite’s signature LED conspicuity array that sets the lamps apart from all other LED headlamps on the road.

At the heart of Opti-Brite LED Headlamps are their rear-oriented LEDs. The LEDs face backward, toward metallic parabolic reflectors that are precision-engineered to create superior high- and low-beam photometric characteristics. But the most striking feature is their stunning LED conspicuity arrays located in the center of their lens.

The new headlamps are engineered to accommodate from 9- to 33-volt electrical systems and have an expected service life of 30,000 hours, 15 to 30 times that of halogen and HID headlamps. Opti-Brite LED Headlamps are the only ones in the industry to carry Optronics’ no-hassle, one-diode lifetime warranty protection, which will replace the lamp if even one diode fails.

UA Sport Wireless Flex earbuds use LEDs to keep runners safe

Under Armour has teamed up with JBL to launch the UA Sport Wireless Flex, a pair of Bluetooth earbuds designed specifically for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. The UA Sport Wireless Flex feature a Flex Zone neckband, enabling the user to adjust the fit so that it best meets their needs. In addition to the adjustable neckband, the UA Sport Wireless Flex has fast charging that enables users to get a full hour of playback after only five minutes on the charger. In addition to fast charging, the UA Sport Wireless Flex have embedded LEDs as part of a feature the maker calls RunSafe.

CC-E to install LED gym lights

Clay Central-Everly School District will be replacing its high school gym lights with new LED bulbs to save on energy costs. The CC-E School Board decided the bulb type the school would use, but put off the bid decision at Monday's meeting. The lower energy cost will pay for the new bulbs in a couple of years. The project will cost the school between an estimated $3,000 to $5,000, with the money coming out of the capital projects fund.

Jonsbo Launches Ribbed UMX5 Mid Tower Case With RGB LEDs

Jonsbo, a Shenzhen based case manufacturer founded in 2010 has unleashed a new stylish flagship mid tower called the UMX5. The new case measures 507mm x 224mm x 485mm and is constructed of a steel frame wrapped in anodized aluminum-magnesium alloy and tempered glass. The front 1/3 or so of the left side panel is overlaid by a honeycomb pattern that can be illuminated by a RGB LED. Front I/O includes the usual two USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, and two audio jacks as well as a button to change the LEDs color scheme or to turn them off completely.

Can snow-encrusted LED stoplights be fixed?

After a series of close calls on on Minnesota 36 in Oak Park Heights, the Minnesota Department of Transportation is investigating ways to keep snow and ice off the lenses of energy-efficient traffic lights. MnDOT installed the LEDs as part of the new St. Croix River bridge project. Because the lights don’t emit much — if any — heat, ice and snow can accumulate. Drivers couldn’t see red lights on eastbound Minnesota 36 at Washington Avenue/Norell Avenue, Oakgreen Avenue/Greeley Street and Osgood Avenue, said Police Chief Brian DeRosier. One serious accident was reported, as were a number of “near-misses,” he said.

Rule the Dark Side with these Star Wars lamps

Star Wars may take place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but the latest film comes out a short time from now in our galaxy – specifically December 15th. And unlike last year’s Rogue One spinoff, The Last Jedi is part of the primary Star Wars series. That’s right, BB-8, Kylo Ren, and all of your favorite sequel trilogy characters are back for another rollicking adventure, and you can jump in on the excitement with these Star Wars 3D Mega Lamps.

Building constructed around lamp post in Belgium

Passers-by in the Belgian town of Keerbergen have been asking "Is this modern art?" after seeing a building slowly envelop a street lamp. But the architect, who wants to remain unnamed, says it is his "creative solution" to authorities taking over two years to move the post, the VRT TV network reports. "Of course I saw that there was a lighting pole on the lot, I am not blind," he said. Amid quips that "the occupants of the top floor won't have to buy a night light", he insists he hasn't made a mistake with his plans. "We could not wait, the administrative sluggishness of the municipality in this case has been shocking," he said.

China LED Market Forecast to Hit $24 Billion by 2024

By 2024, China’s LED lighting market is forecasted to reach $24 Billion. With the growth of China’s economy, demand for energy efficient LED lighting is also rising. China’s lighting industry has experienced growth and the country has become a leading world lighting consumer and producer for the last 20 years.

The mounting consumer demand for energy-efficient lighting systems, decreasing prices of LED, and high penetration of LED as a light source in the general lighting market are expected to drive the growth of the product. LED lighting has gone from a costly product outside the cost-conscious sweet-spot of Chinese buyers to a value-adding solutions, gaining market share and realizing sustainable growth. China’s lighting market is experiencing shifts from conventional lighting to LED technology.

Collaborative German project to deliver power UV LEDs by 2020

Last February was launched “UV Power”, a collaborative project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), bringing together five German research institutes and companies to deliver high-power UV LEDs. As well as replacing conventional UV light sources, which often contain toxic mercury, in areas such as production, disinfection, the environment, life sciences and medicine, the UV LEDs are also likely to open up new areas of application.

As part of “Advanced UV for Life”, a consortium of research institutes and companies funded under the federal “Zwanzig20” program, "UV Power" project coordinator Osram Opto Semiconductors is working with four partners, the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik (FBH), the Technical University of Berlin, LayTec AG and UVphototonics NT GmbH.

Cree Launches Industry’s First Extreme Density LED

Cree, Inc. announces the commercial availability of the XLamp XD16 LED, the industry’s first Extreme Density LED, which delivers up to 5 ½ times higher lumen density than Cree’s previous generation of high power LEDs. Built on Cree’s groundbreaking NX Technology Platform, the XD16 LED combines breakthrough lumen density, low optical cross-talk, unsurpassed thermal contact and ease of system manufacturing to enable innovative new designs for a broad spectrum of lighting applications, such as color-tuning, street, portable and industrial.

The XLamp XD16 LED delivers a lumen density of more than 284 lumens per square-millimeter, which is the highest level achieved by a commercially available lighting-class LED. The ceramic-based XD16 LED utilizes the proven XQ footprint and successfully addresses challenges with luminaire manufacturing, thermal design, optical design and reliability faced by competing LEDs. For example, the XD16 LED reduces system-level optical loss by up to three times versus competing technologies when LEDs are placed close together on a board. This improvement translates into fewer wasted lumens and higher efficacy for lighting products.

FretX LED learning sleeve for guitar

The basic idea of an LED learning system is to light the way to guitar playing basics, by showing students where to put fretting fingers to form chords or play songs, and most importantly – when. There are a few setups that embed the LEDs in the neck itself, but what if you already own a guitar and don't want to invest in a new axe? That's where LED sleeves come in, allowing learners to wrap a follow-me learning system around the neck and get stuck in. We've seen a few concepts come and go, but FretX has actually made it into production. New Atlas recently slid a FretX under some strings and got our strum on.

Fight blue light emissions of white LEDs with new colour sensor

LEDs, and especially those that produce white light, are great for lighting applications. They consume little power in comparison to incandescent lightbulbs and it is easy to create nice colour effects with them. To produce white light a white LED often generates blue light and filters it with yellow or orange phosphor. Unfortunately, blue-light wavelengths appear to have important health effects such as disruption of the circadian rhythm, accelerated eye aging, and eye strain. The AS7264N tri-stimulus colour sensor by ams can measure blue-light wavelengths accurately, and is therefore suitable for human-centric lighting. The sensor’s on-wafer silicon interference filters create spectral channels that match the CIE 1931 XYZ standard observer model while two additional filters allow accurate measurements of blue light intensities at the 440 nm and 490 nm wavelengths.

Light up your house with LEDs, and other tips to slash your electric bill

Replacing your incandescent and florescent bulbs with LED lights can trim the amount of power your home consumes. A 60-watt equivalent LED light, for example, might only use 6.5 to 8.5 watts for comparable lumens — not to mention LEDs can last considerably longer, which saves you even more money. Sure, LED bulbs cost more, but consider this: without any sales or rebates, a 4-pack of Philips LED A19 bulbs costs about $8, or $2 per 8.5-watt bulb, which consumes 1/7th the electricity of a 60-watt bulb. Lifespan is more than 10 years, says Philips, while some of its other bulbs should last more than 20 years.

At 13% CAGR, LED Lighting Market Trends Will Hit USD 54.28 Billion by 2022: Zion Market Research

Zion Market Research has published a new report titled “LED lighting Market for Residential, Architectural and Outdoor Applications: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 2016 - 2022”. According to the report, the global LED lighting market size accounted for USD 26.09 billion in 2016 and is expected to reach USD 54.28 Billion by 2022, growing at a CAGR of around 13% between 2017 and 2022.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are lighting sources for general lighting applications with ten times as efficient as compared to incandescent lighting. Such attribute combined with their long working life and reliability has made them the suitable choice for next generation of lighting systems including emergency, backlight, automotive, indoor and outdoor. To ensure accurate operation and to control the light intensity, LEDs need an efficient driver, normally implemented by power electronics-based conversion stages to match the LED characteristics with the AC grid voltage and to generate a controllable and high-quality light.


Residential application segment dominated the LED lighting market and accounted over 40% of market share of in 2016. Residential applications for LED lighting include lighting for bathrooms, hallways, dining rooms and kitchens. Increasing use of LED lighting for outdoor application such as roadways, traffic lights, tunnels, parking lots, and garages is expected to provide significant growth opportunities to this market in coming years. The architectural application includes both functional and decorative lighting. Decorative LEDs are used to light up pools, gardens, fountains, and statues. The functional application includes landscaping and building facades.

Ahwatukee streetlights going LED next summer

Ahwatukee’s streetlights are going LED next summer. The Phoenix Street Transportation Department and its contractor, Ameresco, has scheduled Ahwatukee’s lights for conversion from Aug. 20 to Sept. 28 as part of a plan that began being implemented this week. “We’ve set big sustainability goals for the city and converting to LED streetlights brings up one step closer to meeting them,” said Mayor Greg Stanton. “Saving tax payer dollars and cutting energy costs in our city makes us a more attractive place to live and do business.” 

100,000 Dazzling LEDs Shine At St. Matthew Lutheran Church

St. Matthew Lutheran Church is lit up for the holidays. The 100,000-LED display that has attracted crowds by the carload is once again illuminating the church off Route 22. It is set to holiday music. This year features new additions including 16 reindeer "prancing throughout the campus" and three 20-foot tall "mega trees" in front of a community garden, according to Jim Kurtz, who arranged the display with St Matthew Pastor Blaise Sedney and 500 volunteers.

Minneapolis' iconic Grain Belt sign will light up again Dec. 30

One of Minneapolis’ most recognizable signs, the giant Grain Belt Beer bottle cap, will finally shine bright again on Dec. 30. And you can help bring the relic back to life by purchasing one of the LED light bulbs. In a Facebook post, the August Schell Brewing Co. (which owns the landmark alongside the Hennepin Avenue bridge) said: “If you are interested in being a part of the action, we will be offering a limited number of commemorative packages in which you can buy a bulb! Along with a certificate stating which letter you helped to restore, you will also receive a T-shirt and porcelain Grain Belt sign.”

New LED system now lights the state capitol

(Foto: Krupo)

Iowa’s Golden Dome has a different kind of glow after sundown. The high-pressure sodium lights that cast an orange tint on the state capitol at night are gone. A new LED system is in place, courtesy of Oskaloosa-based Musco Sports Lighting. Jim Berns, Musco’s international engineering manager, was at the capitol tonight. LED lighting is cheaper and Berns said it will cut the electric costs for “light-scaping” the capitol “by about two-thirds.”

LED street lights planned for all of Lafayette

Energy-efficient and longer-lasting LED street lights may eventually be burning through most of Lafayette. A section of Jefferson Street in downtown Lafayette was fitted in October with LED — light emitting diode — bulbs and new lamps, according to Terry Huval, Lafayette Utilities System director. "Now we're looking at the entire rest of the city," he said.

Richmond mayor worries about light pollution as LEDs shine bright

You've probably heard of noise pollution - but light pollution? It's something that Richmond Mayor Tom Butt is worried about. "They're not annoyances," he said. "They're things that can really have a physical effect you and sometimes serious." Mayor Butt says there are too many artificial lights in the city that are way too bright. They're mostly the new LED fixtures with no shielding.

LG Innotek claims first 100mW UV-C LED

Seoul-based materials and component manufacturer LG Innotek (a subsidiary of South Korean electronics company LG Group) has developed what is claimed to be the first 100mW UV-C LED, two years ahead of the industry forecast of 2020. The firm unveiled the first 70mw UV-C LED for sterilization applications only in February. Emitting ultraviolet light with short wavelengths of 200-280nm (deep UV), UV-C LEDs are used in sterilizing and hardening devices due to their ability to destroy bacterial DNA and cause chemical reactions with special materials. LG Innotek’s UV-C LED emits in the range of 278nm.

City Hall brightening more Sioux Falls streets with brighter LED bulbs

If Sioux Falls streets seem brighter to you, it’s because they are – some of them anyway. The Sioux Falls Light and Power Division is continuing to chip away at a to-do list nearly 20,000 items long — swapping out yellow colored high-sodium street light bulbs with new, brighter light-emitting diode (LED) lamps. It's an endeavor expected to take at least a decade but bring major electric savings to City Hall.

Ushio America, Inc. Announces the Acquisition of Zylight LLC

Ushio America, Inc. announced the acquisition of Zylight LLC, a manufacturer of innovative lighting products for the entertainment production industry. Zylight LLC was founded in 2003 by James and Charles Collias with a simple mission to build the best and most innovative lighting solutions for the entertainment production industry. Zylight’s products are designed to merge form and function to deliver rugged, reliable, and integrated lighting solutions worldwide. Numerous domestic and international industry awards have kept the Zylight name in the forefront of LED innovation, along with unique wireless integration, and other patented technologies.

Hong Kong’s iconic neon lights are slowly fading away

Hong Kong was once filled with mesmerizing sights full of neon signs on its streets.   Bright signs were everywhere and even if you found yourself standing outside standard places like banks, they were hard to miss. To be fair, nights in Hong Kong are still filled with lights – of a different kind. Its once ubiquitous neon stars are dimming thanks to technological advancement and safety concerns.  LEDs have taken over and while they’re easier to install and keep, they lack the unique beauty of thousands of neon lights on the darkest of nights.

GE Smart Bulbs Get Alexa, Google Assistant Support

General Electric, more commonly recognized as simply GE, has been making accessible and affordable smart light bulbs in the past couple of years, and for the most part, they've been decent and straightforward products. When unveiling the C by GE light bulbs, GE focused on affordability — as they communicated with the smartphone via Bluetooth, there was no need for a bridge peripheral. But while that kept costs down, it also disabled the bulbs from supporting any kind of voice assistants, and it meant that users who wanted voice commands had to switch to models that supported hands-free control.

Samsung to unveil Micro LED TV at CES: Report

Samsung Electronics is reportedly planning to unveil a Micro LED TV at the Consumer Electronics Show next year. According to ZDNet Korea, the top of the line TV will be 150 inches. It will be commercialised sometime next year after the unveiling at Las Vegas, the report added. Making LED smaller is difficult. Micro LED displays have LEDs smaller than 100 micrometres, with each LED chip acting as a pixel. If realised, Micro LED displays will consume less power and won't have burn-in problems like OLED. If a plastic substrate is used, it can also be used for flexible displays.

GE hub connects its smart lights to Alexa and Google

When GE introduced its latest C-series smart light bulbs, the focus was on affordability -- as they talked directly to your phone through Bluetooth, you didn't need a bridge device. That kept them out of touch of voice assistants, however, which meant replacing the whole lot if you wanted hands-free control. Well, you won't have to rethink your investment from now on: GE has introduced a hub, the C-Reach, that puts its bulbs on WiFi to enable support for Amazon's Alexa and (by the end of 2017) Google Assistant.

Can Boron Increase The Efficiency Of LEDs?

Using predictive atomistic calculations and high-performance supercomputers at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), researchers Logan Williams and Emmanouil Kioupakis at the University of Michigan found that incorporating the element boron into the widely used InGaN material can keep electrons from becoming too crowded in LEDs, making the material more efficient at producing light. Their paper 'BInGaN alloys nearly lattice-matched to GaN for high-power high-efficiency visible LEDs' was published this month in Applied Physics Letters.

LEDs for 25,000 streetlights in Mumbai by March

Currently, 37,045 street lights are operated by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking; 97,347 by Reliance and 12,000 by Maharashtra State Electricity Board. Despite a political controversy surrounding the installation of light emitting diodes (LEDs), the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has prepared a policy to convert all streetlights across the city to LED. The first phase includes conversion of 20% of streetlights, 25,000, to LED. The BJP-led government at the Centre has been aggressively promoting LEDs for streetlights as well as for households, claiming significant energy savings while the Shiv Sena has been objecting to the move.

Energy-saving LEDs boost light pollution worldwide

They were supposed to bring about an energy revolution—but the popularity of LED lights is driving an increase in light pollution worldwide, with dire consequences for human and animal health, researchers said Wednesday. The study in the journal Science Advances is based on satellite data showing that the Earth's night is getting brighter, and artificially lit outdoor surfaces grew at a pace of 2.2 percent per year from 2012 to 2016. Experts say that's a problem because nighttime lights are known to disrupt our body clocks and raise the risks of cancer, diabetes and depression.

Magbulb Magnetic Lightbulb Socket Hits Kickstarter

Magbulb has created a new lightbulb adapter which converts the screw thread or bayonet on E26\27 into a magnetic connection. Allowing you to easily and quickly replace broken bulbs or swap out a bulb to a different style or version depending on your needs. Magbulb takes the form of a unique plastic adapter consisting of two parts one that is screwed onto the lamp holder and the other that is attached to the lightbulb providing a magnetic connection. Watch the demonstration video below to learn more about the Magbulb.

This $10 Clamp Lamp Is a Lifesaver for Small-Space Dwellers

Traditionally used to illuminate construction sites, a clamp lamp (or a "clamp light") is designed to direct light to where you need it and stay put once positioned, a no-frills fixture that aims to deliver maximum utility at the lowest possible cost. You’ve no doubt seen them in your local hardware store. But clamp lamps are just as useful around the house when you need a light but there's no place to put one, or when you simply don't want to get into hardwiring: Attach them to shelves, surfaces, ladders, headboards—anything the clamp can fit around securely. Prices vary based on size, but a basic model will run you between $6 and $18.

Now glam up your smartphone for a party with Lightup+ mod

Alcatel's newest offering has, quite literally, a party trick in the form of a bundled LED cover (they call it Lightup +) that houses 35 RGB LEDs. This is a snap-on back cover that replaces the standard plastic back. It does add a little bit of thickness to the phone but its not overbearing or very noticable. The LEDs can light up in different patterns, react to music, be set to inform you about notifications/calls and you can even set individual light shows for important contacts (or groups of contacts). The LEDs are bright without being too distracting but they're also quite visible from across the room. In particular, we liked the flames effect — if you place the phone with the LEDs facing a wall, it actually does look like firelight.

The global high-brightness LED market size to reach USD 27.28 billion by 2024

The global high-brightness LED market size to reach USD 27.28 billion by 2024 and is driven by the rise in the consumer need for resource efficient and low energy lighting solutions. The market was dominated by North America and Asia Pacific together accounting for 62% of the revenue share in 2016.

High-brightness LEDs are semiconductor-based devices which exhibit superior luminosity as compared to traditional LEDs due to the higher current levels and power dissipation. Increasing trend of providing more brightness to improve clarity is expected to augment the growth of the market over the projected period.

Increasing demand for HB LEDs in numerous application segments including automotive, television, smartphones, general lighting, and signs owing to their lower energy consumption and superior brightness is expected to drive the demand. Rising consumer awareness regarding the benefits of using HB LED such as lower power consumption and superior brightness for residential as well as commercial applications are expected to bolster growth.

Demand for these lighting solutions was highest in consumer electronics including laptops, TV backlight and smartphones to provide superior luminescence even in dark lighting conditions. The segment accounted for 56.3% of the market share in 2016 and is expected to continue its dominant trend over the projected period. Increasing consumption of HB LEDs in 4K TVs coupled with the growing sales of these products is anticipated to drive the market over the next few years.

Automotive is expected to exhibit the fastest growth over the forecast period at a 10.2% CAGR from 2017 to 2024. Although LEDs have penetrated the automotive market, HB LEDs are increasingly used as a safety measure for visibility along with reducing the power consumption. Increasing production of automobiles is expected to propel the sales of these lighting solutions over the next few years.

Apple Patent Found in Europe Details work on Future Product Displays using micro-LEDs with Quantum Dot Technology

Patently Apple discovered a patent filing in the World Intellectual Property Organizations (WIPO) database from Apple. This is an acquired invention from LuxVue, a leader in micro-LED technology. The patent reveals new micro-LEDs using Quantum Dot technology. This is an area of great interest to Apple who recently acquired InVisage, a leader in Quantum Dot technology with over 100 patents related to photography and video under QuantumFilm along with technology for Quantum Dot Image Sensors that could be used in future iDevice cameras. 

GE is breaking up with the light bulb, its most iconic accomplishment

General Electric is getting rid of the light bulb, the most iconic product of GE's 125-year existence. Unveiling GE's roadmap, new CEO John Flannery said that the company would focus on its health, power and aviation businesses. Lighting didn't make the cut to be part of GE's future. The news itself isn't a shock: The company said in July that it was looking to sell its lighting business. Lighting is by far GE's smallest division, making up just under 2% of the company's overall revenue. And light bulb sales have fallen 66% so far this year.

BlinkWheel's tuneful sequence is controlled by flashing LEDs

Hackspace tinkerer Koka Nikoladze has built an impressive electromechanical monophonic step sequencer called the BlinkWheel. The looped sounds are triggered when a rotating arm comes into contact with LEDs spaced out around the upper disc. A sound can be added to the sequence by popping a new LED into an available slot, or removed by simply lifting it out again.

Making More Sustainable LEDs With Reusable Materials

The rise of LED lightbulbs has been driven in large part by their environmental credentials, and rightly so. LEDs consume a fraction of the power used by traditional incandescent bulbs and have exceptional longevity, lasting up to 25,000 hours. Most of an LED’s environmental impact (around 98 percent) is incurred during its use. Factors such as longevity and efficiency present the greatest opportunity for LED manufacturers to improve the environmental impact of their products. After that, the biggest influencing factor -- the "greenness" of the power source itself -- is out of manufacturers’ hands.

Koogeek LB1 Wi-Fi Smart LED Bulb

Koogeek has introduced its new HomeKit enabled Wi-Fi Smart LED Light Bulb that can be easily connected to a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network without a hub or bridge. It works with Apple HomeKit technology and provides an easy, secure way to turn your connected light on or off, set light colors, or adjust light brightness and saturation through Siri voice control on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch.