Realizing highly efficient quantum dot LEDs with metallic nanostructures at low cost

KAIST researchers have discovered a technology that enhances the efficiency of Quantum Dot LEDs. Professor Yong-Hoon Cho from the Department of Physics and his team succeeded in improving the efficiency of Quantum Dot (QD) Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) by designing metallic nanostructure substrates. QD LEDs possess very small semiconductor light sources and are considered to be the new rising technology for high performance full-color display. However, it is expensive to manufacture displays with QD LED only.

Time to switch on new lights

When Jason Chroman relocated from San Francisco to the suburbs, he and his family moved into a bigger, newer house. It was all very exciting until their first electric bill arrived. “The house was maybe 30 percent bigger, but the electric bill was something like 200 percent more,” Chroman said. So he started looking around to figure out what could be using so much power. He found the answer when he looked up: “Because it was a new house, it had a lot of recessed lighting, all of which was incandescent.”

Chroman is the vice president of finance at a Silicon Valley start-up called Tubular Labs, so he put his money skills to work at home. The question: Since LED lightbulbs cost more but use less energy, how soon would they pay for themselves? He was surprised to find that because of California’s high energy prices, he could recoup his costs in less than two months.

What Are Samsung’s Micro LED TVs, and How Are They Different from OLED?

At the top of the television market, you have two big players: Samsung and LG. Sure, there are other brands making high-end sets, and competition among budget TVs is fierce and varied. Lately, LG has taken a small lead thanks to its brilliant OLED tech. Samsung has hit back with Quantum Dot screens (and possibly created a bit of intentional market confusion, too), but the pure blacks and vivid colors of LG’s OLED panels are on top at the moment. That might be changing soon, thanks to a new Samsung innovation it’s calling “Micro LED.” The company showed off the brand-new panels at CES 2018, to be featured in new televisions releasing sometime in the future. What makes Micro LED screen panels so cool? Let’s break it down.

VCCs New Surface Mount Thin 7-Segment LED Display Reduces Production Cost

Visual Communications Company (VCC) launching a New Surface Mount Thin 7-segment LED Display Series – Specially designed for an automatic pick-and-place mounting process to reduce production costs. The DSM7T Series is available in 3 colors: red, pure green, and blue all offered with an excellent character appearance and provide aesthetic benefits for designers of medical devices, industrial control devices, and telecom equipment applications.

Available in blue, red and pure green LEDs, these thin numeric displays are ideal for a wide range of applications, including industrial devices, light controls, medical and transportation equipment.

The DSM7T Series displays can be mounted in top-mount or reverse-mount configurations in blue, red and pure green. Their tape and reel configuration make it easier than ever for mass assembly and production.

The series is available in three digit heights: 0.28”, 0.39” and 0.56” and each numeric display is compliant with RoHS and REACH requirements and has earned a dust-protection rating of IP50.

Why the light bulb's invention was more slow burn than bright spark

The light bulb moment in the development of the light bulb was actually a long time coming. Many of us think it was American inventor Thomas Edison who came up with the idea, but he was simply the canniest. He knew how to promote the invention. The idea of an electrical current being used to create light was first demonstrated in the early 1800s, when British scientist Humphry Davy showed what happened when an electrical current was passed between two wires coated in carbon. The light was so intense and so hot that it couldn't be used domestically. But the idea of arc lamps, as they're now called, is still used today in floodlights and street lamps.

188k LEDs shows what you’re feeling

It uses heart rate monitors and skin sensors to track your emotions - and translates it the 188,000 LED bulbs and 110 daylight-bright strip lights on the outside. Getting excited behind the wheel will prompt the lights to flash to show you're having a "thrillseeking moment" that rivals a rollercoaster or a last minute winner for your football team. Pretty easy in a 165mph hot hatch with a special drift mode - but what's the point for regular drivers? Eventually, the technology will be calibrated to help safety - and that's less than a decade away, according to experts.

Get those #hygge vibes with this flickering light bulb that mimics a fire

Walmart sees big energy savings — with LEDs

Walmart has seen some dramatic cost savings as the result of its commitment to LED lighting.
The nation’s largest retailer revealed the results of an extensive lighting program with Current, powered by GE, at the National Retail Federation’s Big Show. As part of its ongoing commitment to energy efficiency, Walmart has now installed more than 1.5 million LED fixtures across more than 6,000 stores, parking lots, distribution centers and corporate offices in 10 countries. The ambitious energy initiative, which has taken place over the past decade, has reduced lighting energy consumption and reduced costs by more than $100 million. The savings are particularly significant because energy costs traditionally represented one of the company’s largest operating expenses.

Energy-efficient LEDs are just a few atoms thick

Scientists have developed energy efficient, ultra-thin light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for next-generation communication technologies.Light sources that reliably convert electrical to optical signals are of fundamental importance to information processing technologies. Energy-efficient and high-speed LEDs that can be integrated onto a microchip and transmit information are one of the key elements in enabling high volume data communication. Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, graphene-like, atomically thin materials, have recently attracted significant interest due to their size (just a few atoms thick), well-defined light emission properties, and their prospects for on-chip integration. While, in recent years, researchers have succeeded in fabricating LEDs based on these materials, realizing efficient light emission has remained a challenge.

Dubai Lamp deal signed for two major Dubai developments

Dubai Municipality has signed two partnership agreements for the use of Dubai Lamp in future projects. Under the agreement, the Dubai Lamp will be used in the Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment (MRHE) and Azizi Developments. The signing ceremony was carried out in the presence of Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality. Khalid Sharif Al Awadhi, assistant director general for environment, health and safety sector signed the agreement on behalf of the municipality while Sami Abdullah Gargash, executive director represented MRHE and Fouad Azizi, deputy general manager, signed on behalf of Azizi.

Vermont bill may target one type of fluorescent lamp for ban

A bill under review by a Vermont House committee would mean lights out for a fluorescent bulb technology hailed when it came out as showing colors well, but since matched or surpassed in that category and easily topped by other products for energy efficiency. Industry lobbyists appeared before the House Energy and Technology Committee on Wednesday, with at least one trying to explain to lawmakers why future sales of the “high-CRI T12 fluorescent bulb” should not be outlawed in the state. But they drew a stiff rebuttal on each point from a committee member who had worked for decades as an electrical contractor. The bulbs, or “lamps” in industry parlance, get the name “high-CRI T12, from two features: They have a high “color-rendering index,” meaning they show colors well, making them popular for use at meat counters, car dealerships and makeup studios.

LEDs to illuminate downtown Schenectady rail bridges

Schenectady Hardware and Electric will install light-emitting diodes on three downtown rail bridges under a $235,211 contract awarded by the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority. LEDs will illuminate pedestrian areas underneath three downtown railway bridges to improve safety. Rail bridges between Broadway and Erie Boulevard and at Green and Front Streets will be illuminated, as will the bridge across State Street. On the State Street Bridge, the LEDs will also provide decorative lighting to the railroad bridge's exterior structure, and are "tunable" to emit a variety of colors, such as red during the Christmas season, said Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen.

Why you should switch to LED lightbulbs right now, before the law requires it

When Jason Chroman relocated from San Francisco to the suburbs, he and his family moved into a bigger, newer house. It was all very exciting until their first electric bill arrived. The house was maybe 30 percent bigger, but the electric bill was something like 200 percent more. The question: Since LED lightbulbs cost more but use less energy, how soon would they pay for themselves? He was surprised to find that because of California’s high energy prices, he could recoup his costs in less than two months. “When I figured out the economics of each bulb, I upgraded all the bulbs in the house,” Chroman said. “It cost me a bundle, but my power bill went down by about half. I was blown away by how much electricity lighting consumes.”

Could LED Bulbs Be Putting Your Health At Risk?

They save money and energy, but are LED light bulbs in and around your home putting your health at risk? Jolanta Benal says the glare from new LED street lamps on her block is so intense she put up blackout curtains. It’s a growing annoyance as more and more towns and municipalities switch from orange sodium lights to longer lasting blue LEDs. But, the glare may actually be the least of our concerns. “There has not been consideration on the human health impacts, and that’s what I strongly object to,” Professor of Medicine Dr. Richard Stevens said.

Improving LEDs with quantum dots

Getting lights to last for longer and remain bright is an important backdrop to furthering the development of many modern technologies. A type of quantum dot could well hold the answer to driving such improvements. Researchers have been studying quantum dots in order to find a low-energy means of reproducing light in every color visible to the human eye and at a very bright luminescence. Given the success of the research, the quantum dots should provide the basis for a new generation of light-emitting diodes. The research comes from an international research team led by ETH Zurich and IBM Research Zurich. At the basis of the technology is a class of nanocrystals that have the ability to shine a range of very bright colors. The nanocrystals are formed from caesium lead halide compounds.

Plessey is not going to mass produced LEDs in the UK

Plessey is to licence its GaN-on-Si lighting led and Gan-on-Si micro-led display intellectual property instead of mass-producing it at its Plymouth fab. It could not attract the investment needed to scale-up production in Plymouth, despite being the only firm in the world that seems to have mastered the cost-cutting silicon-wafer-based technology.

Flashing fake eyelashes fitted with tiny LEDs could be the next high-tech beauty trend, but would you wear them?

From lash-regenerating mascaras to can't-believe-they're-not-real extensions, there are hundreds of products around to enhance eyelashes. Now scientists could be about to beat beauticians at their own game with flashing wireless light emitting diode (LED) false eyelashes. Japanese officials who showcased the green lights at this year's CES tech conference said these strange accessories could be worn in the dark at events such as parties and concerts. The technology, created by Ritsumeikan University and Shiseido Company relies on microwaves to transmit power remotely in a process called 'wireless power feeding.'

Filament LED bulbs that mimic hipster old-school incandescence

LED bulbs provide incredibly low-power light, and can last way longer than incandescent bulbs (though the lighting industry is trying to make LEDs artificially die more quickly, too). They also face an aesthetics issue: Almost every new form of low-power lighting is regarded as less pretty than traditional, old-school bulbs. The one exception is the "filament" LED bulb, which uses little strings of LED to mimic the look of old-fashioned incandescent bulbs one finds in hipster craft-beer saloons. The sales of these are growing rapidly, as Bloomberg reports:

Lettuce supplier installs LEDs to boost yields

Chichester lettuce and herb producer Madestein UK switches to LED toplighting after lengthy trials and visits to European growers. Lettuce and herb supplier Madestein UK has joined other UK salad growers in installing LED toplights in a bid to improve quality, shelf life and yields. The company has been investigating LED grow lights for a long period and carried out several LED trials at its site in Chichester from 2014 to 2017. It became convinced of the benefits of LEDs after trialing Phillips GreenPower LED Toplights and visiting several growers in The Netherlands and Finland.

Global UV LED Market 2016-2017 & 2025: Market is Expected to Grow to US$ 1.3 Billion by 2025

UV LED market is expected to grow US$ 1,311.7 million by 2025 from US$ 178.4 million in 2016. The market for UV LEDs has expanded more than five folds over past decade.

Since then the market has witness dramatic transformation in the technology as well as its adoption patters. Earlier the UV LEDs were restricted to specific application such as curing, counterfeit detection and sterilization. However, over the year UV LEDs have conquered the technical specification to cater to various other applications that includes medical, water treatment and electronic devices.

Key trend that are expected to predominantly influence the market in coming year is evolution of new applications in future. The research and development teams in various companies are working towards further technical development of UV LED in order to cater the next generation industries. The UV lights have widespread application in multiple industries, which also includes agriculture, solar products and food & beverages industry.

However, the implementation of UV LEDs is very limited in these industries, as the present UV LED technology is unable to provide desired results. However, professional across the globe are intensively working towards the development of UV LED technologies that would be even more flexible and reliable, along with being cost effective. This trend is anticipated to drive the demand for UV LEDs in various other novel industries.

Despite Looking Pretty, LED Headlights Aren't Strong Enough

Take a close look at most any new car, especially luxury ones, and you’ll notice the LED headlights are damn near works of art. Screwing in a couple of halogen light bulbs doesn’t cut it anymore. But these new-age lights aren’t necessarily any safer despite shining brighter and farther than ever. Automotive News has an interesting report claiming the nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released four studies that all come to the same conclusion: most headlights on new vehicles tested are not very good.

Osram Spotlights LED and Laser Solutions in Rinspeed’s Latest Concept Vehicle

Osram Opto Semiconductors, a leading lighting and technology company, is the exclusive lighting partner for Rinspeed’s Snap concept car. Rinspeed is well known for its visionary ideas and progressive design. The Swiss-based think tank created Snap for a future defined by autonomous driving and urbanization. The autonomous concept vehicle, which features many of Osram’s LED, laser and optoelectronic sensing solutions from the ultraviolet (UV) and visible to infrared spectrum, will be launched at the 2018 CES Show in Las Vegas. It will be on display during the show in Harman’s exhibit at the Hard Rock Hotel, Jan. 9-12.

As the global number one in automotive lighting, Osram Opto Semiconductors was the natural choice to help the Snap team reach its goal of redefining the automotive experience through the application of advanced technologies and next-generation lighting features.

The advent of autonomous driving and increase in urbanization will radically change how consumers think about and use their cars. In the near future, vehicles will become an extension of our private living space, requiring the same kinds of comfortable lighting options available in our home or office. Car sharing and delivery services will also change dramatically as more self-driving cars are introduced. With these issues in mind, Rinspeed developed a complete and unique eco-system. Rinspeed's Snap includes a detachable "skateboard," containing the drivetrain and most of the IT, which connects to variable "pods."

To give Snap a distinctive look and feel, Osram Opto Semiconductors provided the concept vehicle with human centric lighting, which coordinates the interplay of light, atmosphere and space to enhance the well-being of passengers. Furthermore, using facial recognition technology, powered by a new generation of infrared LEDs, Snap can adapt to the individual requirements of each passenger. Everything from personalized lighting options to preferred temperature to seat position can be adjusted to meet a passenger’s needs. Entering the vehicle becomes even more customized and secure with iris scanning technology, featuring Osram’s infrared LEDs.

Review: Smart LED Light Bulbs

148 Energy Efficient LED Streetlights To Be Installed Around Taj Mahal

Civic body has decided to install LED streetlights at 148 points around Taj Mahal. According to civic body officials, all functional as well as non -functional old high-pressured sodium (HPS) or halogen streetlights in municipal wards around Taj Mahal will be replaced with energy-efficient LED bulbs. The installation work will be done by Energy Efficient Service Limited (ESSL), a joint venture company of PSUs of Union ministry of power. Earlier this year, Agra Municipal Corporation had signed a contract with ESSL for installing LED streetlights in the city.

LEDs to replace tube lights at over 13,000 railway quarters

After installing LEDs at 74 railway stations falling in the Ambala division, the Electrical Engineering Department of the Indian Railways is all set to swap conventional tube lights with LED lights at 13,800 railway quarters and houses falling in the division. The proposal and the estimate cost of the project has been sent to the ministry for further approval and the work will be completed by the end of June next year.

BBMP plans for LED street lights, yet again

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has proposed converting street lights to Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights many times in the last 10 years, but none of those plans were executed. Now the BBMP has come up with a new approach to making it happen. BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad recently explained that the government would in a couple of weeks call out tenders for the work of replacing street lights with LED light bulbs. It is expected to take a couple of years for the project to be completed.

Douglas Coupland to light up Telus Sky Tower with LEDs

Canadian artist Douglas Coupland’s ‘Northern Lights,’ a 14,865-m² (160,000-sf) light-emitting diode (LED) installation on the new Telus Sky Tower, will become Calgary’s biggest public art piece when it debuts in 2019.

Are we using less energy because of LED lighting, or more?

LEDs use a lot less energy per lumen produced; according to IHS Market, a consultancy, LED lighting uses an average of 40 percent less power than fluorescents, and 80 percent less than incandescents, to produce the same amount of light. They determined that "the use of LEDs to illuminate buildings and outdoor spaces reduced the total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of lighting by an estimated 570 million tons in 2017. This reduction is roughly equivalent to shutting down 162 coal-fired power plants." Well, maybe not. Because all IHS Markit appears to be doing is assuming that these companies are replacing inefficient lighting with LEDs. In fact, the evidence is pretty clear that thanks to LEDs we are using more energy than ever.

Fishermen seek ban on fishing with LED lights

Though the Union government has banned the use of LED lights while fishing, it's rampant use in coastal Karnataka is threatening marine ecology killing juvenile fish, thereby jeopardizing the livelihood of traditional fishermen. Concerned with the ban not being implemented in Karnataka's coastal waters, the Nadadoni Fishermen Association of Uttara Kannada has written to the ministry of agriculture to instruct the district administrations of Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada to strictly enforce the ban on LED fishing and bull trawling.

Stefan Diez creates series of "celestial" lamps with seemingly invisible light sources

Stefan Diez has worked with lighting brand Vibia to create a series of glass lamps that feature glowing etched patterns and edges. The Munich-based designer worked with Vibia to develop a lighting collection that explores the light conducting abilities of glass. Each lamp features a strip of concealed LEDs that shine light through a glass diffuser. The conducted light catches the edges of the glass and the patterns etched into it.

LEDs reduce half a billion tons of CO2 emissions in 2017, says IHS Markit

The use of LEDs to illuminate buildings and outdoor spaces reduced the total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of lighting by an estimated 570 million tons in 2017, which is roughly equivalent to shutting down 162 coal-fired power plants, according to IHS Markit. LED lighting uses an average of 40% less power than fluorescents, and 80% less than incandescents, to produce the same amount of light. LED component and lighting companies were responsible for reducing the global carbon footprint by an estimated 1.5% in 2017, and that number is likely to continue to grow as more LEDs are installed around the world.

Municipalities making headway with LED street light replacement

A group of local governments in Aroostook County is moving ahead with a project to cooperatively replace their street lights with high-efficiency LED lights. The move should save municipalities about half or more of what they’re currently paying for streetlights, according to Presque Isle City Manager Martin Puckett, who’s helped spearhead the initiative through the Aroostook Municipal Association. The other communities include Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Fort Kent, Frenchville, Grand Isle, Houlton, Island Falls, Limestone, Madawaska, Mapleton, Mars Hill, St. Agatha and Washburn.

HTC's light bulb can potentially save someone's life

HTC, using some of the technology it employs for the Vive VR headset, has developed a light bulb that can detect when a human has fallen in the room brightened by the bulb. If this occurs, a moving antenna is activated to help determine if the human is alive or dead. The same technology can be used to determine if someone is sitting in one place too long. The Sedentariness Reminder Function will tell people in a room that sitting in one place too long is not healthy. We're not sure how this reminder would be disseminated. Perhaps a notification is sent through an app that is offered with the light bulbs.

New bulbs brighten downtown Silver City

If the sidewalks of historic downtown Silver City seem a little more visible to you lately, there is a reason. In response to comments by visitors to town during the summer and fall, the town opted to switch to brighter and more energy efficient LED bulbs.

“This came as the result of the tourism director we have been working with and questions she asked people visiting town,” said Town Manager Alex Brown. “We got a lot of complaints from tourists saying it was too dark downtown. We started looking to find something brighter but still dark-sky compliant.”

Avondale to replace street lights with energy-efficient LEDs

The Avondale City Council recently approved an energy-savings agreement to replace 8,002 of the city’s street lights with LEDs, a project the city says will save taxpayers over $2.14 million over the next 20 years. Through an agreement with Ameresco, the city will begin replacing its high-pressure sodium fixtures with LEDs, which are expected to reduce the city’s electricity consumption by 3,069 kilowatt hours per year, according to the city. The savings is equivalent to the energy use of 247 households. The project also includes replacing 181 of the city’s streetlight poles. It is expected to be completed by June.

ISSI launches next generation family of matrix FxLED driver ICs

Integrated Silicon Solution, Inc., a leader in advanced memory and analog IC solutions, today announced a family of high performance LED drivers, IS31FL3741 & IS31FL3742 to support LED matrices consisting of 351 & 180 LEDs respectively. With the introduction of these two devices, ISSI expands its FxLED driver family to offer the widest selection of matrix LED driver solutions for gaming, consumer and white goods applications. ISSI's LED matrix architecture provides designers with flexibility in controlling individual LEDs or an array of LEDs resulting in simplified color & dimming adjustment and lighting zone selection for a large array of LEDs.

The IS31FL374x family of matrix LED drivers integrates many advanced features such as a configurable matrix (row/column) architecture, global dimming, individual LED peak current control registers, individual LED PWM control registers, individual LED open/short fault detection; all accessible via a fast 1MHz I2C compatible bus interface. Each LED has its own corresponding control and fault status register to provide individual LED color and dimming effects, de-ghosting and fault reporting for enhanced overall system performance and reliability. LED matrix architectures typically experience a "ghosting effect" where an LED remains dimly ON due to a residual charge in the LED array matrix. The IS31FL374x family eliminates this residual charge and therefore the ghosting effect. In addition LEDs can fail to turn ON due to an LED open or short condition without the knowledge of the system. The IS31FL374x family detects the failed LED condition, stores this in the open or short registers and generates an interrupt to notify the failure LED within the array.

Compared to the traditional LED dimming control, the IS31FL374x family features individual LED peak current adjust called "Dot Correction" to adjust the brightness of the LED in 256 steps. This feature allows the user to adjust the color of LED to get the pure white color and keep 1.6 million levels of PWM dimming. It also allows the user to set different maximum current levels for different zones to get a better brightness balance.

Do bright LED street lights belong in heritage towns?

The downtown of Lunenburg, N.S., has held on to much of its old-time magic of brightly painted businesses lining narrow streets that have changed little since the 1700s. But there is one glaring difference from the days of yore that's not sitting well with resident Anke Holm. She's worried about the growing number of LED street lights in Old Town Lunenburg, which she said cast a harsh, bluish light and ruin the ambience of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Enerlites Introduces Energy-efficient Dimmer Switches

Enerlites, a leading manufacturer of high-quality lighting controls, and wiring devices, is excited to introduce 57302 & 57302-3K: a line of decorator dimmer switches with easy wiring controls. The dimming capabilities of these switches range between 0 -100 %. The switches are compatible with most high-efficiency light bulbs available in the market.

Most LED drivers available in the market for dimmable LEDs pose certain limitations, in terms of control and performance output. “Dimmer switches are used in homes and offices, because they help spruce up the ambiance of the place,” says Greg Reese, National Sales Manager, Enerlites. “Most traditional dimmable LED drivers available in the market offer marginal output up to only 40%, and have complicated wirings. With 57302 & 57302-3K, you can easily achieve 0-100% dimming, and control multiple CFL or LED’s on a single circuit.”

Enerlites 57302 dimmer switches are single pole dimmers, which are designed for 700-watt incandescent/halogen, or 150-watt dimmable LED/CFL, thereby enabling users to control various bulbs on the same circuit easily. Enerlites 57302-3K switches are three-way switches, which have a unique wiring method. These switches make it easier to control load from multiple sources at a single point.

Rail Nilayam glows, fully lit by LEDs

Rail Nilayam, the Zonal Headquarters Office of South Central Railway has become the first fully LED lit HQ on Indian Railways, marking another major milestone in the endeavour towards energy conservation. SCR General Manager Vinod Kumar Yadav appreciated the electrical department for the achievement. The project entailed replacement of 3048 conventional light fittings with energy efficient LED lights

Implantable Mini LEDs Stimulate Colonic Transit

If findings from a mouse study can be replicated in human trials, light-emitting diodes may prove to be an effective method for increasing gastrointestinal transit and treating motility disorders. Researchers in the United States and Australia have shown that LEDs that emit blue light can stimulate colonic contractions and propel feces through the GI tract.

Senior investigator Nick Spencer, PhD, president of the Australasian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society and professor in human physiology at the Flinders University School of Medicine, in South Australia, said optogenetics—the use of light to control living cells—is being explored for stimulation of the central nervous system, among other indications, but has not been applied to the GI tract.

The one drawback to LED lights on your car

One major drawback that both traffic lights and vehicles have experienced with LEDs is their lack of produced heat. While the LED drivers mounted onto vehicle headlamps can produce enough heat that they require cooling fans, little of this energy gets to the lens where it can help to melt snow and ice. Fortunately, the air flow over these lamps helps to keep things clear in the winter. The same certainly cannot be said for tail lamps. Take a look at vehicles ahead of you while driving on snow-covered roads when their tires are kicking up a suitable amount of the white stuff. If those drivers are intelligent enough to have on all of their exterior lights, those vehicles equipped with incandescent bulbs will be showing you a bright clear red lens (unless they’re salt covered), while most of the LED type will be white with snow and almost utterly useless.

Promised HomeKit support for C by GE light bulbs reportedly arriving

GE announced back in May that it would be adding HomeKit support to its C by GE smart light bulbs, initially promising this by the summer, then by the fall. Both seasons came and went without any sign. Engadget reports that HomeKit support is being added to the C-Reach hub for two types of bulb. GE brings Apple HomeKit compatibility to (only white) C-Life and (temperature shifting) C-Sleep smart bulbs via the C-Reach bridge, which lets you use Siri on an iPhone or iPad, at home or away, to create lighting scenes and set up automation.

LEDs Took Half a Billion Tons of Carbon Dioxide From the Sky in 2017

The use of LEDs to illuminate buildings and outdoor spaces reduced the total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of lighting by an estimated 570 million tons in 2017. This reduction is roughly equivalent to shutting down 162 coal-fired power plants, according to IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO), a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions. LED lighting uses an average of 40 percent less power than fluorescents, and 80 percent less than incandescents, to produce the same amount of light.

LED component and lighting companies were responsible for reducing the global carbon (CO2e) footprint by an estimated 1.5 percent in 2017, and that number is likely to continue to grow as more LEDs are installed around the world.

LEDs have other positive environmental benefits, too. For example, LEDs have a longer life span than traditional bulbs and fewer are produced, so the emissions and pollution associated with the production, shipping, sale and disposal of the products is lowered. Secondly, unlike fluorescents, LEDs do not contain mercury. LEDs also decrease air pollution, since most electrical energy is still generated by burning fossil fuels. “While other activities affect climate change more than lighting does, it is still a very strong contribution from a single industry sector,” Fox said.


IHS Markit has tracked the market share for top LED component suppliers for many years. Based on an analysis of this data, Nichia can claim credit for having saved the most carbon overall — accounting for 10 percent of all LED lighting reduction achieved in 2017, which translates into 57 million tons of CO₂ — about the same as 16 coal plants. Cree followed Nichia with 8 percent, while Lumileds, Seoul Semiconductor, MLS, Samsung and LG Innotek each have a share in the range of 4 percent to 7 percent.

Hey California, say farewell to your traditional incandescent light bulbs

They date back to the time of Thomas Edison. They’ve provided decades and decades of warm bright light to our homes and workplaces. And they’re about go bye-bye. Starting Jan. 1, 2018, the humble everyday incandescent light bulb will continue on its long and steady fade into our collective memory. Manufacturers will no longer make the traditional 100-watt bulb and stores will eventually sell out of current supplies. Consumers will have to choose from more efficient bulbs that use no more than 72 watts, including halogen incandescents, compact fluorescents and light-emitting diode, or LED, bulbs.