Cree launches an LED bulb for under $10
The LED chip and component maker has launched a line of low cost LEDs that it thinks could be a game-changer for consumers buying LED bulbs. The cheapest retails for under $10. Read more »
Podcast: Why we need the LED industry
The latest GigaOM Research podcast examines the LED market: why we need it, what the new business models are, and which companies should be watched in the coming months. Read more »
Digital lighting slowly claiming a spot in the Internet of Things
LED lighting companies are embracing new business models that go beyond just the sales of LEDs, bulbs and fixtures, and LEDs are slowing starting to occupy a spot in the widening web of Internet-dependent goods and services. Read more »
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The growth and promise of the LED market
LED production has grown tremendously, accompanied by a significant fall in prices that will further propel the sale of this energy-efficient digital-lighting technology. But challenges remain on the road to widespread adoption. Figuring out ways to use power efficiently for lighting will be crucial for a future when the world’s population will likely be much larger. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
6 technologies that could shape the future of energy
photo: ThinkStock
The future of energy technology can come from surprising places: algae, hot rocks, fireflies and crowdfunding? Here’s a round up of stories this month that show off 6 technologies that could shape the future of energy. Read more »
Fireflies are inspiring brighter LEDs
photo: Courtesy of Art Farmer
The jagged pattern of scales on a firefly’s lantern could inspire brighter and more efficient LEDs, according to a group of scientists that developed an outlayer based on a firefly design that boosts the glow of an LED. Read more »
Home LEDs starting to look more normal
LEDs for our homes are starting to come down and price and look – gasp — like actually normal light bulbs. Philips has a newly designed LED 60-watt incandescent replacement that looks, well, just like a regular light bulb. And that’s a good thing. Read more »
Will the future of shopping be guided by LED lights and smart phones?
Indoor mapping and location services will create a new world of advertising and social networking services, but no technologies have proven the winners yet. A Massachusetts startup has come up with an idea of combining digital lighting with smart phones to make that world a reality. Read more »
IKEA to sell only LEDs by 2016
IKEA says it will only sell LED lighting by 2016, and will give up all other less efficient forms of lighting. The news follows IKEA phasing out incandescent lighting, getting rid of plastic bags, and putting solar panels on its rooftops. Read more »
How to make LED lighting mainstream: make it a service
LED lighting, though, expensive, is supposed to reduce energy use and electric bills for its owner over time. Startup Digital Lumens is looking at doing more than selling its smart LED lighting equipment — it plans to sell it as a service, too. Read more »
How the Nook Simple Touch GlowLight glows: Science!
photo: Barnes & Noble
Back in April, Barnes & Noble one-upped Amazon by introducing the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, taking e-ink reading out of the dark. So how did Barnes & Noble get light evenly across the display? It’s not just technology magic, but science that makes it work. Read more »
Behind the scenes at an LED lighting lab
After raising $230 million in venture capital and developing LED lighting components for a decade, Bridgelux in Livermore, Calif., is making a technology transition to drive down costs. The company is now counting on its partnership with Toshiba to make this transition a success. Read more »
Let there be intelligent light: The case for LEDs
Light is the fastest known phenomenon in the universe, capable of traveling at 186,282 miles per second. The lighting business, by contrast, is one of the slowest industries in the world. Read more »
Barnes & Noble’s new Nook is for reading in the dark
photo: Barnes & Noble
If you are one of the 64 percent of people who read in bed, do you need a dedicated front-lit e-reader? Yes, says Barnes & Noble, so that you don’t disturb that special someone sleeping beside you. Hence the new $139 Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight. Read more at paidContent »
Top Chips! Intel hits a high as our gadgets multiply
photo: Flickr user huangjiahui
Intel has taken the top spot when it comes to semiconductor market share, making 15.6 percent of the overall chips sold in the world, according to IHS iSuppli. This year it made more money on more products — achieving a market share it hasn’t seen since 2001. Read more »
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Tablet market to hit over 377 million units by 2016
Tablets represent the next evolution in the advancement of mobile computing, and by 2015 or 2016, the tablet will begin to replace the laptop and the desktop operating systems market will begin to level off or perhaps decline. Our latest forecast examines these trends in detail. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Switch ships first liquid-cooled LED bulbs to hotels
Switch Lighting’s liquid-cooled LED bulbs are moving a step closer to being commercially available. The startup, which unveiled its bulbs earlier this year, says it has shipped its first batch of bulbs to several hotels, which will test them out and provide the company with feedback. Read more »
Soraa raises $88M for energy saving lighting
Soraa, a three-year-old startup that uses the semiconductor gallium nitride for lighting and laser applications, has raised a round of $88.6 million, according to a filing. Read more »
10 things to be thankful for in greentech this year
As you sit down to your sustainably raised turkey dinner this year, it’s a good time to think about the things that have gone well for greentech in 2011. Yes, there have been clouds for the industry, but there have been quite a few milestones, too. Read more »
Digital light: The remote-controlled Sharp LED bulb
One day lights will be as digital as our cell phones. I was reminded of this coming trend after using Sharp’s remote-controlled LED lightbulb that fits in a standard light socket. Read more »
GE to buy LED tech maker Lightech
GE continues to see a bright spot in LED technology. On the heels of its investment in LED cooling startup Nuventix, GE announced on Monday afternoon that its lighting division, GE Lighting, plans to buy Israeli LED power supply company Lightech. Read more »
A better way to cool LEDs gets attention from GE
GE backs startup Nuventix, which has developed a cooling technology for LEDs and electronics. The tech can help LED-makers cool lights without using a larger fixture size. Read more »
Mitsui Backs Redwood Systems’ Smart Lighting
Mitsui sees the promise of networked, smart, LED lighting. This morning, Redwood Systems announced it has raised $3.5 million from Mitsui’s investment arm. Investment Partner Shin Kodera called the funding “a testament to the impact we believe Redwood’s technology will have on the global business landscape.” Read more »
Switch Shows Off Liquid-Cooled LED Bulb
Formerly called SuperBulbs, Switch Lighting is finally showing off its first set of commercial products, which are liquid-cooled LED bulbs that are meant to replace incandescent bulbs, at the lighting convention Lightfair this week. Read more »
Light Bulbs Move Into the Internet Age
Along with our latest gadgets, cell phones, electrical meters and cars, light bulbs and lighting systems, are increasingly getting embedded with chips, connected to wireless networks and moving into the Internet age. Here are some examples from the annual lighting convention Lightfair this week. Read more »
Philips Unveils Mass Market — But Still Expensive — LED Bulb
Philips has unveiled a 17-watt energy-efficient LED bulb that can replace a 75-watt incandescent bulb, the standard widely used today. However, the bulb will still be expensive, at around $40 to $45 a pop. Read more »
Google Plans to Announce Smart LED Deal With Lighting Science Group
Google is kicking off its big developer’s conference, Google I/O, in San Francisco, this morning, and along with all of the apptastic and Android news that will come out, Google also plans to announce some kind of deal with Lighting Science Group for smart LED systems. Read more »
Facebook Turns to Smart Lighting for Data Center
Facebook’s new data center in Oregon has gotten its fair share of attention for Facebook’s decision to open up the energy efficient design. But here’s another reason to recognize the data center: Facebook has installed a smart lighting system courtesy of startup Redwood Systems. Read more »
Digital Lumens Raises $10M for Smart Lighting
What do you get when you combine computer intelligence, efficient LEDs and industrial buildings?: An idea that investors want to back. Digital Lumens announced that it has raised another $10 million, which will help it expands sales of its technology that combines LEDs with networking software. Read more »
5 Cleantech Trends to Watch in 2011
Clean Edge’s new report lays out five trends that could drive the next decade’s green markets, from those relying on hard, cold economic realities to others susceptible to changing government mandates or consumers preferences. Read more »
Lighting Science Aims to Raise $150M and Join Nasdaq
LED lighting has been moving gradually from niche markets. Now it’s set to gain a brighter profile among investors as well with the planned Nasdaq debut of Lighting Science Group, which plans to sell shares to raise up to $150 million. Read more »
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Opportunities in LED Solid-State Lighting
While light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, have long played a role in consumer electronics and displays, solid-state lighting (SSL) is now emerging as a potential technology for everyday commercial and residential lighting applications. As incandescent light bulbs are phased out because they use too much energy, and concerns over mercury affect sales of compact fluorescent bulbs, SSL is receiving increasing attention from consumers and governments seeking to reduce energy costs and lower their carbon footprint. Once LED costs come down, SSL will have a major impact on the global lighting market. While LEDs themselves are not made with silicon, silicon chips are an integral component of SSL fixtures. Thus, the sector represents a significant market opportunity for chip makers. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
MacBook: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Nothing Blu
As predicted, Apple today introduced two new models of MacBook, featuring all-aluminum cases constructed from a solid block (or “brick”) of aluminum. The new models much more closely resemble their Pro siblings than did the previous white and black plastic MacBooks. The entry-level ($1099) white MacBook […] Read more »
