If you're the person at a party who likes to be noticed, then donning a pair of sunglasses which react to sound may be just what you've always wanted. Such a thing now exists, at least in prototype form, with DropShades taking the Kanye West-style shutter shades design and adding multi-colored LED lights to the equation.

DropShades are regular shutter shades with some basic tech added to make them dance. A microphone picks up sound (which, at a party, is likely to be loud music) and a signal processor translates that sound into a pulsing cascade of lights across the front of the sunglasses. This has the effect of turning your face into a walking graphic equalizer.

The creators of DropShades currently have a working prototype and have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds necessary to bring the glasses to market. A pair of DropShades will set you back US$30, but shipping is currently limited to the US and Canada.

The video below features the Kickstarter pitch for DropShades, with the prototype being tested at parties. (By Gizmag)


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The article, Mona Lisa’s Newest Secret: Looking Lovely Under LED Lights, published 4th June in businessweek.com, reveals that journalists at The Louvre were offered the opportunity to see the first glimpse of the famous portrait illuminated by new LED technology. It comes as part of a multi-year contract with Toshiba Lighting and Technology, which began fitting museums around the world with LED lights in 2010.

Over the centuries, layers of varnish have been added to the painting to preserve it, however this has led to yellowing of the skin. Vincent Delieuvin, Curator of the Louvre’s 16th-Century Italian Paintings Department explained that “Thanks to new lighting, we now have a better idea of the painting hidden behind the varnish.”

The news comes as incandescent bulbs around the world are being phased out. Having been heavily involved within the LED industry for a number of years, the team at Simple Lighting have witnessed a significant growth in the industry, as well as a growing diversity in the range of applications of light emitting diodes. As such, the latest news was of great interest to the team and a representative from the firm shares their thoughts on the matter.

“This news simply serves to prove the restorative qualities of LEDs. Those looking for wall or picture lights would be well advised to opt for LEDs over typical incandescent bulbs to protect their paintings. They are also safer in general, being less likely to break, and running cool, eliminating the risk of burnt fingers.

“Those looking for family friendly, high quality and affordable lights can browse through our collection which offers something for all rooms.”

Established in 2009, Simple Lighting Company aims to provide high quality lighting at some of the most competitive prices on the web. The company has grown considerably in recent years and supplies over 4000 products, specialising in LED lighting, LED tape lights, LED strip lights as well as indoor and outdoor lighting. Simple Lighting Company considers customer service its priority, regularly adding new products to the website. (By PRWeb)


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In 4th June 2013 evening, San’an Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. announce that the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary Lightera Corporation fund $ 22 million make an acquisition that 100% equity interest of U.S. Luminus Devices, Inc., in accordance with the current exchange rate, the amount of investment over hundred million RMB.

Tokyo, June 3, 2013 - (JCN Newswire) - The National Federation of Agricultural Co-operative Associations (JA ZEN-NOH) and Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) reached an agreement in July 2012 to jointly promote the solar power business by using the rooftops of facilities owned by farmers around the country and JA group's shared facilities. The partners subsequently established the joint venture, "JAMC Solar Energy Company (JAMC Solar)", in October 2012 to oversee the implementation of the system.

JAMC Solar will hold a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of developments at ZEN-NOH Iwate's facility on June 5th In Hanamaki, Iwate. This is the first project to be implemented by JAMC Solar. The system will be installed on the rooftops of ZEN-NOH Iwate's rice warehouses, with plans to start selling electricity to Tohoku Electric Power Company from this September. With a generation capacity of 799 kW, this is the largest installation among those set up on the rooftops of agricultural facilities, sufficient to supply the equivalent of about 130 households.

Since its establishment, JAMC Solar has been promoting these projects all over Japan, and some 80 sites, roughly 30MW of capacity, have been eligible for the feed-in tariff since 2012. This first project marks the start of JAMC Solar's efforts to develop further projects in this area.

In addition to targeting livestock barns and warehouses for developing this installation method, JAMC will expand its potential locations to other unused non-farm lands, thereby raising its potential generation capacity by an additional 90MW during the course of this year. JAMC has also designated the period from April to June as their main promotion period, during which the main focus will be to identify appropriate locations for additional facilities.

The JA group agreed at their 26th National Convention held last October to fully promote the introduction of renewable energy at agricultural facilities. By implementing this decision, JA ZEN-NOH will support the revitalization of local community while reinforcing their agricultural business infrastructure. MC will take advantage of the broad experience and networks it has obtained through involvement in the PV business. The project is yet another example of MC's efforts towards creating sustainable economic, societal and environmental value, one of the main tenets of its New Strategic Direction, released in May. (By Stockhouse)


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Although active-matrix organic light-emitting-diode (AMOLED) televisions headlined last month’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), shipments of these high-end panels will remain limited in the coming years, according to the IHS iSuppli OLED and Emerging Display Service at information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS).

Shipments of AMOLED TV panels are expected to climb to 1.7 million units in 2015, up from 1,600 in 2013, as presented in the attached figure. While the jump in shipments is large, the total number of AMOLED panels by that time remains negligible compared to the vast number of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels being shipped. The figure shown presents data on shipments of AMOLED TV display panels, not of AMOLED TVs themselves.

“CES featured AMOLED TVs from leading manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Panasonic and Sony, generating major excitement at the event,” said Vinita Jakhanwal, director for small & medium displays at IHS. “But despite ongoing efforts among these companies to achieve mass production and lower cost via various technology options, it is unlikely that most of the AMOLED TV prototypes announced at CES will be available in the market this year. The limited availability and high pricing of AMOLED TVs will restrict their shipments during the next few years.”

The only AMOLED TV likely to ship this year will be LG’s 55-inch flat Full HD model, the 55EM9700.

AMOLED bonanza at CES

Staking competing claims to be the first and largest in the world, 56-inch 4K AMOLED TV prototypes were each shown by Panasonic and Sony at the Las Vegas event. The sets boasted four times—hence, 4K—the resolution of current 1080p televisions. For the 4K OLED samples, both manufacturers used oxide thin-film-transistor (TFT) backplanes, which present lower manufacturing costs than low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) backplanes.

Panasonic used the printing method on its 4K AMOLED TV, a simpler printing technology, making OLED production adaptable for a wider range of display sizes. In contrast, Sony used evaporation technology to deposit organic material in its top-emitting White OLED structure with a color filter.

The panel was provided by AUO of Taiwan, which at the show also introduced its own 32-inch oxide TFT backplane with White OLED structure TV. Sony’s emission technology optimizes the OLED structure, which helps achieve better light management, enhances color purity and achieves higher contrast at lower power consumption levels.

Using different technological approaches, Sony and Panasonic were both able to make ultra-high-definition (UHD) 56-inch displays that reached 79 pixels per inch—twice the density of 55-inch full high-definition (FHD) displays used in the OLED TVs from LG and Samsung.

For their part, Samsung and LG showed off 55-inch 3-D, FHD sets with AMOLED technology, coinciding with news that LG’s FHD TV will be available on the market by the first quarter this year. LG’s AMOLED TV utilized oxide TFT backplanes and the White OLED evaporation method, as it did in a prototype presented last year, eliminating the need for fine metal mask technology in OLED production.

White OLED provides an easier way to mass-produce OLED panels

Samsung, in contrast, used the LTPS TFT backplane and the RGB OLED evaporation method in its AMOLED TV prototype, similar likewise to what it did last year. Mainly applied in small- and medium-sized displays, sets with LTPS TFT backplanes and RGB OLED evaporation exhibit improved OLED performance, it is generally agreed. But with low yields and high costs, Samsung may find it difficult to launch AMOLED TVs in 2013 using these technologies.

Both Samsung and LG also unveiled their own curved 55-inch AMOLED TV prototypes at CES, with the sets boasting a 4-meter radius of curvature and Full HD resolution. Meanwhile, the success of Samsung and LG in implementing a large-sized curved OLED was thought to be a meaningful achievement in the display industry. However, both still face challenges with mass production, and market availability of curved OLED TVs is not a near-term possibility.

Yield improvement and cost reduction remain barriers

Also at CES, LG announced that its 55-inch Full-HD AMOLED TV will be available in the international market within a couple of months at a price of $12,000. LG has already started receiving preorders in its native South Korea, and the company claims it will start mass-producing the world’s first 55-inch OLED TV soon. While OLED TV makers all hope to become the acknowledged industry and technology leaders in their space, more improvements in technology, material and manufacturing appear to be needed in order to bring AMOLED TVs to the market.

In addition to technical and large-volume manufacturing challenges, OLED TVs also already face an uphill task of competing on prices with lower-priced, higher-resolution 4K LCD and even Full-HD LCD TVs. By the time AMOLED TV production achieves efficiencies in large-scale production, LCD TVs would have had an opportunity to become even more competitive in price and performance.

With still many challenges to be addressed despite many prototypes at CES, consumers are likely to wait a few more years before they buy their AMOLED TVs, IHS believes. (By Global LEDs/OLEDs)


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EVERETT, Wash. - Boeing has begun final assembly of the first 787-9 Dreamliner. The newest member of the 787 family began taking shape on schedule May 30 in Everett, Wash., when Boeing started joining large sections of the super-efficient jet.

"From the start, the entire 787-9 team has focused relentlessly on execution so that we fulfill the commitments to our customers," said Mark Jenks, vice president, 787 Airplane Development, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "Integrating the 787-9 into our production system on time is another clear sign that we are well prepared and well positioned for the work ahead."

Boeing's global partners delivered the first 787-9 sections to final assembly on or ahead of schedule, and strong progress continues beyond, with major assembly under way on the other flight-test airplanes. "The dedication, quality and skill of our partners are helping drive our disciplined performance," said Jenks.

Boeing will build the first three 787-9s on its Temporary Surge Line in Everett to allow for smoother integration of the 787-9 into the production system while continuing to ramp up production across the 787 program.

The 787-9 will complement and extend the 787 family, offering airlines the ability to grow routes opened with the 787-8. With the fuselage stretched by 20 feet (6 meters), the 787-9 will carry 40 more passengers an additional 300 nautical miles (555 kilometers) while using 20 percent less fuel than similarly sized airplanes. The 787-9 leverages the visionary design of the 787-8, offering the features passengers prefer such as large, dimmable windows, large stow bins, modern LED lighting, higher humidity, a lower cabin altitude, cleaner air and a smoother ride.

The vertical stabilizer on this 787-9 reflects the new Boeing Commercial Airplanes livery, a refreshed look for the Boeing family of airplanes that started with the 747-8 and evolved with the 737 MAX. Many features of the livery on the original 787 are reflected in the new design. The prominent number designator on the tail helps distinguish various models within the same product family.

First flight of the 787-9 is scheduled for the second half of 2013, with first delivery to launch customer Air New Zealand set for early 2014. 20 customers around the world have ordered 355 787-9s, accounting for 40 percent of all 787 orders. (By eTurboNews)


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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is continuing what has become a two-year quest to develop a new Energy Star lamps specification to replace the prior Compact Fluorescent Lamps and Integral LED Lamps specifications. The agency recently released draft 4 of the V1.0 spec with a reduction in the beam-uniformity requirements in omni-directional lamps, updated flicker definitions and requirements, and a message that said the agency considered and declined to act on a coalition of stakeholders' request to lower efficacy requirements on high-CRI lamps.

In the area of omni-directional beam distribution, the EPA continued down a path of relaxing requirements. The agency said it has taken the action because existing incandescent lamps don’t meet the tighter specification in earlier drafts and that consumer expectations don't align with the tighter specs. Moreover, the agency said the new draft will provide more choices of Energy Star products for consumers.

Several drafts back, the specification required uniformity to within 20% from the top of the lamp (considered 0°) down to 135° toward the base of the lamp. Remember that the DOE L Prize requirements were for 10% uniformity over 0-150°. Draft 4 allows a 25% variance from 0-135°, and states that only 90% of the values measured at 5° increments must meet the requirement. Some lamps makers that have developed compliant product with prior drafts believe that the EPA is bowing to pressure from other makers who have struggled to deliver compliant products.

Efficacy requirements

The EPA decided to leave the efficacy requirements for all lamps unchanged relative to draft 3. Back in January, a coalition of companies, lighting designers, and researchers had asked the EPA to lower efficacy requirements slightly in products that had a 90 CRI or above. The theory was that many specifiers would only use 90 CRI lamps. But manufacturing a lamp to 90 CRI that could also meet the efficacy requirements was a challenge that could actually slow the adoption of more-efficient LED-based lighting because of higher prices. The group argued that Energy Star recognized products at slightly lower efficacy could conversely hasten the transition to LED lamps and increase aggregate savings.

The EPA says that it carefully considered the stakeholders' request for a relaxation of efficacy requirements by 5-10 lm/W, but decided against such a change. The new draft notes that products currently on the Energy Star qualified products list and listed in the US Department of Energy (DOE) Lighting Facts program do in fact deliver on the efficacy requirements in 90 CRI flavors. The EPA did say that it was still inviting stakeholder comments on the matter.

Other changes

In the area of flicker, the new draft states that all dimmable lamps must have a waveform periodic frequency of 120 Hz or more. Lamps that have a frequency in the 120-800-Hz range must have a flicker index of 0.001 times the frequency. The new draft includes a refined definition of the flicker index.

There are a number of other less significant components in the new draft. The Lamps Specification Version 1.0 website includes a link to the full spec, a summary of the changes, and also a link to an archived webinar where the EPA presented the changes in draft 4.

Looking forward, the EPA has said it is considering some other key additions. For example, it plans to address the trend of lamps that include wireless networks such as ZigBee, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth. Those lamps consume small amounts of power, even when the light source itself is off, so that the lamps can respond to a remote control. The agency also plans to continue refining metrics for dimming performance. (By LEDs Magazine)


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Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, two Korean companies that are leading the world's television market, appear to be in a forced race to churn out sets fitted with organic light emitting displays, but experts believe the competition will soon become meaningless.

"The technology simply will not stretch that far to make it affordable for the mass consumer market," said one display expert, declining to be identified.

He figured that at most, the two companies would each sell 100 units once Samsung launched its sets later this year as it has said.

Each company claims to have the lead in OLED TVs despite experts being sceptical of whether OLED will really set new standards in display technology, mostly because they seem impossibly expensive for screens that are larger than phones, tablets and cameras.

LG has already started to ship its flagship 55-inch flat models that sport a price tag of more than US$1,000 (S$1,260). It is now taking orders for curved OLED TVs. LG Electronics was the first to showcase such sets to the world.

"Samsung doesn't want to be in this game. It knows that OLED TVs are not the answer. For LG too, it knows there's no money coming from OLED TVs, but it has to compete and beat Samsung, so that's the rationale behind their rivalry in this segment," the industry expert added.

Whether these TVs will become competitive in overseas markets is another problematic issue.

"I'm not sure whether Samsung will ship OLED this year to Europe. It would confuse the 4K2K message to do so. Samsung's presentation at IFA GPC seemed to be very carefully thought through," Paul Gray, head of the European TV segment at DisplaySearch, told The Korea Herald.

He said OLED was not expected to endure, adding that LG Electronics' shipments were "scarcely 100" in the first quarter.

In comparison, DisplaySearch forecast the global market for Ultra HD TVs to grow to see worldwide shipments reaching 3.9 million units next year.

By 2015, the shipments are expected to hit 6.88 million to further grow to 9.87 million in 2016. For this year, it sees shipments at around 930,000.

Ultra HD TVs are four times sharper than full HD TVs and cheaper than those with OLED displays.

Samsung recently unveiled an 85-inch Ultra HD TV - the world's first - and is now set to release 55-inch and 65-inch models next month, all at "reasonable and affordable prices," according to Kim Hyun-seok, Samsung Electronics' head of the TV division.

The upside of OLED is that it's rated to be up to 1,000 times faster than the conventional LED-backlit LCD panels, is superior to plasma screens that are fast dying in the market, devoid of blur, detailed and energy saving.

The downside is the price and the low manufacturing yield, not to mention that there is currently almost no content that is compatible with the high-end colour range offered by OLED TVs. (By AsiaOne)


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Recently, Sydney's Harbour Birdge was lit up as a part of the city's annual Vivid Sydney festival — which see many of the city's landmarks shod in rainbow hues. But the Bridge took things a step further than other displays around the city by giving the public a chance to choose the colors shown in the installation.

The light display on the bridge — which is visible only on the western side of the structure — can be controlled by the public in real time using a large touchscreen placed on the shoreline nearby. The control app, built by Sydney's 32 Hundred Lighting production company, works a bit like finger painting on a massive tablet, allowing users to color the bridge in a spectrum of hues. According to 32 Hundred Lighting, the art project was made using 100,800 LEDs. That, along with the interactive element, outdoes the San Francisco Bay Bridge light sculpture, which is less colorful, uses just 25,000 LEDs, and features no public control. The Sydney installation is visible and interactive nightly, from 6pm to midnight, until June 10, which is when the Intel sponsored festival ends. (By The Verge)


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Japan's National Broadcasting Corporation, NHK, reckons OLED displays don't last long enough. And they have a point, because OLED pixels that are exposed to the air can lose half of their brightness in just 100 days. Commercial products are of course protected from the elements, but they're not perfect. This is where iOLED comes in. NHK inverts the anode and cathode layers in traditional OLED configurations, hence the added "i", and then adds an additional protective coating above the cathode. The result is a display that retains its brightness even when not fully sealed from the environment. Hopefully, this sort of solution will make its way into OLED TVs by the time OLED TVs are actually affordable, but in the meantime we're expecting to hear more about NHK's technology (and maybe see it in action) at Display Week later this month. (By Engadget)


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