David Shiller

  Beijing Betavolt New Energy Technology has announced a compact nuclear coin-sized battery, the BV100, capable of delivering continuous power for up to 50 years without recharging or maintenance, positioning the technology as a potential disruptor in long-duration energy supply for low-power electronics and remote applications. The device, often described as a “nuclear microbattery,” leverages [...]

  Neuroscience-informed design positions illumination as a practical tool for reducing cognitive load, strengthening wayfinding, and giving students greater control over their learning environments. As higher-education institutions focus more closely on student well-being, retention, and academic success, neuroinclusive design is moving beyond its traditional accessibility role. Campus environments are beginning to acknowledge the many ways [...]

  LEDVANCE has received a 2026 German Innovation Award for Elix, an AI-powered companion lighting robot that combines adaptive illumination, robotics and interactive controls. The product won the Excellence in Business-to-Consumer Lighting category at the May awards ceremony in Berlin, following its public debut at Lichtwoche Sauerland and appearance at Light + Building 2026. Elix [...]

  At its inaugural Unify conference in Austin, the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) made a clear strategic statement: it is no longer just a smart home standards body. While Matter remains the Alliance’s flagship technology, the event made plain that the organization is actively broadening its focus to commercial buildings, industrial IoT, energy management, cybersecurity, [...]

  Sleepal AI Lamp is a smart bedside luminaire designed to combine circadian-aware lighting, environmental sensing and contactless sleep analysis in a single consumer product. Positioned at the intersection of connected lighting, wellness technology and smart-home control, the Kickstarter-backed product seeks to replace wearable sleep trackers with a fixed, camera-free bedside device. Rather than relying [...]

  LEDucation 2027 has been expanded to give the lighting industry more education, more connection, and a more focused experience for the specification community. A call for speakers is now open, and a full third day reserved exclusively for designers has been added. LEDucation Call For Speakers LEDucation is accepting proposals for its 2027 educational [...]

  As EV charging programs mature, the industry is placing greater emphasis on equipment that is not just available, but proven to meet utility, interoperability, and program requirements. That is a role now being played by the Electric Power Research Institute’s Vetted Product List, or VPL, which has become an important reference point for utilities, [...]

  July 24th, the American Lighting Association (ALA) published a Tariff Alert summarizing the latest Section 301 Tariffs put in place by the Trump Administration. The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has finalized a new tariff framework under Section 301 targeting 60 trading partners over forced labor enforcement. These new duties take effect immediately and [...]

  New research suggests that light’s effects on sleep and circadian timing depend on the full 24-hour light environment, not just “morning light good, evening light bad.” Using a mathematical model, researchers showed that brighter daytime exposure can make the body more resilient to disruptive evening light, and they generated testable predictions about when light [...]