David Shiller

  Apartment conversion projects surged across the U.S. in 2024, characterized by both the volume and pace of adaptive reuse—where underperforming properties are redeveloped into multifamily residential units. According to a new RentCafe report, nearly 25,000 apartments were completed through adaptive reuse in 2024, representing a 50% increase compared to 2023 and double 2022’s output. [...]

  A large-scale study by Flinders University analyzed over 13 million hours of light exposure data from 88,905 people aged 40 and older, revealing that bright light at night significantly increases the risk of heart failure and heart attack. Those exposed to the highest levels of nighttime light (measured in lux) had a 56% greater [...]

  Researchers at Xiamen University have demonstrated that adopting a hexagonal mesa structure significantly enhances the performance of indium gallium nitride (InGaN) micro green light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Published in Optics Express (Vol. 33, p. 42747, 2025), the study details how optimizing the geometric design of micro-LED mesas addresses current uniformity challenges and improves optoelectronic efficiency, [...]

  US Lighting Trends recently published an interesting article about why lighting reps keep increasing the number of manufacturers that they represent on their line cards. The article was written by Geoffrey Marlow of Marlow Advisory Group. Lighting representatives today often carry over a hundred product lines, a notable increase from past decades, reflecting a [...]

  I had the pleasure of interviewing Collen Harper, the CEO and Executive Director of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). SHILLER: IES’s announcement, two weeks ago, that it would provide shared admin and management services to the Audio Engineering Society (AES) is a very clever and creative tactic to address the IES’s financial challenges. I [...]

  Alloy LED has introduced ThermaLine™ 3 as an IP67-rated tape light engineered to perform in high-temperature environments that traditional LEDs can’t survive for long. Fully encased in heat-resistant silicone and equipped with premium gold contact points for superior conductivity and corrosion resistance, ThermaLine 3 ensures long-term reliability and optimal performance for steam rooms, saunas, [...]

  2025’s holiday shopping season will mark a turning point in retail, driven by AI shopping agents. “Cyborg Monday,” a term coined to reflect this AI-infused evolution of Cyber Monday, highlights the fusion of human customer intent with machine decision-making. Instead of shoppers individually browsing online stores, AI agents—from chatbots and personal digital assistants to [...]

  A major breakthrough in targeted cancer treatment utilizes an innovative therapy of light-activated molecules to destroy malignant cells, while leaving normal skin tissue intact. The study centers on a new photodynamic therapy (PDT) approach that employs microscopic flakes of tin, called “SnOx nanoflakes,” in which “Sn” refers to the chemical symbol for tin. These [...]

  China’s tightening of rare earth export controls, this month, has intensified global supply chain concerns with specific repercussions for the lighting industry. Beijing’s Ministry of Commerce expanded its rare earth export list, adding five new elements for a total of twelve. The new regulations extend beyond raw materials, also covering refining technologies, equipment, and [...]