David Shiller

  In mid-July, Mexico passed China to become the U.S.’s largest trading partner. Experts say Mexico’s gains are due to the U.S. strategy of gradual economic decoupling from China. This trend has is also named “Friendshoring,” where trade moves from China to countries like Mexico, India, Vietnam, and other trade partners with less contentious relationships [...]

  Verozza’s MODULINE Low Voltage Track System excels at combining minimalist appearance with lots of value-added features. MODULINE is a 48V magnetic low-voltage track system that easily integrates general and accent lighting fixtures into a small, modular design. Fixtures attach magnetically into the 1” track for easy installation and design flexibility. The track can be [...]

Despite many predictions of a recession this Summer, the U.S. economy continues to chug along strongly, including consumer spending on luxury items, which typically see reduced demand in a faltering economy. Plastic surgery, motorcycle sales, cruise sales, and expensive concert ticket sales are four examples that are all booming this Summer. Consumer spending is especially [...]

  The IES has released six new standards during the past IES fiscal year. At a high level, three address ultraviolet (UV) sources, one addresses light pollution / sky glow, one is about controls, and one is about daylighting. Here are the six:   ANSI/IES RP-27.1-22 Recommended Practice: Risk Group Classification and Minimization of Photobiological Hazards [...]

  I’ve previously written about China’s gallium export ban not impacting current global gallium supplies here. I’ve also written about the recent 2023 DOE Critical Materials Assessment, here. A deeper look at the Critical Materials Assessment shows the LED industry might be in for a rough ride. The majority of white light LEDs are made [...]

Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have achieved a new milestone in wireless charging. Efficiency had always dropped dramatically as the distance between wireless power transmitter and receive increased. The Aalto researchers, however, achieved 80+% efficiency at a distance of 7” between the transmitter and receiver antennas. To do this, the team developed a new [...]

  HueBlog.com has leaked that Signify’s Philips Hue is planning to release new security cameras, as well as smart contact sensors for doors and windows. The company has not confirmed nor denied either product release. Smart home publications have rumored that Philips Hue will release four smart security cameras, representing a major new product direction. [...]

  In April 2023, the UN announced that India’s population had surpassed China’s, to become the largest in the world. India’s economy is also on a trajectory to surpass the U.S. in the next 50 years. The U.S. is currently the largest global economy with China in the #2 spot. Over the 15 years prior [...]

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has completed an assessment of critical materials for energy. The Energy Act of 2020 defines a “critical material” as: Any non-fuel mineral, element, substance, or material that the Secretary of Energy determines: (i) has a high risk of supply chain disruption; and (ii) serves an essential function in one [...]