LONDON (AP) ? An airplane-obsessed farmer, a freelance archaeologist and a team of excavators are heading to the Myanmar city of Yangon on Saturday to find a nearly forgotten stash of British fighter planes thought to be carefully buried beneath the former capital's airfield.
The venture, backed with a million-dollar guarantee from a Belarusian videogame company, could uncover dozens of Spitfire aircraft locked underground by American engineers at the end of World War II.
"We could easily double the number of Spitfires that are still known to exist," said 63-year-old David Cundall, the farmer and private pilot who has spent nearly two decades pursuing the theory that a batch of the famous fighter planes was buried, in pristine condition, in wooden crates in a riverbed at the end of an airport runway.
"In the Spitfire world it will be similar to finding Tutankhamen's tomb," he told reporters Friday, ahead of his flight.
Not everyone is as convinced. Even at the conference, freelance archaeologist Andy Brockman acknowledged that it was "entirely possible" that all the team would find was a mass of corroded metal and rusty aircraft parts ? if it found anything at all.
But Cundall said eyewitness testimony ? from British and American veterans as well as elderly local residents of Myanmar ? coupled with survey data, aerial pictures, and ground radar soundings left him in no doubt that the planes were down there. And others not involved in the trip have expressed cautious optimism.
"There is a high percentage chance that something is buried there," said Charles Heyman, who edits the reference book, "The Armed Forces of the United Kingdom." Heyman said it wasn't unusual for British forces to leave behind high-grade equipment in former war zones - even in recent conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Spitfire remains the U.K.'s most famous combat aircraft, its reputation cemented by the Battle of Britain, when the fast-moving, sleek-looking single-seater aircraft helped beat back waves of German bombers. Britain built a total of some 20,000 Spitfires, although the dawn of the jet age at the end of World War II meant that the propeller-driven planes quickly became obsolete.
Many were written off as the British war effort wound down, but why a batch of Spitfires would have been boxed and buried, as opposed to scrapped and dumped, remains the biggest question hanging over the project.
Cundall, who has long scoured crash sites to recover buried aircraft, said he first heard of the Myanmar theory from a fellow plane hunter Jim Pearce, who was at a party in Jacksonville, Florida, when two American veterans approached him with an unusual story. The men said they had worked as engineers in what was then known as Burma when they were tasked with carving out a large pit burial pit for the aircraft.
"It was the craziest thing you Brits asked us to do," Cundall quoted the men as saying.
Cundall said he believed the story immediately. Advertisements seeking more information were placed in magazines with names like FlyPast and Warbirds, and soon other witnesses came forward.
One, a British veteran named Stanley Coomb, described driving along the air field's perimeter while engineers lowered huge wooden boxes ? described as the size of double-decker buses ? into a pit. Radar soundings appeared to show large, plane-sized objects lurking roughly 25 feet (8 meters) below the surface, Cundall said.
But finding the site was just half the battle. Cundall said it took 17 years of lobbying to get permission to dig in Myanmar, a task complicated by European sanctions against the country's authoritarian government, and, more recently, its tentative steps toward democracy. Cundall beat out other groups in an effort to win exclusive rights to the dig, finally signing an agreement in early October.
Along the way he found an unlikely ally, a Belarusian company called Wargaming.net best known for its multiplayer titles including "World of Warplanes" and "World of Tanks." The company's American director of special projects, Tracy Spaight, said he got his company involved after hearing about the Spitfires in the news, promising $500,000 toward the dig and up to another $500,000 if the Spitfires were found.
Company spokesman Frazer Nash batted away repeated questions about what the video game maker in the country known as Europe's last dictatorship hoped to get out of the deal, saying the company had an "open bucket" to dispense cash if the dig was a success.
"Money's not an issue," he told journalists. "Have you seen the profits for gaming?"
The reporters seemed mollified.
"Can I have a job?" one asked.
The Spitfires ? if any are ever found ? would be divided between the Myanmar government, in line for about half the total, a local company, which would get another 20 percent, and Cundall, who would get roughly a third. The Myanmar government might decide to sell its planes, Cundall said, although he promised that his share would be coming back to the U.K., "where they belong."
"It was a tool of war, but I want to make it a tool of friendship to bring Myanmar and Britain closer together." Also, he said, "I would love to fly one!"
After a last round of television interviews at the hotel Friday, Cundall slipped a jacket over his black Wargaming.net T-shirt and rubbed his hands together against the cold, casting his mind to his upcoming trip, and the moment of truth.
"Only a matter of time now before we start digging and find out: 'What's in the box?'" he said.
In this photo provided by Miraflores Presidential Press Office, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez speaks during a cabinet meeting at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Nov. 8, 2012.
By Reuters
CARACAS - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is still suffering a "severe" respiratory infection that has hindered his breathing as he struggles to recover from cancer surgery in Cuba, the government said on Thursday.
The 58-year-old socialist leader has not been seen in public nor heard from in more than three weeks. Officials say he is in delicate condition after his fourth operation in just 18 months for an undisclosed form of cancer in his pelvic area.
"Comandante Chavez has faced complications as a result of a severe lung infection," Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said in the latest official update on the president's condition.
"This infection has caused a breathing insufficiency that requires Comandante Chavez to comply strictly with medical treatment," the communique added, giving no further details.
Vice President Nicolas Maduro had earlier returned to Venezuela on Thursday after visiting Chavez in hospital as rumors swirled that the president could be close to death.
Flanked by senior government figures including Diosdado Cabello, the head of the National Assembly, Maduro toured a coffee production plant in Caracas - the type of visit that the president made frequently before he fell ill.
"He is conscious of the battle that he's in, and has the same fighting spirit as always, with the same strength and energy as always, with his confidence and security," Maduro said. "We're going to be alongside him with the same strength and the same energy."
Maduro said Cabello, Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez and Chavez's elder brother Adan, among others, had all been with the president in the Havana hospital.
Presidencia / AFP - Getty Images
This handout image released by the Venezuelan Presidency shows Communications Minister Ernesto Villegas reading a statement on the health of President Hugo Chavez in Caracas, Jan. 3
Venezuelan bonds rallied to five-year highs earlier on Thursday on rumors that Chavez's health had taken a turn for the worse. Foreign investors generally hope for a more business-friendly government in Venezuela, and its assets have rallied in recent months on news of his illness.
In scenes that recalled Chavez's hours-long televised visits to building sites, hospitals and oil refineries, Maduro told workers at the nationalized Fama de America factory that there was no "transition" taking place in the country.
"The only transition in Venezuela is the transition to socialism," he said in comments carried live by state television.
"It began six years ago, ordered by Comandante Hugo Chavez as chief and president, elected, re-elected and ratified, much as it pains the bourgeois hucksters and the right, who have done so much damage to our fatherland."
Chavez's abrupt exit from the political scene would be a huge shock for the South American OPEC nation. His oil-financed socialism has made him a hero to the poor majority but critics call him a dictator.
His condition is being watched closely by Latin American allies that have benefited from his help, as well as investors attracted by Venezuela's lucrative and widely traded debt.
'Make no mistake' Chavez is still set to be sworn in on January 10, as spelled out in the constitution. If he were to die or had to step aside, new elections would be held within 30 days, with Maduro running as the ruling Socialist Party (PSUV) candidate.
While the constitution gives January 10 as the start of a new presidential term, it does not explicitly state what happens if a president-elect cannot take office on that date.
Top PSUV officials have suggested that Chavez's inauguration could be postponed - while the opposition says any delay would be just the latest sign the former soldier is not fit to govern.
Cabello said the "Chavismo" movement was in pain but remained resolute, and he issued a warning to the opposition: "Make no mistake about these people or this revolution. It is going to cost you very, but very, dearly," he said.
On Saturday, Cabello will likely be re-elected as head of the Chavista-dominated National Assembly, a key post that could see him assume Chavez's role temporarily while new elections are called should the president have to step down.
In the past Cabello has been considered as a rival of Maduro, but the pair have been at pains to deny that. Their appearance side-by-side at the coffee factory on Thursday looked to be the latest effort to project a unified front.
Last year, Chavez staged what appeared to be remarkable comeback from the disease to win re-election to a new six-year term in October despite being weakened by radiation therapy. But he returned to Cuba for more treatment within weeks of his win.
Officials have said he suffered unexpected bleeding and then a respiratory infection after a six-hour operation on December 11. That respiratory infection caused further complications, they have said, without giving more details.
The head of the opposition's Democratic Unity coalition, Ramon Aveledo, has accused the authorities of breaking a pledge to keep Venezuelans informed about Chavez's health.
And one opposition leader suggested on Thursday that legislators should form an official commission to visit Cuba and assess the president's condition for themselves.
Maduro hit back in his televised comments, saying the public had been provided with updates almost every day, and he accused Aveledo of orchestrating a campaign of misinformation.
"We have no doubt Mr. Aveledo is behind the campaign of sick rumors that began on Twitter and Facebook," Maduro said.
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This is the first serious blog that we are writing since we quit our full time jobs and started to create the MoneyBag app in the start of 2012 with a vision to create a simple but beautiful finance manager for Mac which can help people understand Money better.
Getting into the Mac App Store
After months of hard work we submitted the app for review in the Mac App Store in the first week of December 2012. After 10 days of waiting for review the app was taken up for review and very quickly was made available for the store on 20th Dec 2012.
It was one of the most happiest moments of our lives since it was our first app to be submitted to the mac app store. But never did we know that what we thought the happiest moment of our lives would be totally eclipsed by more happy news coming from the app sales in Mac App Store.
Holiday Sale of App in Mac App Store
The app was ready to go on 20th Dec and it was slowly gaining traction among the users. We decided to give the app at a huge discount in a Holiday Sale from 21st Dec to New Year. This Holiday sale totally changed the momentum of the app and it started to climb the charts like anything in almost all countries.
The New Year Miracle
We woke up to the surprise of of our lives on Jan 1 2013 when we saw MoneyBag as the #1 Top Paid app in almost 20+ countries (We could check only those. There could have been more.) including UK, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Spain, Romania, Singapore and the list goes on. In US we were # 3 behind Quicken and iBank, the two software?s we greatly respect.
We were in the Top 10 Overall Paid Apps in Mac App Store of so many countries that we lost count. This image of use next to none other than the Mountain Lion itself is picture that we would not forget for life and framed it in our new office.
We sold more apps in those three days than all the apps we sold the earlier year.
What we did
We did nothing other than to create an awesome finance application for the Mac. It was just the first version and we could never include all features like companion apps, bank integrations etc (which we are working on now) but we did what we choose to do with great love and attention to detail.
We ensured that everything was simplified to the maximum possible extent to ensure that users can start using the app without a manual or tutorial. Our vision was to create a simple but super efficient app which can help users understand finances with a framework that can easily evolve over time and we did just that.
What we did not (or rather could not) do
Being two independent developers having our own families with small babies to support and working full time on MoneyBag app for almost a year means we never had time to do any pre-launch promotion or advertisements or sponsorships. We simply could not afford any of them. We just believed that submitting a nice and simple app which does what it promises would definitely be accepted by the people. And you know what it was ! ? The Magic of the Mac App Store
The Mac App Store experience itself was unique to both of us. We have worked with many app stores in the past but the sheer robustness of the store stunned us. The kind of reach it had and the amount of configuration it allowed in terms of meta-data simply was awesome. We could schedule discounts or sales and could track the impact each event had on our sales soon after in the iTunes Connect site and the awesome iPhone app.
Within a day Mac App Store had taken us to almost all countries in every corner of the earth. On the first day we got a review from a user in Sao Tome and Principe and We haven?t heard about the country all our life.
Graph between our competitor top paid rankings vs moneybag you can see a (flying rocket ) spike reaching the top chart immediately after? launch
Power of People
Where moneybag stands now, is all because of power of people, people who loved it said to their friends and families. The App reached the top paid? without a press coverage, press release, advertisements, without apple featuring our app in front page ( we hope that moment will come soon )? In the end only thing we can all say is People People People, Customers Customers Customers, We loved them and they loves us back more than we did. All the customers has been so understanding and helped us a lot. Everyday we are getting so many emails from our lovable customers. Thanks for the love.
When we launched app with no huge customer base, friends or family people who could give us a review or rate for us immediately after launch to get traction, we went out there with the product and apple MacAppStore took it to every nook and corner of the world and people started sharing it with their friends and families.
Secret for Success
There is not even a single rule that we followed by book, We?re just enthusiastic about what we do, we went with intrusion, passion in app making? not in money making (as we always say money is a by product of a happy product and not our primary goal). Last but not least Trust Customers and Thanks to everyone in the world who loved us and trusted two little developers.
We don?t have anything to say but one BIG thing ? WE LOVE YOU
For those who are thinking about jumping into full time jobs, the words that inspired us to quit our jobs are from Jobs
?Stay hungry, stay foolish.?
With Lots of Love and Regards ? George and Suresh (Creators of MoneyBag)
Early image claims to show upcoming Samsung flagship, but there's reason to be skeptical
It’s that time of year again, boys and girls -- the first purported Samsung Galaxy S4 render has emerged online. This morning Samsung fansite SamMobile posted a photo of a render showing what it claims is the next flagship phone from the Korean manufacturer. The image, which the site says was passed to it by a Samsung insider, appears to be a photo of the render as displayed on a monitor or other LCD display.
The alleged Galaxy S4 (or Galaxy S IV, if you prefer) shot shows a Galaxy Note 2-like design, with accentuated, rounded corners and no physical buttons. The device also has an extremely minimal horizontal bezel, along with the usual assortment of buttons, ports and sensors in the usual places.
There’s no way of verifying the authenticity of this image, but SamMobile has a pretty decent track record when it comes to Samsung leaks. Nevertheless, given how many inaccurate Galaxy S3 renders did the rounds last year, we’re inclined take this latest pic with a hefty dose of salt for the time being.
Even if this image is a legitimate Samsung creation, there’s no guarantee that the device it shows will become the Galaxy S4. Samsung is notoriously secretive with its flagship products, even going as far as designing and developing multiple variations of the Galaxy S3 to reduce the likelihood that the real thing would leak. So there’s a chance this design might be just one of many on the table at this early stage. (Remember that buttonless Galaxy S3 we saw just weeks before the announcement?)
In a related post, the site reports that Samsung will show an early Galaxy S4 prototype to a handful of partner executives and other big-wigs behind closed doors at next week’s CES. If Samsung ships the S4 this spring, as is expected, we wouldn’t be surprised if a few VIPs got an early look at what the company’s cooking in Las Vegas. CES has always been a big business-to-business show, after all.
For now, all we have is an image that may or may not be an upcoming Samsung phone. But if this is the Galaxy S4, we know a few Android nerds who’ll be celebrating Samsung’s new-found affinity for on-screen buttons.
Don?t let this year?s resolution slip through your grasp. Image via Maria Ly
Have you survived/revelled in the endless excess of the festive season and are now ready to make good on your hastily conceived New Year?s Resolutions? Here are 3 useful tips to prevent the ever-so-common decline in motivation that causes most people to give up after a couple of weeks.
1. Be Specific
The major failing in most people?s resolutions are their tendency to be one-sentence statements of a very vague desire or ideal. Two perennial New Year?s resolutions are excellent examples of this ? ?get fit? and ?lose weight?. Both of these are fine as starting points, but in order for them to be useful we need to drill down to some specific goals or targets relevant to the individual ? you!
Start with an overarching long term goal. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a year?s time ? what would you like to have achieved in that time?
If your starting aim was to ?lose weight? ? What do you look like in this ideal future? What clothes are you wearing? How would you like to feel?
If your starting aim was to ?get fit? ? What challenges have you completed? What sport do you now play regularly? How do you feel?
Take these ideas and distill them into the most important goal for you, write this down and pin it somewhere you will see it regularly.
Next, break this main goal down into medium term goals, designed to get you there. Make these 6 month targets, more easily achievable ? again write them down and pin them up.
Lastly, use the medium term goals to fashion at least 4 short term goals, designed to be achieved in the next 3 weeks. These will serve as your initial targets and will help provide the momentum needed to get your progress kickstarted.
2. Be Organised
?A goal without a plan is just a wish? ? Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Ne?er a truer word said! Goal-setting is extremely useful and will provide the bones for your year-of-living-better, but without the meat of proper planning to add to it, its destined to collapse in a heap.
Take a look over your goals again. What do you need to do to achieve these myriad desires? Convert your goals into actions ? need to learn how to row to be able to cross the channel next year? Join a rowing club. Seriously though ? one of the most important things you can do is to apply the same level of organisation to your home life, as I bet you already apply to your work life. Timetable in exercise sessions, if you miss one because the kids need an emergency pick up from a party?rearrange it (the same way you would rearrange a meeting or work appointment). If improving your health is your goal, then the knock-on benefits to the rest of your family will be worth it and much appreciated.
3. Get Help
This is the section where you roll your eyes and think ?here comes the sell?. In a way you?d be right ? if improving your health and fitness is something you want to target this year, then I can provide a lot of support and mentoring throughout that process (that?s my job and I?m good at it).
However, if you are of an independent bent, ?help? may constitute a book, website or even a friend to join you on your way. Equally, if your resolution is to stop smoking, ?help? may equal a smoking cessation group. Your resolution is much less likely to fall by the wayside if you are consulting someone throughout your journey (apologies?god I hate that word, but here it works). Everyone needs to seek advice at some point, actually having someone there to share your concerns or doubts with will make a massive difference to your chances of success.
Ultimately you have to decide what works for you. You are an individual and what is effective for one person, won?t necessarily be as effective for the other. Revisit your goals every month, adapt them to your progress. Change your plan to meet your revised goals, consult others when necessary, and most importantly? Keep on keeping on!
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope have seen a key stage in the birth of giant planets for the first time. Vast streams of gas are flowing across a gap in the disc of material around a young star. These are the first direct observations of such streams, which are expected to be created by giant planets guzzling gas as they grow. The result is published on 2 January 2013 in the journalNature.
The international team of astronomers studied the young star HD 142527, over 450 light-years from Earth, which is surrounded by a disc of gas and cosmic dust ? the remains of the cloud from which the star formed. The dusty disc is divided into an inner and an outer part by a gap, which is thought to have been carved by newly forming gas giant planets clearing out their orbits as they circle the star. The inner disc reaches from the star out to the equivalent of the orbit of Saturn in the Solar System, while the outer disc begins about 14 times further out. The outer disc does not surround the star uniformly; instead, it has a horseshoe shape, probably caused by the gravitational effect of the orbiting giant planets.
According to theory, the giant planets grow by capturing gas from the outer disc, in streams that form bridges across the gap in the disc.
"Astronomers have been predicting that these streams must exist, but this is the first time we've been able to see them directly," says Simon Casassus (Universidad de Chile, Chile), who led the new study. "Thanks to the new ALMA telescope, we've been able to get direct observations to illuminate current theories of how planets are formed!"
Casassus and his team used ALMA to look at the gas and cosmic dust around the star, seeing finer details, and closer to the star, than could be seen with previous such telescopes. ALMA's observations, at submillimetre wavelengths, are also impervious to the glare from the star that affects infrared or visible-light telescopes. The gap in the dusty disc was already known, but they also discovered diffuse gas remaining in the gap, and two denser streams of gas flowing from the outer disc, across the gap, to the inner disc.
"We think that there is a giant planet hidden within, and causing, each of these streams. The planets grow by capturing some of the gas from the outer disc, but they are really messy eaters: the rest of it overshoots and feeds into the inner disc around the star" says Sebasti?n P?rez, a member of the team, who is also at Universidad de Chile.
The observations answer another question about the disc around HD 142527. As the central star is still forming, by capturing material from the inner disc, the inner disc would have already been devoured, if it was not somehow topped up. The team found that the rate at which leftover gas streams onto the inner disc is just right to keep the inner disc replenished, and to feed the growing star.
Another first is the detection of the diffuse gas in the gap. "Astronomers have been looking for this gas for a long time, but so far we only had indirect evidence for it. Now, with ALMA, we can see it directly," explains Gerrit van der Plas, another team member at Universidad de Chile.
This residual gas is more evidence that the streams are caused by giant planets, rather than even larger objects such as a companion star. "A second star would have cleared out the gap more, leaving no residual gas. By studying the amount of gas left, we may be able to pin down the masses of the objects doing the clearing." adds P?rez.
What about the planets themselves? Casassus explains that, although the team did not detect them directly, he is not surprised. "We searched for the planets themselves with state-of-the-art infrared instruments on other telescopes. However, we expect that these forming planets are still deeply embedded in the streams of gas, which are almost opaque. Therefore, there may be little chance of spotting the planets directly."
Nevertheless, the astronomers aim to find out more about the suspected planets by studying the gas streams as well as the diffuse gas. The ALMA telescope is still under construction, and has not yet reached its full capabilities. When it is complete, its vision will be even sharper, and new observations of the streams may allow the team to determine properties of the planets, including their masses.
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ESO: http://www.eso.org
Thanks to ESO for this article.
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VTT and Lumichip announce joint LED company investmentPublic release date: 3-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Antti Sinisalo antti.sinisalo@vtt.fi 358-405-248-751 VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
Simpler and more cost-effective methods are needed in LED lamp manufacture. VTT Ventures Ltd and Lumichip Ltd are pleased to announce a joint investment in Finnish LED technology company LightTherm Ltd that uses its innovative materials and heat management solutions to introduce novel design and manufacturing capabilities for LEDs. LightTherm's electro-thermo-mechanical technologies provide higher light output, leaner sizing and lighter weight in its products for the LED replacement lamp and luminaire industry.
The estimated global market for LED lamps is over US$20 billion, with more than 1 billion units due for manufacture in 2013. LED technology still faces some challenges, particularly where high light output is required from small compact light units. The major difficulty with LEDs is the heat sensitivity of used components and materials. Overheating can shorten the lifespan and efficiency of the LED, while light output falls below product optimal specification as temperatures rise.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland produces high-level technology solutions and innovation services for its customers. VTT Ventures Ltd supports companies exploiting new technology, from business plan through to funding.
LightTherm Ltd is VTT's new spin-off company, whose innovative LED interconnection solution can yield better thermal characteristics and cooler semiconductor junction temperatures. This capacity for better thermal efficiency management will have a major impact on the lifetime of LEDs. Combined with new materials for lamp body production, substantial cost savings can be achieved through reduced materials, manufacturing simplicity and total production automation.
"The high thermal management efficiency of this technology enables significantly higher light output for example from replacement spots than is currently available anywhere in the LED market," says Dr Juha Rantala, Chairman of Lumichip Ltd. "LightTherm materials, device construction and manufacturing processes give flexibility in design, and will enable the manufacture of entirely new lighting applications for both consumer and industrial luminaires. We believe this will change completely the way in which LED products are manufactured in the future."
LightTherm's technologies are based on years of development, characterisation and lifetime tests carried out at VTT Technology Research Centre of Finland, which provides high-end technology solutions and innovation services. "We are pleased to co-operate with a partner such as Lumichip to take this very innovative and promising technology to the industrialisation and commercialisation phase," says Antti Sinisalo, CEO of VTT Ventures Ltd.
LightTherm's founding team consists of Petri Nyman, Ville Moilanen and Kimmo Jokelainen. CEO and co-founder Petri Nyman has extensive experience in start-ups, as well as in the management of growth companies. Co-founders Ville Moilanen and Kimmo Jokelainen have a research background with VTT and have been instrumental in developing the core innovations behind this new technology.
###
About VTT and VTT Ventures
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is the largest multi-technological applied research organisation in Northern Europe. VTT provides high-end technology solutions and innovation services. The mission of VTT Ventures Ltd is to extract value from VTT technology by developing the international growth potential of VTT-based high-tech companies. VTT Ventures, together with its public and private innovation partners, provides entrepreneurs with professional business development support to facilitate the spin-off process, from business planning through to funding. VTT Ventures co-invests in its spin-offs with private investors. The goal of VTT Ventures is to stimulate innovation in Finland and to receive a return on its pre-seed and seed capital investments. For more information see www.ventures.fi.
About Lumichip
Lumichip is a leading provider of customised LED lighting components. Lumichip designs, manufactures and markets proprietary LED components and specialised COB devices, and offers custom designs and manufacturing services for high power LED light engines, special luminaires and multi-wavelength modules for lighting and industrial applications. The development and manufacturing operations in Asia and Europe provide customisation and service support for its worldwide client base. For further information see www.lumichip.com.
About LightTherm
LightTherm is an ODM designer and manufacturer of thermally highly efficient LED structures, components and designs. LightTherm's patent pending technologies enable the use of new materials in LED luminaires and LED engine components, resulting in greater design and manufacturing freedom and high quality light and lumen output from all its designs. LightTherm operates with customers and partners globally.
Contacts
VTT Ventures Ltd
Antti Sinisalo, CEO
Lumichip Ltd Juha Rantala, Chairman
tel. 358-94-123-700, juha@lumichip.com
LightTherm Ltd
Petri Nyman, CEO
tel. 358-40-511-1666, petri.nyman@lighttherm.com
Further information on VTT: Olli Ernvall
Senior Vice President, Communications
358-20-722-6747
olli.ernvall@vtt.fi www.vtt.fi
VTT - 70 years of technology for business and society
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is a leading multitechnological applied research organization in Northern Europe. VTT creates new technology and science-based innovations in co-operation with domestic and foreign partners. VTT's turnover is EUR 290 million and itspersonnel totals 3,100.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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VTT and Lumichip announce joint LED company investmentPublic release date: 3-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Antti Sinisalo antti.sinisalo@vtt.fi 358-405-248-751 VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
Simpler and more cost-effective methods are needed in LED lamp manufacture. VTT Ventures Ltd and Lumichip Ltd are pleased to announce a joint investment in Finnish LED technology company LightTherm Ltd that uses its innovative materials and heat management solutions to introduce novel design and manufacturing capabilities for LEDs. LightTherm's electro-thermo-mechanical technologies provide higher light output, leaner sizing and lighter weight in its products for the LED replacement lamp and luminaire industry.
The estimated global market for LED lamps is over US$20 billion, with more than 1 billion units due for manufacture in 2013. LED technology still faces some challenges, particularly where high light output is required from small compact light units. The major difficulty with LEDs is the heat sensitivity of used components and materials. Overheating can shorten the lifespan and efficiency of the LED, while light output falls below product optimal specification as temperatures rise.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland produces high-level technology solutions and innovation services for its customers. VTT Ventures Ltd supports companies exploiting new technology, from business plan through to funding.
LightTherm Ltd is VTT's new spin-off company, whose innovative LED interconnection solution can yield better thermal characteristics and cooler semiconductor junction temperatures. This capacity for better thermal efficiency management will have a major impact on the lifetime of LEDs. Combined with new materials for lamp body production, substantial cost savings can be achieved through reduced materials, manufacturing simplicity and total production automation.
"The high thermal management efficiency of this technology enables significantly higher light output for example from replacement spots than is currently available anywhere in the LED market," says Dr Juha Rantala, Chairman of Lumichip Ltd. "LightTherm materials, device construction and manufacturing processes give flexibility in design, and will enable the manufacture of entirely new lighting applications for both consumer and industrial luminaires. We believe this will change completely the way in which LED products are manufactured in the future."
LightTherm's technologies are based on years of development, characterisation and lifetime tests carried out at VTT Technology Research Centre of Finland, which provides high-end technology solutions and innovation services. "We are pleased to co-operate with a partner such as Lumichip to take this very innovative and promising technology to the industrialisation and commercialisation phase," says Antti Sinisalo, CEO of VTT Ventures Ltd.
LightTherm's founding team consists of Petri Nyman, Ville Moilanen and Kimmo Jokelainen. CEO and co-founder Petri Nyman has extensive experience in start-ups, as well as in the management of growth companies. Co-founders Ville Moilanen and Kimmo Jokelainen have a research background with VTT and have been instrumental in developing the core innovations behind this new technology.
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About VTT and VTT Ventures
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is the largest multi-technological applied research organisation in Northern Europe. VTT provides high-end technology solutions and innovation services. The mission of VTT Ventures Ltd is to extract value from VTT technology by developing the international growth potential of VTT-based high-tech companies. VTT Ventures, together with its public and private innovation partners, provides entrepreneurs with professional business development support to facilitate the spin-off process, from business planning through to funding. VTT Ventures co-invests in its spin-offs with private investors. The goal of VTT Ventures is to stimulate innovation in Finland and to receive a return on its pre-seed and seed capital investments. For more information see www.ventures.fi.
About Lumichip
Lumichip is a leading provider of customised LED lighting components. Lumichip designs, manufactures and markets proprietary LED components and specialised COB devices, and offers custom designs and manufacturing services for high power LED light engines, special luminaires and multi-wavelength modules for lighting and industrial applications. The development and manufacturing operations in Asia and Europe provide customisation and service support for its worldwide client base. For further information see www.lumichip.com.
About LightTherm
LightTherm is an ODM designer and manufacturer of thermally highly efficient LED structures, components and designs. LightTherm's patent pending technologies enable the use of new materials in LED luminaires and LED engine components, resulting in greater design and manufacturing freedom and high quality light and lumen output from all its designs. LightTherm operates with customers and partners globally.
Contacts
VTT Ventures Ltd
Antti Sinisalo, CEO
Lumichip Ltd Juha Rantala, Chairman
tel. 358-94-123-700, juha@lumichip.com
LightTherm Ltd
Petri Nyman, CEO
tel. 358-40-511-1666, petri.nyman@lighttherm.com
Further information on VTT: Olli Ernvall
Senior Vice President, Communications
358-20-722-6747
olli.ernvall@vtt.fi www.vtt.fi
VTT - 70 years of technology for business and society
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is a leading multitechnological applied research organization in Northern Europe. VTT creates new technology and science-based innovations in co-operation with domestic and foreign partners. VTT's turnover is EUR 290 million and itspersonnel totals 3,100.
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Public release date: 3-Jan-2013
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