[Nmcaver] New LED Lights

[Minton, Mark]

      Here is a press release for a new, more efficient bright LED light:  http://www.cree.com/press/press_detail.asp?i=1167920349046.  It would be interesting to know how these new LEDs compare with the currently used 3- and 5-watt Luxeon Stars.  If they really represent a 50% increase in efficiency, that would be very significant, even at the current brightness. 
 
Mark Minton
 

Cree XLamp® LEDs to Power SureFire® Flashlights

DURHAM, NC, JANUARY 4, 2007 - Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE), a leader in LED solid-state lighting components, announced today that SureFire, LLC, a leading manufacturer of quality illumination tools, has chosen Cree's new XLamp 7090 XR-E Series LEDs to serve as the light source in three new SureFire flashlight models to be introduced in early 2007.

The new Cree XLamp 7090 XR-E Series LEDs produce typical luminous flux of 80 lumens at 350 mA, yielding an efficacy measure of 70 lumens per watt. They lead the industry in brightness and efficiency, which are critical features in battery-powered, portable lighting applications. XR-E Series LEDs also produce the high-quality, uniform white light valued by flashlight vendors.

"Cree's new XLamp LEDs measure 40-percent brighter and 50-percent more efficient than other LED solutions," said John Matthews, Ph.D., SureFire's founder and president. "They are easy to design into our new flashlight models and provide a pure, brilliant beam of light. Using this new LED from Cree, we are able to design LED flashlights with far longer battery life."

"SureFire's selection of the Cree XLamp 7090 LED for its new flashlights is a significant endorsement of this new class of power LED," notes Norbert Hiller, Cree general manager and vice president for XLamp power LEDs. "We are pleased to be working with one of the world's highest-profile flashlight makers to bring new levels of LED brightness and beam quality to SureFire's well-respected product lines."

To learn more about the Cree XLamp 7090 power LEDs, please call (919) 313-5300 or visit www.cree.com/xlamp.

For additional information about Surefire flashlights, please call 800-828-8809 or visit www.surefire.com.