LEDs are taking the lighting world by storm, and Philips just took one step closer to that holy grail of smaller, lighter and cheaper illuminaton with its Luxeon Rebel LED. It's a lot smaller than the smallest surface-mount LEDs, with a light source that's a mere 3mm in diameter compared to the 4.5mm size of its predecessor.

They're available in a variety of colors, including that popular warm white that we've all gotten so accustomed to in our homes. Their light output will look very much like normal incandescent illumination, but they're far more efficient than even the most advanced compact fluorescent bulbs.

They also last longer — 50,000 hours compared to the 1,000 hours of a typical incandescent bulb. As efficient as these LEDs are, we're hearing about experimental LEDs that are 50% more efficient being tested in laboratories right now. It's an industry that's seeing explosive growth in efficiency. Expect these advanced LEDs to be designed into all types of household lighting fixtures in the near future.
— Charlie White

Philips, via Ubergizmo