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concepts
streetlights
Prisma LED Streetlights: Light in Three Directions, Pays For Itself With Advertising
Thanks to LEDs, the boring old streetlight is getting a fresh look from designers all over the world. Agustin Otegui's "Prisma" concept is among these new designs, and in addition to LEDs and solar power, it features a unique 3-way light system that allows for 30-degree customization in either direction. That means the lights can be used to highlight billboards, project logos on buildings or simply illuminate a specific area on the ground. In other words, it makes the streetlight more versatile. It is only a concept at this point, but it definitely has potential. [Prisma via The Design Blog]
solar light
RC LED Solar Spotlight Enhances Your Backyard Karaoke
Solar powered spotlights seem like a pretty smart idea for areas of the country that have enough light. Think Geek tested it with a south-facing balcony and it was able to get enough sun power to shine both lights at full power for eight hours. That's pretty impressive, seeing as it's unlikely that you'd be in the dark for eight hours unless you were burying a body in your backyard. What's even better about this version is that it's RC, so you can point it at any direction you want via the 20-foot range IR remote. Hell, you can even shine it at your neighbor's window for eight hours at a time if they're being ridiculously loud. [ThinkGeek]
livingcolors mini
Philips LivingColors Lamp Gets Miniaturized
Remember that LivingColors Lamp that everyone made such a fuss about last year? Well, Philips is looking to capitalize on the success of the original by releasing a mini version that features 256 different color modes and an updated look. They also ditched the remote this time around for an integrated color wheel on the device itself, which may or may not be a negative depending on whether or not you have a tendency to lose things. The LivingColors lamp mini will be available starting in December for around $168. More »
nasa
THEMIS Satellites Discover Northern Lights Are Powered By Magnetic Fields Snapping Like Rubber Bands
Five NASA satellites from the THEMIS mission were recently able to closely witness the chain of events that occurs to create the northern lights for the first time. Complex stuff going on here, but it involves the Earth's massive electromagnetic fields being stretched to their limits by magnetic bombardment from the sun, and then snapping back into place like giant rubber bands, all of which the five THEMIS birds were able to witness at precisely the right moment. Awesome. More »
led
Purdue University Breakthrough Could Lead to Low-Cost, Mass-Produced LEDs
The researchers at Purdue University are just full of bright ideas these days, and this weekend was no exception. Thanks to a major breakthrough, they may have overcome a major obstacle for "solid state lighting," which laymen like to call LED (light emitting diode). That obstacle? Cost. LEDs are expensive, mostly because their innards are created on a substrate of sapphire. That means only a few gadgets and luxury cars headlights have benefited from the tech so far. Purdue researchers solved the conundrum with a technique that creates the LEDs on low-cost, metal-coated silicon wafers. This is great news for energy conservation, because while LEDs are much more efficient than their incandescent brethren, they are also 20 times more expensive to produce. [Purdue University]
leds
DIY Blow-Outable LED Birthday Candles Perfect for Uber-Geeky Kids
Kids nowadays are so showered with electronic goodies that I suspect a traditionally-lit birthday cake just wouldn't cut the mustard for some of them. Luckily, over at Instructables they've got a recipe for DIY electronic "candles" that actually lets you blow them out. Its flickering LEDs are accompanied by a thermistor warmed above room-temp by a nearby resistor, and accompanied by a microcontroller. When you puff hard on the thermistor, the circuit senses the temperature drop and switches off some LEDs. Brilliant, but sadly it seems you can't get extra wishes by blowing them all out at once. The demo video is undeniably funny though: a fake birthday part thrown by the builders. More »
lighting
Mathmos Poplight, Ditches Lava for LED Color-Changing Cuteness
I've just installed a set of color-change lighting strips in my new apartment, but now I kinda wish I'd spotted these new lamps from original lava-lamp makers Mathmos first. The Poplights are cuteness exemplified: just six inches high, and in hand-blown glass. They've got a set of LEDs inside the central "bulb" and change between blue, purple, violet, magenta, red lighting, and you turn them on my simply pushing down on top, which I guess must be the "pop" part. Available now for $75. On second thoughts, I might buy them anyway... you can't have too much color-change moodlighting can you?[Technabob]
science
When Life Throws You Lemons, Make Lemon Lights
We've all seen wires coming out of potatoes to power lightbulbs, but the design has always been a crude science experiment, not something with the polish of a real product. This Lemon Light is just an artist's work, but it's a brilliant design all the same. Simply cut off one end of the lemon and replace it with this lemon-shaped bulb. The result is a light that mimics nature while it glows only dimly, reminding us of the value of energy...and making us really want to buy one of these neat Lemon Lights. [Yurisuzuki via MAKE]
lights
A Lamp Named Moo, the Song Johnny Cash Should Have Sung
There are a few reasons why I find myself strangely attracted to Moo. It's made by a Norwegian company called Northern Exposure. You can mount on both inside and outside walls. It reminds me of my brother, whose nickname is Moose. Light-up antlers, baby (although the designers could have put a bit more light at the tips, really). It's just a lot less messy than going hunting in the snow. [Dezeen]
furnishings
Space Intruderz Lamps Invade Our Hearts
I know what you're thinking. These Space Intruderz lamps look a lot like they're ripping off a certain classic video game. But contrary to popular belief, there were no aliens in Pac-Man. Those were ghosts. Ghosts. So these Space Intruderz lamps by Unison Idea Studio are a completely original, lawsuit-immune creation. Each lamp will run you about $50 and you'll have to email the studio to place your order, but at least that means your neighbor shouldn't have decor. [Unison via technabob and MoCoLoco]
11:00 AM on Thu Jun 5 2008
By Mark Wilson
3,876 views,
24 comments
Latest by 92BuickLeSabre: @konshuss: I agree! Oh wait! more »
unconfirmed
More Details on the Rock Band Stage Kit
If the latest update over at Gamestop is correct, we have new details on Rock Band's upcoming stage kit, an easy way to bring real lights and fog to your otherwise fake performances. (Hey, I'm not bashing it. 99.9% of the population has failed at their dreams of rock stardom, including those who actually play instruments.) More »
software
Using Twitter for Home Automation
Even though most Twitter users use it to inform the world of their bowel movements, Justin Wickett came up with a slightly more clever use for the app. He uses an INSTEON switch and a computer in order to monitor a Twitter account for the on or off switch command send from his cellphone. When it's received, the computer flicks the switch and turns off the light. Between the text message delay, the fact that he needs a COMPUTER hooked up, and the general way-too-geekiness of Twitter, he's better off setting up an actual home automation system for his lights. [Vimeo via Hacknmod]
bbq
Magnetic BBQ Tool Light Brightens Up Your Beef
Did you know that May is national BBQ month? If you haven't celebrated yet, I suggest you make up for lost time by firing up that grill morning, noon and night. That's right, you can even cook in the dark thanks to this LED BBQ tool light. It isn't the first BBQ light out there, but it is the only one that can attach magnetically to your spatula so you can catch all of the action close up. It even has a bendable neck for added versatility. If you think about it, this sort of device could come in handy in all sorts of situations outside of the grill. Not bad for only $14.95. [Solutions via EB$29.99 via Techie Diva via DVICE]
livermore light bulb
107-Year-Old Bulb States the Case for Leaving Lights On
The LA Times has written a sweet little feature about Livermore Fire House's lightbulb that has been burning for 107 years without a break—unless you count the 22 minutes it took to transport the bulb from Fire Department HQ to Station No. 6 in 1979. That's almost a million hours' worth of low-wattage, you know. Unofficial keeper of the bulb, retired firefighter Tom Bramell reckons its longevity is down to old-fashioned craftsmanship. "I believe the bulb has stayed alive so many years because the makers gave it a perfect seal, so no air gets inside the bulb to help disintegrate the carbon filament. This bulb operates in a vacuum and it doesn't burn hot. That's the secret." [LA Times via Boing Boing]
gadgets
We absolutely love it when cyberspace and meatspace intersect, which is why we're enthused over this Online Notification Picture Frame. It's a DIY project that connects via some interface (the guy doesn't say) to a computer, which feeds online status information back to the display. If a person's online, the LED next to his photo lights up. We'd prefer it if this were a more digital solution like an actual photo frame that dynamically displayed the pictures of people who were online, but this is a good start. [Volunteer Lab Rat via Hacked Gadgets]
Picture Frame Shows Which of Your IM and Skype Friends Are Online
We absolutely love it when cyberspace and meatspace intersect, which is why we're enthused over this Online Notification Picture Frame. It's a DIY project that connects via some interface (the guy doesn't say) to a computer, which feeds online status information back to the display. If a person's online, the LED next to his photo lights up. We'd prefer it if this were a more digital solution like an actual photo frame that dynamically displayed the pictures of people who were online, but this is a good start. [Volunteer Lab Rat via Hacked Gadgets]
lamps
When I saw this come up in my RSS feeds, I thought it said Brian Lam, and so I got rather excited. I was, however, (as I so frequently am) wrong. This lamp is the brainchild of Alexander Lervik, who had an MR scan done in Stockholm of his own grey matter, before printing up the results on a 3-D printer. "Yes," he says about his creation. "It is bright." Oh, no one loves a smart arse, Lervik. [Lervik]
Brain Lamp is New Gizmodo Leader, Future Galactic Emperor
When I saw this come up in my RSS feeds, I thought it said Brian Lam, and so I got rather excited. I was, however, (as I so frequently am) wrong. This lamp is the brainchild of Alexander Lervik, who had an MR scan done in Stockholm of his own grey matter, before printing up the results on a 3-D printer. "Yes," he says about his creation. "It is bright." Oh, no one loves a smart arse, Lervik. [Lervik]
mudes
