Recent Comments:
Eye-Fi launches Eye-Fi Home, Share, and geotagging Explore {Engadget}
May 13th 2008 11:54AM Still no ad-hoc wireless. It's a great product, but the inability to connect to my laptop on the go (without bringing a wireless router along) is annoying. Can't understand why they still haven't implemented that functionality.
The Torch flashlight: why illuminate when you can incinerate? {Engadget}
Jan 28th 2008 5:34PM The flashlight could *not* melt through a window. You'd need something much more powerful (a high powered [non-portable] CO2 laser, for example). This thing depends entirely on the energy being absorbed by the material at which its aimed - black plastic = high absorption, clear window = little-to-no absorption.
The Torch flashlight: why illuminate when you can incinerate? {Engadget}
Jan 28th 2008 5:28PM As for other options, there are several for lasers (I'm not a shill, but Optotronics or Laser Glow are good places to start). As for this light, there was a guy on candlepowerforums who was manufacturing something markedly similar (4,100 lumens, could start fires, called - no joke - "The Torch") back in 2006, but it appears he got overwhelmed by customer demand. Mayhap Wicked licensed the name/tech from that guy, but I'd wager they didn't given their track record. Wicked's site isn't up yet, but I'd be very, very surprised if this thing comes in anywhere close to the $200 range that the original designer was charging.
The Torch flashlight: why illuminate when you can incinerate? {Engadget}
Jan 28th 2008 1:54PM Actually, yes. But that's not what I was referring to. Wicked Lasers, as you may have guessed, has been a laser company up to this point. They're based in China (as are most laser manufacturers), but they have little interest in quality control and/or customer service. I'll be curious to see how this thing performs in reality vs. a unit that was hand-picked for a demo.
The Torch flashlight: why illuminate when you can incinerate? {Engadget}
Jan 28th 2008 1:38PM This is Wicked Lasers we're talking about. They're widely considered by enthusiasts to be one of the most crooked companies out there (with by far the best and slickest marketing team). There are better, more reliable options out there. Do some research.
