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Inhabitat's Week in Green: Jake Dyson's lamp, wooden light bulbs and weed-killing lasers

Inhabitat — Sun, 27 May 2012 20:28:00 EST

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

This week Inhabitat has been reporting live from New York Design Week, where we've witnessed countless innovative green designs from around the world. To kick things off, we were pretty impressed with this desk lamp designed by Jake Dyson (son of the vacuum god) that extends the life of its LED bulbs by a whopping 37 years. Also in the category of "bright shiny things we love" is QisDesign's Aurelia lamp, which bears a striking resemblance to a glowing jellyfish. We were also dazzled by UM Project's collection of retro, robot-inspired lamps, Light & Contrast's cute LED flower lights, and we were absolutely floored by Alessandro Jordão's larger-than-life LEGO chair. Can't get enough of NY Design Week? Check out all of our favorite green designs from this year's shows.

Continuing with the topic of innovative green lighting technology, artist Ryosuke Fukusada has created the impossible: a glowing wooden light bulb. Confused? The light was created using a technique called Rokuro, and it consists of an LED light bulb wrapped with a very thin layer of wood. When the bulb is turned on, it illuminates the grain of the wood. As Fukusada's creation demonstrates, LED lighting technology has taken some incredible strides recently, and we took some time to round-up 24 of our all-time favorite green lamps that look great with LED bulbs.

Continue reading Inhabitat's Week in Green: Jake Dyson's lamp, wooden light bulbs and weed-killing lasers

Inhabitat's Week in Green: Jake Dyson's lamp, wooden light bulbs and weed-killing lasers originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 May 2012 20:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic sends 100,000 LEDs down Tokyo river, mates tech with tradition (updated with video!)

Jon Fingas — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:23:00 EST

If you'd been by the shore of the Sumida River in central Tokyo this past weekend, you would have noticed that it was glowing a distinct shade of blue. That's because Panasonic decided to kick off the first-ever Tokyo Hotaru (fireflies) festival by sending 100,000 EVERLED light bulbs down the river, both to mimic fireflies as well as to pay homage to a Japanese tradition of floating candles on the water. Before you cringe too much at the thought of the environmental impact, rest assured that Panasonic minimized the footprint of its aquatic LED parade. All the bulbs ran on solar power (presumably, charged during the day) that kept Evolta batteries fed inside, and the entire lot was scooped up in a large net afterwards. We love the exhibition as a large-scale demo of sustainable lighting -- you may just want to avoid fishing along the Sumida's shoreline for awhile in case you catch a straggler.

Update: We've found a video of this spectacular event -- check it out right after the break.

Continue reading Panasonic sends 100,000 LEDs down Tokyo river, mates tech with tradition (updated with video!)

Panasonic sends 100,000 LEDs down Tokyo river, mates tech with tradition (updated with video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 20:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GE's 27-watt LED replacement for 100-watt incandescent bulbs set to light up our lives next year

Brian Heater — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:06:00 EST

As if you didn't already have enough reason to be pumped for this week's Lightfair trade show in Vegas -- GE is talking up its new 27-watt Energy Smart LED bulb that can product enough power (1,600-plus lumens) to replace a standard 100-watt incandescent bulb. The bulb, which joins 13-watt and 9-watt LED bulbs (replacements for 60- and 40-watt incandescents, respectively) offers up 25,000 hours of life, which should give you roughly 22.8 years, assuming you use it about three hours a day. It'll be hitting the U.S. and Canada in the first half of next year for an undetermined price. Check the illuminating press release after the break.

Continue reading GE's 27-watt LED replacement for 100-watt incandescent bulbs set to light up our lives next year

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Philips' L Prize-winning light bulb goes on sale Sunday, priced between $20 and $60

Darren Murph — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:23:00 EST

It's a little strange crowning a "winner" when only a single company enters the contest, but that's exactly what happened during the L Prize celebration in August of last year. Philips was the only outfit to take the US Department of Energy up on its offer, earning some $10 million to develop what might go down as the most radically designed, wildly expensive bulb your table lamp has ever seen. That said, the victorious bulb is a big fan of Ma Earth (and her of him), using just 10 watts of energy while outputting light similar to that of a 60 watt incandescent. It'll hit retailers like Home Depot this Sunday (Earth Day) for around $50 a pop, while some utility companies may subsidize 'em in an effort to hit the magical $20 price point. Hey, no one said saving energy would be remotely affordable, right?

Philips' L Prize-winning light bulb goes on sale Sunday, priced between $20 and $60 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Giinii AudioBulb hands, eyes and ears-on

Terrence O'Brien — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:01:00 EST

Alright, so check this out -- that thing above is both a 5W LED light bulb and a 10W wireless speaker. Around the edge is a ring of glowing diodes with a four-stage dimmer, while the center is a 2.25-inch driver that speaks to a dock via 2.4GHz wireless. The AudioBulb from GiiNii is a fairly unique way to kick out the jams anywhere in your abode and they disappear into practically any lamp. A basic setup of two bulbs, a dock and a remote will set you back a surprisingly steep $299, but you can add on up to six more bulbs for $99 a pop. Speaking of rooms and bulbs, you can configure the speakers to work in stereo pairs or in mono, and set up two zones with different volume levels.

The dock is a chintzy feeling piece of plastic with an integrated iPhone/iPod connector and around back you'll find an auxiliary jack for the non-Apple fans. The dock can connect to the speakers from up to 100 feet away, depending on the environment, and comes pre-paired with the bulbs in the box. Adding additional speakers requires just the push of a button on the base and bulb simultaneously to get the party started. It was tough to hear the tunes over the din in the hall at Pepcom's event, but we're confident it can't quite compare with the Play 3. They did, however, give off enough light to keep their little corner of the convention well lit. Check out the gallery below as well as the PR after the break.

Gallery: GiiNii AudioBulb hands-on

Continue reading Giinii AudioBulb hands, eyes and ears-on

Giinii AudioBulb hands, eyes and ears-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp's energy-efficient LED ceiling lights are hip to be square

Joseph Volpe — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 05:36:00 EST

If you live in Japan and are looking to lower your household electricity bill, you might have to empty your bank account first. Sharp recently introduced its new line of ELM-branded LED ceiling lights and the highly energy-efficient, square-shaped bulbs won't come cheap -- retailing between 35,000 yen (about $456) and 55,000 yen (about $717). Pulling inspiration from the LEDs used in LCD televisions, the company was able to achieve an industry-leading 81.3 lumens per watt for the smallest of its three designs, and an average life of 40,000 hours for the entire lot . The energy-sipping set of overhead bulbs come housed in an insectproof shell, offering over 100-plus ambient light settings, controllable via remote. You can snag these utility-friendly lights on August 27th, just don't complain at the checkout when you see the price -- we warned you. Peep the video explanation after the break.

Continue reading Sharp's energy-efficient LED ceiling lights are hip to be square

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Philips wins DOE's $10 million L Prize for 60W incandescent killer

Christopher Trout — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:39:00 EST

Put your pig-tail light bulb aversions aside, because Philips has just won the DOE's $10 million L Prize Competition for the creation of a decidedly non-curlicue 60W equivalent LED lighting solution. The company was named the first winner in the 60W replacement bulb category at a Washington DC event, yesterday. It's taken three years to find a winner that could meet the high standards set forth by the DOE, specifically "ensuring that performance, quality, lifetime, cost, and availability meet expectations for widespread adoption and mass manufacturing." Requirements further stipulated that the 60W incandescent killer use less than 10 watts of power, and provide energy savings of 83 percent. If Americans replaced all of their 60W incandescents with Philips' little winner, the DOE estimates savings of $3.9 billion in a single year. The bulb is expected to hit shelves as soon as early 2012. Full PR after the break.

Philips wins DOE's $10 million L Prize for 60W incandescent killer originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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German geniuses hit 800Mbps with light bulb WLAN

Terrence O'Brien — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:19:00 EST

Last year, Chinese scientists showed off some new old-school tech, transmitting data with blue LEDs that flicker faster than the human eye can perceive. This throwback to the good ol' days of IR receivers was able to hit speeds of 2Mbps, but leave it to the fine folks at the Heinrich Hertz Institute to push the light bulb networking tech to the extremes. Earlier this year researchers hit 500Mbps with white LEDs; now, using a combination of white, green, blue, and red, the team ramped that up to 800Mbps, officially putting Ethernet on notice. The line-of-sight networking won't actually replace your standard Cat 5 line or WiFi router, but it could find a home in places like hospitals where radio-based wireless technology can cause problems for sensitive equipment. With any luck, we'll soon be bathing our homes in HD-streaming illumination.

German geniuses hit 800Mbps with light bulb WLAN originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vizio, your favorite low-cost TV leader introduces... a light bulb (video)

Zach Honig — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:54:00 EST

It's a busy week for Vizio. The budget TV manufacturer flaunted its flashy new tablet in front of our cameras yesterday, and had us hopping across town this afternoon for a chance to go hands-on with its latest entrant into a mysterious brand-new product category (for Vizio, at least). Reps were mum on details, so we had no choice but to return to the CEA LineShows in NYC to see what was up. We walked around the booth, looking for signs of that Vizio Android phone we saw at CES, only to find co-founder Ken Lowe cradling the new goods: a line of light bulbs. We laughed. Then asked to see the real product that Vizio insisted would be worth the trip. Nope, that was it: a LED light bulb -- four of them, in fact, arranged in height-order on a chrome bathroom vanity fixture. Lowe then proceeded to introduce his product as he has any other, so we hit record. They're bright, round, and standards-compliant, and will be coming to a screw-in fixture near you in Q3. How much? "A Vizio price."

Gallery: Vizio LED Light Bulb Hands-On

Continue reading Vizio, your favorite low-cost TV leader introduces... a light bulb (video)

Vizio, your favorite low-cost TV leader introduces... a light bulb (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Philips EnduraLED A21 bulb offers bright light for big bucks

Christopher Trout — Mon, 16 May 2011 22:39:00 EST

If the expected price tag for Philips' latest LED light bulb is any indication, a brighter tomorrow won't come cheap. The "75W replacement," known as the EnudraLED A21, apparently reduces energy by 80 percent, lasts 25 times longer than its conventional counterpart, and is expected to cost between $40 and $45. Given that's significantly less expensive than the outfit's 60W equivalent, but for us regular folks, that's not exactly a drop in the bucket. However, if you're picking up what Philips is laying down, the bulb -- which uses a mere 17 watts of electricity to beam 1,100 lumens -- could save the US 5,220 megawatts of electricity and $630,000,000 annually (if we all switch over tomorrow). That certainly sounds good, but somehow we doubt a $45 light bulb is going to be the incandescent killer. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Philips EnduraLED A21 bulb offers bright light for big bucks

Philips EnduraLED A21 bulb offers bright light for big bucks originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 22:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peg lamp lets us spend less time screwing in light bulbs, more time talking about them (video)

Zach Honig — Mon, 09 May 2011 16:29:00 EST

We know what you're thinking, but the Jolly Green Giant didn't drop something on the way to hang out his laundry. Designed by Steffi Min for her industrial design senior thesis, the Peg lamp looks and functions like an oversized clothespin, directly clipping onto a standard light bulb. As you can see in the video after the break, changing a bulb takes only a second or two, and there's almost no risk of broken glass. We don't expect a clothes pin connector to appear as a retail product anytime soon, but if we can build our own humanoid robots, we can probably find a way to slide an oversized rubber band around two wedges of wood.

Continue reading Peg lamp lets us spend less time screwing in light bulbs, more time talking about them (video)

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Inhabitat's Week in Green: Brain-shaped bulbs, houses that fly, and hydrogen bolts from the sky

Inhabitat — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 23:30:00 EST

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

This week Inhabitat showcased several hot new eco vehicles including the world's fastest plug-in hybrid and an insane screwdriver-powered tricycle that sends you flying through the streets headfirst. The field of alternative fuels also advanced by leaps and bounds as the U.S. Department of Energy announced a new breed of cost-effective biofuel and a team of researchers discovered a way to efficiently produce hydrogen from urine.

From flying houses held up by balloons to skyscrapers that harvest energy from bolts of lightning, this week we also showcased some of the world's most incredible buildings. We were wowed by the futuristic finalists of the eVolo skyscraper competition, which included underwater spires made from plastic debris and massive megaprojects that contain entire cities.

This week we also spotted several exciting new examples of green consumer tech - from a clever brain-shaped CFL bulb to ASUS' new line of cardboard computers to a wearable mix tape you can pin on your sleeve. We also celebrated the launch of Apple's latest tablet by rounding up 14 of the best eco-friendly iPad cases, sleeves and bags. Finally, we kicked off a contest where you can win a beautiful recycled leather iPad case from Dewdrop Designs, and we shared 11 chic travel essentials for jet-setters on the go.

Inhabitat's Week in Green: Brain-shaped bulbs, houses that fly, and hydrogen bolts from the sky originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bridgelux silicon LED could mean bright future for solid state lighting

Christopher Trout — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:44:00 EST

While Democrats and Republicans squabble over the future of the incandescent light bulb, a Livermore-based company has produced an LED that they claim could lead to brighter, more affordable solid state lighting. By growing gallium nitride on low-cost silicon wafers, as opposed to the typical sapphire and silicon carbide substrates, the company has achieved an output of 135lm/W (lumens per watt) with a color correlated temperature of 4730K-- brighter than any affordable LED lighting solution we've ever seen. Of course, this isn't the first time efficacy of this level has been achieved, and we've yet to see a practical application, but if Bridgelux's numbers are right, this could mean a 75 percent cut in LED production costs. The company expects the technology to make its way to real world lights in the next two to three years -- perhaps by then the furor over pigtail light bulbs will have settled a bit. Enlightening PR after the break.

Continue reading Bridgelux silicon LED could mean bright future for solid state lighting

Bridgelux silicon LED could mean bright future for solid state lighting originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cree shows off 'no-compromise' LED replacement for 60-watt incandescent bulbs

Donald Melanson — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 21:46:00 EST

Compact fluorescent (or CFL) bulbs may currently be the dominant alternative to traditional incandescent light bulbs, but there's still a strong contingent betting on LEDs as the true long term replacement. One of the major players in that camp is Cree, which recently teamed up with TESS and Dean Kamen's FIRST organization to have kids distribute LED light bulbs like Girl Scout cookies (seriously), and is now showing off what is says is the "first no-compromise replacement for a 60-watt incandescent bulb." That bulb is dimmable, and emits a "beautiful, warm, incandescent-like color of 2700 K," while delivering more than 800 lumens and consuming less than 10 watts (meeting the Energy Star requirements for a 60-watt standard LED replacement bulb). Unfortunately, there's one big catch -- the bulb is still just a prototype, and Cree says it hasn't yet decided how it will bring it to market, or how much it might cost. Head on past the break for a quick video demonstration.

Continue reading Cree shows off 'no-compromise' LED replacement for 60-watt incandescent bulbs

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Nokero's solar-powered, rainproof N200 light bulb: brighter, stronger, more flexible

Darren Murph — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 03:23:00 EST

No one's going to be calling Nokero out for falling behind. Just a few short months after revealing its first commercial light bulb for developing nations, the outfit has now rolled out a second version, the predictably titled N200. This guy strikes a vastly different pose compared to the original, with the LED enclosure hanging on a swivel that enables it to be positioned in a way that would optimally catch light. When night falls, users can flip the light north to create a lantern. Nokero claims that this edition is just as rugged and rainproof as the original, but it's 60 percent brighter and lasts three times as long. A single NiMH battery is included, and that's what is rejuvenated by the sun -- once charged, it'll provide between 2.5 and 6 hours of light, depending on the mode. It's on sale now for $20 apiece (bulk prices are less), representing a modest $5 premium over the (still available) N100. Can't say the Yankees will be looking to decorate their outdoor patio with lighting right about now, but for the nomads trekking to Panama to escape Old Man Winter... well, you know what to do. Vid's after the break.

[Images courtesy of Larry Bollig]

Gallery: Nokero N200 solar-powered light bulb

Continue reading Nokero's solar-powered, rainproof N200 light bulb: brighter, stronger, more flexible

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Dean Kamen unveils revamped bionic arm and water machine, LED light bulb powered by Cree

Sean Hollister — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:32:00 EST

Segway inventor Dean Kamen just stole the show at TEDMED 2010, with both a far-reaching lecture on how technology can save the developing world, and a peek at his latest projects. We'll spare you the wave of guilt for now and get right to the cool stuff, like the latest rendition of his Luke prosthetic arm and Slingshot water machine. Dean admitted he's having difficulty finding companies interested in manufacturing the former, but it's looking snazzier than when it last grabbed Stephen Colbert, with components like this shoulder piece printed out of titanium in a custom 3D printer, and it's slated to look like this. The Slingshot's seeing even more action, as Dean and company have pulled it out of the ugly box into these svelte tubes, and finally has a distribution deal (with Coca-Cola, of all companies) to bring the clean-water-from-any-source machines to developing countries in trials early next year.

Last but not least, the man's got a product you might be able to afford for your home. In the quest for an item for his FIRST young engineers to sell -- a la Girl Scout cookies -- he tapped LED manufacturer Cree to produce an 450 lumen light bulb that draws just 7 watts and will retail for about $25 door-to-door. In case you're wondering, that's cheaper and more efficient than most any lamp we've seen before. Dean says they've already produced several hundred thousand of the bulbs thanks to a surprise $3 million investment from Google, and plan to have them in the hands of every FIRST kid soon. Keep on fighting the good fight, Dean.

Gallery: Dean Kamen at TEDMED 2010

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GE introduces 'hybrid' bulb with both halogen and CFL elements, instant-on meets efficiency

Tim Stevens — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:02:00 EST

We're pretty okay with waiting the second or so it takes a typical CFL to light up, but sometimes, when we're checking for monsters in closets and other inconspicuous places, it'd be nice if things were a little more expedient. For those times (and for generally impatient people) GE is introducing its Hybrid Halogen-CFL bulb. It's basically a typical CFL unit, but look closely inside those coils and you'll spot a wee halogen bulb peeking out. It's like two bulbs in one, the halogen unit powering on almost instantaneously then fading off once the CFL element gets itself all riled up. We're wondering how well the output from the two elements match, whether you'd be able to notice the transition, but we're even more curious about the cost. GE says we'll have to wait a few months to learn that bit of info, and the same holds true if you're looking for a release date more specific than "2011." Hopefully it isn't too late in the year, as LED bulbs are getting cheaper by the minute.

Continue reading GE introduces 'hybrid' bulb with both halogen and CFL elements, instant-on meets efficiency

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GE closes last US factory making incandescent light bulbs

Donald Melanson — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 10:12:00 EST

There may still be plenty of competition among potential successors to the incandescent light bulb, but there's little question that the traditional light bulb is on the way out -- a fact now further backed up by GE's closing of the last major factory making the bulbs in the US. GE had apparently considered a $40 million investment to retrofit the plant -- located in Winchester, Virginia, and employing some 200 workers -- to manufacture compact fluorescent light bulbs, but it says that bulbs made at the plant would have cost 50 percent more than ones from China, which is where the vast majority of CFLs are made. Of course, that shift hardly happened overnight -- be sure to hit up the Washington Post article linked below for a brief history of what led to this point, and a closer look at the plant itself.

GE closes last US factory making incandescent light bulbs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Swirly CFLs relax a little bit, get kind of cute in the process

Trent Wolbe — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 13:14:00 EST

We never really had a problem with traditional CFL design, but it's always nice to have options when you're looking for new ways to decorate. London-based outfit Plumen has bent the usual coil shape into a more abstract pattern that we're sure will fit perfectly in our quirkily stark / offbeat loft uptown. The Plumen 001 model shown here ships on October 5th in the UK for £20, or €30 in the rest of Europe, but mum's the word on a North American release. From the looks of their Flickr, there are even crazier shapes in the works, though. Hypnotic spinning bulb footage after the break.

Continue reading Swirly CFLs relax a little bit, get kind of cute in the process

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Tea kettle concept almost boils your water with an incandescent light bulb

Laura June — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:43:00 EST

Incandescent light bulbs are definitely not in fashion these days (the last time we stepped inside Ikea we were greeted with their announcement that the company plans to stop selling them) because of their total lack of efficiency. Don't tell that to this concept for a tea kettle, however, which uses the wasted energy of the bulb (nearly 98 percent) to make water for your tea. Now, it doesn't actually bring it to a boil -- just to 194 degrees Fahrenheit -- but many tea enthusiasts will tell you that your water should be just off the boil anyhow. So there.

Tea kettle concept almost boils your water with an incandescent light bulb originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How nutritious is your light bulb? (in lumens, of course)

Sean Hollister — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:14:00 EST

No joke -- starting mid-2011, US light bulbs will have nutrition facts of their own. Backed by Congress, the FTC has mandated that light bulbs carry the label at top, allowing buyers to clearly compare brightness, life expectancy and energy cost. Of course, many manufacturers call out these facts already, but hopefully this will keep the rest from confusing potency with power -- by advertising that a mid-range LED unit that slowly sips energy, for instance, is "equivalent to 40 watts."

How nutritious is your light bulb? (in lumens, of course) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lite-On's Mobile Lamp LED bulb works even when the power is out

Tim Stevens — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:29:00 EST

We hate to break it to you, but those LED light bulbs that are shaped like traditional light bulbs? It's all a lie. LEDs are naturally pretty small things, and while there might be dozens scattered about inside a bulb there's still plenty of empty space in there meant only to make the things about the same size as a good ol' incandescent. Lite-On, however, has found something to make use of that space: batteries. The company's Mobile Lamp bulb can stay on for up to two hours even after the power is turned off, effectively turning it into a flashlight. To switch the bulb on or off you simply touch the copper part while something conductive makes contact with the metal part on the bottom, which could be a lamp socket or just a finger, as shown in the brief video after the break. The bulbs are due to be out sometime next year and should be hugely popular in areas with unreliable power -- or with an abnormally high rate of magicians per-capita.

Continue reading Lite-On's Mobile Lamp LED bulb works even when the power is out

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Nokero debuts rugged, rainproof N100 solar light bulb for developing worlds

Darren Murph — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:31:00 EST

Oh, sure -- the world has plenty of those ritzy LED light bulbs to choose from, but how's about using the ultimate light source to create... even more light! That's exactly what Nokero is setting out to accomplish with its N100, which is being christened the "world's first" solar light bulb. Designed specifically for use in developing nations where continual electricity is a mere pipe dream, this bulb is housed in an ultra-rugged, rainproof enclosure that can provide around four hours of light when fully charged; if you leave it in the sun all day, it'll harness enough juice to provide illumination for around two hours. The unit itself is constructed from impact resistant plastic and includes a foursome of solar panels, five LEDs and a replaceable, nickel metal hydride battery that's said to last two years. The company informed us that these will run you around $15 if purchased one at a time, though the goal is to sell 'em in bulk for around $6 apiece and have them delivered to rural parts of India, Africa and possibly District 9. Go on and get schooled by heading past the break and clicking play.

Gallery: Nokero N100 solar light bulb

Continue reading Nokero debuts rugged, rainproof N100 solar light bulb for developing worlds

Nokero debuts rugged, rainproof N100 solar light bulb for developing worlds originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Philips' new LED light bulbs are brighter, more efficient, not cheap

Sean Hollister — Thu, 13 May 2010 06:57:00 EST

Philips' Master LED bulbs may well have been forgotten in the US -- as far as we can tell, they never showed up for that hot date last July -- but it's hard to be miffed when the company's new bulbs, dubbed EnduraLED, are four times as bright. Due in the fourth quarter of the year, the 60W equivalent at left sucks down only 12 watts of electricity but emits a reported 806 lumens of soft white light -- a ratio green enough to save the world, Philips claims, if only you'll buy in. Problem is, people's generosity typically depends on price, and a company rep told us we'll shell out around $60 per bulb when the shiny silver socketables ship. Mind you, that's just an initial figure, but until we hear different we'll be going to Home Depot for our lighting needs, thank you very much. Press release after the break.

Continue reading Philips' new LED light bulbs are brighter, more efficient, not cheap

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The Home Depot takes LED lighting mainstream with $20 bulbs

Sean Hollister — Tue, 11 May 2010 03:57:00 EST

Slowly but surely, LED light bulbs have been getting brighter and more efficient, but price has always been a major factor staying their adoption. Back in 2007, a single 308 lumen bulb cost $65, and the more things changed, the more they've stayed the same. Now, out of the blue, The Home Depot has stepped forward with a cost-effective alternative. For $20, the new EcoSmart LED bulb promises a 429 lumen, 40W equivalent with a 50,000 hour expected lifetime, making it cheaper and nearly as powerful as the 450 lumen, $40-50 design industry heavyweight GE unveiled last month. Best of all, it's already available for purchase (though backordered) at our source link. Honestly, we're starting to wonder what the catch is. PR after the break.

Continue reading The Home Depot takes LED lighting mainstream with $20 bulbs

The Home Depot takes LED lighting mainstream with $20 bulbs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 May 2010 03:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GE's LED light bulbs look cool, last forever, cost a lot

Tim Stevens — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:27:00 EST

Citizens of the Earth, you're looking at the lightbulb of the future. In the coming years and decades our lives won't be illuminated by simple spheres or coils of white. Oh no; future bulbs will have cool fins and flares that make them look almost worth the $40 to $50 we'll pay for the things. That's what GE plans to ask for its Energy Smart LED bulb when it ships sometime in the next 12 months, and while that is a lot compared to the exiting options, look at the benefits: GE's bulbs will last a whopping 17 years when used four hours a day, and they give off light in all directions -- not focused in one spot like previous designs. But, most importantly, they're very efficient, using nine watts to give off the equivalent amount of light of a 40 watt incandescent bulb. That's 10 percent less than a 40 watt equivalent CFL, and there's no mercury or other toxic goop involved here either. It's the future, folks. Start saving.

Gallery: GE Energy Smart LED bulb

GE's LED light bulbs look cool, last forever, cost a lot originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nanofiber lighting promises to be better, safer than incandescent or CFL bulbs

Donald Melanson — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:35:00 EST

Well, it looks like you can add another contender to the great light bulb debate -- a group of researchers from RTI International now says that nanofiber lighter is more efficient than incandescent light bulbs, and safer than compact fluorescents. The secret to that, it seems, is a combination of nanofiber-based reflectors and photoluminescent nanofibers (or PLN), which together are able to form a lighting device that pumps out more than 55 lumens of light output per electrical watt consumed. That's five times more efficient than a regular incandescent light bulb, and since there's no mercury, the researchers say it's far safer than CFL bulbs. What's more, it's also apparently able to produce more natural light than CFLs, although there's noticeably no mention of potential pricing -- they do say that the first products using nanofiber lighting could be available in three to five years, though. Video after the break.

[Thanks, DeFlanko]

Continue reading Nanofiber lighting promises to be better, safer than incandescent or CFL bulbs

Nanofiber lighting promises to be better, safer than incandescent or CFL bulbs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vu1 Corporation sees bright future for ESL light bulbs

Donald Melanson — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:44:00 EST

Rivalries. Controversy. Government intervention. The life of a light bulb isn't easy these days, and it looks like things are about to get even more complicated. While CFLs and LEDs may now be fighting it out to replace traditional incandescent light bulbs, Seattle-based Vu1 Corporation says it has developed a new type of bulb that's better than either of 'em, and could hit the market by mid-2010. Making use of ESL technology (or electron stimulated luminescence), the new bulbs seem to be the cure-all many folks have been looking for, with them promising to provide a more natural light than CFLs or LEDs, turn on as quickly as an incandescent bulb, and eliminate some of the pesky problems associated with CFLs (like their use of mercury). According to the company, they'll also be about as efficient as CFLs, although they will cost about $20 a pop to begin with, which Vu1 says is comparable to a dimmable CFL reflector bulb. Some bold claims to be sure -- claims made even bolder by the must-see "documentary" after the break.

Continue reading Vu1 Corporation sees bright future for ESL light bulbs

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Vu1 Corporation sees bright future for ESL light bulbs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic's new EVERLED light bulbs to light up your life for 19 years

Laura June — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:56:00 EST

Long-lasting light bulb technology is nothing new -- people have been trying to up the lifespan these bad boys for some time. Long-lived light bulbs are generally uber-expensive, too, but we like to keep our eyes on such things. Panasonic's just unveiled the EVERLED, a line of bulbs set to be launched in Japan at the end of October. Lighter and more efficient than other LEDs on the market, these babies use 85 lumens per watt for a 40W bulb. Though the bulbs are not going to be cheap -- about $40 -- the company claims they'll have a lifespan of 19 years, bringing the overall costs down considerably. Still, we'd have to see them last that long to believe it.

[Via Inhabitat]

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Panasonic's new EVERLED light bulbs to light up your life for 19 years originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crapgadget: "Oh yeah, they're totally serious" edition

Darren Murph — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:13:00 EST

Every so often, we come across a gadget (or five) that's so offensive, so absurd that we simply can't help but stick it in our back pocket and show it to the general public. Today, we're rounding up the worst of the worst once again, proving that there literally is no end to the spewing of gadget-related garbage that comes from unknown caverns in undisclosed corners of the universe. We mean, just listen to these products: "fried eggs night light," "Bic lighter spy camera," "hungry caterpillar USB hub," and "half-eaten chocolate mouse." Does those even sound like kit that any partially sane individual would purchase? No, no it doesn't. Have a gander while shaking your head furiously below, and feel free to drop a vote for the king of the crap while venting in comments below. Trust us, it's therapeutic.

Read - Half-eaten chocolate mouse
Read - USB Penguin 4-Port Hub
Read - Fried Eggs Night Light
Read - Spy camera Bic lighter
Read - USB Bulb Flash Drive
Read - Hungry caterpillar USB hub

View Poll

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Peripherals

Crapgadget: "Oh yeah, they're totally serious" edition originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brando credit card light bulb fills the void in your wallet... not your heart

Vlad Savov — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:21:00 EST

Tailored to fit inside a vacant credit card slot -- let's face it, we've all got a bit more room in our wallets these days -- Brando's latest offering is an unfolding LED light tastefully shaped like a bulb. You might point out the irony of replacing cold hard cash with a cute yet limited trinket, but do you really expect such subtlety to stop the company that brought you the sliced bread wrist rest? We'll let you to come up with viable justifications for its existence, but do yourself the favor of going past the break for a snap of the little wonder flicked on, while we decide whether to file it under pointless sophistication or sophisticated pointlessness.

Continue reading Brando credit card light bulb fills the void in your wallet... not your heart

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Brando credit card light bulb fills the void in your wallet... not your heart originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study says LEDs are about as efficient as compact fluorescents, all things considered

Donald Melanson — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:03:00 EST

As we've seen with the slight resurgence of new and improved incandescent light bulbs, the amount of energy used to actually light up the bulb isn't necessarily the whole measure of energy efficiency. There's also the small matter of producing the bulb, shipping it around the world, and eventually disposing of it. With that in mind, the Siemens Corporate Technology Centre for Eco Innovations conducted a study that compared regular compact fluorescents to LED lamps -- using one 25,000-hour LED lamp as a constant, compared to 2.5 10,000-hour compact fluorescents (and 25 1,000-hour incandescents). While it's still holding back on some of the finer details, the group did apparently find that LEDs are no more or no less energy efficient than compact fluorescents when the entire lifecycle of the bulb is taken into account, although it is quick to point out that LEDs should eventually win out as they become more efficient to produce.

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Study says LEDs are about as efficient as compact fluorescents, all things considered originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Incandescent bulbs making a comeback, GE still launching new LED lights

Darren Murph — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:51:00 EST

On the eve of Christmas 2007, quite a few obituaries for incandescent light bulbs were penned. News was slow, time was short and Congress had just outlined a new energy plan that would essentially force these energy-wasting bulbs out by 2012. Now, however, legions of scientists are racing the clock to develop new incandescents that will still meet the upcoming guidelines, with a Deposition Sciences technology paving the way for a post-2012 model from Philips. Without drowning you in technobabble, let's just say that said tech has seen 50 percent efficiency gains in the lab, which is more than enough to please even the most outspoken tree hugger in Washington. In related news, GE has issued two more LED light bulbs: the 7-watt Energy Smart LED PAR20 and 10-watt LED PAR30. Both of 'em are aimed more at commercial customers than at actual homes, but you'll be hard pressed to find a better option for lighting up your makeshift basketball court.

Read - Incandescent bulbs stage comeback
Read - GE Energy Smart bulbs

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Incandescent bulbs making a comeback, GE still launching new LED lights originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp's remote controlled LED light-bulbs generate seven-shades of smart

Thomas Ricker — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:18:00 EST

While you're replacing your household incandescent light-bulbs with LEDs in a bid to save energy and possibly cash (over the 40,000-hour lifespan) you might want to consider these remote-controlled lamps from Sharp. The DL-L60AV gives you on/off and dimming functions as well as the ability to adjust the light in seven shades of white to warm up or cool down the glow. Best of all, they screw into a standard E26 socket for a one-to-one exchange with your existing ocean warmers. The features of the remote control are still unclear (lighting zone support, range of operation, etc.) but it appears to work with multiple-lamps in parallel which is a nice touch. However, we'd like to see Sharp integrate a Z-Wave or ZigBee chipset so we could link these directly (without special wall-switches) into a tricked-out home automation and power managment system. The DL-series start at ¥3880 (about $40) for simple LED lights before hitting ¥7980 (about $82) for the fully-equipped DL-L60AV and begin shipping July 15th in Japan.

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Sharp's remote controlled LED light-bulbs generate seven-shades of smart originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ultra-powerful laser could make incandescent light bulbs more efficient

Darren Murph — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:26:00 EST

Look, LED light bulbs are fanciful, great for Ma Earth and a fine addition to any home, barber shop or underground fight club. But let's be honest -- even the guy that bikes through blizzards to get to work and wears garb that he grew in his basement isn't apt to shell out $120 a pop to have what's likely the most efficient light bulb American dollars can buy. Enter Chunlei Guo from the University of Rochester, who has helped discover a process which could morph a traditional incandescent light bulb into a beacon of burning light without using nearly as much energy as before. In fact, his usage of the femtosecond laser pulse -- which creates a "unique array of nano- and micro-scale structures on the surface of a regular tungsten filament" -- could enable a bulb to increase output efficiency in order to emit 100-watts worth of light while sucking down less than 60-watts of power. Per usual, there's no telling when this new hotness is likely to hit the commercial realm, but one's thing for sure: we bet GE's paying attention.

[Via Physorg]

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Ultra-powerful laser could make incandescent light bulbs more efficient originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 May 2009 16:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GeoBulb LED light bulb uses just eight watts, rings up at $120

Darren Murph — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:51:00 EST

Ah, progress. Right around two years ago, we spotted a LED-filled light bulb that used "just" nine watts and cost a staggering $65. Now, we've got yet another option that sucks down even less power and costs nearly twice as much. C. Crane Company has been working on its so-called GeoBulb for a solid three years now, but at long last the device is shipping to affluent homeowners and headstrong Earth lovers. The bulb can provide as much light as a traditional 60W incandescent with just 7.5W, and it features a 30,000 hour (10 years) lifespan with typical usage. Now, the hard part: choosing between cool, soft and warm white.

[Via Times-Standard]

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GeoBulb LED light bulb uses just eight watts, rings up at $120 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Philips Master LED light bulb set for US release in July

Nilay Patel — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:03:00 EST

Philips has been hitting us with some out-there lighting concepts lately, but the company's Master LED light bulb is actually already on sale in Europe and is set to brighten up Stateside lives around July. The 40W-equivalent bulbs should run between $50 and $70, and expected lifetime is set at 45,000 hours -- just slightly more than a CFL's 10,000 or a standard bulb's 750 hours. The Master is certainly a damn sight nicer looking than the other mutant LED bulbs we've seen, but we'll see if consumers are ready to jump on another more-expensive-upfront lighting tech so soon after CFLs have hit the mainstream.

[Via Core77]

Filed under: Household

Philips Master LED light bulb set for US release in July originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Research team "near production" of a cheap lightbulb, lasts up to 60 years

Laura June — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:42:00 EST

We've seen plenty of high-efficiency lightbulbs rolling around, but this new one -- if it ever sees the light of day (groan) -- has impressive potential. Cambridge University's team of researchers are apparently quite close to bringing to production an LED bulb that can last up to 100,000 hours (about 60 years), and which -- unlike some other eco-friendly lighting -- contains no mercury. In the UK, where sale of some incandescents has been phased out, the team estimates they could reduce carbon emissions by about 40 million tons. The team has also significantly cheapened production by growing the LEDs on silicon wafers rather than the sapphire ones normally used, thereby bring the cost to... wait for it: $2.85. So when can we expect to see these badboys on the market? "Soon."

[Via Switched]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Household

Research team "near production" of a cheap lightbulb, lasts up to 60 years originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GE frees CFL lighting from the tyranny of ugly

Joseph L. Flatley — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:32:00 EST

Was it Arthur C. Clarke who said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic? If he was correct, it would follow that GE's new Energy Smart CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulb is most magical. A true product of "ecomagination" (their word), the imagineers (Disney's word) at GE have taken the their tried and true CFL hardware and housed it in the form factor of a traditional light bulb. Of course there are already a vast number of options for homeowners wishing to go green on the lighting front, but we're hard pressed to find something that works across the board in traditional lighting fixtures (at least without looking awful as it does so). The product gets its national outing at Target on December 28, and starts popping up at more retailers over the coming months. To tide you over until then, we've provided some earth shattering video after the break.

Continue reading GE frees CFL lighting from the tyranny of ugly

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GE frees CFL lighting from the tyranny of ugly originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitachi and Seiyu develop light bulb with replaceable arc tube

Darren Murph — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:02:00 EST

While the rest of the world goes off to win the hearts of environmentalists (and laypeople, too) with LED light bulbs, Hitachi Lighting and Seiyu are taking the road (way) less traveled. Reportedly, the duo has collaborated in order to pop out a "bulb-shaped fluorescent lamp that can be separated into a lighting circuit unit and an arc tube unit." What this means is that the lighting circuit can be used repeatedly (up to 30,000 hours) while the arc tube simply gets replaced every 10,000 hours. The pair is hoping that the bulbs will take the place of traditional 60-watt incandescents, and considering that these only draw around 13-watts each, it's fairly easy to see how Mother Earth would just love you for making the switch. As for pricing, we're hearing that these will sell for around ¥1,500 ($14) apiece when they launch this October in Japan, so don't plan on recouping your investment in energy savings right away or anything.

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Hitachi and Seiyu develop light bulb with replaceable arc tube originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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