lightbulb

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  • Changing a light bulb...

    by 
    Elizabeth Harper
    Elizabeth Harper
    11.04.2006

    Normally, I wouldn't take a second glance at a post with a title like this. However, the little Blizzard icon next to it, indicating a response from a Blizzard employee, compelled me to investigate further. And, if you're in need of a good laugh, perhaps you should take a look at Eyonix's explanation of how many World of Warcraft forum posters it takes to change a light bulb: 1 to change the light bulb and to post that the light bulb has been changed 6 to share that they were the first to read and respond to the light bulb being changed 5 to convey disatisfaction for failing to be the first to read and respond to the light bulb being changed 14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light bulb could have been changed differently 7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs 7 to point out spelling/grammar errors in posts about changing light bulbs 5 to flame the spell checkers 3 to correct spelling/grammar flames 6 to argue over whether it's "lightbulb" or "light bulb" ... another 6 to condemn those 6 as stupid 2 proclaimed industry professionals to inform the group that the proper term is "lamp" 15 who claim that they were previously in the industry, and that "light bulb" is perfectly correct 19 to post that this forum is not about light bulbs and to please take this discussion to a lightbulb forum 11 to defend the posting to this forum saying that we all use light bulbs and therefore the posts are relevant to this forum 36 to debate which method of changing light bulbs is superior, where to buy the best light bulbs, what brand of light bulbs work best for this technique and what brands are faulty 7 to post URL's where one can see examples of different light bulbs 4 to post that the URL's were posted incorrectly and then post the corrected URL's 3 to post about links they found from the URL's that are relevant to this group which makes light bulbs relevant to this group 4 to discuss how Paladins need to be fixed 5 to post to the group that they will no longer post because they cannot handle the light bulb controversy 13 to say "do a Google search on light bulbs before posting questions about light bulbs" 1 to respond to the original post 6 months later to start it all over again.

  • Group IV Semiconductor unveils plans for silicon lighting

    by 
    Darren Murph
    Darren Murph
    10.09.2006

    For those out there just looking for zanier methods to get your illumination on, Group IV Semiconductor is hoping to deliver the goods you crave. While about 60 percent of the world's artificial lighting is still derived from the incredibly inefficient incandescent variety, companies like Philips are offering up LED alternatives that conserve energy, emit less heat, and convert perfectly normal buildings into nerdish eye candy. The Ottawa startup has spent its last four years researching and developing a silicon-based lighting system that will hopefully be "just as cheap" to produce as solid-state alternatives and emit equivalent amounts of light to boot. To overcome one of silicon's less helpful characteristics (poor light emission, of all things), the company has packed nanocrystals -- otherwise known as "quantum dots" -- between a transparent layer in which current is directed and a substrate of silicon underneath. Once electricity is applied, the nanocrystals settle back into their natural state, give off photons, and create a low-heat form of light roughly equivalent to a standard 100 watt light bulb. Group IV is aiming to produce a product that requires "90 percent" less energy than options currently on the market, while building it to last "50 times" longer than the already longevous alternatives, so you should probably expect this (presumably) once in a lifetime purchase to demand quite a premium should it actually hit store shelves.