Nope, this isn’t a super closeup of three LEDs. These are giant (approximately 20:1 scale) LED lamps, each containing 12 (normal sized) LEDs. The LEDs refract through the clear acrylic shell, creating nifty patterns on the wall, which you can see in the picture after the jump. The “LED of LED” lamps were designed by Kei Yamamoto, and were on display at the Gwangju Biennale Foundation’s Bright LED competition. My favorite design placed third; you can check out Rafael Morgan’s bizarre and amazing light drops here. One more picture of the giant LEDs after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
I’m always impressed by the cool stuff coming out of Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories (stuff like this, for example). And their latest project is no disappointment, as you can see from the video. These coffee tables are touch sensitive, and respond to pressure with ripples of blue and white LEDs. When they aren’t being touched, the LEDs twinkle softly, but any contact sets off “waves” of light that move around the table and gradually settle down, kinda like touching a pool of water. There’s no pre-programming and no seizure-inducing blinking or flashing; it’s completely analog and smooth.
I’m happy to report that you can buy one of these. They come in two table styles, and cost in the neighborhood of $2000 (depending on options) from Because We Can. Or, you can just buy the kit (add your own table and do some soldering) starting at $350 (large sizes and colored LEDs besides blue and white cost more) directly from Evil Mad Scientist Labs. Cat+string sold separately.
I have to admit that sperm is only the second thing that leaps to mind when I think about LEDs. Not so for Professor Andrew Steckl, an expert in light-emitting diode technology from the University of Cincinnati. It turns out that you can enhance LEDs by using biological membranes to slow down electrons, getting them to emit more photons:
“DNA has certain optical properties that make it unique. It allows improvements in one to two orders of magnitude in terms of efficiency, light, brightness — because we can trap electrons longer. Some of the electrons rushing by have a chance to say ‘hello,’ and get that photon out before they pass out. The more electrons we can keep around, the more photons we can generate. DNA serves as a barrier that affects the motion of the electrons.”
So, where can you get a whole bunch of DNA for cheap? Two words: salmon sperm. “Salmon sperm is considered a waste product of the fishing industry. It’s thrown away by the ton. It’s natural, renewable and perfectly biodegradable.” Any sort of DNA will potentially work just as well, but I’m not even going to touch that one. “I’m receiving salmon sperm from researchers around the world wanting to see if their sperm is good enough,” says Professor Andrew Steckl. Um, good luck with that.
When it comes to an LED flashlight I’m pretty sure this design is as simple as it gets. Three super-bright LEDs (are there other versions of LEDs out there? somewhat-bright? relatively dim?) are housed in a small plastic cap that attaches directly to the top of a 9-volt battery. A small power switch is also included allowing you to leave the light connected at all times without draining the battery.
The design obviously borrows quite a bit from Richard Lawson’s own 9-volt lights but where as those look and function like miniature table lamps this version provides a directional beam making it a bit more useful to carry around with you.
The 9-Volt Battery Flashlights will be available from KIKKERLAND for about $10 sometime in October but if you can wait another month I’m sure the market will be flooded with plenty of even cheaper knock-offs.
Where I grew up Summer storms were usually pretty wicked and most of the time resulted in a power failure for at least a couple of hours. So we always had plenty of flashlights on hand not to mention boxes of batteries to keep the GameBoys running. This Power-Failure Light though means you don’t have to stumble around in the dark looking for those flashlights in the event you’re without electricity.
It connects between the socket and lightbulb of a standard table or floor lamp and provides up to 8 hours of emergency backup lighting with 6 bright LEDs. It also uses a set of built-in rechargeable batteries as a power source which are constantly recharged as long as your home has power. (And the lamp’s plugged in.) It even includes a photocell that will ensure the LED lights only come on when it’s dark outside and they’re really needed.
Tranlogue Associates, designer of couture household accessories, has created a line of lighting fixtures utilizing surface emitted light. Inspired by fluid, natural lines, the airLUCE series is both modern and exceptionally beautiful; airLUCE looks surreal, almost ethereal. Made from an all new material, designed by Asahi Kasei, it consists of acrylic board that emits surface light from hidden LED sources. This more equal diffusion of the light creates a softer, cleaner feeling; it appears more balanced and natural, especially when compared to the harsher LED lights popular now.
The airLUCE series will be released next week in London. Pricing and availability is unknown, but is probably horribly expensive. And unless you live in an undersea palace or inside of a giant iPod, it probably won’t match your decor anyways. One more picture and links after the jump.
Outdoor speakers ‘cleverly’ disguised as fake stones are nothing new but this is the first time I’ve seen garden lights disguised that way. When powered off these unique stones look like your run-of-the-mill chunk of granite but when turned on a set of color changing red, blue and green LEDs inside cause the entire stone to glow like it just plummeted to Earth from the deepest reaches of space.
The stones are completely waterproof and will even float if for some reason you always thought your pool or pond could benefit from glowing, floating rocks. A 33 foot submersible cord also allows you to place the rocks all around your backyard while still being able to power them on and off from a single location.
The stones are currently available in 3 different ‘designs’ for $34.95 a piece.
They say if you build a better mouse trap the world will beat a path to your door but what if that happens at night or when the power’s out? Thankfully someone has built a better flashlight with the ‘oval’ that not only allows you to see what’s ahead when walking in the dark but it also illuminates the area just in front of you so you can avoid any tripping hazards.
This ingeniously designed flashlight contains two light sources that work together to provide you with the ultimate illumination. This dual-light flashlight emits a forward-facing, narrow-angle beam (uses a high output Luxeon one watt LED bulb) to light the path ahead of you. It also emits a downward-facing wide-angle beam (uses two ultra bright 5mm white LEDs) to light the ground. Using both of these light sources simultaneously enables you to feel safer while walking in the dark. You also have multiple lighting options available with the flashlights three-way switch: the front light on alone, both front and lower lights on, and lower lights only.
The oval design and built-in handle apparently also makes the flashlight more ergonomic and easier to carry for lengthy periods. Though I have to admit I’ve never really felt strained after using a traditional flashlight design for long periods. But maybe that’s just because my arms are like pythons.
The oval is powered by 3 AAA batteries and is currently available from firstSTREET for only $29.95.
PIX Visual Pendant uses 117 LEDs to constantly annoy bystanders with flashing image chains. It can display animations, images, texts, emotions and more. Using the included PIX editor software you can design and edit different graphics that you want your PIX to showcase. Then, you can share your painstakingly crafted PIX image macros with other users via email and MMS. PIX also has a social aspect, hosting a site where you can meet and trade IDs; apparently, when two PIX get close to each other (as fools wearing large, LED based badges are wont to do) they play synchronized images. It’s like myspace meets public forum meets tamagotchi. PIX retails for £39.00.
Hit the Korean site for a bit more info. Here: XenoFreaks.
In theory this is the perfect clock for your bedroom since it provides the date, time and temperate on an easy to read display. But the fact that it uses the brightest white LEDs on the market from the Nichia Corporation means it will also serve to keep you awake all night with its blinding glow. So it’s probably more suited for use in the kitchen, office or from the looks of it hanging from the ceiling at your local hockey arena.
But even though it shines as bright as a thousand suns the Gforce Calendar Clock is actually quite energy efficient thanks to its use of LEDs. So get rid of that old coal burning clock you’ve got in the den and replace it with one of these currently available from Gadget Universe for $99.95.
Related Tags: 
Permalink
By Andrew Liszewski
By Ryan Nill
By Andrew Liszewski