lightbulb

The 404 201: Where MTI is the new Wilson

To continue a week of absences, Wilson is on leave, so MTI once again picks up the mantle and joins us for today's episode. Dan the Mantern kindly filled in the board with stories about magical baked goods, lightbulb-powered Wi-Fi, 11 TRILLION dollar shots at evolution, and a bunch of '80s movies that should not, but will be, remade.

Wow, I can't believe it's been 201 episodes already, it seems like just yesterday that the guys invited me into the studio for my first guest appearance on the show, and now I'm a permanent host! To support our efforts to keep our heads barely above water, I'd like to personally invite you to join The 404 for drinks this Friday, October 10 at Gstaad Bar on West 26th St. and 6th Avenue @ 6:30PM. Jeff, Wilson, MTI, Natali, and I will all be there in the flesh to meet all four of you guys that listen to the show and live in New York. So come out, we'll buy you a drink (scratch that, reverse it) and we'll all have a great time. Don't forget, because we definitely won't if you miss it!

EPISODE 201 Download today's podcast … Read more

LED lightbulbs: Are you ready to make the switch?

High price and a strange color. No, we're not talking about a hairdo. Those are the two factors that have kept light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, from becoming a mainstream light source.

But that might change soon, said Zach Gibler, chief business development officer of Lighting Science Group, which plans to announce distribution deals with major retailers for its LED bulbs that screw into a regular socket.

LED bulbs for household use have already been around for some time, but their success has been limited. The main obstacles have been that they cost more than incandescent lightbulbs and emit a … Read more

The Barry White of lightbulbs

Why did this LED lightbulb catch our eye? Three simple reasons: 1) We like LED stuff; 2) we like weird remotes even more, and 3) Caroline McCarthy demands that we post anything that might vaguely qualify as "color-changey."

Naturally, this multi-color LED lightbulb with remote was a no-brainer. The bulb, which we saw on the Gadgets Weblog, has 16 colors that can be adjusted at various brightness intensities and includes "transitions effects" such as longer times on particular colors and slow fades in between. Perfect to create the right mood, per orders from the The Ladies Man.… Read more

A lightbulb powered by radio waves

Most lightbulbs create light with a pair electrodes. Luxim does it with radio waves.

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based start-up has come up with a way to get rid of the parts inside of high intensity discharge (HID) lamps that are often the first to fail. As a result, Luxim's LiFi (light fidelity) lamp provides more lumens per watt and lasts longer than competing products, according to the company.

In traditional HID lamps, high voltage pulses pass between two electrodes. The energy creates plasma from the ambient gases trapped inside the bulb and you get light. The electrodes, however, degrade … Read more

A lightbulb that's not a lightbulb

Retro, as we've noted in this space, is the new new. And though it may be a bit premature to declare the incandescent lightbulb in that category, it seems we're getting closer all the time. That may be why Ecogeek is touting the GlowBrick phosphorescent light cube, which pays homage to the bulb's iconic form without wasting energy. It could also help scare away kids on Halloween when you run out of candy.

(Photo: Ecogeek)

One screwy lightbulb

We got a kick out of this slightly mind-bending lightbulb by 100% Design. In addition to adding some verve to the common household item, the Lamp/Lamp, coming soon, adds another possible joke to the lightbulb-joke genre: How many bloggers does it take to...well, you get the picture.

Thanks, Gizmodo, for helping us see the light on this wacky gadget.