light

At first glance this might look like some kind of LED earbud, but it's actually not even close: Try an "electronic elixir" instead.

It's tough enough for us to have faith in such "anti-aging products," especially when one has a name like the "Baby Quasar." It sounds more like an astrological term or a crib toy than a wrinkle-zapping device.

That, however, is exactly what it's purported to be, exploiting the anti-inflammatory effects of red and amber light to "promote fibroblasts to increase the body's production of collagen," … Read more

We'll refrain from the obvious nerd references here, as some people are a bit sensitive about the topic of date repellants. A little too close to home, apparently.

So we'll just pass along this item from Technabob about a "Lightsaber lamp" from Japan. We're not so sure how much light they give off, but they do come in Jedi and Sith models (green and red, respectively).

But be aware that these lamp-sabers measure less than 16 inches, so don't expect to have any impromptu duels.

There's more to Energizer than the bunny. Despite the pink ears worn by some booth reps at CES, we did like what we saw of the versatile, new Energizer "Light on Demand" range.

At the heart of this series lies a removable light stick that packs onboard rechargeable batteries. What makes it so usable is that the light stick can function independently of its specific setup like, say, a Wall Sconce ($45). Detached from the main unit, it can work as an emergency flashlight. And if those rechargeables konk out, simply slot in AAA batteries, and you'… Read more

Sometimes--just sometimes--we have a thought that isn't so crazy after all. When we first heard of Philips' "Ambilight" TVs, for example, we wondered whether it was worth paying a premium for the feature--and whether it would be possible to develop something similar as a separate product.

Lo and behold, someone else had the same thought. A company called Illuminaire offers an LED system that claims to provide similar backlighting (which supposedly reduces eye strain) in a variety of colors that can change continually or even strobe, according to Tech Digest. Perfect for the first time you … Read more

Despite the pickup truck and cow catcher styling, the prototype of the military's new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) from Oshkosh Truck and Northrop Grumman promises better maneuverability, survivability, and payload capacity over the HMMWV it's designed to replace.

The U.S. Army and Marine Corps want something that comes armor-equipped, fuel-efficient, and air-droppable. It also wants a vehicle that can run on two flats and endure sustained small-arms fire. But most of all, performance must "exceed" that of the HMMWV, better known as the Humvee--which means it has to be more mine-resistant and ambush-proof than … Read more

Anyone who's witnessed the flash-bulb fusillade that accompanies every swing of Barry Bonds' bat knows how distracting they can be to the rest of the crowd. So we shudder to think what a massive LED barrage would look like if it becomes a stadium standard.

The "Fan Light" from FoxFury--which is already trying to make coal miners out of all of us with its headlamps--is peddling its latest bulbs as a way to show your team's true colors, or at least two of them, while in the stands. "With each shake of the arm, … Read more

Once you explore the power of NoteTab Light, you may find this text editor beautiful despite its hectic interface. At its core, NoteTab Light is to Windows' Notepad as a smart phone is to a rotary phone. The program incorporates top-level tabs similar to most Web browsers, so that you can manage several different projects at once, and it can automatically replace Notepad so that Notepad's icon opens NoteTab instead.

… Read more

Just when we were hoping that the lighted shoe fad was fading away, along comes a whole new category: lighted backpacks.

Given the use of LEDs for safety in such activities as bicycling and skiing, it only makes sense that they'd be somehow applied to kids as well. Britepack is offering backpacks in wheeled and unwheeled versions with blinking lights that can make them more visible.

The LEDs are motion-sensitive, meaning that they'll automatically turn off when not being jostled around--which is especially fortunate for teachers, to keep them from developing Tourette's syndrome.