light

We're resigned to the inexplicable ubiquity of LEDs, especially when they have absolutely no practical use. But we must draw the line when it comes to our children: Why, for example, would anyone want to use LEDs in a night light?

Granted, light-emitting diodes use much less power than standard bulbs, but they're also consistently touted by manufacturers for their ultra-bright illumination. And C. Crane's "LED Night Light" is no exception.

The last time we checked, night lights were generally used to cast a soft glow that allows children to sleep when they're still … Read more

It just had to come out of the Netherlands. These contraptions, called the "Light Wind," are manufactured by Dutch design firm Demakersvan, and they're outdoor lights powered by wind. They might look like design-savvy variations on those little propeller beanie hats that I'm sure a few people over at the Googleplex have been known to accessorize with, but I personally think these are a cool "green" idea. They even have the capacity to store up energy when it's windy so that the light will keep shining all night long. (For size comparisons, the … Read more

The Lounge Light Projector might resemble a can of WD-40 more than anything else, but it's actually a lamp affixed to a battery that can keep whatever-you-want lit up for 150 hours. (That's the battery life. The bulb itself lasts a whopping 100,000 hours.)

Plus, to use one of my favorite expressions, it's color-changey! But if that annoys you too much, you can push a "color hold" button on the Lounge Light Projector to "freeze" the gadget on a color that you like.

It'd be cool if you could get a … Read more

We're not quite sure why, but LEDs seem to have found particular usefulness when affixed to the skull. Various headgear products featuring the ultra-bright lights have been introduced to the market, ranging from forms worthy of a coal miner to an alien laboratory prober.

The problem is just that, however: They look like Halloween accoutrements. But the "LED Ear Light" actually manages to look kind of geeky chic, in a Borg-like way, by hanging the gadget from your ear sort of like a bulky Bluetooth headset. It weighs only an ounce, according to SCI FI Tech, and … Read more

Recently we've been digging astronomy gadgets around these parts (and astro-mashups on Webware). Most of the time, they deal with plain old stargazing or the simulation thereof. This Japanese import, however, deals with recreating the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) on your wall, ceiling, or projector screen of choice.

The gadget in question is a 6-inch-tall lamp, retailing for the Japanese equivalent of slightly over $60, which runs on AA batteries and even comes with a sleep timer so that you can use it as a sort of visual lullaby. It obviously isn't an exact scientific reproduction, but for … Read more

Are you willing to pay $28 for a light bulb?

No? Well, how about this light bulb?

The mind-boggling Lamp/Lamp isn't actually a lamp. It's a cleverly designed 30-watt bulb with two sets of screw threads.

Screw one end into an outlet, and it creates the optical illusion you see in the photo to the left. Turn it on, and watch as houseguests do triple-takes.

Designer Hironao Tsuboi is the brains behind the Lamp/Lamp. If you like it, you'll probably appreciate the other home products Tsuboi designed for 100per.com.

Tsuboi's other designs include … Read more

If you have a mean landlord who doesn't let you paint anything in your house or apartment, this could be a solution to your lack-of-color woes. The Morpheus Ambient Lighting Modules use really, really, really, really high-end LEDs to mix a combination of red, green, and blue light. Then it projects it on white walls--sorry, I'm not sure how it would be distorted by that lovely eggshell or alabaster color you've got in your living room.

It'll cost you the Brit equivalent of $167.

Basically, it's the ultimate haute end of color-changey gadgets. Because here'… Read more

The solar-powered hat fan taught us how to survive the summer heat, but what about the winter doldrums? Enter the "Feel Bright Light" from Hollywood Gadgets. A set of LED bulbs affixed underneath the brim of a visor bathe your face in happy light to help ward off seasonal affective disorder, for a mere $200. Our take: We'd rather stay in a permanent funk.

When I hear the phrase 'light-up jewelry,' the image that typically comes to mind is one of flashing plastic rings that were given away as favors at 10th-birthday parties back in the day. (Or of ravers.) However, there seems to be a luxe version of just about everything these days (case in point: Dance Dance Revolution) and as I learned from Yanko Design, luminescent jewelry is no exception.

The "Aurora" accessories designed by Kyeok Kim are intended, according to the designer, to "reinterpret the meaning of ornamentation on the body by projecting various patterns of light on … Read more