led

Upon first viewing, this looked either like a Photoshop job or evidence that our monitor was in desperate need of serious adjustment. But rather than some iPod laboratory experiment gone horribly awry, the "Dr. Light Alarm Clock" is merely what its name indicates.

The distracting design is actually unfortunate because the clock has some interesting features in its own right--namely, according to Gizmodo, several rows of LEDs that light up to reflect the time of day. That, at least, is certainly more useful than other LED products we've seen lately.

As cyclists continue to assert their equal rights on the road, their gadgets are trying to keep up with car technology as well--whether they be MP3 players, GPS devices, phones, speakers, or even heart monitors. But until now, one crucial element has been missing: LED messages.

Japan's Digital Cowboy (we love that name) is about to remedy that, however, with something called "Lex" that attaches to the bicycle's spokes. Just download a message from the computer through a USB connection and, according to Everything USB, "as the bike wheel spins down the road, you are … Read more

For the sake of those who wear this timepiece, we sincerely hope that scientists never find any adverse health issues posed by light emitting diodes. The reason: The "Guru" watch, as it's known, has no fewer than 82 LEDs that wrap around your wrist.

This lighting overkill supposedly gives the watch a "hypnotic" effect, but we'd be too preoccupied trying to figure out how to work it to be mesmerized. Still, as Gizmodo notes, its 2-inch-long face does provide a bold fashion statement for the large-boned.

One of the pleasures of the Tokyo auto show is seeing technologies from automotive equipment makers that haven't made it into any current models. This is the stuff that might appear on cars of the future. We saw numerous displays from different companies about how different colored LEDs can be used for exterior and signal lighting on a car. One equipment maker, Koito, had an interesting concept with an LED string framing the headlight housing. The LEDs in this string could flash yellow, working as a turn indicator, or they could turn blue and stay on for night driving. … Read more

Guys, don't let this be you.

So there's this friend of mine; let's call him Josh. He goes on this date, and it goes really well because he did a little bit of Facebook reconnaissance in advance to find out that the girl really digs sushi, gelato, and Wes Anderson movies.

Then he takes her back to his apartment for a "cup of tea" (oh, yeah right!) and then she notices that he's a little bit eccentric. You know, he's got a Star Trek blaster for his TV remote control, or maybe he'… Read more

I'm lusting after a material thing, and I'm a bit ashamed.

Still, this is just about the coolest hat I've ever seen: A top hat with a built-in set of LEDs (seen here from the artist's YouTube video) that plays sequenced animations, including images from Space Invaders and Pac-Man. It also displays bouncing hearts, the alphabet and all kinds of other images.

I'm not sure how comfortable this hat would be, but hey, who cares? You can walk around with wonderful animations scrolling on your head, and that obviates simple comfort.

This reminds me of … Read more

Last week, George Harrison--who created the best post-Beatles solo album, the gorgeous All Things Must Pass--became the fourth of the Fab Four to go online. His full solo catalog is available on iTunes and other music stores now. Today, Led Zeppelin confirmed that its entire catalog will be released online Nov. 13, not just the songs on the new greatest hits compilation, Mothership. Zeppelin will also follow AC/DC and sell its songs as ringtones on Verizon Wireless.

Surely, the full Beatles must be next?

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif.--So you've finally got your mitts on that 42-inch LCD TV you've been lusting after since last Christmas. Congratulations. The major television manufacturers would like to thank you for your business by finding ways to make your shiny new display look old and out of date very quickly.

It's nothing personal, of course. But such is the nature of a commoditized and maturing industry like high-definition televisions. There are more than 70 TV brands on retail shelves competing for your dollars and eyeballs, and the only way to differentiate themselves is to keep tweaking … Read more

It's such a common problem: There you are, wearing your best pair of night-vision goggles, and you can't see the damn keyboard. What's a clandestine operative to do?

iKey claims to have the answer with a LED keyboard that it says is "compatible with NV goggles, featuring filters that remove unwanted light interference" such as halo glows, according to Ubergizmo. It's kind of a version of Stacco Switch's rugged M779 that provides the necessary discretion you won't get with an LED piano lamp. Unfortunately for amateur spies, it seems to be aimed … Read more