Light bulbs from carbon nanotubes?

Applied Nanotech, one of the people trying to bring you a nanotube TV, has signed a license with Shimane Masuda Electronics under which Shimane will try to bring lights to market powered by carbon nanotubes.

Shimane and Applied already have a pilot line.

Carbon nanotubes are the miracle material of the nano world. Stronger than steel and far lighter, nanotubes can also conduct electricity without losing energy. They also emit light. As a light source, carbon nanotubes could cut energy consumption in buildings and homes. Approximately 22 percent of the electricity consumed in the United States goes toward lighting, according to the Department of Energy. That's $58 billion a year, and much of the energy delivered to conventional light bulbs gets dissipated as heat.

A number of companies in recent years have emerged to modernize the light bulb. Fiberstars, for instance, is using optical fiber to efficiently light grocery store cases and stores while Universal Display says it wants to take organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and employ them as room lights.