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August 10, 2009 10:37 AM PDT

Wind-up LED light: No charging needed

by Reuben Lee
  • 4 comments
Timer To Light device (Credit: Yanko Design)

This interesting LED light concept will surely go well with those looking to add a little mood lighting while staying eco-friendly. Designed by Jasper Hou, the Timer To Light device is powered using mechanical energy. That's right, no batteries, so no charging. In a way, it works like a wind-up toy. In this case, the base is rotated to store energy, which can then be used to light up the LEDs while it slowly unwinds.

From the images, the Timer To Light concept comes in several pleasant hues, which should blend easily into any room in the house. While no details were given as to how long the light will last, we're hoping the timer ratings at the base refer to minutes rather than seconds. Else we can only imagine the frantic and rather pointless exercise of cranking up the device for a few moments of ambient-light enjoyment.

(Source: Crave Asia via Yanko Design)

August 6, 2009 5:20 PM PDT

Gadgettes 149: The single-purpose gadgets episode

by Jason Howell
  • 2 comments

OK. So we promised you on last week's episode that we would do a single-purpose gadgets episode this week. Turns out, promising that type of thing in advance isn't such a good idea as we actually had to work to find gadgets that fit the theme. So we made it, but admittedly by the skin of our collective teeth. It's all worth it for the segments, though. Patience, young grasshopper!

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EPISODE 149

Sony responds to Kindle onslaught with Reader Touch and Pocket

Pancake machine churns 200 flapjacks per hour (thanks, Peter Lee!)

Ramen robot!

Multiblade pizza slicer guarantees perfect-sized slices

Lava Lamp returns as Mathmos Fireflow

A Propos (of) Nothing
The Wall-E USB drive is too cute for even baby talk to describe

This week in hello kitty
Hello Kitty limited edition Casio Exilim EX-Z2

It’s About Time
Darth Vader clock radio has no patience for your sloth

PRETTY
Bugatti Diva espresso machine inspires poetry

Potty Time
Public urinal lets you pee into the wall

Kill Me
Sony’s new “Girlz Play Too” campaign

Pink Watch (Kill Me Edition)
ChicBuds “by women, for women”

... Read more
Originally posted at Gadgettes, the blog
August 5, 2009 1:12 PM PDT

Creative ink cartridge lamp lights the way

by Leonard Goh
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ink cartridge lamp

"My workplace goes through ink cartridges like water, and I couldn't bear to keep tossing them out," says the creator of the lamps.

(Credit: Etsy.com/boxlightbox)

Recently, I replaced an ink tank in a printer and unthinkingly tossed the empty cartridge into the trash bin. Looking at the ink cartridge lamps from crafts site Etsy.com, I now feel a tad guilty.

ink cartridge lamp

An Epson cartridge gets reborn.

(Credit: Etsy.com/boxlightbox)

Who would have thought an expanded printer cartridge could be converted into such an interesting home decor item? Not only does it make a great conversation piece when guests swing by, it's also an innovative way to go eco-friendly.

It's just a shame there aren't any DIY instructions on how to make the ink cartridge lamp yourself. Instead, you'll have to drop between $35 and $200 for one of these unique handmade pieces.

(Source: Crave Asia via Dvice)

July 30, 2009 5:57 PM PDT

Gadgettes 148: The Turn Your Kids into Tragic Hipsters Episode

by Jason Howell
  • 1 comment

No kid wants to be the one who blends into a crowd. That's why it's important to start young when setting your children up for a lifetime filled with the nostalgic irony that comes with being tragically hip. Of course, they may not like you when they grow older, but that's fashionable too, right?

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EPISODE 148

Look at this f**king hipster

This Death Star cookie jar is fully operational

Cassette tape lamps light up your nostalgia

NES Controller Business Card shows you mean real geek business

Casio calculator watch. For realz. (Thanks, Sparkman!)

The iPhone’s best neo-retro game: Space Invaders Infinity Gene

Good Vibrations
The Vibrator Museum

A propos (of) nothing
Japanese auto-fogging glasses prevent eye strain

What the hell?
Microsmores (thanks, Sheala)

Kill Me
Wi-Fi scale notifies the internet of your lapsed diet

... Read more
Originally posted at Gadgettes, the blog
July 20, 2009 3:18 PM PDT

Reading lamp is also a bookmark

by Damian Koh
  • 3 comments
Reading lamp/bookmark (Credit: Jun Yasumoto)

Designed by Jun Yasumoto, Alban Le Henry, Olivier Pigasse, and Vincent Vandenbrouck, this reading lamp is a bedside light and a bookmark rolled into one. Inside the polycarbonate body is a fluorescent light and a switch that kills the power when you place the book over the lamp. The light comes back on when you pick up your reading again.

See a video of the reading lamp in action here. It's just a pity the lamp is still a concept; we can totally picture places like IKEA carrying the lamp if it ever makes it to market.

(Source: Crave Asia via Newlaunches.com)

July 1, 2009 12:15 PM PDT

Sanyo's Eneloop Lamp: The flashlight that heals?

by Erik Palm
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(Credit: Sanyo)

Sanyo is turning to LED light technology, a hot new area for experimentation, to squeeze three uses out of a single lamp. The company's new Eneloop Lamp is a desk light that can also work as an emergency flashlight and even send some healing energy your way--or so the company says.

Operating on rechargable AA "eneloop" batteries, Sanyo's new Eneloop Lamp based on high-luminance LED technology can be situated anywhere in the room since no cords constrain the placement.

It also uses a contactless charging system and has no metallic contact on the product body interrupting the design. The batteries are recharged by putting the lamp unit on the charging stand.

In low-white-light mode, one 12-hour charge lasts an impressive 45 hours, but on high output it only lasts 3 hours.

The Eneloop Lamp also features a blue lamp "Healing Light" mode that according to Sanyo "creates a healing ambience." We don't know exactly what the lamp will heal, nor have we seen any scientific data confirming this claim.

Tilt the body and you have a flashlight.

(Credit: Sanyo)

Finally, when the body is tilted 90 degrees or more, "a built-in acceleration sensor" turns the lamp into a flashlight that lasts up to six hours on one full charge. Sanyo suggests the flashlight be used in an emergency situations like a midnight earthquake or for more frequent day-to-say use as a handy portable light.

The Eneloop Lamp goes on sale September 11, but no official price has been announced yet.

April 30, 2009 5:00 AM PDT

IKEA lamp puts solar cells on your desk

by John Chan
  • 11 comments
Sunnan desk lamp (Credit: IKEA)

Here's one more gadget that will help you reduce your electricity bill and do your bit for the environment at the same time. The Sunnan desk lamp from IKEA has solar cells that you leave in direct sunlight over the course of the day. A 9- to 12-hour recharging period will yield about four hours of light from its LED bulbs for use at night.

Like many other products from IKEA, the Sunnan desk lamp has an attractive design and, more importantly, isn't expensive. This one is listed at $20.

(Source: Crave Asia via bookofjoe)

November 21, 2008 10:36 AM PST

Illuminate your blinds

by Julie Rivera
  • 3 comments

Feeling a little blasé about how ordinary your blinds look from day to night? OK. Fine, so you don't care. How about if they did something more than just open and close?

Designed by Yoon-Hui Kim and Eun-Kyung Kim, the Solar Vertical Lamp takes an average vertical blind and embeds it with special mini photovoltaics and LED pixels. Close the blinds during the day and the miniature solar pads on the back of the blinds start to soak up the sun's energy. Once the sun goes down, artfully placed lighting pixels illuminate in certain parts of the blinds.

(Credit: Inhabitant)

The two-dimensional lamps come in table lamp, floor lamp, and chandelier forms. Besides being completely energy-efficient and saving you tons of money on your monthly bill, they create a sexy and dramatic ambiance for any part of the home.

(Credit: Inhabitat)
September 12, 2008 9:00 AM PDT

Gadgettes 106: The Fashion Week episode

by Jason Howell
  • 4 comments

If you read the title of this weeks Gadgettes and have to ask yourself "what is fashion week?" then you are obligated to listen.


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EPISODE 106

Tech-Chic--Vivienne Tam Runway NP Notebook
Sheala: Kill this notebook, or at least any this color. It burns the eyes!

The Stiletto is a laptop stand with style

In cell phone land, is purple the new red?

Spark Lamp a bright idea for energy watchers

Full review: Apple iPod Nano 4G

ConceptFascination hints at future of Mercedes E-Class

La Yin beautiful USB stick

... Read more
Originally posted at Gadgettes, the blog
September 11, 2008 6:00 AM PDT

Spark Lamp a bright idea for energy watchers

by Juniper Foo
  • Post a comment
Spark Lamp (Credit: Beverly Ng)

Here's a lamp with a conscience. The Spark Lamp by designer Beverly Ng is a decorative LED lamp that can recharge itself by lying on its head. Which supposes that the solar panels are below and rather oddly placed (I would have placed the panels on the frame and stand for maximum exposure, but since I'm not Beverly, that's moot).

Here's the twist. The lamp is also Wi-Fi-capable and can tap the wireless to access your home's power usage information. When you hit the "on" switch, the lamp will flicker in different colors to signal what your power consumption is at the time, a cool way to constantly stay aware of your energy use. This is still just a spark of an idea, but it's one bright spark in Mother Earth's favor.

(Source: Crave Asia via Designzen)

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The name says it all. Crave is our blog about gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. If you would like to contact Crave with a tip or comment, please write to: crave@cnet.com

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Crave topics

Let the battle for holiday gadget shoppers begin

Retailers try different strategies for competing with behemoths like Amazon and Wal-Mart in the cutthroat competition to lure those giving electronics as gifts.

Firefox hopes to one-up IE with fast graphics

Windows 7 features called Direct2D and DirectWrite will speed up Internet Explorer 9 performance. But Firefox hopes it might retool for the same benefit first.

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