Mini Strobe Goes LED!

Mini Strobe Goes LED!

LOS ANGELES - American DJ has put new flash into strobe lights by adding the power of LEDs, while scaling down the size, to create the S-81 LED Mini Strobe. A modern-day version of this all-time popular effect, the compact S-81 LED measures just 3.5″ x 5.5″ x 3.5″, yet contains 21 bright white LEDs, which give it an impressive punch that belies its petite size.
This highly portable LED mini strobe is small enough to fit anywhere and it’s super easy to operate, making it an ideal choice for creating cool visual effects at school dances, dorm parties, discos, bars, band performances — anywhere a strobe light can be used. And, with the fall-winter season just around the corner, it’s perfect for adding freakish fun to Halloween parties and a splash of flash to holiday festivities.
Best of all, the S-81 LED has a mini price tag too. At just $25.95 MSRP, everyone from professional DJs, to students, to home party hosts can enjoy the fun, exciting effects of a strobe, along with the user benefits of advanced LED technology.
“American DJ is committed to bringing the value, performance and energy-saving advantages of LEDs to everyday lighting users such as working DJs and bands,” said Scott Davies, General Manager of the American DJ Group of Companies. “The S-81 LED is the latest example of how LEDs are evolving to become a practical lamp source for even the smallest, most commonly used effects like strobe lights. This powerful mini-sized unit definitely takes strobes into the next generation, with its LED power, performance benefits, compact size and surprisingly affordable price.”
One big benefit of the S-81 LED is that its LED lamps produce such a powerful clear bright beam, no fog is necessary to enhance the effect. This enables it to be used at locations and venues where fog is not allowed or desired, such as many schools and wedding halls. Another safety and comfort feature of the S-81 LED is its cooler operating temperature. Since LEDs produce less heat than traditional fixtures, it is less likely to overheat, and the temperature on the dance floor or stage remains cooler and more comfortable.
With LEDs’ long lamp life, the S-81 Mini offers tremendous dollar value as well. Its LEDs are rated for 50,000 hours of use, meaning it could run continuously for over 2,000 days before the bulb would burn out. Divide this into its retail price of $24.95, and the S-81 costs you just over one cent a day!
Energy savings is another advantage of LED fixtures. Despite its brilliant output, the S-81 LED draws only 3W of power, compared to a halogen strobe light of approximately the same size, which can consume 20W or more.
The S-81 LED Mini Strobe has a beam angle of 130° and includes a flash rate control knob on the rear of the unit. Designed for ultimate compactness and portability, it measures 3.5″L x 5.5″W x 3.5″H and weighs just 1 pound.
The MSRP of the S-81 LED Mini Strobe is $25.95.

LED Headlamps - Which Industries Benefit Most?

LED Headlamps - Which Industries Benefit Most?
Headlamp technology has a long way since it was first introduced, with LED lights sources now replacing the candles and lamps of the past decades. LED headlamps are used in a number of different industries, but there are three specific industries which have received the most benefit from them (and as such they have helped in the lightweight and durable versions that are used today to develop .) These key industries are mining, search and rescue and Industry --Production, and each of them makes use of headlamps in a slightly different way.
Coal Mining A reliable source is essential for the coal mining industry, miners, since much of their time deep under the earth, where no daylight to spend to achieve. Early mining headlamp use is made small oil lamps, candles, helmet mounted, such as work, but that posed a dangerous situation if encountered pockets of gas or had large amounts of coal dust present. For securityin the mines is a major concern, an alternative had to be found to allow miners to do their work without the risk of fire or an explosion.
Battery-powered lanterns were used for years when the batteries mining helmets even harder than it already. The development of LED lights was the answer to the Bergleute''Gebete, so that a stable and reliable light source that no heavy battery packs do not have to move them. LED lights, provided a better qualityLight as the beginning of the alternatives and, thus pressure on the Bergleute''Augen.
Search and Rescue Unlike miners who spend most of the search and rescue forces of the majority of their time outdoors. This does not mean that isn''t their work more dangerous, the lives of adults and children often hang in the balance sheet and rescue teams must be able to respond a wide variety of terrain and weather conditions, situations quickly and efficiently. This efficiency can be significantly reduced through have to have a flashlight or battery-powered lantern. The ability to make an LED headlamp don this important work much easier. The lightweight LED lights tend to be so closed to be watertight, so search and rescue forces have not only the hands are free, but they are also able to do their job effectively, regardless of the weather outside.
Industrial Manufacturing Industrial production is definitely not an easy job, and in most cases, what a job> Industrial workers does will require them to have both hands free to do it. That's good for the line workers who do their jobs in well-lit areas, but it can be a great inconvenience for warehouse workers and those who carry out maintenance, because they often venture into the corners and darker areas of the plant. LED lights have a lot of light where they need it while your hands free, and the LED lights tend to be stable enough thatthey can in a few cases something goes off and take care of impact without breaking a light bulb.

Heated LED Bathroom Mirrors: The Ultimate Bathroom Accessory?

Heated LED Bathroom Mirrors: The Ultimate Bathroom Accessory?

Introduction
Central to the mythology of mirrors is Narcissus a Boeotian hero, who disliked those who loved him for his own natural beauty. He famously gazed into a pool of water and was so fascinated with the reflection, that he was unable to bring himself to leave the image. Not realising that the image he could see was of his own natural beauty, he couldn’t bring himself to leave the image, and he perished.
The concept of how the mirror works is quite simple. It stems simply from the reflective surface of still water and therefore nature plays its part. When you look down into a puddle or a dark pool of water, the smooth water reflects the light straight back into your eyes. Mirrors work in a similar way, in that a mirror is made up of a coated glass surface which when a polished metal surface or metal film is applied behind the glass, light cannot shine through and so reflects the image back. Young children particularly, are always fascinated when they look into a mirror for the first time and see their own reflection staring back at them. Anyone who has young children will remember the vision of their young child daughter kissing their image on a mirror. My eight year old daughter loves sitting in front of her mirror applying her make up nearly as much as my fifteen year old daughter!
Where would we be today without mirrors? Mirrors are generally used for personal grooming or interior decoration and have evolved from a luxury item into a necessity. There is an enormous variety of mirror shapes and sizes and over the years, mirrors have gradually evolved to meet many different requirements. Today there is a large selection of mirrors , ranging from small mirrors to large mirrors, framed, unframed and includes bathroom mirrors, decorative mirrors, illuminated mirrors, LED mirrors, shaving mirrors, make up mirrors and demister mirrors. Away from personal use, mirrors are also used as part of scientific apparatus such as cameras, lasers, telescopes and periscopes, to reflect light and used as tools in dentistry and medical care.Not to mention the beauty and hair salon industries.
History of Mirrors
The history of mirrors as far as we can see dates back over 8,000 years. The earliest known mirrors were made from pieces of polished stone such as obsidian, a naturally occurring glass from cooled volcanic lava flows. In Anatolia in Turkey, examples of obsidian mirrors dated at around 6000 BC have been found. In south and central America, polished stone mirrors from around 2000 BC on wards have also been found. From around 3000 BC mirrors of polished copper are known to have been crafted in ancient Egypt. In China bronze mirrors were manufactured from around 2000 BC.
The first metal coated glass mirrors are thought to have been made in the first century AD, in Sidon, known today as Lebanon. The Roman author Pliny makes reference to glass mirrors backed with gold leaf in his Naturalis Historia, one of the largest reference books to have survived from the Roman Empire, which focused on natural and man-made objects and was written in around 77 AD. The Romans also created a technique for making crude mirrors by using molten lead to coat blown glass.
In the 10th Century Arabian Physicists, considered different types of mirrors, reflecting mirrors and parabolic mirrors and another discussed concave and convex mirrors in both cylindrical and spherical geometries. In undertaking various experiments with mirrors, finding the point on a convex mirror at which a ray of light coming from one point is reflected to another point was solved.
During the period of the 14th to 17th Centuries, across Europe a method of coating glass with a tin-mercury amalgam was perfected by manufacturers. Venice was recognised for its glass making expertise and soon became a centre of mirror production using this new technique. Glass mirrors from this period were extremely expensive luxuries.
The particular process of silvering to produce the first silvered-glass mirror is credited to German chemist Justus von Liebig in 1835. He developed a process to apply a thin layer of metallic silver onto glass through the chemical reduction of silver nitrate. The process was adapted for mass production and led to the greater availability of affordable mirrors and formed the basis of what we now consider the normal way to produce a mirror today.
The evolution of the mirror over the years is quite interesting, if like me you love mirrors! It has evolved from a luxury item to an item which is now taken for granted in daily use. Today, walk into any DIY store to look at mirrors and the selection is vast, with many technology features now finding there way into mirrors, to give added simplicity, luxury and decoration.
Accessories available on backlit mirrors feature back lighting, LED lighting and demister pads.
How are Mirrors Made?
The manufacture of mirrors includes the application to a suitable material of a reflective coating. Glass is the most commonly used material, due to its ability to take a smooth finish and its rigidity. Glass is also more scratch resistant than many other materials.
Early mirrors were made of solid metal, bronze or silver and they were far too expensive for many. Metal is also prone to corrosion and because of polished metal’s low emissivity, antique mirrors were less suitable for indoor use. With indoor lighting at the time supplied by candles or lanterns, the metal mirrors reflected a much darker picture.
In modern times ‘float glass’ is used in the manufacture of mirrors, which is a flat ribbon of glass which is run out of a furnace and along the surface of a bath of molten tin. The temperature of both the glass and molten tin is controlled to enable both surfaces to be made perfectly flat. There are now three common types of mirrors: plain - which has a flat surface, and the two spherical types of mirrors: the convex and the concave. The concave and convex mirrors can be used in an entertaining way, when used at fairgrounds or amusement parks to distort peoples figures reflected in them through bloating, stretching and shrinking, the person or object in front of them.
In some applications, a mirror isn’t a mirror at all. For example, when used in public conveniences, especially in public or factory toilets, where for reasons of cost and the need for greater durability, a single polished metal sheet is often installed as a form of mirror.
Different Types of Mirror
Throughout the ages, mirrors have been employed as symbols of truth, deception and vanity. Mention a mirror and you instantly know that if you look into one, you will see your own reflection staring back at you. The image you see will resemble your own appearance. In optical principles, the reflections in mirrors do not totally match the objects in front of them. When looking into the mirror, trace the contour of the reflection of your head in a mirror. The reflection may correspond in proportion, but will generally be half in actual size. With such a variety and huge range of mirrors now available, much has been made of the amount of money spent in purchasing mirrors particularly by women, although in this day and age with an increase in men purchasing cosmetics, some men will also be vain enough to carry a mirror.
The vain Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs famously asked her special mirror, “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” Mirrors are synonymous with truth.Mirrors are frequently used in interior decoration to create an illusion of space, and to decorate and amplify the apparent size of a room. They will be used around the home, the office, a pub, club or restaurant to good effect. They work particularly well in night clubs, reflecting the many images of light in the club or room to create a feeling of a much bigger space.
Infinity Mirrors provide an effect of never reaching an end, known as ‘symmetry breaking’ and are particularly effective when used in a dark environment. I remember experiencing this phenomenon for the first time as a child in a large department store lift, where mirrors where on all sides of the elevator car. For those who are not good in lifts I should think this effect probably does nothing to calm them, perhaps that’s why you don’t see lifts like this anymore Or is it just because I’m getting old and that was a particular style popular in the 70’s!
My next favourite kind of mirror after the infinity mirror is the heated mirror, these mirrors have a heating element or what is called a demister pad mounted on the back. The reason a mirror steams up when you have a shower is because the surface temperature of the mirror is colder than the air temperature and causes the water vapour in the air to condense on the mirror. Some bright spark realised long ago that it if you heated the mirror this would avoid it steaming up, brilliant!
For many years heated mirrors have only featured in very expensive bathrooms usually costing thousands, and quality hotels have used heated mirrors as a neat differentiator from the increasingly popular budget hotels and motels. Of course it is not until you step out of the hotel shower and see yourself in the mirror that you realise it is there! Whilst at the back of your mind you realise this is one of the reasons why this room is more expensive than the other hotel across the street.
Last week I heard the BBC Radio 2 DJ Ken Bruce state that the best shave you ever had will have been in a hotel, to which he attributed the benefit of the heated bathroom mirror as the main reason. I have to agree, and every time I stay in (nice) hotel I always have a really good look at the bathroom with a view to reproducing the best of its features in my own home.
Any bathroom can benefit from a demister mirror creating the feeling of that luxury bathroom. All you need is a power supply routing to the mirror which your local electrician can install for you relatively cheaply, once installed it can also be used for powering a shaver point, or better still buy a heated mirror with a shaver socket built in.
In 1980, ska group The Beat had a UK top ten hit with ‘Mirror in the Bathroom’ and the bathroom is probably the location where we are most intimate with our mirrors. Many will say that it is not wise to look at yourself in the mirror first thing in the morning, but the bathroom is often the first port of call in the morning. Many bathrooms feature a main bathroom mirror positioned on a wall and a bathroom cabinet with mirror doors. Other than the “oh my god” do I really look like that expression, the uses of a mirror or mirrors in a bathroom will generally be to aid the application of make up, hair styling or shaving. One of the major problems with bathroom mirrors is that after showering or bathing, the mirror is misted over.
A recent addition in the manufacture of heated mirrors is the inclusion of a demister pad which clears the mirror for use in just seconds. Just think never having to again wait for the steam of the bathroom to disappear from the mirror, or having to open the window, before using the mirror to shave or apply make up. The bathroom mirror demister or steam free bathroom mirror is a great invention. Some manufacturers refer to these products as fog free bathroom mirrors and there is now a huge range available, again some with back lights, LED lighting and built in shaver points.
Demister mirrors and steam free bathroom mirrors are not the only recent developments on mirrors. As suggested above another reasonably new product is the illuminated bathroom mirror. Illuminated mirrors maintain the features of a simple mirror, but will enhance any environment in which they are used with the addition of lighting. As with all mirrors, the range of illuminated mirrors is extensive, with a variety of sizes and shapes available. An Illuminated mirror with shaving point can also be purchased. Illuminated bathroom cabinets with or without shaver sockets are also available.
Mirrors with illuminated LED lights will enhance any bathroom or environment in which they are installed. Being of low energy consumption LED, or light emitting diode, are more environmentally friendly than traditional bulbs. They are designed to withstand the moisture of the bathroom environment. So water vapour mist will not cause a problem. As a real luxury mirror, illuminated bathroom mirrors and bathroom mirrors with LED lighting can also include a demister pad, to demist the mirror in just a few seconds and an on/off sensor to activate the lights as soon as motion is detected in front of the mirror. Now bathroom cabinets are also available with inbuilt back lights, and LED lighting for that special something different in your bathroom.As a bathroom accessory the mirror should come high on the list, in fact can you really have a finished bathroom without a mirror? The enormous selection of styles, types, shapes and sizes means that there must be a mirror to match anyone’s budget. Although some of the latest technological versions such as illuminated, backlit and LED mirrors could be considered to be luxury items, some are not as expensive as you may think.
A convenient feature for any man who likes to shave before they go in the shower is a heated bathroom light mirrors because, if like me, your significant other has had a shower before you get in the bathroom the mirror is all steamed up when you get to it.
Mirrors, Superstition and Auspicious Energy Flow
I have always loved mirrors, probably why I have ended up in the mirrors business! When I was at school I did a project on them, this was before the internet was invented mind so I trawled through piles and piles of reference books in both the school and local library for months. These days of course it would only take a couple of hours on Google, kids these days don’t know how easy they’ve got it!
Once you get immersed in mirrors as I did all those years ago, or ‘mirros’ as I frequently misspelled it, and start researching them, you find that they play a major part in all aspects of life. Mirrors also feature in superstitions. One of the most commonly known superstitions is that someone who breaks a mirror will receive seven years bad luck. A popular belief for this superstition is that mirrors are a reflection of the soul and if a mirror is broken, then part of the soul is broken. Added to this, some believe that the soul regenerates every seven years in an unbroken condition, hence the seven years of bad luck. I bet you’ve always wondered why that was so I’m glad to share that with you!
It is also said that the mirror does not lie. A mirror can show only the truth. It is a very bad omen indeed to see something in a mirror which should not be there, a technique regularly used in scary movies! Some cultures also have a custom that a newborn child should not look into a mirror until its first birthday because its soul is still forming.
In the southern United States, it used to be customary to cover the mirrors in a house where the wake of a deceased person was being held. If a mirror was left uncovered or exposed, people believed that the deceased person’s soul would become trapped in any uncovered mirror.
In the ancient art of Feng Shui mirror placement is considered very important. There is a lot of information available about this, and it is a subject that can’t be covered in a mere paragraph or two here. But Chi energy flow can be influenced by mirrors so where the energy needs to be diverted, mirrors can be used for this to great effect. Personally I don’t really conform to these rules, although my mum has mirrors strategically placed all over her house to redirect in-auspicious energy! One of the principles I do follow though is to make sure I don’t have any mirrors pointing at my bed, or the kids beds, as this is said to reflect your dreams back onto you whilst you are sleeping!
Conclusion
A mirror is defined as a coated glass surface for reflecting images. There is a huge range of mirrors for scientific use, and available in many shapes and sizes. The most commonly seen uses of mirrors are for personal grooming and interior decoration. As a race we are thoroughly addicted to mirrors.
Over time, mirrors have evolved from a luxury item to an item of necessity and many particularly women will always carry a mirror in their hand bags. However, today with technological advancements, some mirrors will be seen as a luxury, particularly those which include illumination, LED or demisting devices. As individuals we spend many hours of our life in a bathroom, so why not treat yourself to one of life’s little luxuries and indulge in a stylish bathroom mirror? After all, let’s be honest, who can really live without looking in a mirror at least once a day?

Led-World Exclusive - LED Lamps with Remote Control

LED Lamps with Remote Control :

When it comes to choosing light globes these days, energy-conscious consumers have a multitude of choice. Both CFL bulbs and LED bulbs offer energy-efficient lighting and whilst they seem expensive at first, you realize they will save you money in the long term. However, a less appealing feature of LED globes is the bright, white light they emit, not particularly compatible with creating a warm, romantic feel in your home. That may be about to change. Sharp Corporation has just announced it has created a series of LED globes that includes a bulb with a remote-controlled, adjustable-color function and a dimmer.
The series of nine globes will be released in Japan in July. Model DL-L60 features an adjustable color function which allows users to change the light through a series of seven shades from warm white to daylight light. This model also includes a dimmer function, allowing the user to enjoy a range of color and brightness. Three other bulbs in the series are dimmer compatible, but the dimmer will need to be purchased separately.
The LED bulbs have a standard E26 screw base so will be compatible with all your existing lights and lamps. All models have a service life of approximately 40,000 hours and will not lose intensity or longevity even if continually turned on or off. With the exception of the DL-L60, users can choose bulbs with warm light or daylight white.
Warm white is described as being equal to the light from an incandescent lamp and daylight light is equivalent to bright daylight. Like other LED bulbs, they provide bright, even light and as they emit very little light in the ultraviolet range are less likely to attract insects and bugs. Prices are expected to range from ¥3880 (USD$40) to ¥7980 (USD$82).

LED Lighting Could Help Reduce CO2 Emissions 50 Percent Over 20 Years

LED Lighting Could Help Reduce CO2 Emissions 50 Percent Over 20 Years

Just by switching to LED lights, we could decrease carbon dioxide emissions from electric power use by up to 50 percent in just over 20 years. A recent report by McKinsey & Company states that making this switch is possibly the most cost-effective way to tackle global warming using existing technology.

LEDs are more than twice as efficient as compact fluorescent bulbs, currently the standard for greener lighting. Unlike compact fluorescents, LEDs turn on quickly and are compatible with dimmer switches. And while fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, which requires special disposal, LED bulbs contain no toxic elements, and last so long that disposal is not much of an issue.
“It is fit-and-forget-lighting that is essentially there for as long as you live,” said Colin Humphreys, a researcher at Cambridge University who works on gallium nitride LED lights, which now adorn structures in Britain.
The switch to LEDs is proceeding far more rapidly than experts had predicted just two years ago. President Obama’s stimulus package, which offers money for “green” infrastructure investment, will accelerate that pace, experts say. San Jose, Calif., plans to use $2 million in energy-efficiency grants to install 1,500 LED streetlights.
LEDs have a high initial cost, no doubt – an outdoor spotlight can cost up to $100, compared to $7 for an incandescent bulb. But, imagine not having to change that light bulb again for 20 years or more, and paying pennies on the dollar for power consumption compared to ‘regular’ light bulbs.
They’re still not perfect, being better suited for directional lighting than general lighting needs, but scientists are already finding new ways to address these problems. It’s a start!

Led-World Exclusive - 2010 Ford Mustang Lights Cut Fuel Costs

2010 Ford Mustang Lights Cut Fuel Costs

When it comes to getting the most possible efficiency out of a vehicle, the battle is often one of small steps, not giant leaps. Completely redesigning a vehicle from the bottom up to be the most efficient vehicle on the road is a big challenge. First there’s the extra research and development costs, then, once the vehicle is designed, you’ll likely have to retool your factories in order to produce the thing. So how does one increase efficiency without having to change the industry’s ways? One way that Ford adopted in the Ford Mustang is the use of LED lights.Using a gasoline engine to produce electricity isn’t too hard. Using it to drive a car and produce electricity at the same time results in a lot of lost power, hence lowering efficiency. So, any measure that could decrease the need for electricity has an impact. The LED taillights found on the Ford Mustang, which uses Osram Sylvania’s Joule system use 87% less electricity than a traditional incandescent bulb, and, because they have no fragile monofilament, they are far more durable.

The Osram Sylvania system also realizes the needs of the auto industry by constructing their LED fixtures in shapes and sizes that make them easily interchangable with previous incandescent features. As a parting word, here’s a few figures from Osram Sylvania: LED lights on the 2010 Ford Mustang make for an annual fuel savings of 10.5 gallons and a decrease in cabron emissions of 205 pounds.
This may not seem like a huge amount, but if you were to implement that system on the roughly 250 million light-duty vehicles (cars, pickup trucks, commercial vehicles, etc., according to a recent Osram press release) in America, that would mean a yearly reduction of 51.25 billion pounds of CO2 emissions and the use of 2.625 billion gallons of gasoline. That’s pretty impressive for a small light fixture.

LED GROW LIGHT - Future Trend of LED Light

The Power of LED Grow Lights

With the release of hard-hitting documentaries such as Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and Leonardo DiCaprio’s The 11th Hour energy consumption and its relationship to global climate change has become a prominent issue. What people often fail to understand is that the best solutions are not great actions on the part of a few, but rather small actions taken by the many. For example, if everyone in the U.S. were to replace incandescent lights with fluorescent ones, it could eliminate the need for Middle East oil.
LED Grow lights are another example of a small thing that can make a great difference. If you are growing your own food in a hydroponics garden, you’re already taking a step toward saving the planet. The use of LED Grow Lights allows you to take the next step in reducing your footprint on the planet. Not only to they operate at a fraction of the voltage of conventional bulbs (less than 20 VAC as opposed to 120), but they are free of mercury – a highly toxic metal used in metallic vapor and fluorescent lights.
LED Grow Lights are efficient and economical in other ways as well. Unlike the more general purpose fluorescent bulbs, LED Grow Lights require no electric or digital ballast,that can eventually burn out. They also emit “targeted light;” whereas most standard grow lights emit a broad spectrum of light that includes light wavelength that is useless to plant life, LED Grow Lights emit only that part of the spectrum actually used for photosynthesis. This also means far less waste heat, which requires extra ventilation to carry away. It also means less glare; while this useful light is very bright to plants, humans perceive such light as relatively dim. This also eliminates the need for troublesome shades and reflectors.
Although they can represent a greater upfront investment, LED Grow Lights cost substantially less in the long run. In the first place, they are not nearly as fragile as conventional bulbs and fluorescents. Best of all, they are extremely durable – the average lifespan of an LED Grow Light is 100,000 hours – which is as much as fifty times as long as that of conventional bulbs. This adds up to nearly twelve years under normal conditions.
Because LED Grow Lights are environmentally friendly, they will result in healthier, more productive plants. Because they emit very little in the way of heat, LED Grow Lights allow your plants to keep cooler. Plants thrive at room temperature, receiving all the light they require without growth-stunting excess heat. In addition, your plants will suffer less from heat-related root damage that can occur when hot conventional grow lights heat the soil.
With LED Grow Lights, your plants will also require less watering.
Across the board, LED Grow Lights allow you to grow more economically and in a more environmentally-friendly way.
Susan Slobac operates a hydroponics garden store. She has detailed knowledge of what grow lights are best for hydroponics gardens. Susan is also concerned with the environment and sees LED grow lights as one alternative solution to the traditional energy consuming grow lights most often used. Susan promotes LED grow lights based on efficiency and performance.

LED Grow Lights Can Save Time And Money

When a person decides to begin growing their own plants, they have made a decision which will help them enjoy some of the best variety of plants in their own home. There is a strong sense of accomplishment and fulfillment achieved from growing your own garden, whether the product is vegetables for your table or flowers to brighten your home. You can grow these plants, though, in many ways. Among the best entails the use of LED grow lights.
The traditional method of plant growing is HID lighting. This high-intensity discharge lighting can be seen all over society, for this is the type of lighting used to light parking lots, stadiums, and other large areas. For some time it has been utilized for indoor gardens since it provides a great light source for growing plants.
This is not the best way to proceed, however. There are a great many wavelengths displayed over the range of light and not all of these wavelengths are useful to plants. Of the light produced by HID lighting, only 35% can be used by the plant. Why would someone pay to run the other 65% of energy coming off of these lights which is utterly wasted?
LED grow lights, however, are manufactured to use a great deal less energy when they are run. LEDs will last seven years if used an average of eighteen hours each day. HID light bulbs must be changed much more often. In addition, LEDs only emit light the plant can use, thus reducing the electrical costs of conventional lights.
Other areas will be saved when LED lighting is used over another source. In indoor growing environments, alternative light forms will generate high levels of heat, and a cooling system of some sort will be needed to prevent the light from overheating and presenting a possible fire hazard. This heat is not produced, however, by LED lighting, which means there is no need to spend a lot of money for a cooling system.
Owing to the fact that they can be positioned in nearly any required direction, these lights enjoy a very broad range of accessibility. You can easily arrange plants so that they get enough light. Not only will LED grow panels help grow some of the best plants possible in indoor gardening, they are also a great way to save a lot of money over time.

Led-World Exclusive Comparison : LED Vs CFL

Led-World - The light bulb, the symbol of bright ideas, doesn't look like such a great idea anymore, as lawmakers in the U.S. and abroad are talking about banning the century-old technology because of its contribution to global warming.But what comes next? Compact fluorescent bulbs are the only real alternative right now, but "bulbs" that use light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are quickly emerging as a challenger.LEDs, which are small chips usually encased in a glass dome the size of a matchstick head, have been in use in electronics for decades to indicate, for example, whether a VCR is on or off.Those LEDs were usually red or green, but a scientific breakthrough in the 1990s paved the way for the production of LEDs that produce white light. Because they use less power than standard incandescent bulbs, white LEDs have become common in flashlights.Established players in the lighting industry and a host of startups are now grooming LEDs to take on the reigning champion of residential lighting, the familiar pear-shaped incandescent light bulb.The light bulb has been running out of friends recently. California and Canada have decided to ban the sale of incandescent bulbs by 2012. Australia is banning them in 2010. The European Union is looking at banning production of the bulbs. A U.S. Senate committee is working on a proposal that would phase out the light bulb in 10 years.And in New Jersey, where the first practical incandescent bulb emerged from Thomas Edison's laboratory in 1879, a bill has been introduced to ban their use in government buildings.Governments are gunning for the light bulb because it's much less efficient than fluorescents, using about five times more energy to produce the same amount of light.Lighting consumes 22 percent of electricity produced in the U.S., according to the Department of Energy, and widespread use of LED lighting could cut consumption in half. By 2027, LED lighting could cut annual energy use by the equivalent of 500 million barrels of oil, with the attendant reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide, the gas believed to be responsible for global warming.Much of that reduction would be possible with today's technology, using compact fluorescents, or CFLs. But consumers haven't warmed to them. The light quality hasn't been satisfactory, most take time to turn on and aren't dimmable.The LED has advantages over the CFL in most of those areas, and judging by this week's Lightfair trade show in New York, it could be a serious challenge to the CFL in a few years. What holds it back is chiefly price, but LEDs are already an economic alternative for niche uses.In the last two years, the diodes have doubled in energy efficiency and brightness, according to Greg Merritt, director of marketing for Durham, N.C.-based LED-manufacturer Cree Inc. In particular, LEDs that produce a yellowish or "warm" light similar to incandescents have improved.Dallas-based Lighting Science Group Corp. showed an LED "bulb" that screws into a standard medium-sized socket and produces a warm light equivalent to that of a 25-watt incandescent bulb, but consumes just 5.8 watts. It costs $50, hardly palatable to consumers who can buy a standard bulb for less than a dollar.Polybrite International, a startup in Naperville, Ill., announced that lighting giant Osram Sylvania, a subsidiary of Germany's Siemens AG, will distribute its LED "bulbs." The intended market is mainly commercial clients, who can afford to pay $15 to $85 per unit, according to Osram Sylvania marketing manager Constance Pineault.The energy efficiency is no doubt a draw for commercial clients like hotels, but LEDs have another big advantage: they last up to 50,000 hours, according to manufacturers. That compares to about 10,000 hours for fluorescents and 1,000 hours for incandescents. Not having to send out janitors to replace burned-out bulbs means big savings in maintenance costs."Right now the applications that make sense are either high maintenance or high power consumption, like parking garages, where the lights are on all the time," said Cree's Merritt.LEDs already beat fluorescents for energy efficiency in some niche uses. For instance, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is putting LED lighting in its in-store refrigerators, where the cold dims fluorescents and incandescents produce too much heat. LEDs also starting to replace flat fluorescent backlights in liquid-crystal displays, or LCDs, where they produce better colors.LEDs don't contain toxic mercury, which CFLs do, though the amount is very small. (Recent stories circulating on the Web about calling a hazmat team if a CFL breaks are exaggerated. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends sweeping up, not vacuuming, the fragments, then checking out local recycling options.)The cost of LED lighting should be coming down quickly. Polybrite founder Carl Scianna said the cost of individual white-light diodes, several of which go into an LED bulb and make up much of the cost, have come down in price from about $8 to $1.50 in a year."They're going to keep going down," Scianna said. "By the middle of next year, they'll be priced for consumers."Nadarajah Narendran, director of lighting research at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., cautions that there are still technical issues to work out with LEDs.While single LEDs can demonstrate very high energy efficiency in the lab, when they're combined into fixtures, their efficiency is considerably lower. In part that's a heat issue: the diodes produce less heat than incandescents, but they keep that heat in the fixture rather than radiating it, and the hotter the diodes get, the less efficient they are.He sees screwing LED bulbs into standard sockets "as a waste of talent" that doesn't utilize the inherent properties of LEDs, like their small size and longevity."You could build them in as part of the furniture, part of the cabinetry," Narendran said.Because of their high prices, he doesn't believe LEDs will be ready to replace incandescents in all their uses for the next five to 10 years, but "LEDs, good or bad, will be growing very rapidly."

Led-World Exclusive - OSRAM Takes LED Lighting To The Streets

Time to say goodnight, fluorescents -- looks like the LED is primed to take over. As the world looks for more efficient ways to power businesses, light up streets and keep the world spinning, OSRAM has just introduced two new innovations in the LED lighting space that look to push us one step closer to finally putting those inefficient fluorescent bulbs to rest for good.For starters, the company revealed its unique Golden DRAGON Oval Plus LED, which is designed to provide perfect lumination for energy-efficient street lighting without the need for secondary optics. The secret -- because we just know you're dying to know -- is in the new integrated lens, which boasts an oval radiation pattern in order to deliver directed light and reduce light pollution elsewhere. Since different roads call for different lighting concepts, the LEDs are available in different white tones.



Moving on, we've got an all new ultra-white OSLON SSL LED that measures in at an almost unbelievable 3 x 3mm in size. Requiring just one single watt of power, the light features a high luminous efficiency of 100 lm/W and is said to be ideal for spotlights, desk lights and ceiling floodlights. No prices are given on these, probably because they'll primarily be sold to local governments and businesses, but we can't help but be intruiged. Just think -- in a few years, your car's headlamps, interior lighting and flashlight will likely all be LED-based. Ah, the sweet smell of progress.
Moving on, we've got an all new ultra-white OSLON SSL LED that measures in at an almost unbelievable 3 x 3mm in size. Requiring just one single watt of power, the light features a high luminous efficiency of 100 lm/W and is said to be ideal for spotlights, desk lights and ceiling floodlights. No prices are given on these, probably because they'll primarily be sold to local governments and businesses, but we can't help but be intruiged. Just think -- in a few years, your car's headlamps, interior lighting and flashlight will likely all be LED-based. Ah, the sweet smell of progress.

Top 10 Reasons You Need To Switch To LED Light Bulbs-Led-World Exclusive

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) have been turning up all over the place, which leads one to wonder why. What's so great about these little lights? Why are we seeing more and more LED light bulbs cropping up on everything from cars to traffic lights? LED light bulbs have some very clear advantages over other types of lighting, such as:

1. LED light bulbs last longer. Without a filament to break or burn out, LED light bulbs can last for over 100,000 hours without showing their age (that's over eleven years at full brightness). This lifespan is twice that of typical fluorescent bulbs and twenty times longer than incandescent light bulbs.
2. They are energy efficient. An incandescent light bulb loses 80 percent of its energy to heat, leaving only the last 20 percent for light. LED light bulbs turn this around, giving up a scant 20 percent of their energy to heat loss. Not only that, but they operate at 10 to 20 percent of the power required for incandescent bulbs of similar brightness.
3. LEDs are more colorful. LED light bulbs can be made in a vast array of colors without the use of extra filters, which brings down production costs. They also provide a truer, brighter color than a filtered bulb.
4. LED light bulbs work in silence. The days of humming bulbs came to an end with the creation of LEDs, so there's no need to lose sanity listening to the thrum, tick, or ping of other light bulbs.
5. They are incredibly safe. With so little energy lost to heat and so little energy used overall, LED light bulbs run cool, which means no burnt fingers or burnt down houses. They are extremely durable thanks to their solid-state construction, so there's no broken glass to deal with, either.
6. LED light bulbs are focused. LEDs can be made to focus without the use of extra reflectors or lenses, which means less bulk and lower cost for the same beam of light.
7. They are the best for dimming. Incandescent bulbs turn yellow when dimmed, while LED light bulbs retain their true colors.
8. LEDs are versatile. Thanks to the wide array of colors and shapes LEDs be made to replace most any light bulb. Their diminutive size and power-sipping nature also open up a world of possibility, from infrared remote control lights to ultra-light headlamps.
9. LED light bulbs bring light quickly. Lighting up to their full brightness in microseconds, LEDs are a safer choice when reaction time is a factor, like when that car in the fast lane slams on the brakes.
10. They promise a brighter future. LED light bulbs don't contain mercury, like compact fluorescent bulbs do. Combining that with the fact that they outlast their energy efficient cousins, makes the choice to go LED clear as day.

LED light bulbs have a staggering number of uses, and somehow they keep excelling at all of them. When it's time to shed light on the subject, this jack-of-all-trades masters all.

How To Find the Best Outdoor Lighting Idea

How To Find the Best Outdoor Lighting Idea

Outdoor lighting is great for security reasons. There are some homeowners that use outdoor lighting for aesthetic reasons. Here are some great ideas for excellent outdoor lighting:
- How do you start? It is a fact that there are thousands of different outdoor fixture designs and styles. This can make it even more difficult for you to come up with a great outdoor lighting idea. The best thing to do is to first of all know exactly what you want out of your outdoor lighting. Is it something that you just wish to have for security reasons or do you want your lights to highlight and accent your outdoor property? Do you have a specific theme to your home and outdoor area? Your answers to these questions are crucial in determining the best outdoor lighting idea for you.
- If you are intent on making a grand show of your outdoor property and lighting, then you probably cannot do things on your own. Consider getting the professional opinion and help of a lighting consultant, landscaper and a licensed electrician. An electrician in particular may not be able to add an aesthetic outdoor lighting idea but he can make sure that your fixtures and wiring are compliant with government electrical codes.
- Rather than installing outdoor lighting after your entire home structure and landscape are done, it would make sense to try to incorporate outdoor lighting plans with your entire residential plan while you are still about to build your home or while construction is going on. This can help determine the proper placement of not just electrical receptacles but pipes and wires as well.
- Make an assessment of your property before you decide on any lighting plan. Aside from a possible theme, you should also look for the focal point or points of your property. What exactly do you want people to notice first when they enter. Is it the large tree in your yard, a pool, a statue, a fountain, a walkway or an entrance arch? Once you have determined this, you can pick the right outdoor lighting idea.
- Mix elements. You shouldn’t have just one kind of lighting for your outdoor property. Different areas require different kinds of lighting. Arches and entrances for example would look wonderful in uplights while statues would look better with downlights as would pathways, driveways and walkways. Patios and decks on the other hand would look wonderful with well designed lamps, lanterns, scones, table lighting and floor recessed lighting.
- One thing that you should never forget about your residential outdoor lighting idea is that you should be able to achieve a toned down and soothing effect. In other words, direct glaring lights should be removed. Select lighting with soft or natural glow.
- Consider using portable and movable fixtures. This will allow you some flexibility when it comes to choosing lights for specific events or seasons. You may for example temporarily replace your lawn lamps with tiki torches if you are in the mood for a tropical themed gathering. You can easily do the replacement without necessarily removing your present wiring or socket placement.

LED lighting - The Energy Efficient Way To See

LED lighting - The Energy Efficient Way To See

LED lights are the way of the future, producing brighter light while at the same time using less energy. The bulbs last a lot longer, too, meaning there’s a long term saving in maintenance. Light emitting diodes (LEDS) are being used worldwide to conserve energy.
The LED advantages are numerous:
LED lights have been around for about 40 years and were originally used as small instrument lights like the ones you might have seen in an aircraft. They have progressed to domestic and business use as a very reliable source of light that is energy efficient while at the same time providing superior light output. As the world starts to look for alternatives to save energy, LED lights have gained a very strong following and will probably take over from traditional bulbs in the future.
Longer life: LED bulbs last up to ten times longer than regular bulbs. Some people even speculate that they can last up to 40 years! This saves time, money and gives your business the added bonus of being friendly to the environment, which can mean a lot to modern employees and shoppers.
More light: as mentioned the bulbs have reflectors to increase their brilliance. For this reason they produce more illumination than regular bulbs. This is useful for areas in your home where you need more light.
LED lighting can be used in a number of ways, here are a few:
Strip lighting under cabinets: cabinets can create dark areas around counters and work spaces in kitchens. This can be dangerous as well as unhygienic, making it difficult to work and clean. Some intelligently placed LED lights will create the light needed and enhance the look and feel of any kitchen or similar work area.
Reading lights: LED lights point in one direction, making them ideal as reading lamps. They generate a much brighter light which also makes them the perfect choice for late night reading marathons.
Many people use LEDs to highlight certain areas or show pieces in their home or business. LEDs are perfect for drawing attention to certain areas.
Landscape lighting: entertainment decks really come to life with just a few LED lights in the right areas. They can create highlights or can be used to illuminate the natural look of the deck. They also are ideal for drawing attention to areas of a yard or garden and create different feel than traditional bulbs.
Many colors: LED lighting comes in many colors and this is the real untapped worth of them. Different atmosphere can be created in various rooms or your house or business. You can take advantage of different hues for displays and show pieces. Colored lighting can also be used as a filter on decks and in gardens, just like a photographer would use a filter to enhance the green of a landscape.
LED lighting is the way of the future and everyone’s ticket to a greener home or business. You will save on energy, but at the same time bring better light to areas. As well, you do not have to change your light bulbs as often as traditional bulbs. You are saving your money on a newer, more superior product that gives real results.
About the Author:
Tom Sanderrs is very knowledgeable about under cabinet lighting and you can find more out at this site about under cabinet fluorescent lighting.
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The next technology battle: Laser vs LED

The next technology battle: Laser vs LED

After the HD vs Blu-Ray disc format wars were over, Blu-ray emerge the clear winner, however soon to be replaced by HVD, but that’s another story.
Anywho, it seems we have another technology war upon us, also in the entertainment industry, but this time televisions.
The war this time is between Laser TV (currently backed by Mitsubishi, releasing their new LaserVue TV) and (O)LED, who’s currently being backed by mainly by Samsung (LUXIA), but other companies are heading this route as well like Sony, LG, Philips to name a few.
Mitsubishi LaserVue VS Samsung LUXIA
I’m probably just making more out of this than is warranted. LED TV has been out for a while now, and Laser TV is only just coming out now (that’s not to say the laser tv technology hasn’t been around for a long time, it has). However, now that Mitsubishi is pushing their LaserVue laser TV’s, will that spark enough interest to win over supporters for this technology. Will it be able to break into a market already tapped by LED TV technology?That’s yet to be seen. I think LED is definitely the future, so I don’t know where laser tv will find it’s place in a market against LED competition.
What do you think?
led

Read in the Dark LED Reading Glasses

Read in the Dark LED Reading Glasses
by Matthew on May 5, 2009

If you recently purchased a Kindle 2 and went to read it at night you will have quickly found out that you cannot see it. This is the problem with e-paper in that there is no backlight usually. For those of you who want to read at night these LED reading glasses might work for you. Of course they are compatible with e-books and regular books and what they do is provide light on the edges of the glasses so that you can read in the dark.
The reading glasses have super bright LED’s in each corner of the lenses and 4 batteries are held within the frames. The batteries are good for up to 30 hours of night time reading. The LED’s work with a switch built in to the hinges of the glasses and when the arms are opened the lights switch on.
The advantage of having LED’s built in to your specks is that you don’t have to faff around with a book light every time you turn the page.
In my book, the LED Reading Glasses are a winner! But there is one drawback: the glasses are only available with refractive lenses. In other words, you have to be presbyotic — nearsighted. They are available in 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 diopter. From Hammacher Schlemmer with a lifetime guarantee.
Available from Hammacher Schlemmer costing $39.95.

Businesses Warm to LED Lighting

AMBIENCE The Chicago Center for Green Technology, which uses solar power, installed LED lighting in its resource center

THE architect Cass Gilbert’s vision for the United States Custom House in Lower Manhattan resulted in one of the city’s grand classical buildings. But until recently it has been difficult to appreciate the subtlety and majesty of the 102-year-old structure when viewing it at night.

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A blog about energy, the environment and the bottom line.

Go to Blog » At its base, huge fixtures produced scattered light that cast strong shadows on the windows, giving the facade the tired look of an insomniac. Aging light bulbs had shifted in color, throwing off an unwanted rainbow of green and pink.

“The lighting was atrocious,” said Patricia DiMaggio, who noticed the poor illumination when walking by the building. “It wasn’t doing the job.”

Unlike most passers-by, Ms. DiMaggio was prepared to take action. A lighting engineer for Osram Sylvania, she was introduced to the right people at the federal General Services Administration. Donating time and material, Ms. DiMaggio promised to relight the building both to restore its grandeur and save energy.

Combining warm-hued LED and metal-halide fixtures, Ms. DiMaggio lighted previously dark areas of the building and removed unsightly shadows cast by aging traditional lamps.

“One person said, ‘I feel like I’m in Paris when I walk by the building,’ ” Ms. DiMaggio recalled.

Using LED-based fixtures, Ms. DiMaggio said, she cut energy consumption for lighting by 43 percent, saving $6,654 a year. With an expected life of 50,000 hours, compared with the 2,000 hours typical of incandescent bulbs, the lights have also lowered maintenance costs.

Although they have yet to substantially influence the residential lighting market, light-emitting diode lamps are increasingly being introduced in commercial buildings. Manufacturers are creating lamps that are reliable, color-accurate and at least as efficient as incandescent or compact fluorescent lights.

LED fixtures still cost more than conventional ones, but the energy savings can help commercial projects to pay for themselves in as little as two years.

That said, the quickly evolving technology is still in its early stages. “In 2006, I had a really hard time to light well with just LEDs,” said Brad Koerner, a designer at Lam Partners, a Cambridge, Mass., lighting firm. “By 2008, there was no longer any problem.”

Mr. Koerner oversaw the relighting of Boston’s Custom House Tower, which is now a Marriott hotel. The building’s lighting had fallen into disrepair over the last 20 years, with much of the upper half remaining in darkness.

Mr. Koerner installed LED-based fixtures from Philips’s Color Kinetics division that resemble warm incandescent bulbs. He replaced the 90-watt halogen bulbs with 50-watt LED fixtures, cutting energy use in half.

“Every month LEDs get so much better it’s amazing,” Mr. Koerner said. “It’s changing that quickly.”

While Derry Berrigan, owner of Derry Berrigan Lighting Design in Rogers, Ark., is using LEDs, she said much of what was currently sold was “pure junk. It’s like the Wild West.”

Seeking out high-quality products, Ms. Berrigan used fixtures from Cree and Insight Lighting to relight a prototype KFC and Taco Bell restaurant in Northampton, Mass.

She placed LEDs in the interior, reducing energy consumption by 81 percent, while LEDs outside saved 77 percent. Installing LED parking lot fixtures, which spread wider beams than conventional lighting, allowed Ms. Berrigan to remove two poles.

Costs can even be cut when a building is receiving its energy off the grid. At the Chicago Center for Green Technology, which uses solar energy, Ms. Berrigan used LED track lighting from Journée Lighting in Westlake Village, Calif., to illuminate the walls in its resource center, along with fixtures from Color Kinetics, Cree, Insight and other companies to provide general illumination.

With a resulting 64 percent drop in energy use for lighting, 47 of the center’s 200 solar panels could provide electricity for purposes other than illumination.

LEDs can also create a look that would otherwise be unachievable. Focus Lighting, based in New York, illuminated Rock Sugar Pan Asian Kitchen, a restaurant prototype in Los Angeles owned by the Cheesecake Factory chain.

Faced with lighting rooms with 25- to 30-foot ceilings and intimate bar and dining areas, Christine Hope, Focus’s designer, said, “LEDs were the perfect solution.”

Fixtures included LED strips behind the bar and, in cubbyholes, dozens of candlelike LEDs using just one to three watts per unit. That “would have been impossible to do with incandescents,” Ms. Hope said.

Color-changing LEDs programmed to cycle through the hues of dawn to dusk were placed behind large Buddhas. LED lights drawing three or six watts were installed in 25 globes in the courtyard.

Needing omnidirectional light in the dining room, Ms. Hope used compact fluorescent bulbs in three fixtures, their yellow shades providing the proper color for the room.

The LEDs reduced energy consumption by at least half compared with traditional incandescent and halogen bulbs, Ms. Hope said. “This restaurant is such a great example of what you can achieve with LEDs,” she said.

LED Lighting Gaining Acceptance

April 30, 2009, 8:30 am
LED Lighting Gaining Acceptance (Sort Of)
By Eric A. Taub
The recent replacement of the incandescent lamps in Grand Central Terminal in New York with compact fluorescent bulbs notwithstanding, the lighting industry continues to believe that LEDs, not C.F.L.s, will eventually be the technology of choice for many lighting applications.

As I note in an article about the commercial use of LED lighting in today’s Business of Green special section, lighting designers who just one year ago were wary of recommending LED products now are much more confident in doing so.

That’s partly due to the move, spearheaded by the Department of Energy, to set Energy Star guidelines for the next generation of lighting to convince consumers and businesses that LED products will perform as claimed.

But it’s also due to the improvement of the lighting itself. LED lamps are becoming more efficient, producing warmer, more inviting colors at higher brightness levels.

On Tuesday, I was shown a new reflector lamp from Nexxus Lighting, similar to the type installed in many kitchen and office ceilings, that produced a warm, pleasing light. It weighs about one-third of a competing lamp and uses 8 watts to produce the light of a 50-watt bulb.

But how many homes and businesses are satisfied with 50-watt lamps? When the industry starts producing 75- and 100-watt equivalents, LEDs will begin to gain traction. (Cree, a lighting company, has announced a reflector lamp that it says produces a similar look to a halogen lamp, uses 12 watts, and can replace up to a 90-watt incandescent lamp.)

Are LED lamps ready for the consumer? Hardly. Most of the strange-looking LED products sold in home improvement stores remain below par. Many manufacturers make unsubstantiated claims about lamp life and brightness.

But for the well-heeled set, there are plenty of highly regarded products that use a fraction of the power of an incandescent bulb. But they come at a high initial price. I recently visited a home in the tony Brentwood section of Los Angeles that was entirely lit with LED “downlights” made by Cree, and I couldn’t tell the difference between the light from those fixtures and standard bulbs. And Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway scooter, has lighted the home he owns on a small island only with Color Kinetics LED products.

The Department of Energy is conducting a seminar in a few weeks to discuss the state of LED lamps that can replace standard incandescents. And more commercial buildings, including a wing of the Pentagon and even a KFC/Taco Bell restaurant, have switched over to the new technology.

But despite these successes, many engineers remain resistant to using LEDs. A major real estate developer in Los Angeles recently showed me correspondence from his engineering team questioning why anyone in his right mind would use LED lamps in a commercial project, citing high cost as a reason to eschew their use. For now, the lighting industry and the building industry often seem to be speaking different languages

Color changing Luxeed U5 LED keyboard is a rave at your fingertips

Color changing Luxeed U5 LED keyboard is a rave at your fingertips

Luxeed's got a fine history of making the keyboard a fantastical piece of wonder, and its newest offering is not exception. The U5 LED keyboard has pretty much everything one could ask for in a colorful peripheral -- programmable, patterned LEDs which are guaranteed to brighten up your day. It boasts support for Windows, Linux and Mac (previous versions were Windows only), so if it's ever made available outside of Korea, we can guarantee you we'll be getting one for every member of our dance posse. They're available for pre-order in Korea now for KRW 99,000 (about $77 USD). One more mountain-moving shot after the break.

Scrolling LED Name Badge V2

This name badge features a scrolling LED message that can be fully customised.

The message scrolled can say anything you want and can be changed on the fly by using 3 onboard control buttons. 6 messages can be saved on the badge and each badge can be configured for different scroll speeds and brightness. The badge is smaller then a credit card and weighs about an ounce. Battery life of the badge is about 18 hours.

Scrolling LED Name Badge Features
# Holds 6 messages at one time, each message 256 characters long
# Onboard speed and brightness adjustment (9 speed and 9 brightness settings)
# All functions can be programmed without a computer (using the onboard programming buttons)
# Message text can be easily programmed using the onboard programming buttons
# Badge dimensions: 3-1/4” by 1-3/4”
# Comes with battery, badge and magnetic holder
# The Blue name badge takes 2 batteries (CR2016) and the Red 1 battery (CR2032)

Available from ThinkGeek costing $29.99.

World's smallest - New NANO petrol engine

SCIENTISTS have built the smallest petrol engine - tiny enough to power a
WATCH.

The mini-motor, which runs for two years on a single squirt of lighter fuel, is set to
revolutionise world technology.
It produces 700 times more energy than a conventional battery despite being
less than a centimetre long - not even half an inch. It could be used to operate
laptops and mobile phones for months on end - doing away with the need for
recharging.
Experts believe it could be phasing out batteries in such items within just six
years.
Engineers at the University of Birmingham have produced the engine; minute
enough to be balanced on a fingertip. Dr Kyle Jiang, lead investigator from the
Department of Mechanical Engineering, said: “We are looking at an industrial
revolution happening in peoples’ pockets.
“The breakthrough is an enormous step forward. Devices which need re-
charging or new batteries are a problem but in six years will be a thing of the
past.”

Other applications for the engine could include medical and military uses, such
as running heart pacemakers or mini reconnaissance robots. At present,
charging an ordinary battery to deliver one unit of energy involves putting 2,000
units into it.
The little engine, because energy is produced locally, is far more effective.
One of the main problems faced by engineers who have tried to produce micro
motors in the past has been the level of heat produced.
The engines got so hot they burned themselves out and could not be re-used.
The Birmingham team overcame this by using heat-resistant materials such as
ceramic and silicon carbide.

Professor Graham Davies, head of the university’s engineering school, said:
“We’ve brought together all the engineering disciplines, both materials, chemical
engineering, civil engineering, and mechanical engineering.
“What better place to have the second industrial revolution - in nano-technology -
than where the first took place, in the heart of the West Midlands.”

Trendy Tunto LED Lamp

Out of more than 3,200 submissions from more than 49 countries, the Tunto LED Lamp won a 2009 Red Dot Design Award. This groundbreaking LED lamp has absolutely no visible switches, making it the ideal lamp for my cord-detesting husband, who is impatiently waiting for everything to become cordless, especially kitchen items such as toasters and blenders.
At least he can take comfort in Tunto’s award-winning lamp, available soon through Finnish Design Shop (April 2009).

The Tunto LED Lamp works by “gentle touch,” explains Tunto founder and designer Mikko Kärkkäinen. Based in Helsinki, Tunto produces “unique interior design products,” including Skede, a chair whose back is a reused skateboard, and Kukka, a birch veneer table with a colored underside. The Tunto LED Lamp measures 300 mm H x 370 mm W x 170 mm D. Made of laminated oak or walnut, the lamp will come in various color combinations, though Tunto won’t specifiy exactly which. If the company’s other products offer a clue, then the Tunto LED Lamp might come in green, red, light blue, pink, or black–colors common to various Tunto offerings. OR, the Tunto LED Lamp might only be available in wood and black, since the simple design is a bit of a departure for Tunto. A hidden, touch-sensitive switch “gives the user a true feel of the material.” The simple arc and varied width of the lamp remind me of a boomerang, another object users like to feel in their hands (as opposed to flying rapidly at their heads).

LED technology - OLEDs (Organic light emitting diodes)

Organic light-emitting diodes - OLEDs - emit light when a current flows through them. Unlike conventional LEDs, OLEDs are made from layers of plastic and other organic (carbon-based) materials.

Examples are already in mass production for displays in MP3 players and phones.

Sheets of OLED material are proposed to replace light bulbs and fluorescent tubes for house and office lighting.

There are several reasons why OLEDs are causing so much excitement amongst makers of gadgets and lighting products:
The materials are deposited by industrial coating processes which are cheaper than the techniques required to make conventional LEDs.
They are inherently thin.
They can be made on flexible plastic substrates - which will almost certainly lead to full colour flexible displays less than 1mm thick.
All colours, and multi-colours, are possible
However, there are drawbacks:
OLEDs are not yet as efficient at making light as conventional LEDs, although they are getting closer and already beat ordinary light bulbs.
Certain materials in OLEDs are incredibly sensitive to moisture which leads to short life, particularly on plastic substrates. This is the main reasons holding back flexible OLED manufacture.
LED technology can be divided into two: 'small molecule' championed originally by Kodak, and Cambridge Display Technology's 'polymer' type sometimes called P-OLEDs.

Almost all displays in production are small molecule.

These materials have to be deposited in a vacuum, but this is of little inconvenience for small displays on glass substrates.

Polymer types can also be vacuum processed but, most importantly, can also be printed using standard printing techniques. This 'solution processing' is far cheaper than vacuum processing.

Like-for-like materials have tended to be less efficient at producing light when solution processed, but this may no longer be the case.

OLEDs are generally made of several layers. The following is a typical stack, although many variations are possible:
Anode
Electron donor
Electron transport
Emitter
Hole transport
Hole donor.
Cathode

Several of these can be moisture-sensitive, particularly the most effective cathode material: metallic calcium.

For all practical purposes, glass blocks all moisture, so displays made on a glass substrate and covered by a second glass sheet can have a long life, particularly if the edges are hermetically sealed.

Moisture passes fairly easily through plastics, leading to much reduced durability, but plastic substrates are essential for flexible displays.

This has lead to a quest for 'barrier layers' which can be coated on plastic to stop moisture getting through.

So far there is no effective barrier layer that is flexible and cheap enough for mass-production.

Quite good barrier layers exist, which are quite expensive because they are made with many layers of water-blocking metal oxides, separated by other layers that stop the oxide cracking.

The dream is to produce OLEDs, both full-colour displays and white lighting types, on flexible plastic.
Not necessarily because the products will be flexed in use, but because they will be far more robust than millimetre-thick glass sheets to handle, transport, and install.

Within the molecules that make OLEDs emit light, there are two different processes that can produce light: phosphorescence and fluorescence, also known as triples and singlet emission respectively.

The type of emission is directly dependent on the materials used in the OLED.

Phosphorescent processes produce more photons (light) for a given number of electrons (current), but are slower - more suited to lighting, less suited to displays.
Some researchers that argue fluorescence can be made to produce as many photons as phosphorescence.

OLED displays should not be confused with E Ink displays - E Ink displays only reflect light and emit no light of their own.

Death of a Commodity

Lighting is definitely one of the most interesting areas of the electronics industry at the moment. After hardly any major changes in the near century and a half since Swan/Edison/A N Other first commercialised the concept, the humble light bulb now seems doomed unless it can be made efficient enough to compete with other lighting technologies.

While there are efforts to make light bulbs more efficient, other technologies are trying hard to replace them. The most promising of these is LED technology which is now in a position to fill many of the roles that are traditionally filled by incandescent lighting.

Manufacturers such as Cree and Lumileds are battling to have the top performing power LED, with regular announcements claiming either the best performance, or that LEDs have proven themselves for another new application, dental lighting and street lighting being the latest according to Lumileds.
However, LEDs may not have everything their own way, other technologies may challenge their current superiority. The light bulb could make a resurgence using a new coating which reflects back the IR energy and allows the filament to burn hotter and more efficiently.

Another interesting technology on the horizon is OLED lighting. This type of lighting may take a few years to hit the mainstream market, but looks a good bet for domestic and commercial lighting. OLED has many advantages; a more natural colour than LEDs, it is attractive, very efficient and should be very cheap to produce when some problems are ironed out.

CFL lighting also deserves a mention, but it suffers many of the same drawbacks of incandescent lighting only to a lesser extent, and also contains mercury, which can make disposal after use complex.

I will take a look more thoroughly at these technologies in future blogs and hopefully have a chance to speak to some of the leading companies in the field for a first hand perspective.

Led-World Exclusive -Researchers Develop Super-Efficient LED Light

LED light bulbs are already more efficient than your average bulb, but researchers at the Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new kind of LED that exhibits both improved energy efficiency and lighting performance. The researchers‘ polarization-matching LED shows an 18 percent increase in light output and a 22 percent increase in wall plug efficiency (the amount of electricity that the LED converts into light).

Renssalaer’s LED is more powerful thanks to a reduction in “efficiency droop”, which makes LEDs most efficient when receiving low-density electrical currents and least efficient when higher density electrical currents are received.

The research team figured out that the region of the LED where light is generated contains materials with mismatched polarization. By reducing the polarization mismatch, electron leakage can also be reduced, thus increasing energy efficiency. So Renssalaer’s researchers introduced a new design with better matched polarization. As expected, they saw a reduction in efficiency droop and electron leakage.

Since LED lights are not yet entirely mainstream, advances made now can easily be implemented in both current and future LED installations.

OSRAM LED Engineering Kit for Lighting Designers

The LED Engineering Kit, which OSRAM Opto Semiconductors is now offering for sale on the LED Light for You (LLFY) platform, provides a means of gaining practical knowledge of LED lighting.
This kit is a powerful tool for anyone who wants to test LEDs, various accessories and applications. The Engineering Kit includes components from various LLFY partners. In addition to the OSRAM OSTAR high-power LED, there are various lenses and reflectors, a power supply, a thermal interface and a selection of heat sinks. A brochure is also included for technical assistance.


Lighting designers, luminaire manufacturers and architects are all heavily involved in creating lighting systems that contain the latest technology. They can use the Engineering Kit as a simple way of gaining an insight into this new LED technology and test different LED lighting solutions. Different reflectors, lenses and heat sinks can be combined to create numerous variations and provide an idea of what the new light sources can achieve and what their special features are.


The Engineering Kit contains the OSTAR LED, two reflectors from Fraen with medium and narrow beam angles and three lenses from Ledil - one with a wide angle, a spot lens and a cat's eye for side deflection. A thermal interface from Laird that provides optimum heat dissipation, two heat sinks (from Coolermaster and an aluminum plate) an OSRAM Optotronic power supply for the European/Asian or NAFTA market round off the kit. The kit demonstrates the numerous options offered by these tiny light sources and indicates the accessories needed.

"An LED alone is not a light fitting", said Sebastian Lyschick, Network Manager LLFY at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. "Our kit provides a quick and simple means of understanding the new LED technology and its exciting possibilities. It can be used as the basis for developing projects and products with network partners." The Engineering Kit and brochure are available exclusively at www.ledlightforyou.com/led-kit.

Led-World Exclusive -Cree Installs LED Lights in Pentagon

LED manufacturer Cree has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to supply over 4,200 recessed LED lights for the Pentagon, the company announced Tuesday. Financial details were not disclosed.

Testing commissioned by the U.S. government determined that Cree's LR24 recessed LED lights would offer a 22 percent energy reduction compared with fluorescent lights, and save the Pentagon 140 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

The government also commissioned a cost analysis that showed the lights would yield a payback of less than four years once things like energy savings, maintenance, and the expense of properly disposing mercury-laden fluorescent bulbs were taken into account, according to Cree.

The new lighting will be installed in Wedge 5 of the Pentagon, coinciding with the major Pentagon renovation already under way in that area.

The purchase also happens to follow the advice of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan recently proposed by President-elect Barack Obama in his January 3 address.

As part of his plan to reduce reliance on foreign oil and create more jobs, President-elect Obama has suggested that the government will "renovate public buildings to make them more energy efficient."

Analysts have predicted that LED lighting will replace incandescent bulbs, making LED lighting manufacturers a bright spot to watch for within the struggling tech industry.

LED lights in Supermarket Refrigeration Gets Cheaper!

Led-World found that LED lighting systems enable big energy savings in supermarket refrigeration and have been getting cheaper every year.

LED system prices dropped 9% in 2008 alone and DOE's Solid State Lighting Research and Development Program projects they will fall by 50% by 2012.

In preliminary analysis released in August 2008, DOE showed that, assuming a 50% decline in LED prices, the highest standards would make sense for all supermarket refrigeration systems and would save purchasers $5 billion in net savings over 30 years.

However, for the analysis underlying today's standard, DOE rejected its own LED price estimates, instead assuming that LED prices will stay at 2008 levels forever.

100 Simple Ways to Change Your Life Healthy

No matter how perfect you may think you are, the fact this there's always some small way you can improve upon yourself. Whether it's broadening your knowledge or reducing your impact on the earth, there are seemingly endless little things you can do to make a change for the better. Here, we'll discuss 100 of these steps, and how you can go about doing them.

* Health -

Good health is the foundation of a good life, so make these improvements, and they'll resonate out to the rest of your life.

1. Eat breakfast every morning: Eating breakfast is important for your health and
mental power, supplying essential vitamins, minerals, and energy for your day.
2. Get a good night's rest: You just can't have a happy and productive life if
you're tired all of the time, so get some quality shut eye.
3. Drink water: Step up your water intake to lose weight, feel better, and improve
your skin.
4. Eat slowly: Slow down when you eat, and you'll find that you consume less while
still feeling satisfied.
5. Cut down on junk food: Junk food has a nasty way of bringing your health down, so
avoid it whenever possible, opting instead for healthy food like fresh fruits and
vegetables.
6. Practice good dental hygiene: Researchers have found that dental hygiene is
important for more than cosmetic reasons-it can help you chew food and even avoid
heart disease.
7. Drink tea: Be sure to check out the powerhouse of benefits that tea can deliver,
which includes improved memory and prevention of ills such as cavities, cancer,
and heart disease.
8. Get some exercise: Whether you need to lose weight or not, exercise will have a
positive effect on your overall health and quality of life.
9. Improve your energy: If you're feeling sluggish all day, chances are you're just
not going to feel good about yourself. So take a few steps to boost your energy,
and you'll be better in your daily life.
10.Intensify your workouts: Researchers have found that by doing more intense
workouts, you can enjoy similar benefits that you would with a more relaxed
workout for a longer period of time.
11.Enjoy fish a few times a week: Eat fish, and you'll get a serving of Omega-3
fatty acids, which can help reduce heart disease.
12.Wear better shoes: Don't torture your toes with restrictive shoes all the time-
limit the amount of time you spend in uncomfortable shoes.
13.Protect your skin: Stay out of the sun to avoid skin damage, or use sunblock to
help.
14.Eat at home: It's easier and cheaper to prepare healthy foods on your own at
home, and skillfully cooking a meal is sure to impress just about anyone.
15.Get tested for prediabetes: Diabetes is a disease that many Americans are
susceptible to, and by discovering it early on you can prevent it or lessen its
impact.
16.Take a daily walk: Get a little bit of movement and clear your mind with a walk
every day.
17.Lose weight: One of the best things you can do for your health and overall
quality of life is to shed a few pounds.

Social -
Take these steps to change your social life for the better.

18.Join a book club: Get some social interaction while improving your knowledge with
a book club.
19.Get out of the house: Believe it or not, the world just isn't going to come to
you. You've got to get out of your "zone" for social interaction.
20.Volunteer: For a rewarding social experience, look into volunteer opportunities.
21.Ignore minor irritations: Whether it's some jerk in traffic, or incessant
Facebook application requests, some things just aren't worth dealing with.
22.Start a blog: Spark an online discussion and network with new people through a
blog..
23.Talk to strangers: Don't hesitate to spark a conversation with someone you don't
know-you just might enjoy yourself, or even make a new friend.
24.Don't stereotype or label people: Avoid dismissing people based on factors you
don't fully understand, and you may find that they have something to offer you.
25.Call old friends: You'd be surprised how many people would be overjoyed to hear
from you, especially if it's been a while since you've seen them.
26.Go to church: Make new friends and get in touch with your spiritual side at
church or temple.
27.Host a party: Spend some time with good friends and enjoy yourself at home by
inviting others over for a party.
28.Enjoy a hobby: Having a regular, relaxing activity will bring you joy.
29.Join a club: Whether you're into board games or photography, there's a group out
there for you.

Emotional -
Improve your emotional life with these simple strategies.

30.Make an effort to be happy: Whether you actually feel happy or not, make it a
point to attempt happiness. It will help you feel better, as well as others
around you.
31.Consider religion: If you're not a spiritual person, consider becoming more
involved with religion to improve your emotional well-being.
32.Stop taking things personally: Although it may seem to the contrary, know that
not everyone is out to make your life harder.
33.Be optimistic: Put a positive spin on things and feel better about the future.
34.Know when to lose sleep: Sometimes, you have more important things to do than
sleep, but they key is knowing when that should happen.
35.Step out of your comfort zone: Make it a point to step out of your comfort zone
once in awhile. It's a great way to advance yourself.
36.Get rid of ill-fitting clothing: Clothes that don't fit right will just make you
look bad and feel worse about yourself. If you love a piece, but it just doesn't
look good, consider getting it tailored.
37.Spend time with a child: Look at the world through a child's eyes and get
inspired. You'll learn to appreciate simple things and see life with excitement.
38.Pamper yourself: Take care of yourself, whether that means getting a pint of ice
cream now and then, or just getting a spa treatment.
39.Celebrate your successes: When you've accomplished something great, take a moment
to feel good about it!
40.Quit your technology addiction: Although you may love your BlackBerry, you'll
feel a whole lot better if you just step away from the screen for a while.
41.Set goals: By setting goals, you'll give yourself something to strive for and
look forward to.
42.Feel good about yourself: Make a decision to improve your self-confidence, and
you'll feel better. Others will notice it, too.
43.Be thankful: Every now and then, take some time to acknowledge all of the good
things you have in your life, big and small.
44.Cut yourself some slack: Avoid inventing your own impossible, stringent rules
that you have to stick to-they'll only make you feel nervous and guilty.
45.Let go of the past: Don't hold grudges-let go, and you'll free up emotional
space.
46.Don't be dramatic: Stop inflating small problems, or you'll make yourself more
anxious than you need to be.
47.Express yourself: Let your emotions come out through art, writing, or other forms
of expression.
48.Meditate: Take some time out every day to have an inner dialogue with yourself.

Financial -
Make these changes to improve your life's financial outlook.
49.Pay off debt: Nothing will improve your finances better than simply getting rid
of debt.
50.Build an emergency fund: Keep an emergency fund to save yourself from plummeting
into the red when something pops up, and you'll be much more secure.
51.Track your spending: At some point in their lives, nearly everyone has wondered
where all their money goes. Try this exercise to finally get to the bottom of it,
and identify spots where your money could be better spent.
52.Be frugal: Embrace frugality in your life, and you'll save money while living
more simply.
53.Make extra payments: Pay off mortgage and other large debts early, and you'll
take a load off.
54.Diversify your income: Provide yourself with some financial security by finding
multiple sources of income.
55.Save: The concept is simple-save money, and you'll have more financial power to
do the things you'd like to do.
56.Eat at home more often: Eating out all the time may be fun, but preparing meals
at home is a better financial strategy.
57.Invest: Investing is not only fun, it's an excellent way to make your money grow.
58.Set a goal: Give yourself a financial goal to achieve, whether it's saving for a
particular item, or doubling your investments.
59.Save for retirement: Don't give your future self a huge mess to take care of-save
now, and you'll enjoy it later.

Mental -
Improve your mind by taking these simple steps.

60.Go back to school: Continuing your education does not have to be a complicated
endeavor. Take an online class, or just a weekend seminar.
61.Read classic books: Improve your mind by finally picking up all those books you
were supposed to read in school.
62.Plan: Always have a plan for your life, so you'll know what you're working
toward..
63.Quit procrastinating: Resolve to get moving, and you'll find that you have much
more time than you originally realized.
64.Get inspired by a book: Read a book that will help you spark positive changes in
your life.
65.Learn from your mistakes: Don't let mistakes get you down. Instead, consider what
you did wrong, and how you can avoid doing so again in the future.
66.Stop worrying: Let go of worry, and know that the future will come no matter what
you do about it.
67.Learn to play a musical instrument: Pick up a guitar, or even a harp, to improve
your mental capacity and have something fun to do.
68.Work to your own advantage: Improve upon what you can, and let the rest fall
away.
69.Think slowly: Instead of jumping to conclusions, carefully calculate what a
situation means. Doing so can help you save relationships that might be damaged
by rash thinking
70.Participate in a debate: Have a rational discussion with someone of similar
intellect to improve your knowledge.
71.Learn a new language: Broaden your horizons by learning how to speak a new
language.
72.Visit Wikipedia: Spend some time on Wikipedia learning lots of interesting facts
you've never realized before.

Habits -
Make these changes in your daily life to improve upon yourself.

73.Quit smoking: It's the single most important thing you can do for your health,
appearance, and energy. You'll smell better, too.
74.Wake up early: Be an early riser, and you'll find that you have more time to get
things done.
75.Spend more time outside: Head outside to become more active and enjoy the world
around you.
76.Be organized: Make things easier on yourself by living a more organized life.

At Work -
You spend so much time at work, but probably don't often consider how you can improve upon this important facet of your life. Take these steps to make things just a little bit better.

77.Make friends with your coworkers: One of the easiest and most important things
you can do to improve your career is to practice inner networking. Socialize with
your coworkers, and they'll be more willing to help you when you need it.
78.Improve your writing skills: If you improve upon your writing skills, you'll
instantly sound more intelligent and persuasive.
79.Collaborate: Don't go it alone-ask for help, and give help in return.
80.Keep your inbox empty: Reduce anxiety and simplify by clearing out your inbox as
much as you can.
81.Leave work at the door: Don't bring work home with you, or you'll stress yourself
out at home.
82.Join a professional association: Network with others in your field for fun and
career advancement.
83.Ask for a raise: Simply asking for a raise you deserve is a no-brainer way to
feel better about work and your paycheck.
84.Improve your resume: If you're not happy with your job, give your resume a
facelift and consider seeking a new position.
85.Improve your system: If you've got a messy desk, or generally lead a disorganized
work life, take charge by reorganizing.
86.Start your own business: One of the best ways to improve your career is to go
into business for yourself.

In Your Community -
Getting involved in your community is a great way to improve upon your life. Try these methods for getting out there.

87.Vote: Impact your community's future by participating in the election of
officials.
88.Donate unused items: Instead of holding a garage sale, pass your old items on to
people who need them-like books to schools, and clothing to shelters.
89.Support charitable endeavors: Whether it's with money or time, do what you can to
help out charities in your community.
90.Be a coach: Offer to coach a youth sport, and you'll shape young lives while
having fun.
91.Visit your local library: Take advantage of your community's library to both save
money and broaden your mind.

In the Environment -
An excellent way to improve upon yourself is to reduce the
negative impact you have on the world. Take these steps to get greener and change
your life for the better.

92.Work to reduce your carbon emissions: Find out about the many things you can do
to help cut your carbon emissions, and then take action on them.
93.Improve your gas mileage: Drive more slowly and coast as much as you can to
improve your gas mileage.
94.Turn off the lights: Cut your waste and energy bill by turning off your lights
whenever you don't need them.
95.Get a reusable water bottle: Keep plastic water bottles out of our landfills by
getting a container you can use over and over again.
96.Reduce your trash: Take steps to cut down on the waste you put in landfills.
97.Buy local and organic food: Support your health and local farmer by purchasing
local, organic produce.
98.Adjust your thermostat: Let your heater and AC take a small break by adjusting
your thermostat to reduce waste.
99.Stop using plastic bags: Quit using plastic bags, and you'll both reduce your
impact and save animals.
100.Take shorter showers: Save a precious resource by reducing the amount of water
you use in your daily shower.

Enjoy Life !!!!!!