Gizmodo Australia » bulbs

World’s First Liquid-Cooled LED Lightbulb Perfectly Pairs With Silly Gaming PCs

Dan Nosowitz — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 01:40:00 +0000

Eternaleds announced their new Hydrolux-4 LED lightbulb, the very first liquid-cooled bulb in the world. The bulbs are incredibly energy-efficient compared to either incandescent or CFL bulbs, and come with a price tag to match.

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The bulbs, which cost $US35 each (!), are rated for 35,000 hours of use and only consumes 4W of electricity (compared to a 25W incandescent), which means if you’re afraid of the dark and run it 8 hours a day for an entire year, it’ll only cost $US1.75. It’s fully dimmable and, unlike other LED lights, cool to the touch, thanks to the oh-so-hardcore liquid cooling. The bulbs come in “warm white” and “daylight” flavours, and are available now. [Eternaleds via Engadget]

The LED Wine Glass Light Bulb, You Know, For Drunks

Mark Wilson — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:00:00 +0000

Twenty LEDs illuminate this wine glass light bulb. But for $US120, the money may be better spent on a nice vintage…or maybe like a lifetime supply of Miller High Life. [Nerd Approved]

Bird Pendant Decorates Exposed Bulbs the Easiest Way

Mark Wilson — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:30:00 +0000

Hanging a real light fixture can be hard. But snapping a metal bird to a lightbulb? Easy.

The $US50 Bird Pendant Light by Sweden-based artist Hung Ming Chen is a simple brass fixture that squeezes onto a bare bulb. And while we’re guessing it might get a little hot, there’s certainly no easier way to half-assedly decorate your basement. Now just to gather the motivation to actually replace that burned out lightbulb first. [UrbanOutfitters via Nerd Approved]

Putting Heatsinks on Light Bulbs Makes for Some Crazy Bulb Designs

Adam Frucci — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:45:00 +0000

Who knew that lightbulb design could suddenly become so interesting? Since we’re all well aware that regular old light bulbs are bad for the environment, we’re seeing new designs for LED bulbs come in. And man, they’re strange looking.

The weird designs, such as the one above, are the result of the LED being lit from the back. The design around the light is actually a heatsink that’s meant to dissipate the heat generated by the LED. This design gives the LED much longer life by dissipating the heat quickly. Fortunately, bulbs like this are designed for recessed lighting, meaning you won’t see them at all once you have them in place. You’ll just reap the benefits on your electricity bill, which is something that no weird-looking bulb can make any less awesome. [NY Times]

X-Ray Bulb Lamps X-Ray Themselves Only

Mark Wilson — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:45:00 +0000

When we originally spotted the X-ray bulb lamp, we imagined an awesome Halloween party scattered with black light and some amazing bulb that showed our skeletons. Alas, the X-ray lamp only shows its own guts, in a sense, displaying the X-ray of an incandescent or CFL bulb. Intended for exhibition at the moment, we hope that X-ray bulbs hit that market one day—whether it be these pieces of art or some neato bulb that lets us examine the contents of a beloved’s stomach. [Samulnoli via technabob]

ESL Bulbs Are Better Than CFLs and LEDs, Says Company

Gizmodo US Edition — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 21:00:00 +0000

Another contender has stepped into the ring of energy efficient lighting: called ESL (electron-stimulated luminescence), this new type of bulb works by using accelerated electrons to light up a phosphor coating on the inside of a glass bulb. ESLs can turn on instantly, can work with dimmers, and creates a light quality that’s similar to incandescents and halogens.

Vu1, the company behind the technology, says ESL bulbs don’t contain the trace amounts of mercury in CFLs and don’t require the manufacturing energy behind LEDs, making it better than both. The first screw in models, which produce 40 lumens per watt with a 6,000 hour lifetime, are expected to be available by September 2008. At US$12 a bulb, they cost about the same as dimmable CFLs already on the market. [Vu1 via Cleantechnica]

Brendan Koerner Teaches Stephen Colbert About CFLs and the Environment

Benny Goldman — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:00:00 +0000

Friend of Giz and contributing editor Brendan I. Koerner was on the Colbert Report last night to school Stephen on ways to save the environment. Koerner discussed the paper/plastic debate, using air conditioning vs. windows, and whether it’s cheaper to buy CFLs or regular bulbs. Colbert let the green-concious Koerner off pretty easy, but he did manage to raise a fascinating point: If CFLs weren’t meant to be licked, why do they look so damn delicious? [The Colbert Report, Brendan Koerner]

Vaka Squeezable Lightbulbs Can Be Charged And Taken Anywhere

Adrian Covert — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:20:00 +0000

Vaka’s concept for lightbulbs revolves around silicon orbs that you squeeze to turn the light on/off, or twist to make the light dimmer or brighter. But the bulbs are also chargeable, meaning you can remove them from the fixture and take them wherever light is needed…like those village raids against the local vampire. [Yanko]

Planilum Light Emitting Glass Can Illuminate Your Home For 20 Years

Sean Fallon — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:10:00 +0000

With fluorescents and LEDs making major headway in the market, energy efficient alternatives to the incandescent bulb are becoming big business. That having been said, the next big thing could be coming out of a partnership between Saazs and Saint-Gobain Innovations in the form of Planilum—the “world’s first light emitting glass.” Planilum is only 2 cms thick and is composed of four layers of special glass, a rare gas and serigraphed phosphors—which will give you 500,000 hours or around 20 years of normal usage.

Because of their soft glow, Planilum lights only get about as hot as the human body, which means that there is no need for a shade or diffuser. They are also about 90% recyclable because the design is nearly all glass. For these reasons, the Planilum can be integrated into designs that make a break from traditional lighting fixtures. In fact, the plan is to develop furniture and other household objects with these panels to make more functional and attractive lighting solutions. With any luck, we could see products based on this technology sometime within the next few years. [saazs via Inhabitat via OhGizmo]

107-Year-Old Bulb States the Case for Leaving Lights On

Addy Dugdale — Sat, 10 May 2008 16:30:00 +0000

The LA Times has written a sweet little feature about Livermore Fire House’s lightbulb that has been burning for 107 years without a break—unless you count the 22 minutes it took to transport the bulb from Fire Department HQ to Station No. 6 in 1979. That’s almost a million hours’ worth of low-wattage, you know. Unofficial keeper of the bulb, retired firefighter Tom Bramell reckons its longevity is down to old-fashioned craftsmanship. “I believe the bulb has stayed alive so many years because the makers gave it a perfect seal, so no air gets inside the bulb to help disintegrate the carbon filament. This bulb operates in a vacuum and it doesn’t burn hot. That’s the secret.” [LA Times via Boing Boing]