The Navy will soon install soundless, energy-efficient LED bulbs in all of its submarines. - Photo from InHabitat.com.

According to a post on InHabitat.com, a single complaint filed by an office aboard a submarine has inspired the Navy to switch from fluorescent bulbs to LED lights in their entire fleet.

Why the huge switch? Well, the constant humming and buzzing of fluorescent bulbs can apparently become quite a nuisance in confined quarters like a submarine, and the Navy certainly doesn’t want to add any extra stress to their seamen. Also, the LED lights they will be installing in the subs use about 50% less energy than fluorescents, which will save the Navy some big bucks over time.

The complaint was filed through the Navy’s Tech Solutions program, which encourages officers to suggest new technologies that might help the armed forces better do their jobs. The suggestion to switch to LED lights was well-received and is expected to be fully implemented quite soon.

If you know of an interesting, surprising use for LED lights, don’t hesitate to leave us a comment! We’ll look into each and every suggestion and the best ones will featured in an upcoming installment of the series. Bring ‘em on!

Share:

Hide Sites

Yes, LED lights can be used in interesting ways to decorating and illuminate any outside area. The following are the most common types of outdoor LED lights and how to make the most of their design potential.

1. Flood Lights
Not just for parking lots and security perimeters anymore, flood lights are a great way to quickly light up a large area for a party, BBQ, or other nighttime yard function. By using LED lights with different levels of brightness, you can easily control how much illumination your yard or garden will receive.

2. Pathway Lights

Strategically placing LED lanterns along your walkway can provide great nighttime path illumination.

Whether you’re using small LED lanterns or tall light posts, LED bulbs work incredibly well as walkway lights. The long life of the bulb means you won’t have to change the bulb very often, and the soft glow of an LED allows for both safety and beauty.

3. String Lights
If you’re having a party, you definitely want to invest in some festive LED string lights. These lights come in all shapes and sizes and are perfect for giving a swanky, romantic glow to an outdoor event. You can even coordinate the color or shape of the lights with the theme of the party. Not having a theme party? No sweat – classic white LED lights are always a hit.

Share:

Hide Sites

Cabinet Lighting
If you have deeply recessed cabinets, chances are you have cabinet lights. Did you know that LED bulbs are manufactured in sleek cabinet lighting varieties? Because of their long life spans, you rarely have to replace these light strips.

Fish Tanks

LED lights can be found in many places, including fish tanks.

Not only are LED lights energy-efficient, but they also produce very, very little heat. This is great feature for use in a fish tank, since many varieties of fish can be negatively affected by changes in water temperature caused by traditional lighting sources.

Closets
Closet light bulbs are usually in some hard-to-reach corner and can be a real pain to change out. A good solution for this is to use an LED bulb. They last much longer than traditional incandescents and will save you money on your electricity bill should you forget to turn it off when you leave the house.

Share:

Hide Sites

Soon LED bulbs won't be just for flashlights anymore.

In fact, the report seemed to suggest that you were required to buy CFLs when replacing incandescent bulbs. As the popular LED-related blog CreeLEDRevolution.com pointed out, that is simply not true:

“The federally-mandated phase out of inefficient incandescent light bulbs does not in any way specify that consumers must only buy mercury-laden CFLs,” the blog post says.

“The new energy efficiency standards, set to start in 2012, say we can replace our energy-wasting incandescent bulbs with any lighting technology that is roughly 30 percent more efficient than traditional incandescent light bulbs.

“That means we could light our homes and businesses with CFLs, but it also means we can choose energy-efficient LED lighting. It even means we could turn to slightly more efficient incandescents that use halogen technology (although this borderline defeats the purpose of the standards, since halogens just barely make the energy-efficiency cut).”

If you’d like more information about what the incandescent phase-out could mean to you and your family, read Shedding New Light, an informative article about the new US Energy Efficiency Standards for Everyday Light Bulbs.

Share:

Hide Sites

A durable, high-powered LED flashlight is a must-have for winter sports enthusiasts.

“Dangers

While these sports may be tempting to try when visiting the slopes this winter, they can also be very dangerous if ill prepared. Many people are unaware of the dangers that exist from winter sports – thinking them merely to be fun, nonchalant activities. Contrary to that belief is the body of evidence that shows the fatal side of winter sports. For that reason, it is important to be prepared for all kinds of disasters that can occur on snow packed mountains. Lack of formal experience and knowledge of the local terrain are the main attributers to fatal or near-fatal accidents in snow sports.

Many people underestimate the danger of avalanches and falls in mountain areas ripe with snow. To put it plainly, just the weight of a single person is enough to start a snow slide capable of devouring human lives. Avalanche forecaster Thomas Stucki described this phenomenon as a “house of cards” effect, stating that average body weight can cause the upper layers of snow to part from the bottom layers, much like a house of cards toppling over. Even pacing slowly while snowshoe walking has dangers many don’t expect. Surviving an avalanche requires items such as a beacon, shovel and probe among many others. For this reason it is vital to bring the following list of items whenever travelling in a harsh winter environment.

• Battery powered LED lights
• LED Headlamps
• Emergency Lights
• LED flashlights
• Backpack/sports equipment bag or a duffel bag lined with a lawn bag
• Warm, zip jacket
• Snow pants
• Wool or polar fleece sweaters and sweatshirts
• Long sleeve shirts made of wool or synthetic fiber
• Long underwear made of 100% synthetic materials
• Hiking socks and liners
• Insulated rubber winter boots
• Plastic bags
• Winter gloves and mittens
• Stocking caps and other thick headwear
• Winter sleeping bags and sleeping pads
• Medium tarp
• Whistle
• Pocketknife
• Mess Kit
• Water bottles
• First Aid Kit
• Compass
• Matches or lighter
• Toilet paper”

Share:

Hide Sites

Is an LED light display something you'd want in your car?

According to the ads, iGloLEDset uses Wi-Fi- controllable colored LED lights that can be controlled by any smart device, including iPhones, iPads, iPod touch, or Android. The system allows users to customize displays by setting different colors and sequences and then control the displays in real time. The LED lights are packaged as a 16.4 foot strip and run off a power supply which can be hooked up to your car via an inverter (not included).

Sound cool? Well, not everyone thinks it is such a good idea. A post on MyRideisMe.com dares to ask the question: Does a car need a full-color LED light display inside the cab? Isn’t that just a bit obnoxious? Aubrey London, the author of the post, put it another way: “Did you just throw up a little?”

London tracked down MEA Mobile Managing Director Bruce Seymour and got a little inside perspective on the product:

“In a way it’s like a custom paint job – people can use it to make something unique or awful,” Seymour said. “We developed the iGloWiFi controller as a platform for leveraging mobile devices for hardware control. Lights are just the beginning.”

Regardless of where this technology is headed, chances are many car enthusiasts will jump at the chance to install a customizable full-color LED light display inside their car. Will you?

Share:

Hide Sites

Blue and red LED lights encourage plant growth.

According to a report on LedInside.com, Netherlands-based PlantLab believes their work with LED technology could lead to more efficient indoor food production and allow more growing options for farmers in climates with shorter daylight hours.

Using LED lights for plant growth is nothing new. Indoor farmers have been using LEDs for years because of their tendency to increase photosynthesis in plants and their ability to remove some bacteria and viruses. They are also a lot more energy efficient than traditionally grow lights. But probably the main reason LEDs are popular with indoor plant growers is that they provide just the right frequency to encourage growth.

Plants require certain frequencies, or colors, to grow. Using LED lights allow scientists, such as the ones at PlantLab, to use just the right color of light to encourage photosynthesis. These carefully measured color combinations can produce an amazing crop yield in a shorter amount of time. The PhotoLab project overview explains:

“Plants mainly need blue and red light for photosynthesis and far-red, a colour not even visible to the human eye but visible to the plant. The relationships between the light colours determine the form of the plant .”

PlantLab also claims that using indoor, LED-based growing systems have other benefits, including minimizing soil erosion, reducing water waste as much as 95%, and eliminating pesticide use.

Share:

Hide Sites

According to the Cree blog, the new LED light will deliver the same soft glow as an incandescent bulb but consume under 10 watts of electricity during regular use.
From the blog post:

“We’re demonstrating that it is possible to make an LED light bulb that delivers the same bright, warm light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb. We want to show the world that this is what LED lighting can and should look like. And we want to help our customers […] bring bulbs like this to market.”

Before Cree developed this technology, most people had to use a 60-watt equivalent compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) if they wanted to reduce their energy consumption. A 60-watt equivalent CFL bulb consumes about 15 watts, but the light that is produced is often muted and unattractive. As you can see in the picture below, the Cree 60-watt equivalent LED light looks almost exactly identical to an incandescent bulb.

The new Cree 60-watt equivalent LED light looks just as good as a traditional incandescent bulb.

Cree hopes that this new bulb will finally win over stubborn incandescent users who don’t want to give up the glow of a traditional bulb.

“We understand why so many people are reluctant to let their incandescent bulbs go,” they said on the blog. “Even though they waste energy, they still provide that warm light that many of us love. But Cree is continuing to prove that LED lights can do it too.”

Share:

Hide Sites

LED flashlights aren't the only LEDs available to RV campers.

You probably also know all about the many great LED lights available to camping enthusiasts – LED flashlights, lanterns, and many others. But what about those RV enthusiasts out there? Can LED lights be used in RVs? The answer: yes!

Since RVs are a combination of automobile and house, you can combine the LED technologies from both industries! RV manufacturers use LED lights in many parts of their vehicles. Here are just a few examples:

Tail lights – LED lights have been used in car tail lights for years, and they are now beginning to make their way into the RV sector. LEDs last a lot longer than traditional tail lights, so there is less chance that you’re going to get pulled over for having a bulb out.

Cabin lights – Why use traditional incandescent bulbs to light the inside of your RV? They are inefficient, overheat easily, and don’t last long at all. LED lights, on the other hand, last much longer and won’t such all the juice from your RV battery.

Headlights – Yes, LEDs are even being used in RV headlights these days. LED bulbs provide a brilliant focused beam of white light, allowing you to safely take your RV on night trips in comfort and style.

Share:

Hide Sites

LED lights for your teeth - the new glow stick?

As if taken right out of an 80s sci-fi book about raves, the latest trend in Japanese fashion accessories are glowing LED teeth. That’s right. TEETH. According to the website NDTV, these “teeth attachments” fit right inside your mouth and give your chompers a neon LED glow.

Created as an experiment by a couple of Japanese designers, the new LED light teeth fronts have been used in commercial advertising and are quickly becoming a hot number. According to the article, using the LED smiles is easy: Simply affix the contraption to your teeth, smile, and your whole mouth becomes an LED wonderland. The color of the teeth can be changed using a wireless computer interface.

The following YouTube video shows a group of Japanese girls sporting the new LED teeth technology out-and-about:

LED Light Teeth

The use for this kind of advancement in LED light technology seems pretty limited – it’s essentially an improvement on the old glowstick-in-the-mouth, popular at dance clubs and raves. But who knows? Perhaps the Japanese have a use for the teeth that is unbeknownst to us. The developers of the techonology, Motoi Ishibashi and Daito Manabe, say they are offering workshops in Japan to teach others how to make their own LED teeth. Good luck, fellas.

Share:

Hide Sites

Denny's has started using energy-efficient Cree LED lights in its stores nationwide. - Photo courtesy of Salvatore Vuono

That’s right – Denny’s, one of the country’s largest restaurant chains, has started installing energy-efficient LED lights in its new and remodeled stores all over the United States. Manufactured by Cree, Inc., the LR6 six-inch downlights used in the installations are being placed in dining areas and restrooms and are expected to save the company an estimated 6,000 kilowatt hours less per month than traditional fluorescent lights.

“We evaluated numerous LED light fixtures from a variety of manufacturers to ensure that we chose the best possible product and partner for this major lighting specification,” said Denny’s senior manager of design and construction Mitch Riese. “With the Cree LR6 fixture, we found the best value for our money, helping us deliver beautiful, warm light, while significantly reducing our energy consumption and maintenance requirements.”

Joey Terrell, a Denny’s franchise owner in Illinois, says his store has combined LED lights with natural daylighting to reduce the massive amount of energy used by restaurants. “Restaurants use 285 percent more utilities than the average commercial building,” said Terrell. “The easiest way to reduce these costs and improve energy-efficient is to switch from traditional fluorescents to daylighting and LEDs, and that’s what we did.”

Cree LED Lighting vice president Craig Lofton is excited about the new partnership.

“Denny’s is a great example for any restaurant chain looking to become more energy-efficient,” he said.

Share:

Hide Sites

A Dino Moppel LED Light is a quirky example of the many ways LEDs are being used for home lighting.

When it comes to energy efficiency, LEDs blow CFLs out of the water.
“In terms of energy efficiency, a standard LED light uses only 2-10 watts of electricity, which is 1/30 of the amount of energy used by a CFL bulb. An LED does not generate nearly as much heat while lit as a CFL would. Especially in the summertime, using CFL bulbs can cause higher temperatures in the home, thus requiring greater uses of cooling systems. Utilizing LED light bulbs, particularly in areas where there is a lot of lighting, can help to save energy and money on cooling costs.”

CFLs burn out faster than LEDs.
“Research places the typical lifespan of a CFL bulb at about 10,000 hours, while an LED light typically lasts between 50,000 and 60,000 hours. This makes using LED lights especially attractive for those hard to reach or recessed lighting areas. Additionally, LED lights are crafted to be solid and hold up better to bumps and drops than a CFL bulb would – but newer types of LED lights have clusters of LEDs making up the light so even if one LED goes out, the rest of the LEDs should not be affected.”

LEDs have their drawbacks, but…
“The biggest drawback for LED lighting is that typically LED lights provide only directional lighting, for example, in track lighting. […] However, there have been recent improvements to LED lighting, creating bulbs that include clusters of LEDs with diffuser lenses available. These next generation LED lights provide a broader shine and expand the types of locations where you can use them.
“Another drawback of the LED light is in their price point. LED lights are usually more expensive than CFL bulbs. However, when you look at cost over time, lifespan, and energy efficiency, this is where LED lighting charges ahead in comparison to CFL lights.”

Share:

Hide Sites

A flowering cactus does well indoors under an LED light.

Using LED lights to grow indoor flowers and vegetables isn’t all that new, but it certainly isn’t something many people think of doing when planning for house plants and gardens. The benefits of using LEDs for house plants are many: control, timing, quality of light, energy reduction, and more. The following are just a few reasons you should use LED bulbs when growing indoor plants.

Timing
Anyone that has tried to grow flowers or vegetables outdoors knows that timing is crucial. Specific types of plants need specific amounts of water, heat, and light, and if you don’t time the delivery of these necessities just right you run the risk of killing the plant. LED lights allow you to deliver just the right amount of light at just the right time, encouraging healthy growth. And since LED lights burn cool, you don’t have to worry about burning your plants.

Quality Control
Not all plants need the same type or amount of light. With LEDs, you can control the quality of the light your plants will receive, whether that’s filtered or direct. You can also control when your plants will receive that light.

Energy Efficiency
Of course, the most energy-efficient way to grow a plant is outdoors. But if you live in an area that doesn’t allow for yearlong gardening, LED bulbs are the next best thing. LED bulbs use less energy than traditional bulbs and last much longer, saving you money.

Remember to check with a local nursery or gardener for more information on growing indoor plants using LED lights.

Share:

Hide Sites

Vowing to use more energy-efficient LED lights in your home is a great New Year's Resolution.

1. Conserve energy.
Using LED lights is a sure fire way to conserve energy use and reduce your monthly energy bill. LEDs use significantly energy than their incandescent counterparts, and because almost none of the energy being used is wasted as heat, the bulb can burn much brighter for much longer.

2. Use an eco-friendly product.
Incandescent bulbs are not only less efficient than LED bulbs, but they also are worse for the environment. Many types of traditional lights, including fluorescent bulbs, contain mercury, a very toxic substance. When these types of bulbs end up in a landfill, the mercury toxins can leach into the ground, polluting nearby soil and water.

3. Spend wisely.
It’s true; high-quality, energy efficient LED flashlights and light bulbs usually carry a higher price tag than cheap incandescent. But when you look at the lifespan of the bulbs and the energy they consume, it’s easy to see how LED lights are a much more cost-effective choice.

From all of us here at Discount Lights and Knives, we wish you and yours a very happy new year! Have a great 2011 everyone!

Share:

Hide Sites

Emergency Area Light
A powerful LED emergency area light is an essential tool to have if you get stuck in a snow storm. The Coast CE7124HGB features 125 lumen output, four lighting options, durable casing and a built-in battery life indicator. This lantern can last on only four D batteries for up to 100 hours.

Emergency Stretch Light
Featuring a 25 lumen output and a fifty hour runtime, an emergency stretch light is the best of both worlds – focused spotlight and bright area light. With a rear push button and a corrosion resistant casing, an emergency stretch light is a compact way to stay safe in winter weather.

An X21 LED Light Cannon is a great tool to have in case of weather-related emergencies.

X21 Light Cannon
If you find yourself stuck in a snow storm while driving, chances are visibility is going to be very low. That’s the time you will need this extraordinarily powerful LED flashlight. Featuring 1000 lumen output and effective at up to 1,500 feet, the X21 light cannon is perfect for finding your way or signaling for help.

Share:

Hide Sites

According to an article on ledinside.com, Visionox and Tsinghua University teamed up in 2008 to create the first domestic OLED mass production line, which has led to more than 250 patent applications for OLED technology. More recently, the two groups have produced technology that uses composite lighting to prolong the life of organic LED lights.

“The invention obtains single color emission through a composite light emitting layer that prolongs the operational life of OLEDS by twenty times,” Visionox intellectual property manager Zhou Shaohua told LedInside. Zhou continued, saying that the advancement is “a new structure that is key to our patented OLED technology.”  

Advancements in organic LED light technology will produce longer lasting TV and computer monitors, such as this one from Sony.

The new technology has a wide range of possible applications, but Visionox says that their main goal is to apply it to larger-sized devices such as TVs and computer monitors. This would mean a longer lifespan for these devices, which could be used for commercial, scientific and educational purposes.

So how long would this new technology last? Well, the current lifespan of an average blue OLED is about 14,000 hours, which would last about five years when run for eight hours a day. The new Visionox technology claims it can produce 1,000 cdm luminance (a very, very bright display) for up to 100,000 hours. Running at eight hours a day, that screen would last for over 34 years. Wow.

Share:

Hide Sites

The whimsical Dino Moppel LED light makes a great stocking stuffer.

1. V8 Standard Torch
   Why mess with a classic? This 2.2 inch flashlight packs a whopping 10 lumen output and lasts for three hours on only 3 AG13 batteries. The keychain clip and metal casing seals the deal.
2. Dino Moppel
   This cute little critter is perfect for late-night studying or the craftsman in your house. Ten inches tall, the Dino Moppel features magnetic feet and a powerful LED light useful in the home or at work.
3. LL7853/7854 Car Charger
   Does the LED light enthusiast in your family use rechargeable batteries? Then you must get them this handy car charger. Perfect for road trips and camping excursions, this charger comes in at just under ten dollars.
4. Micro Flex Light
   This powerful LED light is perfect for the garage or a camping trip. With a six lumen output, a 1.3 hour runtime and a high-intensity beam, the Micro Flex Light makes for a perfect stocking stuffer.
5. Personal Emergency Area Light
   Perfect for any camping, hiking, or outdoor enthusiast, this adorable little safety lantern is only 5.75 inches high, produces an amazing 17 lumen output, and lasts for 30 hours on only 4 AA batteries. Nice!

Share:

Hide Sites

Holiday LED lights come in many shapes, sizes and colors. Photo courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.com

Wreaths
Placing small LED lights in a wreath makes for a very merry holiday decoration. Place your lit wreath on the front door, front gate, or above the mantle, and bask in the sweet smell and festive glow of one of the world’s favorite holiday decorations.

Walkways
LED lanterns make great walkway or garden path lights in any season, but they look especially festive during the holidays. The soft, bright light of LEDs is the perfect accent to any yard and gives your home a warm, approachable look.

Tree
LED string lights are the most energy-efficient way of lighting your holiday tree. They use less electricity and are very cool to the touch, meaning you don’t have to worry about your tree catching on fire if you forget to turn them off.

By using LED lights in your holiday decorations this year, you are saving energy, supporting eco-friendly technology, and creating a memorable holiday display. Good for you!

Share:

Hide Sites

LED Street Lighting Bulb

The program, called Niagara Luminaire, aims to make the transition to energy-efficient LED-based street lighting early next year. According to an article on ledsmagazine.com, Niagara Falls hopes to save as much as 50% in energy costs from the transition. An outside consultant has estimated that the city’s current street lights create about 1,273 metric tons of carbon emissions each year. This adds up to about $7 million in health issues for Niagara residents, including asthma and heart conditions. The city hopes to curb some of those health costs by reducing emissions and creating a green manufacturing base in the area.

One interesting aspect of this story is that much of Niagara Falls’ electricity is generated by the falls themselves, which does not produce carbon. Many experts agree that the inclusion of LED lights into the street lighting grid will greatly reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, which begs the question: Could Niagara Falls become America’s first Green City? Only time will tell for sure.

Share:

Hide Sites

1. P7 Focusable Flashlight

This LED flashlight is small but powerful. Featuring a 200 lumen output and a whopping 64 hour battery life, the P7 is a handy tool for any outdoor enthusiast to have around. The P7 weighs in at a barely-noticeable 7 ounces, is 5.5 inches long, and comes with both a Nylon sheath and a lifetime guarantee. Throw in an advanced, one-handed focus system and you’ve got one holiday gift no one could pass up.

2. Damascus Bowie Knife

Perfect for the hunting enthusiast in your life, this Bowie knife features a Damascus stainless steel hunting blade, a stag bone handle with brass and steel accents, a leather sheath, and an intimidating 11 inch overall length. If you’re looking for a tougher, more reliable hunting knife, good luck.

3. Dino Moppel

The quirky Dino Moppel makes for a perfect stocking stuffer.

Maybe you’re trying to find a gift for the person who has everything. Well, chances are the Dino Moppel is that gift. This quirky light apparatus features an LED head, four flexible appendages, and magnetic suction cup feet that stick to pretty much anything. Perfect for dorm rooms, offices, or anywhere you need a little extra light, the Dino Moppel will bring a smile to even the most hard-to-please face.

Share:

Hide Sites

The Smart Street Lighting conference will feature many prominent figures in the LED technologies field speaking on a number of fascinating topics, such as:

The reduction of energy consumption and maintenance costs of street lights;

The adoption of energy efficient lighting technologies and practices, such as the use of LED lights;

The stabilization of energy efficient city lighting systems;

The operational efficiency and cost savings of LED lighting systems.

The Smart Street Lighting conference is sponsored by two of the biggest names in LEDs – Autev and Cree Europe – and is The conference will feature speakers from all over the globe: Los Angeles, Norway, Helsinki, London, and others.

Using LED lights in street lighting programs has already proven successful in many parts of the world (see Canadian Smart Streetlights Program a Success), with Canada and Mexico being the most promising examples of such programs. LED lights are estimated to cut street light energy consumption of major municipalities by up to 60%, and the improvement in the quality of light is thought to increase driver and pedestrian safety. The Smart Street Lighting conference aims to increase the world’s awareness of the benefits of LED street lighting programs.

For more information on the conference, visit marcusevans.com.

Share:

Hide Sites

One installation, the Hope Tree, combined 670 self-supporting watercolor panels punched with leaf cutouts and low-wattage LED lights to produce an interactive, almost magical environment meant to spark conversation and reflection among its visitors.

The Hope Tree used LED lights to create a romantic, low-watt atmosphere.

Designed by 24° Studio, the entire structure was created inside a 20-foot shipping container. The cutouts are all self-supporting and are backed with translucent tracing paper, diffusing the LED lights and creating a soft atmosphere. The leaf-like shapes cut out from the paper constantly bent inwards and outwards, warping with the change in humidity and condensation.

The Hope Tree took Tokyo Designers Week 2010 by storm and was one of the winners of the Environmental Container Design & Art Competition sponsored by the Design Association NOP and Dezeen.

24° Studio talked with inhabitat.com about the conception and installation of the Hope Tree:

“The Hope Tree installation was envisioned as a spatial condition that attended to question our surroundings as we know it and hoping to generate a discussion and understanding amongst the visitors about the place of our everyday life, our environment. Lately, we are bombarded with products that try to deal with the consequences of environmental damages throughout the world, but occasionally we overlook the roots of these occurring problems by not fully understanding our environment,” 24° Studio designers said.

The use of LED lights helped created the installation’s ambiance and was applauded for as an environmentally friendly, low-watt alternative to traditional bulbs.

Share:

Hide Sites

Organic LEDs, or OLEDs for short, are LED bulbs with an emissive electroluminescent layer (the part of the bulb that produces the light) made of organic compounds. This organic layer is placed between two electrodes and emits light when exposed to an electrical current.

Sound far-fetched? Hardly. Scientists, such as Nadav Amdursky and Prof. Gil Rosenman of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Electrical Engineering, are constantly perfecting new nano-materials that use organic matter to create light. According to an article on ScienceDaily.com, the light emitted by OLEDs is not noticeably different from inorganic LED lights. The organic matter used in the light is made from carbon, making the material inexpensive and easy to grow and harvest.

The benefits of OLEDs are numerous and varied. OLEDs are generally said to have a much lower manufacturing cost and a better power efficiency than traditional lights, meaning they have the potential to save their users a lot of money in the long run.

OLEd technology has helped TV manufacturers make incredibly thin devices, such as this 3mm Ultra Thin OLED 1 from Sony. - Image from itechnews.net

OLEDs are currently used most in LCD electronics such as TVs and computer monitors, but researchers agree that their uses could reach much further than every-day electronics. Amdursky and Rosenman say that OLEDs could be used for residential and commercial lighting, as well as in medical equipment such as subcutaneous ultrasound devices.

Organic LED lights may be the future, but they are still a long way from mass production and commercial or residential use. With any luck, though, we’ll each be growing our own light in no time.

Share:

Hide Sites

Walkways

Cleverly hidden, a simple LED lantern can make a perfect outdoor walkway light.

Let’s face it – winter is literally a very dark time of year in the United States. Using LED lanterns or bulbs to light a walkway or garden path is a great way to keep your home approachable and inviting, no matter what how dark it gets.

Mantles
Candles are a beautiful accent to any mantle, but they carry inherent risks – namely, burning your house down. LED bulbs, artfully arranged, can achieve the same effect as candles but without the danger of lighting anything on fire. Also, you don’t have to worry about changing them as often.

Centerpieces
LED lights are a great way of adding ambience and atmosphere to a Thanksgiving dinner. Many LED lights are battery powered, meaning there is no need for obnoxious power cords. Add a few bulbs to a traditional centerpiece for a new festive holiday tradition.

Tune in next month when we’ll explore the many different ways to use LED lights in your December holiday decorating scheme.

Share:

Hide Sites

According to a press release, the Cree XLamp XM-L LEDs are designed for very high-lumen applications, such as roadway lighting. The new bulbs boast an outstanding 1000 lumen output and run at 100 lumens per watt, making them one of the brightest, most efficient LED lights available.

Cree produces high-quality LED bulbs that are often found in everyday products like LED flashlights.

“The XLamp XM-L LED can fundamentally change the way Cree customers look at LED light,” said John Edmond, Cree director of advanced optoelectronics, in the press release. “An LED with this level of light output and this level of efficacy can accelerate the development of high-output commercial lighting products and could enable applications we haven’t even thought of yet. This sets a new standard for LED performance.”

Another amazing thing about these bulbs? Cree developed them entirely, from concept to commercial availability, in under eight months. This just goes to show how tuned-in Cree is to the development and advancement of LED technology. In fact, part of Cree’s mission statement is the claim to be “setting the stage to obsolete the incandescent light bulb through the use of energy-efficient, environmentally friendly LED lighting.” Pretty bold statements, and so far, entirely accurate.

For more information on the new XLamp XM-L LEDs, visit cree.com or find a distributor.

Share:

Hide Sites

LEDs make perfect safety lights for your kids as they trick-or-treat. LEDs are small, powerful and versatile enough to work into any costume idea without seeming out of place. Here are the best ways to incorporate LED safety lights into your child’s costume to keep them safe and looking good.

A clip-on LED light means your child doesn't have to carry around a giant flashlight like this one.

Candy Bucket
A candy bucket, bag or pillowcase is a great place to put a LED safety light. Clip-on LEDs make great safety lights because they are powerful, meaning drivers will be able to see your child very easily in the dark. They are also very long-lasting, so you don’t have to worry about the bulb or battery going out before the night is over. If the bucket or bag is translucent, try clipping the light to the inside for a spooky glowing effect.

Shoes
Securely attaching an LED safety light to your child’s shoes is a great idea for a number of reasons. The light is visible to drivers and such without distracting from the child’s costume. Having it on the shoe means your child doesn’t have to bother holding it or hanging it from his or her costume. Think your kid won’t want a LED light attached to his or her shoe? Remember LA Lights? Yeah, those were COOL.

Costume
Another way of keeping your kid safely lit is to work the LED lights into the costume itself. With a little creativity and some DIY skills, you can work small LED safety lights into most costumes. Is your little girl going as a fairy princess? Add a light to the tip of her wand. Have any kids going as robots? Make a blinking, flashing control panel. This way your child will have the safety he or she needs and not even realize it.

Share:

Hide Sites

LED-Embedded Showerheads

You read that correctly, folks. Fedilo is currently developing a line of shower heads that feature multi-color LED bulbs embedded directly into the heads. The showerheads come in a variety of shapes, including square, circle, rectangle, and oval, and feature a number of different colored LED bulbs – blue, pink, white, yellow, and green.

The way the water is released is another innovative aspect to these showerheads. Placed directly above the shower, the heads release water in either a cascading, waterfall-type effect or a drenching tropical rain-type effect. All the user needs to do is stand under the head, turn on the water, and be swept away into a colorful, relaxing experience. According to one review of the product, the combination of LED lights and alternative water features is meant to “calm you down to your core”.

This isn’t the first unexpected LED use to be developed recently. LED bulbs have been used to light car license plates, compact purse mirrors, and even Amazon kindle covers. Fedilo’s showerhead designs are another step in the current trend of installing LED bulbs in unusual household appliances or features.

The LED showerhead technology is still in the concept design stage for now, but many LED technology enthusiasts think that it won’t be too long before the showerheads are picked up by a major LED-product manufacturing company. Until then, LED enthusiasts will have to wait.

Share:

Hide Sites

A modern example of how far LED light technology has come.

“Back in 1960 Electronics Weekly was born into a ferment of III-V semiconductor research that within two years would produce the first practical LED.

In 1960 Dr Nick Holonyak of General Electric was developing an unusual material, GaAsP, as a route to wide bandgap tunnel diodes.

When an infra-red GaAs semiconductor laser was demonstrated in 1962, Holonyak with his wider bandwidth GaAsP was in the perfect position to have a go at making a visible version.”

The article makes no mention of British experimenter H.J. Round, who first discovered electroluminescence and paved the way for all LED development. The Electronics Weekly article does, however, discuss the Russian scientist Oleg Vladimirovich, who reportedly developed the first LED in 1927 but could find no practical use for the technology.

The article traces LED bulbs from Vladimirovich to the development of multi-colored LEDS in the late 1980s and early 1990s to the current trend of replacing traditional incandescent bulbs with LED varieties. The author admits to the article being “necessarily a condensed history”, but all in all it covers a lot of information in a straight-forward, engaging way.

Share:

Hide Sites

Using an LED light inside a jack-o-lantern can create cool, spooky effects.

Most people still use a candle to light your jack-o-lantern. The problem with candles is that they are wasteful, they don’t last very long, and they can be hard to light. The solution? LED lights!

Small LED lights make the perfect candle replacements for Halloween pumpkins. Here are a few reasons why:

Size – LED bulbs come in very small sizes, meaning you can find a bulb to light any size jack-o-lantern.

Safety – LEDs give off very little heat, so there’s no danger of you or your children burning themselves setting it up or taking it out. Also, you don’t have to worry about a candle flame getting out of control and starting your porch or house on fire.

Efficiency – LED bulbs are incredibly long-lasting, (usually for hundreds of hours) meaning you’ll only need one bulb for the entire month of Halloween. That will save you time and money.

Variety – Tired of the plain, one-color candle routine? LED bulbs come in many spooky colors, allowing you to match your pumpkin LED lantern with any Halloween decorating scheme you can imagine.

If you haven’t tried lighting your Halloween pumpkin with LED bulbs, this is the year to start. Stay tuned next week when we dive into the topic of using LED bulbs for trick-or-treating safety.

Share:

Hide Sites

Walkways – A dark, spooky house may fit with the Halloween mood, but if you want any trick-or-treaters to come to your door you will have to have your walkway and entrance well-lit. LED lights make the perfect walkway lights for Halloween. Small, powerful and adjustable, these lights can be strategically placed around your walkway or yard to provide adequate light without losing your house’s spook-factor.

Strobe Effects – LED lights can lend a cool, creepy feel to any haunted house or Halloween party. Combine a strobe-setting LED light with dry ice for a spooky smoke effect.

Multi-Color Pumpkins – Tired of the same ole boring candle lighting your jack-o-lantern? Well, no more! Use a colored LED bulb to create an interesting, eye-catching pumpkin creation. Did you carve your pumpkin to look like a moon? Try a yellow bulb! How about an alien? Try a green bulb. The possibilities are endless!

Using a colored LED bulb in your pumpkin can create a fun, spooky effect.

Yes, LED bulbs and Halloween go hand-in-hand. Tune in next week when we’ll look more in-depth at using LED bulbs with your jack-o-lanterns.

Share:

Hide Sites