Lisa Katayama

Light bulb art shows wasted electricity

Artist Chris Jordan wanted to point out how much electricity is wasted in the US, so he made a photo collage representing 320,000 lightbulbs, which amount to the number of kilowatt hours we don't really need to be spending.

[via Moco Loco]

Lisa Katayama

The Black Diamond Sprinter, a headlamp for traveling night runners

Some people like to run in the morning. Others like to run in the mid-afternoon. Yet others wait until the sun goes down to hit the pavements &mdash maybe because the air is cooler and streets are emptier, or they're just too busy during daylight. Black Diamond's new Sprinter headlamp that could be a lifesaver for the latter, especially if you're a night runner who travels a lot. The Sprinter has an adjustable but very-bright-at-its-max beam that extends up to 54 feet so you don't run into anything, and a flashing red LED on the back so nothing runs into you. The neatest thing about the Sprinter is that it's rechargeable, and comes with three additional outlet plugs for when you're traveling overseas. The Sprinter hits stores next month and costs $80.

[Black Diamond Equipment]

Lisa Katayama

Birdhouses made from modded roof tiles

These birdhouses were made by combining reclaimed terracotta roof tiles cut by water-jet and laser with wooden boards etched with Victorian facades. Usually, roof tiles aren't recycled, but a team of artists led by Japan's Tomoko Azumi wanted to change that.

[via Designboom]

Steven Leckart

Full Moon Credenza Glows In The Dark

Designer Sotirios Papadopoulos developed "ELI" (Eco Light Inside) a material that glows in the dark and, previously, was used on this illuminating mirror.

Beats using a night light. Maybe.

[via Generate]

Steven Leckart

Power On Self Test: Spooky Lamps

Rob Beschizza

Sumo chair available in bright green

Sumo, makers of gigantic shredded-foam furnishings, also makes one in bright lime green. Just thought you should know. [Sumo Lounge]

Rob Beschizza

Space Invader lampshade

Meninos' Space Invaders lampshade is $60. [via Geekologie]

Rob Beschizza

RGB Vases

Oscar Diaz's RGB Vases look much nicer nested together than apart.

Each vase is made using the values of red, green and blue that make up the specific purple color (P242). When the three vases are nested, the light passes through, and mixes the three colors so that the purple becomes evident.

A computer is used to calculate the exact amount of color that each vase must have in order to achieve the desired color.

RGB Vases [Design Milk]

Lisa Katayama

Light made out of thousands of straws

[Scott Jarvie's main page via Moco Loco]

Steven Leckart

Tron-Watch '09: LED Handrails

A concept by Croatian designer Zoran Sunjic, these LED handrails could help light dark stairways to prevent commuter spills, tumbles, or muggings.

Should these handrails ever see the light of day (har), I trust they'll be available in teal or turquoise. From LED bikes to RAZR-like radar detectors, Tron-like aesthetics really are in full effect.

[Toxel via Design Launches via New Launches]

Steven Leckart

Review: GMT Solar Lantern [Verdict: Works]

The SL900 is a relatively-lightweight, dead-simple-to-use lantern that sports two solar panels, LEDs and a 6V 4AH sealed lead acid battery. You simply leave it in direct sunlight while hiking, hanging or whatever, and it will charge up enough to provide at least 2-4 hours of nocturnal glow.

At about 12" x 7", the SL900 isn't the most packable torch ever, but for car camping, it works great. I've used it on two car-based camping trips this spring/summer, and have very very minor complaints. One little issue is the fact the top opens indiscriminately, i.e. the top cover hatch tends to open all the way due to a frisky hinge. Thus, if you're trying to position part of the solar panel so that it gets optimal, direct sun at certain times of the day, you won't always achieve your goal — in other worse, you'll need to brace the top against a rock or, more likely, wedge the carrying handle against the back of the panel to hold it at the perfect sun-kissed angle.

All in all, that's a pretty minor complaint. The lantern is $85 (a bit pricey), weighs just 7 lbs (not totally unreasonably), and works well (it should, for that kind of money). After an afternoon of charging, we wound up getting 2 hours with the lamp on high, then another hour or so with the lamp set to medium/low — and while it was not exactly a task light, the lantern provide enough visibility to cook desert, make our way around the camp site, etc.

It's worth noting higher-end solar lanterns include AM/FM, 9-watt fluorescent bulbs, and stobe light features, to name just a few perks. Eh, spending more than $85 — let alone $75 — on a lantern seems potentially gauche. Also, before any solar charging, you'll need to give the lantern a full charge from a standard wall outlet/power source. So, if you're thinking of going off the grid completely with this thing, well, sorry.

Lisa Katayama

Rocking chair looks like a purple hot dog

This piece of furniture designed by Jamie Hayon is called The Rockin' Hot Dog.

[Hayon Studio via Dezeen]

Lisa Katayama

Metal coat rack inspired by a ribbon

I'm really digging this metal coat rack inspired by a ribbon. It was designed by Hemal Patel of London.

[Headsprung via Dezeen]

Lisa Katayama

LED spray paint can

One of the newer projects by French artist Aissa Logerot (who made the ironing board that flips into a mirror) is called Halo, and it's a graffiti can that sprays LED lights instead of spray paint. When the battery runs out, you have to shake the can to recharge it. A cool tool for light-writers.

[Artist's page via NotCot]

Rob Beschizza

Lava Lamp returns as Mathmos Fireflow

An interesting balance between retro and reinvent, these new lava lamps are out this fall in the U.K. [Mathmos via Technabob]

Rob Beschizza

Machine Light, by Frank Buchwald

Each example of Frank Buchwald's work is made to order. His Machine Lights create a serious "Do Want" situation.

Frank Buchwald via The A.

Rob Beschizza

Cassette Lamps

Oomydesign via Inhabitat

Lisa Katayama

Coffee table with a built-in firepit

Planika, a European furniture company that specializes in fancy fire pits, sells coffee tables that have built-in fire pits, so you can sit around a cozy flame without being out in the cold. You could also think of it as a fireplace alternative. This one's called Groundfloor, and there's no price listed on the product page, but I'm assuming it's probably pretty expensive.

Planika [via NotCot]

Rob Beschizza

Reading Lamp

Designed by Jun Yasumoto, Alban Le Henry, Olivier Pigasse and Vincent Vandenbrouck, this reading lamp turns itself off when you drape a book over it. Genius. [Core77]

Lisa Katayama

Ikea's colorful, altruistic solar-powered desk lamps

IKEA's solar-powered Sunnan desk lamp is cute, costs only $20, and doesn't use any electricity. A full charge will give you about four hours of light. Even better, for every Sunnan lamp sold since June, IKEA claims it is shipping one for free to kids in Pakistan via UNICEF, so those who live without electricity can study at night. That's nice!

Product page [IKEA]

Steven Leckart

HOWTO: Build With Grid Beam

When I was editing Cool Tools, J. Baldwin recommended a fantastic book on constructing furniture and other things with Grid Beam. I bought the book, but have yet to put it to use, so don't take my word for it.

From his Cool Tools review:

Grid Beam is a great way to make working prototypes of furniture, experimental vehicles and even small buildings. If your idea doesn't work, you can change it until it does... A drawing can lie to your client or worse, to you. Grid Beams never lie.

Rob Beschizza

Black and White Clock

Kibardin Design's Black and White clock has four OLED digits equipped with light sensors, ensuring an appropriate color is always used. Kibardin is looking for a manufacturer. [via Oh Gizmo]

Lisa Katayama

Giant solar-powered LED flowers in Jerusalem

In Jerusalem, an art collective called O*GE has a neat installation that consists of giant solar-powered low-wattage LED flowers. It's a joint effort with Israel's electric company to promote alternative energy. The flowers, which include lotuses and tulips, are made of steel wires and laser-cut glass. Pretty!

O*GE Gallery [via Art MoCo]

Rob Beschizza

Side table (not) made of old LP sleeves

"Structured with birch plywood, wrapped in giclee canvas and coated with poly resin," this side table looks like a few dozen albums glued together--I hope good taste is evinced--and put on IKEA legs. $450. [Bughouse via Awesomer]

Rob Beschizza

Lampnik

Steven Leckart

Review: MSR Hubba Hubba HP 2-Person Tent [ultralight]

The Hubba Hubba HP is a $450 3-season tent that weighs a scant 4 lbs when fully-packed (at just 20 x 7 inches), making it ideal for longer-term packing or anyone looking to lighten the load. When assembled, the HP provides 29 sq. ft. Not exactly the Taj Mahal of tents, but my wife and I slept comfortably inside (disclaimer: we're both under 5' 8"). Plus, it's dual-doored, meaning no one has to crawl out over anyone.

The real beauty is in the details: there is only ONE tent pole with various offshoots that make up the frame of the structure. It made for a ridiculously-easy set up: The very first time I assembled the tent, the whole process took less than 8 minutes, including stopping every once in a while to say, "Man, this is really easy."

The first time I packed it up, too, the whole experience took less than 5 minutes.

The HP version includes a body that's primarily made of fabric (as opposed to the mostly-mesh Hubba Hubba), which lightens the load by a few oz. and makes it preferable for colder conditions or where there's wind and sand. We used our tent in very mild conditions (mid-50Fs at night). No rain, no snow, and virtually no wind. So I can't really say how it will handle in more extreme environments, but considering it's twice as expensive as some of the other 2-person tents we tested, it better be able to withstand a nuclear blast.

Lisa Katayama

Review: Three headlamps for dark nights

Petzl Tikka Plus 2

The Tikka Plus was my favorite of the three headlamps I took with me on our camping trip, and that's why it's the headliner of my review. It emitted a soft, clear light, and at three ounces it really wasn't that weighty on the forehead. I took it with me into the bushes to pee, and had no problem seeing below and around me. It has a red light mode for preserving night vision, too.The Tikka Plus debuts in September for $40.

Black Diamond Ion

The Ion is just a really basic headlamp made by an awesome outdoor company. It only weighs an ounce, and uses a 1/2 watt LED pivots up and down. At $20, it really doesn't hurt to have one tucked into your pack as backup. Also, it almost looks like a piece of jewelry on my forehead, and thus wins the prize for best-looking headlamp of the bunch.

Petzl Myo RXP

Of all the different kinds of lighting we had with us on this trip, the Myo RXP was the most powerful. It uses three AA batteries, which makes it kinda heavy at just over six ounces, but the battery pack sits at the back of the head so it didn't really bother me that much. It's $100, but well worth it if you're really scared of the dark &mdash this makes you feel like you just walked into a well-lit room. Also great for night runners as it gave the most steady panoramic stream of light.

Xeni Jardin

BB Video: Omega Recoil, Mad Electro-Makers Who Craft Giant Tesla coils

(Download / YouTube) Boing Boing Video today peeks inside the electrified world of Omega Recoil, a group of engineers and "makers" who craft giant Tesla Coils, and stage humorous and thrilling performances with those large electrical devices. What's a Tesla Coil? From the Tesla Society website:

[It] is one of Nikola Tesla's most famous inventions -- essentially a high-frequency air-core transformer. It takes the output from a 120vAC to several kilovolt transformer & driver circuit and steps it up to an extremely high voltage. Voltages can get to be well above 1,000,000 volts and are discharged in the form of electrical arcs. Tesla himself got arcs up to 100,000,000 volts (...) [They] are unique in the fact that they create extremely powerful electrical fields. Large coils have been known to wirelessly light up florescent lights up to 50 feet away, and because of the fact that it is an electric field that goes directly into the light and doesn't use the electrodes, even burned-out florescent lights will glow.

For viewers in San Francisco -- Omega Recoil members will be giving a talk at the 7th anniversary Dorkbot event, which features other cool "maker mutants" we've featured on Boing Boing Video before, like Jon Sarriugarte and the Boiler Bar folks. Organizer Karen Marcelo says,

...and to think this all started because i was bored seven years ago and decided to call Douglas and start the SF one in Marc Powell's garage! Pesco was a speaker at the first one! We had Brian Normanly talk about how to 'liberate' electricity from PG&E. I dont think anyone has the guts to do that now! :) Here's that first event from 2002.

Sponsor shout-out

Steven Leckart

Touch-Sensitive Hoodie Lights Up, Plays Tunes

Leah Buechley Kanjun Qiu* designed this hoodie at the MIT Media Lab using a LilyPad Arduino, power supply, LEDs, tiny speaker and iron conductive fabric.*

I've looked at a ton of light up garments, El Wire, etc. This is one of the most tastefully- and artfully-done articles of clothing I've seen as of late. Instead of hiding the electronics, the graphic on the back integrates, even highlights the main board.

Really well done, imho.

The how-to up on Instructables is thorough and straightforward. Considering a handmade touch-sensitive hoodie can fetch $6 300 (not kidding!), you really should try going for it on your own.

*Update: Kanjun Qiu (who appears in the demo video) actually designed and built the hoodie while she was an undergrad researcher in Leah Buechley's lab.

*Here's a good assessment of various types of conductive thread.

Joel Johnson

Levitron Revolution levitates your keepsakes, Dr. Strange figurines

Aaron M. writes:

I had a chance to see this new invention at the New York Toy Fair and it is finally public on their website.

There is a small disk which levitates a few inches above the surface of an illuminated base. The disk rotates on its own. You can place up to 4 ounces of whatever you like on the disk and it will endlessly hover and rotate while the lights from the base illuminate it.

If you have any kind of collection (action figures, minerals, shells, glass figures, etc), this is really killer.

Hopefully they'll post some movies soon. It should be available from retailers by Christmas (that is what they promised).