Hasta La Gadget!

There are lots of reflective or illuminating gadgets and accessories for bicycles and cyclists. But this is the first device I’ve seen that not only provides a light, it also creates an impromptu bike lane through the use of lasers.

The Bike Lane Safety Light has two red 0.5mW lasers that beams two lines on either side of the bike. Xfire claims that the lines are visible even under headlights and streetlights. The Bike Lane Safety Light also has Five LEDs to provide further warning. The lasers and LEDs draw power from two AAA batteries.

You can order the Bike Safety Light from Xfire for $40 (USD). I think the laser lanes are way better than rear lights. They’re less annoying or glaring to look at compared to a bright or pulsing rear light, and they give other people a better idea of your position and size. Plus lasers.

[via Inhabitat]

When I was growing up, one of my favorite memories was that of tiny fireflies buzzing about my backyard in the Summer evenings. But for many years of my adult life, I ended up living places where there were none of the luminescent insects. Only recently have I started seeing them again, but certainly not in the quantity I used to see them in my childhood. While I’m not likely to hang this lightning bug lighting fixture in my own bedroom, it looks like it would be a wonderful addition to any kid’s room.

This ceiling-mounted light is made up of green plastic leaves, with little LED illuminated fireflies hanging out on them. The illuminated bugs twinkle and shimmer as your kids look up to the ceiling and drift off to sleep. All told, it’s got 7 light-up bugs, and can be turned on and off with the included remote control.

As an added bonus, the whole thing runs on battery power, so you don’t need to worry about having electrical wiring done, and you could hang multiples all over your ceiling if you want. The Firefly lighting fixture sells for $34.99 (USD) over at ThinkGeek, and it’s the next best thing to seeing actual fireflies in your backyard.

Have you ever wanted to control the lights with your smartphone? Now you can, thanks to LIFX Smartbulbs. There have been already some LED lightbulbs that could be controlled by a remote. Now, you can use an app to control the mood of your room – or your entire house – from the comfort of your phone.

LIFX Smartbulbs are naturally energy efficient. One LIFX smartbulb will last 40,000 hours or 25 years, and reduce power consumption by up to 20% from conventional bulbs. Bulbs can be turned off and on, and change the color of the glow to suit your mood. And unlike some remote bulbs, you can control multiple bulbs and multiple locations from a single smartphone iOS or Android app. The app can also match the mood of your tunes, wirelessly. It will beatmatch the music that you are listening to.

The bulbs are also able to detect when you arrive home and turn on the lights for you, and can even be programmed to wake you up naturally, gradually glowing brighter and brighter.

LIFX was launched as a Kickstarter project, and at the time of writing, it had amassed over $1,100,000 of a humble goal of $100,000 – with 55 days of funding left. Needless to say that this project will be made. You’ll have to pledge $69(USD) to get one bulb, or $119 for a pair, or $196 for four bulbs. Further discounts are available for larger quantities. Expected delivery for the LIFX smartbulb is March 2013.

A flashlight with 500 lumens is great for flagging down a search-and-rescue squad when you’re lost in the woods. But when you’re looking for a lost shoe as you sneak out of a hookup’s house at 1:45 am, it’s overkill. Luckily, the Sunwayman V11R handles both situations with ease—assuming you’ve already found your pants. More »

You can say that a company like 3M is probably as flexible as these two LED lighting solutions from them – the AIR and the FLEX. First introduced to the world recently by 3M Architectural Markets (which incidentally is the company’s interior products division), AIR and FLEX embodies their ongoing commitment to develop LED and OLED lighting solutions. After all, the LED and OLED market do seem to experience encouraging growth year-on-year, paving the way for an exciting yet challenging market for interior and lighting designers. For starters, AIR comes across as a lightweight hoop fixture that is available in 3′, 5′ and 7′ diameters, in addition to having a vast array of color outputs to choose from. The LED lights are also dimmable and replaceable, so fret not if some of your brat pack decides to play football at home and break one of the LED lights.

As for FLEX, this is a linear modular lighting system which can be curved along walls or ceilings – it is your choice. The system is fully customizable, and it is made out of a lightweight aluminum enclosure that boasts of a slender profile of just 1.72” thin. Entertainment establishments like nightclubs would definitely find practical use for the AIR and FLEX LED lights.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Philips blazes Nairobi streets with solar LED lights, 3M unveils fingerprint fading screen protectors for your tablets,