Hasta La Gadget!

For those who are always in need of a little light while camping, we have just the device for you. MpowerD has introduced a solar-powered lantern they’re calling Luci. Luci is “the little solar lantern with a big impact” and we’re actually really liking this neat idea. Essentially this is a fully waterproof and lightweight lantern that only needs the sun for a charge, and will last up to 12 hours.

Luci is unique and what the company calls “solar justice” and the reason behind that is many solar devices don’t seem to work as advertized, or always take forever to charge. MpowerD’s little lantern is only about 5-6 inches tall, and almost something you’d find floating in the pool during the summer months. For those granola types who are always out camping, you’ll want to check this out.

Luci puts out 1200 lumens of bright light using LEDs, and will last anywhere from 8-12 hours depending on charge. Using a few extremely durable and lightweight solar panels you’ll have a full 8-12 hours of light in just 4 hours charge time. Take it camping and charge her up at night, then use Luci to keep camp bright all night long. With a clear plastic round design the light emits in all directions, and Luci states she’ll brighten a 15 square foot area for hours.

“Just charge in the sun, open, and light up your world.”

MpowerD’s new little lantern that is powered by the sun has a few awesome things going for it. It’s extremely lightweight, durable, and completely collapsible to be under an inch tall and smaller than your hand. Then open it up and light up your world — as they say. For the low price of $15.99 Luci can be lighting up your campsite all summer long. It features low, high, and SOS emergency settings with the touch of a button. I’ll be taking this little lantern on a few mountain bike trips this summer. That is for sure.

MpowerD Solar-powered waterproof Lantern hands-on is written by Cory Gunther & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Earlier today, Belkin announced a nifty new product to add to its WeMo lineup of home automation products. It’s called the WeMo Light Switch, and it’s internet-connected light switch that remotely controls wired household lighting from anywhere. It works with your smartphone or tablet, including iOS with Android support coming at launch.

It’s a fairly simple device with a very minimalist look to it — great for those who yearn for simplicity. You can control any light in your house, and it works anywhere, meaning you don’t have to be connected to your home’s WiFi network in order to use it — you can be away from your house on a data connection if you want.

You can also put different rooms on a schedule for different times if need be, which is great for those who are paranoid about potential thieves when they’re away for the weekend. The WeMo Light Switch also works with outlets as well, making it easy to control different kinds of lamps or other electronic for that matter. Belkin told us the switch can control an unlimited number of lights, and there’s also an unlimited number of mobile devices that can control a single switch.

The WeMo Light Switch will be available starting in the summer of 2013 at a price of $49, which isn’t terribly expensive by any means — it’s certainly a bit cheaper than the company’s other WeMo options. We’re also told the design may see a slight tweak from now until its release in a few months.

Belkin WeMo Light Switch hands-on is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

You want your house to be lit up brighter than Clark Griswold’s in Christmas Vacation. But you’ve got problems to solve, beyond just the aesthetic challenge. How can you make sure you don’t take a three-story dive off a slippery eave. And how much power are a few thousand feet of lights gonna require? More »

The lack of reliable electricity in developing countries puts a damper on more than just technology use — having to run kerosene lamps, or even those based on solar power, often involves recurring costs that whittle away at very modest incomes. GravityLight has built an LED lamp that just might lift the burden. As the name implies, a weight (usually the very bag that the lamp ships in) generates electricity through natural force: the few seconds it takes to lift the weight can generate 30 minutes of light without ever replacing a battery or fuel supply. The simple construction also has helpful side benefits, such as powering up other devices and a clip that can replace the bag with most anything that weighs around 20 pounds. The crowdfunded project’s donation tiers ask $25 to donate a light to the developing world or $50 to also get one for yourself, but it’s a small price to pay in the long run — and when mass production should see prices fall below $5, the GravityLight might just change the lighting landscape for those who need it most.

Continue reading GravityLight uses weight to illuminate without batteries or fuel (video)

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Source: IndieGogo

Physicists at Wake Forest University have developed a revolutionary lighting alternative that promises to be at least twice as efficient as fluorescent bulbs without the notorious buzzing and flicker plaguing offices across the country. The new bulbs are also free of toxic mercury vapor, shatterproof, and promise to solve world hunger. (Ok that last one might be stretching things.) More »