Gallery: Light-Emitting Gadgets: Where Technology and Luminescence Collide
01st-dangerous-lasers-torch
Gadgets can be captivating sources of light. Today’s toddlers discover this when their parents pacify them with smartphones, but for me the epiphany came when choosing my first stereo as a 13-year-old: I found myself more interested in getting a system with jazzy LED level indicators than a piece of equipment that actually delivered killer sound. Those LEDs provided almost no functionality, but they turned an inanimate object into something quite alive -- a black box bristling with electricity, and dancing with life. And so that special relationship between gadgetry and illumination continues today. Computers, cellphones, even laser pointers -- they all light up in fascinating ways, providing real-time reminders that personal electronics are very much in the business of pushing atomic particles to and fro. In the following gallery, we present 11 curiosity-piquing examples of the clever intersection between gadgetry and illumination. One object refers back to the dawn of electronics with a tungsten filament. Another features fiber-optic cabling, a wholly modern approach to illumination. But we begin our story with perhaps the most dangerous object in our office at this time -- a flashlight so hot it can cook breakfast. *--Jon Phillips* Wicked Lasers Torch ------------------- It's great to have a flashlight on your desk in case the power goes out. But if the power goes out and society collapses, you'll want the [Wicked Lasers Torch](http://www.wickedlasers.com/lasers/The_Torch-74-41.html). Most flashlights output less than 100 lumens. This $180 personal high beam spits out an estimated 4,100 lumens. It's intense enough to ensure that anyone you shine it at will freeze like an intern in the headlights. But it's also a multifunctional survival tool -- the 100-watt halogen bulb gets hot enough to start a fire or cook an egg. As an added bonus, the aluminum frame quickly becomes an excellent hand warmer. If only it could shed some light on why the copier keeps jamming. *--Aaron Rowe* *Photo: Vincent Fournier* <script src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js" type="text/javascript"></script><object class="BrightcoveExperience" id="myExperience1649072223001"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"></param> <param name="width" value="660"></param> <param name="height" value="423"></param> <param name="playerID" value="3698508001"></param> <param name="publisherID" value="1564549380"></param> <param name="isVid" value="true"></param> <param name="dynamicStreaming" value="true"></param> <param name="@videoPlayer" value="1649072223001"></param></object><script type="text/javascript"> runMobileCompatibilityScript('myExperience1649072223001', 'anId'); </script><script type="text/javascript">brightcove.createExperiences();</script>
Photo by Ariel Zambelich02120517-illuminating-gadgets-331edit
Edison’s Tarantula ------------------ Nothing beats a clear-glass Edison bulb for adding a bit of steampunk atmosphere to any library, drawing room or antechamber. But if you want a handmade Edison bulb -- and not one of the many [mass-produced articles](http://houseofantiquehardware.com/s.nl/sc.9/category.33/.f) -- you’ll have to enlist the services of Dylan Roelofs, a glass blower, lamp maker, and bulb artist of extraordinary flair. The model shown here costs $995, and is called Edison’s Tarantula. “It was inspired by Edison's first desk lamp,” says Roelofs, “but since it's hard to make large feet, like that of a goblet, I went with legs, and ended up with a biomorph.” If you go to [Roelofs’ website](http://www.dylankehderoelofs.com/), you’ll find an inspired catalog of hand-made Edison bulbs, elaborate desk lamps with Edison light integration, and even “alchemical apparati” -- glassware he’s created for the never-say-never alchemist community. The base of the tarantula model was created with commercial Pyrex tubing, which Roelofs manipulates in fire. ”It's sort of like welding frozen honey, or cold bubblegum,” says Roelofs. “There are many variables to the sequences of heating and cooling, pulling and blowing. The glass is sharp enough for eye surgery -- you only notice the cuts you get when your work becomes sticky with blood.” But our real focus here isn’t the lamp’s base, but its Edison bulb head. The filament is made of “non-sag tungsten,” and is just a small snippet of a 50-mile spool that Roelofs bought from a lighting company’s liquidation sale seven years ago. “I simply measure out the length I've calculated will give the temperature I want at the voltage i'm using, and crimp it to my custom glass-to-metal seals with some pliers,” he says. For his bulbs, Roelofs doesn’t use Pyrex, but rather a mixture of three different glass materials to “match the expansion of the tungsten wire.” He says the bulbs are heated to about 400 degrees Celsius while attached to a high-vacuum manifold and pump. The apparatus “offgasses” the bulb’s interior, removing all water vapor as well as oils deposited on the materials from Roelofs’ fingers. Once this step is complete, he seals the bulb with a special “tip-off” torch. The result is a thing of beauty -- and a piece of art that’s worth the dangers intrinisc to its creation. “The torch flame is thousands of degrees hotter than your stovetop, so even a glancing brush of it will peel your flesh. I am speaking a sign language in which errors of syntax are punishable by death,” Roelofs says. <em--jon phillips=""></em--jon> *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired* [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/about/#faq13)
Photo by Ariel Zambelich03120515-illuminating-gadgets-061edit
FlashFlight ------------ The $20 [FlashFlight](http://flashflight.com/) is equipped with two light sources -- an LED unit in the center of the disc, and a spoke-like arrangement of nine illuminative fiber-optic threads embedded in the disc’s body. Spin the disc, and the threads appear to light up the circumference of the FlashFlight’s rim. The version shown here is called Disc-o. It costs an extra $5, but cycles through various colors. It’s a cool concept, and would seem to be the solution for effective night-time Frisbee -- er, “flying disc” -- action. But there’s a problem: The lights do nothing to illuminate your surroundings. Fences, sprinkler heads, and other people are not equipped with LEDs and illuminative fiber-optic threading. Also please note that human depth perception is less accurate in the dark. But toss around the FlashFlight at night — in a safe area — and you’ll be enchanted as it rises, floats, and falls back to Earth like a sci-fi flying saucer. *--Nathan Hurst* *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired* [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/about/#faq13)
Photo by Ariel Zambelich04120517-illuminating-gadgets-135edit
NeckFX Guitar -------------- Here’s a quiz: What’s the difference between you and a rock star? Answer: Rock stars always have totally awesome light shows. But because you can’t afford a lighting technician — let alone a team of them — there’s the [NeckFX](http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/andrewdeagon/neckfx-do-it-with-the-lights-on), an LED-embedded guitar neck that’s currently looking for backers on Kickstarter. After conceiving the idea in a dream, Andrew Deagon hooked up with co-creators Steven Frehn and Ian Schaser to make a prototype. They ran power from a 9-volt battery down the neck, and installed LEDs between the frets. When you hold down a string, it completes the circuit and the LEDs glow in spectacular fashion -- red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and white. Deagon and crew say the necks are made of maple, and are compatible with any standard, bolt-on guitar (the model we played was attached to a Telecaster body). The inventors also promise the LED lights will keep pace with your fretwork, no matter how fast you shred. With seven more days to raise funding as of Tuesday, the team has already raised $5,400 of its $15,000 goal, and jammed with Ashtar Command’s Chris Holmes and Maroon 5’s James Valentine. Yeah, the NeckFX loses a bit of its magic in well-lit environments, but who rocks out with the lights on, anyway? *--Nathan Hurst* *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired* [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/about/#faq13)
Photo by Ariel Zambelich05120515-illuminating-gadgets-117
Bebob Engineering LUX-LED4AA for DSLRs -------------------------------------- The $350 [Bebob Lux-LED4aa](http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/731912-REG/Bebob_Engineering_BE_LUXLED_4AA_LUX_LED4AA_for_DSLR_Cameras.html) is an ultra-lightweight (200 gram), double-AA-battery-powered workhorse that will make all your video reportage look its best even as the sun goes down. It's no more expensive than a few memory cards, fits on the hot shoe mount of your favorite DSLR, and will blast a clean, even light about three feet in front of you for almost two hours. This should leave you plenty of time for you and your crew to get down to Al Capone's vault, or convince VICE that you've the got the balls -- and the battery life -- to follow them into that Congolese militia camp in the middle of the night. *--Jon Snyder* *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired* [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/about/#faq13)
Photo by Ariel Zambelich06120517-illuminating-gadgets-438edit
Philips AmbientLED Light Bulb ----------------------------- We humans have been slow to recognize LEDs as fit replacements for traditional, filament-based incandescent bulbs. We’re mostly concerned with aesthetics -- incandescents skew toward the softer, warmer end of the color spectrum, while LEDs are usually cold and biting. When it's time to chill out with side one of *Axis: Bold As Love*, you don't want a bright white LED desk lamp harshing your mellow. The major manufacturers went to work on the problem, and now we're awash in LEDs designed to match the warm vibe of incandescent bulbs, while leveraging the durability and efficiency of diodes. The best of the bunch is [Philips' AmbientLED](http://www.usa.philips.com/c/energy-saving-light-bulbs/ambientled-12.5w-a19-soft-white-dimmable-046677409906/prd/en/). Its 12.5-watt design throws out the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent, yet its chassis is virtually unbreakable and the bulbs lasts for more than 20 years of use. Also, it's the size of a standard bulb and works fine in a dimmer, so it's suitable for just about every lamp or fixture in your house. The AmbientLED is pricey ($25), but the savings in electricity costs over two decades make up for it. The orange-colored plastic shell is off-putting, but it actually throws a soft white light that's very close to that of a regular bulb. Some people find the light too soft for their tastes, and others nitpick about the tenth-of-a-second pause when you switch it on. But we'll take it. A beautiful, soft-light LED that lasts more than 20 years and uses one-fifth the power of a traditional glass bulb -- what's not to love? *--Michael Calore* *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired* [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/about/#faq13)
Photo by Ariel Zambelich07120515-illuminating-gadgets-031edit
Philips Wake-Up Light Plus --------------------------- People who live in temperate zones -- like most of us at Wired -- get to enjoy the sun’s natural alarm clock for just a scant week-long period every year: Sunlight shines through our windows, and wakes us up at the perfect moment, just a few seconds before our alarm clocks are set to go off. But the convenience lasts all too shortly. For half of the year, the sun rises too early, boring light into our retinas before we really need to wake. And for the other half of the year, the crack of dawn comes too late, and we have to drag ourselves out of bed in the dark. Philips has solved this celestial conundrum with the $170 [Wake-Up Light Plus](http://www.usa.philips.com/c/light-therapy/usb-playback-and-dusk-simulation-hf3485_60/prd/). Just draw your shades and let the bulb inside this clock-radio monolith gently glow you into wakefulness. And if for some reason you’re still not ready to rise and shine, slap the device to activate some snooze. If the visual cues aren’t enough to rouse you, don’t fret because the Wake-up Light Plus uses a normal clock radio as a fall back. And if waking up to morning show DJs isn’t an appealing prospect, you can start the day with your own digital audio track care of the Wake-Up Light Plus’ integrated USB dock. If the “natural light” alarm doesn’t make you healthier, avoiding cretins on the radio might. *--Nathan Hurst* *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired* [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/about/#faq13)
Photo by Ariel Zambelich08120515-illuminating-gadgets-092edit
LED Lenser H7 Headlamp ----------------------- Headlamps aren’t just for speleologists. They’ve long been popular among campers, climbers, and other dirtbags, and now you’ll see them frequently on people enjoying an early-morning or late-night jog. They’re also handy for fixing stuff in small, dark places. With LED technology, they’ve gotten smaller and brighter. We like [LED Lenser’s H7](http://www.ledlenser.com/product/h7) because it’s adjustable — the lens slides in and out, from floodlight to spotlight — yet elegant and simple. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s very bright at a maximum of 155 lumens. When I took it camping, I decided this $60 dynamo would be my first line of defense against marauding bears in the dark. Fortunately, I didn’t find out whether it works. And how’s this for convenient: You can dial down the H7 to an almost-zero brightness of 2.7 lumens if you don’t want to blind your companions -- or startle passing aircraft. *--Nathan Hurst* *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired* [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/about/#faq13)
Photo by Ariel Zambelich09120517-illuminating-gadgets-424edit
Electrolites ------------- They were called LA Lights, and if you grew up in the '90s and didn’t have them, chances are good you desperately coveted them. Every time you took a step -- and kids take a lot of steps -- the lights in the heels of your shoes flashed. And your parents went a little crazy. Fortunately for Mom and Dad, the batteries never lasted long. Almost 20 years later, Doug Berman and Matthew Paul had a late-night brainstorm: Why not bring back light-up shoes, but for adults? Thus, [Electrolites](http://shop.electrolitesfootwear.com/) was born. Now the $99 shoes use LEDs, housed along with a battery, in the tongue of each shoe. The founders collaborated with young local artists to update them for a more modern take on a retro concept -- perfect for making the scene in the most illuminative fashion. *--Nathan Hurst* *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired* [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/about/#faq13)
Photo by Ariel Zambelich10120517-illuminating-gadgets-345edit
Black Diamond Camp Lanterns --------------------------- When it comes to lighting up a campsite, beach party or blanket fort, there’s not a lot more basic than a simple camp lantern. But these three lanterns from Black Diamond — the [Titan](http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/mountain/lighting/titan-lantern), [Apollo](http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/mountain/lighting/apollo-lantern), and [Orbit](http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/mountain/lighting/orbit-lantern) — look like they were created by a modern industrial design studio. Their simplicity is essential, as just a single button and a slide-away dome makes each decidedly compact. While the Titan relies on four D batteries, and isn’t something you’d want to haul around in your backpack, the sprightly Orbit and its four AAAs weighs just 4.5 ounces. And each lantern’s single button also serves as a dimmer switch -- for when that camping getaway turns romantic. *--Nathan Hurst* *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired* [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/about/#faq13)
Photo by Ariel Zambelich11120517-illuminating-gadgets-473edit
Wicked Lasers LaserSaber ------------------------- Sure, Wicked Lasers makes perhaps of the world’s most dangerous flashlight, but the company is most famous for its Spyder III line of handheld blue and green lasers. These gadgets are also worthy of world’s-most-dangerous status, as they pack a blinding amount of laser light -- up to one full watt -- in a portable, concealable, handheld package that any malcontent can wave at an airplane, or shine in the eyes of passers-by. Well, now even Spyder III lasers can be de-weaponized -- if only to a limited degree and in a strangely counterintuitive way. The $100 [LaserSaber](http://www.wickedlasers.com/lasers/lasersaber.html) is a 32-inch polycarbonate wand that attaches directly to the shaft of any Spyder III handheld (which already look suspiciously like a *Star Wars* lightsaber). The ersatz saber weapon diminishes a lot of the dangerous laser light, reducing some of the Spyder III’s potential for harm. Nonetheless, Wicked recommends that users wear special safety glasses when operating the LaserSaber. (The glasses are all but essential when the Spyder’s beams are fully exposed.) While it’s less likely that you’d blind a sparring partner with a LaserSaber than with a raw, unsheathed Spyder III, Wicked cautions against any actual swordplay with these plastic wands. Oh, and how’s this for cool: Thanks to what Wicked calls an “ultra smooth magnetic gravity system,” the LaserSaber will slowly light up and light down, just as if Obi-Wan himself were unsheathing and sheathing his weapon. The gravity effect doesn’t work flawlessly, but it’s the closest Gadget Lab has seen to *Star Wars*-accurate lightsaber action. *--Jon Phillips* *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired* [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/about/#faq13)
