LED

While OLED may have staked a claim as the next generation display technology to beat, Sony has chosen CES 2012 to unveil a new display technology called “Crystal LED.” Instead of an LED or CCFL backlight shining through an LCD layer to produce an image, the Crystal LED display technology is a true LED TV that uses a layer of tiny self-emitting LEDs to directly produce the image – think of it like a high resolution shrunk down JumboTron like those found at sporting stadiums.  Read More

The privilege of working under the open sky is reserved for just a few lucky professions. For the less fortunate majority, spending their working hours surrounded by gloomy office landscapes, the soothing sight of clouds drifting through the sky is unattainable. Setting up office cubicles in the open would do the trick but it's hardly a practical option, especially in places where the weather cannot be trusted. Fortunately, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO), based in Stuttgart, Germany, know what else can be done to bring a little outdoor comfort to the office-bound. They built a dynamic luminous ceiling which allows office dwellers to gaze at clouds without ever leaving their desks.  Read More

Although we have entered 2012 approximately 1.5 billion people around the globe remain without access to a stable or safe source of light. Commonly in some of the world's poorest regions, kerosene lanterns are the standard form of night time lighting, which leads to the possibility of fires, explosions, asphyxiation and toxic fumes. Cheap, accessible solar lighting presents an obvious solution to this problem and the latest tilt at making this a reality is WakaWaka - a solar LED lamp concept that can fit snuggly onto a soda bottle.  Read More

When is a clock not a clock? When it's a big fat reprogrammable five-character 18-segment display, a bit like the Alpha Clock Five from Evil Mad Science. Its 2.3 inch 18-segment alphanumeric characters are each illuminated by 54 LEDs, providing a bold, bright answer to that most burning of questions: what's the time?  Read More

LEDs last far longer than incandescent bulbs, are much more energy-efficient, and contain less toxic substances. Compact fluorescents give them a run for their money in some areas, although LEDs tend to have a warmer, “nicer” light. In the past few years, a number of companies have started marketing LED light fixtures that screw into traditional incandescent receptacles – these have included products from Geobulb, Switch, GE and Sharp. A new arrival, however is the Bulled line of “bulbs” (for lack of a better word), from German manufacturer LEDO. If nothing else, they definitely have a look of their own.  Read More

The arrival of high-intensity LEDs has certainly made a huge difference to the brightness of bicycle headlights. Some people, however, are now looking at using the bulbs not just as a means of lighting the cyclist’s way, but of making their bicycles more visible to motorists. A couple of examples include the Aura and Revolights systems, both of which incorporate LEDs into a bike’s wheel rims. Another system, that looks like it might be considerably less involved yet still effective, is called LED by LITE.  Read More

Dutch company LEDSSPORTS looks set to solve one the major problems associated with the plethora of sports played on multi-purpose courts – LED court markings that can be turned on and off depending on the sport being played. Instead of the myriad lines on multisport surfaces which often confuse players, LEDSSPORT's Pulastic ® LED Court illuminates just one set of markings at a time, while the others stay “invisible”. The company also makes a range of other LED sports-related innovations, including a set of lights which function as a basketball shot clock.  Read More

While there are many options to cool a gaming desktop PC, mobile gamers might find it a little more difficult to implement additional fans to chill their gaming laptop monsters. Thermaltake has unveiled plans to expand its laptop cooling stand lineup by releasing the Massive 23 GT Cooler - a lightweight metal stand that packs an LED-illuminated 200mm fan and, unlike previous offerings, five different angles adjustment.  Read More

The future of ambient lighting might lay in glowing walls, according to Philips. The company has announced its plans to develop wallpapers containing integrated LEDs. The luminous sound-absorbing textiles would glow in variety of colors accordingly to the user's requirements. To develop the luminous wallpaper panels, Philips is collaborating with customizable acoustic panels manufacturer Kvadrat Soft Cells, based in Denmark.  Read More