lamp

So let's get this straight: Night-vision devices are supposed to help you see things in the dark, like those night dart launchers, right? Not the other way around? That's what we thought, anyway, so we have no idea why anyone would want a "Night Vision WebCam."

This 1.3-megapixel camera has six infra-red LED bulbs "to light any video conversation no matter how dark the conditions may be," Coolest-Gadgets says. Silly us--we would have just turned on a lamp.

Maybe this would be useful in a dorm if you're trying not to wake … Read more

We're not quite sure why, but LEDs seem to have found particular usefulness when affixed to the skull. Various headgear products featuring the ultra-bright lights have been introduced to the market, ranging from forms worthy of a coal miner to an alien laboratory prober.

The problem is just that, however: They look like Halloween accoutrements. But the "LED Ear Light" actually manages to look kind of geeky chic, in a Borg-like way, by hanging the gadget from your ear sort of like a bulky Bluetooth headset. It weighs only an ounce, according to SCI FI Tech, and … Read more

Are you willing to pay $28 for a light bulb?

No? Well, how about this light bulb?

The mind-boggling Lamp/Lamp isn't actually a lamp. It's a cleverly designed 30-watt bulb with two sets of screw threads.

Screw one end into an outlet, and it creates the optical illusion you see in the photo to the left. Turn it on, and watch as houseguests do triple-takes.

Designer Hironao Tsuboi is the brains behind the Lamp/Lamp. If you like it, you'll probably appreciate the other home products Tsuboi designed for 100per.com.

Tsuboi's other designs include … Read more

Lighted keyboards have become increasingly common, ranging from those that can fold away to ones that can withstand military conditions. But those might not be options if you have some kind of Tourette-like reaction to lights under your fingertips.

Enter this alternative from Korean inventor Spike Kwon (gotta love the name), which illuminates the keys with an LED bar situated just above the top row. Though still in the developmental stages, it seems to be farther along than most concept products because it's gotten approval from the World Intellectual Property Organization, according to Gizmowatch. The best part is … Read more

The weather must be changing, because we're seeing more items that actually involve the outdoors (and not snowplowing). Just yesterday, for example, we noted an anti-insect LED lightbulb to be used outside, but Gizoo's "Wind-up Magic LED Lantern" does it one better: It doesn't need any batteries or power outlets to work.

How is this possible? It's called a hand crank, Sparky. Just one minute of winding will get 30 minutes of light from the lantern's five LEDs, according to SCI FI Tech, and it can stay lit for up to four hours … Read more

We're not terribly fond of gadgets that change colors just for the sake of doing so--some Cravers are downright indignant, in fact--but this one may be an exception. If nothing else, Aigo's "Omnisphere" deserves at least some credit for its sheer number of colors: 4,096 of them in "high-illumination LED," according to Gadget Candy.

Like so much raver chic gear we've seen, this one has a brightness control that can be set to the beat and volume of the music. Not only that, but it will play the songs from an iPod … Read more

The espionage community has apparently taken up some hobbies since the end of the Cold War--including interior design.

The "GSM Table Lamp" may look like an innocent accent piece from Crate and Barrel, but it doubles as an eavesdropping device that can pick up audio up to 20 meters away. But what really stands out is its global monitoring ability.

As long as it's in a region with GSM coverage, Red Ferret notes that you can call the lamp from anywhere in the world. And no one will be the wiser, as it's activated automatically and … Read more

Good news, fellow germaphobes. We've seen all manner of gadgets that sterilize surfaces but none that address what we ingest. Until now.

The "SteriPEN UV Light Water Purifier" treats H2O with a germicidal lamp, supposedly rendering it bacteria-free with no chemical aftertaste and "99.99 percent safe to drink," according to Mobile Magazine. With our luck, we'll probably be among the remaining 0.01 percent.

This designer LED lamp isn't quite egg-shaped enough to qualify for the evil ovum empire, but it's close enough. Just look at this thing--it's like a spherical spaceship opening up to reveal its alien passengers or a battery of death rays (most likely both).

The "Barry" fixture from Sweden's Flux has a mirrored upper interior that reflects about 70 white LEDs from the bottom half, according to OhGizmo. But the real offense here isn't alien domination of Earth; it's the price--$1,100.

If that's not enough to start a War of the Worlds, … Read more