gorillatorch

The Joby Gorillatorch Blade is the latest in a line of hands-free flashlights that includes the Gorillatorch Original and the Gorillatorch Flare. While all three 'torches feature Joby's trademark flexible, bendable legs--a feature that originally debuted on the Gorillapod line of tripods--the Blade differentiates itself with an all-new chassis for the lamp and a few new features. It's also the most expensive, which may be a turn-off for casual users.

Starting with the Gorillatorch Blade's flashlight, the unit features an anodized black aluminum tube chassis that's about 6.25 inches long and 1.33 inches thick. The unit is IPX-5 water-resistant, which means you could probably douse it with a hose or rinse it in a sink, but you probably don't want to go submerging it. The unit's design also lends a bit of inherent shock-resistance. Dropping this guy onto concrete may mar the finish, but the functionality probably won't be affected.

Located at the business end of the lamp is the CREE XLamp XP-C LED. When Joby calls this guy ultra-bright, it's not just blowing smoke. Standard output from this LED is 65 lumens, which matches the output of the Gorillatorch Original and proved to be more than bright enough for most of the uses we could think of. However, for users who need even more brightness, the Blade also features a boost mode that doubles the output to 130 lumens for a moment or for up to a three-minute burst. By twisting the head of the flashlight, users are also able to adjust the cone of light emitted by the Blade, widening it to a 160-degree flood or narrowing it to a 30-degree spotlight.… Read more

When I was a kid, holding the light while my father turned wrenches in some dark corner of the family car's engine bay was a sacred duty to be performed seriously and to the best of my ability. I don't have kids of my own, so when I find myself in need of illumination, I often find myself precariously balancing a hot work light into some odd angle or awkwardly holding a pen light between my teeth. For those who have found themselves in similar situations, Joby, creator of the Gorillapod camera mounting system, has just announced the … Read more

For this week's installment of the weekly Crave giveaway, we're offering up our first assortment of gifts courtesy of Joby, which makes the popular line of flexible tripod accessories for digital cameras and other devices. As part of the package, we're even throwing in a product that hasn't hit stores yet, the Gorillatorch, a battery-powered light that has magnetic feet so it sticks to any metal surface (or just wraps around lots of stuff).

Normally, this package would cost around $100, but you have the chance to get the whole thing gratis.

So, how do you … Read more

I tried out the HUGlightrecently and thought it was really cool and practical. Now, I've run across something that brings both coolness and practicality to a new high: the Gorillatorch flashlight.

Introduced by Joby on Tuesday, the Gorillatorch appears to be the first flashlight that comes with a set of flexible tripods. The three legs, made of medical‐grade ABS plastic and German TPE rubber, are flexible enough to be easily bended into any shape. This flexibility, plus the fact that they have strong magnets, means Gorillatorch can grip to virtually anything, leaving your hands free for other … Read more