The problem with a lot of LED replacement lamps is that they’re space-aged looking, and need special bases and such.  A company called Frog Design has solved this problem, and quite frankly, they’re sitting on a goldmine in this humble LD’s opinion.

I give you the Frog Light.  An LED lamp that looks like an incandescent, uses the same medium screw-type base as all of the other incandescents in your house, and will use a fraction of the power.  Check it out.

thanks Yanko Design!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN from JimOnLight!

When I was trying to find some funny image to post for this goulish day, I discovered something eerily related to light, and what a perfect venue in which to post it!  Sorry, I wish that I had discovered these sooner!!!

Halloween Compact Fluorescent Lamps!

In the same vein as the Josephine PMMA lamp, Keune and Mulder have another beautiful piece in their respective repertories - the Therese chandelier.  Keune and Mulder do great things with PMMA - there’s another product being reviewed as well in a few days made of their PMMA-cut configuration - a table lamp, the Marie-Louise.  Both Dave Keune and Sander Mulder have this product on their sites.

What I understand about these PMMA fixtures is that there is also a color filter insert for the inner dimmable fluorescent source, which could be quite fun.  A suggestion I might make for them is to produce a set of color correcting filters for random occasions, or for people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder.  No matter the occasion, these are beautiful pieces.

Royal Phillips (you know, Phillips - the company that makes lamps) has a bunch of new technologies geared towards green living, “simplicity,” and sustainability.  Inspired by a post at Inhabitat about Phillips’ Interactive LED Light Bulb, I started researching their new line of “Simplicity” branded stuff.  I must say, holy crap.  The basis for their new technology is making the alteration of lighting levels in your house as easy as the flick of a hand or simple gestures.

First, check out the isocahedron shaped Simplicity LED lamps:

This is hand-controlled.  It senses movement.

I also found this video of the SImplicity Demo Event in NYC:

The whole mantry around the Simplicity technology and products is that they’re engineered and designed around you, easy to operate, and advanced.  I’m impressed.

How freaking cool is THAT?!  A little cell-powered light source, small enough to fit in your wallet.  When you flip up the “bulb” in the middle, a nice amber glow emanates from the “fixture.”  This was designed by Hyun Jin Yoon and Eun Hak Lee.

Cool.  Thanks, Yanko Design!

Yanko Design’s blog posted an article a week or so ago about Ira Rozhavsky’s design for “Shattered Lights,” a lamp made from white LED’s, broken tempered glass, and a silicone lining cont5aining the whole thing.  Apparently you’re able to bend, twist, and shape the lamp into whatever configuration you’d like.

Check it out:

DOE is hosting a webcast for the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize - a competition established by the Congress to promote efficiency in lighting and lighting devices. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 called for super efficient solid state lighting products to replace the 60W incandescent lamp and the PAR38 halogen reflector lamp.

It’s free to get on the webcast, but they’re limiting space. Also, take note that the link for Lighting Prize’s website is incorrect on the link listed here - it’s http://lightingprize.org/ to find out about the Lighting Prize.

Have you heard of the new-ish Broadway musical, Passing Strange ?  I remember hearing a segment on NPR with the writer, performance artist/singer/songwriter Stew about the show, and what went into writing it.  Good stuff.

Also good stuff, Kevin Adams’ lighting design for Passing Strange with its big ol’ LED and fluorescent fixture wall.  That thing is beautiful - it’s a machination of color, intensity, and vibration that brings that show to amazing heights - in both artistry and musical longevity.  The images are stunning.

Live Design Online has a great great article about Kevin’s work on the show, the equipment he used to achieve the look, and how he approached the ideas of the wall.  From the article:

The lighting in Passing Strange shifts in timbre as well, with some of the songs lit as if in an isolated concert space, with tight pools of rock ‘n’ roll style lighting and haze provided by an MDG Atmosphere hazer, and it then goes back to a more natural look for the realistic scenes. The lighting for the band adds another layer to the palette, as well. “The musicians each have a white PAR spot and Source Four with a Coloram scroller above their heads, with all kinds of saturated colors I don’t normally use, such as unusual yellows, oranges, and electric pinks,” says Adams. At the end of the show, 30 GAM Star Strobes pop on out in the house for an explosion of light during the curtain call. “The lighting adds to the excitement of the show,” says Adams. “It doles out its strength when it needs it.”

Also, on Kevin’s portfolio site, he has an article posted about the show as well, from American Theatre.

Jaymi over at EcoGeek posted an article about Panama’s “Operation Light Bulb” a few days ago. Panama is apparently buying and distributing about $13 Mil in compact fluorescent lamps among its citizens to ease demand strain on the power grid.

Panama found it cheaper to distribute cheaper sources rather than build more power stations and generating facilities.  Apparently this is a so-so move, because CFL’s aren’t really cheaper than everyone thinks.  I mean, nothing’s perfect - CFL’s have their own issues, like everything else.  Ever purchased a cheap CFL?  They look like cold-fluorescent crap.  There exists the mercury issue.  Places like Ikea and Home Depot are recycling CFL’s, but in a place like Panama, where the alternative is rolling blackouts and power grid shortages, what’s the real solution?

I got nothing.  Let’s hope that someone figures out the world’s power problem sooner than later.

Meritline is having a sale on these LED screw base lamps until September 7th.  The item says $14.99 for the pair, but if you use coupon code AC2153315OFF, they’re $9.99.

I couldn’t tell if these were medium screw or candellabra.  Oh well, that’s why they make adaptors going both ways, right?