Category Archives: LED

Review: Striker Magnetic Light Mine

Gadgets, LED, review, ,

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Despite not actually being in attendance at the Consumer Electronics Show, I was not immune to the fever as I covered the great videos being fed to the writing team here at GNC. One company in particular caught my attention — Striker was offering a couple of very cool little devices at even cooler prices. In short, writing about that interview ended up costing me a bit of money.

I purchased two different items, but I will get to the other one in a future review. Today I wanted to cover the Magnetic Light Mine — named such because of its resemblance to a World War II mine. The tiny protrusions each have a magnet, but they also provide stability that lets you rotate it and shine the light in virtually any direction, from a magnetic surface or just a tabletop or floor. It has a 360 radius.

The Magnetic Light Mine is about the size of a golfball, but has a high output, wide angle, intensely bright LED that does an adequate job of lighting up a workspace, especially handy for the underside of a car hood or the inside of an electrical panel door. Personally I purchased two and plan to use them mostly for my son and I’s camping trips, since they will take up almost no space in a backpack.

The light comes for only $6.99 from Striker, and there is a larger version that retails for around $20.

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Westinghouse Digital is Introducing a Roku Ready TV at CES 2013

ces, Gadgets, Gear, Information, LED, , , ,

Roku Streaming StickI am a big fan of the Roku. I currently have an original Roku and the Roku2 is on the top of my Amazon Wish List. I am however not a big fan of Smart TVs. So when I saw that Westinghouse Digital was going to introduce a Roku ready TV at CES 2013 I was immediately intrigued. These TVs will have the Mobile High Definition Link (MHL) technology installed. With this technology installed a consumer can simply plug-in a Roku Streaming Stick and the TV will recognize the local home network and begin streaming Roku content directly to the TV. Westinghouse Digital is betting that an MHL compliant displays are the wave of the future. Rey Roque, Senior Vice Pres. of Marketing at Westinghouse Digital said.

“ Westinghouse Digital believes MHL – Compliant displays are the future of the connected TV market. Consumers are no longer forced to buy a smart TV only to have it become outdated two years later when new technology is released.”

Compared to a smart TV the Roku Streaming Stick is an expensive and easy to replace.

Westinghouse Digital

Westinghouse Digital is a leading manufacturer of LED TVs in the United States. In an addition to the 60 inch IPTV they will be introducing. Westinghouse Digital is also going to be unveiling a full line of edge lit LED TVs for 2013 at CES. They will have models ranging from 28 to 60 inches. They will also be showing off a new series of 4K UHDTV models. Westinghouse Digital award-winning HDTV lineup includes a complete line of Eco-friendly LED and LCD HD TVs in various sizes and formats.  The new line of TVs will be introduced at CES 2013 in a Las Vegas hotel hospitality Suite 360. If you are in Las Vegas you should come by and take a look.

FloLight Stretches the MicroBeam 1024 Even Further

LED, NAB

FloLight was at NAB 2012. They are the company that makes the MicroBeam 1024. What they have done is taken all the good things about the MicroBeam 1024, and made it into a slimmer rectangular shape.

The newly shaped light is called MicroBeam 1024LP. The LP stands for “low profile”. It is designed to give you everything that the MicroBeam 1024 has, but in a more accessible form. You can use the MicroBeam 1024LP in places that the original cannot be used because of the shape of the original light. It is designed to be used in rooms that have low ceilings, in conference rooms, or anywhere else that does not give you enough space to use a 1 x 1 light in.

The new MicroBeam 1024LP has the same features as the MicroBeam 1024. The only difference is that the LP version is easier to use in a smaller space. This allows people who are working on a professional filming project to choose the version that fits best into their production without having to sacrifice any features. The MicroBeam 1024 and the MicroBeam 1024LP the same, except for their sizes.

Features of the MicroBeam 1024 and MicroBeam 1024LP

* Equivalent of a 1000W “Hot Light”
* Offers both high light output and a high CRI
* The CRI of the Daylight version is 93
* Choose from Daylight version (~5600K) or Tungsten version (~3200 K)
* Both versions have Spot (~30º Beam) and Flood (~60º Beam) available
* Full dimming control
* They are 1024 Ultra Bright Daylight LEDs
* The LED lights are rated at 25,000 hours
* Mounting Yoke
* Optional V-Mount battery adapter
* External 12 VDC Input
* 110 – 240 VAC Power adapter included
* Slide-on filter holder and slide on Barndoors are sold separately
* Uses only 100W of energy

Philips AmbientLED 12.5 watt Bulb Mimics Incadescent Lighting

energy saving, LED

Philips AmbientLED turned onFinally, is this the light bulb for me?  Many of you have seen me complain about the quality of energy-efficient lighting.  My biggest complaint is that the lighting creates weird, sharp shadows, or that the color is completely off.  Since I’m a crafter, color balance is pretty important to what I do.

Philips has announced the release of its AmbientLED 12.5-watt, the closest replacement to a 60-watt incandescent bulb we may ever see.  It has achieved an Energy Star rating as it meets or exceeds the standard minimum light output of 800 lumens, a color temperature of 2700K (for soft white light), color rendering index (CRI) of 80.  Philips is also offering a 7 year warranty on the bulb.  Philips estimates the bulbs will last 15-17 years.

But at a price of nearly $40 retail, I’m not sure I’ll be buying one anytime soon.

I would also want to know if the usual visible “flicker” of the LED is present in this bulb, or if it glows smoothly.  As a mother of an epileptic child, such things need to be taken into account when purchasing for the home environment.

Philips recommends this bulb for table lamps, ceiling fan globes, and accent lighting.  25-watt and 40-watt equivalents are also available in the AmbientLED line from Philips.