Alejo Menchaca, the leader of the research team, stated that the genetically modified sheep are roaming about the fields like any normal sheep. He states that, in this case, the team did not modify the sheeps with the fluorescent protein because of medical interests, but because they wanted to “fine-tune the technique”. They also used the green protein because the color is “easily identifiable in the sheep’s tissue.”

While these sheep may be the first glow-in-the-dark sheep to exist, they’re not the first living creatures that scientists have genetically modified. Scientists have also genetically modified zebrafish using the same green fluorescent protein from the Aequorea jelly fish to make them glow-in-the-dark. These zebrafish were them renamed “GloFish”, and have since been genetically modified using various other proteins, such as red, orange-yelow, blue, and purple fluorescent proteins.

Scienctists have continued this glow-in-the-dark trend with a variety of other living creatures, including cats, dogs, pigs, scorpions, worms, monkeys, mice, and more. However, most of these scientists aren’t just modifying these animals for fun. They believe that research on these genetically modified animals can help scientists better understand diseases and how diseases develop, not just for animals, but for humans as well. Scientists from the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh told The Guardian that their research with glow-in-the-dark cats would help them study HIV/Aids. The scientists stated,

“Cats are susceptible to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), a close relative of HIV, the cause of Aids. The application of the new technology suggested in this paper (Antiviral restriction factor transgenesis in the domestic cat) is to develop the use of genetically-modified cats for the study of FIV, providing valuable information for the study of Aids.”

[via Nature World News]

According to the New Jersey Astronomical Association, around 30% of electricity generated from out door lights is being wasted illuminating areas that aren’t meant to receive the lighting. This light leakage also has adverse affects on nature as well. Birds are confused and sent off course, turtles who require the night sky to navigate become lost on their way towards the ocean, and many other animals have their sleeping patterns disrupted.

These new LED streetlamps would combat those adverse affects. The streetlamps’ design is also very adaptable, meaning that it can be adjusted to fit various environments. Ching-Cherng Sun, a member of the team behind the LED streetlamps, stated that current streetlamps either lean into the middle of a road or are posted in a zig-zag formation on different sides of a street. Those current designs are good for high-traffic areas, but not for other areas. Sun says that the new streetlight design is flexible enough to be used in a variety of situations and can be used to maintain a high efficiency in lighting.

The lamp is based on a 3-part fixture. The first part holds a cluster of LEDs, each fitted into a TIR (Total Internal Reflection) lens that helps focus the light making the rays parallel to each other instead of intersecting. The TIR lens-covered LED lights are then mounted inside a reflecting cavity, which recycles the light and makes sure that most of it is used to illuminate its target area. Lastly, the light leaves the lamp through a microlens sheet that reduces unwanted glare.

The new LED streetlight would reduce the amount of light pollution around the globe, and also reduce the amount of electricity used up by wasted light. It would also be beneficial to homes that have to deal with the unwanted glare produced by a nearby streetlight. Sun and his team are working diligently on their streetlamp prototype, and may finish it within 3-6 months. They hope to have these new streetlamps available by next year.

[via Nature World News]

The Gtech AirRam vacuum is much more energy efficient than most vacuums. It only uses 100 watts of electricity compared to other vacuums that use an average of about 2,000 watts. It takes about 4 hours to charge the vacuum, however, it can run up to 40-60 minutes on a single charge, which is much longer compared to the other, cordless vacuums currently on the market.

The vacuum works on any floor surface, including carpets, rugs, hard wood, tile, and many more. The AirRam doesn’t have a bag or a canister. It’s direct Dirt-to-Tray technology lifts up dirt, dust, and debris and compacts it into easy-to-dispose “bales” that you can just empty into your trashcan. Also, with AirRam’s Data Bridge, you can connect the vacuum to your computer via USB cable to find out how much electricity you’ve saved, and how many calories you’ve burned while vacuuming.

According to Gtech, the AirRAM vacuum cleaner “represents the biggest evolution in vacuum development over the last 20 years.” You can purchase the Gtech AirRAM Vacuum Cleaner off Amazon, or at your local Brookstone, for $349.95. It’s available in both White and Graphite, and you have an option of purchasing a spare battery if need be, just for those of you who want to get all your cleaning done in one go.

Luci is unique and what the company calls “solar justice” and the reason behind that is many solar devices don’t seem to work as advertized, or always take forever to charge. MpowerD’s little lantern is only about 5-6 inches tall, and almost something you’d find floating in the pool during the summer months. For those granola types who are always out camping, you’ll want to check this out.

Luci puts out 1200 lumens of bright light using LEDs, and will last anywhere from 8-12 hours depending on charge. Using a few extremely durable and lightweight solar panels you’ll have a full 8-12 hours of light in just 4 hours charge time. Take it camping and charge her up at night, then use Luci to keep camp bright all night long. With a clear plastic round design the light emits in all directions, and Luci states she’ll brighten a 15 square foot area for hours.

“Just charge in the sun, open, and light up your world.”

MpowerD’s new little lantern that is powered by the sun has a few awesome things going for it. It’s extremely lightweight, durable, and completely collapsible to be under an inch tall and smaller than your hand. Then open it up and light up your world — as they say. For the low price of $15.99 Luci can be lighting up your campsite all summer long. It features low, high, and SOS emergency settings with the touch of a button. I’ll be taking this little lantern on a few mountain bike trips this summer. That is for sure.

Researchers say that the new bulbs could replace traditional fluorescent lighting as early as next year. The team says that a “corporate partner” is already interested in producing the new bulbs at scale. Unlike fluorescent lighting, the new bulbs will be flicker-free, shatterproof, and won’t burn out.

The FIPEL bulbs are made from three layers of white-emitting polymer that contain a small dose of nanomaterials that glow when electric current is passed through them, and they emit light that most closely matches natural sunlight, unlike incandescent light bulbs, which emits a yellowish-orange light, and LEDs, which emit a blueish light.

The FIPEL bulbs will offer the same benefits as traditional lighting, but won’t come with all of the drawbacks associated with them. Researchers pointed out that even the faint humming sound of fluorescent lighting wouldn’t be present in the new FIPEL bulbs, and that heat also wouldn’t be a problem, since the researchers have come up with a way to eliminate heat-producing culprits while still producing as much light as possible.

[via Phys.org]

Groove Bulb say that’s 25% cheaper than existing LED bulbs on the market, with the founder of the company, James Theobald, noting that the cost of manufacturing is what keeps prices high. The 9W Groove Bulb will feature a bayonet or Edison screw cap, is mercury free, and is 99% recyclable. The LED tech used ensures a “consistent light output”, plus no flickering and superior whites.

The company will begin offering additional bulbs later on in the year, with plans to produce a 100W equivalent and a candle style bulb. If you wanrt to buy the 9W Groove Bulb in the meantime, you’ll have to head directly to the source at groovebulb.com.

The first product of Gotham Bicycle Defense has been crowd-funded by KickStarter and has garnered $24,915 of their $18,000 goal – with 57 days left to go! That’s 359 backers for a project that will soon be shipping this lamp with its hardcore features galore. What you’re getting here isn’t just a secure bike light, it’s a wholly unique piece of hardware that only YOU will be able to attach and detach.

When the project began, the team was using a Torx security screw to attach it to your bike – this making the number of people able to steal one extremely low. What they’re doing now is having a completely custom-made security screw created specifically for this lamp – that’s secure! The lamp’s 6 high-powered ultrabright LED bulbs are powered by three AA batteries, these batteries giving the lap 100 hours of life. The back of the lamp is the battery cover, the cover also secured with a tiny allen key so not just anyone can access it.

One of the best things about this whole unique key situation is the groups willingness to send you a new one – if you lose your key, you’re fine! The lamp is also waterproof and made with three tightly sealed silicone gaskets so you’ll have no problem leaving it on your bike outdoors all year long! This beast will allow you to attach it to 22 to 32 mm handlebars and it has a 30 degree spread and 80 degree periphery hotspot. You can also set your lights to run steadily or flash as you’re biking – the light controlled with the center button between the bulbs.

Head to KickStarter to donate and get in on the party early or wait until full production goes into effect soon!

Hardware

A 14 x 14 x 2.5 cm white plastic box, the goLITE BLU is fronted by a pair of panels: a sizable blue LED array on top, and a smaller, blue-backlit touchscreen underneath showing time, light settings and battery status. The only physical control is a power button on the right side; on the left is a socket for the included AC power adapter. Philips also throws in a set of international plug adapters.

A notch on the lower rear panel holds a metal rod, which can be slotted into a hole to prop the goLITE BLU up. Magnets keep the rod in place in both, and there’s a faux-leather slip case for transporting the whole thing. Unfortunately there’s only one possible angle at which you can stand the light unit at, rather than an adjustable base.

Setup is straightforward. Tapping the bell button sets the alarm, using the plus and minus buttons to adjust the time; the stopwatch icon sets the length of time the light is on for. Alarms can be either an audible tone or the LED lights, or a combination of both, while anything from 1 minute to an hour – in minute increments – can be set as the duration.

As well as waking up to light, you can trigger an impromptu session manually. Pressing the power button once turns on the touchscreen, and a second press turns on the LEDs; you can adjust the intensity – in 25-percent increments – and the length of time the goLITE BLU is on for. A temporary pause in a session can be added by pressing the power button briefly, or turning the intensity down to zero, though if you leave it paused and running on battery power for over five minutes, the goLITE BLU will automatically power off.

Performance

Philips recommends 15 to 30 minutes of time in front of the light each day, initially starting off at 50-percent brightness and increasing if you don’t notice a difference after a week. Rather than sitting directly in front of the LEDs, basking in their glow as you might a tanning lamp, Philips advises putting it off to one side so that it shines tangentially onto your face. That, along with the limited angle options from the stand, can make finding the best position tricky, though it’s easier if you’re working at a desk at the time.

Instant results aren’t promised, but the idea is that if you invest several weeks you can gain more energy, alleviate your mood or even help bypass jetlag. Using the goLITE BLU in the morning, when you first wake up, is supposed to make it easier to get out of bed, while a quick session in the middle of the day can, so Philips says, top up your energy levels when you more normally might be flagging.

By using the goLITE BLU for a few days before you travel, you can help your body clock reset itself to the new timezone at your destination: a few morning sessions when traveling east, or a few evening sessions when going west. Normally, though, Philips doesn’t recommend using light therapy in the evening, because of its body-clock tweaking tendencies.

Does it work? That’s a tricky one to judge: unlike, say, a smartphone battery test or laptop benchmarking, there’s no way to conclusively say whether the goLITE BLU is working or not. All we can go on is my personal experience with the light.

After a week or so of use – running the Philips light for 15 minutes in the mid-morning each day – I felt more alert and found myself working continuously for longer periods without realizing it. It’s not like the jolt of energy you get after a strong cup of coffee: instead, I simply felt more balanced and less aware of time passing. Following a 7-10 days of use, I could scale down to using the goLITE BLU every other day, and still feel suitably perky.

Philips rates the goLITE BLU’s battery as good for between three and five sessions. In practice, at 15 minutes each time, I found it was capable of as many as eight.

Wrap-Up

With street pricing at around $132/£190, the Philips goLITE BLU is an expensive buy if you find it doesn’t work for you. Philips does offer a 30-day guarantee just in case, mind, and has plenty of research to say it will have an impact.

Waking up with the goLITE BLU proved somewhat jarring – imagine throwing open the curtains as soon as your alarm goes off, on an incredibly bright day – but as a daily top-up to your energy levels I had a good experience. You pay for the convenience of an alarm, portable form-factor and a rechargeable battery, though.

Civilians have nothing to fear from this powerhouse of a light blaster of course since makers of the SMU 100 say it’ll only be used against rioters. The makers of this device also note that an unnamed police force is set to be giving it a trial soon, with usage more than likely set for 2012. Pal Kerr of MD Photonic Security Systems, the makers of this device, noted the following about it:

“The system would give police an intimidating visual deterrent. If you can’t look at something you can’t attack it.” – Kerr

This device’s effect is good over 500 metres (1,640ft) and has not yet been fully tested in regards to the potential side-effects of the light. This test will be part of the full trial taking place soon, and only AFTER it’s been given approval by the commission in charge of testing it at this juncture will it be allowed to head to the Home Secretary in the UK. This is not the first time a weapon such as this has been used – American and British troops used similar blasters in Afghanistan to protect convoys from attack by sight-dependent enemies – but the UK police have not been using such excellent light-based-weapons up until now.

ALSO though we’ve been assured several times that it’s not, we must assume that the rifle will work like this:

[via BBC]

While this easter egg may seem to an outsider to have been a simple enough task to implement on a vehicle over a year out of the box, apparently this was no pie when it came to making it a reality. The tiny projector lamp solution came after six or seven attempts at the shiner, the final look appearing very close to what you’re seeing in the images above and below. The perfect balance between awesome and absurd had to be found.

The final solution ended up being so magically delicious that apparently it shut down the production floor at Ford’s Flat Rock assembly line when it was first activated. One of the workers flipped the switch, the light came on, and everyone ran in at a mad rush. We’re sure this sort of thing will start to show up on cars across the industry in just a few years time. Perhaps some Bat Signals in 2014?

[via AutoBlog]

The graphics are 8-bit and look like video games from back in the day. There are different things that it can make on your spokes and the graphics are made in color. You can choose from 15 different light designs and my favorite is the space invader graphics. Available graphics include things like fireballs, skulls, hearts, saw blade, robots, and there is a bunch more patterns.

The cool Mini monkey Light will help keep people that ride at night safe and if you pre-order on Kickstarter you get to help choose the final patterns the device will show. The only downside to this is that the device requires a 20-inch or larger wheel. It’s waterproof and will run on a charge for up to 40 hours. The Mini Monkey Light is on Kickstarter and will fund October 29 since it has already raised more than it needed to make the light with delivery of orders expected in December.

[via The Awesomer]

Where often CFLs can be glaring and unpleasant, this lightbulb actually looks warm and inviting, adding to the decor rather than taking away from it.

In another praise for the bulb, Deyan Sudjic, Director of the Design Museum said: “A worthy winner that is both beautiful and smart. It does away with the superfluous to achieve maximum economy of means. It’s a bulb that doesn’t need a shade and so goes a long way to make up for the loss of the Edison original.”

Plumen bulbs are currently available in the UK and Europe. They will be available in the US and the rest of the world soon, according to their website. They sell in the UK for £19.95, or about $32. What do you think? Would you want them in your house?

[via TreeHugger]

The device has two settings with one for bright light and one for low light. The light comes from 11 different LEDs and it has a pair of flip out legs to let it free stand. The end pieces on those legs are non-skid to help keep it in place.

Power for the light comes from a pair of AA batteries that are good for 30 hours of use per set. The light will also shut off two hours after it is turned on to preserve power. The lamp measures 9.1in x 1.0in x 1.0in and the clip measures 2.6in x 1.4in x 2.2in. Quirky is offering the Mantis for pre-order right now at $26.99 and wants to sell 1500 of them before going into production. So far, only 74 have been purchased.

The new offering is a tunable OLED light with a color that can be changed to suit the needs of the user. The OLED light panels are called VELVE and in addition to being color tunable, they are also dimmable. The lighting is claimed to be the first in the world to be color tunable and dimmable that are mass-produced.

The largest of the OLED panels are 14cm x 14cm making for a colorful cube. The color tunable nature allows the lighting to be changed in color and brightness as the day goes by. There is no word on how much the panels will cost and if they will be offered to consumers or are going to be for commercial use only.

What this table effectively consists of is a wood base, a plastic or glass cover top, a mirror inside, and two knobs that control the mirror from within. Once you’ve got it sitting by your window, you adjust it according to where you’d like rays of light to bounce, and poof! You’ve got a bit more light in y0ur room.

Shouldn’t it be automatically adjusted though? One of the designers by the name of Dag Igland writes of this bit of furniture: “If the Pure Sun table had a sun-tracking system, it would miss the point. [A]n important part of the idea is that you have to actively dial in the right angles to capture light … and that by doing that, one (hopefully) gains awareness on saving energy.”

[Via FastCoDesign]

The light has the standard red, yellow, green drivers are used to. When the light is any of the colors, it also has an hourglass on the front. The lights flow through the hourglass to show when it’s almost time for the light to change.

That is really cool and while it would be useful, I think all the idiot drivers in my area would use them for racing or to gauge if they can run the light or not. The concept is cool, but I don’t see this ever happening.

One whole heck of a lot of wires and one whole heck of a lot of soldering involved in this baby child, plus some drilling with the same drill I own myself! Good choice, man! One of the tricks in this is that the back of the pumpkin is carved out for access rather than the top. I never thought about this before, and will have to remember it the next time I’m carving for the holiday. If you’d like to be as cool ad the people who are responsible for this LED pumpkin, take a run over to Hack A Day and learn how to do it yourself. It’s fun!

[Via Hack A Day ]

The caps are filled with light-sensitive phototransistors that make it possible for the wearer to manifest musical compositions, just with the light itself. Mathy was able to do this with the help of a few mobile phones, and 3-volt batteries. The result is, with each movement of the finger, a new piece of music is created. Get enough movements going, and in enough of a rhythm, you could have the next symphony on your hands — or at the tips of them.

[via DVICE]

The tLight is the next generation for lamps and sheds some light on your desk for working and it can charge some of your gadgets as well. The tLight can charge the iPhone and iPod along with many of the most popular notebooks needing up to 70W of power.

The LED bulbs used in the lamp make it green and last a long time. The LED module consumes only 3W of power. The lamp comes in eight different colors and is available globally for $89.