CasaSugar

Daily Tech: New EcoATM Will Pay You For Your Old Gadgets

GeekSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:15:42 -0700

New EcoATM kiosks will take your old electronics to be recycled and then provide you with an in-store payment - CNET
Samsung's new Behold II with Android has just been announced on the T-Mobile network - MobileCrunch
Twitter's cofounder Biz Stone talked to Martha Stewart about how Twitter got its start - Mashable
Thousands of Hotmail accounts have been hacked and are being posted online - BBC News
Check out five of the most energy efficient LED desk lamps - Unplggd
President Obama has banned all federal employees from texting while driving - Ars Technica
It's giveaway and game time on GeekSugar! Be sure to log in and play our Best Video Game Ever bracket! - GeekSugar

Cool Idea: Stoneage Lighting

CasaSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 05:30:01 -0700

Once you've decked out your patio or deck with an outdoor dining table and other furniture, it's time to make sure the space is well-lit. You could go the route of candles or standard light fixtures, OR you could go the route of earth-friendly LED lights . . . in your patio's stonework. Denmark-based company Stoneage Lighting ($100 and up) makes paving stones (cobblestones, flagstones, etc.) with built-in lights which are embedded with LED lights, 100 percent waterproof, "vandal-proof," "road-worthy," and energy-saving. The lights will be set directly into your driveway, walkway, or patio, so you can light up your living space from underneath. Since LEDs have a very long life and require little energy, there'll be no more changing bulbs or pricey electricity bills. And, you don't have to worry about hitting your streetlight when you're backing out the driveway - always a plus.

Casa Verde: Times Square Ball Lit by LEDs

CasaSugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:00:00 -0800

This year, when the Times Square Ball drops at 11:59 p.m. on New Year's Eve, it will be bigger than ever, at double the size of any other Ball in history, and nearly 12,000 pounds heavy. However, this ball, which is lit up by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs, is also decidedly green: It only uses as much energy as two household ovens.

LEDs, or light emitting diodes, use much less power than traditional bulbs, and unlike CFLs, don't contain mercury. LEDs can last for years, and sometimes even decades. The LEDs on this year's Times Square Bulb will create 16 million colors and billions of patterns, while still achieving a 10 to 20 percent upgrade in energy efficiency, as compared to last year's ball.

In case you miss the ball drop, no worries: The new ball will reside above Times Square for public viewing from January through December of 2009.

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"Flying" LED-Lit Books Light Up San Francisco's North Beach

GeekSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:30:22 -0800

On Sunday night, I witnessed the unveiling of a new art piece consisting of LED-lit books, hung high above a square in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. Called "Language of the Birds," artists Dorka Keehn and Brian Goggin participated in the literal unveiling - at first, each book was shrouded and unlit, and one by one, a string was pulled to reveal each book, which were then lit up as the night darkened.

If you find yourself in the city, go by Columbus and Broadway at night, for it's not everyday you can see a flock of illuminated books in flight.

To see more beautiful photos, read more.

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Daily Tech: BB Addicts Line Up For the Storm

GeekSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:00:30 -0800

Although the lines are long at Verizon Wireless stores, as people wait to get their hands on the BlackBerry Storm, supply is said to be limited. - RIMarkable
The iPhone 2.2 software update is now available for download and includes Google Street View and Podcast downloads from iTunes. - Switched
With a new site called TweetStalk, you can now follow Twitter users without them knowing. Love this! - TechCrunch
Verizon employees got a peek at President-elect Barack Obama's cell phone records, although no emails or voicemails were accessed. - USA Today
Times Square is now showing off a 17,000 Square Foot LED Billboard that features 12 million individual LED lights. - Gizmodo

Daily Tech: Now You Can Order Dominos Pizza With Your TiVo

GeekSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:19 -0800

Ever get the munchies when you're watching a good show and couldn't be bothered to make a trip to the kitchen? With a few clicks of the TV remote, you can now order Dominos Pizza via your TiVo. - CrunchGear
Over 4.2 million LEDs are on display at the Nabana no Sato theme park in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, to kickoff the annual Winter light show which runs until March 8. - Fareastgizmos
Lifehacker puts together a list of five of the best video-chat applications, so you can get the most out of your calls. - Lifehacker
How do you feel when your reliable laptop starts freezing and giving you a hard time? A new study shows that more young adults - especially men - are more optimistic when it comes to their gadgets failing. - Cnet
It's giveaway time! Be sure to log in for your chances to win a Nintendo DS Lite and fitness games! - geeksugar

Cool Idea: Solar LED House Numbers

CasaSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:15:25 -0700

Considering how plugged in and geeked out our homes are these days, sometimes it baffles me that the simplest, often most crucial things aren't well-lit. Personally, I'm a big fan of motion-sensor lighting, so when you're walking toward your front (or back) door you won't trip and wind up falling flat on your back. But motion-sensor lighting doesn't help passersby who are trying to locate your crib. That's why I'm smitten with the Matter Inc. Solar LED House Numbers ($19.99). The solid aluminum fixture absorbs the sun's energy during the day to power two high output white LEDs for eight to 10 hours during the night, keeping your house numbers well-lit without draining the grid or your wallet. The laser-cut numbers are completely weather-resistant, too, which is a plus. Although I personally don't mind the modern, sans-serif shape of the numbers, I wish they were offered in a traditional serif to appeal to more homeowners. What do you think?

DIY: Mason Jar Garden Lights

CasaSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:00:52 -0700

Considering the prices of garden lights these days, I've been looking for a low-cost alternative. Lucky me, I found a DIY for temporary garden lights you can make from only LEDs, lithium coin cells, mason jars, and a little bit of tape. The lights will be temporary, until the battery runs out, but you can always refresh your battery supply just for about 30 cents each.
Supplies:

One ultrabright LED with a diffused lens per light
One CR2032 lithium coin cell per light
One mason jar per light
Tape, masking is fine

To learn the steps, read more.

Connect an LED directly across the terminals of the lithium coin cell, so the long lead goes to the positive (+) side of the battery.
Wrap it once with tape so the LED stays touching the battery cell.
Half-twist the LED 90 degrees from the battery cell so that it can bend that way and the two leads of the LED don't touch each other.
Tape the light to the inside of your mason jar lid.
Screw the lid on. Fini!

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Simply Fab: Mini Purse Lights

FabSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:00:22 -0700

How many times has it happened that you desperately need something from your purse while in a dark club, and just can't find it? You may have thought the designer See by Chloe lights were too pricey; if so, you need one of these Mini Purse LED Lights ($7). You can clip it to your inner purse pocket and switch it on when you're searching the depths. You can probably even use it as a flashlight to illuminate a dark path . . .

iPot: Not Made by Apple, But Still Rad. . . You Like?

GeekSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:45:36 -0700

I wonder if Steve Jobs loves that people keep appending an "i" to their products in an Apple-like fashion, or if he thinks they're stealing his thunder. Either way, you put an i in front of a simple word, and you suddenly have an attention-grabbing product name.

At least the latest perpetrator of this iCrime, the iPot, is actually pretty useful and attractive, not unlike Apple products in general, so it's not an offhand association. As a little desk lamp, the iPot provides an LED light in a glowing white pod, charges on a USB cord, and is affordable: just $19. Light it up! Do you like it?