Teva Illum Sandals with a Built-in/Slapped-on LED Flashlight

Teva Illum recently introduced their new products Sandals with built in LED Flashlight which was inspired by the suffering experience that darkness is always a issue/restriction for outdoor activities. The upgraded version of flip flop would serve with comforts and darkness-carefree. As claimed on Teva Illum's blog: "illūm seamlessly fuses convenience, practicality and performance upon one of the most comfortable sandal platforms on the market. With illūm, The Glow From Below™ is always just one step away."

iLEDist's comment:

Other sources said  LEDs can be removed and attached to a keychain as needed. But iLEDist still wondered how the LED light is activated, is there any light sensors to make the most use of it? And if you google ""illuminated shoes", we can see Teva Illum isn't the first one to have the concept: Jezign has illuminated footwear already with variety options, Reebok sells kids shoes with illuminated strap... ... So iLEDist would not say the LED sandals from Teva Illum is a delightful surprise but it filled in the gap that the existing products are more preferred for sports activities.

 Image above are illuminated shoes from Jezign

Something to say before iPad is launced on the market...

OK... I double checked the relationship between iPad and LED...iPad has featured LED backlit IPS diaplay. So this topic is good to go for iLEDist. I always thought I have no right to criticize iPad till it's launched on the market. No testing, No commenting! And of course I know my comments will not have anything to do with the improvement of Apple's portfolio,,,, and it has been proved over the years, none of us can... except Steve Jobs. (Sorry, man, I was kidding, I still want to work for Apple if I would have the opportunity, sincerely)

I just want to mentions one thing I noticed the video from Apple Event 2010, the demo that iPad designers presented to audience and the iPad commercial from Oscar the day before.... You cannot operate iPad with both hands at the same time! It is so obvious and you do not have to purchase one to find it out! Each single user I have ever seen, in commercial or in reality, has to have one hand hold the gadget during the whole time expect when they have to use keyboard! Check out this video I found on Youtube. What if I want to reach my drink when I am using iPad, I have to either put it down, or use one of my hands to reach while the other waits till the mission is over. How about people with physical disabilities? As a designer, you should never abandon the most fundamental human factor while in the pursuit of fancy "interactive" effects. This is unbelievable.

And I am sure Apple and relative extension product developers have already figured the way out. You could buy some sort of supporter to free your hand(then you will have to buy more because once you place the order with Apple, you are involved into a cash absorbing machine...), you could purchase a updated version which will be featured in 2011? To make it more pathetic, still wish at least one of my friends would be passionate enough to purchase one so I can take a real look at it. -.,-

Waterfall from Barbara Bona

From the Exhibition Fiera Milano 2009, Salone Satellite, designer Barbara Bona presented her work "water fall". It is a curtain that transforms night into day. With low energy consuming LED lights, this product makes sure the sun is always shining.

iLEDist's comments:

Beautiful reflection and natural combination of LED lights and curtain folds. Subtle and vivid imitation of waterfall. Impeccable as art piece and that where its depth ends. Maybe that's what we need, the eyes to find the beauty of nature and respect it in the arty way.
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Philips Second Gen LivingColors Make Paint Twice as Obsolete

The latest LivingColors lamp produces 16 million colors through a combination of 7 LEDs—an overall quality of light that's 50% brighter than version one.

And while the intuitive remote and bulbous shape remain mostly unchanged, you'll now have the option to purchase an opaque version (which we're guessing produces a more directional light flow) along with a more typical metal base stand. Look for the update in Europe soon, with models ranging from about $230-$350.

From[GIZMODO]

iLEDist's comments:
iLEDist is totally in love with this creature! But as a half expert in LED industry, let's divide the price intelligently: LED, relevant materials and labor cost less than 15%, Philips branding value and marketing input more than 40% of the price, the rest, .... is the revenue.... Sometimes, you just have to forgive the existence of the cheap copy because if the design is not designed for people with "regular paycheck" but still loves fancy designs, they have to find an alternative...
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Commentes on Three 2009 Red Dot Rewards Equipped with LED

See.... LED is getting more and more attention from designers. Here iLEDist picked Three design concepts from 2009 Red Dot rewards which covers Green, Illumination and energy. Let's take a look how impressive they are:

Draw the Lights by Seo Dong-Hun
With its LED ceiling web and light brush, Draw the Lights enables any space to be illuminated in any format, as though one were painting on a canvas.
iLEDist's Comments:
Great Idea! The interaction between the human being and their living environment would be generated naturally by the physical needs of pursuing lighting and emotional needs of creating a unique, private space. But we want to see more details and want to be more specific: First of all, I would not take ceiling as the best choice for LED painting. Big NO! Try to look up for 50 seconds, my neck will be in panic. Secondly, what is the size of cells for LED wet? will there be any compromise between the ideal lighting effect and realistic circuit structure?

A Traffic Light by Feng Chung-Tsung, Wang Bo-Jin, Lin Yao-Chieh
With its use of LEDs and solar power, A Traffic Light reduces the manufacturing cost and energy consumption of infrastructure.
iLEDist's Comments:
Nice thought but kind of out of date. I believe some of the States in US has already installed LED Traffic light. Please check out here. Hard for me to accept a concept would deserve a Red Dot just because it reduced three LED lights down to one. Plus, the looks of the design is so poorly designed, it will totally bother me if a public installation looks like this standing in the middle of the road. I am sorry, guys, you failed iLEDist.

FLEXI by Han Jaeseok, Hong Songguk, Joo Sae Na, Kim Gyeo Re
Most people who go camping take a flashlight as well as a separate light source for ambient lighting. The flexible FLEXI light performs as both.
iLEDist's Comments:
This is something iLEDist really likes. Simple, multitasker. Change the lighting performance with the change of the silicone pad! Smart! But, where is the on/off switch?

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luzinterruptus: literature versus traffic

A site intervention of 800 illuminated books was installed under the brooklyn bridge in water street, new york. armed with the intention that literature should seize the streets and overtake public spaces, spanish designers luzinterruptus randomly placed these literary objects in such a way so that people were able to walk among them easily, stop to look at them and even read them.

luzinterruptus, known for their light installations in public spaces, wanted the urban space conventionally reserved for speed, pollution and noise to be converted to a place of peacefulness, relaxation and coexistence. the site is illuminated by a soft, diffuse light which encourages by passers to feel comfortable in spite of the chaos around them.

'we want literature to seize the streets and become the conqueror of public spaces, freely
offering to those who walk by a space free of traffic which for a few hours of the night
will succumb to the modest power of the written word.'- L
[Designboom]
iLEDist's Comment:
The installation is definitely something, like the stars falling from sky to the earth and I would image the interaction between pedestrians, pedestrians and vehicles, people and surroundings. The street would get lightened up not only by the LED equipped to the book but also by the urban socialization.
Feel bad for my self...Never a big fan of reading, not even mention stopping by at a snowy night on a street. I would probably just take some picture and shared it on my Flickr...
Secretly thought E-ink is getting overwhelmingly popular each day...
But heart LED forever!.......

We Like Boxes!

The designer of Firefly LED Solar Light, Eric Zhang had some quick brainstorming work done!

The box, in this case, came from Converse, is used as the main body of the study table organizer; LED pods hidden beneath the box cover and inside are illuminating the crystal pen holder and glowing through the hand-cutted organic patterns with the mixture of pink and aqua.

Let me find out what else is contained by the box beside the pen holder…hmmm, a couple of paper clips, of course, a mirror (it is the slot good for iPod as well), a screen brush… and a lot more once the inside box is fully utilized.

‘Everyone can be a designer as long as you are creative and passionate about life and our earth’, Said Eric. ‘This organizer concept hit me with the bothering messy working table and the idle shoe box. In case looking for stationary in the darkness, the LED is added on as the lighting source. Everything has its purpose and nothing is wasted here. It is Eco-friendly, low energy consuming, easy access to color options and patterns. Although it is just a draft version at this point, it does not look bad. I am confident this is a concept worth continuing developing and marketing.’

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TwistTogether Company TwistTogether Lamp

The TwistTogether Lamp™ is a revolutionary new lamp that appeals to all ages. Individual blocks connect together and illuminate with a simple twist. The enticing glow can be enjoyed from across the room or, just as easily, rearranged to create unique designs. The TwistTogether LampÂ? is powered through a single block. Additional blocks light up when connected with a simple twist. Each block is illuminated with LEDs which provide a safe, low-voltage and long lasting light source while consuming less power than a standard night light. Many configurations are possible from a single set of blocks. Connect multiple sets together for endless possibilities!

For more images and details, please visit here

[via]

iLEDist's Comment:

Check out the video attached, very cool stuff, I guess the chocolate block in the left hand is the one that powers others. What do you think?

More cool LED Gadgets from iLEDist

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Pablo LIM Table Lamp

LIM is a revolutionary ultra-slim LED task light that is as fun to use as it is functional. LIM's "L" shaped arm discreetly conceals an array of 15 high-powered LEDs and utilizes a magnet to attach to its base unit. The base unit allows for up to 5" of height adjustment and 90 degrees of tilt and can accept up to 2 arms at a time for maximum light coverage. LIM also offers a hi/low/off light control at the touch of a single button.

[via]

iLEDist's Comment:

Simple, Chic and great composition with line and surface which you will not get bored with, and it could satisfy your needs to make adjustment under variety circumstances. Well designed both visually and functionally!

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Lased LED Light Towers

Newly discovered from Flickr: the lased LED towers from Jared Tarbell.
The outputs cut and perforation vectors for the tower with almost any dimension are based on a written algorithm. The materials are watercolor paper and a little glue. When the tower is removed, the LED and battery would be attached to the base exposed.

Image[via]

iLEDist's Comment:

Cool ideas and beautiful shot! We usually use Adobe illustrator to define the path for the 2D laser cut, it is good to know it can be controlled algorithmically and the outcome looks really lovely and delicate! And we agree with one of the flickrs: Jared, we are looking forward to seeing it on the market!

Electric Legends: Stories Told in Glowing LED Lights

Let me clarify this first: Those are not scenes from Avatar~ the surreal images are captured by photographer Barry Underwood. And the photos are of perfectly explainable origins.

Underwood places lights in small studio dioramas or in full-scale real-life environments, creating a sort of hybrid location that is at once very real, yet fantasy-based. His work was shown recently in an exhibition called Earth Engines at The Johannson Projects gallery in Oakland, California. According to Underwood, his work is a cross-pollination of photography and theater. He introduces ideas and elements from land art, cinema and traditional painting. But what comes out of the combination is something wholly unusual and unlike any of its elements.

And of course, LED is the fundamental elements to for the photographer to achieve the fantasy only exist in the dreams. Being removable and harmless to the environment, these temporary light installations play up the natural beauty of their settings without causing any permanent changes. According to the artist, his introduction of artificial lights into a natural landscape renders the forms of the landscape abstract. Indeed, it’s easy to imagine that all of these images were completely engineered in the mind of an imaginative painter.

Glad to see LED is contributing to such large scale projects and has created such stunning scenes to amuse people~

via[WebEcoist]

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Downside of LED

LED life, range of colors, durable, small size and design flexibility, etc. " However, no matter how passionate we are for this green energy source, we have to face the truth that its energy efficiency advantage can cause problems..... .....

A Post from engadget said: A number of cold weather American states are reporting their dismay at finding out that LED traffic lights are so energy efficient that they do not produce enough excess heat to dissipate any snow that covers them. It turns out, perhaps in a homage to bad engineering everywhere, that the inefficiency of incandescent light bulbs was previously relied upon to keep traffic signals unimpeded. The new LEDs do not achieve the same effect, which has resulted in a few accidents and even a death being blamed on obstructed traffic lights.

Sorry for the people who encountered the traffic accidents and this indeed proved the old saying everything has two sides. And for designers, this is a reminder to consider variety circumstance including extreme conditions during design process.

Image [via]

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Interactive Design with LED

Yes! Paint with LED Lighting! That sounds exciting! But, not work that way exactly...

New York based sweatshoppe has presented one of their interactive installations on the street which used green LEDs that work in conjunction with a camera next to a projector which is programmed with software that tracks its movements. The software then outputs the X-Y position of the roller projecting a textured video image of the strokes the duo are drawing on a wall.

To make it more straightforward here is one of the video clips:

This is an absolutely wonderful way to display art work, glow the dark area of the city and highlight the architectures… with the cooperation of LED, camera and projectors! And today is Valentine’s day, which inspired me that this is not a bad idea to send out love message…Don't be afraid to be romantic and innovative ~~

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Cool LED Gadget I

The battle against darkness in the human history can be traced back to thousands years ago and the sparkles from the drillings from wood in ancient time claims the first victory in the pursuit of brightness. LED has the most advanced features over other sources such as: energy efficiency, long life, range of colors, durable, small size and design flexibility, etc. Here posted are a small collection of designs combined regular daily products and LED.

“Sun and Moon Jar” is one of my favorite gift choices. It includes a rechargeable battery and a low energy LED. When the jar is placed in direct sunlight the solar cell creates an electrical current that charges the battery over a few hours. This energy is then used at night to power the LED lamp inside the jar. It also uses a standard AA rechargeable battery, which is replaceable. Now pink, orange and blue are available on the market. It is such a beautiful to see when it absorb the solar energy in the day and glow at night.

“LED Magnetic Light Mine” is a small little gadget featured 12 stalks surrounded the LED light. you could probably locate it any magnetic surfaces you need. Super handy!

“Under Cool Multi Screwdriver Gadget with LED” take into the consideration that users might need to work in the darkness and why not attach the lighting source to the already multi functional tool? LED is the absolute candidate for it due to its energy efficiency and small sizing. Wondered if Swiss Army Knives has ever thought about it?

The last little piece for today, the “LED clip” from the Korean Designer Sungho Lee. The normal LED's light parts consist of two straight legs, a plus and minus terminal pin for power supply. lee modified the form of the legs to create 'LED clips', which canbe illuminated by clipping onto batteries. Nothing is wasted here! But…since the clip is occupied by the battery, where should I use this little LED?

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Firefly LED Solar Light

The designer of Bubble head Web Camera Eric Zhang presented his new design concept Firefly LED Solar Light which was inspired by an old Chinese story that a diligent kid in an impoverished family collected a pack of fireflies as source for night study.

Each illuminant unit includes transparent shell, solar panel and battery, micro PCB board and highlight LED. Users only need to scatter the LED unit under the sunshine to absorb the energy. The LED unit will automatically glow while the environment is getting dark.

The Units are easy to maintain and have a board application, such as home decoration, travelling and as a tool to inspire kids’ imagination. Solar power combined with LED illumination, wow! That is a smart solution that our environment would really benefit from, cannot wait to see it comes to the market!

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Two good LED Interactive Designs

CELL+LED (image on the left) is designed as an indoor carpet with the LEDs fitted into the aisles to guide users’ way. Both the amount and colors of the LED and the shape of the carpet can be customized for this interactive multi-function design. Love the way how the LED beans are embedded into the weaves of the texture and functions subtly yet elegantly.
Another example of LED interactive installation. The LED-s Urban Carpet(right-hand image) is a portable interactive installation using a non-traditional user interface. The installation represents a game with a grid of lights that can be embedded as a carpet into the urban context. A pattern of lights is generated dynamically that change in real time according to pedestrians movement over the carpet. According to the designers, the aim is to create a novel urban experience that invites social interactions with the interface among different people as friends, observes or strangers. This is a more computerized design idea compared to the CELL +LED, and would definitely help generate more energy for the urban area, reminds me of the Crow Fountain of the Millennium Park, but smaller and much more portable!

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XKGLOW_High Output 4-key Remote Control for Single Color LED Kit

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Here presented is one of XKGLOW's proudest products: High Output 4-key Remote Control for Single Color LED Kit. It is a Universal 4-key Wireless Upgrade Kit with 8A MAX High Output.

FEATURES:

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• 8A MAX. output, THREE times the output of competitors remotes.
• Works with any XKGLOW 12V Single Color LED Kits.
• Mini waterproof control box, easy to hide
• COMPREHENSIVE installation kit included.
• Detailed instructions included. [Also Available online]

This complete 4-key remote kit has all you need to upgrade existing 12V single color LED kit with wireless feature capable of changing patterns! The metal finishing on our remote matches your bike and instills quality throughout. This control module is built with an exclusive circuit design that outputs 8A (MAX), which is THREE times as powerful as other manufacturers' regular remote kit.

This complete kit features an IN-LINE WATERPROOF ON/OFF switch. To avoid draining the battery while the vehicle is not in use, an integrated LED in the ON/OFF switch indicates whether the remote kit has been physically disconnected or not.

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XKGLOW_34 LED Falcon Motorcyle Engine Kit

Now the Spring is Coming,
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XKGLOW led motorcycle kit not only illuminates your Engine and Underbody with the most intense brightness you can image, XKGLOW also provides the most COMPREHENSIVE installation accessories with the kit on the market, FOR FREE!!! Yes, everything is included in the LED Motorcycle kit, For Free!!!

XKGLOW's products match the widest variety of bikes, Honda, KTM, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, BMW, Ducati, Triumph, ... Harley-Davidson, of Course, you name it!

Here presented is one of XKGLOW's proudest products: 34 LED Falcon Motorcyle Engine Kit
it is the Cost Effective Kit for Lighting Bike Engine

FEATURES:

• 34 Super Bright wide angle 5mm LEDs.
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