Technology, Books and Other Neat Stuff

The Australian Federal Government is planning to phase out the incandescent light bulb.

The Federal Government estimates replacing the old bulbs with compact fluorescents in homes could cut greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 800,000 tonnes a year in 2008-12. Australia's emissions in 2004 totalled 564.7 million tonnes.

Now if our own government would do something similar.

It was interesting to note on a recent visit just how much Ikea was pushing compact fluorescents in its lighting department. And the prices weren't too bad...

link via dmmaus

I'm currently playing with the shiniest mobile phone around, RIM's new Blackberry Pearl.



Tonight I found out how to get its trackball (which normally glows a rather delightful white) to flash different colours when the phone rang. I then spent a happy few minutes phoning myself to watch the light show.

Then I showed marypcb how to do it...

Do I need to get out more?

Like most people in our part of the metropolis, we live in a Victorian house which has been converted into two flats. We share a hallway with the downstairs flat, and a separate door takes us up a boxed in set of stairs into our flat.

Putting lighting into our entry stairs has proven rather, err, problematic. I haven't managed to electrocute myself trying to fit traditional lights, but it can only be a matter of time...

Of course, something different could come along and change things.

That happened yesterday. marypcb and I are planning on putting in a new set of office shelves, and went along to Ikea to buy one section to try out. It was sale time, and they were clearing out some of the Christmas lighting.

That's when we saw it. Several metres of electroluminescent wire (with mains transformer) for a crazy price - only £1.99. I had no idea what I would do with it, but it was the shiny. I had to have it.

Back home, we played with the two battery powered short lengths we picked up at the same time, and realised just how bright it got. We plugged in the mains-powered section, and found it glowed with an intense blue-white light. It truly was the shiny at work.

marypcb had a brainwave - use the wire to light the stairs...

So, armed with that long length of mains-powered electroluminescent wire, a nearby plug and a gap in the floorboards, we set to work. All it took was an hour with a hammer and some cable grips (and the help of a tall downstairs neighbour for the final fitting).

We now have a rather attractive and rather different lighting source for the stairs. Not so bright as to dazzle, but more than enough to stop people from killing themselves on their way out of the house.

Result!