Products You Never Knew Existed

[Gravdigr]

Yeah, I only fell across the pic on the interwebs.

What better reason than chocolate to go to WallyWorld?

[xoxoxoBruce]

To be fair, you may not have known they existed because they didn't. At least not this style/configuration, although there have been other attempts at it.

They must be safe, they only do 12 mph(19.3 kph). Ever walk in to a door, wall, or other stationary object? Of course you have, everybody has, and it hurt, didn't it. Now how fast do you think you were moving?

Wiki says,

In the absence of significant external factors, humans tend to walk at about 1.4 m/s (5.0 km/h; 3.1 mph).[1][2][3] Although humans are capable of walking at speeds upwards of 2.5 m/s (9.0 km/h; 5.6 mph),

Yeah yeah, Usain Bolt did 44.7 km/h (14.4m/s, 27.78 mph), but if he'd run into a telephone pole, fugetaboutit. Even if you manage to avoid stationary objects, and god forbid, moving objects , there's also the pavement crack/pothole/stick trip-up. Calculating the skin loss vs speed would take a super computer because of all the variables. Maybe NASA would do it since tw told me they aren't doing science anymore.



I figure that $700 price tag breaks down to the inventor(patent holder) gets $10, and the manufacturer gets $10. Figure another $10 for the various transportation ships and trucks. The importer/wholesaler gets $20, and $50 to the retailer, because in this case it's a high end outfit. that leaves $599.95 for liability lawyers and Insurance salesmen.

[Lamplighter]

OK, but what is the learning curve on those things ? Flat, on your ...

[Gravdigr]

I used to work in a warehouse, and we used these little carts called a Taylor-Dunn.

Here's one:



We used them for hauling orders, and pulling little 4x8 foot trailers for larger orders. Anyway, ours were governed to 7.5 mph, top speed. I was on one whose brakes decided to go away, and I stepped off the thing into a low riding shelf, at 7.5 mph.

Wasn't a disaster, but, it wasn't the most fun I ever had.

Pass on the 12 mph skates.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

OK, but what is the learning curve on those things ? Flat, on your ...

I get from the text, you lower the toe end of your foot to go and the heel to stop. This is accomplished through a pivot plate, probably under your arch. The effect would be using the pivot of your ankle to go and stop while your body is balancing from the ankle pivot up. It doesn't look like it could have a very long throttle throw so sensitive to small movement. I'm sure a coordinated person with exceptional balance could master smooth operation in mere years. But on the feet of a ballet dancer habitually standing in one of the five positions, aggressive throttles would be dangerous.

[glatt]

"Filament" LED light bulb are the future, but here today. The price just needs to come down a little bit. These things are freaking awesome!

I bought one of these LED filament bulbs to try it out. Not cheap. $15.50, but free shipping.

It came in a plain unmarked box in a padded envelope. The bulb was in a protective plastic clam shell. No brand name that I can see.



Comparing the LED filament bulb side by side with an incandescent bulb.



And here it is in the fixture, with the dimmer at 100%. On the left is a 40 watt incandescent. In the middle is a 4 watt Filament LED, and on the right is a 60 watt incandescent. To my eye, in person, it looks as bright as the 60 watt bulb.



Here's a very underexposed close up of the LED light. You can sort of see in individual LEDs under the filament's coating.



And I noticed with the lamp shades on that the LED's 4 filaments effectively eliminate the shadows caused by the lampshade wire clamps that grab the bulb. Those shadows are visible on the incandescent lamp shade.



And finally, I took a video of the dimming.



The LED bulb is listed as 2600K, but it seems just a little bit whiter than the incandescent bulbs at 100% power. And as you dim the lights, the incandescents go yellow, but the LED keeps its color.

I like this bulb. It's expensive, but I ordered 4 more. It will take the Dining Room light from 220 total watts (with a mixture of 40 and 60 watt bulbs) and reduce it to 20 total watts. I don't know how long it will take for these to pay for themselves. I suppose I should have calculated that before ordering 4 more, but that would have involved tracking down a power bill and doing the calculations.

[Gravdigr]

It must have been a real hoot to watch happen, though.

[Undertoad]

I was not aware these products existed, and I have just been all over Home Depot recently trying to work out which curliecues to buy.

Good documentin' g-dogg

[xoxoxoBruce]

Excellent report. I think the price will have to come down more than a little bit, but It apparently doesn't need a special dimmer like some LED bulbs, which is a big plus. You didn't say where you found it.

[glatt]

there are several of these on Amazon.
I got this one
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LD9SN2O/...I3QLPCDV1FPCR0

It appears the name brand companies don't have the patent situation figured out yet, so it's small Chinese outfits selling them.

I'm really impressed with this bulb. A technology I hadn't seen before. They come in all sizes, but I was only interested in the chandelier kind.

[Beest]

so if your saving 200 watts, that's 5 hours of use = 1 KWh.

A quick google says the national average in 2011 was 12c per KWh, it was 13.0 in Michigan i don't think it has gone up that much since then.

So to save $60 at 12c for each 5 hours = 2500 hours of use.

To recoup the cost in one year they would have to be on nearly 7 hours a day 365 days a year, so it depnds where they are.
We have plenty of lights, kitchen hallway, landing that get at least 5 hours even in the summer
That's just to recoup in 1 year, at 2011 electricity prices, LED's are supoosed to last 10+ years so plenty of time.

One my issues with LED's currently is that they only commnly availble to 60 watt equivalent, with some 75's. We like bright lighting, I want 100 watters. One thing I like about compact flourescent is you can out a 100 watt equivalent in a fitting that says '60W max'.

[glatt]

The 100 watt bulbs are coming. They exist already, but the cheap ones have poor reliability because they put out so much heat, they cook themselves, and the expensive ones are good but are $20-$25 each.

But check Amazon for 100 watt LEDs. They are out there. Philips has a new one with good reviews.

[classicman]

Ever since they made incandescent bulbs illegal, I've been struggling with lighting in my house. As I age, my sight is getting awful.
I guess I could try replacing my $3 incandescent bulbs with some $45 LED's.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by classicman

Ever since they made incandescent bulbs illegal,

This is a joke, right?

Because they can have my incandescent bulbs when they pry them from my 2nd degree burned, dead fingers.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by classicman

Ever since they made incandescent bulbs illegal, --snip

Really? Reeeeaaalllly?