18 December 2013

Flattening the lightbulb

Kirsten Korosec has a SmartPlanet article about the latest technology from Philips:
Philips has given the lowly lightbulb a makeover. Instead of the cylindrical shape synonymous with lightbulbs for the past hundred years, this new version is flat.
The so-called SlimStyle is a 10.5-watt LED bulb that emits light at a brightness equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent. It has a lifespan of 25,000 hours, or about twenty-two years, and reduces energy use by 85 percent, Philips said.
The bulb will be available on HomeDepot.com beginning on 2 January 2014, around the same time the final phase of the Energy Independence and Security Act, which places efficiency standards on sixty-watt incandescent bulbs, goes into effect.
The energy efficiency specs, which are similar to those found in many modern LEDs, are not what makes the bulb standout. It's the novel design.  But this isn't design, for design sake. There's a purpose to the flatness. Philips flattened it to help pull heat away from the LEDs, eliminating the need for heavy aluminum heat sinks, which in turn, reduces the cost of the bulb. 
Rico says it's brilliant (pun intended), but it's gonna fuck up the whole lampshade industry...

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