Hi folks! I'm excited to say that I have a new intro video for my landing page. My friend Chris Whitmore shot and edited this piece. This is basically an intro for a longer segment that will be coming along in a few weeks. Mainly I wanted a quick hook for the landing page, not to explain everything in detail, but to give people a feel for what is going on. Hope you like it and don't forget to leave feedback!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Use Case: Bake bread with an Alpha (sort of)
People often ask why they "need" a flashlight. In my mind, flashlights are intended for those times when you don't know what you'll need it for. Take this example. My friend Jon sent me the photo below. He and his wife bought a bread maker and quickly realized that, despite the glass top, you couldn't really see what was going on in there. Now, if you didn't have a flashlight, you'd probably just accept the fact that you couldn't see inside and live with it. In this case dark doesn't suck, it's just lame :)
Why aren't good flashlights more popular? Most people have never seen a state-of-the-art flashlight. Flashlights have been around since the late 1800's and most modern flashlights still use the same bulbs and the same batteries. No joke. It's hard to seek out something you don't even know exists. I didn't like flashlights before I started making them, and I quickly realized I never cared about flashlights because I'd never seen a good one. Modern LED flashlights are unimaginably better than that thing you keep in your junk drawer for emergencies.
Do you need a car? No, but it makes it easier to get around. Do you need a blender? No, but it makes it easier to turn chunky stuff into smooth stuff. So, do you need a flashlight? No, but it sure makes it easier to see in the dark.
Why aren't good flashlights more popular? Most people have never seen a state-of-the-art flashlight. Flashlights have been around since the late 1800's and most modern flashlights still use the same bulbs and the same batteries. No joke. It's hard to seek out something you don't even know exists. I didn't like flashlights before I started making them, and I quickly realized I never cared about flashlights because I'd never seen a good one. Modern LED flashlights are unimaginably better than that thing you keep in your junk drawer for emergencies.
Do you need a car? No, but it makes it easier to get around. Do you need a blender? No, but it makes it easier to turn chunky stuff into smooth stuff. So, do you need a flashlight? No, but it sure makes it easier to see in the dark.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
I Recommend: PIAA wiper blades will change your life...
Bold title right? I'm not joking around though. PIAA wiper blades will change your life. There, I said it twice. Sometimes when I'm zooming down the freeway surrounded by a sea of cars going 80, I wonder how so many people manage to successfully pilot a vehicle when it takes so little for all of it to go wrong. Then it rains...the veil between order and chaos draws a bit thinner. Suddenly those little things you've been ignoring are (in the case of wiper blades) staring you right in the face. People ignore their wipers until it's too late...and at that point its often dangerous.
Put on some PIAA wipers and you will actually look forward to driving in a downpour. Once again, I'm not joking around. PIAA wipers arent just going to work well because they are new. Any wipers work well when the are new. The magic of the PIAA wiper (I know this is going to sound like infomercial BS...but it's not) is it actually conditions your windshield to repel water like a duck's back.
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| Buy the standard PIAA Super Silicone wipers. DO NOT buy the fancy new types...they screwed up the engineering and the wiper will not touch the windshield with even pressure and that causes streaks! |
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
It's official, Dark Sucks is now Prometheus Lights
Don't worry though. My tag line still says Dark Sucks! Thanks so much to everyone who voted. It makes my process a lot more fun and I hope you enjoy the fact that you get to participate in the creation of my venture.
I'm not going to post an image...because you can just look at the header of this page to see the winning logo/text combination. It was actually a pretty close race. In retrospect, it occurs to me that maybe the choices were just too similar, but hey, it's still a result :)
The paperwork for the name is still being processed but I thought I'd at least change the name on the blog to break in the new branding and see how it sits with me...and you. Thanks again!
I'm not going to post an image...because you can just look at the header of this page to see the winning logo/text combination. It was actually a pretty close race. In retrospect, it occurs to me that maybe the choices were just too similar, but hey, it's still a result :)
The paperwork for the name is still being processed but I thought I'd at least change the name on the blog to break in the new branding and see how it sits with me...and you. Thanks again!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
VIDEO: Drop testing the Alpha
I guess I forgot to post the YouTube video from a while ago...so here it is! I hosted a Candlepower Forums gathering at my shop a few months ago. Just to spice things up I asked everyone in attendance to help me drop test one of my lights. I'd never actually done this before so it was pretty frightening to do in front of a crowd. Makes for good TV though right?
So as you can see, after 37 drops and some pretty massive hits, the tailcap switch broke. Does that mean the light failed? I don't really know. It would still turn on in momentary mode...but the switch would not latch. So, you decide. I think the bottom line is that if your own flashlight ever sees that much abuse...you probably have some other broken stuff that is higher on the priority list.
One other thing to keep in mind is that the McClicky switch is literally the best aftermarket clicky switch that exists. Since my light is designed for easy repair, putting in a new switch is really easy and (if you have strong fingers) can be done completely without tools.
Disclaimer:
This disclaimer is present in order to manage your expectations. Impact is a funny thing and people often have unrealistic expectations with respect to dropping flashlights. For example, in the video above, we dropped the Alpha 37 times and the UCL glass window did not break. I put the light on my bench. When a friend visited the next day I dropped the light from waist high...and the window shattered. Why? Impact is a funny thing.
Flashlights are not meant to be dropped. They are meant to produce light. A good light is engineered in a way that will minimize the statistical probability that something (anything) will break. Engineering is largely balanced by practical considerations like cost and physical size. They key (and the point of my previous anecdote) is that pesky statistical probability. When you drop a light, even from waist high, about a bazillion dice get together to determine the final outcome. Could I make a light that is guaranteed not to break, ever, when dropped from an airplane? Sure, you show me $10,000 and I'll show you an indestructible light. In fact, I'd welcome the challenge :)
I have seen tons of messages on Candlepower Forums where people are irate that they dropped their light, it started working funny, and now they think the light and the entire company are terrible. Do you drop your laptop (or your phone) and then complain to the manufacturer that it broke? No, BECAUSE YOU DROPPED IT. If you drop your light, you should expect it to break. If it doesn't, send the manufacturer a nice letter.
Of course I talked to someone the other day that was really mad at Apple because their iPhone had broken. I said, "What happened to it?" They said, "I dropped it." I had a hard time not saying something really rude in response.
So as you can see, after 37 drops and some pretty massive hits, the tailcap switch broke. Does that mean the light failed? I don't really know. It would still turn on in momentary mode...but the switch would not latch. So, you decide. I think the bottom line is that if your own flashlight ever sees that much abuse...you probably have some other broken stuff that is higher on the priority list.
One other thing to keep in mind is that the McClicky switch is literally the best aftermarket clicky switch that exists. Since my light is designed for easy repair, putting in a new switch is really easy and (if you have strong fingers) can be done completely without tools.
Disclaimer:
This disclaimer is present in order to manage your expectations. Impact is a funny thing and people often have unrealistic expectations with respect to dropping flashlights. For example, in the video above, we dropped the Alpha 37 times and the UCL glass window did not break. I put the light on my bench. When a friend visited the next day I dropped the light from waist high...and the window shattered. Why? Impact is a funny thing.
Flashlights are not meant to be dropped. They are meant to produce light. A good light is engineered in a way that will minimize the statistical probability that something (anything) will break. Engineering is largely balanced by practical considerations like cost and physical size. They key (and the point of my previous anecdote) is that pesky statistical probability. When you drop a light, even from waist high, about a bazillion dice get together to determine the final outcome. Could I make a light that is guaranteed not to break, ever, when dropped from an airplane? Sure, you show me $10,000 and I'll show you an indestructible light. In fact, I'd welcome the challenge :)
I have seen tons of messages on Candlepower Forums where people are irate that they dropped their light, it started working funny, and now they think the light and the entire company are terrible. Do you drop your laptop (or your phone) and then complain to the manufacturer that it broke? No, BECAUSE YOU DROPPED IT. If you drop your light, you should expect it to break. If it doesn't, send the manufacturer a nice letter.
Of course I talked to someone the other day that was really mad at Apple because their iPhone had broken. I said, "What happened to it?" They said, "I dropped it." I had a hard time not saying something really rude in response.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
New Name/Logo: I Need Your Vote! (only six days to vote)
Okay folks, this little project is in a time of transition. As you know, I just did a big overhaul on the website. You might not know that I'm on the edge of a big "all or nothing" marketing push. I'm going to be sending lights out to some big national magazines and top tier blogs. It's pretty hard to do that since I'm going to be flushing a bunch of lights down the toilet, but hopefully one or two will generate some badly needed big press. Yes, it's psychologically difficult to send out a bunch of my (very few) lights to someone who might just throw it in a drawer and never look at it again...but I know I need to suck it up and do it.
Anyway, the last piece I need to put in place (immediately) is becoming a "real" company and incorporating a business. This also means I need a grown up name and a new logo. I was hoping to have you, dear public, pick my new name; but time is not on my side. So I bit the bullet and I'm going with "Prometheus Lights." I hope it doesn't suck...too late now anyway. In case you don't know, Prometheus is the Greek titan that stole the secret of fire from the gods and gave it to man. Of course he was severely punished for this but let's just ignore that part of the story for the moment. In Greek, the name also means "forethought" which seems appropriate in light of Wired Magazine's latest article on the future of LED lighting.
I was also hoping to have you, dear public, help me pick from a variety of logos I've been working on; but that pesky time thing is still a problem. I need to have all this sorted...say, in the next week. So, I spent a few days beating myself up about my lack of community engagement in the business design process, but here we are.
What I need your help with now, is the final refinement! I've provided 4 versions for your viewing pleasure. Which one do you like the best?
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| It's kind of like dating...hey, call me back...okay? |
I was also hoping to have you, dear public, help me pick from a variety of logos I've been working on; but that pesky time thing is still a problem. I need to have all this sorted...say, in the next week. So, I spent a few days beating myself up about my lack of community engagement in the business design process, but here we are.
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| Click this image to see a full size version |
Friday, September 23, 2011
Wired Magazine agrees with me: LEDs are the future
Check out the latest edition of Wired and their article on LED lighting. About time someone with sway picked up this story! I don't know if this will have any effect on industry (or my business) but I have to imagine that greater public awareness can only help.
Honestly I'm not sure why it's taking so long for companies with millions of dollars in development funds to make a decent LED light bulb. Liquid cooling is a pretty cool idea. That's one reason why the first flashlight I ever made was liquid filled. No, I'm not smart enough to come up with that on my own. My computer uses liquid cooling and there is a lot of research around "submersion cooling" of of power electronics.
One thing I am curious about is how they are keeping the liquid filled bulb from exploding when it heats up. I calculated that my liquid filled light would exert over 700PSI of pressure with each 10(F) rise in temperature. I had a couple of solutions to this but maybe I shouldn't share them yet. Hey "Switch", give me a call. I hear you are down the road. Anyway, the linked article below is worth a read.
"The future of light is the LED" -- Wired Magazine"
"Brett Sharenow is presidingover the Pepsi Challenge of lightbulbs. The CFO of Switch, a Silicon Valley startup, Sharenow has set himself up in a 20-by-20 booth at the back of the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, and he’s asking passersby to check out two identical white shades. Behind one hides a standard incandescent bulb, the familiar lighting technology that has gone largely unchanged since Thomas Edison invented it 132 years ago. Behind the other is a stunning, almost art- deco-style prototype that holds 10 LEDs and a secret fluid. It’s a liquid-cooled bulb, as radically different from Edison’s invention as anything that’s ever been screwed into a standard socket and, Sharenow hopes, the next big thing in the $30 billion lighting industry. The challenge: Can you tell which is which?"
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| Wired must have some budget for cool photography: this image is from their article |
One thing I am curious about is how they are keeping the liquid filled bulb from exploding when it heats up. I calculated that my liquid filled light would exert over 700PSI of pressure with each 10(F) rise in temperature. I had a couple of solutions to this but maybe I shouldn't share them yet. Hey "Switch", give me a call. I hear you are down the road. Anyway, the linked article below is worth a read.
"The future of light is the LED" -- Wired Magazine"
"Brett Sharenow is presidingover the Pepsi Challenge of lightbulbs. The CFO of Switch, a Silicon Valley startup, Sharenow has set himself up in a 20-by-20 booth at the back of the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, and he’s asking passersby to check out two identical white shades. Behind one hides a standard incandescent bulb, the familiar lighting technology that has gone largely unchanged since Thomas Edison invented it 132 years ago. Behind the other is a stunning, almost art- deco-style prototype that holds 10 LEDs and a secret fluid. It’s a liquid-cooled bulb, as radically different from Edison’s invention as anything that’s ever been screwed into a standard socket and, Sharenow hopes, the next big thing in the $30 billion lighting industry. The challenge: Can you tell which is which?"
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