What is a LED Tube Light?

For an auto show in New York, it makes sense that one of the cars everyone's most interested in is a cab. Specifically, the Nissan "Taxi Of Tomorrow" re-revealed yesterday. And while the design is novel (at least from the perspective of the old Crown Vics), almost everything in it is immediately understandable to cab riders. Except for that little UFO on the roof.

The UFO's invaded and taken over the old-school yellowing-plastic-with-one-12V-bulb taxi "in service" light. The new unit has been given a great deal of thought, which is appropriate, since this unsung little bit of lighting equipment is actually very important to the lives of New Yorkers.

Originally, Nissan's designers wanted the roof-mounted unit to do all kinds of things, including turn indicators and trouble lights. It ended up doing two jobs.

The first job is to let you know if the cab is in service or not. This seems a simple job, but current cabs use a variety of methods, including illuminated "out of service" lights that are really pretty confusing, even to seasoned New Yorkers. Nissan's solution is to only illuminate the white LED tube light and the taxi's number if it's available. Easy. It's on, you can hail it, it's off, don't bother. No more trying to read a light across the street in the rain.

The other function is a novel one, and one most of us may have never considered: a horn accountability light. Noise pollution is a big deal, and a taxi can be a one-man annoyance machine with the right combination of impatient, over-caffeinated cabbie and loud horn. The new Nissan cab's roof unit illuminates special bright yellow lights at the corners whenever the horn is used. This way, pedestrians or residents can tell exactly who the jackass is who's laying on his horn so damn much.

Speaking of horn annoyances, Nissan is still working with the city of New York to find the optimal horn tone, in what sounds like a state-of-the-art annoyance lab. The development of an ideal non-annoying car horn will be a watershed moment that we'll all be telling our children about.

The Danish company QEES provides energy efficient smart home solutions, such as switches, dimmers, remote controls etc.. In Frankfurt, QEES will be presenting new products such as the remote control MyKey. This enables personalised control in smart-home networks and it fits on any key ring. With four buttons available on the user interface, different home automation scenarios can be created.

Additionally, the Reto Shell switch offers control of lights and other lighting installations. The Reto Shell Dimmer can make all energy-saving, halogen and LED lights dimmable. Both devices can be installed retrospectively and are also available as plug-in devices for power sockets. All Reto shell solutions have a built-in energy consumption meter.

Could your 'green bulb' cause cancer?
Even as the European Union works to phase out traditional incandescent lights by the end of the year in an attempt to rein in carbon emission, a report from scientists working at Berlin's Alab laboratory has refuelled apprehensions over the carcinogenic implications of energy saving devices, bulbs in particular.
The report indicates that energy saving compact fluorescent lamps released several cancer-causing chemicals such as phenol, naphthalene and styrene in a form of steam as they were switched on. Consequently, the researchers have advised against the use of these lamps in close proximity of the human head and body, for example as a night lamp for reading.

Andreas Kirchner, from the Federation of German Engineers, advocated against the use of the bulbs in unventilated areas or in the proximity of the head, citing the risks posed by a kind of electrical smog that develops around the lighted bulbs.

Incidentally, this is not the first time that fears have been expressed over the health hazards associated with the use of CFL; it has already been established that these green bulbs if broken release potentially harmful amounts of Mercury. Early in 2008 doctors from the British Association of Dermatologists had said that environmentally friendly bulbs could exacerbate existing skin conditions in many patients and even lead to skin cancer. A biologist from the Haifa University in Israel is also known to have warned about increased risks of breast cancer from exposure to energy efficient bulbs.

However, the most recent research from Germany needs to be backed up with more independent research before sounding a blanket warning against use of such lighting. Most of the released substances identified are anyway used in a wide variety of common uses and it would be important to establish the intensity or duration of exposure that could trigger carcinogenic reaction. Phenol, for example, when ingested in high concentrations could kill, but is used in small doses in a lot of every day chemicals, from mouth washes to strong disinfectants.

The German agency for environmental protection has already issued a warning against mass hysteria. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) of the UK also maintains: "Energy efficient light bulbs are not a danger to the public. Like many household products, they must be disposed of sensibly and there are suitable facilities available for this purpose. Although they contain mercury, limited at 5mg per lamp, it cannot escape from a lamp that is intact. In any case, the very small amount contained in an energy efficient bulb is unlikely to cause harm even if the lamp should be broken."

We are a year away from the mayoral election and it is already clear that the Tube is going to be a huge issue.

This morning the accusations and counter accusations have been flying.

Labour and Ken Livingstone issued this press release - focusing on Tube performance and in particular the problematic Jubilee Line upgrade:

New figures show Tube delays getting worse
 
Following the publication of new monthly Tube performance figures by Transport for London (TfL) which show delays increasing across the underground network Ken Livingstone and Val Shawcross AM have called on Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson to, 'get a grip of the daily delays and disruption on the tube'.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has begun a special inspection at the Cooper Nuclear Station to review the circumstances surrounding a maintenance procedure that led to unplanned radiation exposures to three workers.


The incident occurred on April 3, when workers led tube removed a long tube contaminated with highly radioactive material through the bottom of the reactor vessel, rather than through the top as is usually done, triggering radiation alarms. The workers set the tube down and immediately left the area. The licensee does not believe the workers received radiation exposures in excess of NRC limits.


The plant is operated by the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD).


Inspectors, who began their work April 11, will look at the circumstances and decision-making by NPPD officials that led to the exposures, review the licensee’s response to the event, calculate the exposures the workers received and review corrective actions taken to prevent a recurrence.


“We want to understand why normal work practices were not followed, resulting in unplanned radiation exposures to three workers,” said Region IV Administrator Elmo E. Collins.


The team consisting of two NRC inspectors will write an inspection report on their findings within 45 days of the end of the inspection.

Vibe LED tubes from ANL Lighting provide an ideal alternative to fluorescent tubes as they are a more efficient and environmentally friendly way of lighting.

LED lights offer reduced operating costs over their long life thanks to their efficiency. LED does not contain the harmful mercury and phosphorus that is found in fluorescent lights, which makes LED lights even more environmentally friendly.

Replaceable adapters are provided on all Vibe LED tubes lights, achieving a projected lifetime of approximately 80,000 hours, helping to save an extra 50% on replacement costs.

Phillip Hill, Vibe Director, explained, “When the driver eventually fails, instead of having to replace the entire LED tube, you need only to replace the adaptor. This makes the Vibe LED Tube the most economical and cost effective option for replacing standard fluorescent tubes.”

One key advantage of LED tube lighting is that it will not flicker like fluorescent tubes. Flicker and glare can impact learning and the ability to concentrate while also causing headaches. Although humans cannot see fluorescent lights flicker, the sensory system can. LED tubes operate a constant colour output resulting in no flicker.

LED tube lighting is ideal for used in schools, offices, retail stores and other applications where the consumer is looking for a long-lasting, green alternative to fluorescent lighting.

Vibe LED tube lights are available in a wide range of colour temperatures and wattage options. Colour options include; Warm White, Pure White, Daylight White and Cool White, while the length and wattage options include; 600mm (9w), 1200mm (18w) and 1500mm (22w).

FZLED T8 LED Tube Lights Now Available - with Newly Innovated Dimming Functionality


FZLED, maker of high-performance LED lighting products, today releases their new line of T8 LED Tube Lights. Available in two sizes, two feet (58cm and 60cm) and four feet (120cm), these high-performance LED tube lights are direct replacements for traditional T8 tubes and fit standard G13 sockets with an AC voltage range of 90-264V. FZLED's commitment to R&D has enabled them to incorporate a creative dimming function into their T8 LED Tube Lights. This built-in feature allows the Tube Lights to function at 12%, 25%, 50%, and 100% of light intensity. The desired level of brightness is selected by pressing the on/off power switch multiple times. Uniquely designed dimming functionality, easy installation, and energy savings over fifty-percent make this new line of LED products ideal for residential, commercial, and industrial use.

“We are very proud of these new T8 LED Tube Lights. As the first company in the LED industry to incorporate switching dimmable IC technology into an indoor lighting product, FZLED is further demonstrating our commitment to innovation and exceptional quality.” - Alan Lin, CEO, FZLED

Both sizes of the T8 LED Tube Lights are available with or without FZLED's newly innovated dimming function. Requiring no starters and with no need to remove traditional ballasts the FZLED T8 Tube Lights can be used by consumers immediately, without complicated installations. With lifetimes of at least 35,000 hours these high-quality LED lighting products are excellent for indoor, architectural, flood, and mood lighting.

Using Liteon 5050 SMD LEDs, the two foot long T8 LED Tube Light uses 12 watts of power and produces up to 850 luminous flux (lm) while the four foot long T8 LED Tube Light uses 22 watts and produces up to 1700 lm. Both sizes are available with bright 6000K CCT, softer 4000K CCT, or softest 3000K CCT. With high power-conversion ratios, replacing traditional T8 tubes with FZLED's T8 LED Tube Lights can provide over fifty-percent in energy savings. Emitting no harmful UV or IR rays, using no mercury, and with significantly reduced CO2 emissions, compared to traditional T8 tubes, FZLED's T8 LED Tube Lights are eco-friendly and a lighting solution that users can feel good about.

These high-quality T8 LED Tube Lights are currently available in Taiwan and Singapore. FZLED is excited to build relationships with more distribution partners in order to provide consumers around the world with their innovative, energy-saving, and high-performance lighting solutions.