Awesome Led

Make: author Caleb Kraft came across this nifty plaything by Mike’s Electric Stuff, which uses sensors and a cylindrical grid of LEDs that simulate falling snow or sand as it’s flipped end-over-end. Mike needs to turn this thing into a toy you can buy. He’d sell thousands.

Digital Habits shares a concept for a pendant lighting fixture which is capable of detecting the predominant color of the surface beneath it, then changing its own color to match. It may not have much practical application, but it’s still a really cool design.

This accent light can be used either a wall- or table-mounted, and displays colorful light animations which spread from its perimeter into the toroidal pattern in its center. Made from CNC machined maple wood with an etched acrylic top. Comes in 12″, 18″ and 24″ sizes.

If you thought the LED flashlight you bought was bright, wait til you get a load of this thing. Matt of DIY Perks recently got their hands on a $500, 500-watt LED module from YUJILEDs, unboxed it, then connected it to a power source to show off just how intense its beam is.

An absolutely stunning retrofuturist timepiece, featuring four miniature Soviet-era Nixie tubes for its display. The circuitry is housed in a body milled from a block of aluminum, and can activate automatically when you turn your wrist. Includes a wireless wooden charging stand.

Like the Nanoleaf Aurora, LIFX’s new Tile is a set of flat LED tiles. Each tile emits up to 420 lumens and is dimmable down to 1%. Each tile also has 64 individual zones, which lets you program smooth animated color-changing effects. The set comes with five tiles.

10KLumen shows off a super cool build – a slick replica of the headgear that Jay Kay wore in the music video for Automaton. It lights up, changes colors, and even has moving spikes. Learn how you can win one of the helmets on their Facebook page. (Thanks Victor!)

The makers of the Luminoodle made a doubly useful USB power bank. The Pronto has 13 dimmable LEDs wrapped around its edges, so you can use it as a lantern in a pinch. It has a 10,000mAh battery and two 2.4A USB charging ports.

Created by Ukraine designers The Elray, this sweet ambient desk lamp is crafted from interlocking circles cut from plywood, with energy efficient LED light strips set along the interior loops. Measures appx 9.8″ x 9″, and available in brown or black finishes.

A useful upgrade to the common keychain, this zinc alloy tool includes a pair of key rings, along with a bottle opener, an LED flashlight, and a clip for belt loops or bags. Available in black nickel or silver finishes.

A great writing instrument when you need to write in a darkened location without impacting your night vision. This tactical pen has got a red LED for illumination at the tip, a non-reflective metal barrel, and comes with a pressurized ink cartridge that writes in all conditions.

We’ve got Striker’s awesome LED lights in our garage, and they do a fantastic job. They’re super bright, adjustable, and have a motion sensor built in. We’re giving away one to a lucky reader ($129 value), and everyone gets 20% off with promo code AWESOME at the Striker shop.

A waterproof lantern you can take anywhere thanks to its inflatable design. It squishes down almost flat, and when filled with air, its body diffuses light. A built-in solar panel lets it charge when you don’t have a USB power source around. Available with white or RGB LEDs.

Light up your room with efficient LED bulbs which can set the mood in millions of different colors. The companion smartphone app can control up to 32 bulbs via Bluetooth, and offers scheduling and countdown timer features. Save 44% on a 2-pack in The Awesomer Shop.

All Things LED, the same guys who brought us that slick light-up backsplash have applied their sensibilities to standalone furniture, creating these cube-shaped side tables which can display bright and colorful animations.

Are you tired of the plain old tile behind your kitchen sink? Then look no further than All Things LED’s slick setup, which can display video along the walls under cabinets, providing both a source of accent light, and a cool display worthy of a sports arena.

This versatile portable light works as both a flashlight and a collapsible lantern, and packs a 3200 mAh rechargeable battery for juicing up gadgets. It has two brightness modes, and a strobe mode, and has magnets and hooks on its lid for hanging.

The QcK Prism only features colorful RGB LED illumination, and has two different surfaces, cloth on one side for friction, and a smooth-gliding polymer on the other. The 12 LED zones can be programmed to display colors based on in-game events like low health or ammo.

A stunning modern take on the bare lightbulb – the Plumen 003 has a warmly-hued, dimmable LED light source, wrapped in a glass bubble with a faceted gold-toned reflector. The result is beautiful hanging fixture that needs no shade. Available exclusively from MoMA.

Unlike other desk lamps, this one runs without a power outlet, so you can bring it with you on the road. Its 4000mAh rechargeable battery pack doubles as a USB charger with dual ports, and its 21 LEDs can be adjusted to five brightness levels.

This battery-powered lantern provides a bright, directional light source which can be stood up, flipped over, or hung from above. In addition to its quick-charger microUSB port, it can be juiced up via its three solar panels. Offers two brightness modes, plus an SOS flashing mode.

Designer Siyu Lou’s wall-mounted lighting fixture is designed to provide a warm glow reminiscent of sunlight streaming through a window. Its pull-down shade design lets you change the amount of surface being lit, or even bend it where the wall meets your desktop.

Kyle McCabe shows off a neat prototype he put together a few years back – a car brake light that gets wider and brighter as more brake force is applied. A simple, yet smart idea we’d love to see go into production vehicles.