The global rise in nearsightedness has largely been attributed to our phone addiction, but researchers now suggest that incessant scrolling is not solely to blame.
A team of scientists from the SUNY College of Optometry found that dim indoor lighting, combined with prolonged, up-close focus, may be straining the eyes. The study, published in Cell Reports, suggests that myopia, or nearsightedness, is not aggravated solely by the use of personal devices.
Up close and dark
Nearsightedness has been rapidly increasing across the world, with current estimates suggesting that it will affect nearly 50% of the global population by 2050. Shortsighted people have slightly stretched eyeballs, making it difficult to focus on distant objects.
Although the increasing number of shortsighted people has largely been linked to excessive use of our phones, the new study suggests it’s not that simple. Instead, focusing on objects up close in low-light environments strains the retina.
“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” Urusha Maharjan, SUNY Optometry doctoral student and lead author of the study, said in a statement. “When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets, or books, the pupil can also constrict, not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image. In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”
Prolonged focus on objects in dim lighting further enhances this pupil constriction, especially for people who are already nearsighted.
Squint season
Myopia may develop when insufficient light reaches the retina during prolonged close focus in dim indoor environments, according to the new study. When the light is too dim, it causes the pupils to narrow excessively at short viewing distances, making it difficult to develop normal vision.
On the other hand, in brightly lit environments, the pupil constricts in response to light rather than focusing distance, maintaining healthy stimulation of the retina.
The theory is speculative and requires further testing to confirm. If it holds up, however, it could have significant implications for preventing nearsightedness. “This is not a final answer,” Jose-Manuel Alonso, a professor at SUNY and co-author of the study, said in a statement. “But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting, and eye focusing interact.”
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly made note of reading glasses. The condition described here is myopia, which requires glasses for distance.
Whether you’re refreshing a space you’ve lived in for years, or settling into a brand new home, one thing is certain: lighting matters. It’s an often-overlooked detail; many assume that any setup will do, only to later realise the results fall short of their expectations.
The wrong lighting can affect both the function and feel of your home. You can avoid this common pitfall by giving your lighting choices the attention they deserve from the start. Read more about the importance of good lighting here.
So, how do you choose the right modern home lighting solutions for your property? There are certainly some important factors that you will have to consider. The tips in this article will help you figure out what to keep in mind and which steps to take in order to get the best lighting solutions for your home.
Click here to learn about some mistakes you may want to avoid with your home lighting in general.
1. Think about your overall style and preferences
Before anything else, take time to consider the overall style of your home – along with your personal taste. The last thing you want is to look up one day and realise you can’t stand the lighting design you chose.
It’s surprisingly common for people to rush this step, overlooking how their choices align with the space or their own style. The result? Light fixtures that feel out of place and disrupt the flow of the interior. To avoid that, make sure your lighting choices reflect both your preferences and the character of your home.
2. Consider the purpose of the space
Next, consider the purpose of the space, and more specifically, the purpose of the lighting within it. Not all rooms serve the same function, and your lighting choices should reflect that.
For instance, some areas will benefit from ambient lighting to provide overall illumination, while others may require task lighting for specific activities like cooking or reading. Accent lighting can also be used to highlight architectural features or decor elements. Thoughtfully layering these types of lighting will ensure each room is both functional and visually appealing.
3. Check the lighting quality
Whether you’ve chosen downlights, pendants, linear fixtures, spotlights, or a combination of styles – which is often the case – it’s essential to focus on quality.
To assess that, consider key factors like brightness, colour temperature, and whether the fixtures offer dimming capabilities. These elements should be selected not only based on your personal preferences, but also in harmony with the overall design of your home and the specific function of each room.
4. Consider the proportions of the space and the fixtures
It’s also important to consider the size of your space. Getting the proportions right between the room and the lighting fixtures is key to achieving a balanced look.
When selecting modern home lighting solutions, make sure the fixtures are appropriately scaled for the area they’re intended for. The good news? With so many options available, finding the right size to suit your space and style shouldn’t be a problem.
5. Don’t forget energy efficiency
Energy efficiency is another key factor you shouldn’t overlook. While it’s important for your lighting fixtures to look great, they should also offer practical benefits, like helping to lower your electricity bill.
Choosing energy-efficient options ensures your lighting not only enhances your home’s style but also delivers long-term savings.
6. Find the right supplier
Finally, take the time to research different lighting suppliers carefully. You want to work with a provider that offers high-quality products at fair prices.
Explore a range of suppliers, compare their products and pricing, and don’t forget to assess the overall service quality. Reading online reviews from previous customers is a great way to gauge a supplier’s reputation and reliability before making a decision.
What’s your top tip for choosing modern home lighting?
Thunderstorms moved across Northern California Tuesday morning, bringing lightning strikes across the region that are suspected of sparking fires.
KCRA 3 viewers shared photos and videos of the captivating light shows. Meanwhile, a powerful wind event knocked out power to thousands in parts of Sacramento County.
More thunderstorms capable of producing heavy rain, frequent lightning and small hail are possible on afternoons in the Sierra and Foothills through Thursday, Meteorologist Kelly Curran said.
Downlights in a landscape will focus attention exactly where you need it at night, with minimal light pollution from glare and excessive brightness. By pointing toward your feet, downlights make it safer to walk on dark paths without creating skyglow, which obscures the stars overhead and disorients migrating birds.
Are you looking for discreet downlights to mount on an outdoor wall, in a stairwell, or at the edge of a path? Here are 10 stylish sconces that won’t create light pollution.
Above: For our money, this is the most beautiful downlight currently on the market. The clay ORCA x Ceramicah Sconce is $935 and available in two colors (buckwheat and manzanita, pictured) at ORCA Living. Above: Hot dipped in molten zinc during manufacture, St. Ives Mast Light (also featured in the photo at top) is impervious to the effects of weather. Rated for all outdoor uses (including coastal locations), it is £40 at Garden Trading. Above: From Belgium-based Tekna’s Nautic collection, an LED Spreaderlight in sand-casted brass with frosted glass is available in a variety of other finishes as well; from £489.
Logitech’s Litra Beam LX is an all-in-one lighting solution for people who frequently stream or have video calls. Its front LED illuminates your face while preserving your skin tone. The rear RGB LED, on the other hand, is great for accent lighting. It has buttons for customization, and can also be controlled via Bluetooth or through Logitech’s desktop app.
Fancyleds’ Fancy Sync Box has everything you need to enjoy ambient LED lighting on your TV. The receiver is available in single or three-port variants, with the latest model able to sync up to three HDMI 2.1 devices to the included LED strip. It supports up to 4K/120Hz output, variable refresh rate, as well as HDR, Dolby Vision, and Atmos.
Once the sun sets in the Pico-Union area, workers and residents approach the streets with trepidation. Here, and in other parts of Los Angeles, copper-wire thieves have stripped them of their sense of safety.
“I had a guy pull a gun on me one night,” said Albert Robles, owner of Robles Carburetors, at Hoover and West 18th streets. Emboldened, he believes, by the cover of darkness, the man was breaking into a car and didn’t want any interference from Robles.
At the Domino’s across the street, Luis Rojas has worked for three years delivering pizzas. Nowadays, he says, fellow pizza delivery drivers are often scared to leave their cars to go knocking on doors along the gloomy corridor of South Union Avenue between Washington and Venice boulevards.
“I used to walk to work,” said Rojas, who lives a brisk 10-minute walk from his employment. Now, it’s frightening. “People can follow you.”
This new layer of fear has become a fact of daily life in Pico-Union, said lifelong resident Aurora Corona. According to locals, entire blocks go dark at night in this L.A. neighborhood that lies west of downtown. One of L.A.’s most densely populated neighborhoods, it is home to about 40,000 people within 1.67 square miles.
The lack of lighting is an issue Corona cares about and part of the reason the retiree joined the Pico-Union Neighborhood Council; she’s secretary and chair of a committee on quality of life and safety.
Pico-Union and the Westlake neighborhood have both been greatly affected by the outages, she said, but noted, “It’s a citywide problem.”
An NBC4 investigation found that of the 223,000 streetlights throughout Los Angeles, 25,000 — or more than 1 in 10 lights — are broken. Vandalism is a problem. Unhoused people sometimes divert power from streetlights to encampments.
“I understand their situation,” said Corona. On Venice Boulevard, she’s seen people living on the streets struggling to stay warm when temperatures drop at night. But rerouting power has caused streetlights to blow out, she said, or even burst into flames.
But the problem of copper-wire theft has skyrocketed. Thieves steal the copper to resell as scrap metal. The Bureau of Street Lighting said theft of copper wire from streetlights rose 800% from 2017 to 2023, NBC reported.
Los Angeles City Council members have been struggling to address copper-wire theft for months, debating whether to levy heavier consequences to deter crime. Thieves absconded with seven miles of copper wire — about $11,000 worth — from the newly rebuilt 6th Street Bridge, plunging the so-called ribbon of light into pitch black last month.
Meanwhile, in the Pico-Union area, Rojas said he’d seen someone — amid the shadows — attempting to break into a car. And he’s noticed that families no longer walk their kids to the nearby Toberman Park and Pico-Union Vest-Pocket Park after the sun goes down.
The Olympic Community Police Station did not respond to The Times’ request for comment on whether crime had increased in the area as the lack of working streetlights plunged streets into darkness. Studies have shown, however, that properly lighted streets can reduce criminal activity.
Yet local residents and business owners have had to wait months on repairs, according to L.A. City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, whose district includes Pico-Union. There have been “delays of over six months for broken streetlights,” she said in a statement.
According to Corona, the city already has spent millions on repairing the damage done to Los Angeles streetlights. But Hernandez says more needs to be spent to “better fund neighborhood services so that our constituents are not left waiting for months for safely lit streets.”
The Bureau of Street Lighting has already attempted different methods of discouraging thefts — camouflaging or better securing electrical boxes. There’s also the option of transitioning to solar power. But those changes “will take at least five years,” Corona said. And in a year where the city is undergoing a budget deficit and cutting city programs, there are many squeaky wheels officials are trying to grease.
“I commend the city for attempting to solve the problem,” said Corona.
Meanwhile, the residents of Pico-Union who are in the dark continue to wait.
It’s easy to overlook the importance of good lighting design. Sure, a few bulbs can give you the light you need to see by, but light is more than just practical illumination. It creates beauty and art in its own…
LED linear pendant lights are quickly becoming a favourite in the world of interior design. Their sleek and modern aesthetic, combined with energy efficiency, make them an ideal choice for homeowners and designers.
These lights are not only stylish but also incredibly versatile. Whether you’re looking to illuminate a kitchen island, dining table, or even a workspace, linear pendant lights can adapt to a wide range of spaces in the home. However, the key to achieving the perfect ambience is choosing the right fixture. The size, style, and placement of the fixture can make a significant difference in the overall appearance and feel of the room.
Where to use LED linear pendant lights?
LED linear pendant lights are not just for one specific room or area in your home; their versatility allows them to be the perfect lighting solution for various spaces. Let’s explore some of the rooms where you can use these fixtures to enhance both the aesthetic appeal and functionality.
Kitchen
The kitchen, often referred to as the heart of the home, serves as a hub of activity, from bustling breakfasts to relaxing dinners. It’s a place where memories are made, and therefore, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere is paramount. One way to achieve this is through carefully selected lighting.
A linear pendant light suspended over the kitchen island can significantly enhance this atmosphere. This type of lighting fixture not only provides ample illumination for various kitchen tasks such as cooking and meal preparation, but it also contributes to the overall ambience of the space.
Dining room
In the heart of your home, the dining room, a well-placed linear pendant light can serve to create an intimate and cosy atmosphere that invites warmth and conviviality.
When thoughtfully positioned over the dining table, this type of lighting becomes more than just a source of illumination. It acts as the perfect enhancement for every meal, illuminating the space and casting a gentle glow on the dishes served. The effect is two-fold. Not only does it highlight your culinary creations, making them appear even more appetising and appealing, but it also sets the stage for comfortable, easy-flowing conversation. In this way, the linear pendant light serves to enhance the overall dining experience, creating memorable moments, whether it’s a simple family dinner or a grand holiday feast.
Living room
In the living room, a strategically placed linear pendant light can provide a soft, comforting glow that significantly enhances the relaxing atmosphere of the room. The subtle light emitted by this fixture can transform the room into a tranquil sanctuary, perfect for unwinding after a long day.
Whether it’s strategically placed over a polished coffee table or a cosy seating area, it can help illuminate the space effectively, creating a well-lit, inviting ambience. This not only facilitates activities like reading your favourite book or watching a captivating TV show but also helps foster an environment for enjoying quality time with family and friends. The right lighting, such as that provided by a linear pendant light, can truly elevate the aesthetic appeal of your living room while simultaneously enhancing its functionality.
Bedroom
Even in the bedroom, linear pendant lighting can add a touch of sophistication. Suspended over a bedside table, it can offer a unique alternative to traditional table lamps, providing ample light for reading while also adding to the room’s design scheme.
Hallways
Hallways often go overlooked when it comes to lighting, but a linear pendant light can help make these spaces feel more welcoming. Casting a gentle light along the corridor can create a sense of depth and space, making your hallways feel less narrow and more inviting.
In summary, LED linear pendant lights can find their place in nearly every room of your house. Their sleek design, combined with their functionality, makes them an excellent choice for those looking to enhance their home’s lighting and decor.
Choosing your perfect LED linear pendant light
When it comes to selecting the perfect LED linear pendant lights, various factors must be considered to ensure the fixture enhances both the aesthetic and functionality of your space. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve compiled a list of crucial aspects to consider.
Size and room shape
The size of your room and its shape are significant factors to consider when selecting your LED linear pendant lights. The fixture’s size should be proportional to the room, neither too large that it overwhelms the space nor too small that it gets lost. A large, open-concept room may require a longer fixture or several fixtures to ensure adequate illumination. In contrast, a smaller room may only require one or two smaller fixtures.
Additionally, the room’s shape also comes into play. For instance, a rectangular pendant light might be best suited for a long, narrow room or over a rectangular dining table, while a round or square fixture may work well in a more square-shaped room.
Style and design
The style and design of the pendant lights should harmonise with the overall style of your room. LED linear pendant lights come in a variety of designs, from sleek and modern to classic and ornate.
Whether your room features a minimalist, rustic, industrial, or other design style, there’s a fixture that can seamlessly blend with your decor while adding a touch of charm. Consider the colour, finish, and material of the fixture. A black or white finish may be suitable for a modern or minimalist room, while a brass or gold finish can add a touch of elegance to a more traditional setting.
Brightness and colour range
The brightness and colour temperature of a light fixture can dramatically alter the overall ambience and atmosphere of a room, playing a pivotal role in setting the tone for the space. When choosing a light fixture, it’s important to carefully consider how bright you want the room to be and then select a fixture that can provide that desired level of illumination. This is especially critical for spaces where specific tasks are performed, such as in the kitchen or a dedicated workspace, where the right lighting can enhance productivity and ease of task execution.
Moreover, you should not overlook the importance of the colour temperature of the light. This can range from warmer colour temperatures, which can evoke a cosy, inviting, and relaxing atmosphere and are ideal for living rooms and bedrooms, to cooler colour temperatures that can infuse the room with a more energetic, vibrant, and alert vibe, perfect for work or study areas.
Dimming
There are some models of pendant linear LED lights that offer the added benefit of being compatible with dimmers. This compatibility allows for a more personalised lighting experience, as it gives users the ability to adjust the brightness to their liking or necessity. This ability to control the level of lighting can be particularly beneficial for spaces where the ambience is greatly influenced by the intensity of the light.
For example, certain activities or times of the day may require a different lighting setup. During the day, when tasks like cooking or working are performed, a brighter light might be more suitable. This brighter lighting setup aids in maintaining focus and ensures visibility, which is crucial for tasks that require precision. As the day transitions into the evening, however, a softer, more relaxed light might be more appropriate. This softer lighting creates a relaxing ambience, which is ideal for activities like dining or unwinding after a long day. Therefore, having the ability to adjust the lighting in a space not only provides practical advantages but also contributes to the overall atmosphere and comfort of the space.
Warranty and service
Be sure to look for fixtures that come with a warranty. This can provide peace of mind, knowing that if something goes wrong with the fixture, the manufacturer will provide support to rectify the issue. Our company is committed to providing excellent customer service and offers a warranty on all our fixtures.
Define lighting needs
An important factor in making lighting as effective as possible is to clearly define its purpose. Consider what tasks will be performed in the space and what type of lighting is needed to support those activities. For instance, task lighting is necessary in a kitchen or workspace, while ambient lighting can create a cosy atmosphere in a living room or bedroom.
In conclusion, choosing the right LED linear pendant lights involves careful consideration of various factors. By taking into account the size and shape of your room, the style and design of the fixtures, the desired brightness and colour range, the need for dimming capabilities, the warranty and service, and your specific lighting needs, you can find the perfect fixtures that will enhance the beauty and functionality of your space.
Conclusion
LED linear pendant lights are a versatile and stylish lighting option that can enhance any space in your home. By carefully considering factors such as size, style, brightness, and specific lighting needs, you can select the perfect fixture. Remember, the key is to find a balance between aesthetics and functionality to create a warm, inviting ambience while ensuring sufficient illumination for various tasks.
Last summer, when the Hollywood writers’ strike had shut down film and television production, a crew of scenic painters at the legendary Fox Studio Lot took advantage of the lull to mess up New York City.
Work had recently been completed on a new set of façades meant to mimic Manhattan streets, but the result was too pretty and clean. Even the smooth gray concrete curbs looked suspiciously fresh.
“After the curbs were perfectly poured, we had a gentleman with a jackhammer come in here and chip away at them,” said Gary Ehrlich, president of studio operations. “It was slightly heartbreaking to see.”
Today, the curbs are suitably beaten up, with dings and black smears as if tires had been rubbing against them for decades. Fire escapes look corroded and other metal fixtures such as banisters have been coated to look old or rusty, while walls appear water-stained. A patina of age has settled over this faux city.
A film crew gets ready for a shoot at the new New York set at Fox Studios in Los Angeles on March 26, 2024. The new set that is different from conventional backlot façades because it has stages inside the New York “buildings” where filming can take place.
The painstaking besmirchment of New York Street was one more twist in the long saga of one of filmdom’s most famous outdoor sets. Looming near the front gate like an adult-sized playhouse, an earlier version of the set and now the new one have long served notice to visitors that they have arrived at a movie studio that is itself a leading character in Hollywood lore.
Its lineage is suitably rich in Hollywood flavor: In 1967 Fox was preparing to shoot the film version of “Hello, Dolly!,” a Tony-award winning musical set in 1890s New York City that ran for years on Broadway. The script included a spectacular outdoor parade with thousands of extras, and studio executives determined that it would be impossible to shoot on location in New York because the city had changed too much.
Fox production designer John DeCuir, who had already won Academy Awards for his design of “The King and I” and “Cleopatra,” came up with a streetscape that required more than 500 workers to labor for four months to build. The $2.25-million price tag made it the most costly movie set built to date, the UPI news service reported at the time.
It required more than 300,000 feet of board lumber and 22 miles of telephone wire strung between poles, the way it was in old New York. A painted 11-story office building façade obscured the view of the Century Plaza Hotel looming next to the lot, according to Barbra Archives, which chronicles the career of “Hello, Dolly!” star Barbra Streisand.
Barbra Streisand marches with a band in a scene from the 1969 romantic comedy “Hello, Dolly!” filmed on Fox’s New York set in Century City.
(John Springer Collection / Getty Images)
Dominating the street was a replica of an elevated train station and a steam locomotive acquired from a sugar plantation in Hawaii, where it had been used to transport workers.
On July 16, 1968, the Valley Times reported, “The parade stretching one-fifth of a mile and comprised of 675 persons in 16 units passed through a crowd of 3,108 film extras” in period costumes. Among the performers were the UCLA marching band and the Budweiser Clydesdales. The director was actor-dancer Gene Kelly.
As impressive as the set was, it was intended to be temporary, said Michael Whetstone, a production designer who worked on building the new version of New York Street.
“It was supposed to be torn down but wasn’t because it was too expensive” to remove, he said. At the time the studio was reeling from financial setbacks including a $30-million loss on “Hello, Dolly!,” according to the New York Times.
Maintenance and prop makers James Scobie, left, and Norm Greene, work on the façade of the new New York set at Fox Studios .
The set enjoyed a second, money-making act in the years that followed as Fox rented it out for use on pictures that included Warner Bros.’ comedy “Up the Sandbox,” starring Streisand, and MGM’s musical “New York, New York,” starring Liza Minnelli and Robert De Niro. Among the television shows that used it were “Charlie’s Angels” and “Moonlighting,” while Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga and other musicians used it for music videos.
But a few years ago, with the set showing its age, the studio started considering its replacement, Ehrlich said. “It had been exposed to the elements for five decades and was past its useful life.”
Fox tapped Culver City architect Nathan Moore of House & Robertson Architects to design something sturdier.
Construction required 49 tons of rebar and more than 1,000 cubic feet of concrete. The set is held up by 260 tons of structural steel and backed inside with 4,400 square feet of catwalks. Lighting and other electrical functions are supported with 21,000 square feet of conduit and wire, allowing productions to hook up to house power instead of rolling in generators. The set also had to comply with building codes and be tracked by city building inspectors.
The new New York Street was made to look like the city in the mid 20th century, a decision that required detailed craftsmanship such as window heads and sills that would have been carved out of wood in years past but were instead fabricated out of plastic foam and finished with plaster. Windows were installed to be easily replaced so productions can break them when scenes call for it.
Whetstone oversaw the project and, as part of his research, made several trips to New York, spending long hours on foot trying to get a sense of how light plays on buildings at night.
“I was literally walking Lower Manhattan from 10 p.m. to 4 in the morning taking pictures,” he said.
Where the original “Hello, Dolly!” set was based on a commercial section of 1890s New York suitable for a parade, Fox elected to make the new set feel like a neighborhood from a later era.
“It’s more Lower Manhattan, more Bowery,” Whetstone said. “Definitely the Lower East Side.”
A film crew member waits to set up for a shoot at the new New York set.
While the set is “a default vision of New York City,” said Whetstone, it also is intended to stand in for any major city. Through the years, Fox’s New York Street has subbed for Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Pasadena.
Even though improving camera technology through the years has made it easier to shoot on location, there are reasons filmmakers keep shooting on studio lots, said Jason E. Squire, entertainment podcaster and professor emeritus at USC School of Cinematic Arts.
As filming equipment and cameras got lighter and more portable, the more free-flowing New Wave cinema that emerged in the late 1950s and ’60s employed provocative camerawork.
“This liberation led to people shooting off the studio lot,” Squire said. “Filmmakers wanted to get away from the studio.”
But it has remained expensive to shoot a large-scale production in the real world with all the vehicles, equipment and personnel required to be transported and managed on-site.
“One of the key decisions early in any production is whether to build sets on a lot or shoot in a real location,” Squire said. “That depends on how intricate the sequences are going to be, how intimate. It’s a judgment call and a money call, and the money usually wins.”
Shooting behind studio gates also prevents uncomfortable collisions between fantasy and reality.
“On the lot you don’t have interference from civilians,” Squire said. “You can control traffic, you can control lighting. All of the equipment is at your beck and call.”
Whetstone recalled having to flee location shooting in downtown L.A.’s Arts District when working on Season 1 of “New Girl,” a Fox television comedy starring Zooey Deschanel that premiered in 2011.
“We started out shooting in downtown Los Angeles, and by the end of our fifth night shoot we had angered so many of the neighbors around in the community that we ended up building downtown L.A. on the Fox lot,” Whetstone said.
Gary Ehrlich, president and general manager of studio operations at Fox Studio Lot, shows off the scaffolding for lighting inside one of the buildings in Fox’s new New York Street set.
The makeover of New York Street is in addition to a planned $1.5-billion upgrade of the Fox Studio Lot announced last year by Fox Corp. that is to include more soundstages and offices. Fox Corp. retained ownership of the lot when Walt Disney Co. bought most of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets in 2019.
The upgrades come as the real New York mounts an aggressive effort to lure TV and movie producers from L.A. by building new studios and soundstages.
On New York Street in Los Angeles, Fox also was able to transform the set behind the façades, adding 4,000 square feet of interior space that makes it easier to meld outdoor and indoor action. The studio declined to reveal exactly how much the new multimillion-dollar set cost, but Fox wants it to stand for another half-century at least.
“This project was approached not just as temp architecture but as something more permanent,” Whetstone said. “We want this to last a long time.”
HOUSTON, May 14, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– illumiPure®, Inc., a leader in innovative LED solutions, is proud to announce two patents for its CleanWhite® 405 nm and 405/470 white light LEDs, the only LED to receive a Risk Grade 0 (EG 0) / Exempt Status rating for safety after IEC 62741 testing. This groundbreaking technology has been patented in the European Union and Japan, adding to the North American patent in 2022. CleanWhite LEDs combine traditional white light illumination, disinfection, circadian rhythm management, and remove the most harmful spectrums of blue light, setting a new standard in health and safety protocols for any indoor environment.
CleanWhite LEDs are the world’s safest white light LED, being awarded exempt status after IEC 62741, which tests the safety of lighting on skin and eyes. This provides a superior solution to traditional LED lighting. To date, CleanWhite LEDs are the only LEDs to receive Risk-Exempt status after testing.
CleanWhite LED’s uniqueness is providing a solution that delivers white light illumination, disinfection, and circadian rhythm management, all within a single LED that also removes harmful blue light. The LED uses 405 nm diode in lieu of traditional 450 nm diode to create white light illumination, and in doing so, eliminates the most harmful parts of the blue light spectrum, blue light between 440 and 450 nms.
In addition, 405 nm light, spiked in the CleanWhite LED, is a powerful disinfectant, making the CleanWhite LED the first and only single LED chip that provides white light illumination and disinfection in a single diode. Unlike conventional disinfection LEDs that require switching modes to activate disinfection, illumiPure’s patented CleanWhite 405 LED fixtures deliver continuous disinfection on surfaces and in the air while emitting pleasant, normal white light.
The CleanWhite 405/470 LED also enhances the 470 nm wavelength of light, providing additional circadian rhythm management. The disruption of circadian rhythm, which can be caused by harmful blue light wavelengths, is now being linked to a host of maladies and adverse conditions, including everything from cognitive decline, fatigue, headaches, and trouble learning to increased risk of diabetes, weight gain, and even some cancers.
“Our innovative LED technology is a game changer for any indoor space,” said illumiPure’s CEO John C. Higgins, “Growing evidence shows the detrimental effects that hazardous blue light has on all of us. CleanWhite LED chips and fixtures not only increase users’ health by removing a host of infectious pathogens but also can help reduce adverse effects to the circadian rhythm of shift workers.”
“With patents now secured in multiple European Union countries and Japan, we are poised to deliver this unique solution globally, ensuring environments are not only well-lit but also continuously disinfected, all without compromising human safety or comfort,” added Chris Vennard, the company’s Chief Compliance Officer.
For more information about illumiPure, Inc. and its technologies, including the new CleanWhite LEDs, please visit www.illumipure.com.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — As promised, the Houston Police Department increased its overnight presence in Third Ward between Saturday night into Sunday morning. This came after neighbors voiced their concerns about the area’s high crime to Chief Troy Finner during a community meeting Thursday.
Still, just an hour after HPD had a press conference Saturday night, their officers responded to a shooting where the victim was rushed to the hospital in serious condition.
Investigators said around 11:30 p.m., two people were dropping someone off on Rosalie near Milby. HPD was told a stranger got into their car and started smoking a cigarette. They claimed that they told him to get out, which he did. But he allegedly came back and shot at the car at least three times.
The driver was transported to the hospital in serious condition with injuries to his chest and limbs. Officers received a description of the suspect and were able to detain him shortly after, HPD said.
Two guns were also recovered from the scene.
This comes less than a week after another shooting occurred about two miles away. Last Monday, a homeowner’s camera captured dozens of gunshots being fired at the intersection of Arbor and Emancipation. HPD said a man was shot and crashed his car before rushing to a nearby club for help.
“You think we’re going to just stand by and let you drive down the streets, shooting guns, discharging weapons, and shooting at police? We’re not going to tolerate that. I’ve been very successful. Not just me but my entire team when we step our feet into a particular neighborhood. We have good results,” Finner said.
Chief Finner and Houston City Council Member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz then held a community town hall Thursday, where dozens of Third Ward residents arrived and voiced their concerns. They called for increased patrols overnight, surveillance cameras on certain streets, and noise meters around bars and nightclubs.
“What I’ve learned in 34 years of policing is you don’t set plans until you’ve talked to community members because the only way you’re going to address true problems, crime, and quality of life issues is with the community,” Finner said.
In the meeting, Finner promised greater police presence in the neighborhood beginning this weekend. He joined his patrol officers overnight shortly after the press conference, where he said one of their priorities would be to talk to owners of bars and nightclubs in the area. Residents have claimed these nightlife businesses are a big contributor to the crime.
“If people want to walk down the street in the evenings and at night. I want them to be able to do that, to get sleep. Just because the club is down the street on the same block, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to get rest when you need rest,” Finner said.
HPD Commander Sonny Nguyen said that as of 10:30 p.m. Saturday, they had confiscated three assault rifles and three pistols off the streets. Officers made numerous traffic stops, issued 20 citations for parking, towed six cars, and cited people for other violations.
Community members said they would like to see more measures implemented, other than increased law enforcement patrol, to combat crime in the area.
In a statement to ABC13 from Evans Shabazz’s office, she wrote that they are allocating funds to purchase safety cameras and analyzing which streets need additional lighting.
For more on this story, follow Rosie Nguyen on Facebook, X and Instagram.
It’s always a good idea to give the gift of courtesy to your neighbors. Even if they’re not the type to fly into a yard rage, they’ll still appreciate a little kindness in the garden.
What do the basic tenets of neighborliness require? Keep your yard tidy (dazzling horticultural displays are always welcome, but not mandatory). Mow your grass (if you have any), rake the leaves, and try not to leave stuff like bikes, toys, and garden tools littering the lawn. A good rule of thumb is to consider how you’d like your neighbor’s yard to look, and then apply it to your own. Oh, your standards aren’t that high? Then try imagining yourself as a discriminating person with a penchant for orderliness and good taste.
City gardeners, you’re not off the hook. The neighbors whose windows overlook your backyard or balcony may be a tad jealous of your outdoor space. If you can’t invite them over for a barbecue, at least keep your outdoor space looking decent (and, OK, enviable).
For garden etiquette insights we talked with Melissa Ozawa, the former gardens editor at Martha Stewart Living (and now the director of content and communications at the Perfect Earth Project). Ozawa herself tends a small outdoor space in New York City and also gardens upstate in Columbia County. Here are 10 common-sense good-neighbor suggestions:
Prune your trees, shrubs, and vines so they don’t encroach on your neighbor’s space. “And keep safety in mind,” says Ozawa. “Remove any big branches that look damaged or diseased—a storm could make them more precarious, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.” Trimming overhanging branches also helps prevent your leaves from falling into a neighbor’s yard—and you don’t want your leaves in the neighbor’s yard.
Plant Natives
Above: Sunflowers (Helianthus). Photograph by Britt Willoughby Dyer. For more, see Field Guide: Sunflowers.
This cozy one-story is tailor-made for the auto enthusiast. Eat, sleep, work, and play either adjacent to or inside a real live car! Ultramodern features include two fully electric doors and motion-activated lighting. Comes with eight free cans of paint!
Biden Asks Americans To Come Sit By Him And Keep Him Company Until The End
New Aquaillumination Blade in multiple sizes and mounting options for saltwater and freshwater aquariums
Press Release –
Jan 4, 2023
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn., January 4, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– Aperture Pet & Life, the integrated company for some of the largest brands in the aquatics industry, including Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine and AquaIllumination, is pleased to announce the newest light addition to their highly innovative line up of some of the most trusted products by aquarists around the world.
The new light series, Aquaillumination Blade, is the most versatile light ever launched under the EcoTech house of brands. Designed as a strip light. Blade can be paired with other lights and mounted in infinite configurations to best meet aquariums of all sizes and needs. This allows aquarists to choose the right size and spectrum for their tank by using Blade as a standalone light, through mixing and matching multiple Blades or by pairing with other lights already over their aquarium.
Blade is available in four different spectrums:
Refugium: horticultural-based spectrum designed for growing green plants
Grow: marine spectrum mix that is designed around maximizing output in the photosynthetic peaks used by Coral to grow and produce nutrients
Glow: marine spectrum mix that is designed to maximize fluorescence in coral
Freshwater: spectrum designed to maximize output for freshwater aquariums and/or house plants
“We couldn’t be more pleased with our new Blade light lineup. We firmly believe that this is by far the most versatile aquarium lighting solution we have ever made, if not the most flexible lighting platform available to hobbyists, period,” said Patrick Clasen, President of EcoTech. “Using Blades alone, in multiples, as a Grow and Glow mix, as a supplement to Hydra or Radion pendant lights or over their freshwater tanks, opens up a world of possibility.”
Blade lights have on-light control and full control and programmable scheduling capabilities through the AquaIllumination MyAI or the Mobius app, both available in the Apple App store or from Google Play.
The Blade light is available in 7 sizes for Grow, Glow and Freshwater: 12.1in(30.74cm), 21.1in(53.59cm), 30.1in(76.45cm), 39.1in(99.31cm), 48.1in(122.17cm), 57.1in(145.03cm), 66.1in(167.89cm). The Refugium is available in 12.1in(30.74cm).
For more information or to purchase Blade, retailers can reach out to their Aperture sales representative or visit the Aperture wholesale portal. Aquarists can purchase Blade at their favorite local fish store or online retailer.
About Aperture
Aperture is a leading online retailer, manufacturer and distributor of products and solutions in over 50 countries through an integrated platform, which includes the industry’s leading online marketplace for saltwater aquarists, world-class products for the success of saltwater, freshwater and reptile and amphibian ecosystems and habitats, distribution operations, sales professionals and one of the pet industry’s largest YouTube platforms, with over 400,000 subscribers and 110 million views. Through its banner brands Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination, Leap Habitats and others, the company offers its customers the products and resources they need to create thriving ecosystems. For more information, visit www.apetlife.com
KANSAS CITY, Mo., November 2, 2021 (Newswire.com)
– Julie and James Arnold are the proud winners of Lucent Lightshop’s sconce design challenge with a collaborative product available now on their website.
Lucent Lightshop is a custom lighting manufacturer that recently held a creative contest for interior designers and tradespeople. Entrants were asked to design a unique lighting fixture that could potentially be sold as part of their existing collection.
Julie Arnold of Place Interiors was selected as a top three finalist by the Lucent Lightshop team. After revealing her design to their Instagram community, she was voted as the winner—with a little help from her son James.
Although Julie has 20 years of experience as an interior designer with a formal degree from Boston Architectural College and a background in commercial and residential interiors, it was 14-year-old James that rendered Julie’s winning drawings for her.
Julie explains, “James has been learning modeling programs for some of his product design ideas, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to enhance his skills. He was on board right away!”
Truth be told, James rendered all three of the sketches that Julie submitted as entries for the contest. These sketches “wowed” the Lucent Lightshop team so much that they struggled to choose just one as a finalist. James also curated his own Etsy shop where he sells his creations.
Having used a variety of Lucent Lightshop lights in a cottage that she designed on Lake Superior, Julie was motivated to join the challenge by the opportunity to create a sconce for a brand she already admired. She was also inspired by the prospect of the proceeds being donated to a charitable organization of her choice.
Julie says, “I currently work closely with HALO, a non-profit that provides housing and healing to at-risk and homeless youth. [James has] also been involved with HALO, most recently by designing a one-of-a-kind hammered brass necklace that he donated to their annual fundraising auction.”
When her three children were in their younger years, Julie would stay at home but always keep her hand in design development by collaborating with non-profit organizations to help them create products of their own. She believes in building a deeper meaning and impact through design.
Julie chose to partner with HALO for this project because she is continually inspired by the important work that they do. She even started a program for HALO a few years ago called “HALOmakers.” This is where the youth that they work with are given a chance to learn valuable life skills through the entire process of making a product, such as a reclaimed wood serving tray.
The winning sconce design for Lucent Lightshop was influenced by midcentury lighting and objects from Scandinavia, France, and Italy, as well as the current website collection. Julie claims that this Scandinavian aesthetic is woven into most of her projects. Julie named the sconce, Haven, tying into HALO’s mission of providing safe havens of healing and hope for homeless and at-risk youth.
In terms of which types of areas or places this sconce could be installed, Julie enthuses that they would work well in multiple applications, from bedrooms and reading nooks, to kitchens and office spaces (both residential and commercial). “The bold, saturated color options would look great as accent lighting in a bathroom and also be fabulous statement pieces in hospitality settings.”
This versatility is significant given that lighting is such an essential layer of design, says Julie. “It creates a mood for the atmosphere, not only with the warmth of the light but also the overall design of the light.”
In fact, she invites others to think of lighting as she does—as sculpture or art with an added functional value.
Visit LucentLightshop.com today to check out and purchase Place Interiors’ winning product with a percentage of the proceeds being donated to HALO.
About Lucent Lightshop
Lucent Lightshop manufactures an inspired, hand-crafted collection of lighting fixtures for the design community, homeowners, and the stylish-minded. Their custom designs have been featured on HGTV, DIY Network, Martha Stewart’s Handmade, and Real Simple magazine, to name a few.
Find them on social media @lucentlightshop, or visit www.lucentlightshop.com for more details. Press contact info@lucentlightshop.com
About Place Interiors
Julie of Place Interiors offers creative direction, design, and styling with a focus on crafting spaces and products that tell a story, while infusing sustainable and intentional selections. She also offers limited-edition art collections that benefit non-profits and has been featured in Domino, Houzz, and Midwest Home.
Find her on social media @place_interiors or visit www.createplace.co for more details.
About HALO
HALO is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2005 and is a foundation of a family for children without one. They provide housing, healing through the arts, and education to at-risk and homeless children.
