World LAmp Project

We are running a world lamp project at Kickstarter
It's a LED shop light with price tag set at $60

Click on image to open or go to:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/21232205/world-lamp-truely-earth-friendly-led-lamp

Cheaper LED driver

Ideally, we want to drive LED with constant current driver. So after high efficient switching power supply, a constant current can be apply to LED (module) and emit desired and stable light.
However, constant current driver are less popular and more expensive  That's why there are request out there asking to use constant voltage driver, which can be 10~20% cheaper.
We have a Chinese customer asked to build a 16W LED lamp with lowest possible cost. Here is our design process.

First, we found out forward voltage of LED would decease when they are heat up. Our test shows when applying a 1.5A constant current, Easy LED module has 10.6 Volts when started working, then drop to 10.3 or even lower forward voltage. So using a very popular 12V constant voltage driver and  two diodes to drop 1.4 Volts to 10.6V was not a good idea.

However, using a resister is a good idea. an 1 Ohm resister would drop 1 volt when 1A current passing through. When team up Easy LED module with an one Ohm resister and connect to 12V constant current supply. We see current started from 1.35A and get stable at 1.5A in three minutes.

 

This design is indeed cheap. a 2 watts 1 Ohm resister is like a cent when high volume, a constant voltage driver are more likely less than $5. Our Chinese customer are very happy with the light output and the cost..

However, this design is not without drawback. The resister will consume another 1.5 Watt of power. This defeated the purpose of energy efficient a little bit.

Start up Easy LED Lighting.com

Yes, base on technology on hand, I have decided to move forward and start a new company "EasyLEDlighting.com"
Alongside with new LED technology, this company will have a new method of  operation. Introduce fluorescent light replacement kit through Internet to general public. We are set to launch at begin of 2013, and will attend Strategic in Light show at Feb 13, Santa Clara.

Before our website officially open, things still remain confidence.
We have initial website open, It's http://www.easyledlighting.com   Will have more updates soon.

Gen II LED light blade

Our Generation II LED blade is here. They are light weight, low cost and almost as bright as Gen I, (with only less than 1/2 of price tag)

My new LED lamp design

 My new LED lamp design. Made of just 8 modules, each module is just one aluminum plate and a thin, single layer single side PCB, bounded with 3 Cree LEDs. When we power them up with 1.5A of DC current, they can each consume 4.6Watt of power. So the entire lamp (24 LEDs) is near 120Watt.

To make a comparison, I have 12.5W Philips LED bulb also light up next to my lamp, you can see the difference.

LED street light

Went to strategic light show, the whole show is almost about LED lighting now. The picture is me holding a Cobra head LED street light.
See how big that is?

LED bulb business

some photo for web access.
and a dimmer video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LBLR_vRz1Y

3L Cola big challenge

The 8th cup at 8th day is tsill very good. The 9th cup isn't that good anymore. The last, or the 10th cup, is about the same. Anyway, it's much better than 4th cup turns flat.
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Although I still have 1/3 bottle to go on the 3L bottle, the sixth cup after 6 days is still fizzing and full of bubbles.

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I find out that there are already 3L soda/cola for sale already, here is photo. It makes the standard 2L bottle next to it looks slim.

I will start a big challenge on this 3L cola. I will pour one cup from it each day. And it will probably take more than 10 days to finish this big bottle. If my invention can't keep its fizz, I will be drinking all the flat, black, suger water at end. Scary! huh? Actually, the biggest problem for me is: I already had one cup and I don't like this band's flaver; still almost 3 liter to go. But I have confidence on my invention.

One thing for sure, they need my invention on this 3L bottle badly, I will submit my idea to them too.

Will submit an idea to Coca Cola

I have filed 3 PPA just recently. One is a consumer product, one is liquid container design and the last one is a very good dot com start up idea. I will submit the drink bottle idea to Coca Cola once I receive the confirmation. And I will talk to friends of mine about this start up idea. I have faith

Three invnetions made to G7

One LED invention made to Walmart, Yahoo search G7 and soon maybe Amazon search, too (G6 now).

XSHADE is also in for Yahoo search G7.

One more baby related product made to WestPoint G7

XSHADE made to G7

I hope it got selected this time, I still have 1000pc in my garage. Crossing my fingers.

Another invention got picked as EN product search

This is for Edison Nation's "Spirit Halloween live product search". It has been selected as one of finalist (G7 status). All finalist are waiting for the company itself to do the final pick.
This is my second G7 and hope it will become an G8 soon; last one fail to become G8. But I am holding high hope for this one since its much easier to make and should be pretty easy to sell.

Are companies still looking for new product at such a bad time?

At such a bad time, retailers need outstanding product more than ever. They might see their existing product decline in sales, they would need something better to stimulate buyers to buy.
Of course better can have many different means. If a product can save user money, great. Save time, not as attractive as saving money at this moment; but also great... that's why companies still looking for new product, maybe more than ever. However, they also have to be stingy on development budget. The lower the cost the better. That's why EE likes Holly's bed skirt shoe storage so much. The development cost is really close to nothing.
So it's good time and also a bad time. They are looking harder but they also examining harder.

My friend, who is a channel guy at consumer electronic field, told me that existing merchant are either dying off or just enduring. Some of them can survive 2-3 years like this if without much activity. Some may close their eyes but most of them still keep their eyes open for opportunity as always. However they won't make any move unless they see a real exciting opportunity.

So if you see market being very quiet now, that's because they are all in this looking mode. Small opportunity won't interesting them anymore.

Florida Tampa trip

Well, My original plan for this trip was went out Monday but encountered dense fog that morning. So I left Tuesday morning for Tampa. Since the serious delay, US airway gave me an upgrade to First class seat (1A). Therefor I got to enjoy an nice fly. I will update blog more for this trip.
Also I have my daughter's photo in my office, just to remember the tough time we are having.

I am at Billings Montana

On a business trip, that is.
I saw vast vast of land from airplane but haven't see snow except on high mountain (Nov now
) It's beautiful and peaceful here. Gasoline price i s below $2. I stay at Residence Inn studio suit, nice and spacious room.

My thought on how to win a Live Product Search

How to win a Live Product Search

One word answer: Quality.

The quality of your invention, the quality of competition and of course the quality of your presentation will determine your chance of winning.

First of all, Let’s talk about the quality of competition. Let’s face it; you can’t control the quality of competition. I think the chance to win a live product search is much lower compare if you pitch it to a company that is willing to review your idea. EN disclosed that at Spenser’s gag search, they received hundreds ideas and sent over 40 ideas (G7) for Spenser’s to review. Needless to say, they are all out standing ideas. At end, Spenser’s picked only 3. That means the other near 40 good ideas was rejected. Among them, probably over half of them would be accepted if they approach to a company alone. So, see what competition can do to you? So if you have an idea that has been rejected at this last stage like I do, don’t give it up, pitch it to other companies and I would say you have a very good chance of winning something.

Now the quality of your idea. I can’t teach anyone on how to produce a high quality invention. Heck, I can’t even tech you how to invent. creativity is a special talent given by God, in my opinion. But once you have an idea, you want to ask yourself if this is high quality invention. Even if it is, while you still have time, keep improve it. Add more innovation on to it. Just think how precious your $25 submission fee is; don’t let it go wasted. No to mention how precious an opportunity that fits your idea is.

The last part is the quality of your presentation. Don’t believe what EN member told you about they are experts of invention business and they can spot good invention at just one glance. The baseline is you still need to present your idea to win. You need to put down description and prepare material to put together an entry. Think about who is going to read your presentation. Think that you are presenting to company executive and marketing people. You are not writing a patent application nor tech spec. Make sure your idea description can hook them up in just first two lines. If you have a presentation material (photo, video). Get them on hook within their first look. No body likes to read boring stuff, even engineers like interesting reading. Just leave enough detail for them to figure out how your stuff works. They will have time to figure it out. But for executives, you only have few seconds before they decide your fate

Have you been asked for prototype?

As an experienced inventor, I must advise new inventor to proceed with prototype request carefully. You wan to know who is asking for prototype and why?
I had been asked for prototype from an invention company for 3 times. They looked at my invention ideas and told me they would need a prototype. I said no problem and turn around built one myself for them, for all 3 different ideas. And they took a look and said No on all 3 cases after they looked at my prototype, and their comments were like, this market doesn't need another one of these. Come on, they could have told me so after the looked at my drawing and before I built my prototype. Later on I found out they also have prototyping service. They just want to sell you their service, and not really interesting at your idea. So be very careful, don’t believe everything people tell you. Be aware of praises that came too easy, find a reputable reviewer… There are a lot of sharks out there, they all want your money but doesn’t really want to help you.

The photo is a working cupholder prototype, despite the look, it really work great.

I got a G7 from EN and I voted this morning

I voted this morning. I arrived at poll before it opens, around 6:50. A small line was there yet everything went pretty quickly. BTW, this is the first time I vote in US. Last election I didn't even vote. If I voted last time, my vote would go to George Bush anyway... so less regret.... and Yes on 8

And when I turned into office this morning, I checked my EN Live product search dash board. One of my invention got G7, which means it will be presented to manufacture, in this case Spencer's.
I am very happy, I think this will be a good day. Praise the Lord.

With Daughter at local park

I spent time with daughter at local park. A big park length about a mile. Here is some photo I like to share.

In rememberance of Daigwa

Daigwa (if you read Chinese: 呆瓜) died last month at my brother's house at LA. He lived with me for over 12 years and I gave him to my brother at my wife's late pregnancy months. Before that Diagwa had also live with my brother back at Taiwan for 8 years so he was still among family. During his last two years, I only saw him 4-5 times and his condition had became worse and worse due to old age. He practically lost his sight and almost lost every tooth at his last 3 months.

I have one invention submitted to Edison Nation and I like to contribute that invention to him. The morose of his condition create the need for this product. I can't show my invention yet but I would like to show one of his photo here.