Shedding light on the winter blues
Trying to get rid of the winter blues? A Boulder company has recently introduced a light bulb to help individuals with seasonal affective disorder.
American Environmental Products Inc. has been awarded a patent for its Blue-Lux light technology. The light gives off special rays that help lower the amount of melatonin in the body. The light box can contain a fluorescent and blue bulb.
With some light therapies, you have to sit in front of the light for more than an hour, said Dennis Moren, American Environmental Products customer service manager. But Blue-Lux is more concentrated, so users need less than an hour’s exposure.
Although the company will sell the therapy bulbs to individuals, Moren said people should always consult a physician or psychologist before using the bulb. The company has been making full-spectrum lighting (lighting that encompasses the full spectrum of the sun) for 10 years, but has only recently addressed seasonal affective disorder. Prices for the Blue-Lux range from $224 to $500.
DVD player goes anywhere
If you tallied up the amount of money you’ve spent on LCD screens, you’d probably go white-haired in horror. One on your laptop, one on your digital camera, plus screens on your Game Boy, camcorder, portable DVD player, car dashboard and so on.
Audiovox has taken a small step toward reducing that redundancy with its Shuttle DVD player. It’s a portable, battery-powered DVD player (available in three screen sizes) that hangs from the driver’s-side headrest, for the benefit of the young audience in the back seat of the car.
But the beauty of the Shuttle is that you can also buy docking stations for it: a car-ceiling mount, for a more permanent and central position; an under-cabinet mount, complete with AM-FM radio, for the kitchen; a cable-ready tabletop stand, with stereo speakers, for the home; and so on. The player and screen move with you from place to place, so your investment isn’t sitting wasted every time you leave the minivan.
The 10.2-inch and 7-inch screens feature a 16:9 aspect ratio and will support widescreen programs.
It retails for anywhere between $250 and $500 depending on the screen size and comes with a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery pack.
