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Will Howell discusses Armor Edge's thermoformed polycarbonate leading edge protection for wind turbine blades. Their solution helps to mitigate erosion, enhance aerodynamic performance, and extend blade life. Allen Hall: Will welcome to the podcast. Thank you very much. Thanks for having me. So Joel and I have heard about Armor Edge for a couple, couple of years. Yeah. You're based in Scotland. Yeah. And we haven't seen you much in the United States and I haven't physically touched it. And of course we're sort of tangible. We gotta play with the the product. So this is the first time now we're here. Gotten to see the product. Yeah. Yeah. You wanna describe really what this product is for a leading edge protection? Will Howell: Yeah, absolutely. So we are different to other LEPs out there on the market. And really that was the whole point of our design evolution, was to try to overcome some of the traditional downfalls of some of the other LEDs that have been prevalent on blades. So. Um, yeah, we've been around since, um, well about eight, eight years now. And we've been out in the market installed since 2020. So we're, as you mentioned, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland is a kind of a base. So our first installs were all offshore, north North Sea, so offshore, Denmark, offshore [00:01:00] Germany. Very harsh, harsh environments. But we wanted to, to design an an LEP that was, um, really. Overcoming some of the traditional pitfalls. So for us, that is the ease of installation, the longevity of the material, and also the a EP benefits that we, that we see. Um, as you see for the sample we have in front of us here today, it's uh, only a small piece that we take to show just to, to, to show our clients and customers. Um, but typically the shields are 850 mil mil long. Uh, they're made of a, a custom thermoformed, um, polycarbonate, a SA blend. We get the material formed into sheets, and then we drape that sheet over custom design molds that are tailored for the specific blade types. And that's how we get this perfect fit on every different blade that we're, that we're, um, that we have out, out there. So let's talk about the installation. Yeah. Joel Saxum: Because that's [00:02:00] a, that's a really important one for me because on the podcast we always wanna talk about what problems we're, what problems we're solving. Sure. What problems you guys are helping the industry with. And one of the biggest ones with LAP, and it doesn't matter what the product really is, if it's tapes, if it's coatings, if if it's installed wrong, it's not gonna last. Yep. Yep. That's, that's the thing. So what have you guys done with this to help the technicians in the field to make it easier to make it. Last I want you to put on the line. Will Howell: Yeah. I mean, I guess there's a lot of technology in terms of the performance of the, of the product. Um, both the adhesive and the material itself. But predominantly this was designed for rope access in the North Sea, so it had to be a product that the guys were. Able to handle up on, up on rope. Um, it wasn't gonna be affected by climatic conditions as much, um, and would really lead to a faster, but also therefore, a higher quality installation because of the way that it's put on, it's not so much of a artisanal process that some of these other LEPs seem to [00:03:00] suffer from. We want to. Train our technicians to deliver a high quality installation, but really you don't have to be a master LEP installer to get our, to get our kit on, our kit on Blade. And that's the feedback we've been getting from the technicians is that they find it, uh, easy to handle, easy to apply process, uh, in the field. Joel Saxum: What does Blade Prep look like before you put it on? Will Howell: Well, another unique. Facet of the system is because the shields themselves are custom formed from a a semi-rigid material. The leading edge of the shields themselves doesn't confor...
What if you could have custom lights on your house for every single holiday - but you only had to install them once, ever? Valley Trimlight (435-776-5848) offers a permanent solution that's still fully customizable, anytime, from anywhere. Learn how it works, at https://valleytrimlight.com Valley Trimlight City: West Bountiful Address: 871 W 1950 N West Website: https://valleytrimlight.com/ Phone: +18016289735 Email: kristy@valleytrimlight.com
Jayy @00:32 LugNut walking toolbox robot! MakerMelissa @03:34 MineSweeper-esque game for the Adafruit Metro RP2330 Brent @05:08 Adafruit IO team with new version of Actions John Park @07:17 in-development: synchronized LEDs inside clear platform shoes! Erin St. Blaine @10:52 plywood and LED butterfly bench Sophy @13:30 prototype for space suit for a film project To show and share a project at 7:30pm Eastern today, view the chat or in discord https://adafru.it/discord and look for the JOIN link to join. For best results, be on a wired network connection and use a headset and microphone.
En esta ocasión hablamos con Ricardo Soto, quien ha estado en la iluminación, visto la elaboración de LEDs y de fluorescentes, recorrido ferias en todo el mundo, tomado cursos y dado conferencias. Si quieres comunicarte con él, puedes encontrarlo en diversas redes: x: @richsoto_Linkedin: Ricardo SotoFacebook: Rich SotoInstagram: richsoto_x: @EstevezMX Facebook: EstévezInstagram: @estevez.mxSupport the showCon Orquidea Vara Síguenos en instagram, facebook, o escríbenos a nuestro correo: hablando.luz.0@gmail.comUn episodio nuevo cada lunes.
In this episode, I dig into a question that's always lurking in the back of a portrait photographer's mind – what really makes light flattering? It's a term we all use, but what does it actually mean? Is it just about soft shadows and low contrast, or is it more about the connection between the subject and the photographer? I talk through this while reflecting on a busy week – from a stunning wedding at Head Saw House to a corporate shoot for Barclays, and a spontaneous portrait session that reminded me why I love this job. I also share some thoughts on the updated Mastering Portrait Photography book, which hits shelves in September, complete with fresh images and a whole new chapter on AI post-production. If you've ever wondered what makes a light truly flattering – and why it's about more than just the gear – this episode is for you. And as always, wherever you are and whatever you're doing, be kind to yourself. Cheers P. If you enjoy this podcast, please head over to Mastering Portrait Photography, for more articles and videos about this beautiful industry. You can also read a full transcript of this episode. PLEASE also subscribe and leave us a review - we'd love to hear what you think! If there are any topics, you would like to hear, have questions we could answer or would like to come and be interviewed on the podcast, please contact me at paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk. Transcript Well, as I sit here in the studio, the sun is shining in through the windows and it's been a beautiful, beautiful week. I started it with a trip down to Devon with the in-laws. One great thing about being married to Sarah, whose family are from Plymouth, there are many great things about being married to Sarah. But one of the ones, in terms of geography, at least, is her family still lived down in Plymouth, in Devon, by the sea. So it was absolutely glorious to spend a couple of days down there walking the dog, drinking a beer, enjoying the sunshine, and the sun is still shining here right now. And on that happy note, I'm Paul. I'm very much looking forward to a barbecue, and this is the Mastering Portrait
Join hosts Mark and Michael as they sit down with Larry Boxer, an optical engineer with over 30 years of experience in lighting innovation. This episode dives deep into the science behind lighting design, discussing its impact on human health, night environments, and the evolving challenges brought on by LEDs. Larry offers an insider's perspective on optical engineering and shares groundbreaking insights into creating illumination that's effective and people-friendly.
From salmon sperm facials (yes, really!) to DIY beauty disasters that left facial hickeys, we dive into the wild world of beauty trends to separate what actually works from what's just clever marketing. Kelly and Sarah Marie confess their most cringe-worthy beauty fails while delivering practical verdicts on trends like slugging, at-home microneedling (spoiler - don’t do it), and those fancy LED masks you've been eyeing on Instagram. Consider this your ultimate BS-free guide to figuring out which beauty trends are worth your time - and which ones should stay firmly in your TikTok feed... LINKS TO EVERYTHING MENTIONED: ETTO The Skin Balm $40 SUBSCRIBE: Watch us on Youtube Subscribe to Mamamia Sign up for our free You Beauty weekly newsletter for our product recommendations, exclusive beauty news, reviews, articles, deals and much more! GET IN TOUCH: Got a beauty question you want answered? Email us at youbeauty@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will come back to you ASAP. Join our You Beauty Facebook Group here. You Beauty is a podcast by Mamamia. Listen to more Mamamia podcasts here. CREDITS: Hosts: Kelly McCarren & Sarah Marie Fahd Producer: Mollie Harwood Audio Producer: Tegan Sadler Video Producer: Marlena Cacciotti Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The 16:9 PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY SCREENFEED – DIGITAL SIGNAGE CONTENT If you go to big outdoor sports events, concerts in parks or even political rallies, there's a reasonable chance that what's happening is going to be relayed on a portable LED display that was wheeled into place by trailer. My local footy team uses one and it is old and looks terrible. But that's not the norm, and certainly not for a Des Moines, Iowa company that is very specifically in the business of making and selling great-looking and bulletproof on-the-go LED trailers. Insane Impact has been at it for eight years and now has almost 500 units operating, mostly but not only in the United States. The flagship product is 17 feet wide by 10 feet tall, using 4mm LED and pushing as much as 7,500 nits. It's been designed to roll into place and be up and running in 10 minutes or less - even if a doofus like me was told to get it lit up. I had a really good chat with Tod Puetz, who started the company after first being a user, when he was in the golf equipment business. In this podcast, we get into a lot of things - including how he had the foresight to get ahead of the tariffs turmoil and pre-ordered enough electronics and hardware to hopefully ride out these uncertain months. We also talk about use-cases and probably the most curious application to date - drive-in funerals when COVID was raging. Subscribe from wherever you pick up new podcasts. TRANSCRIPT Tod, thank you for joining me. Can you tell me what Insane Impact does, where you're based, those kinds of nuts and bolts questions? Tod Puetz: Yeah, appreciate it Dave. Insane Impact, primarily focused on LED as a business, but we are an audio video integration company based out of Des Moines, Iowa. Des Moines. So you're in flyover country? Tod Puetz: Absolutely. It's actually very handy there because you're like two hours away from the East Coast and two hours away from the West coast, right? Tod Puetz: It really is. Just in proximity here in the central part of the US, where our corporate office and warehouse location is about 65 seconds from the airport Des Moines International, so very easy to get in. All the major interstate throwaways between I-29 North and South and I-35 North and South, and then I-80 West. We're pretty much within minutes of getting anywhere we need to go east, west, north, or south. Nice. How long has the company been around? Tod Puetz: We started up in 2015, flipped the switch basically late December, 2015 and have been going rock and roll. So we're coming up on our 10 year anniversary here in December. You are a founder? Tod Puetz: I am, yeah. Founder and CEO. So what compelled you to do this? What did you see in the marketplace that said, okay, this is what I should do? Tod Puetz: Yeah, really the CliffNotes version, my former life was in the golf business. I was a manufacturer sales rep for TaylorMade Golf, and I was introduced to a gentleman here locally in Des Moines that had an older video truck and basically saw an opportunity to utilize that as a sales tool to help me sell more golf clubs. So we took this video truck out on the driving range here locally in Des Moines, hooked it up to the launch monitor and, gosh, that was almost 18 years ago. Back then it was a big deal. Not a lot of people in your run of the mill average daily golfer really ever had an op opportunity to do that. They'd seen it on tour. But we brought the bigs out to the little team here in some of these country clubs, and again, larger than life. They were able to see their stats up on the screen and really fell in love with the technology back then, and were able to utilize that for a number of years after that initial introduction. What was it back then? What was the technology back then, early LED? Tod Puetz: It was an SMD, It was an early 8x8 millimeter SMD back then. I refer to it as antiquated, but back then, it was pretty fresh and new. But yeah, just the idea of being able to drive this thing up to the driving range, the wings folded open on this thing and, within minutes we're plug and play and just really, fell in love with that concept. , Yeah. So did you buy the business from him or just get something going on your own? Tod Puetz: Did not. We utilized them. It was a kind of a one man show there. It was more of a hobby for individuals, and they used it for four or five years. But they weren't interested in scaling this thing. As my career with TaylorMade progressed more and more, I ended up working with other companies, just trying to understand the LED business. So I branched out and helped a few other smaller LED niche companies to try to generate some business in the sports space. We just had a lot of relationships with the golf business and yeah, really just took the concept and I knew there was a different mouse trap here with that type of opportunity to scale it, that's where we started things in late 2015. So the idea is just at its bare essentials, and I think most people understand this anyways, but just in case, is you've got a foldable all in one LED display that's on a trailer and your customers are rolling it out to different locations, whether they're entertainment events, sports events or something else, and finding power, plugging it in, open it, and driving a signal to it, and you've got a big display where it needs to be for three days or three weeks or whatever it is, right? Tod Puetz: Yeah, absolutely. By no means, does Insane Impact claim to be the inventor of mobile LED. Obviously, that has been one man for a very long time. Our business, Insane Impact, started up on the rental side. We designed, fabricated and engineered a handful of units, just to service what we thought was gonna be a Midwest boutique rental business and very quickly became a national presence. And what we found was that the same people were renting products two, three and four times a year, and really, our thought process was, why don't we just own one of these things, and we can use it 365 days a year, if we want? And again, there were already customers out there, there were common trucks that were selling trailers, but it wasn't popular and we really started working back in 2016 to develop a plan where if you own the product, we can certainly start to feed your business as well, you can be part of our rental network and that's really what kind of, put the fuel on the fire. Each year, more and more units in the field, more and more customers from parks and municipalities, armed forces, college, university, all of the usual suspects out there that use these things on a regular basis, really became the traction for rapid growth in this endeavor. So your company, it's an interesting kind of mashup of different competencies, so to speak, in that if you are manufacturing rolling stock with lots of heavy-duty metals and wheels and everything else, that's one thing. And then at the polar opposite, you've got fairly sensitive electronics. So you're doing both sides of that, right? Tod Puetz: Yeah, absolutely. We take a fully engineered and manufactured trailer. These trailers weigh anywhere from 3,500 pounds on our smallest unit up to 18,000 pounds on a triple axle gooseneck. And they've got real high end LEDs permanently. We've approached it a little bit differently. We're putting a fixed product on it. So something that's used to and withstands the elements pretty much anywhere, including the road, and then obviously everything else on the unit is fully protected from shock, from absorption of weather. Everything's IP67 through the components side of things, and IP65 on the trailer, fully powder coated system. So we've really built, tried, and tested a product that's gonna last and withstand the elements going up and down the road at 75 miles an hour in any extreme environment. I'm guessing that you, in your early years, had some lessons, whether they were hard ones or whatever. Tod Puetz: Yeah, absolutely. It wouldn't be any fun if we didn't. Our first major lesson that we learned, Dave and I think this is really what sets us apart is that we did the hang and bang modular cabinets on our product for the first, probably two and a half years and we learned the lesson real quick that those just aren't designed to withstand the long-lasting road and weather, wear and tear. At the time, that's what everybody was using it and that's kind of where we were at. It took a lot of headaches, blood and sweat, for those first two years to figure out what product really made sense. For the last four and a half years, we've really been rock and rolling on a specific product, chassis, and stuff that just really outperformed, in a big way. So that was a very painful lesson because you're a year into this thing, and you've got issues, and those are hard to come by as a startup, but we were able to weather the storm and find what really worked for us and I think that really separate us from most right now is we just, we're putting some of the best products out there on the market on these trailers. And you not only have to make it bulletproof, but I suspect you have to do it down like crazy, because this can not be something that takes 45 minutes and has a checklist, like launching a rocket or something. It's gotta roll into place and find power and open the hinges, lock them down, and get a signal in, right? Tod Puetz: Yeah, you nailed it. I think one of the things as we built this thing out, Dave, is that the single most important part was customer focus and customer friendly, and I will tell you that you yourself, or even my 18-year-old daughter, can get this thing up and running in less than 10 minutes. We pride ourselves on delivering a turnkey functional unit to our flagship product, which is our Max 1710. You can pull in, and it'll take you longer to unhook it than it will to turn it on and set it up in some respects. We offer a generator-powered option or a battery-powered option. We've got a fully self-sustained, lithium-ion pack that is performing at an incredible level right now, which we're really excited about. So we worked with a major organization probably about 18 months ago, in the Armed Forces space, and we worked with them to design a fully self-sustainable battery pack solution and were really excited about that. We can talk about that a little bit more here, but at the end of the day, our electronics cabinet is an IP67 rated rack that basically opens it up, and as you know, with everything, we run Nova Star. So everything is just a straight playback video. So just hit the breakers, hit the power switch, and you're off and running. So we really did wanna make this thing turnkey. They come fully self-sustained with audio as well. We wanted to make sure that anybody and everybody could operate this thing very quickly. Is there a media playout box in there, or do you use an external feed and then just plug it into an HDMI or whatever it may be? Tod Puetz: Plenty of different options. Most often our customers, like your Park and Rec municipality, the people that are using this thing to play movies and stuff, they're just streaming it off the laptop. But we got an IO box that they can drop in, SDI, fiber, anything else if you're running or whatever it might be. But yeah, anybody can bring us any signal within, within a minute, and we're up and running. So really trying to get in that turnkey facet of this thing to make sure that we're in a good spot. Okay, so you're sourcing the trailer from a third-party manufacturer as opposed to bending metal and doing all that yourself and you're sourcing the electronics, and you're basically doing final assembly, right? Tod Puetz: Correct. Yep. Doing it the other way would be very complicated. Tod Petz: We did that when we first started this little venture, we hired engineers, we bought the welders, we were buying cut parts and building them ourselves, and we realized very quickly that in a 4,000 square foot facility that when this thing takes up, it'd be impossible to keep up. So we were very fortunate to find a local vendor that was in the trailer business already but they took a liking to what we were doing, and it really has just been a wonderful partnership and relationship with them. They build a fantastic product, best-in-class warranty around it, and it's really the fit and the finish from premium laser cut, premium powder coat finishes, all the details that are there, and certainly, we work with some of the best engineers out there in the marketplace to create the best product so really exciting to have that partnership. On the LED side and the electronics side, we're taking the trailer and we're taking the electronics and we're putting the fit and finish on it and making it function and delivering a finished product. I assume you have some sort of a contract manufacturer or a finished goods supplier in, whether it's China, Taiwan, or somewhere else you're sourcing from. Tod Puetz: On the electronic side, yeah, we do. So we actually just made an announcement here yesterday. We are partnered with DVS (Dynamic Visual Solutions). We've been working with them for almost six years now. Obviously, Chinese based, but we got in touch with the owner and the CEO of the US business almost six years ago and kind of started to understand what it meant for us and what it meant for them to be a partner and really have our hands on the technology, help them with some of the design elements that we needed within the product to make sure that it was gonna pass the buck and make sure that it lasted and, almost six years later. But, yeah, we just had a nice press release announcing the partnership. We got a huge opportunity with them with the craziness that's going on out there in the space. But great company, wonderful products, best-in-class warranties, and we've had the ability to shape what that product needs to be on our trailers. I suspect that was a bit of a journey too, finding the right supplier because we've all heard the stories about different companies who make a lot of promises, but what shows up isn't what you thought you were getting. Tod Puetz: Yeah, it was. So we had gone through probably three to five different manufacturers, three to four at least prior to getting with DVS and it's very painful on that side of it because you are dealing with somebody over in China, and sleepless nights and figuring stuff out and a startup and all of the fun things that happen around that. When we were able to locate, DVS was based out of Florida. They really just took a liking to what we were doing and threw all the chips on the table and said, we've got a great modular rental business going, but we're really intrigued about this mobile solution. How can we help? And we really started to dig cautiously optimistic out of the gate because there are thousands of people out there trying to get the business in some respects. Could we go to one of the major five or six? Yeah, we certainly could have, but we felt like there was a little bit more of an intimate approach to this. We were a newer company. We took our time getting into what we really wanted, and we felt like we had a little more leverage working with a decent-sized company. And with somebody who's got an office in Florida as opposed to Shenzhen or Beijing. Tod Puetz: Correct. I don't want to get too deep into what's going on right now, but how are you navigating the tariff situation right now? Tod Puetz: Yeah, that's the million dollar question and in some cases, multi millions. When I started this company, Dave, I had two stances that I wanted to live by. One, I was gonna over-index on our employees and make sure that we had the right people in the right seats, and take very good care of them. The other one that came later on, probably after we had established and it was I'm never gonna run out of products. I just know that if we have products, we'll sell them. So after those first three, four years, we put ourselves in a position where we've rubber stamped our products, we know who we're selling to, we know what our core markets are, and we've got the right people in the right seats and I just knew that if I would run out of product, then I just make sure that we are collectively chasing the business. That's a really hard thing to do. But fortunately, we've got the right vendors to do this with. So back in November, after the current administration was elected or they won the nomination, knowing that this discussion of tariffs was on the horizon, we took a very calculated and risky approach, but we went out and bought a slew of equipment. So we bought basically upwards of almost a year of supply in LEDs out front. We went to our trailer manufacturer. They bought a year's worth of supply of our top three SKUs and hedged the bet with us. So we're in a little different position than most, again, there are a lot of people out there who probably did the same thing. I'm not the only one out there who took that risk, but we did take the risk, and it's certainly paying off. That kind of gets you an idea of where we're at and how we've run our business. We just don't wanna run out of products. So fast forward to today in reality, I think there's a blinking that's happening, there's a stance, and this isn't a political statement by any means. This is just our gut feeling on this is, I feel like it's gotta loosen up a little bit here. It can only go so hard and so fast. But we've been able to weather the tariff storm, internally at Insane, impacted by some of the stuff we did on the front end. We have not been significantly impacted by LEDs. If we're to place orders today on LEDs. Honestly, it's been fairly minimal in the impact. We're seeing some of the expensive shipping surcharges that are happening. But I think there's just buying power that's come with some of the things that we've done with our manufacturer to keep them rocking and rolling, that have helped us mitigate a little bit of this. But you're not like some of these companies where they're wringing their hands, okay, in order to get something out of a container in Long Beach, California, I need to write a check for an extra million dollars that I had not anticipated. Tod Puetz: Yeah, we're not dealing with that. I think where this thing's really impacted, the hundreds of, I'm just gonna call them mom and pop manufacturers over there, whether they're manufacturers or just the days of them just shipping, 12x7s into the States by air is probably coming to an end or they're pricing themselves out of the market a little bit. Either that or they just don't care. But I think a lot of this is the consolidation in the short-term impact that we've seen in real life. The long-term impact, in my opinion, is gonna weed some of them out, and then obviously you've got all the Chinese entity companies, the larger players in the game that are having to come to market with distribution here in the US, where it impacts us the most. So they're adding additional layers of cost and it's really gonna open the door from what we're seeing, it's gonna open the door for us to other markets by virtue of that since we're already and established US distributor. When you first got in touch, I didn't know that much about you and thought, you're a rental company, but I was intrigued that, sure, you do rentals, but really, you're a manufacturer and you're selling to companies who are more regional rental companies. That's accurate, correct? Tod Puetz: Yeah, it's interesting. So we've really got three business units, Dave. But we started off as a rental company with a primary focus on the mobile solution. We did have modular hanging bangs as well that we took care of some specific customers, but when we kinda uncovered the opportunity, evolved is a great word into the more offside of the business selling video trailers, that opened up a whole other segment of opportunity for us to then really start to take a look at the fixed install stuff. Our three business units are really, primarily led by the mobile video solution on the trailers, and other new innovative products coming. Now, by the way, we do the marquees and the scoreboards and the highway signs, the airport conference room takeover stuff. We do all of that as well, and oh, by the way, customers that have video trailers, they become part of our cross-rental network. So this nucleus business unit feeds that we have, one feeds the other and that feeds another. It's really that we create a really cool situation here that allows us to have return business from our customers in all of those different facets. Because if you can't afford it, you can rent it. If you rent it too many times, then you can afford to buy it, and oh, by the way, we can replace your scoreboard or we can replace your, your, your classroom or your theater, modular wall, whatever it might be. We do all three of them, and we do, we feel like we do them pretty well, and again, we're very lucky to have those three business units that fill the pipeline on a regular basis. Is there a rule of thumb as to that point where, okay, we can rent this five times a year and that makes financial sense, but there's a certain break point where it makes more sense just to buy it? Tod Puetz: Yeah, that's a wonderful question because it really comes down to there's such a tremendous education process. Again, up until maybe, really when we started, at least here in the US, there was nobody else that was mass producing or really proactively selling to the end customer, and when we started doing that, we were very fortunate just to have some relationships where they actually saw the light. “Oh, this makes sense.” Yeah, it's a high school or a college, and they're using it for their game day stuff. But what's been more fun for me in this company is to see just the evolution of the education that's had that's happened. Going to a city administrator and telling them, hey, it's not just the three movie nights a year, it's all of your chamber events. It's the community support events, it's the fundraiser stuff. So when they start to understand the use case of these items, these trailers, and that they can turn and burn and have these things up and running, whether it's just mass notification, you've got storms coming, or just any and all of those things. Once they understand the full use case of applications that these products can offer, then the light comes on, and then it becomes a much easier conversation for them to take to the stakeholders and say, alright, we really need this. Here are all the reasons why. So our sales team is incredibly focused on the educational side of the business on how this can impact the community, campus, etc. I realize you have a number of different sizes and everything else, but, for your primary selling unit, what would that cost? And if I wanted to rent it for a weekend, if I'm in Ames, Iowa, what would that cost to rent it for a weekend? Tod Puetz: Yeah, great question. So our flagship product is our Max 1710. So 17 wide, 10 foot tall, 3.9 millimeters on their turnkey generator operation, delivery, and tech. To rent that thing for a day, in this market, it does vary a little bit based on coast to coast. You get a three-day festival and you're spending $7,500 to 8,000 bucks for a screen that's operated that comes turnkey, that has power if needed. That's gonna turn the lights on and be reliable. So that's a pretty good snapshot of what we offer from a rate card on that specific product. If somebody wants to buy it, I'm gonna say turnkey trailer screen electronics, generator, audio. If you want the Mac Daddy package delivered to your doorstep, you're in that $150-160k range, which is gonna get you, 10-year parts, five-year labor on LED screen warranty, five-year parts, five-year labor on the trailer warranty, and then obviously an electronics warranty. So you're really protecting the investment there, Dave. We're not the most expensive in the marketplace. We're definitely not the least. We feel like we're in a really good slot, and I think our adoption within the marketplace probably supports that. But that gives you a quick snapshot of where we're at from the pricing structure. So if you're a company that's on the rental side of it, you could see an ROI in a year if you're in a busy market. Tod Puetz: Absolutely. Yeah. I think, 1710, and this doesn't factor in your cogs, your travel, your truck, your tech, etc. Sure. But if you get 20 to 25 really strong rental events within your market on a single day's use, you're right there certainly, being able to pay it back. And it goes back to that education process. When we sell a customer a unit, we don't guarantee them any business, in terms of what we can bring to them from the cross-rental network. We're very forthright about that. But what does happen is if you're a proven, vetted, rental partner out there in the marketplace, you can bet, you're gonna get some help with monetizing this thing. That's the unique part about this business relationship with our customers on the trailer side is: we're gonna help you guys monetize the unit over time. I have season tickets to the local Canadian Premier League soccer team that does very well here. They pull 6,500 people to games, but it's at a somewhat temporary stadium, and they have an LED display, it looks like maybe a 17x10 on a truck. I severely doubt it's yours because it's a piece of crap. It's not very bright, it's not very crisp or anything, but it's something, so I gather that this can be all over the map in terms of what you rent. If you're an end user, you have to pay attention to the specs. Tod Puetz: Absolutely. We prided ourselves on being the leader when it comes to what products are out there on mobile products, in and of itself. But it really comes down to the screen at the end of the day. I guess we will probably take it a step further. We do take a lot of pride in the physical trailer itself, the metal that this thing rides on, because that's as important to me as it's the LED. But at the end of the day, having something that you can put up in direct sunlight and have the most quality, crisp image, is what we've over-indexed on that in a good way. So what we come to market with is a 7500 nit, 3.9 product, competitively in the marketplace. 3.9 from our core competitors are in that 4500-5500 nit and it just overpowers everything. So again, if you're rolling up to the game for a little pre-game watch party, you're gonna get the best viewing experience possible, with some of the product. But we do pay a lot of attention to the spec, the physical components, the quality, and that's very close to our chest, so we don't take that for granted. So you're doing lots of sports and entertainment events, probably some corporate events. I'm curious, what's the most unusual one that you're aware of? Tod Puetz: It was interesting. You look at Covid and the impact that it had on the industry, and all of these companies out there that have stages and rigging and modular and everything else, they took a little bit of a bath at the onset of Covid, and really, what allowed us to squeeze in and continue to, I would say, entertain, but take care of customers that had to continue to engage, whether it was employees or crowds or whatever. So we did everything. But this leads up to your question, doing drive-in funerals was probably one of the most unique things that we've done. They couldn't get into the churches, so we were pulling up to large parking lots and they were streaming the funeral from inside the church out to the streets. It was really wild, but I bet we did anywhere from 50 to 60 funerals in late 2020 and in early 2021 until the restrictions relaxed a little bit. So we had funeral homes. We probably have three or four customers that actually own these, as a result of Covid, and they continue to use them for different settings in the church and funeral space. That would be the one that comes to mind, honestly, is that kind of the most bizarre one that you never really think about? Yeah. How many units do you have out there, roughly? Tod Puetz: Yeah, so we shipped the first unit in January of 2017 to a gasoline company in Texas. By the end of this month, the end of April, we delivered right around 495 units into the marketplace all around the US. We've got some army bases and navy bases over in Japan. We've got a handful of units over in Europe, a good chunk over in Hawaii, obviously I know that's US, but largely, 95 to 97% of what we've got is here in the lower 48. We do have a few up in your neck of the woods as well, but, yeah, we've been very to lead the charge there as it relates to the go to product in the marketplace. Super interesting. If people wanna know more, they just find you at insaneimpact.com? Tod Puetz: Yeah, InsaneImpact.com. They can learn a little bit more about everything we do, but it's an exciting time for us. I know there's a little bit of uncertainty and doom and gloom, but we're just keeping our heads down. We've got customers that want the product. They may want it, but how do we get them to realize that they need the product to continue to advance their business, regardless of the sector, and I think if they get in touch with our folks, we're putting ourselves in a good spot to provide really good information and provide a great solid starting base for our conversation. I'm impressed with the advanced planning that you did. I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who were sitting around this week and saying, I didn't see that coming. Tod Puetz: Head on a swivel constantly, there's no question. Alright, Todd, thanks very much for taking the time. Tod Puetz: Dave, I appreciate you. Take care now!
Send us a textSomething extraordinary is about to light up the Quad Cities skyline. The Figge Art Museum's glass façade will soon transform into Evanescent Field – a breathtaking light installation and the largest public art display in Iowa's history.As the Figge celebrates its centennial year, Executive Director Melissa Mohr and one of the Senior Curators, Joshua Johnson, reveal the journey behind this monumental project. World-renowned artist Leo Villareal, creator of San Francisco's famous Bay Lights, has designed a mesmerizing installation featuring over 3,000 feet of programmable LED lights woven throughout the museum's glass exterior. Unlike typical light displays, Evanescent Field creates sequences that never repeat, responding specifically to the Mississippi River, the community, and the building itself."We wanted to give something back to the community that's supported us for 100 years," explains Mohr. The installation fulfills architect David Chipperfield's original vision for the building as a beacon of creativity and accessibility. Johnson describes how Villareal transforms LEDs from commercial tools into what he calls a "digital campfire" – a gathering place where art transcends traditional boundaries. Visible to everyone passing by, whether commuting to work or traveling through the region, Evanescent Field removes barriers to experiencing art.The public unveiling happens May 17th at "Glow Up" – a community celebration featuring live music, family activities and food trucks, culminating when Villareal himself activates the installation as darkness falls. Even after the celebration ends, the lights will continue illuminating the Quad Cities nightly, becoming a postcard-worthy image representing the region's creative spirit.Discover the technical marvels, artistic vision, and hopeful future this landmark installation represents. As the Figge looks toward its next hundred years, Evanescent Field symbolizes its commitment to weaving art more deeply into the fabric of the community – creating a museum that truly belongs to everyone. Don't miss your chance to witness this stunning merger of architecture, technology and artistic expression that will forever change how we see the Quad Cities after dark.QC, That's Where is a podcast powered by Visit Quad Cities. Through the people, partnerships, and personalities woven throughout the Quad Cities region, you'll meet real Quad Citizens and hear the untold stories of the region.Follow Visit Quad Cities on social media and never miss an episode of #QCThatsWhere.FacebookInstagramLinkedInX
Driver-facing cameras are not popular with truckers. But some carriers see them very differently. One driver offers his point of view. Also, with the advent of LEDs, you can do all kinds of things with lights that were never possible before. Bryan Martin of the Chrome Shop Mafia explains. And one thing you can be sure of in trucking – at some point, something will go wrong. Marty Ellis tells us how it happened to him. 0:00 – Newscast 10:11 – Is a solution on the horizon for congestion tolling battle? 24:49 – You can do all kinds of things with LEDs 39:32 – At some point, something will go wrong
STOP wasting time and money on cheap red light panels that don't actually work! In episode 772 of the Savage Perspective Podcast, host Robert Sikes sits down with Forrest Smith, an expert in red light therapy, to uncover the science, benefits, and pitfalls of using red light for health and fitness. They reveal why most red light panels fail and dive deep into the advanced technology and techniques that really make a difference. If you've ever struggled with chronic inflammation, pain from old injuries, or poor recovery, this episode will blow your mind.Discover how red light therapy enhances blood flow, speeds up healing, and supports total-body recovery—especially for those leading high-performance, demanding lives. Forrest and Robert discuss how deeper tissues respond differently to specific wavelengths like red light vs. infrared and how consistency plays a vital role in getting results. The conversation also explores groundbreaking research into gut and brain health, plus the role nitric oxide plays in improving energy, mood, and cardiovascular health.Whether you're a high-achieving entrepreneur, an athlete tackling chronic injuries, or someone prioritizing personal development and wellness, this episode is packed with actionable insights. Learn the truth about cheap panels, why advanced devices make all the difference, and how light therapy is reshaping lives!Follow Forrest on IG: https://www.instagram.com/smithforresto/Register For My FREE Masterclass: https://www.ketobodybuilding.com/registration-2Get Keto Brick: https://www.ketobrick.com/Subscribe to the podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/42cjJssghqD01bdWBxRYEg?si=1XYKmPXmR4eKw2O9gGCEuQChapters:00:00 - Why cheap red light panels don't work 01:49 - Starting a mission-driven business in China 05:33 - Healthier solutions over medication for inflammation 07:41 - Red light therapy helps athletes with old injuries 11:39 - The problem with cheap red light panels 13:55 - Why infrared penetrates deeper than LEDs 17:37 - How using red light daily improves health 19:05 - Nitric oxide boosts blood flow and heart health 22:29 - Red light improves oxygen delivery and energy 24:28 - Better energy by improving ATP and mitochondria 27:51 - Protecting skin from UV with light therapy 29:41 - Red light works for skin; infrared for deeper tissue 33:03 - Daily therapy cuts inflammation and heals faster 34:35 - Pain relief from inflammation vs mechanical issues 37:57 - Red light improves gut and brain health 39:21 - Gut health and red light: safe and effective 42:28 - Light therapy and nutrients for women's hormones 44:11 - Using red light for better workouts and recovery 47:24 - NASA's research on healing with light therapy 48:49 - Creating a legacy brand for better health 51:43 - Ego hurts growth; listen to others to improve 53:14 - Routines for focus and energy with ADHD tools 56:20 - Training kids with bio-modulation and fun challenges 57:34 - How KINEON tests red light therapy tech
In this episode of The Health Fix Podcast, Dr. Jannine Krause sits down with Forrest Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of Kineon—a leading red light therapy device company—to uncover the science behind photobiomodulation and how it can reduce chronic inflammation, improve brain function, support thyroid health, and even influence the vagus nerve. A former pro rugby player, Forrest shares his personal healing journey from a meniscus tear to full-body recovery—using a powerful blend of infrared lasers and red-light LEDs. Now, he's on a mission to help others harness this same technology. Whether you're struggling with pain, fatigue, brain fog, or thyroid issues—this episode gives you insight into the healing potential of light, especially when targeted precisely.
In this episode of Restoring Darkness, Michael Colligan, Mark Baker, and Scott Wachter unpack the hidden dangers of light pollution, from LED-induced migraines to its role in societal chaos. They expose how the lighting industry's shift from bulbs to LEDs dodged accountability, while personal responsibility narratives shield systemic failures. With the NHTSA banning flashing LED vehicle lights and lawsuits looming, the trio challenges the myth that brighter nights mean safer streets, revealing a world where light might just be the spark for unrest—and a call for industry reckoning grows louder.Key Takeaways Health Hazards Emerge: LEDs are linked to migraines, seizures, and chronic issues like cancer and sleep loss, a stark shift from the industry's early focus on dark sky preservation. Systemic vs. Personal: The narrative of “turn off your phone” dodges broader accountability—lighting firms, regulators, and utilities push personal fixes over systemic solutions, burdening the sensitive. Industry Accountability: Extended producer responsibility could force manufacturers, distributors, and installers to curb light pollution, with legal parallels to glyphosate lawsuits targeting firms like Acuity Brands. Safety Myth Debunked: Bright lights don't deter crime universally—car break-ins and porch piracy thrive under illumination—while 5000K LEDs may escalate tension in riots, not calm it. Energy Efficiency Fallacy: LED mandates prioritize lumens-per-watt over total energy use or human comfort, leaving utilities off the hook and society over-lit without real gains.
This week, Hackaday's Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos met up across the (stupid, lousy) time zones to bring you the latest news, mystery sound, and of course, a big bunch of hacks from the previous week. Again, no news is good news. On What's That Sound, Kristina didn't get close at all, but at least had a guess this time. If you think you can identify the sound amid all the talking, you could win a Hackaday Podcast t-shirt! After that, it's on to the hacks and such, beginning with a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation when it comes to a pair of formerly-cloud music players. We take a look at a crazy keyboard hack, some even crazier conductive string, and a perfectly cromulent list of 70 DIY synths on one wild webpage. Finally, we rethink body art with LEDs, and take a look at a couple of printing techniques that are a hundred years or so apart in their invention. Check out the links below if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!
YouTube Short: https://youtube.com/shorts/flpTuNN7vqY Summary In this episode of the Sprinkler Nerd Show, host Andy Humphrey sits down with Steve Barendt from Rain Bird to explore the company's new ESP 2-Wire Controller—a product that's making 2-wire irrigation systems significantly more approachable for contractors who may have previously avoided them due to complexity. The Origin of the Conversation Andy first encountered Steve at the IA Show, where Steve delivered an impromptu 2-minute elevator pitch on the new controller. That pitch sparked Andy's interest in Rain Bird's new approach to two-wire systems, leading to this deeper dive discussion. Steve's Background Steve brings a decade of experience at Rain Bird, including seven years on the sales team working directly with contractors in the Austin, Texas area. His background in the field informs his work as a product manager, enabling him to better understand real-world customer needs and challenges. Why "Approachable" Matters Historically, two-wire systems have been considered complex, especially around wiring specifications, connector types, and troubleshooting. Rain Bird's ESP Two-Wire Controller aims to lower the barrier to entry, making it easier for contractors—even those new to two-wire installations—to adopt the technology. The term "approachable two-wire" is intentional. Steve explains that Rain Bird designed this controller to work with standard irrigation wire and connectors, rather than requiring specialized components. As long as the wire is direct burial irrigation wire (down to 18 gauge) and connectors are rated for 600 volts, users can leverage what's already on their trucks—reducing the learning curve and installation costs. A Big Shift: De-Energized Two-Wire Path A key innovation is that the two-wire path is not constantly energized, as it is in traditional two-wire systems. Instead, it's only powered when actively running a station or performing diagnostics. This reduces heat at the connectors and decreases corrosion risks, allowing the use of standard connectors and simplifying troubleshooting. Positioning: Who's It For? The ESP Two-Wire Controller isn't designed to replace all two-wire systems. Instead, it's aimed at light commercial and large residential projects with about 12 to 30 stations—an area where contractors often debate between traditional wiring and larger two-wire systems. Key highlights: 50-station capacity (though ideal use is around 12–30 stations) Cost break-even point starts around 12 stations, lower than the 30+ typical for traditional two-wire setups Two solenoids can operate simultaneously Compatible with a standard flow sensor (hardwired) By offering a lower break-even point and simpler installation, this controller fills a gap between traditional modular controllers like the ESP ME3 and higher-end commercial platforms like LX IVM. Troubleshooting Tools and Diagnostics Rain Bird has invested heavily in diagnostics features that make this controller easier to troubleshoot: LED Feedback on Decoders: Each decoder includes red, green, and blue LEDs that indicate operational status, short circuits, and open circuits. Short Finding Mode: Allows energizing the path for diagnostics with a clamp meter. Power-Measure Mode: Helps track power issues in the field. These features empower contractors to isolate and resolve issues faster without needing advanced tools or specialized knowledge. Auto-Addressing Decoders Perhaps the most contractor-friendly feature is the auto-address functionality. Rain Bird decoders come in numbered order, and if installed sequentially, the controller will auto-scan and assign decoder addresses to stations with no manual input. This drastically reduces setup time and minimizes human error. While other systems may require manual address entry or use specialized software, Rain Bird's solution is faster and simpler—especially when paired with the mobile app. No Field Grounding Required Another simplification: unlike other two-wire systems, no field grounding is required for this controller. Though contractors can choose to ground the system if they wish, it's not necessary for functionality or warranty compliance. Connectivity and Software Integration The controller is WiFi-enabled via Rain Bird's LNK2 module. It currently connects to Rain Bird's legacy mobile app, but a transition to Rain Bird's 2.0 app and IQ 4 web platform is planned for 2025, which will bring expanded access and remote management options. Simplified SKUs and Installation Rain Bird is offering this platform with just two SKUs: the controller and a single-station decoder. That's a major advantage for distributors and contractors, who won't need to manage complex inventories of sensor decoders, grounding kits, or multi-station decoders. Behind the Scenes: Product Development Steve shared insights into the 2–3 year development timeline, which included field testing, focus groups, and engineering across multiple departments. The goal: simplify, streamline, and make two-wire technology accessible to more contractors. Multiple patents were filed as part of the innovation process, particularly around the auto-addressing and system architecture. Final Thoughts This controller isn't for every project—but that's the point. Steve emphasized the importance of positioning the right tool for the right job. When used in the right context—light commercial sites, fast food chains, hotels, and medium-size properties—Rain Bird's ESP Two-Wire Controller can offer a compelling mix of ease-of-use, cost savings, and performance. Contractors interested in learning more are encouraged to reach out to their local Rain Bird representatives via their distributor or visit the Rain Bird website for product videos and specs. Key Takeaways Designed for simplicity and approachability Compatible with standard wire and connectors De-energized two-wire path reduces risk and simplifies install Auto-addressing decoders streamline setup Troubleshooting tools built-in (LEDs, short find mode, power measure) Ideal for 12–30 zone projects Connects via WiFi and will be fully app- and web-integrated in 2025 No field grounding required Just two SKUs for the system
This week's EYE ON NPI is Pretty Sweet Of Course! It's the Infineon Technologies PSOC Control C3 Microcontroller Line (https://www.digikey.com/short/8cw3wpp8) a souped-up microcontroller that is a perfect choice for engineers who need to do some motor control while also managing buttons, LEDs, displays, and other product requirements all on one chip. With a the high-speed ADCs on board, you can manage your BLDC motors and handle the feedback loop in firmware for dynamic tuning without the expense of a specialized co-processor. The PSOC Control C3 series comes in two flavors, the Entry and Main line chips (https://www.infineon.com/cms/en/product/microcontroller/32-bit-psoc-arm-cortex-microcontroller/32-bit-psoc-control-arm-cortex-m33-mcu/psoc-control-c3m/). Both are based on the Arm Cortex M33 which means you know that your CMSIS-based code will be an easy compile and you can use existing pre-compiled libraries. The M33 line is an upgrade to the M3 and M4, giving you the same or better clock speeds and FPU/DSP commands you get with the M4 plus TrustZone and better power efficiency. The Entry line runs at 100MHz, with max 256k Flash 64K SRAM, 10-bit DAC, a 6 MSPS 12-bit ADC, 16 x 16-bit + 4 x 32-bit TCPWMs and a "CORDIC math coprocessor". The Main line can run at 180MHz, same Flash/SRAM and TCPWMs, and has a 12 MSPS ADC plus 4-channel HRPWM with less than 100ps resolution. Both come in 48 and 64 pin TQFP/QFN varieties, the Main line also has an 80-pin version. (There will also apparently be a Performance line, so far un-announced, which may offer more memory / higher frequency). Both have FPU/DSP support, so you'll be able to process the 6 or 12-MSPS ADC data quickly. And the CORDIC processor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CORDIC) optimizes trig functions like sin/cos/tan/ln so you don't need lookup tables for performing these floating point calculations. These are particularly useful when handling motor motion calculations since they are often sinusoidal and we need to convert to-and-from the ADC measurements to the precision PWM timers. There's a huge selection of Arm processors out there, but the PSOC Control C3 has the best peripherals for motor control: it's rare to see 12MSPS 12-Bit ADC plus so many 16-bit and 32-bit timers with high-speed PWM. The CORDIC co-processor especially will make managing BLDC or Stepper motors a breeze. Plus you still get all the peripherals you would expect of a microcontroller: I2C, UART, SPI, CAN bus, DAC, IRQs, and lots of GPIO. That means you can handle all the other stuff your product has to do while also managing the motor in the background, saving you lots of space and money in BOM costs and fewer integration woes when trying to communicate between a main processor and a motor-control co-processor. The KITPSC3M5EVK eval board (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/infineon-technologies/KITPSC3M5EVK/25880112) is in stock right now if you want a ready-to-go kit at a good price. It comes with 'Arduino shield compatible" pinouts plus a USB / debug interface, and MikroBus connector for expansion. You can also pick up just the bare chip - for example the PSC3M5FDS2ACQ1AQSA1 (https://www.digikey.com/short/8cw3wpp8) is a fancy version with 256K of flash, the 12 Msps ADC, and hall encoder in a TQFP-64 package. It's in stock now at DigiKey for immediate shipment! Order today and you can have a powerful microcontroller with excellent motor feedback control in your hands by tomorrow morning.
The 16:9 PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY SCREENFEED – DIGITAL SIGNAGE CONTENT The UK-based research and advisory firm Futuresource Consulting sends a big team every year to the ISE trade show in Barcelona, and then a few weeks later releases a big report that serves as a technical recap for the pro AV community - both for people who could not attend, and for people like me who did, but didn't have anywhere near enough time to see everything. The 2025 report is out now and the good news is that it is a free download - a departure for a company that produces detailed reports that are typically paywalled and tend to cost at least four figures. In this podcast, I chat with Ted Romanowitz, a principal consultant focused mainly on LED, and Morris (or Mozz) Garrard, who heads the pro displays file and looks more at LCD and OLED. We get into a bunch of things in a too-short 30 minute interview. You'll hear about mass-transferred Chip On Board tech. Where Chip On Glass, also known as MicroLED, is at. And we also get into LCD, OLED, e-paper and projection. Have a listen. Subscribe from wherever you pick up new podcasts. TRANSCRIPT Ted and Morris, thank you for joining me. You guys are from Futuresource Consulting. Every big trade show, like an ISE or an Infocomm and some other ones as well, but those are the ones I'm most familiar with, Futuresource sends a whole bunch of people to these shows. I'm curious how many people at Futuresource are on the pro display file, and why do you go to trade shows like ISE? Morris Garrard: Dave, I'm glad to jump in. Thank you again for your time today, and looking forward to tossing with you. Overall, we took nearly 20 analysts and business development people to ISE which shows Futuresource's commitment to the trade show and our clients, specifically the Pro AV, we took four analysts, and I'm on the consulting and advisory side, so we had a really good representation across all the technologies: projection, flat panel, interactive, and LED. I assume the reason that you go is it's a very efficient way to see a whole bunch of new stuff and touch base with a whole bunch of companies under one roof in a matter of days. Morris Garrard: Oh, absolutely. For me, it's just always, you walk in and you hit that Hall 3 where a lot of the display companies are, and it's just. Like that first impression you go, oh my gosh, here we are. How am I gonna do all this? It's always nice. I always start at the Lang booth because they always do a nice job of having that big wow something right there at the major intersection. Yeah, they've done well with that. One thing about Futuresource is that the great majority of the material you put out is understandably paywalled. That's your business, you're producing subject matter expertise reports and selling them. So I'm always a bit curious about a complete 180 with these post-show reports. They're very detailed, there are many pages, and it's almost boy, that's more than you needed to do. Morris Garrard: Yes, I think it's, this year was something between 40 and 50 pages to cover the many, different areas of our practices, but, yeah, we think it adds value to our clients to see the latest and greatest, what's happening and not just a reporting of this product announcement or that product announcement, but it provides the context of what's really happening the undercurrents and the, big stories, the technology transitions, if you will, that are happening that are driving shifts in the industry. That kind of helps us open doors with clients to have deeper Engagements with them based on our unique insights. Ted Romanowitz: I think just to add to that as well is we don't produce these show reports solely for the benefit of our clients. We also work with an extensive research network that benefits from these show reports, as well as other industry bodies that we work with, like trade associations, for example, and our channel partners as well. It's a way, obviously, that you're getting driving awareness of the sort of work that you guys do and what is possible behind the paywall. Ted Romanowitz: Exactly that. Yeah. It's a brilliant opportunity to raise our profile and also to raise the profile of the analysts working within these product sectors as well. So we're already four minutes in, and I've got about half an hour to chat with you guys. So we should dive straight into some of what you saw and came away with, and I would say that the biggest thing is probably LED in the context of pro display, anyway. So let's skip past audio and some of those other areas. You talked a lot in the report about mass transfer chips on board. Can you, first of all, describe what that is? Because we're in an industry that's overwhelmed by acronyms and why they're important, and what's the distinction? Why are you saying mass transferred when you're processing COB with mass transferred? Ted Romanowitz: Yes, and not only are there a lot of acronyms, Dave, but the problem is that terms are being misused, and I've heard you talk about that a little bit. It's a really strategic inflection point that's happening right now, literally right in front of our very eyes at ISE, where you're shifting from packaged LED technologies that have driven the industry for 20 years where the LED: red, blue, green are packaged and then picked and placed onto a PCB. That's shifting to package list technologies where the individual chiplets are red, blue, and green and are being mass transferred. So instead of one pixel at a time, they're doing thousands, and when you think about it in context, a 4k display is over 8.2 million pixels. So if you can transfer thousands at a once instead of one by one, you save a lot of time, and so this package list technology is like a chip on board where the backplane is a PCB and it's a passive driver and then chip on glass or what we call micro LED. Truly micro LED, that is, sub-100 micrometers mass transferred onto a TFT black backplane with an active driver. So at ISE, you saw this crazy tidal wave, I'm going to go with that term, this crazy tidal wave of companies that are announcing COB, and the biggest thing is that they're coming to the fruition of manufacturing processes so that they can mass transfer instead of pick and place. So the cost is going to be a lot less to make them, first of all, because you don't have to package first, then pick and place, and then secondly, because you can mass transfer. So we expect, and this is going to, within maybe the next 12 months following, this could drive up to a 50 percent decrease in the ASPs, average sales price of 1.5 millimeters and below. It's just truly amazing. We've been hearing about this for several years, Futuresource has been writing about it, and now it's happening right before our eyes. With COB, there are other inherent advantages as well, right? The first one would be that as they're manufactured, the finished modules have some sort of protective coating on them. That's just fundamental to how they do them, right? Versus SMD, it's the older school packaged LED displays where they're unprotected unless they've got this glue on board coating, and they're more prone to damage. Ted Romanowitz: Yes, exactly, and those processes have been perfected over the last two to three years. So not only can you do a nice job of encapsulating it, but they can repair the LEDs as well, even after encapsulation. So that's a major thing that's happening, and one of the things that I saw at the show was i5LED actually had a double difficult display that they did in the sense that it's a corner, an inside corner, which is difficult to do with LEDs to get, so there's not any seams or anything. But then the second thing they did is they put a touch overlay on an encapsulated COB display so you could touch. It had multi-touch on it. So again, really interesting to see the future of what's happening. Yeah, because touch and LED were different worlds for the longest time, and it's only been recently where you start to see IR frames around displays that would make them interactive, and you wouldn't want to touch a conventional SMB display because it was going to damage it. Ted Romanowitz: Exactly, especially when you get to 1.2 millimeters and below. The joke has always been that you needed to put a little tray underneath the LED wall that you were touching to capture all of the LED pixels that were falling off. But now, that's improved with all these new manufacturing techniques. Are there benefits as well to COB in terms of energy consumption or brightness, things like that? Ted Romanowitz: Yeah, and the answer is yes. It's really incredible to see. Early in the LED market, if you've got 600 nits that was a lot, now you're seeing indoor displays at a 1000 or 1500 nits, which allows you to put them in a high ambient light situation, room that has Florida ceiling windows, like an office or an atrium, or even in a store window or of course outdoors in a kind of a kiosk or a standalone LED display. So this package is like technology; the chips are getting so small that you're filling in the space between the chips with an ultra black covering. That increases the contrast ratio and makes HDR content sing. Yeah, it's like the old days of plasma displays and how their big benefit was deep blacks. Ted Romanowitz: Exactly. Yeah, so one of the things I came away with from ISE, and I had the impression in earlier shows as well, but really amplified this year with all the talk around micro LED and how it's coming, and that's like the ultimate super premium display. I would look at the current product line of manufacturers who are doing COB and think, okay, that's more than good enough. I don't know that the world needs to get to micro LED video walls for us to finally have good-looking LED video walls. We're already there. Ted Romanowitz: That's true, but really, it comes down to a cost basis, and this is where we've modeled. Working with some of the biggest OEMs and ODMs in the world, we've modeled the volume that they're going to be able to produce over the next several years, and the quality that they'll be able to deliver in mass quantities, and basically, the outcome is that by the early 2030s, let's say a 77-inch or 80-inch micro LED display chip on glass will be $4,000 or less and so that brings it into mass adoption and really makes it useful for, not only does it enable the close up viewing that chip on glass does, or chip on board, but it enables a price point where you're going to see it broadly deployed in meeting rooms and corporate, you'll see it in classrooms and education, all across stadiums, venues, hospitality, every different market vertical is going to be impacted by a price point of LED that's comparable to LCD today within the next several years. Why wouldn't that happen just with COB? Ted Romanowitz: It's the cost basis of being able to do things on a PCB is more expensive versus a TFT backplane. Over the long run, it has to shift towards a TFT backplane, a glass backplane. The barrier to that happening right now is unlike COB, where mass transfer appears to have been worked out. It's still a work in progress on the chip on the glass or micro LED side, right? Ted Romanowitz: It is. There are a few other roadblocks that have to be overcome for chip on glass to be in volume with high quality, high yields, and when that happens, then you'll start seeing the volume ramp and the price really starts to drop. So there will be a day, early in the next decade, when chip-on-glass micro LED displays have the same dimensions, same resolution, everything else would be at price parity with LCD. Ted Romanowitz: Yes, with LCD today. What Moss has been looking at with the rest of the team is what's gonna happen with flat panel LCD, interactive LCD, and projection. What are the unique instances where those need to be implemented, best-fit applications and what they're doing to drive price down and add value, differentiate to keep extending those product life cycles. Moss, is there much runway still for LCD? I'm also very curious about OLED, which keeps getting better technically but is still pretty narrowly defined, particularly on the pro-AV side. Morris Garrard: Yeah. I think there are a few nuances here that we need to consider when we're talking about the LCD product lifecycle. How we looked at this in our recent strategic market outlook was to split the market into three parts. So first, looking at the video will market, then looking at the digital signage market, and then looking at what we define as the presentation market, so in front of classroom, front of boardroom devices. Video wall, I think it's no real surprise that it is certainly being cannibalized by LED the fastest. We're already seeing that kind of impact happening at, I think, back in 2020; even LED overtook LCD as the main contributor to market value in the video wall market. If we then look at digital signage, which obviously would include screens that are sub 100 inch, which typically would have the price per resolution advantage over LED. We're already seeing LED making inroads to that market as well, so it's actually in 2025 that we're expecting LED to overtake LCD as the main contributor to the market value. Then, looking at the presentation market, which is very much dominated by the likes of interactive flat panel display, but then also obviously nontouching in many boardrooms as well. Obviously, there is still that cost consciousness when it comes to presentation displays. However, in the more narrow pixel pitch segments, as Ted mentioned, that price attrition that we're expecting over the next few years, it's going to rapidly increase the adoption of LEDs within the boardroom, especially the boardroom, and perhaps less so in K12, which obviously makes up the bulk of the education segment. But we're expecting by 2028 that LED will overtake LCDs and market value share by that point. That's not to say necessarily that the LCD market is going away in volume terms. I think the key point is in terms of value. Prices are continuing to erode to really race to the bottom on LCD. And then obviously, yeah, with volume starting to flatten out, LED is making inroads quite rapidly. What about OLED? Morris Garrard: OLED's an interesting one. I think the key stumbling block for OLED in the professional displays market has been the price, as opposed to LCD. We're looking at around about 1.5 to 2X differential, which within the cost conscious mindset, especially in signage, but also in presentation displays as well. It has presented an obstacle to adoption. So OLED, we're looking at around 1% of volumes across the global market in terms of volume, and really that's stayed quite stable over the last few years, hasn't ramped as perhaps was expected a few years ago, One thing that was intriguing to me was reading some of the stuff coming out of CES and then going to ISE, and I went to the TCL booth, I believe and they had a 120 or 125-inch something, giant TV, and I was thinking, okay, that I know what they're doing with these things. There's local dimming and everything else, and the visuals coming out of these displays are stunning. They look borderline OLED quality and at that form factor, as costs come down on manufacturing those things, they are starting to approach, very close in size to all in LED displays that a lot of manufacturers have in their product lines to simplify things for meeting spaces, conference rooms and so on. Do you see these LCDs getting some traction, supplanting the all-in-one LEDs? Morris Garrard: Do you know what, Dave? That's a really interesting point because we had a number of conversations at ISE about the opportunity for larger than 100-inch LCDs. I think my answer to those individuals was that there may be an opportunity for now. I think the price attrition that we're seeing on all-in-one LEDs will bring those displays into, maybe not into price parity, then at least, within the same kind of ballpark. But I think the other key issue with, let's take 120 inch LCD, for example, is the logistics of it. If you're in a boardroom and you're on the fifth floor, and you've got to fit a 120-inch LCD into a lift, then where we're based in Europe, that's absolutely not going to happen. Maybe in North America where you guys have your freight elevators and whatnot, but I think in terms of being able to install the display itself. You're not carrying that on the stairs. Morris Garrard: Exactly, and let's say someone does crack it on the floor as they're installing it, then you've got to replace the whole thing. Whereas with an LED wall, it's just one module that needs to be replaced. I think there are those challenges as well that will limit the opportunity in that segment. Are you seeing much innovation when it comes to LCD and OLEDs? Morris Garrard: I would say in terms of the commercial LCD market, over the last few years, the key points of innovation have been, as you say, OLED initially, 8K resolution, 21:9, and then high brightness and kind of outdoor displays lumped into one. Those have really been the key points of development. In terms of market adoption, though, they haven't really taken off. I would say high brightness and outdoors are probably the best examples, accounting for around 2 to 4% of market volumes, whereas the rest is still lingering around 1 to 2%. There was a lot of buzz and quite a bit of activity at ISE around electronic ink products, e-paper products, particularly on the color side. They've gotten bigger. There were 75-inch versions there. I had seen them earlier when I was over in Taiwan, and I thought, okay, this is interesting, but it's really early days, and this is a proof of concept more than anything else because yeah, they didn't look bad, but they didn't look good. Morris Garrard: Yeah, I think e-paper is an interesting one and I think it presents a fantastic opportunity to the pro displays industry as a whole I think there has been a bit of maybe industry confusion around the purpose and the intended use case for e-paper and I think the point that really needs clarifying is that e-paper is not here to replace lcd I think in many ways it's there to complement LCD. Yes, it's there to replace print. Morris Garrard: It's there to replace print, exactly, and one of the key conversations around that exact point is, would using the 16:9 aspect ratio be the most appropriate? Obviously, for signage customers that are used to digital signage, then yes, but for those end users that are replacing print signage would actually like the A Series, for example, be a more appropriate sizing range to use. I think that this market segment is still figuring some of those things out. But yeah, definitely a lot more, A lot more on on show at ISE this year, which was fantastic to see, and even new brands as well, not only kind of new models from those brands that were already active in the space. As I say, it's the early adopter phase at the moment, but I think certainly a lot of industry potential. It was interesting, though, because, with all the buzz around it, I don't know that many people because they don't have a reason to be paying that close attention to it. They don't understand that all of these color e-paper displays are coming from one manufacturer, and whether it's Samsung Sharp or Agile Display Solutions, they're remarketing and tweaking E Ink's product. Is there any other manufacturer out there that you've run into that's actually coming up with something that is also color e-paper? I'm aware of some ESL manufacturers who are not using E Ink, but that's monochrome stuff. Morris Garrard: Yeah, I would say really the pioneer is obviously E Ink. I have seen some Chinese facsimiles, but I would say, generally, the major brands that we work with are working with E INk. Tearing through stuff here out of necessity, but I wanted to ask about projection. Morris Garrard: With projection, I think, there is a tendency within the industry to focus on all of the innovation that's happening in LED especially, and thinking that projection is going away silently, but we're still expecting the projection is going to be a very robust component of market value by the end of the decade. We're still looking at a multi-billion-dollar industry by 2029 or 2030. I would say the conversation within projection has shifted; it's a very mature product segment, of course. We're not really seeing the kind of product revolutions anymore in terms of feature sets or whatnot, the conversation has now shifted more towards the applications for projection. So where can projection be used where other display technologies may not be appropriate? One of the key applications, of course, that's grabbing a lot of headlines is projection mapping, for example, being able to scale an image at a massive scale onto things like historic buildings, for example. You're not going to be doing that with led in, historic cities in Europe, for example, it's just not going to happen. But finding other applications as well, for projection where the other technologies just wouldn't be able to be deployed basically. When I go to a giant show, like an ISE, I will run into folks like you two and lots of other industry people who've been around for a long time, and we'll always have the conversation of: so, what did you see that? I need to go see that as well, and I have my own thoughts around that, but I'm curious if there are technologies or particular manufacturers who you came across and thought, “Oh, that's interesting”. Ted Romanowitz: I'll jump in and say, both the chips on board, the wall at Samsung and the LG magnet at their booth looked fantastic, and then you saw chip on glass actually demonstrated in a large format, 136 inch at LG, as a kind of a TV kind of format. Samsung had the transparent micro LED, which I think shows they're starting to evolve their thinking. It's such a cool technology, but I think everyone's struggling with what the killer application for transparent micro LED is just because companies have been struggling with the idea of a transparent OLED. Where does it really fit in? Those are some of the killer things that I saw. The waterfall at Lang booth. I thought it was incredibly cool, as was the kinetic LED display facing the LG booth. Not practical, but it's cool. Yeah, and that one, I was impressed by a lot more than previous kinetic LED walls that I've seen because this was more like a game show spinning tile thing where you didn't have all this, very tight synchronizing of modules to make it look good, and I saw another kinetic LED wall I was talking to an old industry friend who said, yeah, this thing's cool, but it's breaking down every half an hour because his stand was right next to it. So it's handled with care. Ted Romanowitz: Yeah, I thought the other cool part of that kinetic display at LG was the fact that they drew in a social media aspect where you could, upload your picture and they do a little AI magic and all of a sudden you can see Dave Haynes right up there in the middle of the LG kinetic wall. Yes, you could, but I tried that, and it turned me into a guy going through a gender transition, which I'm not quite sure how that happened. Ted Romanowitz: We love everybody. So that's good. We love you for just who you are, Dave. That's all I'm gonna say about that. It's a side of me I hadn't thought about, but some people said you look good like that. I don't know. Okay, sorry, but it ain't happening. Moz, how about you? Morris Garrard: Yeah, we've already touched on it. Compared with the conversations I was having around e-paper at the end of last year, I was amazed to see larger than 32-inch form factors, let alone 75 inches. I think it was at the Dynascan booth. I was just impressed purely with the progress that technology is making in such a short space of time. So yeah, that, for me, was the takeaway. All right. This has been great. We could have easily spoken for three hours, but we had limited time somehow or other. I appreciate you guys jumping on the phone with me. Ted Romanowitz: Thanks so much. It's a pleasure, and we're headed over to Taiwan and Korea, so maybe we can talk again and give you some feedback on what we saw at Touch Taiwan with some of the big OEMs and ODMs in Asia. You gonna have some Soju? Ted Romanowitz: I will definitely have that. Alright, thanks, guys. Morris Garrard: Thanks so much, Dave.
Testing a PCM5122 I2S DAC, adding LEDs to the 8x solenoid driver, and prototyping a "USB CC Fixer" to charge a tricky baby monitor. Also we're on the hunt for a stereo I2S amp with 5W+ output.
This week was slow for hardware development—we were getting over being under the weather. But we did poke a little at a PCM5122 breakout board (https://www.digikey.com/short/fnf9t0b1). This chip can do software or hardware control of I2S signals and is preferred by folks who want something a little nicer than the PCM5102 (https://www.adafruit.com/product/6250). We also wrapped up our design for the 8x solenoid driver board—the biggest update is adding indicator LEDs. Lastly, we got our prototypes for the "USB CC Fixer" adapter, which we mostly made so we could charge a really annoying baby monitor, but probably other folks will want to buy it, too. ----------------------------------------- Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com LIVE CHAT IS HERE! http://adafru.it/discord Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ -----------------------------------------
-Good wifi rolls out at United: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/united-airlines-successfully-installed-starlink-130000684.html?guccounter=1 -Cordless Coke Machine: https://hydrogen-central.com/coca-colas-new-hydrogen-powered-vending-machine-doesnt-need-a-power-outlet/ -Bambu H2D is amazeballs: https://www.tomshardware.com/3d-printing/bambu-lab-h2d-review -Encryption is only as good as the user: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/24/journalist-trump-yemen-war-chat -Norovirus vaccine on the horizon?! Norovirus vaccine hints at defusing explosive stomach bug in early trial -Napster just sold for a crazy sum: Napster just sold for $207 million -Sony has new display tech Sony Unveils RGB LED Backlight Tech That Outperforms Traditional Mini LED -Pixel 9a for $499 Google officially introduces the Pixel 9a for $499 -LEDs the size of a virus: World's Tiniest LED Display Has Pixels Smaller Than a Virus -23andMe filed for bankruptcy: DNA-Testing Firm 23andMe Files for Bankruptcy -Bio-Hybrid hand https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/03/a-biohybrid-robotic-hand-built-using-real-human-muscle-cells/ -BYD is pulling ahead of Tesla in pretty much every way: BYD announces charging tech that's twice as fast as Tesla's -Hell Ants don't exist anymore, and I am glad https://allthatsinteresting.com/amber-fossil-hell-ant
We are honored to be joined by Forrest Smith, the CEO and Founder of Kineon. Forrest has a 20-year history of building successful startups in tech hardware. He is passionate about health, wellness, and advancing technology to help others, and he has spent his adult life building remarkable products around innovative supply chain. Aside from his founder position in multiple companies, Forrest has held several positions, from Director of Asian Operations for a Fortune 500 company to Director of Business Development. He also grew up playing competitive sports in Atlanta, regularly participates in rugby matches, and trains CrossFit, which ultimately led him to develop Kineon Lab's Move+, a modular, targeted laser therapy device for neuromuscular pain and inflammation.Topics:1. Forrest's Personal Experience with Red Light Therapy - The creation of Kineon and the MOVE+ Pro. 2. Cellular Health - Supporting healthy mitochondrial function. - ATP production and oxidative stress.- The role of oxidative stress in impairing mitochondrial output. - Balancing ROS production and cellular repair. 3. Red and Infrared Light Therapy- Photoacceptors including cytochrome c oxidase. - Nitric oxide.- Comparing wavelengths and their tissue penetration. - Clinical research on red light therapy.- Joint health, mobility, and blood flow.- Skin and hair scientific literature. - Technical specifications. - Importance of dose control.- LEDs vs. Lasers in light therapy devices. - Including laser technology in the MOVE+ Pro. 4. Kineon Lab's MOVE+ Pro - Remarkable engineering and performance.- Modular design for targeting joints and soft tissue. - Joint pain, inflammation, and recovery. - How often and how long to use the MOVE+ Pro. - Sample protocols for joint pain and performance recovery. Shop the Kineon Move+ Pro and save $100 during Kineon's Spring Amazon Sale running from March 25th to March 31stCheck out Kineon's website hereCheck out Kineon's Instagram @kineon_labsGet Chloe's Book Today! "75 Gut-Healing Strategies & Biohacks" Follow Chloe on Instagram @synthesisofwellnessVisit synthesisofwellness.com
Red Light Therapy is not just for the rich and the pro-athlete any more! It's a revolutionary tool for midlife women ready to take control of their health, vitality, and confidence. Whether it's about reducing inflammation, relieving pain, or improving skin health, this science-backed therapy is changing the way we approach wellness. This episode unpacks Red Light Therapy, what it is, how it works and whether it can work on your gut health, plantar fasciitis, knee pain and more. My Guest: Forrest Smith grew up playing competitive sports in Atlanta and regularly participates in rugby matches and trains CrossFit, which ultimately led him to develop Kineon Lab's Move+: a modular, targeted laser therapy device for neuromuscular pain and inflammation. What is Red Light Therapy (RLT)? Through the science of photobiomodulation, RLT uses specific light wavelengths to boost cell repair, reduce inflammation, and promote healing—all without the need for medication. He highlights how red and infrared light work in the body to improve blood flow, release nitric oxide, and ease chronic inflammation. What are the benefits of Red Light Therapy? Pain Relief: Particularly for joint pain, osteoarthritis, and conditions like plantar fasciitis. Inflammation Reduction: Especially relevant for women in midlife dealing with hormonal changes, weight loss resistance, and systemic inflammation during perimenopause and menopause. Enhanced Recovery: Promoting healthy blood flow and supporting tissue repair. Gut Health and Mood: Can boost dopamine levels and improve mood, showcasing the gut-brain connection. Support for Autoimmune Conditions: Including asthma and multiple sclerosis, by targeting systemic inflammation. Hormonal Balance: Potential benefits for insulin resistance and thyroid health, with specific mention of Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism. Who will benefit from Red Light Therapy? Women in midlife: Especially those dealing with inflammation, weight loss resistance, and hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause. Chronic pain sufferers: Individuals with joint pain, osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, and other musculoskeletal issues. Those with autoimmune conditions: Including asthma and multiple sclerosis, as RLT may help reduce systemic inflammation. Individuals with gut health concerns: The therapy can boost dopamine levels and improve mood, linking to the gut-brain connection. People struggling with hormonal imbalances: Such as insulin resistance and thyroid issues, including Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism. Athletes and active individuals: Seeking faster recovery and pain relief from injuries. Anyone avoiding pharmaceuticals: Looking for a natural approach to managing pain and inflammation. The Move+ Red Light Therapy The Move Plus is a wearable laser device developed by Forrest Smith and his team. It offers a more affordable option for clinical-grade laser therapy at home, priced under $500, compared to traditional laser devices that can cost $10,000 or more. Key features of The Move+: Uses medical-grade lasers (not just LEDs) to deliver effective doses of light to the body. Designed with wearability and convenience in mind—Forrest even wears it around his neck during the interview. Helps with pain relief, inflammation reduction, and supporting recovery from injuries. Targets specific areas like the neck, gut, knees, and lower back, and can be used for systemic treatments (e.g., blood dosing through the neck). Backed by research and development, including collaboration with scientific advisors and medical professionals. Approved for travel, with FCC clearance, allowing users to take it on flights and use it while on the go. Questions We Answer in This Episode: How does red light therapy “work”? Could weight loss resistance and insulin resistance benefit from red light therapy? Can you share success stories of how red light therapy has transformed lives? What's the best way to incorporate it into a healthy lifestyle? Should the treated area be active or at rest during use? Can we easily travel with this? What is the future of red light therapy and similar products? What sets the MOVE+ apart from other RLT devices? Connect with Forrest: Try to The MOVE - Enjoy $100 discount and FREE shipping during this first week of the podcast release! Facebook Instagram YouTube Other Episodes You Might Like: Previous Episode - If I Wanted to Reduce My Risk of Heart Disease Post Menopause Next Episode - 4 Exercise Mistakes Hijacking Your Menopause Fitness (and how to fix them) More Like This – Hype or Hip? | Sauna Benefits During Menopause Resources: Flipping 50 Membership Flipping 50 STRONGER 12-week program The What, Why, and When of PRP and Shockwave Therapy
Full tutorial: https://learn.adafruit.com/glowing-hair-flowers-with-n00ds/overview Light up your hair with these beautiful iridescent glowing hair flowers. The magical light comes from Adafruit n00ds: a fun, flexible noodle-like LED filament. These little noodles are jam-packed with LEDs and look a bit like EL wire, but with no need for an inverter. They are available in a variety of colors and lengths so you'll be able to find just the right n00d for your project. This is a fun beginner project that requires a little bit of tricky soldering but no coding or software. Just connect the n00ds to a coin cell battery breakout and they will light up and glow. Adafruit n00ds come in a variety of colors and lengths. We also have them in single-ended or double-ended variety. The double-ended variety are a bit easier to solder to: solder a wire to each end. The single-ended variety have both leads on one end, which is perfect for some projects where you don't want to have to double back to the battery, but these are wicked hard to solder to. For these hair flowers I used the 300mm single-ended n00ds in red, blue, and warm white. https://www.adafruit.com/product/6150 Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com ----------------------------------------- LIVE CHAT IS HERE! http://adafru.it/discord Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ -----------------------------------------
The 16:9 PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY SCREENFEED – DIGITAL SIGNAGE CONTENT All kinds of people in this industry are very aware that while there is lot of dodgy stuff, there is also lots of well made display technology available from Chinese manufacturers who have zero brand recognition outside of that country. Buy potential buyers don't tend to have the time or resources to make the big flights over the Pacific to visit China and directly source reliable manufacturing partners. And they really - if they're smart - don't want to just order stuff, and then cross their fingers and toes hoping the stuff shows up, lines up with what was ordered, works, and then meets necessary certifications. Jacob Horwitz saw an opportunity to create a new company that functions as something as a boutique digital signage distribution company that sources, curates and markets display and related technologies that its resellers can then take to market. Horwitz will be familiar to a lot of industry people for a pair of installation companies he started and ran the U.S. - IST and later Zutek. In both cases, he sold the companies, and he could have just retired ... but he didn't want to retire. Nor did his wife, because a Jacob with too much time on his hands would make her crazy. So he started Illuminology with a longtime industry friend and business partner Stephen Gottlich, who for many years ran the digital file for Gable. I caught up with Horwitz to talk about the origins and rationale for Illuminology, which is just spinning up but has some big plans. Subscribe from wherever you pick up new podcasts. TRANSCRIPT Jacob, it was nice speaking with you. You have started a company called Illuminology, which sounds like you started a cult, but I think that's not what it is. Jacob Horwitz: Not yet, no, We hope it will be at some point, a good following, but first off, Dave, thanks for having me. It's been nine years since you and I first chatted on a podcast. I don't know if you realize that. It was December of 2016, and we had just finished, I think maybe the nationwide rollout of Burger King, you and I had a chat about that, and it's hard to believe nine years have gone by. This was when you had IST? Jacob Horwitz: Installation Service Technologies was a nationwide installation and service company, that was sold in 2018 and then a year later, I restarted a company called Zootech, and I was approached by a customer who was looking to be entrepreneurial and that company is now owned by Karen Salmon. It's a woman-owned business mow, and her father was the founder of Powerpoint of Sale. I took a couple of years off. I have a person that I have worked with for 30 years, my business partner, Stephen Gottlich. I think you've met Stephen, and he has been working with Gable Signs for the last 17 years and I think what Illuminology is now is a culmination of really two parallel journeys. Stephen took a traditional sign company 17 years ago down a path of innovation, and Gable went from a bending metal traditional sign company to a visual solutions company my background, which has been installation and service for the last 20 years, brings together two people who are a little bit older than when you and I first talked nine years ago. It was probably 60 pounds ago when I talked to you for the first time. I'm a little gray or a little wiser and a little bit older. So the two of us come from really parallel journeys in different areas of digital signage, and we wanted to create something a little different in the United States. We'd seen some business models and other parts of the world that seem to be working. So we wanted to create a marketplace that would expand digital signage to companies interested in expanding their scope of business. So we focus a lot on traditional sign companies other technology-type companies, and installation companies. They all have some type of footprint in the verticals with technology but they're not carrying digital signage. So we thought, how do we expand digital signage to reach a lot more people? And we've come up with this business model. So for people who are completely unfamiliar with it, how do you describe it in your elevator pitch? Jacob Horwitz: The easiest way to describe it is to think of us as a traditional distributor of digital signage to authorized resellers. Much like a Blue Star, B&H, except that we're very boutique, and we're very focused, and we're very passionate. Stephen and I are not, we've been fortunate in business. I'm 65, Stephen is 70-ish, so we know we don't have a lot of time to build something that's going to take years and years, but we wanted to build something special. So you would be like, an Almo or those kinds of companies, but much more focused specifically on digital signage? Jacob Horwitz: … And being able to support them differently. So take a digital traditional sign company, next month, we'll be at the International Sign Show in Las Vegas, the USA, and a lot of those people are digital, but it's amazing how many fast signs, and banners to go, those types of places that are selling digital signage today and have no idea what digital is. They're very old and traditional. I think of it if you sold typewriters or telephones a couple of decades ago and you didn't evolve in the IP phones and computers, you're probably not in business anymore. So we're taking a lot of those types of sign companies. We have a course called Illuminology University. We take them through an 8 to 10-week course. These are live training classes and curricula we put together to train them about what is a sign in digital singage, what's LED, what's LCD, what is GOB versus COB, just really teaching them about the industry and they have a lot of reach in the verticals that traditional people selling digital signage today don't have. The other thing that makes us unique. When you go to traditional companies like Blue Stars, you don't have everything available under one distributor. We have an experience center that's opening next week in Kansas City. It's a supermarket of visual solutions, so you'll be able to see not just LED or LCD, but you're also going to see light boxes, you're going to see different kiosks, you're going to see where AI comes into play with digital signage, you're going to have a good understanding in our experience center of the programmatic side of how things can be monetized with a digital retail network. I think that because of the 30 years that Steven and I have been involved in technology and in the last twenty in digital signage, we can be much more of a boutique to help people with a wider range of solutions, not just a traditional 55-inch monitor, but LED posters, you had on your blog a few weeks ago that digital desk, which is part of our showroom, so I think it's about innovation. I think it's about a wider range of solutions, and it's hopefully in our last chapters of life, having a lot of fun with our partners. So I assume if I call or contact one of the larger distributors who do unified communications, do all kinds of different things, and I start asking them about it, I'm a POS company, I have a customer who's asking me about menu boards and things like that. I don't know where to start. If you talk to a larger distribution company, they have a sheet or a system that lists all the stuff they have and they can rattle off, here's what we have, what do you want, whereas you're saying because you're much more focused on this area and you have an experience center, people could come in and you can try to find something that's tailored to their needs as opposed to what we have. Jacob Horwitz: Yeah, I think that all those traditional distribution models are very good at taking orders and taking money. A couple of them even have some departments where they're trying to help you with that consultive part of the business but I think at the end of the day, from my installation side, conservatively, we installed well over 400,000 displays in every kind of vertical you could imagine when I owned IST. We did the new SoFi Stadium. We did all of their point of sale. Arlington Stadium, we did all of their digital assets when Daktronics had contracted us. And Stephen has done every kind of hardware installs you could think of when he was with Gable. So I think that being able to work with a company and be there to hold their hand too, we've already gotten on a plane and gone to sales calls with our partners. You're not going to get that from a traditional distributor. We work and do the RFPs with them. We work with them on pricing and quotes. So it's a little bit different than just trying to take an order so I think that's what makes us unique and the education and our school of hard knocks, you know, god knows, we've made an awful lot of mistakes in 20 years So I think we're gotten pretty good at what we do. So are you selling strictly third-party stuff, or are there products that fall under the Illuminology brand or a related brand? Jacob Horwitz: We've been going back and forth for a decade now to China. Stephen and I's first project together, was Simon Properties, 250 malls, and one of the largest media networks for digital out-of-home in the country, we designed the kiosk 10 years ago that they were still using and running in their malls, and that was a factory direct where we worked directly with the factories, built a kiosk, and were able to give Simon an amazing solution, especially where technology was 10 years ago. So through that experience and over the last decade, we've met absolutely the best factories in China. There are a lot of stereotypes of what a Chinese factory could look like, and until you go and you see the automation and the technology there, God knows you've done it. You've been all over the world. It's not what a lot of people think. So we work directly with factories. We are creating two brands. There are more later on in the year, we are white labeling or branding our product. There'll be a line of displays called LightScapes, and then there'll be a line of kiosks called EasyOSK. So these are part of our longer-term business plan to have a brand. So you're not just saying, well, we bought these from some factories in Taiwan Korea Vietnam and China. We work very closely with the factories. We work very closely with people like AUO who are on the display side, and the panel side, and we will have some things that are unique within that brand. It will not just be the same product that everybody can buy. But because we're doing factory direct because we've got ten-year relationships with these factories, and they know Stephen and me well. We've been going except during COVID several times a year to China. I think that we're able to buy from them at incredibly good pricing and pass those savings on to our resellers. So what if you had a Chinese manufacturer that's strong domestically in that country and has a lot of them trying to come to the U.S. or over to Europe and say, here we are, and not get anywhere, would you sell their product under their brand or would it have to fall under one of your brands? Jacob Horwitz: No, we sell generic products as well. So for example, that desk that you talk about, I was in that factory last month. The person who owns that factory is a very small equity owner within Illuminology because we've known her for ten years and anything that comes from any factory out of China, she will go do that quality check before it ever hits the container to get over here. So she's a very instrumental part of our business over there, but we sell some of the stuff out of her factory as a generic product. It's not necessarily branded with LightScapes. It might be branded with Illuminology, but when you go look at the certification tags and serial numbers, it's still her company name on it, whereas LightScapes and EasyOSK are true white-labeled products that are going to be unique to us. Does that get around any regulatory issues in terms of what can come over from China if it's coming through you? Jacob Horwitz: The regulations that are driving everybody in our industry crazy right now are the tariffs. But, to us, I think some of the big things that you don't see out of Chinese companies are the right approvals. We're very focused right now on our products being a UL or UL equivalent. There are five or six laboratories that are like MET. That is exactly like UL. It's UL-approved. We had a very large factory send us apart to test and they looked at it yesterday and we already rejected it because the power supply was not a UL-approved power supply. We said, we're not even going to test it. So I think that those are things that are not regulatory from the U.S., but they're important to us, from a safety side, especially when you're working with enterprise tier one customers, they, have to have the right certifications, but I think the only thing that's causing us headaches is not the regulatory side, but, trying to figure out the right pricing with tariffs and how we handle that. Cause it's changing by the day. Jacob Horwitz: Every time I look up, I'm afraid to look at the TV to see if it's higher or whatnot, but all of our pricing that we post to our dealers today is a landed cost from Kansas City. So it's including if we had inbound shipping or we had tariffs, we don't want our resellers to have to worry about that and they know that this is the pricing and if the tariffs go away, then we can lower that price. But if it goes crazy, they need to be prepared. We're working closely with some factories right now in Taiwan, Korea, and others in Vietnam so that we have a backup solution because right now the lion's share is coming from China. If it's touched in Taiwan or touched in Vietnam, but with Chinese components, does that make a difference? Jacob Horwitz: Yeah, we just had that problem. We had ordered some stuff that came in from Canada, and this was before the Canadian tariff of 25%. This was two-three weeks before that, and we got a bill for tariffs, and we were talking with the U.S. Customs and the experts at DHL and UPS, and it turns out, if you're buying something from, for example, the great area of Canada, where you're sitting at home, but the company we bought it from manufactured their part in China when they ship it to us and their commercial invoice to U.S. Customs asks the company in Canada, where the country of origin it was manufactured and even though I bought it from Canada, had no idea that the part I ordered was not manufactured in Canada, we got hit with that 20 percent tariff on that product, and that surprised us. We didn't think it through or understand and the hard part is even when you talk to the absolute top people at U.S. Customs at the borders that are doing this, they're not even sure hour by hour what the rules are. So it's been hard. We had another container come in and we had, I think, a $7k or $8k tariff. This is when it was 10%, but it landed in the U.S. before the tariff started and they still would not release it without us paying the tariff. Two days ago, we got that money back from U.S. customs. They realized they shouldn't have even charged it. It was before the date the tariff started. But unfortunately, by the time we released it, they held it hostage for a bit. So it's a hard situation, but we're going to work with other countries and I think that everybody's in the same boat, and I think in terms of pricing, our distribution model is much like the traditional guys. It's on a very low margin. So we have to have a lot of resellers that are looking to expand their business. So I'm curious about markets like Vietnam and India, which I keep hearing about, having gotten into electronics and being alternatives to Korea, Taiwan, particularly China, is that industry, particularly on the display side, mature enough now to buy products from there? Jacob Horwitz: Since September, I've visited sixteen different countries across the world, I think on three or four continents and getting ready for the right factories and the right things and just enjoying travel at the same time, and the one thing that surprised me is how far behind the U.S. is compared to a lot of parts of the world and how much digital signage you see. Also, when you talk to these people what they're paying for digital signage throughout other parts of the world is far less money than the U.S. customers paying us companies for digital signage. The margins in Asia and Europe are much thinner than the traditional margins that resellers have been getting in the U.S. Our motto, and you see it across our website, is “The Best for Less”, and we have tried to find the best factories in the world and be able to give it at a price that is not greedy. That's a win for us, for our resellers, and most importantly for the companies that are trying to buy and put that digital signage into their business so they can inspire and tell a story to their customer. And I think that even in the smallest towns of Vietnam, you still see digital outdoor LEDs on the sides of buildings and you go into the shopping malls and it's far more digital than you see here. So that was interesting to me as I've got to travel the world in the last four months. Is it a function of cost or awareness? Jacob Horwitz: I'm not sure, but I'm assuming first it's a function of cost because where they're working on margins that are so much less, it allows that to get into people's businesses, and when you're charging $1k for a 55-inch commercial grade LCD, 500 nit monitor, it's a barrier to entry. So we're trying to brand something and bring something to the market where we can be 20% less to the end user than a lot of the traditional things, and we think we've accomplished that. The tariffs hurt us a little bit, but they hurt everybody by and large. So I think that's really why the U.S. is slower. I don't want to use the word greed. I own businesses, but people have tried to get margins that I don't think you can get anymore, and I think that you're going to have to find other ways to monetize your business through the installation side, through the content side, and I think that it's also helping companies. It's a big part of what we do. I think of Chris at Stratacash, he has a whole area where he helps monetize their solutions and it's helped, and we're looking at that closely. We're working with three or four companies right now where we can have our resellers work directly with them and educate their end users on how they can monetize the solution, through advertising in certain verticals. Not all verticals are conducive to digital out-of-home, but most are. So that's an important part of how we're going to help move products into places that normally maybe couldn't afford to put the right solutions in. I assume that there are all kinds of people in North America, the U.S. in particular, who are aware that they can buy stuff via AliExpress or whatever. But they've heard enough to know, yes, you can pay substantially less, but you have to cross your fingers when it shows up. Is Illuminology positioned as a safe harbor way to do it? Like we're doing the sourcing, we've figured that part out so we could pass on those savings without all the worry. Jacob Horwitz: Look to me, those sites are a lot like a box of chocolates. You never really know what you're going to get when that product shows up. As I said, even with the sample we got from somebody yesterday not being the right display, UL, and approvals, we're not going to be a website where you can buy whatever you want. It's going to be very focused on innovation. It's going to be the same factories. As I'm sure you've seen I get if I get one I get at least three emails every day from some Chinese factory trying to sell you whatever and everyone is a nickel cheaper than the other and I think that's just Pennywise and quality foolish. So we're not going to be that it's going to be the best for less, and if we can create this supermarket of visual solutions, and it's a great product and the pricing can hit the street to an end user, double-digit, less expensive, and we are distributing through companies that have reached where the traditional resellers aren't touching, then we think that will help expand digital signage across the U.S. So these would be reached to like the sign companies you mentioned, maybe the point of sale technology companies, those kinds of companies? Jacob Horwitz: I have a guy I talked to a couple of days ago who sells medical devices. Nothing to do with digital signage. He's out there every day selling blood pressure machines or whatever medical devices he's selling and in the last few days, I've probably talked three times to him now about the opportunity he has to do stuff in the medical world because he's already out there calling on places to put in screens and some LED posters. And, so I think it's all kinds of places that maybe haven't even thought about incorporating digital signage into their end-user business, and these people are now educating why being able to tell a story through digital is so much better than a static sign. So yeah, it's been enlightening to see all the different verticals you can all of a sudden make inroads that you never thought about. Yeah. So many companies are just going down the same familiar path of chasing QSRs, chasing retail, and I've always advised people to look at those other kinds of companies that already have established trust with your target vertical who supply other things to them and partner with them. Jacob Horwitz: Yeah, it's been interesting. When I was doing the installation side, we did a lot of QSR, McDonald's, Burger King, Sonic, Del Taco, that type of stuff, and a lot of them have seen a few of the first initial posts we've done and they're calling and asking more of what we can do and I'm excited just about window technology whether that be an LED, a double-sided LCD hanging in the window of a fast food restaurant is so much more effective than printing two breakfast sandwiches for $5 and shipping it out to the store, hoping the manager puts it in the window during the promotional time. Half the time, three weeks after the motions are over, they still have that digital thing in there saying breakfast sandwiches or the static poster thing, and then at 10:30 when breakfast is over, they're still talking about breakfast sandwiches instead of talking about Value meals or other desserts or other things they could be buying during dinner. So it makes nothing but sense to have those assets in there. But the people who are buying their outdoor digital menu board don't even offer that product. So we feel that a supermarket with a full set of solutions, in a C-store to be able to do a stretch screen and a gondola and still do their monitors over their register and doing their digital menu board and having things that inspire people to walk in from the pump into the C-store, we have that full range of product where a lot of people just don't have a full range of offerings to that. When you say a full range of products, is it purely display technology, or does your supermarket have other things? Jacob Horwitz: We do light boxes, which are just an aluminum extruded frame that hangs on a wall with backlit LED, but it's a fabric, you see them in every airport. So we do a lot of light boxes, and that's a very affordable and very effective solution. It's a static display, but it pops. We are doing music. We have partnered with CloudCover. CloudCover is owned by SiriusXM, I believe, and Pandora, because we think that it's part of the whole experience, it's touching all the senses of when you go into that business, we think music is a really important part of branding your business. So there are several out there that are there. We've hitched our ride there on the software side. Because we have to support the dealers, we have, we offer two software platforms, and it's because of relationship and stability and they're the best. There's a saying, if you're the smartest guy in the room, you're in the wrong room and so we've partnered with people that make me where I am not even close to the smartest guy in the room. We love working with Navori. We think Jeffrey Weitzman is amazing. So we offer to our partners and we've worked aggressively to have a good distribution model in Navori to our partners and potential end users. So if I'm sitting in a room with Jeff Hastings, I'm not the smartest guy in the room anymore. So we offer BrightSign, and BrightAuthor, and the players we go with are either the Navori or the BrightSign players, and we offer that CMS. They're not. The cheapest CMS, you had a great interview with Alistair and what they're doing and I listened to you last night. So there are a lot of options, but we have to support the dealer network. So to be able to have a dealer that wants to go off and do a different CMS, we support that. They can send us software and we'll test it to make sure, particularly if it's going to be SOC, that what they're using is going to run properly on that version of Android. So we'll support them that way or just before we order the product, we'll go into our lab and throw that on, but we can't support that dealer network on how to use the CMS. We have BrightAuthor and Novori, and we're good, and then we have two full-time people thatwho NOVA certified. So on the LED side, we're no, we have NOVA-certified experts, so we can help them with Novastar. So we can support that, but we can't support every CMS. So we encourage them, especially if they need a 4-a-month CMS, then I think that Alistair is a great solution, and there are a lot of those types of companies out there. But that won't be us. We'll have a couple of CMS, we'll have the music solution and we hope we can create a visual experience and a sensory experience that when they walk into an end user that's bought a product through one of our resellers, that product's inspiring consumers to spend more money. You and Stephen are hands-on with this, but how many other people do you have working with you? Jacob Horwitz: Oh gosh, I've tapped into a lot of my old employees in a lot of years, so Stephen and I have known each other for 30 years. For us, it's more passionate at this age. It's certainly not about really the money. This is because your wife said you need to do something. Jacob Horwitz: After years of being in the house and driving her crazy every 10 minutes, she made it clear I will either go find a job, or I'll have to support her next husband. So that had a little bit to do with it. But Stephen and I are wired the same way. It's about quality. It's about good solutions. It's never been about trying to make money on this. I think it's helping people. The people that I've brought in, I have a Project Manager who worked for me starting 15 years ago, and now she's ahead of our marketing, Becca, and she's been with me for a decade and a half. The girl in my accounting department has been with me for over 15 years. I have a fragment in the house Legal who is my full-time in my old business and they've all been around at least 10 or 15 years. My CIO has been with me since 1999. So he was in college when he started. So we've got a good, like Stephen and I, that these are not newbies to this industry. One of my Project Managers started with me when we first talked nine years ago when she was a Senior Project Manager for Burger King. So, everybody that I've surrounded myself with so far, there's been at least a decade of hitting the shows, doing the installs, and that school of hard knocks. So have you got 20 people, 40 people? Jacob Horwitz: Right now, we're a team of maybe ten or eleven people. I have three people coming in next week for interviews after the experience center is open that are all industry veteran types and we're just getting started. The idea started in September. I went to Infocomm and then maybe I saw you and just started feeling the waters. We were going to launch in early January or February. We're a month old. The container of our showroom sat in Long Beach for six weeks before it got. It took longer to get from Long Beach to our offices than it did from China to Long Beach. So we're just getting started. But we're going to stay in a boutique. We don't want to be all things to all people. Right, and they can find you online at Illuminology.com? Jacob Horwitz: Illuminology.com and there's an online brochure of the product and we thank you. And Dave, I said this to you the other day, but I want to say it again. I need to thank you because, for everybody I've ever hired for the last decade, the first thing we have them do is go through your podcast and your blogs and learn about the industry, and what you do for us is so valuable and I mean that with all sincerity. Thank you. Jacob Horwitz: We hired a new sales guy and he started a month ago. He called me yesterday and said, Do you know this Dave Haynes guy? He didn't know, he did not know I had a podcast today. He goes, I am learning so much from him. And, I go, yeah, I'm chatting with him tomorrow. So thank you for what you do as well. Thank you. That's very kind. Jacob Horwitz: Very well deserved. So thank you for the opportunity to share our story and we look forward to working with the people in the industry, to help and expand digital signage into places that can be more like your Europe where it's everywhere. All right. Thank you!
Perovskite is a type of thin film PV that can be layered on top of silicon cells to get more power! Caelux makes perovskite on glass that can be used as the glass of a traditional PV module. Charlie gets into how perovskite is made and how it works, all the way to the band gap. Topics covered: What is a Perovskite How Perovskite Crystals Form Transparent conductors Matching Perovskite and Silicon Technologies Temperature Coefficients Two-Terminal Tandem vs. Four-Terminal Tandem Reverse Bias Solar Cells as LEDs in Reverse Space-Based Solar Technologies Perovskite Panel Development & Market Entry History & Development of Perovskite Solar Cells Industry Insights & Personal Experiences Reach out Charlie here: www.caelux.com Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com (http://www.solarSEAN.com) and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean's classes at www.heatspring.com/sean (http://www.heatspring.com/sean)
Healthy home supports your health, in my opinion, from the air we're breathing, the materials around you, it's designed to promote your health and it prioritizes air quality, has items that are made from non-toxic materials, and it actively reduces toxins, you can actively reduce toxins when you have practices that support a healthy home. So all that is also going to be good for the environment typically. - Karen BloomKaren started her career as a consumer protection attorney, fighting against companies that failed to warn consumers about the dangers of chemicals in their products. She later developed a mysterious illness that was eventually diagnosed as Lyme disease and mold toxicity, which made her highly sensitive to chemicals and toxins. This experience inspired her to focus on creating non-toxic living spaces to help others who have been in similar situations.A healthy home supports your health by prioritizing air quality, using non-toxic materials, and actively reducing toxins. While a green home focuses on environmental sustainability, the two concepts don't always fully align. Karen explained how some "green" technologies like LEDs and EMFs can actually be harmful to health, and emphasized the need for solutions that protect both the environment and human health.Karen provided several specific recommendations for creating a healthier home, including using air purifiers, high-quality HVAC filters, natural cleaning products, non-toxic furniture and mattresses, stainless steel or glass food storage containers, and proper ventilation when cooking. She also discussed the importance of being mindful of the products we bring into our homes and their potential impacts.Karen explained that her business, Natural Haven, offers in-home or virtual consultations to assess a client's home and provide customized recommendations for improving indoor air quality and reducing toxin exposure. She also creates educational content and free guides to help people make their homes healthier.When asked about recommendations for protecting against EMF exposure when outside the home, Karen expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of many EMF shielding products on the market, noting that she has tested many and found them to be ineffective. She suggested exploring professional EMF assessments and mitigation strategies instead.
...With an "Orange Goblin" backer (Frequencies from Planet Ten), we've got a good assortment of gearhead supersauce on this burger: blind squirrel finds a nut (bad gov't radio ads get one right while missing the point on distracted driving); speed limits for asteroids (does it apply to meteors?); weird foreign terrorist Toyotas in Wyoming (hat tip, "Cowboy State Daily"), taxpayer funding and corporate automaker interest drying up for electric cars (BMW on its lead foot and Porsche on its rear); Nissan gets caught on the wrong side of the border and its checkbook; a return to favor for gas stoves and incandescent light bulbs; small Japanese seats and brakes; HIDs versus LEDs. There's fries with that: scary words in your shampoo ingredients, honest humanity in your "Blazing Saddles", Mexican light bulbs, Korean stoves, the 1911's birthday and at least one sammich.
...With an "Orange Goblin" backer (Frequencies from Planet Ten), we've got a good assortment of gearhead supersauce on this burger: blind squirrel finds a nut (bad gov't radio ads get one right while missing the point on distracted driving); speed limits for asteroids (does it apply to meteors?); weird foreign terrorist Toyotas in Wyoming (hat tip, "Cowboy State Daily"), taxpayer funding and corporate automaker interest drying up for electric cars (BMW on its lead foot and Porsche on its rear); Nissan gets caught on the wrong side of the border and its checkbook; a return to favor for gas stoves and incandescent light bulbs; small Japanese seats and brakes; HIDs versus LEDs. There's fries with that: scary words in your shampoo ingredients, honest humanity in your "Blazing Saddles", Mexican light bulbs, Korean stoves, the 1911's birthday and at least one sammich.
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When a sea turtle hatches, it heads toward the light. Under natural conditions, that means the ocean. But if the beach is near a bright city, it might head inland, where it can be nabbed by a predator, hit by a car, or die of exhaustion. Baby turtles aren’t the only sea creatures affected by artificial light. Among its many impacts, the light can throw off the reproductive cycles of corals and others, make it harder for fish to hide from predators, and endanger beds of kelp by providing extra light for the urchins that feed on them. Much of the life in the oceans depends on the light of the Moon and stars – even at depths of hundreds of feet. But the glow of coastal cities, oil rigs, and passing ships can throw things out of whack. Corals, for example, time their spawning by the phases of the Moon. But artificial lights disrupt the timing, endangering coral reefs. Microscopic organisms move up and down in the water as the light changes to find food or avoid predators. But that cycle is disrupted by artificial lights as well. Depending on how clear the water is, the light can penetrate anywhere from a few feet to more than a hundred feet. And bluer light, which is produced by modern LEDs, goes deeper than redder light. Some coastal cities limit outdoor lightning, or build barricades to shield the beaches and the water close to shore – making life a little safer for baby sea turtles and other marine creatures. Script by Damond Benningfield
In this episode of HYDRATE, Tracy sits down with Matt Maruca, Founder & CEO of Ra Optics—the leader in premium, science-based glasses making modern light work for you. Matt has spent over a decade innovating in light-based wellness. After overcoming chronic health issues through biohacking and ancestral principles, he founded RA Optics to develop scientifically grounded eyewear that harmonizes with the body's circadian biology. His work bridges ancient wisdom and cutting-edge photobiology, working directly with Dr. Alexander Wunsch—Ra Optics' Chief Science Officer and a world-renowned light therapy expert with 35+ years of clinical research—to certify products for quality, efficacy, and protection. Today, Tracy and Matt discuss: Sunlight's surprising role in longevity Why Matt reversed his anti-sunglass stance after years of extreme sun exposure How artificial light hijacks hormones like melatonin and cortisol Ra Optics' new circadian morning lens (designed to amplify daylight's energy-boosting signals) and sunset lenses (which block sleep-disrupting blue light) How precision-tinted filters protect eyes from modern LEDs while aligning your body with natural rhythms How Ra Optics Glasses are Better Than Their Competitors Enjoy the show! Chapters: 00:48 – Introduction RA Optics 03:05 – Why Matt Now Started Recommending Sunglasses
This month's guests:Mark Baker, founder of the Soft Lights Foundation.Nick Mesler, civil engineer specializing in traffic and pedestrian safety.Isa Mohammed, President of the Caribbean Institute of Astronomy.Bill's Picks:This Famous designer changed the way cities think about public lighting, Diana Budds, Fast Company. Electric Utilities Sued Over Lighting and Wildlife Issues, Inside Lighting. Artificial Light Increases Nighttime Prevalence of Predatory Fishes, Altering Community Composition on Coral Reefs, Global Change Biology. We're losing sight of the night sky. This First Nation is trying to protect it, Michelle Cyca, The Narwhal. Send Feedback Text to the Show!Support the showLight Pollution News is 100% Listener Supported. Does Light Pollution News provide you with value? Why Support Light Pollution News? Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests. Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer. Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic. About Light Pollution News: Light Pollution, once thought to be solely detrimental to astronomers, has proven to be an impactful issue across many disciplines of society including ecology, crime, technology, health, and much more! Each month, Bill McGeeney, is joined by upwards of three guests to walk through the news around this broad topic of light pollution. Tag Us and Share with a Friend: Instagram LinkedIn TikTok Facebook Connect: Bill@LightPollutionNews.com Join our Mailing List ...
This in-depth conversation with Tristan Scott discusses how light affects our mitochondria and hormones and the importance of limiting blue light for radical health. Ever wondered why your sleep feels off after a long day under harsh digital lights or how a simple incandescent bulb might actually nourish your biology?In this video, I dive headfirst into what our modern light environment—think flickering LEDs, blue light dominance, and missing infrared—really does to our circadian rhythms, energy, and even our mitochondrial health. I share some eye-opening experiments that compare the spectrum of artificial indoor lighting with the natural balance of sunlight and fire, and I explain how small tweaks (from switching out bulbs to rethinking our screen habits) could transform the way we live.--- --- ---00:00 - Introduction02:05 - Melatonin's Shocking Secret05:55 - Morning Sun Myth BUSTED07:23 - STOP Buying Red Lights?!10:18 - Is Blue Light More Damaging Than UV?13:15 - Office Lighting = 30 Minutes of Direct Sunlight27:17 - The Antioxidant Hack You Need NOW30:15 - Your Office is Ruining Your Health32:33 - Is Your Lighting Making You Sick?37:50 - Why Incandescent Bulbs Are Now Contraband47:50 - Ditch the Antioxidant Pills50:03 - Sunlight Vs Fire55:51 - Raw Milk & Incandescent Light Bulbs58:57 - Artificial vs. Natural Light1:07:35 - Are you ready to take on a healthy consumption?1:13:13 - Are “Sad Lamps” Actually Dangerous?1:17:17 - How Cellular Energy Impacts All Health1:20:04 - Are Sunglasses "Bullshit"?1:27:17 - We are electromagnetic beings1:33:06 - Why are there a disproportionate number of children with autism?1:37:17 - The Make America Healthy Movement1:40:45 - How To Protect Yourself From WiFi1:55:51 - Is Your Bedroom A "Silent Killer?"2:06:54 - How to make children healthy2:10:45 - What To Think If the Researchers Are Wrong2:22:35 - Melanoma Exposed2:28:21 - Is Red Light the Solution to Skin Cancer2:31:11 - The Best Tips for a Quiet Night2:38:16 - Is a Vegan Diet Really the Key to Health?--- --- ---DISCLAIMERDr. Paul Saladino received his medical degree from the University of Arizona Medical School. His use of “doctor” or “Dr.” in relation to himself solely refers to that degree. Dr. Saladino is a licensed physician in California, but he no longer practices in any state and does not see patients so he can focus on educating people as a full time activity. This video is for general informational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, cure, treatment, diagnosis, and prescription or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Saladino and you. You should not make any change in your health regimen or diet before first consulting a physician and obtaining a medical exam, diagnosis, and recommendation. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Host Rich DiPaolo talks with Erin Noonan, director of marketing for G&G Industrial Lighting, to discuss how colored carwash light shows can transform the customer experience and bolster operators' bottom lines. Noonan shares her thoughts on the impact of LED lighting on customer experience, loyalty and business growth. She explores the functional benefits of colored LEDs beyond aesthetics, such as improved visibility, safety, service confirmation and efficiency. Additionally, Noonan discusses the ROI of investing in modern LED systems, using case studies of existing customers. Throughout the conversation, Noonan highlights key industry trends and innovations in carwash lighting and offers expert guidance for operators looking to implement or upgrade their lighting systems to maximize impact and profitability. Tune in to learn how strategic lighting choices can enhance your customer experience and drive long-term success.
Full Tutorial: https://learn.adafruit.com/sparkle-motion-skirt-with-2d-mapping In this tutorial at learn.adafruit.com, I take you through the process of building a stunning 2D LED ball gown skirt using Pebble Pixels, WLED, and the brand-new Sparkle Motion WLED microcontroller from Adafruit! ✨
In this episode, I sit down with Carrie B Wellness, a leading expert in circadian health and light optimization, to break down the impact of light on our energy, sleep, and overall well-being. We dive deep into the ways artificial light is sabotaging our health, how to harness natural light for better mitochondrial function, and simple, powerful strategies to realign your body's natural rhythms. You'll learn in this episode the science behind light's impact on circadian rhythm and metabolism, how morning sunlight affects hormones, mood, and detox pathways. Additionally, the dangers of junk light (LEDs, screens, and artificial lighting) Connect with Carrie B:
In today's episode of Disrupt the System, Dr. Nancy Crowell sits down with Dr. Mike Belkowski, founder of BioLite, to explore the power of red light therapy in supporting energy, mitochondrial health, and overall wellbeing. They discuss how modern lifestyles have created a deficiency in essential light exposure and how red and near-infrared light can correct this imbalance. What You'll Learn in This Episode: ✔️ What is Red Light Therapy? – Understanding how red and near-infrared light support the body's natural energy production. ✔️ Why We Need It More Than Ever – How our indoor lifestyles and artificial lighting contribute to fatigue, mood disorders, and chronic illness. ✔️ The Connection Between Light and Mitochondria – How red light therapy enhances mitochondrial function, impacting everything from energy levels to inflammation and aging. ✔️ Red Light vs. Blue Light – Why exposure to artificial blue light (fluorescent lights, screens, and LEDs) can lead to metabolic disorders, sleep disruption, and even disease. ✔️ Red Light & Thyroid Function – How targeted red light exposure can improve thyroid health, balance hormones, and even reduce the need for medication. ✔️ How to Use Red Light Therapy for Maximum Benefit – Dr. Mike shares science-backed protocols for using red light to improve energy, skin health, sleep, mood, and more. ✔️ How to Choose the Right Red Light Device – Key factors to consider when investing in red light therapy, including wavelengths, power output, EMF safety, and flicker rate. Whether you're struggling with fatigue, inflammation, thyroid issues, or simply want to optimize your health, this episode is packed with practical and science-backed strategies to help you feel your best. Connect with Dr. Mike Belkowski & BioLite:
Adafruit 1.28" 240x240 Round TFT LCD Display with MicroSD - GC9A01A with EYESPI Connector (0:09) https://www.adafruit.com/product/6178 RJ-50 (10P10C) Round Panel Mount Adapter Plug (0:49) https://www.adafruit.com/product/6117 NeoPixel LED Outdoor Netting - 100 x 20 LEDs - 1x5 Meter Sizing (2:02) https://www.adafruit.com/product/6166 NeoPixel LED Outdoor Netting - 80 x 20 LEDs - 1x4 Meter Sizing (2:02) https://www.adafruit.com/product/6165 Adafruit Sensirion SHT45 Precision Temp & Humidity with PTFE - STEMMA QT / Qwiic (6:12) https://www.adafruit.com/product/6174 Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com ----------------------------------------- New nEw NEWs New Products, News, and more: https://www.adafruit.com/newsletter #newnewnew Shop for all of the newest Adafruit products: http://adafru.it/new Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com Adafruit on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adafruit LIVE CHAT IS HERE! http://adafru.it/discord Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ -----------------------------------------
This week's EYE ON NPI is as ethereal as it is magical: it's Bel Fuse's 1xN port MagJack and specialty ICMs (https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/b/bel-fuse/1xn-port-magjack-and-specialty-icms). These are specially made Ethernet and Ethernet-USB combo jacks that have magnetic transformers inside to make integration with your Ethernet PHY (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet_physical_layer) in order to communicate on the network. MagJacks make designs smaller, and less noisy - they're a great way to simplify your next Ethernet design and get it to market faster! Wireless this, 5G that - what we sometimes need are WIRES! Wired networking is much reliable than wireless, and can go far distances with no loss of signal strength. Particularly as you can also put power over the same wires for nodes that need no other cabling, Ethernet is a reliable networking standard - don't discount it just because of its age! One nice benefit of it is you don't have to do SSID/password setup, it's truly plug and play. Three things are required to add Ethernet. First is a microcontroller or microcomputer that has built in Ethernet Medium Access Control (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_access_control), the low level packet forming technology. Some chips have this built in, such as the ESP32 (https://www.digikey.com/short/dz5pv22m) - or you can use a companion chip like the WIZ5xxx series (https://www.digikey.com/en/supplier-centers/wiznet) that can be controlled over SPI. Then, to get onto a network, you'll want the ubiquitous mechanical RJ-45 connector (https://www.digikey.com/short/t28834zr) that will lead to Cat-5 or Cat-6 cable (https://www.digikey.com/short/pnjh3t8d). In between, the signal levels need to be isolated and converted to the +-2.5V differential signal. To do that we need what is colloquially referred to as the 'magnetics': a cluster of transformers and chokes that will make the signal differential, isolate the PHY from the outside world and also reduce the risk of outside spikes and shocks. Both the Wiznet and ESP32 datasheets, for example, have example wiring to help you identify the right configuration. Note that not all chips have the same magnetics impedances / configurations: it depends on the output signal and impedance. Second, this is separate than PoE magnetics (https://www.adafruit.com/product/3847) which are separate from the data transfer. If you don't care about optimizing board size and complexity, you can always use external magnetics with a plain jack. Bel has a full selection of dozens of magnetics for any configuration you may need (https://www.belfuse.com/product-detail/icm-s-discrete-lan-magnetics). For example the Seeed Ethernet shield (https://www.digikey.com/short/70cvntbm) uses this technique because the PCBA is so big they have space to spare. However, when you want to keep your board compact, you can upgrade your design to use one of Bel Fuse's 1xN port MagJacks. (https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/b/bel-fuse/1xn-port-magjack-and-specialty-icms) MagJacks provide two big benefits (https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/b/bel-fuse/1xn-port-magjack-and-specialty-icms): one they're smaller than separate magnetics/jacks and second, the magnetics get enclosed in the metal shell of the jack which provides some EMI shielding. For example, we used a combo-jack on the Ethernet Featherwing (https://www.digikey.com/short/9w49r80j) to keep the design single-sided. Which is why we were excited to see the Bel Fuse MagJacks pop up on https://www.digikey.com/new - they're a trusted component we've used before. For this week's EYE ON NPI, DigiKey is highlighting a selection of the new Bel Fuse MagJacks, with dozens of options available (https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/b/bel-fuse/1xn-port-magjack-and-specialty-icms). There's classic horizontal ones with LEDs (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/bel-fuse-inc/P01-0002-01/25588398). Vertical ones! (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/bel-fuse-inc/P01-1AF2-01/25588382) Countersunken for low clearances (https://www.digikey.com/short/5b9mb454) As well as some nifty combo-units that contain both USB type A and Ethernet. (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/bel-fuse-inc/P01-3CG3-01/25588395) Just make sure that the internal magnetics match your chipset's needs before selecting it for integration. DigiKey is in the process of stocking all the varieties, but if you want to get started, the P01-1AA2-01 (https://www.digikey.com/short/pw02p9m9) is in stock now for immediate delivery. Order today and you can get this part in your hands by tomorrow morning to help optimize your next Ethernet design!
This episode is a major full circle moment and our My Favorite Murder fangirl dreams come true. We sat down with the incredible Georgia Hardstark from My Favorite Murder and confirmed that she does love Grandparents and was in fact the kid who played ouija boards at sleepovers when she was a kid.
While developing boards, there are oftentimes we want to program ESP chips without going through the onboard USB port; this adapter will help us (and others) do that! It has a CP2102N USB-serial chip (https://www.digikey.com/short/bm7n3p5z) with RX/TX signal LEDs and two transistors wired up to the DTR/RTS line for the 'esptool standard' reset procedure technique. The output IO, plus a 3.3V 500mA regulated output, is available on a socket header, so you can plug wires in for quick programming and debugging. You can use this for everything from an ESP8266 up to the ESP32-P4! Here, we are testing it with a HUZZAH ESP8266 breakout board (https://www.adafruit.com/product/2471), one of our first Espressif chipset products. Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com ----------------------------------------- LIVE CHAT IS HERE! http://adafru.it/discord Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ ----------------------------------------- #esp32 #adafruit #programmer
In today's fast-paced world, optimizing our health and performance has become paramount. Sleep, recovery, and performance are integral aspects of our well-being, and understanding and improving them is crucial. This is where the Ōura Ring comes into play. This revolutionary wearable technology aims to unlock your potential by providing insights and data to enhance your sleep, recovery, and overall performance. In this article, we will delve into the goal of the Ōura Ring, explore its functionalities, and uncover how it can help you track and improve your sleep, recovery, and performance. The Goal of the Ōura Ring The Ōura Ring is designed with a clear objective in mind: to empower individuals to take charge of their well-being and unleash their full potential. By combining cutting-edge technology and scientific principles, the ring provides personalized data and insights, enabling users to make informed decisions and optimize their sleep, recovery, and performance. Understanding the Ōura Ring At first glance, the Ōura Ring may appear to be a sleek and stylish piece of jewelry. However, beneath its elegant exterior lies a multitude of sensors and advanced technology. The ring is equipped with infrared LEDs, a 3D accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a temperature sensor, all working together to collect an array of data. The ring's sensors track various physiological signals, including heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), body temperature, and movement. By analyzing these data points, the Ōura Ring provides comprehensive insights into sleep, recovery, and activity levels. Tracking and Improving Sleep One of the standout features of the Ōura Ring is its ability to monitor and analyze your sleep patterns. By measuring key metrics such as sleep duration, sleep stages (including deep sleep, REM sleep, and light sleep), and sleep latency, the ring provides valuable insights into your sleep quality. These insights help you understand how well you are sleeping and identify areas for improvement. Armed with this information, you can take proactive steps to optimize your sleep. The Ōura Ring offers personalized suggestions and recommendations, such as adjusting your bedtime routine, creating a sleep-friendly environment, or practicing relaxation techniques. By making informed changes based on the ring's insights, you can enhance the quality and duration of your sleep, waking up refreshed and rejuvenated. Enhancing Recovery Recovery plays a vital role in our overall well-being and performance. The Ōura Ring recognizes this and provides a comprehensive view of your recovery by analyzing metrics such as HRV, resting heart rate, and body temperature. HRV, in particular, is a key indicator of your body's readiness to perform at its best. With the Ōura Ring, you can monitor your recovery trends over time and identify factors that may positively or negatively affect your recovery. Armed with this knowledge, you can make informed decisions regarding your training intensity, rest days, and stress management strategies. By prioritizing recovery and utilizing the insights from the ring, you can optimize your performance and minimize the risk of burnout or overtraining. Optimizing Performance The Ōura Ring goes beyond sleep and recovery, offering features that help you optimize your performance in various aspects of life. The ring tracks your daily activity, providing data on steps taken, calories burned, and active time. This information allows you to set and monitor your fitness goals, ensuring you stay on track and make progress. Moreover, the ring's comprehensive analysis of your sleep, recovery, and activity enables you to identify patterns and correlations between these factors and your overall performance. By leveraging this knowledge, you can fine-tune your routines, optimize your training schedules, and make lifestyle Connect with our guests: Dr. Michael T. Nelson on Instagram Anders Varner on Instagram Doug Larson on Instagram Coach Travis Mash on Instagram Dan Garner on Instagram
Over the past decade, most of us have converted our home lighting to light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, as they save a significant amount of energy, requiring 75-90% less energy than older incandescent lights. Personally, I converted the 50 or lightbulbs in my house to nearly all LEDs.Most current LEDs emit, of course, visible light. But they also emit a significant amount of blue light and very little red and infrared (IR), in contrast to old-fashioned incandescent bulbs that emit some blue and a lot of red and IR. Remember when you had to change an incandescent bulb when it died? If you tried to unscrew it, it could burn your hand because the bulb was extremely hot. That's the effect of red and IR that generates heat. Change a LED bulb and you can do so immediately, as the bulb is cool, even after dying just moments earlier. This is due to the absence of significant amounts of red and IR.While well-intended to save energy, it is now becoming clear that the wholesale conversion to blue-emitting LED lighting has been exerting adverse health effects, especially visual. So let's begin talking about the role of light, specifically blue wavelengths in this episode of the Defiant Health podcast, then about the role of red and IR in a future episode. _______________________________________________________________________________For BiotiQuest probiotics including Sugar Shift, go here.A 15% discount is available for Defiant Health podcast listeners by entering discount code UNDOC15 (case-sensitive) at checkout.*_________________________________________________________________________________Get your 15% Paleovalley discount on fermented grass-fed beef sticks, Bone Broth Collagen, low-carb snack bars and other high-quality organic foods here.* For 12% off every order of grass-fed and pasture-raised meats from Wild Pastures, go here._____________________________________________________________________________MyReuteri and Gut to Glow can be found here: oxiceutics.comSupport the showBooks: Super Gut: The 4-Week Plan to Reprogram Your Microbiome, Restore Health, and Lose Weight Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight and Find Your Path Back to Health; revised & expanded ed
What's a cuddle salon? Also should you start bringing your boss to lunch? We talk about SpaceX improvements before test launch day, if LED headlights should be banned, and lots more!
In this episode of Skin Anarchy, host Dr. Ekta chats with Andy and Katie Mant, the visionary founders of Bon Charge, a wellness brand revolutionizing red light therapy. Known for their science-backed, user-centric designs, Bon Charge has redefined at-home skincare with innovative devices like their advanced red light therapy mask.The episode explores Bon Charge's journey from a personal quest for better sleep to creating cutting-edge wellness technologies. Andy and Katie share how their initial focus on blue light blocking glasses sparked a deeper understanding of light's role in overall health. This passion led them to develop red light therapy solutions that enhance cellular repair, regeneration, and skin health.Bon Charge's red light mask is a standout, offering significant advantages over competitors. Designed without harmful blue light, it delivers powerful therapeutic wavelengths through high-irradiance LEDs while minimizing EMF exposure. Made with medical-grade silicone, the lightweight and flexible design ensures comfort, portability, and an eco-conscious experience.The conversation also highlights the science of red light therapy, which stimulates mitochondrial function to promote a healthier complexion, improve skin elasticity, and support natural repair. Katie emphasizes the importance of creating devices that seamlessly fit into daily routines, making skin wellness accessible and enjoyable.As Bon Charge continues to innovate, Andy and Katie tease upcoming launches focused on travel-ready solutions and enhanced EMF safety. With their commitment to rigorous science and thoughtful design, Bon Charge is setting a new standard for at-home dermal rejuvenation.Discover how Bon Charge is transforming skin care with red light therapy and empowering users to embrace wellness in every facet of their lives.To learn more about Bon Charge, visit their website and social media. Don't forget to subscribe to Skincare Anarchy on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred platform. Reach out to us through email with any questions.Shop all our episodes and products mentioned through our ShopMy Shelf! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Is biohacking your sweat the secret to vitality? Dave Asprey dives into the transformative world of infrared saunas with Connie Zak, founder of Sunlighten and a 25-year innovator in the space. Together, they uncover how targeted light and heat therapy can unlock unparalleled health benefits, from detoxing heavy metals to energizing your body at the cellular level. Here's what you'll learn in this episode: • Why infrared saunas excel at detoxing heavy metals and toxins • How they mimic exercise to boost cardiovascular health and recovery • The science behind infrared's impact on mitochondrial energy and longevity • Surprising benefits for gut health, inflammation, and hormone balance • Hacks to get the most out of your infrared sauna sessions Connie shares cutting-edge research and personal insights, offering practical ways to integrate infrared therapy into your routine. Whether you're looking to recover faster, improve your mood, or support long-term health, this episode delivers the tools you need to take your biohacking game to the next level. Special Offer: Use code “DAVE” at sunlighten.com to get up to $1,000 off until December 6th! Sponsors:-ARMRA | Go to https://tryarmra.com/ and use the code DAVE to get 15% off your first order. -fatty15 | Go to https://fatty15.com/dave and save an extra $15 when you subscribe with code DAVE. Resources: • Sunlighten Saunas Website – https://www.sunlighten.com/dave/?utm_source=DaveAsprey&utm_medium=Partner&utm_content=Podcast&leadsource=DaveAsprey&utm_campaign=DaveAsprey • Sunlighten Saunas on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/sunlightensaunas/ • 2025 Biohacking Conference – https://biohackingconference.com/2025 • Dave Asprey's Website – https://daveasprey.com • Dave Asprey's Book: Smarter Not Harder – https://daveasprey.com/books • Danger Coffee – https://dangercoffee.com • Danger Coffee Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/dangercoffeeofficial/ • Dave Asprey's Linktree – https://linktr.ee/daveasprey • Upgrade Collective: Join The Human Upgrade Podcast Live – https://www.ourupgradecollective.com • Own an Upgrade Labs – https://ownanupgradelabs.com • Upgrade Labs – https://upgradelabs.com • 40 Years of Zen – Neurofeedback training for advanced cognitive enhancement – https://40yearsofzen.com Timestamps • 00:00 Introduction to Infrared Saunas • 00:27 Meet Connie Zak: Leading Voice in Infrared Saunas • 00:50 The Science Behind Infrared Saunas • 02:35 Infrared Saunas vs. Traditional Saunas • 05:41 Health Benefits of Infrared Saunas • 08:14 Technological Advancements in Infrared Saunas • 17:36 The Role of LEDs in Infrared Saunas • 22:37 Practical Tips and Personal Experiences • 28:14 Detoxing and Energizing with Glutathione • 28:40 Pre and Post-Sauna Rituals • 29:05 Habit Stacking in the Sauna • 29:41 Managing Overheating Devices • 31:05 Creative Breakthroughs in the Sauna • 32:14 Scientific Method and Personal Experience • 36:05 Understanding Glucose Spikes • 38:44 Longevity Benefits of Infrared Saunas • 43:27 Infrared Saunas and Skin Health • 45:29 Extreme Detox Protocols • 48:28 Grip Strength and Longevity • 50:34 Customizing Your Sauna Experience See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.