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Overview
Laserpod's PR agency calls the Laserpod the
modern-day
equivalent of the seventies Lava Lamp. As the name
suggests the Laserpod utilizes a laser to create
random light effects. It can be used with
electroplated diffuser domes to make the laser
paint moving effects on them. There is also a blue
light that creates an Aurora Borealis light effect
inside the domes giving the lamp a spatial depth.
With the dome removed the laser paints the effects
onto the ceiling or wall. Basically it creates my
own little laser show. The light effects are
created through a turning crystal ball. This is
pretty neat idea. The crystal sphere has lots of
facets similar to those of the famous swaroski
sphere and so the laser light is reflected in
basically random ways. The Laserpod is completely
silent. They did a good job with the mechanics
here.
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| The Laserpod with the small
dome and both lights switched
on. | |
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| The Laserpod at night with no
dome projects a stunning lasershow above my
desk. | |
The Laserpod comes with the
main unit, a small diffuser dome and a tall one, a
power adaptor and a glass refractor lens. The
manufacturing quality of the gadget is great. The
look and feel of the laser lamp is kind of
futuristic and looks nice on my desk. The main
unit is made from aluminum. The domes can be place
onto the main unit easily and the fit tight but
not to tight to be able to change them easily or
remove them. The Laserpod has two operation modes.
Through the power button I can cycle trough using
blue and red or just the red laser light. Using
only red is also an interesting effect, but I
prefer the blue and red effect. Placing the
refractor lens on top of the main unit makes the
the red light effects more diffuse on the
dome surface.
As you can see in the photo
above the laser show that the little light gadget
creates on the ceiling is pretty impressive. I am
imagining a cube farm in silicon valley where in
the evening people remove the domes from their
Laserpods and the whole office becomes a huge
laser show theater. That sure keeps employees stay
late (little hint for the startup boss to get a
Laserpod
for every employee). As mentioned above the light
is moving. To get an idea for this watch the
following two short videos of the Laserpod. Video
one shows the Laserpod with the small dome. Video
2 shows the turning crystal sphere. Video
1 (avi, divx 360kb), Video
2 (avi,divx, 380kb). See more hi-res images of the Laserpod in
our gadget photo gallery.
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| The turning Swarovski crystal
sphere is located in the center and turns
slowly. |
The Laserpod has all
the necessary consumer electronics certifications.
The laser radiation warning label says wavelength
630-680nm, max. output <1mW, Class II Laser
Product. You should not stare into the beam. The
Laserpod can also be operated with 3 AA batteries.
The compartment is on the bottom side of the main
unit. The battery cover can be easily turned open.
Fun
fact
On the
Laserpod website
is a press quote from UK's FHM magazine that says
the inventor of the Lava Lamp created the
Laserpod. Well obviously FHM did not do much
research. Edward Craven Walker invented the lava
lamp and he died in 2000 (CNN
story).
Conclusion
The Laserpod could be the one of the
hottest gadgets for this holiday season. It
features a thought through attractive design and
is very well manufactured. The light effects are
visually attractive. The flexibility of having two
different size domes and the ability to project a
laser show onto walls and ceilings make the
Laserpod very versatile. I keep mine on my desk.
How to Buy
Visit
Laserpod.com to buy a Laserpod (currently:
$100 for US, 100 Euros for Europe). International
shipping available.
Specifications
Measurement: 10 x 8.5cm (h
x d)
The Laserpod
package contains
1 x Aluminum Laserpod
Projector Lamp Unit
1 x Electroplated Tall
Domed Diffuser
1 x Electroplated Small Domed
Diffuser
1 x Crystal (set into base unit)
1
x Ridged Glass Refractor Lens
1 x DC
Adaptor
3 x AA Alkaline Battery
Compartment
1 x Laserpod Book of Light
1 x
Warnings + Instructions
Leaflet
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| The Laserpod comes with the
main unit, a small diffuser dome and a tall one,
a power adaptor and a glass refractor
lens. | |
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The Laserpod cames in a nicely
designed box.
More hi-res
photos in our
gallery. | |
Credits:
Videos compressed with VirtualDub
(free) (thanks claus).
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