Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
Results not typical.

idea: add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, best, random

meta: news, help, about, links, report a problem

account: browse anonymously, or get an account and write.

user:
pass:
register,


                   

Cellphone flashlight

 Simple but useful
  (+4, -1)
(+4, -1) 		  [vote for,
against]

Embed a couple of high-brightness high efficiency white LEDs in the top end of a cellphone casing. Connect them to the battery via a switch. When you push the switch, the light comes on. Ooooh, how high tech ..... The rechargeable battery in the phone could provide quite a few minutes of light in an emergency.

Optionally, the LEDs could be linked to the ringer in place of the sounder or vibrate mechanism. The phone flashes brightly, but is silent. Useful for the deaf. YES, DEAF PEOPLE DO USE CELLPHONES. They send text messages, OK ?

One could install a YAG laser diode in place of one of the LEDs and have a built in laser pointer for presentations etc.

—8th of 7, Jun 27 2002

Please log in.
If you're not logged in, you can see what this page looks like, but you will not be able to add anything.
Short name, e.g., Bob's Coffee
Destination URL. E.g., http://www.coffee.com/
Description (displayed with the short name and URL.)






       My cellphone (and, I imagine, virtually all others) has an illuminated display which provides a useful amount of light.
—angel, Jun 27 2002
   

       Angel: Ditto. I've used my phone that way too - partly where I got the idea.
—8th of 7, Jun 27 2002
   

       Mine also has an LED that flashes when it rings. Other than that feature, I don't see the point of this - who needs a laser pointer in their phone? And where are you going to put the reflecter of the torch (the bit behind the bulb that focuses the light into a beam)?
—pottedstu, Jun 27 2002
   

       What happened to phones just being phones? You'll be wanting can-openers and stepladders on them next.
—angel, Jun 27 2002
   

       Ooh, stepladders. Sound like we're moving toward a swiss army cellphone here. I'd go for a bright LED flashlight. No reflector would be needed as, when you're stumbling about in the dark, you're more interested in floodlighting the immediate area rather than picking out objects at a distance.   

       Mind you, I'm enough of a geek that I have a tiny little maglight on my keyring anyway.
—st3f, Jun 27 2002
   

       Not sure about the ringer and the laser pointer but I like the flashlight idea. People carry those tiny little LED flashlights on their keychains so why not. A couple of white LED's would produce a more useful light source than the LCD backlight which is by design highly diffuse. The LED's wouldn't need a reflector, they have a built in lens.   

       [angel]'s comment caused me to realize that I could use a couple of pop-out screwdriver blades on my cell phone. That'd be a heck of a lot more useful to me than web browsing on my phone.
—half, Jun 27 2002
   

       You could in fact have a cellphone battery incorporating this feature as an add on, too. No mods to the phone.   

       Pottedstu: The laser pointer in the phone is for Marketing and Sales people. The ones with the prognathic jaws and eyebrow ridges, who can't walk and chew gum at the same time. Since they don't have enough capacity in their motor centre to control both hands at once without stopping breathing (no bad thing mind you) and they refuse to put down their mobile phone, this idea is for them. The ultimate plan would be for them to burn their retinas out by peering down the axis of the beam to see why it was so bright, go blind, and then fall off a high building or get run over or something. Anything.   

       Angel: Stepladders ? Don't be silly. Now, a small, coiled up rope ladder, though ....
—8th of 7, Jun 27 2002
   

       HI, this is my first post here, i own a phone with a flashlight, i has white led on top, and is activated with CLR button, it´s a Kyocera Blade, i live in southamerica, but i think is available on Sprint at USA. http://www.kyocera-wireless.com/blade_phone/blade_phone_series.htm
—Spiral, Feb 27 2004
   

       Displays with backlights are, as a general rule, less usable when not backlit than displays without backlights. Perhaps a flip-phone style phone could be constructed so that the light could either be aimed at the display/keypad or elsewhere, as convenient, eliminating the need for the backlit display.
—supercat, Feb 27 2004
   


 

back: main index
business  computer  culture  fashion  food  halfbakery  home  other  product  public  science  sport  vehicle