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'Vampire' LED Lamp Sucks Power From Phone Cord

by Terrence O'Brien on November 11, 2009 at 07:30 AM

LED Lamp Gets Free Power from Phone Cord
While this lamp is hot pink and looks like a computer mouse with some kind of mutant growth sticking out of its back, it will cost you literally nothing to run.

This monstrosity has eight LEDs that provide light to read by, and rather than jacking up your electricity bill, it runs on power siphoned from your local telco. You see, rather than plugging into a standard power outlet, this lamp has an RJ11 plug (commonly known as a phone jack) on the end that plugs into that weird looking box in the corner that you haven't touched since cell phone coverage became pretty much ubiquitous. The reading light works because land line phone cords carry a small amount of electricity which is required to power wired handsets (remember those?). Interestingly, that power flows whether or not you have active phone service and, best of all, won't go down in the event of a blackout.

The telephone powered lamp would make a great option for a reading light if you're the (extremely) cost conscious type, but we think its best use lies in providing emergency lighting during a power outage. Even if the batteries in your flashlights die, the telephone powered lamp will keep on shining.

Amazingly, the lamp only costs $4.69, though there is a hefty $5.49 shipping fee. Unfortunately, it's currently on back order, but we're hopeful a new shipment will be made available soon. Maybe the next batch will come in a less garish color. [From: UXsight, via: Wired]

Tags: lamp, land line, LandLine, light, phone cord, PhoneCord, rj11, top

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