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Man Creates Open Source Flashlight

Posted by samzenpus on from the things-we-don't-need dept.

DeviceGuru writes "Not content with revealing the source code to his mom's banana bread, two-time BattleBots champion Christian Carlberg has developed an open source flashlight. Carlberg first achieved notoriety shredding competitors' robots with Minion's 14-inch saw blade on BattleBots. Now he's all fired up to begin shipping what they say could be the 'world's first open source flashlight.' But why in the world would you want a reprogrammable flashlight?"

131 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by Missing.Matter · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well one that looks like this, I can think of a couple uses for it...

    1. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by Rob+the+Bold · · Score: 2

      Well one that looks like this, I can think of a couple uses for it...

      No! No! No! TMI!

      --
      I am not a crackpot.
    2. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by Tx · · Score: 1

      FTA: My primary goal is to put as much of your pledge money into what really matters for a light- the LED, the electronics, optics, and the battery.

      It seems that the programmability, and thus the open-source nature of said programmability, is really incidental. The thing needs a microcontroller to implement flashing modes etc, and since the guy's a nerd, hey, why not open it up, might get a bit of extra publicity that way. But primarily the guy's trying to make a better flashlight.

      --
      Oh no... it's the future.
    3. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by Missing.Matter · · Score: 2

      I meant using it as the hilt for a sword. What were you thinking?

    4. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by Missing.Matter · · Score: 1

      Huh, when I read the headline I assumed the CAD files for the housing, electronics, etc would all be available. Looking closer it seems like you're right, which is a little disappointing (although not much since I'd never build one of these anyway).

    5. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by Hatta · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'd want one with a wireless beacon so I can find it if I lose it. I've lost half a dozen maglites throughout the years.

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    6. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by QuasiSteve · · Score: 4, Informative

      Huh, when I read the headline I assumed the CAD files for the housing, electronics, etc would all be available.

      From one of Christian's comments:

      We are thinking about releasing the drawing for the body ("open source") so folks like you can design whatever accessories you want for it.

      Also, in response to the following question:

      Is it just the source code that is open source, or is the PCB/Schematic also open source?

      He answered:

      We think we are going to lead a paradigm shift in the flashlight world and open it all up.

      So, yes, it does appear that he's planning on making it 100% open source.

    7. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by vlm · · Score: 3, Funny

      I meant using it as the hilt for a sword.

      Great, just what we needed, a new euphemism for that activity.

      --
      "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
    8. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      My initial reaction was... "Who the hell wants a programmable flashlight?" I already have several maglites around the house now - durable, fairly rugged, and bright. But then... the batteries often die, and the bulbs often get weaker. This looks like a pretty good improvement.

      So I pledged $220 to the project. Four programmable lights, 500 lumens, rechargeable, heavy duty bar stock casing? Yes please - 2 for camping, 1 for the house, 1 for the car. A persuasive pitch, and it looks like a heck of a product.

    9. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by vlm · · Score: 1

      Huh, when I read the headline I assumed the CAD files for the housing, electronics, etc would all be available. Looking closer it seems like you're right, which is a little disappointing (although not much since I'd never build one of these anyway).

      Unless I'm missing something, it's open source, the same way that a windows gaming box is open source, because the Jameco catalog had a very general article about selecting and assembling various sub assemblies to "make yer own PC", and it even named by model number one of the parts.

      All five pieces of the machine of course are closed source, and both overall and detail blueprints are closed source.

      I'm expecting the next breathless admission to be that when he says it has 48 candle power, or whatever, it turns out it actually is just two 24-count boxes of tea light candles.

      --
      "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
    10. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by Stormwatch · · Score: 4, Informative

      Not a new euphemism at all. Mind you, "vagina" is the Latin word for "scabbard".

      --
      Circumcision is child abuse.
    11. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 1

      That's interesting, I guess, but that sort of thing is trivial to reverse engineer if you wanted to change the design. If I'm going to make a or alter flashlight, the only reason I would do so is if there isn't one close to what I needed, and I'd make my own design because it's not complicated to start from scratch here.

    12. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by thcooke77 · · Score: 5, Informative

      We have decided to make the light 100% open source. Mechanical, Electrical, and Software will all be released. Terry Cooke @Hexbright

    13. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by QuasiSteve · · Score: 2

      That's interesting, I guess, but that sort of thing is trivial to reverse engineer if you wanted to change the design.

      Absolutely. But it's far more trivial to load a CAD file than to re-trace one. Be that the 3D CAD for the housing or the PCB cad for the board.

      If I'm going to make a or alter flashlight, the only reason I would do so is if there isn't one close to what I needed, and I'd make my own design because it's not complicated to start from scratch here.

      But it would take you much more effort and probably cost you more (see the economies of scale argument).

      Then again.. you sell (among other) small bars of metal with standard shoe mounts and tightening knobs for a pretty $60.
      http://shop.dm-accessories.com/products/uni-sab
      So I'm guessing that both reverse engineering and pricing wouldn't be an issue for you :)

    14. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by torgis · · Score: 2

      Reprogrammable flashlight? Useless. Reprogrammable fleshlight? Priceless.

    15. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by gstoddart · · Score: 1

      Not a new euphemism at all. Mind you, "vagina" is the Latin word for "scabbard".

      LOL ... he's not joking.

      That's the funniest thing I've heard in weeks. :-P

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    16. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by Hijacked+Public · · Score: 1

      So why haven't you done it?

      CPF has a large community of flashlight geeks. Some of them have been at it a long time and are very competent (see McGizmo), but there isn't really anything like what this guy proposes.

      Building a suitable housing and mating a good switch and reflector and emitter and driver and lens and power source, have all been done many times over. There is a lack of good, readily programmable, software. Making the thing blink in different patterns is not exactly rocket science, but a few clicks to customize the way the driver manages light output in response to voltage gets my flashlight geek endorphins flowing.

      --
      "Sacrifice for the good of The State" - The State
    17. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by X0563511 · · Score: 1

      Really? Citation please, I'd like to confirm before I add that to my random fact repository...

      --
      For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
    18. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by SnarfQuest · · Score: 1

      Flashing lights used to be done with a short bit of bi-metal. Now it requires the computing capabilities of a laptop. Ain't progress fun?

      --
      Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
    19. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      Not a new euphemism at all. Mind you, "vagina" is the Latin word for "scabbard".

      So, its a whole 'sheathe my sword' joke spilled over into vocabulary? OK, linguistic WIN.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    20. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      Really? Citation please, I'd like to confirm before I add that to my random fact repository...

      Surprisingly, the top Google hit for 'latin vagina' is not a hot-Latin-chicks porn site. I don't even use SafeSearch. Good job, Google.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    21. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by operagost · · Score: 1

      You wouldn't lose this one, the security guard special.

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    22. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by dr2chase · · Score: 1

      Kinda depends upon what you mean by "software" and what it is responsible for. I built a standlight for my bicycle. There's software in it that watches the wheel go round (AC from the hub), turns on a battery, watches the wheel not go around for a while, and turns off the battery. Latest "innovation" was adding blink-when-stopped (wait a second, turn off the battery and let the voltage sag to 8v, turn on the battery, repeat). But the controller is NOT doing the heavy lifting of implementing switching-supply logic -- I just buy one of those.

      The PCBs are all CC-BY-SA, haven't gotten around to publishing the resistors and software yet, but there's not much to it. How happy would it make you if I took the trouble to open source it? From my point of view, building the housing etc is the hard part, though I am also aiming for a hostile environment (all-Boston-weather, with bicycle vibration).

    23. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by mrmeval · · Score: 1

      Have it chirp and flash if it gets too far away from your phone. Have your phone chirp as well when it's too far away.

      Then you'd lose both of them. ;)

      --
      I'd go on a Vegan diet but the delivery time from Vega is too long. --brownkitty
    24. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by sdguero · · Score: 1

      Last time I checked, a flashlight is an accessory. Usually for a gun.

    25. Re:Why would I what a reprogrammable flashlight? by Profane+MuthaFucka · · Score: 1

      I thought you were going to stick it in your pussy!

      --
      Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
  2. Good Idea by DaMattster · · Score: 2

    The idea is really a good one because, as the embedded videos in the article point out, not everyone has the same needs for a flashlight. The product allows customization through your computer. I really like the idea that you can charge the light over USB and program it too. This product really defines the saying, "Build a better mousetrap and world will beat a path to your door."

    1. Re:Good Idea by hipp5 · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I really like the idea that you can charge the light over USB and program it too.

      I'm not really sure I like that idea. My uses for flashlights tend to be a) camping, and b) when the power goes out. Unfortunately with USB charging I would get one charge's worth of use in those situations. With regular old batteries I can replace them to infinity, and if I forgot some I can pick them up at a gas station on my way to the woods.

    2. Re:Good Idea by QuasiSteve · · Score: 2

      I'm not really sure I like that idea. My uses for flashlights tend to be a) camping, and b) when the power goes out. Unfortunately with USB charging I would get one charge's worth of use in those situations.

      http://www.google.com/search?q=mobile+phone+charger+aa

      With regular old batteries I can replace them to infinity, and if I forgot some I can pick them up at a gas station on my way to the woods.

      See again above. Alternatively, note that there are two different HexBrights. The HexBright Prime uses CR123a batteries which convenience stores in the U.S. stock as far as I was able to tell (not so common in Europe).
      The 18650 used in the HexBright Flex is less common, but I would be surprised if there wouldn't be some manner of solution for that.

      Keep in mind also that the design of the HexBright, as far as I know, is not set in stone just yet. So if you're saying "what if I want to power it directly from AA batteries?", get Christian's thoughts on that. He's been very responsive through the kickstarter project page.

    3. Re:Good Idea by nschubach · · Score: 2

      Sure, but there are already portable USB chargers for use with cell phones so you could plug your light into one of those in a pinch. You could also charge the flashlight from a cigarette lighter. Sure, it's carrying more batteries but there are tradeoffs to everything.

      --
      Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
    4. Re:Good Idea by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

      I'm not really sure I like that idea. My uses for flashlights tend to be a) camping, and b) when the power goes out. Unfortunately with USB charging I would get one charge's worth of use in those situations. With regular old batteries I can replace them to infinity, and if I forgot some I can pick them up at a gas station on my way to the woods.

      One of the bigger issues with flashlights is that the batteries are often flat when you finally decide to use it. With replaceable batteries you can, of course, go buy new ones but many a time that's inconvenient (right after the tornado hits). A USB powered flashlight has some potential advantages - you can charge it pretty much anywhere these days. Plug in charger (I can see 4 USB chargers from where I'm sitting now), pretty much any computer made since 2000, many cars. USB is becoming more ubiquitous than AA cells. And for whatever reason, lithium rechargeable cells tend not to leak like regular batteries - that's another really common killer of the flashlight that is stuck in a drawer for two years.

      As for the programming, it seems to be a bit overkill. I just built a similar, dumber circuit out of a 555 timer because I had an old filament powered headlamp that I wanted to convert to LED and a bunch of bright LEDs. But if it floats your boat, go for it. Same with the over engineered aluminum case.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    5. Re:Good Idea by Abstrackt · · Score: 2

      If you're worried about batteries just get a flashlight with a crank or one of those ones you shake to charge. You can also apply some glow in the dark paint so the flashlight glows if and when the power goes out.

      --
      They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance. - Terry Pratchett
    6. Re:Good Idea by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 1

      I *almost* threw down for the basic model until I realized it took non standard batteries. Would it have been that difficult to design one around AA batteries?

    7. Re:Good Idea by karnal · · Score: 1

      Got an idea - get a 12v to usb adapter (cig lighter/power port - whatever you want to call it) for your vehicle. Covers both scenarios:
      a. camping. Someone has a vehicle around, and even if you don't start the car you can get a bunch of charges into the light.
      b. power goes out - again, there is a car somewhere.
      Anyhow; my main point here is this - in Ohio we had the power go out maybe 3 years ago - pretty bad wind storms. Most of the stores nearby were shut down due to lack of power, so getting batteries meant driving somewhere. Granted, had to go get food etc - but for the first few days, we just ate what we could in the pantry etc. Charging via USB I think is not the worst way to go; the other option is to use an inverter - again, off the car. I kept my fridge cool on day 1 using that. Of course, I also have some SLA batteries on charge for power outages too....

      --
      Karnal
    8. Re:Good Idea by Blaskowicz · · Score: 1

      A 18650 battery you buy on the store's shelf will come without charge, and if you store for years it will die or be severely limited, even though it has never been used.

      Non-replaceable batteries don't suffer as much of this problem. Alternatively, a supercapacitor might be a good candidate, it may discharge over time but shouldn't degrade. You could build an actually useful crank-activated LED flashlight this way.

    9. Re:Good Idea by tophermeyer · · Score: 1

      The use case I imagined right away was charging it up from a laptop battery in the event of power failure. But in other situations I think the adaptation of USB as a standard device charging format makes a lot of sense (USB being Universal and all).

    10. Re:Good Idea by tagno25 · · Score: 1

      cr123 is a standard battery. Almost any place that has cameras or batteries has them. They are more expensive, but last longer.

    11. Re:Good Idea by vlm · · Score: 2

      With regular old batteries I can replace them to infinity, and if I forgot some I can pick them up at a gas station on my way to the woods.

      I think you still don't get it... When my flashlight does dark, I can have light again in about 30 to 60 seconds because I have a pack of AA batteries waiting for it, or whatever other AA powered device runs out of juice. If it takes overnight to charge off my car, that kinda defeats the purpose of using a flashlight at night while backpack camping... Also a lovely circular fail mode when using the flashlight to see what I'm doing while jumpstarting my car in the dark, if I had the juice to charge the light so I could see what I was jumpstarting, I wouldn't need the jumpstart, or if it takes overnight to charge so I can see what I'm doing, I could wait overnight for it to charge, except that the sun usually rises in the morning, so why not skip charging and use solar light to see what I'm doing...

      Its the electric car needs charging argument all over again. But instead of being a huge energy hog worthy of a microscopic level of effort to work around, its ... just a flashlight.

      --
      "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
    12. Re:Good Idea by QuasiSteve · · Score: 1

      Not sure if you meant to reply to me - but for what it's worth, I was pointing specifically to the fact that one of the two types takes reasonably standard batteries, albeit not AA, and the other (the actually programmable one, the HexBright Flex) will happily run off of one of those AA-based mobile phone chargers. Just don't expect it to run for very long because the 1.5V has to go through a boost first to get up to the USB voltage required (5V) and the battery's mAh rating decreases accordingly. But given the use case for "able to quickly replace with AA batteries when needed", that shouldn't be an issue.

      Although Christian does say that this light may not be for everyone. For emergency lighting, I'd recommend a crank-type flashlight instead. Not as powerful, but certainly more appropriate.

    13. Re:Good Idea by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 1

      If you can't easily find them at Walmart or any big box store, then it's really not 'standard'.
      AA Batteries
      CR123 Search

      Rechargeable NIMH CR123 Search on Ebay
      Rechargeable NIMH AA Search on Ebay

    14. Re:Good Idea by brit74 · · Score: 1

      > "Build a better mousetrap and world will beat a path to your door."
      Ironically, that statement isn't true because there's already a lot of good, cheap mousetraps available on the market. (A while back, This American Life did an short clip on building a better mousetrap - and how people keep trying to build better ones, even though there isn't really a need for better ones. "The world actually does not need a better mousetrap. The world will not beat a path to that person's door." http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/311/a-better-mousetrap )

      The idea is really a good one because, as the embedded videos in the article point out, not everyone has the same needs for a flashlight. The product allows customization through your computer. I really like the idea that you can charge the light over USB and program it too.
      Sounds good when you're talking in generalizations. But, more concretely, do you have specific ideas? Because, I can't think of one single reason why I'd want to use this new flashlight instead of a "dumb" LED flashlight like the one I already have (and is probably a lot less expensive). Is this just a case of nerds getting seduced by vague ideas about being able to program a flashlight, while the reality will be much, much more boring?

    15. Re:Good Idea by tagno25 · · Score: 1

      You can find them at Walmart, just not online.

      CR123 NiMH batteries are not normal, Li-ion rechargeable are easier to find
      http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=cr123+rechargeable

    16. Re:Good Idea by QuasiSteve · · Score: 1

      http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=CR123+NIMH&_sacat=0&_odkw=CR123+NMHI

      You do realize that you just searched for CR123 NiMH, right?
      Would you like to retry that search with Lithium instead?
      http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=CR123a+lithium

      Walmart obviously shows 1 hit on their site.. how many more do you need?

      I've seen them aplenty in the U.S., they're typically on the racks near the registers.

      They're a bit more rare in the EU, though. Plenty of websites that sell them, but step into a local Aldi or whatever and you may not have the luck of seeing them there.

    17. Re:Good Idea by plover · · Score: 1

      Not sure how practical the crank would be on a 500 lumen chip. That thing draws 5W at full power. You might be turning a fairly heavy crank to keep it glowing.

      Of course, being reprogrammable, you could have the cranking circuit put it in "dim and easy to crank" mode.

      --
      John
    18. Re:Good Idea by DerekLyons · · Score: 1

      I really like the idea that you can charge the light over USB and program it too.

      As with the poster above, that doesn't sound as much useful as it does geek marketing hype.
       
      My 'system', such as it is, is already built around rechargeable AA batteries. As I have a pool of charged spares, that means I always have fresh batteries if a device dies, or can cannibalize between devices at need - and immediately have that device available. Having to wait to charge the flashlight and requiring an USB charger in addition to the kit I normally carry/keep track of isn't really acceptable.

    19. Re:Good Idea by Hijacked+Public · · Score: 1

      Yes, because they can't sustain the voltages needed to drive the emitter. At least not for any appreciable time.

      --
      "Sacrifice for the good of The State" - The State
    20. Re:Good Idea by gstoddart · · Score: 1

      I'm not really sure I like that idea. My uses for flashlights tend to be a) camping, and b) when the power goes out. Unfortunately with USB charging I would get one charge's worth of use in those situations.

      Well, I bought a solar USB charger at Wal Mart for thirty bucks. Good enough to charge cell phones and iPods and still have juice left ... not quite up to the task of charging my Tom Tom without being completely depleted. (In fact, I've got two of them, and they're fairly rugged and come with carabiners so you can attach them to packs or what have you. They can also be charged with a micro USB cable.)

      I think portable USB power is actually becoming fairly easy to get nowadays, and I've even seen things you can put together relatively cheaply to give you USB powered by batteries.

      As much as possible, I won't buy devices which don't charge from standard USB ... there's craploads of ways to make that work out for you if everything uses the same cables. I've got a four port Kensington USB wall-socket thing ... it'll handle 110/220V and 50Hz/60Hz so pretty much power in any country give or take the adapter for the physical plug.

      Between the Kensington and the two solar things ... I can actually cover a fair bit of my power needs --- I think charging the flashlight from USB is a brilliant idea.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    21. Re:Good Idea by TheSeventh · · Score: 1

      Well, if you wanted to use it while jumpstarting your car at night, you could always plug it into whatever you are using to jumpstart your car. Unless somehow you can jumpstart your car without electricity . . .

      I'm assuming, like most things that charge by USB, that you can use it while it's charging.

      --
      Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean that they're not out to get you.
    22. Re:Good Idea by TheSeventh · · Score: 1

      How about a portable strobe light (dim the power from 500 lumens and select your own flash rate)? You can also use it for stop motion analysis, or for some interesting photography effects. Program SOS Morse code into it and see who shows up? Get a few of them, set random blink rates, put them on a remote control helicopter, and go have some fun with the UFO enthusiasts?

      It's a bright flashlight that can be used to blind an attacker at night, plus it fits into your hand in case you need to hit back (similar to holding a roll of quarters, but more useful).

      I think the idea is to see what programs or uses people can come up with for an easy to program high powered flashlight.

      --
      Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean that they're not out to get you.
    23. Re:Good Idea by FlashlightMan · · Score: 1

      Good idea.... yes. Keep up with articles such as this!

    24. Re:Good Idea by DerekLyons · · Score: 1

      Sure, but there are already portable USB chargers for use with cell phones so you could plug your light into one of those in a pinch. You could also charge the flashlight from a cigarette lighter.

      You miss the point - the issue isn't charging, it's availability. With conventional AA/AAA powered flashlights (or other devices), you can carry or trivially obtain spares (rechargeable or non) and then swap them out for constant availability. With USB charging, when your device goes dead - it's dead and unavailable until recharged. You also cannot cannibalize batteries between devices to further extend availability.

    25. Re:Good Idea by julesh · · Score: 1

      The 18650 used in the HexBright Flex is less common

      Hmmm... 18650 is the closest thing there is to a standard size for rechargeable li-ions. The fact that there isn't much market for standard-sized rechargeable li-ions is probably the only reason you don't see them more often. They are quite readily available on ebay, from most electronics components shops, etc.

    26. Re:Good Idea by TheSeventh · · Score: 1

      Except a USB charger that can use AA batteries could be used to charge your phone, and any other number of things that can be powered by USB: netbooks, some tablets, handheld gps units, etc.

      I keep one at home in case the power goes out and I need to recharge my phone, and one in my car in case my phone is dying and I have to leave my car and take it with me. Since I can put rechargeable AA batteries in them, in makes perfect sense.

      Also, who says you have to wait to charge the flashlight? Most things that charge by USB can be used while they are plugged in.

      --
      Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean that they're not out to get you.
    27. Re:Good Idea by Ruke · · Score: 1

      Scratch glow-in-the-dark paint. Let's go with Radium paint instead!

    28. Re:Good Idea by nschubach · · Score: 1

      I didn't really miss the point. I guess it mainly depends on battery life. If the flashlight lasts an hour and then dies then there's a major problem. If you can plug the thing into your USB slot in your house or car (I'm sure more cars will have them... if not, they charging slots can be added for minimal effort) and charge it constantly and it lasts for 10-15 hours on a charge then it's not really that big of a concern, is it?

      --
      Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
    29. Re:Good Idea by Dan+Ost · · Score: 1

      As for the programming, it seems to be a bit overkill. I just built a similar, dumber circuit out of a 555 timer because I had an old filament powered headlamp that I wanted to convert to LED and a bunch of bright LEDs. But if it floats your boat, go for it. Same with the over engineered aluminum case.

      A non-programmable light has to cater it's mode selection to the most commonly desired configuration (and defining that configuration is non-trivial). A programmable light can be tailored by the user to meet their specific needs or desires.

      I've got several programmable flashlights and I'm very pleased with them.

      --

      *sigh* back to work...
    30. Re:Good Idea by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      My son recently bridged into Boy Scouts, so I have been looking at devices like this. How good is your experience with these? How quickly does it recharge in good sunlight? Do you find it works pretty well even with high draw items such as cell phones (Droid X, standard battery)?

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    31. Re:Good Idea by Dan+Ost · · Score: 1

      I've got a programmable light that can run from 0.07L up to 100L. The level I use 90% of the time is about 3L. I almost never use it higher than 30L.

      Try looking at something close with your "dumb" light at night without ruining your night vision. You can't even do it via ceiling bounce.

      --

      *sigh* back to work...
    32. Re:Good Idea by Ced_Ex · · Score: 1

      How about a portable strobe light (dim the power from 500 lumens and select your own flash rate)? You can also use it for stop motion analysis, or for some interesting photography effects. Program SOS Morse code into it and see who shows up? Get a few of them, set random blink rates, put them on a remote control helicopter, and go have some fun with the UFO enthusiasts?

      It's a bright flashlight that can be used to blind an attacker at night, plus it fits into your hand in case you need to hit back (similar to holding a roll of quarters, but more useful).

      I think the idea is to see what programs or uses people can come up with for an easy to program high powered flashlight.

      I think there should be a setting to induce photosensitive epilepsy.

      All I would need is 4 settings, high, low, blinky, and seizure induction.

      --
      Live forever, or die trying.
    33. Re:Good Idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I *almost* threw down for the basic model until I realized it took non standard batteries. Would it have been that difficult to design one around AA batteries?

      Not "difficult", per se, just the resulting design would suck.

      AA batteries are a bad choice for several reasons.

      • Low voltage:
        This translates to high current draw on the battery side, and thus low efficiency in the DC-DC conversion to the ~3V for the LED and 3.3V or 5V for the MCU. Or you use multiple cells, and it quickly becomes unpocketably large.
      • Poor capacity:
        All rechargeable AAs max out at about 2.5-3Wh. Alkalines run more like 3Wh on light current draw, but get less than 1Wh at high currents (such as in modern flashlights). The only AA that comes close to Li-ion (rechargeable) is the Energizer Li (primary), which make ~4Wh and hold up well to heavy current. (Note the low capacity of alkalines under high current makes them stupid for high-power flashlights -- the Li cells do cost 5x as much as alkalines, but they outlast the 5 alkalines.)

        CR123s are also ~4Wh, not much to say since there are no other chemistries.

        For comparison, a single 18650 cell (twice the length of CR123A, and a hair wider -- which works out nice) is up to 10Wh -- to be sure, it is bigger than a AA or CR123 (2.1x the volume), but you'd need 4 NiMH, 8 alkaline, or 2.5 Li (AA or CR123) cells to match its capacity at a 4W load. (18650 cells are used in laptop batteries, so flashlight users glean the benefits of massive R&D spending here.)

      • Awkward form-factor:
        (Yes, this is a matter of personal taste.) Most people find a 3xAA light to be too long (end-to-end) or too wide (side-by-side). CR123s and 18650s being a little wider (so you can pack the same volume in a shorter stack) makes a 2xCR123 light a convenient fistful, and even 2x18650/4xCR123 (end-to-end) is shorter than 3xAA.

      Most (though not all) flashaholics who have tried a lot of options prefer a light capable of accepting 1x18650 or 2xCR123, and electrically capable of handling 3V (18650 at full discharge) to 6V (2xCR123) or 8.4V (2 CR123-sized Li-ions). CR123 cells are available at any Walmart and a surprising proportion of convenience stores these days -- the price is a ripoff, of course (so buy in bulk online -- 4sevens.com is best IMO), but if you do run out of your stash and all your charged 18650s, you can keep going. As an added bonus, when a hurricane comes in, people clear AAs and D cells off the shelves in hours, but the store's stock of overpriced CR123s are virtually untouched -- so if you really need 'em....

      And while I'm going for the Flex (4 of them, actually), it sounds like the Prime will be fully 18650/2xCR123 compatible.

    34. Re:Good Idea by Agent0013 · · Score: 1

      I think you still don't get it... When my flashlight does dark, I can have light again in about 30 to 60 seconds because I have a pack of AA batteries waiting for it, or whatever other AA powered device runs out of juice. If it takes overnight to charge off my car, that kinda defeats the purpose of using a flashlight at night while backpack camping...

      I have a rechargable flashlight with a few hundred lumens output. The packaging lists the charge as lasting 6 hours. After 6 hours, the light is still going strong for another 10 hours or so. It just is not at full brightness. It is still brighter than the 4-D cell Maglight I have though, so I don't thing the issues are raising are as big a deal as you make them out to be. I put the thing on charge every few months, after I notice it has been a while since I have charged it. Then I notice how bright it can actually output because you get used to the light level at the lower charge.

      --

      -- ssoorrrryy,, dduupplleexx sswwiittcchh oonn.. -Quote found on actual fortune cookie.
    35. Re:Good Idea by zigziggityzoo · · Score: 1

      Any flashlight that takes 18650 batteries can also use CR123a batteries at a 2-for-1 ratio (2xCR123a = 1x18650 Li-Ion). So if you're that worried buy a 10-pack of CR123s at walmart.

      --
      Zing!
    36. Re:Good Idea by TheSeventh · · Score: 1

      I guess I would use this outside, where there aren't a whole lot of ceilings . . .

      --
      Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean that they're not out to get you.
    37. Re:Good Idea by nschubach · · Score: 1

      There are also solar chargers.

      But what if you are in a cave for a month...

      Then you wouldn't be buying this flashlight, would you? Obviously, someone can come up with a situation where this flashlight may not be suitable but not every device has to fit every demand. How many toasters do you know of that can also toast bagels, four at a time? Is it something that an average consumer might need? Not likely. (oblig. Slashdot car analogy) Complaining about the battery in this is like buying a Ford Focus and complaining that it can't tow a horse trailer.

      --
      Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
    38. Re:Good Idea by dr2chase · · Score: 1

      Or 5 watts of solar panels, arranged to feed a 5V regulator. Or build your own USB charger, using a bicycle "dynamo" and a regulator off of that (you don't need a whole bike, you could just mount it and run it like a mini-spinning wheel, you would get many watts of power at a high-ish voltage)

    39. Re:Good Idea by dr2chase · · Score: 1

      Still don't put it in a drawer, unless you are searching with a Geiger counter.

      Of course, first you have to find the Geiger counter.

    40. Re:Good Idea by FLaSh+SWT · · Score: 1

      Walmart has carried CR123A batteries for well over 10 years. You should also easily be able to find them at Target, Radio Shack, Best Buy, etc. Heck all the grocery stores around here (Houston) carry them as well.

      From what I've seen the CR123a actually seems to be a pretty standard battery for use in flashlights. I think all of the Surefire flashlights use them: http://www.surefire.com/ Tactical gun lights by Streamlight use them as well: http://www.streamlight.com/product/class.aspx?cid=10

    41. Re:Good Idea by gstoddart · · Score: 1

      My son recently bridged into Boy Scouts, so I have been looking at devices like this. How good is your experience with these? How quickly does it recharge in good sunlight? Do you find it works pretty well even with high draw items such as cell phones (Droid X, standard battery)?

      I put it in the "pretty good" range.

      To fully recharge from depleted, it can take a couple of days (according to the web, depending on light etc) to recharge with modest sunlight (which is why I have two). It will recharge from a wall pretty quickly as a second option. It comes with a micro-usb cable for that purpose.

      I don't have a direct comparison to your droid ... but I've charged my Motorola Krzr and then my iPod with it, and it showed as still mostly full. I don't consider either of these to be really heavy draw items.

      Conversely, when I charge my Tom Tom with it, it's fully depleted and needs to recharge for a fair bit. This, I consider to be pretty heavy draw and is pushing the limit.

      To give you a reference ... when I first bought it, I thought I'd be a clever guy and run my USB speakers from it. Well, it simply can't keep up with a sustained level like that ... but, I have another set of rechargeable USB speakers that have LiOn batteries ... and it charges them without difficulty and then they run for hours. (I recommend the speakers highly ... they rock and run a good 8 hours on a charge. 158 grams each, 1 will do, two rocks.)

      It's really marketed as something you can keep in your car or on your backpack to recharge your phone on the go. It probably couldn't give you enough juice to run it.

      So, it's really good at handing over its charge to something that isn't making a continuous draw. I've not used it extensively enough to have really good data points on just how long the recharge cycle really is ... but the case it's in is fairly rugged, and it comes with a carabiner to attach to packs as well as a plastic mounting thing you could put inside your windshield.

      Don't look to run your gameboy or GPS from it ... I think it's really only 650 ma or something. I'd definitely say it's worth having one, even though it's not going to cover every situation.

      For the price I spent for it at Wal Mart, I was very happy with it. I've definitely used it to charge my phone and iPod several times. It charges decently enough, and if it's pre-charged before you need it is when it's most handy.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    42. Re:Good Idea by Pentium100 · · Score: 1

      Also a lovely circular fail mode when using the flashlight to see what I'm doing while jumpstarting my car in the dark, if I had the juice to charge the light so I could see what I was jumpstarting, I wouldn't need the jumpstart

      Your battery might be too weak for the starter motor (which pulls more than 100A), but strong enough for the flashlight (which uses much less current).

    43. Re:Good Idea by Pentium100 · · Score: 1

      I do not have the schematics of the flashlight, but maybe it could be operated from 3-4 AA batteries (nominal voltage 4.5-6V) if it can tolerate higher or lower voltages.

    44. Re:Good Idea by sjames · · Score: 1

      CR123A is a fantastically expensive primary lithium battery. The rcr123a is a similar form factor LiIon rechargeable but at a higher voltage (so it might damage the flashlight).

      The 18650 is another size LiIon battery that can be had fairly cheaply online.

  3. Well by Haedrian · · Score: 1

    It looks pretty basic to me.

    If it had a bunch of sensors stuck to it, you could reprogram something pretty cool, but as it is, what are you going to do with it?

    1. Re:Well by QuasiSteve · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Program it to do whatever you want?

      give it a strobe function, a slow fade in function, an SOS function, set the levels of lighting the way you want them and not the manufacturer default of "off / barely bright enough to find my way around the house at night / ARGH MY EYES", etc.

      Add further capabilities with RGB version down the line.

      Also, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the data pins on the microcontroller go unused and if he's smart-ish, he'll break those out for you so you can hook up sensors.

      Alternatively, perhaps you can work through the existing USB interface, though that requires more work on your part.

    2. Re:Well by Gaygirlie · · Score: 1

      If it had a bunch of sensors stuck to it

      Three buttons, humidity, temperature and motion sensors plus several LEDs all controllable separately and this would garner a whole lot more interest; you'd actually be able to do some neat tricks with it then.

    3. Re:Well by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      give it a strobe function, a slow fade in function, an SOS function, set the levels of lighting the way you want them and not the manufacturer default of "off / barely bright enough to find my way around the house at night / ARGH MY EYES", etc.

      These are all great ideas. It's also worth noting that the main input (i.e. the push-button) factors into what's programmable. So you could pick your own input scheme to change between the various settings you suggested. For example, instead of the typical push-to-cycle setup:

      Off - (push button) - Mode 1 - (push button) - Mode 2 - (push button) - Mode 3 - (push button) - Off - (repeat)

      You could instead have them push the button to switch it on/off and hold the button to change modes:

      Off - (push button) - Mode 1 - (push button) - Off - (push button) - Mode 1 - (hold button) - Mode 2 - (push button) - Off - (push button) - Mode 2

      That way, turning the flashlight on and off is really easy while selecting modes takes a bit more effort. You could even presumably do single vs. double clicks on the button, instead.

    4. Re:Well by Haedrian · · Score: 1

      If it had a light sensor stuck to it, you could program the bulb to give a light output depending on how dark the surroundings are. That might be fun to play with, you could pretty much choose how light the surroundings are.

  4. BSD? GPL? Apache?? Hardware too or just SW? by mrnick · · Score: 1

    I wonder if they are going to open source the entire project, hardware and all? I guess I'll hold out and wait and see what kind of license they use on this before I "donate"...

    --

    Encryption: I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend your right to encrypt it...
    1. Re:BSD? GPL? Apache?? Hardware too or just SW? by QuasiSteve · · Score: 2

      From one of Christian's comments:

      We are thinking about releasing the drawing for the body ("open source") so folks like you can design whatever accessories you want for it.

      Note that he will be using stock components for some bits of the hardware. It's not up to him to 'open source' the microcontoller or Cree's LED solutions, for example. So in that manner of speaking, no, it's not 100% open source. Nor is a typical computer running Linux. But anybody can build a Linux-capable machine without knowing how to build a CPU and if you'd want, you can build your own HexBright without knowing how to build an LED.

    2. Re:BSD? GPL? Apache?? Hardware too or just SW? by thcooke77 · · Score: 1

      We have decided to make the flash light 100% open source! Terry Cooke @Hexbright

  5. Did anyone else... by Mongoose+Disciple · · Score: 2

    Did anyone else read this headline as "Man Creates Open Source Fleshlight"?

    Because man, what a different article that would be.

    1. Re:Did anyone else... by Capt.DrumkenBum · · Score: 1

      You are not alone.

      --
      If I were God, wouldn't I protect my churches from acts of me?
    2. Re:Did anyone else... by JonySuede · · Score: 1

      yeah, and boy was I were disappointed

      --
      Jehovah be praised, Oracle was not selected
    3. Re:Did anyone else... by NixieBunny · · Score: 1

      It's been done already. I read about it last year.

      --
      The determined Real Programmer can write Fortran programs in any language.
    4. Re:Did anyone else... by kaizendojo · · Score: 1

      Which I guess is MUCH better than an Open Sores Fleshlight...

    5. Re:Did anyone else... by SpasticWeasel · · Score: 1

      Yes, it might almost be an article about something useful.

      --
      No sooner do I get over one, then you put a better one right next to me. Bastards.
  6. I love the trend of "open source hardware" by Julie188 · · Score: 1

    Flashlight looks cool. I have a friend with a full machine shop in his garage, so if he ever decides to make a flashlight it's nice to know he can just grab the documents and freely make one like this. I can think of reasons why you might want to program a flashlight ... maybe you want a combo flashlight/strobe/disco ball ... Julie Open Source Subnet

  7. Website reads like an infomercial by Kuukai · · Score: 1

    For just one low payment of $35 (Canadians add $10 S&H) you can get this SPECIAL flashlight (retail value 54.95!!) that can, uh... "run up and down mathematical equations". If you program a chip. Which you could probably do with any flashlight if you know how to do that. I kinda feel bad for all the exploited nerds funding this...

    Oblig. Penny Arcade on Kickstarter

    --
    Sendou Wave Kick!!
    1. Re:Website reads like an infomercial by QuasiSteve · · Score: 1

      Which you could probably do with any flashlight if you know how to do that.

      I don't know if you're serious - but I know plenty of people who can program but wouldn't know the first thing about electronics - and vice-versa.

      Even if you do know enough about both, have you considered what you're saying?

      First you have to take a reasonably powerful flashlight - say an older P7 because they're available cheap-ish - which still runs at about the same price as this thing.

      Then you have to take it apart and make some space for a microcontroller and driving circuitry to do what you need it to do.
      You need to replace the standard button on it with a tristate button.
      Then you need to get a USB charging module in there.
      And then, once that's done, you still need to make it look nice and polished, fit appropriate batteries, and make it reasonably waterproof.

      AND you still have to be within the original budget.

      I'm sure it can be done. But then, you could probably build your own flashlight using a cardboard tube, an old broken coated spotlight bulb, some wires and some tape, and call the people who buy a standard flashlight at their local convenience store 'exploited'.

    2. Re:Website reads like an infomercial by GodfatherofSoul · · Score: 1

      This is what I was thinking? What value is brought by this flashlight that can't be quickly and cheaply replicated? But, it's "open source" so let all Slashdot the drooling begin.

      Having a flashlight that "runs Linux" isn't worth it to me.

      --
      I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
    3. Re:Website reads like an infomercial by director_mr · · Score: 1

      Really, his price on this flashlight is quite good, if you remember the thing is capable of 500 lumens of output. Compare it to a flashlight like this: http://www.amazon.com/EagleTac-T20C2-MarKII-XM-L-Flashlight/dp/B004NEKA8Q

    4. Re:Website reads like an infomercial by TheSeventh · · Score: 1

      Have you ever tried to buy a flashlight that's not even this bright before? Look at the prices and then see how dumb your comment is. Oh, and I can recharge this one by USB, which is everywhere, and I can program it for intensity and other options . . . yeah, totally not worth it.

      --
      Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean that they're not out to get you.
    5. Re:Website reads like an infomercial by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      http://www.cabelas.com/product/Camping/Lights/Flashlights%7C/pc/104795280/c/104743080/sc/104332680/SureFire-Outdoorsman-LED-Flashlights/1221819.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fcamping-lights-flashlights%2F_%2FN-1100700%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104332680%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104794380%253Bcat104743080&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104794380%3Bcat104743080%3Bcat104332680

      There is a comparable flashlight, and it is only 85 lumens. Try to find something around 500 lumens, then compare prices, I think you will be surprised by how cheap this light is. I know this is /., so this is toxic to us, but if you RTFA, he actually goes over the reasons. A normal everyday LED flashlight at these kinds of lumens are >$300 usually, the programable one is $80, and you can play with the source code to make it function how you want, and it is rechargeable.

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    6. Re:Website reads like an infomercial by Rakishi · · Score: 1

      Which you could probably do with any flashlight if you know how to do that.

      While spending hours of time (which to me, unlike you apparently, is worth something) and probably more on parts than this flashlight costs.

      I find people like you funny. You spend more on doing something "cheaply" than it'd have cost you to buy a proper product in the first place.

  8. Re:Need More Information by NixieBunny · · Score: 2

    As someone who "does acquirement for aviation" (most of us call that purchasing), you should know that he'd need a Lockheed Martin behind him to create all the paperwork you just listed. And the price would go to $300 apiece.

    --
    The determined Real Programmer can write Fortran programs in any language.
  9. When are the open source violins coming? by nofrills · · Score: 1

    xkcd.com/743/

    --
    Simple is better than complex, complex is better than complicated -The Zen of Python
    1. Re:When are the open source violins coming? by tagno25 · · Score: 1

      It exists, but it is just a model. One that makes noise would be nice.
      http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3193

    2. Re:When are the open source violins coming? by coolmadsi · · Score: 1

      You can get a tiny open source violin on the Android market

  10. Things I could do with the Open flashlight by gurps_npc · · Score: 1

    I could program: 1. SOS 2. One flash if by Land, two flashes if by Sea, (and to update it 3 if by air, 4 if by subway) 3. Binary transmission of it's own source code. 4. Binary transmission of p0rn. Brings a whole new meaning to the word "Flasher" 5. Step 1. Buy One million of them, Step 2. Put red filters on 1/3 of them, green on another 1/3 and blue on the rest. Step 3. Put them in an array, Step 4. Get the biggest HD TV in the UNIVERSE.

    --
    excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
    1. Re:Things I could do with the Open flashlight by mcmonkey · · Score: 1

      One million flashlights would not give you HD.

      You'd need closer to 3 million.

    2. Re:Things I could do with the Open flashlight by snowball21 · · Score: 1

      You'd need 2073600. :-/

    3. Re:Things I could do with the Open flashlight by tagno25 · · Score: 1

      You would need 6220800 single color lights or 2073600 multi-color lights

  11. All unused pins will be accessible by thcooke77 · · Score: 3, Informative

    All of the unused pins will be accessible in some manner! The design of the Hexbright Flex will be 100% hackable! Terry Cooke Electrical and Mechanical Engineer @Hexbright

  12. Re:Need More Information by QuasiSteve · · Score: 1

    Not really. Only the 'approvals' bit would cost a pretty penny.

    All of the other measurements are routinely done at enthusiast forums, such as candlepowerforums or that polish one, with several members having reasonably expensive, calibrated, equipment to do just that. Their numbers are more reliable than that of the manufacturer's, too.

    You can also usually find information on the LED used - in the case of the HexBright, a Cree XM-L - at those forums. The XM-L is still pretty new, though, so there haven't been any particular real world lifetime tests yet, but you can dig into the datasheet to see what Cree claims.

  13. Re:Need More Information by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1
    Actually

    If I can raise more than my fundraising goal I will be able to run the HexBright Prime and HexBright Flex through a series of tests to qualify them as "tactical" lights. Tactical lights are typically at least 250 lumens and cost over $200. How cool would it be for you to own a 350 lumen tactical light for a $35 pledge?

  14. Stop whining about charging it Re:Good Idea by czmax · · Score: 1

    Its just an onboard battery. You can probably even replace it with replaceable batteries if you want to put the work in. Or use an external power pack that runs off of store bought batteries to recharge it.

    http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/

  15. "Why in the world?" Four Words: by FurtiveGlancer · · Score: 1

    Why the heck not!

    --
    Invenio via vel creo
  16. No Bluetooth? by Kikuchi · · Score: 1

    Everything is better with bluetooth.

    --
    There's no scientific consensus that life is important.
    1. Re:No Bluetooth? by PPH · · Score: 1

      That's a good point.

      You could upload different flash patterns to it from an iPhone app (better make that an Android app. Apple isn't likely going to allow this in their precious app store). You could have finer control over its operation without having to add multiple buttons or memorize complex button sequences. You could modulate the output for use as an optical communications link.

      But the best application I can think of is to turn it on remotely in the event someone breaks in to your house. The flashlight will draw their fire while you return fire from the safety of the shadows.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
  17. Oblig by ebs16 · · Score: 1

    Will it blend? Can it run Linux?

    1. Re:Oblig by Ruke · · Score: 1

      As it's made out of machined aluminum, I'd bet that it wouldn't blend, but the only way to be sure is to throw down $35 for one of the Primes.

  18. So, by mcavic · · Score: 1

    Does this mean I have to wait for my flashlight to boot? What flavor of Linux does it run?

  19. Inefficient machining by Animats · · Score: 1

    I machined the body out of 1-inch aluminum hex bar stock.

    He actually machined out the center of hex bar stock. Boring a large-diameter hole lengthwise through bar stock is a slow job, and 80% of the metal ends up as chips. You don't do that in a production product. (Well, Apple once did it for one model of laptop, but that didn't catch on.) The outside machining doesn't look all that tough. It's lathe work, either manual or CNC. There's a lot of excess metal there, though, which runs the weight up.

    If you want a good flashlight, get one of the MagLite models. They have LED models now, and even offer a blink option and "intelligent battery management". They're also waterproof, shock-resistant, easy to grip, and the standard flashlight for military and first responder use. They're machined out of aluminum tube, not stamped or extruded.

    The problem with flashlights isn't features. It's corrosion and wiring failures. Adding all that complexity means a lot more internal connections to fail. If you're going to make something like this, it needs to go through the military ruggedness tests.

    1. Re:Inefficient machining by QuasiSteve · · Score: 1

      If you'd read the KickStarter page, you would've come across this part:

      Also, I need to make molds and aluminum extrusion dies to reduce manufacturing costs. I machined my original HexBright Prime out of solid hex-bar stock, but if I can have the bar stock made with a hole in the middle I save a ton of time and money

      Which pretty much addresses half your post.

      Your corrosion and wiring concerns are valid enough, but I'm confident that both will be treated appropriately. My only concern is actually with regard to the button (I'd like a button of the same type used on cameras so that a soft press can just turn it on for as long as I hold the button there, and a full button press actually switches) and aftermarket capabilities. The former being a use concern, the other being a versatility concern.

      As for features not being 'the problem with flashlights', that depends on who you ask. I have a MagLite, it's just fine, and thanks to its bulk I can cave in somebody's skull with it - which makes it popular among guards and such. But it's still not going to be programmable, and it only has 3 modes (as mentioned above: off, not quite bright enough, and way too bright).

    2. Re:Inefficient machining by imroy · · Score: 1

      He actually machined out the center of hex bar stock. Boring a large-diameter hole lengthwise through bar stock is a slow job, and 80% of the metal ends up as chips. You don't do that in a production product.

      If you'd watched the video (WTFV? looks too much like 'WTF'...) you would know that he acknowledges this problem and says that he'd like to replace that machining step by extruding a hollow hex bar. But to do that he needs to make a mould and do a production run large enough to keep the per-unit price down. That requires money and pre-orders, which is partly why he set up the Kickstarter project.

    3. Re:Inefficient machining by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      Yes, you could get a 3 D-Cell mag-light (10x the size?) that outputs 1/5 the light for about the same money...sounds like a great idea, you go out and do that, I will get the 500 lumen flashlight for $80.

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    4. Re:Inefficient machining by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      Wow, even better, I misread the price, it is $60, or $75 with laser etched words of your choice.

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  20. Light Plus Communication? by coffeegoat · · Score: 1

    Much like everyone else my intial thoughts were just meh. I just got a 4-Sevens Preon 1 Revo and it is relatively mind blowing to carry around a 80 lumen light which is not much bigger than a AAA battery. And thus far I've really enjoyed the ability to easily switch between the mode. What else am I going to do with a flashlight.

    But then I began to imagine the possibilities of a programmable light. Include sensor feedback, line of sight communication, integration with other devices (imagine an arduino hooked up to one of these!) and the possibilities are only limited by your imagination. I mean you could rig this thing up to a serial in/out system and create your own semaphore line. Or investigate ultra battery performance, or even just play around using it as a stun gun. Think of the possibilities....

    1. Re:Light Plus Communication? by thcooke77 · · Score: 2

      Funny you should say arduino, I specifically choose the Atmega88/168 so that it would be easy in the near future to make it "Arduino Compatible". The initial release will use a boot-loader that could eventually be used with the Arduino IDE. Terry @ Hexbright

    2. Re:Light Plus Communication? by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      Also, this flashlight costs $80 (for the better model) and outputs 500 lumens.

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    3. Re:Light Plus Communication? by coffeegoat · · Score: 1

      Well, the reason I got the Preon was because it was tiny, the Flex is significantly larger. However, with the Flex I could wear an RFID and make it so that only I could turn it on.... how cool would that be.

  21. Ha!!! by koan · · Score: 1, Funny

    I initially read it as "open source fleshlight"

    --
    "If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
  22. Programming Mode Idea by SLOviper · · Score: 1

    The best idea I've heard so far for programming is to use the first click to turn the LED on to ~100 lumens then to use the button as a momentary switch to crank it all the way to 500. Let off and it returns to 100. Makes sense in a lot of situations where you might need a lot of light quickly and don't want to be flipping through brightness modes to get there - with the plus that it would also help runtime.

    --
    In theory, theory always works in practice. In practice, theory rarely works. <><
  23. fun for deviants by ThePhish · · Score: 1

    Won't take much work for someone to go and hack the flash pattern to go and mimic Opticom traffic pre-emption signals, and then start pre-empting local traffic control. Some asshat will do this, get smashed up - or worse use it in aiding/abetting a crime, and then blinking flashlights will become illegal, if some DA gets their way.

    A quick mod to it makes it an infrared LED, and then all of a sudden you have an invisible device that you can attach to your vehicle and roll thru town causing all kinds of chaos. You're only talking about 6hz / 11hz or something like that, my Droid device does that already on a smaller scale.

    1. Re:fun for deviants by tagno25 · · Score: 1

      it would be easier and cheaper to just buy a TV-B-gone or Arduino (with IR LEDs) and program it.

  24. Why? by Thelasko · · Score: 1

    Because you have a fetish for the over complicated
    You love the sound of the word "overengineered"
    It's the perfect flashlight for working on your W140 Mercedes.

    --
    One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
  25. Re:USB charging? by Dan+Ost · · Score: 1

    If your li-ion cell gets hot while charging, recycle it. It's well past it's useful (and safe) life.

    --

    *sigh* back to work...
  26. Already been done by Flashlightjunkie · · Score: 1

    There's already an open source driver for ATtiny-controlled LED-driver boards used in many flashlights. It's called BLF-VLD and can be found here: http://budgetlightforum.com/node/799

  27. Re:Did anybody else notice... by PPH · · Score: 1

    OK. So we'll put TSA down as a customer.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  28. I built a programmable flashlight ten years ago by rapjr · · Score: 1
    It has a red, green, and blue LED and three buttons which let me control the functions which include:

    * strobe frequency from 1Hz to 5KHz
    * random blink mode, also frequency adjustable
    * individually adjustable intensity for each LED in 255 steps
    * on/off for each LED
    * automatic sleep or continuous on
    * low power sleep

    The strobe mode is useful for finding the rotation frequency of anything that spins. The on/off and intensity settings are applied to the strobe and blink modes, so if you want a bright 4Hz red strobe or a dim 60Hz green strobe it's easy to do.

  29. new non-lethal weapon? by e3m4n · · Score: 1

    remember when the flicker rate of a game was reported to cause seizures and when a news station aired video of the game subsequent seizures were reported? The open nature of the micro controller would make for an interesting rise in blink rates and intensity to get the highest results of inducing some sort of paralytic effect. What if theres a point where 99% of humans will likely experience a 2minute seizure with the correct rate and intensity of light? I'd be interested in how this would be received. I can already think of good and bad uses for such a utility. Fending off an attacker would be one use, but using it to mug someone and steal their purse/wallet could just as easily exist.

  30. Open source vs. established practice by WWWWolf · · Score: 1

    Look, I'm not an electronics geek. Here's the thing I know about flashlights: there's a battery, there's a lamp, and there's a switch. I'm sure you can figure out how to hook them up together with a bit of wire. If not, there's plenty of "fun scientific experiments for schoolkids" books that tell you how. Frankly, I was surprised and flabbergasted that this wasn't the first illustration in Wikipedia article on electrical circuits. (Generator and resistor? Bah! Give the kids an example of a circuit that does something...)

    I guess it just highlights one unfortunate side of the terminology: "open source" is just how things are - even before someone specifically decides to call it that way. We might as well call it "commonly accepted knowledge" and "stuff that's too obvious to even go into in great detail". If you want to build a flashlight, just about everyone already knows how to do it, or can find someone who does.

    That said, this could be the world's first non-trivial and very cool open source flashlight. All I'm saying is that the boundary is kind of blurry and it's hard to say if it really was the first. =)