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March 1, 2009
The Flashlight-er
Last week I wrote about a couple of gadgets that I didn't find that useful. Here is one that might make the cut.
Do you have a flashlight in your car, I do. I checked the flashlight I currently have in my car. I hadn't used it for at least a year and, of course, the batteries were dead. The Flashlight-er is a product that solves this problem.
The Flashlight-er is a small -- about 4" by 1" -- rechargeable flashlight with three bright LED lights. Plug it into the cigarette lighter socket in your car, and leave it there. When you need a flashlight, take it out and the light automatically turns on. Since you store it in the cigarette outlet, it is always fully charged. Cool.
When you pull the Flashlight-er out of the socket the light comes on. There is not an on/off switch; to turn the light off you put it back into the socket. At first I thought that this was a big negative -- but in actual use, I think that it is the right way to go. For me, if it had an on/off switch, after I used the flashlight I would probably turn it off. Then the next time that I needed the light, the batteries might be dead. Without a switch you are almost forced to put the Flashlight-er back in the cigarette lighter socket.
With a full charge I got about 45 minutes of usable light.The three LEDs continued to produce light for several hours, but the intensity of the light decreased.
On the end of the Flashlight-er there is a powered USB port. Besides being a flashlight, it can power and charge portable electronics, including many cell phones, MP3 players, etc.
The Flashlight-er is $29.95. I like it. I would like it even more if it was $14.95, but it is still a clever product.
Posted by Bob Gatton at March 1, 2009 8:17 AM
Comments
A gimick gadget. It's use and recharging WILL NOT Work as tempratures drop, particularly into subfreezing. The design is such that it will leave you "stuck out in the cold" one night with a dead car battery. And "leaving you in the dark" to hook up the jumper cables. We people living in the tundra, before buying anything asks, "will she start in the winter"? (But I won't hesitate to buy this for use at my Florida winter home).
Posted by: v. at March 11, 2009 7:07 PM
Bob,
Do you have any 'pull' with appliance makers? We desperately need a left-opening microwave! No one makes them. Can't some of the manufacturers just move everything from the right to the left and sell them special order? Can you please HELP?
Posted by: JJones at March 15, 2009 6:35 PM
A left opening microwave.
I don't really have any pull with anyone in the appliance industry, but I do know a couple of folks the business, I forwarded this link to these two people.
They both responded that they have rarely received requests for microwaves with controls and the handle on the left. Neither thought that there was enough demand to justify bringing out a new model.
Bob
Posted by: Bob Gatton at March 16, 2009 11:19 AM
Bob I am the inventor of the flashlighter the battery's that are used are from eu they are
able to with stand sub 0 temps
Posted by: tracy at April 16, 2009 5:36 AM
I'd like to respond to the comment above about the Flashlight-er in subfreezing temps. As noted, the lights turn off when placed in the power port, for exactly the reasons mentioned. The batteries will then recharge to full, and stop. As to the charging end...most, if not all, chargers continue to draw a small amount of power to the LED indicator light. If this is a concern, slip the Flashlight-er back just enough to turn off the indicator light. The flashlight will still remain off, maintaining its charge. One final note. Our available models will NOT charge a fully charged accessory, by design as well. Therefore, a fully charged accessory will not draw down on the vehicle battery as well. Thanks for the Great Review! Watch our site for new retailers and new products!
Michael Lifshitz
Director of Marketing
Posted by: Michael Lifshitz at April 16, 2009 7:51 AM
