GE is planning for a low power, long lasting replacement for the traditional 40 watt bulb, which is quite the workhorse throughout the homes of America. The new LED consumes only 9 watts of energy and is rated for 17 years of use (if used four hours every day). You won't have to sacrifice anything to help save the planet, either, as the bulb gives out the same amount of light as a 40 watt incandescent at around 450 lumens.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking, though: "What's up with the weird design?" While LED lights tend to look a little crazy besides, the claw-like fingers grasping the light above aren't just for show. LEDs tend to act a bit like spotlights, focusing the majority of the light they give off in one spot. The fingers are part of a design that GE is still refining, which will ultimately help disperse the light given off by the bulb. LEDs also boast the ability to run cooler than other light bulbs, and contain no harmful mercury.
"This is a bulb that can virtually light your kid's bedroom desk lamp from birth through high school graduation," GE general manager John Strainic said in a statement. The only hard thing to swallow here is the price, as each light is expected to cost around $40 or $50 when they land on shelves this fall. Sure, that's a 17-year investment — around $2.50 a year — but what if you drop one?
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