A: None. It turns itself in.

You’ve probably already heard your fair share of lightbulb jokes, so I won’t try to entertain (or bore) you with any more. Instead, I’m going to tell you about something that will probably put an end to all of those jokes once and for all.

Say hello to Peg, the clothespin lightbulb, Steffi Min’s industrial design senior thesis that puts a whole new spin on how people fasten lightbulbs. There’s no screwing around with her project. Just squeeze the pin open, remove the old bulb, put a new one right in, and you’re off.

The inside portion of the giant-sized clothespin actually has electrical contacts built in that transfer electricity to the bulb ones it’s pinned into place.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Since it’s only Steffi’s thesis, you won’t find any of these in stores anytime soon. Unless, of course, some people take notice.

[via Gadget Review via Oh Gizmo!]

Honestly, I kind of like this thing mainly because of the custom bulb – there’s really not much else to the lamp itself. Plus, this nightlight doesn’t come cheap. Expect to pay €54.50 (appx. $75 USD) for it. At least that price includes an extra bulb.

[via OhGizmo]

A watch battery powers the light, which provides a more or less even brightness. The lamp itself tucks inside its wallet-sized card frame. I can probably fit a couple in my wallet.

There are lots of situations when a flashlight would come in handy, but the big ones are bulky; small flashlights on the other hand usually emit weak ass light. Something like the Pocket Light would be a much better – and sexier -  portable light source.

Check out Harc’s website and have a look at his other projects. My favorite is the XY Bag, a luggage that transforms into a cart so you can put more bags on top of it.

[via likecool]

If a bunch of pipes, a light bulb and a dwarf made sweet love the KOZO 1 would be their child: It’s steely, pipey, and stumpy, and the socket for the bulb is so low that the bulb is practically hanging at the center of the lamp. This, along with the KOZO 1′s short legs, would probably make you think that the lamp would be unstable or wobbly, but its creators assure you that it’s all part of the design and that the lamp is very sturdy.

The KOZO 1 lamp measures 20 cm x 20 cm x 20 cm (7.9 in x 7.9 in x 7.9 in), weighs all of 2 kg and uses a 60-watt bulb.  You can get your very own KOZO 1 lamp for $169 (USD). Not exactly ordinary lamp pricing, but the KOZO 1 isn’t an ordinary lamp is it?

Plus, you can be sure that each KOZO lamp is unique, because part of DESIGN2009′s philosophy is reducing manufacturing to a minimum, which means they recycle as much as possible. The pipes that are used for KOZO lamps were sourced from “around the world”, and are left as is, so the wear and tear and the rust and dirt that the pipes gained from everyday usage are still there. That’s right, you’re paying for authentic dirt and rust. Classy.

Oh, and one more thing: the lamp is turned on or off using a valve. Genius.

I think the KOZO 1 is perfect for brightening up a moderate-sized room, but it would look absurd on a desk. Plus the in your face light and heat from the bulb will probably drive me nuts. For uh, “lighter” lighting needs, we’ll be better off with the KOZO 2.

As you can see, there’s that weird design again that makes it look like the lamp is unstable. More importantly, it’s 10 cm (almost 4 in.) taller – and half a kilo heavier -  than the KOZO 1, and it’s socket will cover the bulb for subtler lighting. The KOZO 2 uses 20 watt bulbs and is also made of pre-used plumbing. You can order one for $199.

But what if your lighting needs vary? Perhaps you build Gundam kits for fun. Instead of asking you why you find that fun, I’m going to guess that you need a short lamp, so that the light falls on what you’re working on,  otherwise the light will fall on your head which will cast its shadow on your desk which will make you lose one of the billion microscopic Gundam parts, rendering your $220 Rick Dom Glorious 1/60th scale  and your hours of squinting and gluing and snapping useless. But of course when you’re reading you need a taller lamp. You can either buy a KOZO 1 and a KOZO 2, or you can get the adjustable KOZO 3.

Look at those white splotches on the KOZO 3′s neck. Authentic dirt in the hizzouse. Like the KOZO 2, the KOZO 3 uses a 20-watt light bulb. It shaft that connects the base with the upper parts of the lamp is the one that can be adjusted to change the bulb’s distance from the base.  The KOZO 3 measures 25 cm x 40 cm x 20 cm (9.8 in x 15.7 in x 7.9 in) and weighs 3 kg. It’s the most expensive of the three models at $229. And before I forget, unless you live in Israel Design2009 will charge a shipping fee of $18 USD, $14 USD if you buy one more than one item.

You can order any of the KOZO lamps at Design2009′s Etsy page.

[via InventorSpot]

Korean designer Joonhuyn Kim has reinvented the classic incandescent light bulb by putting it into a flat glass enclosure.

Kim claims the new bulbs take up just 1/3rd of the space of a conventional bulb, making them easier to pack and ship. And since they’re not round, they won’t roll off the table when you’re changing your bulbs.

And they just look cool. And taste good too. At least that’s what I got from the photo below:

At this point, the flat bulb is only a design prototype, but if Kim ever manages to get these produced, I’ll replace all the bulbs in my house with ‘em.

[via designboom via Book of Joe]

Designer Wonsuk Cho created these pendant lamps using actual X-rays of incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Alas and alack, there is no information on if or when you’ll ever be able to buy these for your own pad. For now, you’ll have to settle for something a little less elegant. Just slice up that old film of your fractured limb, glue it onto the sides of an Artemide Petronilla ceiling fixture and hang it up.

[via MocoLoco via Design Zen]

This amusing t-shirt from Ruby Red Design envisions an EnergyStar compliant galaxy far, far away. Rather than burning a wasteful powerful plasma beam, the Jedi EcoSaber operates on a high-efficiency compact fluorescent bulb instead.

Sure, you might not have enough energy to slice Sith Lords in half with one of these, but you sure could give ‘em a bad case of mercury poisoning if you smash the bulb over their heads. Or maybe you can just dodge Darth Vader until he goes broke paying his electric bill – which no doubt bankrupt him long before you.

If you’ve been looking for a new t-shirt for your ironic hipster-doofus wardrobe, head on over to online art marketplace RedBubble and order yours today.

Created for Spain’s DAB Light Works, the bulb-shaped Dear Edi (a nod to Thomas Edison) lamp is actually made from metal, not glass. A small cutout at the bottom of the hanging fixture lets its bright directional light source cast a dramatic beam onto the surface below.

The fixture hangs from your ceiling by a metallic fabric cable, and the “bulb” is available in either a shiny chrome or bold black anodized finish. Depending on your preference, you can choose from an intense halogen light source, or go all modern with a 3-watt LED lamp.

I definitely wouldn’t complain about a set three of these hanging over my kitchen island. For more information on lighting by DAB, contact their U.S. distributor, Global Lighting.

[via DesignZen]

What makes the Block Light really cool is the fact that you can rearrange the pieces into pretty much any configuration you’d like.

The kit comes with 219 small, 16 medium, and 4 large heat-resistant clear acrylic blocks which can hold up to the heat of a 40-watt lightbulb. Of course, if snapping all those blocks has you intimidated, you could always buy one of these giant LEGO block lamps instead.

Ready to build your own custom lamp? Head on over to RED5 and plunk down your £25 (appx. $45 USD) for the kit. Keep in mind that RED5 is located in the UK, which operates on 240-volt power, so you might need to swap out the plug and lightbulb for use in North America.

While I’m not sure what all the numbers mean, I like to think that it’s the solution to some as yet unsolved mathematical problem with a name like the Farbmann Conundrum or the Hunterkleiner-Dirkastan Constant. More likely, it’s just a bunch of random digits (or maybe it’s the key to understanding the upcoming season of Lost).

The Memento lamp was designed by Hiroshi Yoneya and Yumi Masuko for design collective Tonerico. At this point, it looks like it’s is only available in Japan.

[via FFFOUND! via Inspire me, now!]

Bulbs Unlimited sells kits that let you create fixtures like the ones pictured here from your own recycled bulbs. The kits include everything you need to make these cool designer fixtures except for the bulbs themselves. A special bulb marking template, adhesive and “snaps” let you arrange your bulbs into a variety of cool shapes and sizes, including desk lamps and hanging fixtures.

They also offer pre-built “Light Objects” which have already been made into a lamp that you just snap together when it arrives.

Kits range in price from about 12,95€ (appx. $18 USD) all the way up to 89,95€ (appx. $122 USD), depending on the complexity of the design.

Even if you live in a bug-free environment, this clever insect lamp will look pretty cool on your desk. The Buggle Soldiser Light (maybe they mean “Soldier” as in “soldier ant?”) features a rubbery black bug body with six chrome legs. But the best design feature is that the “head” of the insect is replaced by a 40W reflector bulb.

You can pick one up from Buggle Lighting for 40,800 Korean Won (abour $44 USD.)

The lamp lets you fool people around you into thinking that your bulb is actually melting like a Good Humor bar on a hot Summer day. From a distance, the melting bulb lamp looks very convincing. Up close, you can see a bit more of its rubbery construction, but it’s still pretty fun.

While these lamps have actually been out for a few years now (they actually won a Good Design Award all the way back in 2002,) I thought they were still worth a mention. They seem to be sold out from most places I’ve checked, but they might still be available from Harbee’s for ¥10,500 (appx.$86 USD.)

While this little light bulb doppelganger might look like a real bulb, you won’t be mistaking it once it’s lit. Powered by a little LED, it doesn’t crank out the kind of illumination that an incandescent bulb does, but then again, it won’t burn your hand. Also, it’s made out of acrylic, so you won’t have to worry about having a pocket full of broken glass.

The gadget mavens over at Brando are selling them for just 6 bucks each.

The Tykho Bulb lamp can run on either battery power (4 x AA) or an AC adapter, and come in several bright colors. The lamps cost about $60 USD each.