USB COMPUTER LIGHT

USB Computer Light, retail $1 (URL not known)
Manufactured by (Unknown) for Greenbrier International, Inc.
Last updated 11-16-06




The USB Computer Light is a small, white LED light designed to be plugged into and powered from a USB port on your laptop or desktop computer. It comes with a coily cord, which measures approximately 7" as-is, extendable to at least 20".

It features a white LED on its business-end, attached to a clip with a swivel attachment. The clip has a "closed" width of approximately 0.10", and can be "opened" to approximately 0.5", allowing it to clip to the upper edge of laptop computer screens or other similar objects.

For the purposes of this web page, I plugged it into the USB port on the back of my Toshiba Satellite Pro 460CDT laptop computer, but I will use it most often on the Dell Dimension 4500 desktop computer that I make these web pages with.

This unit was found at a dollar store in Dallas, Texas USA.
As confirmed by its purchaser on 07-29-04, it cost $1.00.


SIZE



To use the Computer Light, just remove it from the package and plug it into any free USB port on your laptop or desktop computer. Yes, it really is that easy.

To use it as a keyboard light, clip it to the top of your laptop's LCD screen (a built-in stop prevents you from pushing it on too far), and swivel the illuminator head (the brass colored cylinder) until it's aimed where you need it.

On my Dell desktop, I plugged it into one of the front USB ports, and clipped it to the bottom of the hinged door assembly that protects these ports. This does not light up my keyboard, but it serves as a convenient test fixture so I can watch the Computer Light for degradation over the coming days, weeks, and months.

This light is "hot swappable", meaning you do not have to turn your computer off before plugging it in or unplugging it. Most USB devices are hot swappable, so no surprise here.



Because this light draws all the power it needs from your computer's USB port, this section can and will be skipped.

I cannot take a current measurement without breaking or cutting the light, so I cannot provide that figure for you.



The USB Computer Light is designed to be a computer peripheral, so I won't try to stomp on it with spiked golf shoes, drown it in the commode, slam it against a steel rod, run over it with a 400lb electric wheelchair, let the dog go potty on it, or subject it to any other indecencies that a regular flashlight may have to endure.

Despite its delicate appearance, the USB Computer Light seems to be reasonably durable and well-made.

The beam appears to be too narrow to make an effective keyboard light. But any time you need a bit of light around a dark computer, it will definitely produce that light. So if it has a saving grace, that (plus its low price) would be it.



In this photograph, it was plugged into the USB port on the back of my Toshiba
Satellite Pro 460CDT laptop computer, and clipped to the top of the LCD screen.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrometer plot of the LED in this flashlight.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from TWO-CUBED.



TEST NOTES:
Test unit was received on 07-15-04; sent by a fan of this website.

The back of the package reads "MADE IN CHINA" if that has any meaning to you. A light's country of origin does matter to some people, which is why I mentioned it.


UPDATE: 07-26-04
In my opinion, this light has dimmed considerably over the last ten days or so. I did not attempt to measure it when new, but just by eyeballing things, it's definitely dimmer than it was.


PROS:
Small
Bright - at least at first
Powered by computer's USB port - no batteries to buy


CONS:
Beam seems too narrow to use as a keyboard illumination light
Dims noticeably after 200 hours or thereabouts of use


    MANUFACTURER: Unknown
    PRODUCT TYPE: USB-powered LED computer light
    LAMP TYPE: 5mm white LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: Circular; medium spot with small corona
    SWITCH TYPE: None
    BEZEL: Brass; LED almost completely inset into it
    BATTERY: N/A
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
    WATER RESISTANT: Very light splatter-resistance
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: None
    WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





USB Computer Light * (URL not known)






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