Anigmo says its amazon.com

There are no parts to break or wear out and the cover plate comes in numerous styles to match any decor or you can make your own plate from two additional adapters that come with the kit.

The sensor technology is hidden so the cover is the only thing seen. The Anigmo dimmer installs in a standard wall box so no new wiring is required.

To operate, just wave your hand over the plate to turn the light on or off; hold your hand steady for dimming. The dimmer operates silently and is convenient for use in entryways for hands-free operation.

Click here to watch a video of the Anigmo dimmer.

The company that designed the LavaLamp in the 1960s today has a lamp that is controlled by motion detection.

Pass your hand horizontally through the air above the Mathmos Airswitch and the lamp turns on or off. Raise your hand vertically and the Airswitch brightens or dims accordingly.

We’re always on the hunt for lamps that turn on by voice, motion, touch and/or a timer - anything but those awful little switches that make it painful, if not impossible, for people with limited hand mobility.

The Mathmos Airswitch works with infrared beams that track the movement of an object over the acid-etched hand-blown glass lamp.

The bummer is it only handles a 40-watt bulb - not much candle-power for a $90 lamp.

Click here to see a video of the AirSwitch in action.

If you’ve read us for any length of time, you know we have a thing for Gimpliments with LED lights.

Well check out these illuminated knitting needles and crochet hooks!

Their inventors say they are great for working with dark yarns, knitting at the movies or camping outdoors under the stars.

They’d be a fun gift for someone who loves needlework but needs a little help identifying where the tip is in fuzzy yarns.

Eds note: Cait and Marty don’t knit. Marty is, in fact, knitting impaired. She tried to learn to knit and her project morphed from what was supposed to be a sweater into a poncho that grew so out of control that Marty abandoned it and her cat then claimed it as his bed for the rest of his life. Eddie loved that sweater-poncho-shawl-bedspread-tarp.

Cait is sporting a new watch that makes her feel like a spy. This watch has a bright LED light and a 3X magnifying glass that pops up to help you read smaller type.

The first time she wore it out, Cait used the LED to locate the light switch in a dark bathroom at a restaurant and soon after needed it to read a map. She simply popped up the magnifier, hit the LED button and the map’s detail was made clear - even without her reading glasses.

The watch would be useful for reading ingredients on products in grocery stores, locating a key hole in a dark car or door and - as Cait notes - lighting a signal fire with the magnifying glass when she is lost in the wilderness during a trip home to Canada.

Cait wears this watch daily now and says the only flaw appears to be its cheesy wrist band, which she plans to change. Click here to watch a video of the watch, which comes in two sizes.

Eds. Note: According to Cait, it is no coincidence that the man known as “Intrepid,” Sir William Stephenson - the inspiration for Ian Fleming’s James Bond - and Cait were born in the same city. Therefore, Cait wishes to be known by her espionage name - the “Intrepid Invalid.” (That noise you hear is Marty groaning at having to write this.)

Our mantra is “safety safety safety” and we think this light is a must have.

The amazon.com

The light has a nice feel in our hands, simple controls and a retractable plug, which is easy to fold down to carry the light in your pocket. The LED technology also means lower carbon emissions and no bulbs to burn out.

The only drawback we see is that the flashlight covers both sockets in an outlet, giving you one less socket to plug something else in.

Gimpy people with aging eyes need to know more about light to navigate safely and live life a little brighter.

And Brock Neverman, of Green Bay Wisconsin, is a Geek among Geeks when it comes to light - especially flashlights. He shares our fondness for Surefire tactical lights, but he also can illuminate (We know, bad pun) many other lights you may not know.

Brock is the technical director at the Weidner Center for the Performing Art’s - a 2000-seat theatre on the campus of the University of Wisconsin Green Bay.

He uses myriad lights in his work and in his play, so much so that his wife has limited him to one new light a month. His web site is loaded with information about flashlights.

If he gets too technical for you, take a break and click here and here and here to see how he relaxes at home. An in-home pool sure must ease those long Wisconsin winters.

For about five years now, we have carried the small and extremely powerful Surefire Executive Elite tactical flashlight, which is fully operational with one hand.

With four times the intensity of a Mag-Lite, yet just a fraction of the size at 4.5 inches; 3.2 ounces, the rugged Elite fits easily in a purse, pants pocket, car glove apartment, or the drawer by the bed.

The Elite is so bright it will blind a person for a few seconds - which makes it a fairly effective non-lethal self-defense weapon, should that need arise.

It easily illuminates a tree at 40-plus feet and shines into the night like a spotlight. Even the squabbling raccoons in our trees pause when we turn on the Surefire.

The downside is the price, about $79 plus shipping, and the cost of lithium batteries. We did notice the Surefire site now offers a box of 12 batteries for $21, which is a better price than most depending on the shipping.

This flashlight makes you feel secure and the beam is magnificent. This is the last flashlight we will ever need and we recommend it to everyone - except little ones. This is not a toy.

How often have you, or someone you know, tripped over something in the dark?

The smallest thing, like the edge of a rug, can send you tumbling. Here are some crucial suggestions for staying safer at home at night: Read the rest of this entry »