A really bright idea: PowerBulb will charge your devices and light up a room

By Lulu Chang November 1, 2016

powerbulb charger screen shot 2016 10 31 at 7 26 56 pm — Image used with permission by copyright holder

This new lightbulb will light up your life, and in more ways than one. In addition to providing the luminosity that one would expect from a light source, the PowerBulb from Mega Tiny Corp doubles as a dual USB charger, harnessing the power of the lightbulb to charge your mobile device or tablet. All you have to do is screw the PowerBulb into a lamp, turn it on, and start charging your devices with a USB cable. Because you shouldn’t have to spend your days searching for a socket.

Newly launched on Kickstarter, the PowerBulb promises to “show you the light” in situations where you just need to get a quick charge. “We saw an obvious problem that almost everyone faces — how to get easily accessible charging ports anywhere in our home without a big mess of cables and the hassle of locating an outlet that’s never in a convenient place,” said Jeff Wilcox, head of product development at Mega Tiny Corp. “Our bright idea was tapping into the light bulb!”

But it doesn’t need to be bright for the charger to work — the light does not have to be turned on in order to charge your device. The simple on and off button on the PowerBulb allows you to do away with that brightness, while maintaining a charge on your mobile devices. And while there are two USB charging ports available, the bulb’s MegaSmart charging technology sends more power to the device with less battery remaining. Once they’re both at the same power level, the PowerBulb team says, “Both devices will receive the same amount of power as would be received from a wall charger.”

With a 50,000 hour LED life, the PowerBulb will stay useful for years to come (five to be exact), and the bulb itself boasts 608 lumens and a 2700k warm light. The smart-charging USB ports are 21W and 2.4a each, and work with all E26 and E27 sockets.

Currently available for pre-order on Kickstarter, you can get a PowerBulb at the early bird price of $29, with delivery expected in December.

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