News.blog: A lamp to lighten winter blues

Winter is just around the corner, and that's depressing news for those who get the blues from grey skies. But new hybrid lighting technologies may afford at least some psychological relief, as it is powered by the sun's rays.

A company called Sunlight Direct manufactures a halogen-solar lamp that collects energy from a roof-mounted device, then sends it through fibre-optic lines to a halogen refractor that can light any room of your home, according to Automated Home. The post includes a YouTube clip on the product from a Discovery Channel segment.

A photosensor chip automatically maintains consistent levels of light, so you don't need to constantly adjust the lamp when more clouds move in. Light from the lamp is even supposed to bear some of the sun's natural hues at appropriate hours.

The downside: one less convenient excuse for being in a foul mood.