Light Up Dark Stairs with the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light

We make a great Stair Light, but sometimes people need to light an entire stairway without wires. Such was the case with Vivian who called me today.

Vivian is the funny aunt that everyone wishes they had. She can make anything sound funny, especially with her classic New York accent. She called because she has a dark staircase leading down to her cellar. She is a big fan of Costco and BJ's Warehouse Clubs, and loves to cook, so when she goes to the warehouse clubs she loads up on canned foods, spices, olive oil and other ingredients. Her husband added storage by installing shelves on the dark stairs down to the basement. But the stairs are too dark for her to see what items are on the shelves. So Vivian called us looking for a solution to light up her dark stairs.

Our solution for dark stairs is the wireless Mr. Beams Anywhere Ceiling Light. The wireless Mr Beams Anywhere Ceiling Light uses a bright LED from Nichia that provides 80 lumens of light. This is significantly brighter than the tap lights from years ago, and so much brighter than the LED puck lights that are sold in places like Bed, Bath & Beyond. Better yet, the Mr Beams Anywhere Ceiling Light has a motion detector, so whenever Vivian opens her cellar door, the bright LED goes on. It also has an auto shut off, so after Vivan closes the basement door, the Ceiling Light counts down 30 seconds and then automatically shuts off. One Mr Beams battery-powered LED Ceiling Light should last more than 3,200 activations on one set of C batteries - which is 3 years of wireless lighting on one set of batteries under normal use.

Vivian had called an electrician, who quoted her $240 to install a basic ceiling light to light her cellar steps. Then he didn't show up. So Vivian called Mr. Beams. We sent her the the wireless Mr. Beams Ceiling Light, the brightest and best wireless light for lighting up stairways, closets, pantries, basements attics and garages. Vivian will be able to install the Ceiling Light by herself in minutes, and whenever she opens her cellar door, the motion sensor LED light will light up the stairs so she can tell her tomato paste from her tomato sauce.

More ideas to light up the dark areas of your home are available at www.mrbeams.com

Mr. Beams Wireless Battery LED Lights for Porch Light

Mr Beams has taken a lot of pictures of our wireless LED lighting products as they provide important lighting solutions. We have found that pictures of the lighting applications that show the best solutions solved by our wireless lights is very helpful when looking to light different spots: Garages; Sheds; Doorways; Bathrooms; Showers; and many others. How better to show the best uses of our wireless battery powered lights than to take a lot of pictures? We have hired a photographer or two but have taken a lot of amateur photographs too (really amateur in my case).

One of my favorite pictures is of our MB980 Anywhere Ceiling Light used as a porch light. An LED porch light with motion sensor is a great application for the MB980. You can use it to add light to a dim porch or garage and the fact that it is battery powered and has a motion sensor eliminates the need for a light switch. When motion is detected, the battery powered light turns on and stays illuminated until no motion is detected for 30 seconds. During daytime, a photo cell detects that it is light out and prevents the light from activating. The MB980 is weatherproof and wireless - all the mounting hardware needed for easy installation comes with the unit.

We have also seen people use the MB360 Security Light as a porch light. This is a great LED porch light for larger porches because you can mount it at one end of the porch pointed towards the entry way, stairs and door. It operates exactly like the MB980 but is designed to be more of a flood light or spotlight. It is small enough to be unobtrusive in the corner of a porch. The other thing we have seen people do is to use the MB371 Remote Control Spotlight as a porch light. This is a unique product because it operates exactly as the MB360 in that it has a motion sensor and turns on when it detects motion however it also comes with a remote control such that if you are inside your house and you want to turn the light on for someone coming home or coming to visit, you can turn the light on with a remote. This is the only bright porch light available with a remote control for turning the light on and off.

So maybe our photography isn't always the best but in the case of a battery powered LED porch light like the one shown in this picture, I think we got it right. The Mr Beams LED lighting products are great as a porch light, garage light or for a number of other outdoor lighting applications where a completely wireless light is the best light to solve the problem.

The Best Wireless Lighting Solutions

Wireless Lighting. Sounds like a dream. The idea of sticking a light wherever you need it and having light for closets, showers, driveways, hallways, bathrooms, sheds and garages is a fantasy. No more electricians. Because they are wireless, you take them with you when you move and can move them anywhere you need.

Now Wireless Lighting is available from Mr. Beams. We had the dream of lights that can be attached anywhere without electricians back in 2003. Not junky tap lights, that give off a light glow and burn out in a few hours. That's not the wireless lighting solution that we wanted. We wanted wireless lighting solutions that gave bright light, turned on and off automatically, was hands-free, and provided this wireless light for more than one year on a set of batteries.

The solution required a combination of many technologies to create the best wireless lighting solutions. LEDs are used to maximize the battery power. Motion Sensors are used for hands-free automatic lighting. Auto shut-off is programmed to conserve the battery life. And battery power is used to make the Mr. Beams lights wireless.

The Mr. Beams products provide the best Wireless Lighting solutions in four different shapes and brightnesses. The Stick Anywhere Night Light is the wireless LED light that attaches to a wall or stands up on its own. It is a great wireless solution to light a path to your bathroom and prevent falls. The Stair Light is an indoor / outdoor light that mounts to a deck post or stairway wall. It lights up stairs without wires, using a motion sensor to activate. It has a glow feature so you always know where the light is. This battery-operated wireless light will last at least one year on one set of batteries. The Mr. Beams Ceiling Light is the best solution for a closet light anywhere. Because it is wireless It mounts in minutes in your closet, attic or shed. Because the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light is weatherproof, it is the best wireless lighting solution for a shower, porch or gazebo. The Mr. Beams Spotlight is the best wireless light solution for all of your outdoor areas. Stick it to a tree for lighting up a backyard, driveway or basketball court. Light up doorways, garages and barns. Because it is wireless you can install it yourself in minutes and move it whenever you need to.

So wireless lights are now a reality at Mr. Beams. We exist to create the best wireless lighting solutions to eliminate darkness. We welcome your ideas for battery-powered light designs. Please let us know how we can help you create better wireless lights by writing us at info@mrbeams.com.

Proof We Make the Best Closet Light

In September I wrote about why our Mr. Beams Battery-Powered LED Ceiling Light is the best wireless closet light available. I pointed out that it provides more than 80 lumens of light on battery power. It can be installed anywhere in minutes. It is motion sensor activated and turns off automatically when you shut the closet door. The Mr. Beams Closet Light is weatherproof and can light up showers, gazebos, porches and sheds.

Since September we have received some great reviews from hundreds of people who have installed the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light. The Handyman Club of America had its members test our wireless LED Ceiling Light and loved it. 26 out of 27 hardcore handy men and women would recommend this product, and they graded it 8.6 points out of 10. Their comments were so positive that is reinforced our belief that the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light is the very best closet light available, and the best utility light to light up attics, sheds, hallways, porches and storage areas. Here are some of the comments from serious handymen and women:

"As a firefighter, I often have to quickly get dressed for emergencies while in a dark dorm. I realized that I can place this light under my bed and as soon as my feet hit the floor, my entire area lights up. I've never been able to find my black socks so quickly."

"A much brighter light than I thought. It easily lights a fair sized closet."

"I would recommend the Anywhere Ceiling Light due to the simple fact that it can be moved all over.I put it our downstairs hall so when our youngest son woke at night to use the bathroom he had plenty of light. Thus eliminating the need to wake my wife or me."

"i would greatly recommend this for closets and other small storage areas where it is not feasible to do a lot of wiring."

"This product is perfect for that one spot that you really need a light,but don't want the hassle of hard wiring."

"It provides a nice handy light for dark places. This is very usefull when your hands are full and you can't carry a flashlight. It's also just nice to have a light come on automatically when it senses movement."

The entire line of wireless battery-powered LED lights from Mr. Beams provide the brightest light available without wires. Our LED lights are all indoor / outdoor lights, motion sensor with auto shut-off, wireless and come with a 1-year warranty. They come in different form factors based on your lighting need: Spotlights; Path Lights' and Wall Lights. Users provide rave reviews about all of our LED battery-operated lights, and we will post more of them in future entries.

Reclaim Your Upstairs: How To Fix Dark Attics

I tell my wife Lisa that she was never properly initiated into our family because she never had to spend a night at Grandma Isabel’s house. My Grandma Isabel lived in a post-WWII bungalow-style house on Long Island. Upstairs were two of the smallest bedrooms you ever saw. Each had cots on metal frames build into an alcove in the wall.

The most memorable part of the upstairs was the closets. I call them closets but they were actually full-sized doors leading into dark attic space. They were dim and smelly as only a grandmother’s attic can smell and took up most of the upstairs. One time when my brother and I were fighting I chased him into the dark attic and his leg fell through the floor and he was stuck. After I hit him with a few cheap shots I ran to get an adult to pull him out. We respected that dark attic from then on and mostly stayed out of it.

Many people have a lot of attic space. Most of the space is not easy to use due to poor lighting. The Mr. Beams battery operated LED motion sensor lights are perfect for attic spaces and can turn uncomfortable spaces into good storage spots. Start with the MB980 Ceiling Light. This bright battery-powered LED light goes on once motion is detected so there is no fumbling for the pull cord. It is bright and will light up about 15 square feet of attic space. It will stay on as long as it detects motion, and then automatically shut off 30 seconds after you leave. I have left our attic light on so many times – the cost of electricity wasted and the hassle of replacing bulbs is eliminated with the Mr. Beams lights because they have auto shut-off.

For larger attic spaces we make the MB360 Motion Sensor LED Spotlight. This bright battery operated LED spotlight floods light for a distance of 30 feet and can light up 400 square feet. It will illuminate all corners of an attic with bright white light that turns on when it detects motion and turns off automatically when you leave. These batteries will last five years under typical attic usage, and avoids burning through bulbs by leaving them on for weeks. Your typical operating cost is less than $1 per year!

A remote controlled version of the LED Motion Sensor Spotlight is also available. The MB371 Remote Controlled Security Spotlight has a remote control that can be mounted near the entrance to your attic. Before entering the attic press the On button and the Remote Controlled Spotlight will turn on and stay on until you leave. It will light up your attic with bright white light. It is also battery powered so no electrician is needed, no wires needed and no code issues. When you leave your attic just press Off on the remote, or let the LED Security Spotlight shut off automatically.

By installing Mr. Beams LED battery operated lights you save the $200 or more of hiring an electrician and never have to worry about building codes. The LED lights are bright and turn on when they detect your motion. They turn off automatically once you leave. No more burning out of light bulbs. Reclaim your upstairs space and install Mr. Beams lights yourself for a bright attic and prevent kids from falling through the floor.

Closet Lighting with Mr Beams LED Lights

One of Mr Beams' early product ideas was for a wireless closet light. We thought that an automatic closet light controlled when the closet door is opened would be a very good product. We developed a prototype that was a light fixture adaptor that detected motion and turned on a light bulb when the door opened. We quickly found out that people really wanted a light that was easy to install that they could stick anywhere in a closet with no need for wires. The solution they needed was a wireless closet light - battery operated and easy to install.

So we developed a battery powered wireless LED light solution that was meant for closet light applications. We developed a version with motion sensor control and a version with radio frequency control. Either way, it was a battery powered wireless light solution that people could install anywhere in their closet.

Today, after years of working on LED lights and battery powered lights, the wireless closet light solution is still a good one. Currently, Mr Beams offers an MB980 ceiling light that can be easily installed in the ceiling of a closet and provide great closet lighting. Low to the floor where it always seems to be a little too dark in a closet, you can use an MB530 step light or more than one MB723 stick anywhere nightlights that come on with motion. For a walk in closet light, the MB371 remote control spotlight may be a very good option. These lights can be a primary closet light or an auxiliary closet light just adding light where you need it.

If you need a light in your closet, you don't need to call an electrician. You need a battery powered wireless LED closet light that is easy to install that was made to be your closet light.

Mr. Beams Lights Up During Power Outages

In July 2010, there was a power outage in the Washington DC area that left 280,000 customers in the dark. The electric company was able to restore power to some quickly but it took days to get everyone back on line.

Several years ago just before we first launched the Mr Beams products onto the market, we created a test program with more than 50 friends, family, people we worked with, potential customers etc to make sure that people we trusted to give us an honest review of our products were happy with our battery powered LED lights. They tested the MB360 spotlight and MB530 step light both battery power LED lights with motion sensors. We got very good reviews, fixed a few problems that had been caught and then launched the products as quickly after the test run as we could.

It just so happens that a few of our test group lives in the Washington DC area and were hit by the power outage. One was hit for several days. It was nice to get calls from people using the lights for over 3 years that called to say how happy they were that they had battery powered lights installed on their stairs, in their hallways, outside of their houses and did not have to carry a flashlight around for the whole power outage.

We feel strongly that a small number of battery powered LED lights permanently installed will be there where you need them when that power outage inevitably rolls around.

Prepare Your Home to Go Off-Grid

Glenn from Australia called me this week. He wants to introduce the Mr. Beams line of wireless LED lighting to his country. I assumed it was because Australians are more likely to spend time outdoors and they need lighting that can operate without electricity and be installed anywhere. That is partially true, but the real reason is to save money.

Electricity was deregulated in Australia and rates have risen more than 17.5% in 2010. According to Glenn, the average household in Australia is paying $200 to $300 more per year for electricity than they did last year.

Australians are looking at their electricity consumption and figuring out where they can go off-grid. People in China and India are constantly focused on shifting off-grid. It is only a matter of time before people living in other developed countries will need to analyze their electricity consumption and shift off-grid as well.

Look at the statistics in the U.S. In order for electricity production to keep up with expected demand in 2035, the U.S. will have to create 250 gigawatts of new generating capacity*. At an average of 750 megawatts per plant, that means the U.S. needs to build 330 plants over the next 25 years, which is almost impossible. This means we can expect many more black-outs, rolling outages and a general inability to rely on the grid to provide power.

Mr. Beams’ parent company - Wireless Environment - is working on solutions for the future electricity shortage by developing quality off-grid solutions for lighting and other appliances. Currently, Mr. Beams offers six products to help you start shifting off the electrical grid. All use LEDs and motion sensors and can be installed by you in under 5 minutes. These LED lighting products are designed to help you go off the grid by lighting the following dark areas:

Outdoor Security Lighting – with batteries, a motion sensor and LEDs, you can install a weatherproof Mr. Beams wireless motion-sensor spotlight all by yourself for under $40. It will activate when it senses motion – people, vehicles or critters – an shine a bright light until the motion stops. $3 of batteries will give you at least one year worth of light. Security lighting even during power outages.

Shed Lighting – Install a light in your shed for under $40. The weatherproof Mr. Beams Ceiling Light provides bright enough light for illuminate a 15’ x 10’ shed. The Ceiling Light detects motion and keeps the light on until there is no motion, then turns off automatically. $4 of batteries should last more than 2 years.

Garage Lighting – Instead of using fragile light bulbs to light up your garage, install a Mr. Beams Motion-Sensor Spotlight for under $40. The Motion-Sensor Spotlight will provide the light you need and will turn on automatically once someone enters the garage. It will survive vibration and temperature extremes and still provide 120 lumens of bright light. It will never stay on all night and burn out. You can install it anywhere in less than 5 minutes and aim it in any direction that fits your needs.

Closet Lighting – Stop worrying about leaving your closet light on all day. The Mr. Beams Ceiling Light is a bright closet light that can provide the equivalent of a 40W light bulb. It will turn on as soon as it detects motion in the closet. It will stay on until 30 seconds after you leave the closet. $4 of batteries should provide at least 2 years of closet lighting.

Attic Lighting – Our attic light has never lasted more than 2 weeks. Someone always accidentally turns on the light and we never know it is on. The Mr. Beams Ceiling Light installs to a rafter or wall in 2 minutes. No electrician needed. Install 4 C batteries and this light will provide you with 5 years between battery changes with typical use. Bright light that goes on even during power outages.

Path Lighting – Solar Lights introduced the world to off-grid lighting, but they have serious issues. Switch the solar cell with batteries and you have the perfect off-grid solution for path lights. Indoor or outdoor, path lights with batteries work even after cloudy days in the winter. They go on much brighter than solar lights once they detect motion. The Mr. Beams Stair Lights and Remote Control Path Lights are bright, off-grid lights to provide safety for those walking in and around your home.

* DOE – U.S. Energy Information Administration

What Is Off-Grid Lighting?

What Does Off-Grid Lighting Mean?

Wireless Environment has observed and classified three major reasons for taking lighting off-grid. Our vision is to become the leader in shifting lighting off-grid for maximum efficiency, utility and value.

The three reasons to go off the grid with you lighting are:
1. No Access to Electricity
2. Power Outage / Rolling Blackout
3. Economic Gain

Here is how we define the three categories of off-grid lighting:

1. No Access to Electricity
The majority of locations in the world are off-grid. In remote locations there are often no electrical wires. But even in your own home, there is are many areas where you want light and have no wires. Think about your driveway, your backyard, the corner of your house and many of your closets. For all of these areas that need light, battery-powered or solar-powered lighting is the best option. Battery-powered lights can provide brighter light without wires.

Products like the Mr. Beams Spotlight can attach to a tree anywhere. When it detects movement through its motion sensor, a powerful LED lights up a driveway, walkway, backyard, porch. There is also a remote control Spotlight that can be activated by the remote control or turn on with its motion sensor. For detached sheds and detached garages, the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light can provide bright light. It is weatherproof, like all Mr. Beams wireless lights, and has a sensitive motion detector. Once someone enters the garage, shed, gazebo or closet, the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light emits a bright white light until the auto shut-off turns it off. Other Mr. Beams lights include the Stick Anywhere Night Light and the Stair Light. Both lights have daylight sensors to keep the lights off during the day and conserve battery life. They also are weatherproof and have motion sensors. They provide lighting where there is no electricity, and can significantly help reduce the number of falls.

2. Power Outage / Rolling Blackout
I recently blogged about the increase in the number of blackouts in the U.S. As the grid becomes more strained, we will experience more power outages. For this reason Mr. Beams is developing a line of batteries that can be installed inside light fixtures. These batteries will detect a power outage and then provide enough back-up power to allow for safe exit. Technology will also help extend the battery life and thus the useful light for exit or other operation.

3. Economic Gain
In the future world of increased demand on the electrical grid, there will be a strong incentive to reduce electricity use during certain times. Currently the peak demand times are between 2pm and 5pm during the business week – especially during hot days. Electric companies are paying facilities to go off the grid at these times. With the Wireless Environment battery technology, a facility can transfer its lighting to battery power during these peak times. The facility can collect a fee for going off the electrical grid, and take advantage of lower electricity costs by re-charging the back-up batteries for the lighting during an off-peak time. In some areas of the country, the spread in the cost between peak-demand electricity and off-peak electricity can be significant. With LED light fixtures and the Wireless Environment battery technology, lights can shift off-grid and still operate at the same lumen level.

In our future, we will all face the need to go off-grid more often. Products are being developed to help manage lighting off of the grid. We will continue to update the progress of developing off-grid lighting products and components.

Mr. Beams: Your Defense Against Blackouts and Power Outages

A recent CNN story announced the startling fact on power outages: "U.S. Electricity Blackouts Skyrocketing". Those of us caught in the blackouts have known this for a long time - the electrical grid is strained more and more every year. Utilities can not keep up with demand. This strain leads to more and longer power outages. The reason they are also called "blackouts" is because the loss of lighting is the major inconvenience.

Mr. Beams lights are your best defense against blackouts. They are indoor / outdoor LED lights that are powered by batteries. You mount them anywhere in just a few minutes - no electrician, no wires. As soon as the space is dark and the light detects motion, it shines brightly, illuminating large areas with bright LED light.

Here is the installation locations we recommend for your home to provide safety and security lighting during a power outage:
1. Stairways - Most important lighting is on the stairways. Good stair lighting during a blackout will help prevent the most dangerous falls. Mount the MB980 Ceiling Light on the ceiling of the stairway. As soon as there is darkness, the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light detects for motion. If you are upstairs during the power outage and need to go downstairs, you will have a lighted path to safely guide you. We also recommend installing two Stair Lights, which will glow lightly as soon as it is dark to show you where the stairs are. Once they detect motion, they light up brightly.

2. Entrances - On your inside entrance we recommend the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light mounted near the entrance. As soon as the light go off, the Ceiling Light turns on its motion detector. If you need to exit your home, the Ceiling Light will detect you and light up the entire entrance way with a bright Nichia LED. Once there is no motion, the Ceiling Light will turn off to conserve its batteries for when it is needed. For outside entrances, we recommend the weatherproof MB360 Spotlight. This is our brightest light with the largest motion sensor diameter. If anyone approaches your home during the blackout - be they wanted or unwanted - the Motion Sensor Spotlight will turn on a bright light to scare them away or let them approach safely. You will be the only home in the neighborhood with lighting during a blackout. this will deter intruders from approaching your home.

3. Basements - If you have ever had a blackout when you are in your basement you know how difficult it can be to exit. Some basements are in total darkness, and there are many obstacles in your way. Imagine your kids yelling for you from upstairs during a power outage and you need to get out of your basement quickly. For the basement ceiling we recommend the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light mounted near the stairs and in the back area. As soon as the light go off and you move ever so slightly, the Ceiling Light turns on its bright light to light up enough of the basement with a bright Nichia LED. Once there is no motion, the Ceiling Light will turn off to conserve its batteries for when it is needed.

4. Hallways - Since many power outages occur at night, it is important to be able to exit your bedroom in safety. We recommend the MB723 Stick Anywhere Night Lights for this reason. The Stick Anywhere Night Lights mount anywhere with the adhesive tape provided. They are perfect to light the path between you and the bathroom, you and the kids room, or you and the exit. They are battery powered so no electrician is required. As soon as you approach these motion sensor lights, a bright LED will go on to light your way and help prevent falls. As soon as you pass, the lights have auto shut-off to conserve battery life.

So be prepared for the next blackout. Install Mr Beams wireless LED lights with motion sensors. They come in Spotlight, Stair Light, Ceiling Light and Stick Anywhere Night Light forms. Install them throughout your home to have emergency lighting for the next blackout. Prevent falls between blackouts. And experience battery-powered lighting that does not rely on your electric company.

Celebrate Innovation on Labor Day

An advisor to Mr. Beams recently said he wanted to brainstorm about new products. This guy is a brilliant product developer who has created big product lines that have revolutionized lighting controls. His prerequisite for helping us was that we create breakthrough products, and not just slight improvements. His statement first created an energy and excitement for me that I get when allowed to dream big dreams. It was then followed by the part of my brain that remembers how intense and grinding it is to truly innovate. In my early days as a product manager I could not wait to launch my first product line. It was with Black & Decker in their power tool division and I owned every element of the product line – the feel, the color, the motor, the box, the accessories, the user manual. I was not yet married and that allowed me to spend late nights at the office - it consumed me. But it needed to consume me in order to innovate in a field where everything had been done already.

Innovation in many consumer products has slowed down. Part of it is because of the recession, but I believe there is a more nefarious reason. The power wielded by so few retailers has created greater barriers for entry to smaller companies. Often it is the smaller companies that innovate, but the possible reward of a successful product is now lower because the largest retailers do not want to work with smaller companies. Large Retail knows it limits the innovation that they can offer their shoppers, but it makes logistics so much easier for them. If they are buying 30 items from Category Manager A, and they like 2 products better from a smaller company, they are not going to set up a new vendor of questionable shipping abilities to provide those 2 products. Instead they buy the unimaginative version from the incumbent.

At first this did not limit innovation so much – the larger companies were still investing in new ideas and generating innovative products. But soon the consolidation of retailers meant that 3-5 companies made up 90% of their revenue. They now need these companies to like their products. So here is how new products are now developed: the VP of Sales for a company calls on Big Box Buyer and brings sketches of 5 product ideas. They have learned that getting buy-in from Big Box Buyer is the key to get new products placed. So they ask Big Box Buyer her opinion and she prefers one concept. VP of Sales leaves the meeting and immediately calls the product manager and tells him what the next product will be. Suddenly that new product is the darling of the product management team and gets priority resources.

Is this innovation? I would argue that Big Box Buyer knows her customer best. But the customer only knows what they have already seen, experienced and used. There is a possibility for incremental improvement in the product. But the chance of Big Box Buyer picking out a breakthrough product is slim.

Small companies do not have access to Big Box Buyer. We innovate by observing how people live, what they struggle with and what they enjoy. We know that an incremental improvement won’t cut it, so we work harder and risk more for that product that makes people fall in love with them. As I write this I am listening to a product that does that – it is a Sonos Digital Music System. I can pull up any song anywhere through one hand-held device. Every few months the smart people at Sonos add another great feature. I access Rhapsody, XM Radio, iheartradio through this system and can play different songs or radio stations in different rooms. These team at Sonos observed how people want to access and interact with music and are constantly working on improving the joy that the product provides.

Why am I wasting precious blog space on innovation rather than promoting my products? Probably because it is Labor Day today and days like this separate the innovators from the entrenched. Innovators hate these one-day holidays because no innovation gets done. People at large companies love these days because they get paid for doing their own thing. Have we innovated at Mr. Beams? I think so. We make the world’s best wireless LED lights. We are creating a system of emergency lighting for homes that will automatically provide light in the event of a power outage. We make the best Closet Light you ever installed on your own. We have used motion sensors and bright battery powered LED lights to eliminate darkness in so many places in a home. We have prevented countless falls due to dark hallways and stairs. When my 90-year-old Aunt Mille calls me the first thing she says in her Brooklyn accent is “Oh David that light you sent me is my favorite possession. I get up to go to the bathroom twice a night and that light goes on every time so I can find my way.” To me that is more rewarding than anything Big Box Buyer can say. So support your small company and please recognize that there is tremendous innovation in alternative distribution channels - like www.mrbeams.com

The World's Best Closet Light

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 114,825,428 households in the United States. That makes me wonder – how many closets are there in the U.S.? I know that sounds like I have too much time on my hands, but it is important to our business. You see, we at Mr. Beams make the world’s best closet light. I am serious – our MB980 Ceiling Light is the world’s best closet light for anyone who wants a bright wireless light in their closet. And by wireless light I mean battery powered light - because few of us want to invest $250 to call in an electrician to install a light in a closet. So a $40 solution – that installs in minutes – is a breakthrough. Now make that $40 solution a LED motion-sensor light that provide 80 lumens of light and turns on automatically, then turns off automatically and you have my proof – the world’s best closet light. It ain’t bragging if you’ve done it. Look at our Ceiling Light and you will see we have made the world’s best closet light.

Back to my question – how many closets are there in the U.S. Let’s assume that the average household is a 2.5-bedroom, 1.5 bath residence. It has at least one coat closet, a closet in each bedroom, a closet for one of the bathrooms, and a utility or linen closet. That makes 5.5 closets per household. Multiply that by 114,825,428 households and you get 631.5 million closets. Now what percentage of these closets do not have operating lights in them? My informal surveying tells me that 35% is a conservative guess. So I estimate that there are 221 million closets without light in them.

Can we call it an epidemic? I have put on two different shoes in the morning in an attempt to not wake anyone while I get dressed – this is a problem. People pick out clothes that don’t match because they lack light in their closet. Mr. Peabody in the Bullwinkle cartoon was constantly getting maimed when he opened his dark closet loaded with junk. People, we have an epidemic on our hands.

We are selling a lot of closet lights. But there are still nearly 221 million dark closets out there and that drives me crazy. Please spread the word. Go to the Mr. Beams website and learn abo0ut our closet light. Look at what a battery operated closet light can do for you. Tell your friend about our bright LED. Show your neighbor how a motion-sensor activated LED light can help you see better in your closet. Tell you co-worker that the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light can light a 10’ x 10’ closet with 80 lumens of light. Experience for yourself how great it is to open your closet and have a bright light that turns off automatically after you leave. You will be off the grid and not use any additional electricity. The batteries that power the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light will last for 18 months or more (under average use in one of your 5.5 closets). Let’s work together to make at least 0.1% of the dark closets light up with the Mr. Beams bright LED battery-powered motion activated Ceiling Light. Find out what James in Georgetown, Kentucky is talking about when he says, "This ceiling light, which can also be mounted on a wall, is the cream-of-the-crop as far as LED lights go, in my opinion. Installation was easy, it reacts to motion quickly, and puts out a good amount of light."

Wild Card Wednesday--BOO!

During our weekly management meeting, one of our partners, Mike Recker, introduced a really fun way to use the Mr Beams LED lights: how about lighting for Halloween?

Path Lights

Temporary Path Lighting is a great idea for the trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood. Especially in our neighborhood, where the homes are old and there really isn't much lighting beyond the porch lights to illuminate the walkways and sidewalks leading up to the houses. The Path Lights are perfectly portable--with the brackets and stakes that are included with the Path Light Kit, you simply stick the product in the ground. You can leave them or pull them up until the next time you need reliable and effective path lighting. The Mr Beams Path Light Kit comes with two lights, mounting brackets and stakes, and a remote control which allows you to activate the lights at will.

Spotlights

Spotlights provide a brighter option. Position a Mr Beams Spotlight to shine on your front steps. The second motion is detected (from up to 18' away), the lights go on, providing a safe footpath up the steps to the Treats. You can also position a Spotlight or two to shine on your Halloween decorations or position a few on your property to deter the Tricksters on Mischief Night. The Spotlight is also available with the same remote control option as the Path Light for flexibility in controlling the amount of light you want.

Portable Night Lights

Stick Anywhere Night Lights offer a softer light that will provide enough light for safety, either as they line your steps or as you carry it along your route, but won't quite scare away the haunts.

Get ready for Halloween with Mr Beams!

Closets, Dorm Rooms and Lights...Oh, My!

"Back to School" sales start earlier and earlier each year, it seems. Walking through a department store the other day, I saw all of the requisite college supplies on display and then some. When I was in college, a dorm room was basically four walls (painted concrete block), tile floor, bare bulb in the ceiling. Now, there are bright storage cubes that double as seating, funky portable shelving, storage drawers, and really cute lighting options: multi-colored desk lamps, floor lamps, and table lamps. One must-have light for all students is at least one battery operated light from Mr Beams.

Wireless Environment offers a line of LED battery operated lights which are perfect for dorms. The Anywhere Ceiling Light can be mounted or placed in closets, on desks or shelves to provide supplemental lighting without the hassle of wires or plugs. Students like the hands-free feature of motion detection, which means that you can look through your closet, drawers, cubby without having to hold a flashlight or flip on a light.

One concern I had as a student at Ohio University in Athens, OH was the frequent power outages we experienced. Limited back up power meant dark (really dark) nights in our room. Studying meant a trip to the library, which was a hike through a dark or dimly lit campus. Supplemental lighting from Mr Beams would have allowed us to stay safely in our rooms to read, make flashcards, study with roommates.

Part of the campus life experience is social adjustment. Learning to live with roommates requires discipline and the art of compromise. No one appreciates light pollution--with a Stick Anywhere Night Light, students can make their way to the bathroom safely, change clothes, grab keys without disrupting sleeping roommates.

Preparing to leave for school can be an emotional roller coaster for kids and parents. We want to anticipate every need to ensure a successful school year. Be sure to carefully create your checklist so that you or your students is comfortable and confident at his or her "home away from home". Pack some Mr Beams lights for sure, and don't forget the cookies and ramen noodles.