Reduce Winter Falls on Ice, Steps and Stairs with Wireless Lighting

The need for adequate lighting to prevent falls is a topic we have written about many times. This is especially true in the winter months when it gets dark earlier and there may be ice or snow on the steps outside. The statistics on falls and serious injuries due to inadequate lighting are astounding. So just a reminder, if you notice dark spots on your stairs, steps, deck stairs, stairwells that might be hiding ice, you could possibly reduce the chances of falling with a wireless motion sensor LED light that can provide extra light in those spots.

Mr. Beams offers wireless LED lighting solutions to light your steps and stairs and help show where ice might be waiting to trip someone. The battery powered MB530 Motion Sensing Stair Light is pictured above. It provides more than 20 lumens of light to light up 6 steps and is weather resistant. This wireless LED motion sensor light also has a patented glow feature that will stay lighted all night to show where the steps are, and then it lights the stairs brightly when it detects motion. The MB723 Stick Anywhere Nightlights can attach anywhere without wires. These wireless LED motion sensor lights are weatherproof and can be placed anywhere inside or outside for lighting stairs and steps. More information on the Mr. Beams wireless LED Motion Sensing Stair Light and Stick Anywhere Night Light is available at www.mrbeams.com

Coupon for Lighting Up Your Stairs with Wireless LED Lights

One of the main reasons we started the Mr. Beams LED Lighting company in the first place was to light dark stairs. Stairs are notoriously dark. There are no electrical sockets on lights. The best solution to light dark stairs would provide a wireless light that is battery powered. The best solution to light stairs would be off when you were not walking down the stairs in the dark, and light up immediately when you needed to walk on the stairs. For this a motion sensor would be the best solution.

Dark stairs are often dangerous. The chances of missing a step that is not well lit are too high for anyone to accept dark stairs. When you are tired because a child is calling out to you in the middle of the night, or when you are coming to the aid of an elderly parent or guest, or when you hear a strange noise, you are in a state of sleepiness that also increases your chances of missing a step and falling down some stairs.

We feel so strongly about helping people light up their stairs that we are offering a big discount to encourage people to light up their dark stairs using the Mr. Beams wireless motion sensor LED lights. Use the coupon code HNDY30 and get 30% off your order at www.mrbeams.com. We recommend the Mr. Beams MB530 Wireless LED Stair Light. This light packs a lot of light in a small package. It installs easily with two screws. The Mr. Beams MB530 Wireless LED Stair Light has a motion sensor, so when it detects motion it lights up brightly. One Mr. Beams MB530 Wireless LED Stair Light can light up 6 steps. For additional safety, the Mr. Beams MB530 Wireless LED Stair Light has a patented "glow" feature. As soon as it gets dark, the Mr. Beams MB530 Wireless LED Stair Light emits a very low light that shows you where the stairs are. As soon as you walk toward the Stair Light, it lights up to full brightness. The Mr. Beams MB530 Wireless LED Stair Light is also the perfect solution to light up dark hallways.

All Mr. Beams Wireless LED Lights use the best available LEDs. LEDs are so durable that they never need to be replaced, so efficient that they can last for years on a single set of batteries, and bright enough to light up stairs, hallways and outdoor areas. All Mr. Beams Wireless LED Lights also use the latest motion sensors and light sensors, so these lights go on only when it is dark and these lights go on as soon as they detect motion.

More information about the best solution to lighting dark stairs is available at www.mrbeams.com.

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.

How to Reduce Your Cost of Outdoor Lighting, Part 1

We had a two-headed security spotlight above our garage for years. Every day when I pulled out of the garage to go to work, I would see that spotlight still on and it would drive me crazy. But not always crazy enough to stop the car, go back into the house and turn off the light.

In commercial buildings, lighting accounts for up to 30% of the total electricity consumption. For your home, it is much less – probably less than 15% of the electricity you consume is due to lighting. So turning a light off will not make a significant difference. Unless, of course, it’s your two-headed spotlight.

The math is much simpler than you would expect. If you have two 75-watt bulbs, then you are using 150 watts per hour. If those lights are on for 24 hours, then you are using 3600 watts per day. Since a kilowatt is one-thousand watts, you have burned 3.6 kilowatt-hours (kWh). At $0.15 per kWh, the cost of electricity from leaving your spotlights on all day is $0.54 per day.

So that $0.54 per day adds up to $16.20 per month, and $197.10 per year. Even if you remember to turn that light off 4 out of 7 days each week, it still is costing you $84.24 per year to light up one small area.

When I looked at those numbers I cringed – what a waste of electricity! This is one of the reasons that we at Mr. Beams™ wireless off-grid lighting are so passionate about our products. Yes they provide security from intruders and animals. They also help prevent falls in and around the home. And they save you the expense of an electrician because they are battery-powered and mount anywhere in minutes. But all Mr. Beams™ products stay off during the day and only turn on when they detect motion.

Compare that to the Mr. Beams™ LED security Spotlight with motion sensor. The Spotlight has a daylight sensor so it will only turn on at night. And it has a motion sensor so it will only turn on when there is movement. At $39.99, two of these Mr Beams™ Spotlights will pay for themselves in less than a year. You will never pull out of the garage and have to make the decision on how much saving electricity is worth to you.

How Bill Uses Mr. Beams LED Lights

My friend Bill called again this week. Bill is one of our favorite customers. He has installed Mr. Beams lights throughout his home and property and keeps adding more of our bright LED lights. Here are a few of the locations that Bill installed Mr. Beams motion sensor LED lights:

Barn – There is no lighting in a detached barn on Bill’s property. So Bill installed two Mr. Beams motion sensor Spotlights that turn on as soon as they detect motion. The installation took just minutes and the light is bright enough for safety in the barn.

Porch – Bill’s favorite application for lighting up dark spaces is a Mr. Beams Ceiling Light on the ceiling of his porch. When he approaches it lights up so he can see his keys, lights up the steps so he does not fall, and turns off automatically after 30 seconds.

Deck – Bill attached four Mr. Beams motion sensor Stair Lights to his deck posts. These bright LED lights glow once it gets dark and then light up bright when they detect motion. Compared to wiring lights on a deck, Bill saved about $600 and was able to install all four in under 30 minutes.

The very positive feedback from our customers has been the most rewarding part of running Wireless Environment. Our customers are the best advertising – so many of them buy additional lights and tell their friends about the lights that can be installed anywhere in minutes, use bright LEDs and the best motion sensors available, light up brightly when they detect motion and turn off when they are not needed. We hope that you will try our Mr. Beams lights to drive away the darkness and add safety and security to your home. Start living off the grid.

Living Off the Grid in Nigeria

CNN reports today on the problems with the electrical supply in Nigeria. There is a story about a hospital that was constantly suffering from the effects of power outages. One night 12 accident victims came in and nobody could treat them because there wasn't any light to see their wounds.

According to Amara Nwankpa in the CNN story, “Less than half the population has access to grid electricity and those who do typically have power for nine or 10 hours a day, but sometimes go for three or four days with no power at all."

Wireless Environment is focused on improving the quality of lighting in off-grid situations. We help countries like Nigeria by providing lighting that runs without wires, and a hybrid version of lights that tap into the electrical grid when it is working and then switch to battery power when it is advantageous.

Our Mr. Beams line of products helps residents of Nigeria operate during power outages and rolling blackouts. For interiors, the Ceiling Light can light up an entire room with enough bright light to read by. It is battery-operated so power outages do not affect it. It turns on with motion and stays on as it detects motion. The Mr. Beams Stair Light can provide safety lighting to prevent falls in the home. It also is battery operated and turns on when it detects motion.

For outside, the Mr. Beams Spotlight can provide security lighting to protect a house. It turns on a bright LED when it detects motion. Like all other Mr. Beams lights, it is weather-resistant and can survive extreme environmental conditions. And because it is battery-operated it works off the grid in countries like Nigeria.

Wireless Environment is also developing battery systems that are contained inside light fixtures. These batteries store electricity when it is available and then discharge power when grid power is not available.

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

Where Do You Need Light?

What is the value of light to you? Probably never gave it much thought - yet you used some method to evaluate whether or not to call you electrician in to light up that dark porch in your backyard, or the end of your hallway that is too dark. In my mind a light costs me $250. The light itself is $50 and the electrician will cost me $200.

This same evaluation led us to develop the Mr. Beams line of battery-powered lights. At $10-$60 per light, your cost of light is significantly lower. In many ways your annual operating cost will also be lower. Battery operated lights like the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light requires 4 C batteries at $1 each. The Mr. Beams Ceiling Light is designed to last 18 months on one set of batteries - so the annual operating cost is around $2.35. If you hire an electrician to install a ceiling light, this light requires a light bulb that will probably last just one year ($1.50) plus require electricity. Electricity can add up when the light is left on during the day or when not needed. All Mr. Beams battery operated lights have auto shut-off and motion detectors. The auto shut-off turns the light off after no motion is detected.

So the Mr. Beams line of motion sensor battery operated lights can save you money and get you off the electrical grid. When battery power is combined with motion sensors and LED's, it allows you to add light anywhere at a low initial cost and a low operating cost. So at $30 per light, where do you need light? The Mr. Beams Spotlight can light up your backyard and driveway. The Mr. Beams Stair Light can make you stairs safe and help prevent falls. The Mr. Beams Stick Anywhere Night Light can light up hallways and bathrooms and toilets to help prevent falls. The Mr. Beams Ceiling Light can light up your closets and attic so bright that you can choose the right color of your clothes. All are battery powered and use a motion sensor and auto shut-off to get you off the grid and save money in your lighting.

National Falls Prevention Day-September 22, 2010

September heralds the arrival of Autumn. Back to school, cooler temperatures, shorter days. When we "fall back" in time, we remember to change the batteries in our smoke detector. The first official day of Fall has now become synonymous with "Falls Prevention Day" as well.

Falls Prevention Day was established to heighten the awareness of dangers in the home that can lead to precarious footing and dangerous falls. The 2009 press release highlights the importance of home safety and is worth a read-through.

Good lighting is essential in home safety. In addition to providing visual orientation, you need light to establish depth perception which correlates directly with good balance. Without good balance, it can be difficult or impossible to safely stand or walk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2007, "1.9 million fall-related injuries were treated in hospital emergency departments and about 492,000 of those treated were subsequently hospitalized." As the American population ages, we find that the key to well-being is prevention. Wireless Environment promotes its Mr Beams products as effective lighting solutions for places where hardwired products are impractical, impossible or cost-prohibitive. Seniors particularly are subject to limitations when it comes to "fall-proofing" their homes. Fixed incomes, physical constraints, and department store locations may put home improvement items out of reach for many folks. Mr Beams lights can be purchased online or over the phone and installed without any professional assistance. Most products, like the Stick Anywhere Night Lights, adhere effectively to any surface with a simple doublestick (Mr Beams includes all mounting hardware and instructions with each product).

The Home Safety Council, the only national nonprofit committed to home safety, offers the following precautions to minimize falls in the home:

--Have handrails on both sides of stairs and steps and make sure that the handrails go from top to bottom; not just halfway.

--Lots of lights at the top and bottom of the stairs. Mr Beams provides several solutions that will help you to create the appropriate amount of lighting where you need it. The Step Light offers a low-glow feature which provides you with a soft and continuous light until motion is detected at which point the brightness of the light intensifies. Other lighting options include the Stick Anywhere Night Light which is perfect for trips to the bathroom, or consider the Anywhere Ceiling Light for walks to the kitchen or anywhere a brighter light might be desired.

--Tape small rugs to the floor or avoid throw rugs altogether. There are convenient rubber mats that can be cut to a rug form and simply lay beneath the rug to prevent movement.

--Nightlights, such as the Stick Anywhere Night Light, should be prevalent in the bedroom, hall, and bathroom. The Mr Beams Night Lights are sold in packages of three which gives you affordable flexibility in placing light along any well-traveled path in your home.

We will work hard to bring additional safety tips, not just lighting tips, to you in anticipation of National Falls Prevention Day. If you have a story to share or if you can provide us with ideas on how to make your home fall-free, we would love to hear from you and allow you to share your thoughts here on this blog. Just write to info@mrbeams.com.