The ease of business travel and internet communications can give product developers a false sense of security when it comes to selecting parts suppliers and development partners around the world. The thrill is immediate: a bright future beckons, made of cheaper parts and magical supply-chain savings. The disappointments are slower to arrive but months or years down the line, plenty of designers and specifiers will end up questioning the decision to go ‘offshore’.

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If I were to tell you “I have invented a mechanical animal made out of plastic tubes and that roams the beaches only using the power of the wind” you may look at me a little strange. So when Dutch artist/engineer Theo Jansen describes his kinetic sculptures he would get some odd looks indeed. They have to be seen to be believed. They are a triumph of light-weight design, alternative energy sources and of thinking right outside the square (things that we rate highly here at Pli). He has even created a simple brain that controls these graceful beasts. This is only an 8 minute talk; even if you just skip through it it is worth the watch.

Lighting is a hot topic when it comes to energy conservation. There has been a big push to move to CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) energy saving bulbs: this is great step in the right direction but there are some real exciting prospects for the future of lighting.

LEDs (light emitting diodes) have had a big name in energy saving circles for a while now and they have been seen as the number-one contender to be the light source of the future. They are efficient and long lasting, if a wee bit expensive. Now, however, there is a new kid on the block, Luxim’s LIFI bulb, and if it lives up to the hype, the LED bulb’s time may pass before it ever really began.

Check out this clip or read this Treehugger article for the low-down.