I've got a bit of a crush. I wrote about this fascinating fella for a local paper last Fall and it's now available on the market. I'm beyond eager to get my paws on one. Though, at +/-$50 a pop, I may be alone in line. Wait for the scoop before you dismiss me as super-foolish! First, look how handsome!:



The future of lighting is the GE Energy Smart® LED bulb, the product of great minds tackling the flaws inherent to CFCs and LEDs.
If you're like me, you totally embraced compact fluorescents long ago. You replaced all your incandescents with them and then tried really hard to love 'em. Unfortunately, they don't work seamlessly with dimmers (more like not at all), some don't turn on quickly, taking their sweet time to achieve full brightness, and the light they give off is harsh. Oh, and because of the mercury found within each bulb, they require careful recycling. CFCs have left consumers underwhelmed.
LEDs have their own set of issues, most notably, the fact that their light is super directional. Forget mood lighting, lighting a room, or even illuminating a corner; LEDs have traditionally functioned best as spotlights. As for incandescents, the fact they're crap for the environment is old news: they give off more energy in heat than light, etc., etc.
Enter GE and their new Energy Smart® LED bulb. Our new best hope! The stats: They've got a 25,000 hour rated lifetime, which means they will last an astounding average of 22.8 years, 3x longer than the CFCs we're trying to be happy with, 25x longer than incandescents. At 9 watts, it gives off 40W worth of light, saving you 75% in energy costs. It has no filament to break, no mercury to recycle. As an omnidirectional LED "replacement" bulb, it fits in traditional light sockets. And as for the omnidirectional part- it doesn't just light in one direction, the way LEDs normally do; this new LED casts light in all directions: up, down, all around.
Still not convinced? Here's GE's money breakdown: $4.82/year to operate a traditional 40W incandescent, $1.08/ year for The Energy Smart® LED.
Hopefully they'll become more affordable in the next few years, but until then you can't deny that it's a good conversation piece. And he's rather good looking too- don't you think?