A New York City startup that call themselves Mpowerd intends to come up with a device that would come in handy during emergencies, such as Hurricane Sandy which crippled the great city of New York for a few days recently. Their idea plays on the premise of just $16 worth of equipment, bringing together a solar-powered lamp, cellphone charger and Wi-Fi hotspot, and this unique combination is simply known as Luci. Unlike hot beverages that require you to add water, Luci takes on a different premise, where all you need to do is add some air – that’s according to TechNewsDaily who spotted Mpowered.Yes sir, Luci resembles an inflatable pool toy and flashlight mix, being round and flat at first. Once you blow into a valve on the top, it will inflate Luci into a 5-inch-high clear cylinder, sporting a solar panel at the top as well as a ring of 10 white LED lights which will illuminate the cylinder from the bottom, offering a brightness on the level of a 60-watt light bulb. Once you squish Luci down, the the light will be squeezed through a smaller opening, helping concentrate the light beam into that of a flashlight. There is work to introduce a cellphone charger and Wi-Fi connectivity next year to Luci, so good luck to them and their effort! [Photo courtesy of Sean Captain]
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