Energy...

As we've written here before, LED light bulbs are poised to become the next big thing in lighting. They're even more energy efficient than CFL bulbs, and they last an incredibly long time.

LEDs are making their way into all kinds of new devices, and here's one of my favorites: a solar-powered outdoor lamp, now available from ThinkGeek.com. ($59.99)

This mountable, adjustable outdoor lighting system comes with two LED light arrays (each with five LEDs) and a nice-sized solar panel. A day's sun can charge the device for around 4-8 hours, depending on how many of the bulbs you want to use at a time. The lights can automatically turn on at dusk, or you can control them with an included infrared remote control.

We have solar-powered accent lamps all around the outside of our house, but they're fairly dim bulbs. LEDs offer a brighter, whiter light while using less power, so they're an ideal application for solar-powered devices.