Dominic Harris is impressing us lately. First, his work with Cinimod Studio for the interior design of our favorite frozen yogurt in London, Snog. Now he has birth the “Exploding Globe of Light.” The title is enough to impress us, and probably spawn an entire series of sci-fi books. The light sculpture was created for the launch party in Hoxton Square for the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards. Attendees had punch cards they could use to choreograph the colors coming from the globe.

This post is kind of a double post: first Dominic’s light sculpture is awesome, but the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards is like a Josh Spear dream (shouldn’t we be judges or something for this?). The awards are judging the interior design of bars and restaurants, not the food. Entries submission are just starting, but we will be following these awards more when the time comes. Expect tasty and well designed chairs.

When I was a young kid, a friend and I got in loads of trouble for trying to send smoke signals and burning down half of my friend’s back yard (I still swear all fires were controlled). Now my childhood dream of sending smoke signals is getting the artistic touch from Minimaforms (brothers, Stephen and Theodore Spyropoulos). As part of an interactive public display Memory Clouds will be created that project personal statements involving text, light and viritual ink built around conversations. We have no idea how this will even be possible. Expect some ‘oooh’s and ‘awww’s along the same line as fireworks (some small samples of what to expect after the jump). Things kick off Wednesday night at Trafalgar Square in London and will run till Friday.

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We love a good light show, so you can imagine how we felt when we found out about the Illumini Event in London. Fourteen artists have come together to provide a journey of light through a crypt (another thing we love). So to sum up, artist + a crypt + light show = we will so be there. The show runs through September 17th and takes place at the crypt in St. Pancras Church in London.

There are certain things we just expect to work, and never ask if they can better or improved. They are what they are. That was indeed the case for flashlights until about five years ago when a company in Silicon Valley started making solid-state lighting LEDs. Recently, other firms have propped up in Korea and the East Coast. These LED’s are surface mounted, and though they share a name with a product you are familiar with, the similarities end there. They are brighter and more efficient and inspired a whole community or tinkerers, machinists, and electrical engineers to improve the modern flashlight for the first time in a century.

Recently, 4sevens (a member on CPF) and NiteCore Tactical teamed up to create an incredible flashlight — the EX10. A single CR123 (AA version also available) lithium cell powers a Cree LED which provides a whopping 130 lumens of light. To put that in perspective: this 55 gram flashlight puts out more light than a Mag 4D 20 times the weight. Unlike traditional flashlights which work on an all or nothing system, the EX10 allows you to switch between the dimmest and brightest, and 100 levels in between. It comes with an orange peel reflector for a smooth beam without the visible rings associated with optics. Priced under $60, the NiteCore SmartPD EX10 has been a worthy addition to my gearbox.