The term “light box” can mean a few different things, but from a lighting perspective it typically refers to a backlit display panel. Light boxes are most commonly used for advertisements or other commercial displays. You’ve probably seen them in trade show booths, restaurants, airports, nightclubs, offices, hotels, museum exhibits, and retail shops. That’s right, light boxes are everywhere.

One of the most common uses for light boxes is the commercial advertisement. You see these in large spaces like terminals or outdoors at bus stops. They capture the attention of passers-by and create lasting impressions. The light box pictured below is one of the biggest I’ve ever seen.

One of the most obvious places you’ll see light boxes are along the walls inside and outside of movie theaters. Sometimes lines of light boxes stretch incredible distances, advertising all the movies being shown in large theaters.

In fact, light boxes can be a fun addition to any home and can be used for as many purposes as you can imagine. Sure, you could illuminate a movie poster of your daughter’s favorite movie. But you could also make a custom sign saying whatever you want. I really like the light box below, created at home for home.

There are some real benefits to owning a portable generator. Many people use them during a power outage. This allows the home to have some basic essentials like a few lights and maybe a refrigerator powered during the outage. Portable generators are ideal because they can be taken out when needed and quickly stored away when they are not.

There are plenty of different sizes of generators for you to choose from. Many people find the portable variety a better option over the hard-wired generators that are typically installed by an electrician. Pasadena residents can call The Electric Connection to find out more about the home generators that provide power within seconds of the power going out.

One of the benefits of the portable variety is the ability to take the generator with you on camping trips or on day outings. These tend to be the smaller wattage generators that will only produce enough power to run a couple of small appliances.

Although portable generators have the added mobility benefit, they can be cumbersome and in some cases, quite loud. Typically, the larger generators will have wheels to aid in movement, but they are still quite heavy and not very portable. Another benefit to the hard-wired generators is the fact they are enclosed in a box that muffles the sound. This is ideal when you are in a neighborhood or at night when you are trying to sleep.

Your electrician in Pasadena can help you weigh your options and provide you with the information you need to make the best generator choice. One of the deciding factors will be how much you want to spend. Portable generators are less expensive. If you have more questions and want to get an estimate for a generator installation, give The Electric Connection a call today to schedule an appointment.

The living room seems a little dim, you think. Here’s the DIY solution you cook up: you head over to the hardware store, buy a brighter bulb, screw it into the nearest lamp and bask in the incandescent glow. Easy, right?Not exactly. Using a lightbulb with higher-than-recommended wattage for a specific fixture is known as overlamping. This seemingly innocent practice is actually surprisingly dangerous, and is one of the leading causes of house fires in the United States — right up there with candles, smoking and cooking mishaps.

Overlamping is one of the most commonly overlooked mistakes a homeowner can make, and it can be deadly. A 2011 electrical fire that killed 11 people in Brisbane — the according to home improvement blogger Taryn Williford. When you place an incandescent bulb with wattage that’s too high in the socket of a lamp that cannot provide the required electrical output, the ensuing heat and intensity of the bulb can scorch or melt the socket and the insulation of the lamp's wiring.  

Now you have prime conditions for arc fault. An arc fault occurs when a spark jumps through the air between exposed wires. This sounds dangerous, yes? It is — in fact, the National Fire Protection Agency and the National Association of State Fire Marshals electrical power. A CFL often has a tubular shape atop the familiar screw-bottom.

An LED (light-emitting diode) light is directional, rather than radiant. This allows the LED to use much less energy than an incandescent light or even a CFL. LEDs can also directly replace incandescent bulbs in some cases.

CFLs use a much lower wattage than incandescent bulbs and create far less heat, making overlamping situations far less likely. LEDs also use much less electricity and even remain cool to the touch. The risks of overlamping are negligible.

There are drawbacks to any lighting solution. Incandescent (even halogen) lights are energy inefficient. CFLs are made from materials that are terrible for the environment. LEDs burn out at a quicker rate. The right light for you is the light that makes you most comfortable in your home — and that’s a decision you need to make.

If you live in Maryland, Northern Virginia or Washington, D.C. and need schedule electrical repair service online now.

The latest designer lamps and home accessories from Hinkley, Quoizel and Schonbek are beautifying springtime holidays like never before.  Bring enlightenment and renewal into your home with outstanding lamps, chandeliers, pendants and energy-efficient outdoor lighting.

Hinkley Lighting has been proud to offer its lighting products to consumers through Capitol Lighting as another family-owned and operated business that prides itself on exemplary service and quality. —Rick Wiedemer, President, Hinkley Lighting

-Quoizel designs are timeless, blending effortlessly with changing decorative schemes unaffected by passing trends, fads or style crazes.

-The Lenox Lighting line is graced with the finest silk shades perfectly shaped and proportioned to maximize lighting effects. The china is crafted to surpass the highest quality standards in the industry. Every porcelain finial is designed exclusively to match the coordinating lamp.

-Quoizel Lighting stands apart in distinction with an outstanding collection of mirrors, unique ceiling fixtures, superb outdoor lighting, stylish bath lighting, and one-of-a-kind tiffany style lamps.

-Quoizel artisans work tirelessly to ensure their Tiffany lamps are composed of individual handcrafted pieces of art glass.  Some of the Tiffany designs are reproductions of original Louis Comfort Tiffany and others are Quoizel’s unique creation. Outstanding new Tiffany style lamps employ color combinations in materials such as jade, agate stone and mica.

*Schonbek is a member of the Swarovski Company.

Last month, I wrote via www.bet.com

2) A Dwarf Makes Giant News

Astronomers are given the spotlight as they announce that Pluto, the dwarf planet with a changing orbit, has passed Neptune to become the ninth planet from the Sun. It had been the eighth farthest since 1979. Of course, we now know that Pluto is not a planet at all but some kind of ball of rock and ice. 

 4) Re-imagining Literary History

Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman win the Writers Guild Award for SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE. Also nominated were Robert Rodat for SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and Andrew Niccol for THE TRUMAN SHOW.

6) You’re Still the One

Shania Twain wins a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for “You’re Still the One,” in which the Twain passionately announces, “We’re still together, still going strong.”

9) Run to the Hills

Gloriously, and to the headbanging delight of metal heads across the globe, Iron Maiden announces that singer Bruce Dickinson has rejoined the band. 

11) The Tumultuous Days Continue for Kid Dynamite

Early in the month, Mike Tyson is sentenced to four years in prison for assaulting two motorists after a traffic accident in 1998. The judge gives him only one year of jail time, followed by two years of probation and a $5000 fine. Days after he begins his sentence at the Montgomery County Detention Center, he is put in solitary confinement for throwing a TV in the general direction of some guards. He is released from solitary after about six days.

13) Return Mail

TLC releases their third album, FANMAIL, after a five year hiatus. The new album sells 318,000 copies in its first week, and it becomes clear to the world that TLC “don’t want no scrubs.”

15) The Dawning of the Age of the File Share

The Artist Formerly Known as Prince makes headlines a second time as he files a lawsuit against nine websites for copyright and trademark infringement. He accuses websites of selling bootlegged recordings and offering unauthorized song downloads.