The incandescent light bulb is slowly being phased out in the U.S. That marvelous invention by Thomas A. Edison has run its course. December 31, 2011 will mark the 132nd anniversary of the day that Edison flipped a switch at his Menlo...

For anyone who has ever needed to use a flashlight, there is always that brief moment of anticipation, when you hold your breath: Will it work or won’t it? A 50-50 chance.

Let’s face it. The century old Edison bulb is a bad deal. The bulb is cheap to buy but expensive to operate. The bulb wastes 95% of its energy. Over its lifetime, a 60-watt incandescent bulb will cost you roughly $20 more in electricity ...