Let there be light: Sanyo's latest addition to its Eneloop world is a lamp that looks like a flower vase and does double duty as a flashlight. The ENL-Y1S runs on a pair of the company's AA-size Eneloop rechargeable batteries, which are acclaimed for being environmentally friendly. In lamp mode, it sits upright on a 12 cm base and produces a bright white glow all the way along its elongated 22 cm-long neck. Pick up the lamp and hold it horizontally, and the lamp switches over to flashlight mode with several LED lamps in the base coming on to project a beam of light and the stem serving as the flashlight handle. A third mode allows the lamp to be illuminated in a muted blue in place of its traditional white light. This mode allegedly has "healing" properties. The Eneloop lamp recharges when it is placed on the included AC-powered stand with the device taking up to 12 hours to get back up to full power.
Once recharged, the lamp can last for about three hours in its main lamp mode. This can be extended by up to 45 hours by lowering the intensity of the light. As a flashlight, it is good for up to 6 hours, with a running time of 12 to 16 hours in blue.
The lamp will also automatically turn on its flashlight mode if it is knocked over. The Eneloop lamp is a nifty idea, not just because of its dual functionality, but also because it has no cords to tie it down. However, with a price tag of ¥14,800 when it comes out Sept. 11, it is not the cheapest lamp on the shelves. Still, it is an elegant and versatile product that is friendly to the environment. products.jp.sanyo.com