Green Gadget of the Week: Philips LED replacement for 75-watt bulbs

(This is the latest in a regular weekly series of spotlights on green technology that’s accessible to you and me. If you have a product to suggest for coverage, please send a note via my contact email.)

OK, I may be cheating a bit with this post, but from past experience I know that there is some pretty serious interest in energy-efficient light bulbs -- despite attempts in Washington to support regulations encouraging those developments.

So, even though a light bulb isn't strictly a gadget, I thought you might be interested to hear that the first Philips LED replacement for the 75-watt incandescent bulb became available this week at Home Depot. Actually, the bulbs are exclusively available online at a price of $39.97 per bulb.

Here are the vitals on the Philips AmbientLED 17-watt bulb, from Royal Philips Electronics:

• Bulb produces 1,100 lumens using 17 watts of electricity, making it one of the brightest LED alternatives to an incandescent bulb
• It is designed to use about 80 percent less electricity than traditional bulbs; lifespan is about 25 times longer (which counts when you're looking at the price tag)
• The bulb works with existing fixtures and dimmers (hear that honey?)

Past Green Gadgets of the Week:

• K3 Wind & Solar Charger
• Logitech solar wireless keyboard
• Voltaic Spark solar iPad cover
• Samsung Replenish smartphone (from Sprint)