Nick Hull wrote:
In article ,
Ian Stirling wrote:

Nick Hull wrote:
And I know I'd prefer a lamp that went dim, or otherwise indicated
imminent failure, rather than one that just went out.

Why not design a LED flashlight that flickers when the batteries get low?

The one I'm planning (if the user does not switch modes) goes at 100% to
33% battery, then 50% to 25%, and then drops down to 10% till 10%, at
which point it goes to 1%.

So, it carries on producing light for about 15 times what it would normally
do, but the step tells you how much power you've got left.
Turn it on at 30% battery life, and you get a bright flash, and it then
goes dimmer.

Turn it on at 5% life, and you get a bright flash, followed by rapidly
dimming 3 times.

(it can be switched at any point to the maximum power that the battery
will support)

I want one!! When are you selling it?

I've got to make a prototype first!
Then I might think about it.
It would be a relatively premium price device (though I'd hope not
significantly so), but I'm considering including stuff that is relatively
inexpensive to add, but would add utility.
For example, a backup zinc-air battery would add about 5mm to the length
of the torch, and provide 30 hours of light at about the same intensity
as 1/4 a normal LED.