What it's not: A radioactive melon.
What it is: The Ambient Orb, a frosted glass sphere housing a wireless transceiver and three LEDs that change color based on RF transmissions from a central location. The glowing globe has unlimited applications, but its latest sphere of influence is the Golden State, where Southern California Edison has distributed 60 devices to a test group of customers to alert them of rising electrical demand. Blue and green mean the load is low; red warns of impending grid congestion. Call it a mood ring for energy misers.
