Shedding Light in a Small Way

Let a little light in, and we mean a little: FlashCard is a new flashlight that’s the size of a credit card and fits easily into a shirt pocket or purse. It weighs a mere ounce and is one-eighth of an inch thick.

From Lumatec Industries in Austin, Texas, FlashCard is also waterproof (it is sealed in vinyl), floats and operates underwater. The little flashlight is powered by a disposable, mercury-free battery and has a krypton bulb that gives off an impressively bright beam for its size. At five seconds of use a day, the flashlight will last about a year.

FlashCard (about $7) is available through Rand McNally, Lauriat’s Books, Books a Million stores and many JCPenney stores. Or call (800) 586-2832.

Night Vision: Speaking of darkness and light . . . consider Moonlight Mini. It’s a palm-sized night vision scope, the smallest one on the market, yet it has a built-in illuminator that provides bright, clear viewing in total darkness. It’s designed for hiking, camping, boating trips or maybe even watching raccoons or other animals in the backyard.

Measuring 5 1/2 by 1 3/4 by 3 inches, the Mini is smaller than a cellular phone and weighs only 8.6 ounces, but it can provide light amplification comparable to larger models.

Moonlight Mini ($379) is available through Brigade Quartermaster catalog, (800) 338-4327. Or contact Moonlight Products, 10401 Roselle St., San Diego, CA 92121; (619) 625-0300.

In Pocket: Several cellular phone manufacturers claim to have “pocket” phones, but Motorola has introduced StarTAC, a cell phone that’s the size of a pager when closed and really does fit in a shirt pocket. This wearable phone weighs only 3.1 ounces.

Powered by a lithium ion battery, StarTAC offers up to 110 minutes of continuous talk time and 22 hours of standby. StarTAC is available nationwide and retails for $1,000 to $2,000. Call Motorola at (800) 331-6456 for additional information.

It’s a small, small world.