Have you ever had any silly ideas for flashlight features? You know the kind - not completely unfeasible, but they make people go "WHY on EARTH?!?" The sillier and more "gadgety", the better 
Here's a few i've had (in no particular order):
1) motorized reflector focus w/ programmable presets - a very smallish servo would do, and you could tie the focus settings to brightness settings (i.e. a setting for throw+full power, a flood setting, book reading setting etc.)
2) built-in electronic compass, with light brightness or strobe frequency as an indicator - you turn the flashlight around, until it glows brightest or strobes fastest at which point it's pointing north-south
3) accelerometer w/ automatic locator strobe in case you drop the flashlight + (maybe) very simple optional gestures (shaking, flipping etc.)
4) touch strips - i know we all prefer tactile controls, but they are solid state, can easily be made water resistant and can make some kinds of control extremely intuitive (brightness, color)
5) continuous piston drive control - the more you push it in, the brighter the light; once you let it go, it remains switched on at that brightness setting; pushing it all the way does momentary, while pushing all the way + long holding switches it on at max. power
Come on, i'm sure everyone has thoughts / ideas like that every once in a while. Let's compile them in one place and have some fun
Here's a few i've had (in no particular order):
1) motorized reflector focus w/ programmable presets - a very smallish servo would do, and you could tie the focus settings to brightness settings (i.e. a setting for throw+full power, a flood setting, book reading setting etc.)
2) built-in electronic compass, with light brightness or strobe frequency as an indicator - you turn the flashlight around, until it glows brightest or strobes fastest at which point it's pointing north-south
3) accelerometer w/ automatic locator strobe in case you drop the flashlight + (maybe) very simple optional gestures (shaking, flipping etc.)
4) touch strips - i know we all prefer tactile controls, but they are solid state, can easily be made water resistant and can make some kinds of control extremely intuitive (brightness, color)
5) continuous piston drive control - the more you push it in, the brighter the light; once you let it go, it remains switched on at that brightness setting; pushing it all the way does momentary, while pushing all the way + long holding switches it on at max. power
Come on, i'm sure everyone has thoughts / ideas like that every once in a while. Let's compile them in one place and have some fun
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