One of the main drawbacks of using an eco-friendly compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) is that it takes a few minutes for it to reach full brightness — it’s problematic when you need light, quickly.

GE, however, may have seen the light — they’ve recently unveiled a hybrid light bulb that is due to market in 2011. This light bulb combines the instant brightness of a halogen bulb along with the efficiency and longer rated life of a CFL bulb. When turned on the halogen capsule turns on instantly, giving off bright light; and once the CFL bulb is in full brightness, the halogen capsule shuts off!

Moreover, these bulbs have a life 8x longer than incandescent bulbs, which means fewer replacements, saving money, and reducing landfill waste.