A lot of people have asked me to add some more items to the storefront, and now that I've had just a tiny bit of free time I've been able to develop the thing I wanted to do before the USB charger thing.

That's right folks, something else in an Altoids tin. The tin de'jour is an Altoids Smalls tin, and the function de'jour is being a sweet little flashlight.

I use this thing all the time. I keep it on the table next to my bed so I can look for my remote at night without having to go turn on the lights, and I use it to be able to see the connections behind my tv and plug things in behind my computer desk. I have it using a pushbutton momentary switch too, so you could use it to signal distant cargo ships in Morse code without all that tedious flip switching. It's also great for freaking out your dog.

It's lit by a single LED that's unbelievably bright. My initial design called for 3 LEDs (the kind you can get from Radio Shack) in a series (at a painful $3 per LED), but from my parts supplier I found this industrial-grade LED that can get the same amount of lumines from just the one. LEDs are great for flashlights because they don't burn out for something like 1000 years, and they require a very small voltage current so you won't have to replace the batteries for a loooong time.

For people daunted by all the figity work involved in the USB kits, this LED flashlight project should be just the ticket. I just put one of these together in 5 minutes.

Something like this would be a great stocking stuffer. Get the kit in the mail and throw it together with some batteries and a tin of Altoids Smalls, put a bow on it, and put the mints in a plastic baggie. "I made it myself!" you'll tell your loved one as they become that much closer to you and perhaps more willing to co-sign on your high interest signature loans.

So check the item out in the store. The kit costs a mere $8.50, which might seem a bit high until you start pricing LEDs. Yikes. Just remember that you won't ever need to buy a replacement bulb, and LEDs are to batteries as the Toyota Prius is to Gasoline (efficient). Also remember that I could be charging you $50 if I wanted to. That's $41.50 in savings!

Currently I'm accepting pre-orders on the flashlight. I still have a bunch of orders to fulfill so I can't start shipping out the lights until the 12th. Pre-order now to get in before the rush.

Edit: A few people mentioned that they don't know how big an Altoids Smalls tin is, so here's a size comparison.

Update: Just for proof of concept, I put together one of these flashlights using a 9v battery inside of an Altoids Chewing Gum tin. All you need to do is to get a 9v snap connector and use the same kit.