"German Businessman Works Around Light Bulb Regs"

RENEE MONTAGNE, host:

And our last word in business today is about a new name for an old technology. The word is heat ball, and the old technology is incandescent light bulbs.

Officials in the U.S. and Europe are phasing out this old-fashioned lighting technology to save energy. But German businessman Siegfried Rotthauser is working around the new rules by calling his bulbs heat balls. On his website he describes his products as, quote, "small heating devices." He states they are not lamps. They just look like light bulbs and happen to fit in light sockets.

And this shows how much people love their incandescent light bulbs. According to one report, the heat balls are a hot item. The first batch of 4,000 sold out in three days.

That's the business news on MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.

STEVE INSKEEP, host:

And I'm Steve Inskeep.