5 Things to Know: January 24

As reported by ABC7 San Francisco, the Bay Bridge light installation is back in testing, with a full relighting expected in March. The original Bay Lights debuted in 2013 but were shut off after 10 years due to unsustainable upkeep costs.

Illuminate, a nonprofit arts organization, raised $11 million in private funding to bring the display back. Artist Leo Villareal is now testing pixel mapping and light sequences along portions of the bridge as they become available.

The new system is designed to last at least another decade. More than 1,300 donors contributed to the project.

The current toll to cross the Bay Bridge is one-way — free to enter Oakland, $8.50 to leave.

Acuity Inc. has announced a 17% increase to its quarterly dividend, now set at 20 cents per share. The dividend is payable on February 13 to shareholders of record as of February 2.

The move comes as the company continues to show stable financial performance following its $1.2 billion acquisition of QSC last year. While the stock is down 12% year to date, largely due to cautious investor sentiment after earnings, Acuity’s forward price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) — factoring in expected contributions from QSC — sits around 20, compared to a trailing P/E of about 24.

The dividend announcement coincided with filings showing that eight Acuity directors each received approximately $175,000 in restricted stock as part of their board compensation.

Shares closed yesterday at $315.25 — off their 2025 high of $380, but still more than triple the roughly $100 level where they stood when CEO Neil Ashe took the helm six years ago.

If you need another reason to steer clear of the firms hawking $4,000 market research reports while claiming insider knowledge of the industry, Research Nester just handed it to you on a brushed nickel platter.

In a recent press release, the firm touted its latest architectural lighting market report, rattling off “top global companies” in the space. Among the usual suspects — Signify, Acuity, Zumtobel — they included some head scratchers. First, Hubbell Lighting, which hasn’t existed as a standalone entity since it was absorbed and rebranded under Current four years ago. Then there’s Cree Lighting, a company that’s been mostly on ice since October 2025 after widespread furloughs and a market pullback.

This is what happens when research firms rely on recycled web copy, not real-world expertise. And if you’re wondering how this same report factory claims to also be experts on disposable vapes ($25.7 billion industry), gluten-free baking mixes ($1.24 billion), and jet aerators ($2.8 billion) — you’re not alone.

Let’s call this what it is: a Mad Libs approach to market analysis. If you're making decisions that matter, hire someone who actually knows the field. Not someone who feeds scraped data through ChatGPT and calls it insight.

As reported by The Hindu, lighting problems at the 2026 India Open Badminton tournament left parts of the courts unevenly illuminated at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

Players and viewers noted bright, spotlight-like patches alongside darker zones, especially on courts three and four beside the main television court. Canada’s Victor Lai initially attributed his discomfort to inexperience, but the issue became more evident when missed shuttle sightings were observed during at least one men’s singles quarterfinal.

The Badminton World Federation requires a minimum of 1000 lux with evenly distributed light for top-tier tournaments, along with side-mounted fixtures to avoid glare. Officials acknowledged the lighting fell short of those standards and was miscalibrated.

The issue could not be corrected mid-tournament because recalibration would have required resetting the Hawkeye line-call system. Organizers said the problem was technical rather than structural and can be corrected later this year with proper calibration.

Winter weather is expected to hammer much of the U.S. with snow, sleet, and the occasional lesson in unintended consequences. Among them: the quiet hazard of snow-covered traffic signals.

Unlike old incandescent signals, today’s energy-efficient LED traffic lights emit very little heat — great for saving power, not so great for melting snow. The result? Intersections where red, yellow, and green are all equally invisible.

Enter Snow Proof Signals LLC, a Colorado company offering a low-tech fix called the Snow Cone — a clear plastic visor that fits over the face of the signal. Passive and maintenance-free, it shields the lens from direct snow buildup while keeping it visible.

The device has been adopted in municipal pockets of the U.S. and Canada. It installs in minutes and requires no electricity, wiring, or upkeep.

For those who remember Madonna’s 1990 Blonde Ambition tour, the design may feel oddly familiar.