I guess these things must be widely used in China given their low cost and availability.
They're handy little desk heaters with a heating element in the form of a quartz U-tube surrounded by a metal cage. The wattages are fairly low at 200 to 300W and they give off a decent radiant heat.

These contain no safety devices at all. No tilt switch to detect if they have been knocked over, and no thermal fuse as a last resort if they are covered. As such they pose a significant fire risk unless firmly anchored down with a clap or bracket. I thought I'd take one to bits to see if the heating element has other uses.

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