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"Red is Dead" Optical Mice LED Change
A reader sent us the
HOWTO for changing that red LED on your fancy-pants new optical mouse to blue - or, I suppose any other color. I think I'm fine with what I've got - although, the glass tops on tables does make using optical mice a pain there.
Yes, red LED's are cheaper, but there is another reason, too.. They also want to use the cheapest CCD available. That's going to be a monochrome CCD that's sensitive to larger wavelengths. A red LED is going to work better on that.
With that in mind, an Infrared LED would probably work great with optical mice and their cheap CCD's.. maybe even better than red. You might have to remove an IR filter from in front of the CCD, and be wary of using them in a room with flourescent lighting, but it'd be good to try. How cool is an optical mouse with apparently NO light?!?!
If you want the "cool" blue look for whatever twisted ass reason, just use a blue LED and an IR LED in paralell. You might have to play with different led's/led voltages to get the right balance between a responsive mouse and the cool blue glow your riceboy heart desires, but again, it should work.
~GoRK
Serously, why do you need to ask why? Present a geek with a gadget, and he will find some pointless way to modify it, just for the sake of modifying it.
Me? I think it'd be cool as hell to have a blue LED light under my mouse.