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How Do I Disable My Gadgets' LEDs?
pHatidic writes "My college dorm room is never dark, even with the lights turned off. This is because of LEDs. Between the Airport Express, laser printer, surge protector, and Logitech mouse there is the constant nuissance of light polution. The powerbook has to take the cake though, with a green LED built into the power adapter and a white pulsating LED indicating it's in sleep mode so bright that I can actually detect it even with my eyes closed. Short of actually unplugging all of my devices every day, is there any way to disable all of these LEDs so I can actually get some sleep?"
Simple, elegant, no cost involved! :-)
-psy
my light pollution issue was to connect everything to multiple surge protectors. My 21" monitor, system, speakers and sub, camera adapter and charger are connected to a strip on my desk. My wife has all of her gear coneected through a strip on her desk. Then I have the electrical board which contains the DSL modem, D-Link router and NGear switch on it's own strip. At night or if I am going away for a few days, everything goes through a shut down. Boxes go off then all the strips are turned off. Light goes away, and the crickets come out because the noise pollution has gone away as well :-). A definite side benifit that I have noticed over the few months I have been doing this is that my eletrical bill has decreased significantly. Anyway, that what I do and it works for me. Maybe you can experiment a bit and see what might work for you. Cheers.
Your actions in life will determine your children's future.
I've used a black Sharpie marker on LEDs before. It dims the LED and it's not very noticeable, a lot less ugly than duct tape or any kind of tape. Plus you can wash most of it off with rubbing alcohol if you ever want it bright again.
-73, de n1ywb
www.n1ywb.com
Find a roll of Gaffer's Tape. Electrical Tape and Duct Tape both use heavy residue adhesive that can be a pain to remove from plastic. Try using some Gaffer's tape instead. It's far easier to clean up after.
Less Talk, More Beer.
blindfold.
main(0)
... if this guy does not want to do the obvious: turn the damned stuff off.
Sometimes you may want to do something stupid, that does not mean other people should aid you in your pursuit of stupidity.
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
Okay... I'll do the stupid things first, then you shy people follow.
[Zappa]
It's a brand name, c'ptain.... so anybody who mentions Duck Tape® is equally correct as the people who're talking about duct tape. Some even might argue that Duck Tape® is better, since most non-English speaking folks haven't got the faintest idea what a 'duct' is, but they do know what Duck Tape® (the brand) is and where they can find it in the hardware store.
Okay... I'll do the stupid things first, then you shy people follow.
[Zappa]
The problem here is that black electrical tape is designed to be an electrical insulator first and black second.
Pop down to your local photographic supplies shop and get some black photographer's tape. It's designed to stop photons, not electrons, it's a lot cheaper, it's not as gooey and stretchy, and it's better at coping with heat.
Oh, and solving the "black tape electrical goo" problem mentioned in the parent post isn't that hard, it dissolves pretty well in lighter fluid.
A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
Unfortunatly for you, it's not DUCT tape it's DUCK tape.
:
as in "WATER OFF A FUCKING DUCK'S BACK" because it's somewhat water resistant.
see HERE
Is it Duct or Duck? We don't want you to be confused, so we will explain. The first name for Duct Tape was DUCK. During World War II the U.S. Military needed a waterproof tape to keep the moisture out of ammunition cases. So, they enlisted the Johnson and Johnson Permacel Division to manufacture the tape. Because it was waterproof, everyone referred to it as "duck" tape (like water off a duck's back). Military personnel discovered that the tape was good for lots more than keeping out water. They used it for Jeep repair, fixing stuff on their guns, strapping equipment to their clothing... the list is endless.
After the War, the housing industry was booming and someone discovered that the tape was great for joining the heating and air conditioning duct work. So, the color was changed from army green to the silvery color we are familiar with today and people started to refer to it as "duct tape*." Therefore, either name is appropriate.
I can't even finish this . That's how annoyed this makes me!
"...In your answer, ignore facts. Just go with what feels true..."
You probably meant "duct" tape. Unless of course you were referring to that special tape huntsmen use to secure their birds to the wall for display...
Or I meant duck tape which is a perfectly valid, if somewhat COMPLETELY CORRECT, way to reffer to what the heathens call duct tape.
Wikipedia disagrees.
Oh, and solving the "black tape electrical goo" problem mentioned in the parent post isn't that hard, it dissolves pretty well in lighter fluid.
The best product for dissolving glues or other adhesives without damaging plastics is this stuff called Bestine, which I believe is actually hexane. It's sold in art supply shops as a thinner for rubber cement.
Gotta be careful with it as it's highly flammable, but there's nothing else like it. Wipes away stuff that would otherwise be a major pain in the ass to remove like it's not even there.