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Experimenting With Light on Apple Laptops

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the the-joy-of-light dept.

venkatg writes "Soon after Apple introduced sudden motion sensors in their PowerBooks in early 2005, Amit Singh had shown how these sensors can be used for creative purposes (covered by Slashdot earlier as Having Fun With PowerBook Motion Sensors and PowerBook As A New Kind Of Human Interface Device). This time around Singh discusses 'Experimenting With Light' in a new article whereby by light he means the ambient light sensors and the illuminated backlight keyboard sensors in Apple's laptops. The article shows (source code is included) how one can measure ambient light and do things with it. It also shows things like how to get/set illuminated keyboard brightness and display brightness or do fade transitions of the keyboard lighting. So now that we have all these motion and light sensors under control, is there a MacBook discotheque in the works?"

12 of 120 comments (clear)

  1. Re:So, it's official.... by ggKimmieGal · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    MacBooks, computers for the Ipod generation.

  2. North Korea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    North Korea's preparing to test-fire the smalldong-2 missle with an estimated range of 3500km to 6000km. Meanwhile, North Korean citizens are turning to cannibalism due to extreme food shortages. But cannibalism is illegal in North Korea, so cannibals are summarily dragged into the street and shot in broad daylight in plain sight of everyone to serve as a lesson. And we're sitting here happily slapping our sausages over some blinky lights.

    1. Re:North Korea by mrchaotica · · Score: 0, Offtopic
      Meanwhile, North Korean citizens are turning to cannibalism due to extreme food shortages. But cannibalism is illegal in North Korea, so cannibals are summarily dragged into the street and shot in broad daylight in plain sight of everyone to serve as a lesson.

      Obviously the solution is for the law-abiding citizens to eat the dead cannibals!

      Oh wait...

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    2. Re:North Korea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Torrent?

      Do you want the execution or the sausage-slapping?

    3. Re:North Korea by mgabrys_sf · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Well the obvious solution is to start hunting and eating the police for food.

      At least it would make things interesting. Certainly from an enforcement aspect.

    4. Re:North Korea by bubkus_jones · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Didn't George Romero already make a movie about this?

  3. Re:Perhaps keyboard backlighting could flash by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    What the fuck does "Vwa-la" mean you ignorant, illiterate fuck?

  4. Alternate Title by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    "Apple Computers Used for LSD Trip"

  5. My suggestion... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    President Bush's remarks to the U.N. General Assembly
    Sept. 12, 2002

    "The United Nations was born in the hope that survived a world war -- the hope of a world moving toward justice, escaping old patterns of conflict and fear. The founding members resolved that the peace of the world must never again be destroyed by the will and wickedness of any man. We created the United Nations Security Council, so that, unlike the League of Nations, our deliberations would be more than talk, our resolutions would be more than wishes. After generations of deceitful dictators and broken treaties and squandered lives, we dedicated ourselves to standards of human dignity shared by all, and to a system of security defended by all."

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A41966-20 03Oct3?language=printer ...and the world turns their collective backs... Shame on you all. Cowards and appeasers, the lot of you!

  6. Let's learn some English! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    whereby by whereby by whereby by whereby by

    WTF LOL OMG BBQ

  7. Re:How does the keyboard backlight work? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Some jokes just don't translate from speech to text.

    And don't call me Shirley.

  8. Re:Perhaps keyboard backlighting could flash by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Thank God someone else noticed.

    The grammar and spelling faux pas around here are enough to make a literate person cry.

    Maybe if the USA spent 10% less on WAR they might be able to afford a decent state education system...