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A "Bill of Lights" to Restrict LEDs on Gadgets?
PetManimal writes "Mike Elgan has had it with useless lights on gadgets and computers. He singles out the Palm Treo and the Dell XPS gaming laptops as being particularly bad with the use of unnecessary lights, and also cites the plethora of LEDs on desktop PCs and peripherals. 'My PC and other computing equipment make my office look like a jet cockpit. I have two LCD monitors, each of which has two indicator lights that flash even when the PC is turned off. The attached sound control has a light on it. My keyboard has multiple lights. The power cord has lights, the printer has lights, and the power button is illuminated. My cable modem and Linksys router flash like crazy all the time. Together, these useless lights create a visual cacophony of blinking, multicolored lights that make me feel like I'm taking part in a NASA stress test for astronaut candidates.' Elgan calls on manufacturers to respect his 'Gadget Bill of Lights' to restrict the use of nag lights and allow users to turn them off. He also says the industry should pay more attention to industrial design when creating new products."
... whine about silly crap much?
There is a war going on for your mind.
I was immediately reminded of this http://news.yahoo.com/comics/uclickcomics/20070506 /cx_db_uc/db20070506
In my server room I actually play the computer "noises" from old Star Trek in the background on a CD boombox set to repeat!
... that I should never invite him over to see my house at Christmas.
We've all got our switches, lights, and knobs to deal with, Elgan. I mean, down here there are literally hundreds and thousands of blinking, beeping, and flashing lights, blinking and beeping and flashing - they're FLASHING and they're BEEPING. I can't stand it anymore! They're BLINKING and BEEPING and FLASHING! Why doesn't somebody pull the plug!
What is better than one LED bright enough to light up a whole room? 50 of them! That BLINK!
You just pull it out of the wall and blessed darkness and silence.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
Nothing excessive use of Duct tape cant fix.
zo relaxen und watschen der blinkenlichten
The author is worried that the Boston SWAT team is going to break down his doors in the middle of the night and call the bomb squad to confiscate his electronics and have them detonated in a safe manner.
Support NYCountryLawyer RIAA vs People
To the author of the "Bill of Lights", I suggest two pieces of tape... one piece of electrical tape to go over the offending light, and one piece of duct tape to apply over your cake hole.
I personally LIKE my computer area looking like the Bat Cave. "Relaxen un watchen das BLINKENLIGHTS!"
Soldier: Those lights are blinking out in sequence.
Buck Murdock: I see.
Soldier: What should we do?
Buck Murdock: Make them blink in sequence.
Oh, cut the bleeding heart crap, will ya? We've all got our switches, lights, and knobs to deal with, Striker. I mean, down here there are literally hundreds and thousands of blinking, beeping, and flashing lights, blinking and beeping and flashing - they're *flashing* and they're *beeping*. I can't stand it anymore! They're *blinking* and *beeping* and *flashing*! Why doesn't somebody pull the plug! --Buck Murdock
Vote Libertarian
Fantatsic idea, how about we get rid of all those useless lights on routers, access points, modems and ethernet jacks.
.... (you dont know!?) ....................
also lets get rid of the lights used in power indicators.
And while were at it, why not get rid of the lights in clocks too?
I mean who needs a caps or num lock key light right? you'll know when you start typing anyway.
Cause i personally LOVE having no idea if things are working or not with annoying visualfeedback, ill just wait until i try to use them., then ill know!
Dont get me wrong... there are plenty of useless lights that are super annoying and very bright (expecially when in your bedroom during sleepy time). And some of them are unnecesary... but advocating removal of activity lights, power lights? does the guy hate people? A grudge against tech support?
I can only imagine tech support calls.
User: "help, my computers not workin"
tech: "ok, is your computer on?"
User: "i dunno, how can i tell?"
tech: "go under your desk and feel your case, if its not hot its probably off, but if its just been turned on you may need to look in the back of your machine and feel for a small wind from the fan, if its a fanless PC then put your ear against the machine and see if you hear a slight whir of a harddrive"
user: "whats a harddrive sound like?"
tech:
user: "oh wait the screen is on now!, but i have no internet"
tech: "do you see your router?" (switch, hub, modem, linksys, wireless card, etc...)
user: "its the thing my ether cable is connected to right"
tech: "yea, now spin it on the table, if it keeps spinning like a hard boiled egg, its working"
user:
--VISION
--Idiots, Every single one of YOU, A flaming mass of conglomerated morons, hey wait a second, isnt that how RAID works?
Why does Apple have to make everything throb?
It's a sex thing.
There are FOUR LIGHTS!
(Sorry, couldn't resist.)
You're laughing, but a friend of my dad actually did this.
He was fed up with mowing the grass, so he actually paved and painted the yard. The extra benefit for him was the extra parking he had when people came to visit.
Friends don't let friends line-dance.
Collector's Edition
Bah, tape and black markers are for pansies.
If the lights are annoying, remove them. That is what wire cutters, soldering irons, screw drivers and hammers are for. Use all or some of these as your skills and mood dictate.
And if the light just happens to be a critical part of the circuit, well, the light won't be bothering you anymore will it?
But seriously, you complain that the light is too bright, but are not enough of a geek to open it up, remove the offending item and replace it with one which isn't so bright/is a less offensive colour?
Whiners...
Zapsavings: Simply calculate how much energy efficient bulb
For really bright lights, a small square of aluminum foil works well, and is absolutely opaque.
this (in hat form) also works wonders to keep the secret reptilian-government streetlight cameras from reading my thoughts...but don't tell them i said so.
Also works great for those annoying lights/indicators on the dash of your car!
I own a pair of eyelids. They were free and work wonders as well.
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
>For really bright lights, a small square of aluminum foil works well, and is absolutely opaque.
This is untrue for sufficiently thin values of the thickness of the foil.
Oh, cut the bleeding heart crap, will ya? We've all got our switches, lights, and knobs to deal with, Striker. I mean, down here there are literally hundreds and thousands of blinking, beeping, and flashing lights, blinking and beeping and flashing they're FLASHING and they're BEEPING... I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!!! THEY'RE BLINKING AND BEEPING AND FLASHING!! WHY DOESN'T SOMEBODY PULL THE PLUG!!!
It's not a lie. It's the truth with lossy compression.
Yeah you can fap all you want, until the little green light suddenly, mysteriously, comes on. The look in your eyes--going from wtf to OHSHIT--will be priceless, just before the end of the little YouTube video.
It's not about embarrasing images of myself. It's the simple fact that there's a camera in my face. That causes me just a teensy amount of discomfort, which was easily allayed by a small fold of black paper and a piece of tape, without my having to write a whole tirade about it.
It's not a lie. It's the truth with lossy compression.
Dear veganboyjosh,
Ha ha! You sure screwed up this time. Check that "Post Anonymously" box next time. We will arrive at your house shortly.
Sincerely,
The Feds
Why is it that when you believe something it's an opinion, but when I believe something it's a manifesto?
Hah! That's exactly what they want you to believe. The truth is, at the frequencies the scanners use, foil hats actually enhance the scan. To protect your thoughts, what you really want to use is a conical cap constructed of felt, with a large flat brim. Why do you think the wizards wore them?
"Hey, the third matrix movie would have been good except for the plot,story, and acting." --AC
I had a light pollution breakdown and did the same thing one night. My apartment was so dark and peaceful. I have found, however, that my electrical tape leaves adhesive behind if left long enough.
What would you rather have, blinky or sticky gadgets? Add a pet into the mix and you've got a sticky, hairy gadget.
And who likes a sticky, hairy gadget?
heh