Slashdot Mirror
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!
Black marker is your friend, my man.
Be glad you don't work in pro audio. My office/studio has more flashing lights than the space shuttle cockpit. 'course, I kinda like it.
ZuluPad, the wiki notepad on crack
... 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!
I suppose if you aren't a technical person, it's probably too much. As a technical person who does it for a living as well as a hobby, I've always really liked being surrounded by electronics with lots of lights. NOC/IDC facilities are even more fun. It's a mood thing.
As long as all of this stuff is not in my room so I can't sleep, I have no problems with the office looking like NASA.
What's next - no LEDs on network hubs and routers, because he doesn't understand what the lights mean?
If you don't like them, put some fucking electrical tape over the LEDs. That's what I do. Of course, that's not so easy to do with things like my Cooler master 830 case which is an awesome case but has all these useless and fucking ugly bright blue LEDs (in the fans, on the buttons, for the drive display, etc) that make it impossible to sleep at night.
I love the lights too. It makes me feel like I'm in a cockpit or other cool place where a lot of stuff happens. People buy audio hardware because of the blinking lights!
If this guy is so intent on fixing it, he should get out the soldering iron and disconnect them himself. Or do the thing everyone else does when something is blinking or flashing too much -- cover it up with electrical tape.
You just pull it out of the wall and blessed darkness and silence.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
zo relaxen und watschen der blinkenlichten
Slashdot Poll: How many lit LEDs can you see?
Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
I had to tape over the blue power LED on a Shuttle 51G system, as it was so bright I could see the reflections from it in another room. Kind of distracting when you are trying to go to sleep, see the light and wonder what light you left on elsewhere in the house. I understand the newer models are supposed to have a way do dim the LEDs. I used blue electrical tape so that I could still tell if the system thought it was on.
For example, you can use duct tape to muffle fan noise...
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
I'm confused. The article makes it sound like there are no alternatives to the products he mentions. I hate to play the, "Dude, get a Mac" card, but he's begging for it.
Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
I like the lights, but not for mood. I want to know if my hard drive is getting hammered; if packets are flowing; if my DC adapter is getting power. Keep the lights!
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
ah, very true! I do like just glancing at the router to see that everything is going well (and to quickly figure out if it's not).
... black paint? or tape? Poof, no more lights.
meh
Why can't we just have IR leds on *everything*. Then if you want to see the status you could put some special glasses on to see them?
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
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?
I like to know the state that my keyboard is in. I like to know that the power to my monitor is on when blanked. I like to be able to see the activity of my switch so that if there is a problem I might get a preliminary diagnosis. You know, ALL of those blinky LEDs that I have do have a purpose. Like some have said, get out the electrical tape or the black marker pen and go for it if they so offend you. However, just because someone is bothered does not mean that everyone else is. This person is not the almighty, omnipotent, lord that he wants to be. Can it and go back in your hole in the ground.
If you have a treo, download LedOff. It's donationware, and solves the LED annoyance.
- ADSL modem is connected and there's very little traffic flowing
- There are four active devices connected to the network via the switch, all in 100MB mode
- Laser printer is in power-save mode, and there isn't much toner left
- Inkjet printer is off
- PDA has finished recharging
- surge protection is online and healthy
- sound amp is on the PC channel
- computer is on but idle
- NumLock is on
Very useful info that I couldn't live without. How would you feel if the whole post was typed with CAPS LOCK on because there was no LED indicator? Besides, I do like the "busy cockpit" look my room has in the dark.Let's get rid of all those pesky indicators on car dashboards, too. I mean, really, all that junk that nobody ever looks at just serves to clutter up the dash and raise the price of cars. Why, they try to make it look like they are indicators of something. Like you're operating a piece of equipment and want to know its status. While we're at it, let's get rid of the speedometer and fuel gauge, too. I mean, if there's no fuel, you'll know because the car will stop. If you're going too fast, Mr. Police Officer will kindly let you know sooner or later.
While some LEDs might be superfluous, the lights on my cable modem and router mean something. If they were to go off, it means something is seriously wrong with the network and not my computer.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
I have a Treo and is has only one light. Blinking means message or missed call, lit means charging. All other times it is off. Seems like an appropriate use of a single indicator to me.
This is exceedingly relevant, and something that should interest most slashdot readers.
/. in and of itself. However, this article brings together two even more relevant issues: Computer/electronic gadget design, and communication design, of which interface design is a subset.
On the one hand, industrial design is a very interesting and geeky field. Discussion about good product design is worthy of
What makes an informational product good or bad is significantly driven by how effectively that device communicates its information to the user. Lights that don't tell you anything worthwhile are decorations, and it should be possible to disable them. Lights that tell you something you may not care about should be filterable as well.
Case in point: Our old DVD player (the one hooked up to an actual TV!) had an insanely bright blue display--bright enough to distract from the movie if it was near the screen. There was an option to dim or disable it, but the setting wasn't persistent. Every time you hit the power switch, it came back on at full brightness.
Smart product design should be the next wave of computing. Unfortunately, both hardware and software interfaces have been getting worse rather than better, as gee-whiz technology has expanded. Pointless flashing LEDs is just a symptom of it.
"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
You don't understand. He'll still know the lights are on, even if he can't see them. It causes him stress. Things aren't the way he wants them.
The only solution that will be acceptable is for every designer of hardware to design stuff the way he likes it. And do it now. Because he's important and his opinions matter.
The problem isn't necessary the proliferation of LEDs in devices, it's how they're designed into the product. Do we really need a 5000mcd LED to indicate that a box has power? It's more of a matter of putting putting more sedate LEDs into things we like to check, but are usually not checked often. Designers need to get away from the "bigger and brighter...because we can" mentality, that's all.
Having to troubleshoot a piece of hardware, I certainly appreciate having LED indicators available to speed the process. I design them in on machinery and systems for items that are critical to check. Yet, at the same time, LEDs simply don't need to be the super, ultra-bright kind unless they're indicating a warning or serious problem, or their environment requires it (i.e. sunlight).
This shouldn't be an prescence/absence of LEDs issue, it should be one of actually specifying the right LED for the job, and designing their placement in a box accordingly, including behind a technician's access panel door, if appropriate.
is so bright at night, it makes it hard to sleep. I try to 'cover' everything up, but light reflects.
excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
>>Nothing excessive use of Duct tape cant fix.
>For example, you can use duct tape to muffle fan noise...
I do that, but it gets stuck in their hair and they stop coming to my gigs.
Nostalgia's not what it used to be.
Or in another room in his house. I'm always amazed by people that INSIST on having these devices sitting out on top of a desk. Don't they have more important things they could be doing with their desk space than clogging it with devices they almost never interact directly with? I keep my cable-modem and router in my basement next to my server. There is just no good reason (other than a physical handicap) to keep these things out in plain view. Lock 'em in the closet and have done with it!
As far as his Dell XPS PC goes, like many in his comments section pointed out, the guy just needs to go get a Mac. No irritating blinking lights and the keyboard is backlit with a light sensor. What a maroon!
Official Heretic from the "Church of Global Warming". Proven right thanks to whistle blowers. AGW = Flat Earth Theory
I own a small roll of black electrical tape...it only cost 50 cents and it works wonders on unwanted LEDs.
No sig today...
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.
There are proper NEMA color codes for indicators, and you'll see them on industrial equipment. Unfortunately, we went through a long period during which red LEDs were the only cheap color, and far too many red LEDs went onto equipment. Since LEDs are now available in all colors, it's time to go back to the traditional NEMA rules:
Anything that goes in a factory or a rack should obey those simple rules.
Collector's Edition
I've found out by experience though, that electrical tape isn't 100% opaque; put a bright enough LED under it, and stretch the tape a bit (as you might if you're putting it tightly over an protruding LED), and it'll shine through.
For really bright lights, a small square of aluminum foil works well, and is absolutely opaque.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
I know for a fact that at least one large system vendor would cause the LEDs on the drives in their arrays to blink somewhat in unison when there were demos or customer benchmarks.
We had a set of scripts which we'd kick off at the start of the benchmark to make sure that the wall of disks looked busy. The salesmen would say stuff like "Look, you can see the parity writes being generated". When in fact the entire benchmark would complete in RAM. Hell, they could make the lights blink from left to right, right to left, top to bottom and various patterns. My favourite was the diagonal wave, but we couldn't credibly use it during a benchmark, though one engineer did try to claim once that it might be caused by the fibre channel layout.
The customers lapped it up. THAT's why there are LEDs all over the place.
Deleted
You are one of those people who don't seem to understand why we NEED lights on routers. Routers can be(and often are) kept away from the computers and devices. In those situations, checking the router to see if the Ethernet cable is plugged in on the other end, or if data is being sent on that port are more important. So, green for link, blinking for data being sent/received. It makes sense, and isn't useless.
Many devices go to sleep, so all you have is a LED to indicate that the device is on. You would NOT want a device that doesn't have a power LED since it's nice to know when the thing is on or not, even if it is in sleep mode.
Yes, some devices are annoying in having too many blinking lights, and I really dislike the extra lights that are on some computer cases these days. But, you have to admit that there are times when having those bright lights is a real advantage.
So, devices with blinking lights are fine, but excessive numbers of "cute" lights isn't. On a positive note, you can generally turn off or unplug the extra lights on computer cases if you don't like them. Standby blinking lights are annoying, but will show you that the machine isn't really off by blinking.
If the power grid is so overloaded by all the devices that are in standby mode, then building some nuclear power plants should be done. There are obviously some places that those plants should NOT be located, such as in places there are earthquakes or that might be hit by a tornado, but that doesn't mean new ones should not be built. Let's get some power generation in place that doesn't require oil, and we will be in better shape.
In case you didn't know, you might already be in possession of a device that allows you to see infrared light: if you take a digital camera (even a simple phonecam will do) and look at the front of a tv remote when you press one of the buttons, you'll see a bright light flashing that's invisible to the naked eye. It's a great way to see if you need to replace the batteries or if the remote has not survived that drop from the table...
I also wondered if it might not be possible to build a (relatively) cheap light banner using IR LEDs - it would be black to the human eye but show up clearly through the viewscreen in your digicam or phonecam.
-- Language is a virus from outer space.
My personal remedy is black electric tape, which masks enough that you just see a faint spot of colour while the light is on. Works wonders for those really bright and distracting blue LEDs that seem to be all the rage these days.
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.
The worst thing about an artificial grass surface like that, leaves and such get trapped on it, but don't really break down. Same goes for dead bugs, animal droppings, etc. You're replacing one kind of maintenance with another.
One time I threw a brick at a duck.
All such work must be done by licensed data/telco electricians here in Australia. I'm looking at possibly A$300 for the job... (I'd rather spend the money on a new UPS or something.) It's quite annoying; I have friends more than qualified for the job, but their license has expired as they've moved "up" to desk positions. If anything should happen it could be an insurance nightmare so not quite willing to take the risk. Hence, the annoyance with a) builders/designers not putting phone points in the most obvious data rooms, and b) leds bright enough to light a disco. A simple switch to disable all leds would be greatly appreciated. Can't wait till I build my own place ... CAT5 everywhere!
ISO certified == THX certified
Stunned that no one linked to a recent Doonesbury strip about this:
. gif
http://images.ucomics.com/comics/db/2007/db070506