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Interesting Uses For a USB LED Screen?

Posted by kdawson on from the your-messge-here dept.

Hogwash McFly writes "My boss gave me one of those USB-powered red LED scrolling displays as a Christmas gift, and while cycling the usual 'I read your emails' and 'ID10T Error' messages will be entertaining for a day or two, I was wondering if it could be put to more constructive uses. The configuration file is plaintext and supports different scroll speeds, flashing, bitmaps, and WAV sounds. The font is defined as 5x5 pixels per character, also stored in plaintext as 5 hex values, one for each vertical line of pixels. A dynamically generated message could prove useful in my day-to-day work on the helpdesk, but are there any interesting uses beyond network notifications and news feeds?"

4 of 403 comments (clear)

  1. Music by CopaceticOpus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Getting it to display audio level meters for your music would be kinda fun.

  2. For maximum freakout potential by greg_barton · · Score: 5, Interesting

    For maximum freakout potential you'll need two things:

    1) A microphone
    2) Speech recognition software

    Set the microphone up in a hidden place where it will pick up speech from folks hanging around your desk, and connect it to your computer. Set up the speech recognition software so it will spit out text to the LED display's interface.

    Viola! Instant "Have we entered the twilight zone?" machine!

  3. Re:Notification for everything by mpathetiq · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "If I passed you on the right you are in the wrong fucking lane"

    This is the one I would use the most. Apparently Ohioans don't understand the term "passing lane".

    --
    Post-rock/Ambient/Drone and other noise.
  4. Don't just say it, do it! by devnullkac · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Don't just say you read his emails. Actually put them up there! Continuous scroll of everything in your boss's inbox.

    If you're slightly less daring, feed your log of all URLs (site name only, perhaps) as they're being viewed by anyone in the office. Your boss did make you keep a log, didn't he?

    --
    What do you mean they cut the power? How can they cut the power, man? They're animals!