The Gadget Bill of Lights?
Mon May 21, 2007 11:26PM EDT
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I'm glad someone else started to recognize something rotten in the state of gadgetry: Those pesky LED status lights have become so ubiquitous and bright that they not only distract you from the actual LCD screen, they can completely light up a room at night. Kids no longer need night lights, even. Plug in a digital clock and a DVD player and you can practically read books at story time by the LED glow alone.
Like ComputerWorld writer Mike Elgan, I took a quick inventory of my gizmos to see what important status information I was being given. My laptop has lights for the three "locks," caps, num, and the critical scroll lock, plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth lights. More lights tell me the machine is on, the hard drive is being accessed, and the laptop is running off the battery. There's also a battery of buttons on the front panel to control media functions. Push one button and all seven light up in bright blue. That's 15 possible lights on one little machine.
Is this so bad? Well, it can be. I actually had to put electrical tape over the display on one DVD player I owned because it was so bright it was keeping me up at night. Elgan rightly points out that most status lights are completely useless. (Take a look at your cable modem for perhaps the worst of all.)
Sorry, folks, if this annoys you, it's only going to get worse: Researchers just announced a massive improvement in LED brightness: Red LEDs could soon jump a whopping 50 percent in light output, from 12 to 18 lumens per watt. Good news for light bulbs and flat panel displays. Bad news for insomniacs. Bust out the electrical tape.
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2 Posted by dale7106@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:34PM EDT Report Abuse
lights and buttons...my cable remote has 54 buttons on it. yes i sat and counted them one-day. and i do have a life.
1 Posted by taficke on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:54PM EDT Report Abuse
Thats odd because i only counted one light in my basement by my tv that is always on and it is my dish receiver. It is a cool blue colored light and its not very bright. I seem to have no problems with it.As for when things are on i only have a couple one for my tv the dish receiver and my Xbox 369 oh and lets not forget my vcr. On my dvd player there are lights that tell me which number slot my discs or in and one that turns on when my dvd player is off! I'm not really sure what the point of that is. I guess they want u to remember that its there.It might take away a few lights because of the fact that my dvd player is also a Surround sound thing.