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Fixing annoying blue standby lights

fullcircuit.com

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Re: Fixing annoying blue standby lights

#161

Post by analog31 »

btbuildem wrote: post #158
analog31 wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed, red was the first visible LED color to be practical in production. Blue came much later.

Blue LEDs were deemed a huge breakthrough at the time; they enabled full-colour LED displays (think large panels viewed from a distance) by adding the long-missing B in the RGB.

Indeed, and they are also the basis of single element white LEDs, which are a blue led covered by a white phosphor. The inventor of the bright blue led worked for a chemical company that made phosphors, and invented the white one as well.

Re: Fixing annoying blue standby lights

#163

Post by cf100clunk »

coryrc wrote: post #67
cf100clunk wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would prefer that manufacturers use the traffic light colour scheme: * Red: stopped or off (preferably dimmed of completely off) * Yellow/Amber: startup or error state in which the device needs intervention * Blue/Green: running properly

You don't want to make things indistinguishable for the color-blind.

That's an important consideration, for sure.

Re: Fixing annoying blue standby lights

#164

Post by dtgriscom »

MrBuddyCasino wrote: post #106
qwertox wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate electrical tape. It becomes sticky after some time, when it starts to smear because it got moved or stopped sticking to the surface. I bought a set of nail polish and use the black one to paint over the LEDs, it even allows you to control how much you want to cover it, in case you still want to have a bit of light to see if it's on or off. Other colors can be used to mark pins on breakout boards or cables. It'…

> I hate electrical tape. Same. I’ve used aluminum tape to block LEDs, works great.

Oh, yeah. Aluminum foil tape is an all-purpose wonder. It's often used for air ducts, although it isn't what you think of when you say "duct tape."

Re: Fixing annoying blue standby lights

#166

Post by ryandrake »

bdavbdav wrote: post #97
atticora wrote: post #30

I recently bought an adjustable bed base which has USB ports on both sides. Each port has a bright blue light that illuminates the whole bedroom at night. I don't use them so covered both with black electrical tape. Problem solved. I've had the same problem with several desk lamps that lit up the world with that blue light even when turned off. I returned a couple of those immediately. But I looked through the review…

I often wonder that when I use certain products. “How can this obviously terrible design choice not be reflected in reviews?”

I'd love to hear from someone in the consumer electronics business to weigh in on how this happens. Who in the design chain wants LED lights on everything? Probably not engineering--it's more work for them. Probably not the business managers--it adds unnecessary cost to the product. Is it the industrial designers? Do they simply have to have LEDs all over everything? Is it just dogma that everyone follows/accepts: "You have to have an LED light!" How does it happen?

Re: Fixing annoying blue standby lights

#167

Post by dilawar »

qwertox wrote: post #100
atticora wrote: post #30

I recently bought an adjustable bed base which has USB ports on both sides. Each port has a bright blue light that illuminates the whole bedroom at night. I don't use them so covered both with black electrical tape. Problem solved. I've had the same problem with several desk lamps that lit up the world with that blue light even when turned off. I returned a couple of those immediately. But I looked through the review…

I hate electrical tape. It becomes sticky after some time, when it starts to smear because it got moved or stopped sticking to the surface. I bought a set of nail polish and use the black one to paint over the LEDs, it even allows you to control how much you want to cover it, in case you still want to have a bit of light to see if it's on or off. Other colors can be used to mark pins on breakout boards or cables. It'…

Blue Tac?

Re: Fixing annoying blue standby lights

#168

Post by stateofinquiry »

nathancahill wrote: post #6
Baldbvrhunter wrote: post #2

great hack my pet peeve is flashing indicators, especially when it means "all normal"

How do you feel about the (more common in previous years) flashing indicators for disk activity?

I miss those! I like knowing what the machine is doing, and think some (subtle) status LEDs are very helpful. Power/charging, disk activity, wifi.. good baseline minimum. I guess its too much to hope for the glorious return of the blinkenlights (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blinkenlights). The BeBox had some great ones (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BeBox#%22Blinkenlights%22).

Re: Fixing annoying blue standby lights

#169

Post by xvector »

midasuni wrote: post #156
cantSpellSober wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've started travelling with a roll of black tape because the problem you describe is so bad

First thing I do is unplug the tv. Been woken too many times by TVs turning themselves on during the night.

I just travel with a mulberry silk eye mask. Seems to do the trick.

Re: Fixing annoying blue standby lights

#170

Post by Eisenstein »

ryandrake wrote: post #166
bdavbdav wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I often wonder that when I use certain products. “How can this obviously terrible design choice not be reflected in reviews?”

I'd love to hear from someone in the consumer electronics business to weigh in on how this happens. Who in the design chain wants LED lights on everything? Probably not engineering--it's more work for them. Probably not the business managers--it adds unnecessary cost to the product. Is it the industrial designers? Do they simply have to have LEDs all over everything? Is it just dogma that everyone follows/accepts: "Y…

I don't think you need someone in the industry. It is added because without a light people don't think it is working, and the bright blue lights are tiny any cheap, and adding a way o dim them or turn them off is more expensive.
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