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Fixing annoying blue standby lights

fullcircuit.com

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Re: Fixing annoying blue standby lights

#251

Post by Mountain_Skies »

JohnFen wrote: post #239
theamk wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I have to guess, support & engineering would be the main force behind LEDs. For example, you have USB port in the bed base, and it does not charge the cellphone, so you call tech support. With LED, it's simple. LED on -> "verify the USB port is not bent or damaged, check your cable, check your cellphone"; LED off -> "verify bed is plugged in, verify outlet has power". Without it? Much harder, especially if you are…

The real questions are: why blue, and why so bright? LED indicators are useful, but they should be red (which comes with the added benefits of being less expensive and drawing less power than blue ones), and shouldn't be bright enough to light the area around them.

Wonder if some of it is due to blue still being perceived as high tech. For people over a certain age, red was the default LED color for decades as may have become associated in the average person's mind with outdated technology.

Re: Fixing annoying blue standby lights

#252

Post by Mountain_Skies »

disillusioned wrote: post #98
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…

There's a brand on Amazon called LIGHT DIMS that sells differently sized stickers, in both ultra-dim and full-blackout forms, which do _exactly_ what they say on the tin, and it's amazing. I used the ultra-dim for the (white) temp display on my Dyson fan in my bedroom, and the blackout for the brighter-than-the-sun blue LED on my charger brick. Also used the dim one on a smoke detector because my 5-year-old thought i…

Thanks for the information. I have a set of stickers for blocking camera lenses on tablets and phones but never thought to look for LED dimming stickers. Seems a bit obvious now but guess I'm so accustomed to using electrical tape that I never gave thought to another solution.

Re: Fixing annoying blue standby lights

#254

Post by LeftHandPath »

neilv wrote: post #69

I haven't had the IR remote complication like the article, but for too-bright-LED purposes, I use different colors of labelmaker tape (Brother TZe type) for different cases: * need blocking entirely (like on my LaserJet, and a UPS) -- black tape * too bright, but still need to see, and to differentiate colors (like on one of my living room servers) -- white tape, cut to size with hole punch * too bright for when i us…

That sounds a lot more livable than my solution of throwing pajama pants or socks over every LED before I go to bed. My dell laptop power connector and google router are the worst offenders.

Re: Fixing annoying blue standby lights

#255

Post by pineaux »

archi42 wrote: post #225
pineaux wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have good experience with drilling a small hole in the side of the housing and through the LED. You need to aim well. Its not a good technique for all annoying LEDs.

Sometimes the indicator LED acts as a voltage reference for some circuit. In that case, destroying it is a bad idea. Also, I think most hotels would object ;-)

Also, I dont bring a drill to a hotel.

Re: Fixing annoying blue standby lights

#256

Post by xapata »

dqv wrote: post #138
xapata wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> some kind of signal Low sales is a signal. Also, they can hire a UX researcher.

I realize I wasn't clear about that - these notebooks are well-liked and have tons of positive reviews. There is no low sales signal, because people who don't care about the labels still buy the notebooks. It's that they're missing more sales from the people who don't buy them because of the ugly labels on the front. That would be the same with TVs, the only way a TV maker would really know is if they sold a "bedroom…

They can compare sales figures with other notebook brands', if they buy some competitive intelligence or do some sleuthing. Opportunity cost of lost sales.

Re: Fixing annoying blue standby lights

#257

Post by SanjayMehta »

Gare wrote: post #63
SanjayMehta wrote: post #29

Had this problem with an air conditioner whose one blue LED was bright enough to keep me awake. Two layers of yellow tape changed the colour and dimmed it enough to make it imperceptible.

Huh, all the ACs I've used so far did have a switch on the remote to turn off all the lights.

Not on this old Panasonic. I think it was meant only for offices.
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