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Apparently I am not the only one that enjoyls lying around in bed into the wee hours of the night and banging away on my laptop.
What I don't like is getting up to turn off the light once I've tired myself out sufficiently. Sure, I could get the clapper and slap my hands together to turn the light
off, but that would wake up the gouramis. Sure, I could get one of those USB lights, but that would take up yet another of my cherished few USB slots, and it swings all over. Sure, I could get an apple with it's fancy doodads and whatnots... if I were richer, and didn't care about perfor...... well, let's not go there.
So instead, I've nearly ruined the hinge on my screen (not to mention my eyes!) by leaving the screen tilted down at an awkward angle to illuminate the keys while I type.
All this hassle could be avoided by a simple change in the materials used in manufacture.
By using photoluminescent keys, the keyboard (Of either a laptop, or a desk model computer) could be "charged up" by leaving your laptop open for a little while with the lights on, or just telling the computer to leave the screen on when you close the lid. Then you can type for a few hours before the keys go dim, and you are faced with the choice of either going to bed, or actually learning how to type.
Glow in the Dark Paint
http://www.hobbyglow.com/glow_paint.htm
The best I found for painting your own keyboard. [baconbrain, Mar 31 2007]
Illuminated Keyboards
http://www.xoxide.com/blpsilke.html
Not much use for laptop users though [jtp, Apr 01 2007]
Logitech G15
http://www.logitech...166,CONTENTID=10717
with glowy keys [cdp181, Apr 02 2007]
[link]
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Shocked? You mean... mayve I am the only one... |
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Are you discriminating against desktop users such as myself? I like to stay up late as well, but sitting in an upright position with the keyboard on the desk and all, it just doesn't seem right. So I kick my feet up onto my bed and put the keyboard in my lap, and like you, have a hard time typing correctly when I can't see the keys. So make it for desktops too and I'm in. |
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Sorry, but I prefer lying around in bed into the wee hours of the night banging something else. [-] |
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How about printing the letters with photoluminescent ink. |
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Count me in with [nuclear hobo]. Isn't that stuff radioactive? Would repeated contact be advised? |
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You could learn to touch type. Bun. |
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Why should the user learn such an obtuse
behaviour just in order to use the
computer? We now have computers to
automate difficult tasks such as that. |
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Illuminated keyboards are available for desktop PCs (see link) |
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The idea is now modified to avoid charges of discriminating against desktop users, though I must admit that since they can use USB keyboards, the fix would be much easier already. |
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Painting the symbols with photoluminescent material is also possible. However, I would think that this would be a less elegant solution, because the thicker the photoluminescent material is, the longer the glow lasts. With paint, you're likely to get all of ten minutes. With the keys themselves, a half hour or more is probably reasonable. |
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[Norm] I expected more from you. Let me say this as clearly as possible: Modern photoluminenscent material contains NO RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL. High frequency light rays hit the material, and due to the configuration of the electrons, they store that energy. Then they gradually re-emit light of a slightly lower frequency. It's a chemical process, and this is why they go dead after a while. Radioactive glow in the dark materials were banned some time in the sixties. |
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I will admit that illuminated keyboards do exist. However, to my knowledge, they are not made from glow in the dark plastics, and they definitely are not on my computer. This is a minor distinction, but taking into consideration the fact that this is in the category of Computer:keyboard:Illumination I'd like to think we can accept the distinction. |
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I was rather hoping this would be an idea to aid my entry into my home after a long evening on the sherbert dabs. |
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I see little point. The screen provides enough light for me to type, even turned down. If you need more, get a USB light. If you want light up keys, actual lights in the keys would be far more effective, longer lasting, and not require you to leave the laptop in the sun to charge. |
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Sorry Absinthe, that would have been placed under the "home" category. Seeing as how keys are in your pocket most of the day though, I suspect the already baked key-attached light idea would work better. |
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In my mind, less efficiency here seems desirable. Light up keys would use additional electricity, whereas photoluminescent keys would not, but would fade with extra use, thus giving me another hint that I may be staying up too late. |
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