I got a HDD dock from startech.com. It works great and does everything I need. The problem is it has the brightest goddamn blue LED I have ever seen. It is so unnecessarily bright. My eyes hurt looking in the same direction as it. What the fuck should I do? Return it? De solder the stupid ass LED? It works great aside from this one issue.

Edit: I opened the thing and drew with sharpie on the LED. It’s bearable to look at now.

  • monovergent 🛠️@lemmy.ml
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    5 days ago

    My monitor had a bright blue power LED smack in the middle of the lower bezel. I took it apart on day one and brutally ripped out the LED, only then did I ever connect it to my computer.

  • haych@feddit.uk
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    6 days ago

    No, one of my mesh WiFi routers is in my room and too bright at night, I just put tape on it. Problem solved.

    • RobotZap10000@feddit.nl
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      6 days ago

      Every modern router that I’ve worked with has an option to turn the lights off at night. Does the control panel of your router have that too?

      • haych@feddit.uk
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        5 days ago

        It technically has got that setting, but sometimes I’ll do a weird shift or do something that requires me to sleep when it would otherwise be on. I don’t want it permanently off because if I pick it up and look under I can still see the light if I need to and that’s quicker than changing settings in the app.

        The tape works and you can’t see it, so I have no need to do it in software.

  • thezeesystem@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    5 days ago

    Depends on the product and how inexpensive it is but generally avoid touch devices or anything with led or lights on them that are not needed because I don’t need a fucking touch display for something a button can do.

    I bought a air fryer a week ago and couldn’t find one that had simple dials and buttons. It’s fucking disgusting and it’s so bright too. But hey, I can use it as a night light when I’m getting water I guess

  • ReakDuck@lemmy.ml
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    5 days ago

    I either tape the things with Isolation in dark to see nothing or the Painters-Tape which is yellow and partly lets light through.

    But colored isolation band lets the light through a bit too.

  • lemonuri@lemmy.ml
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    5 days ago

    Blue LEDs are the worst offenders. No need to return it as long as you keep a bit of black tape ready. If you still need it as an indicator, you can use layers of yellowish tape. The one used while painting your walls works great. Masking tape it’s called in English.

  • Wahots@pawb.social
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    5 days ago

    You can get LED film off Amazon for like, $7. It blocks those annoying LEDs on tech devices, monitors, wall outlets, kitchen appliances, and my nemesis, smoke detectors with stupidly bright LEDs.

    Best $7 you’ll spend this year.

  • Stovetop@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    Likely not, it seems wasteful if the product is otherwise good in all other important regards. I’d just cover up the LED with tape or paint.

  • Doombot1@lemmy.one
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    5 days ago

    I usually use a little tiny piece of electrical tape, which should work unless the power button is absolutely minuscule. Desoldering it also works, but is more permanent.

  • lost_faith@lemmy.ca
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    5 days ago

    lol, I know this pain. about 20 yrs ago i bought a shiny new pc case and expected the red leds, it had 2 super bright blue leds that were either solid on(power) or flashing(drive activity), this pc was next to my bed pointing across my bed. the entire room was lit by these and hard blue circles were projected on the wall. ended up taping a cardboard strip over them.

    • hactar42@lemmy.ml
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      5 days ago

      I bought a keyboard from ThinkGeek that had an LED that would hit me right in the eye. A little piece of tape and that keyboard served me well for years.

  • sylver_dragon@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    I’ve not returned an item over it, but I’ve often wondered if there was a market for a company which de-LEDs items.