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by kpil 2914 days ago
Is it really true though that a few tiny blue leds would affect our bodies that much?

If I recall correctly, significant effects required rather bright lights. The light level outdoors is like 100000 times brighter. A laptop probably won't make much of a difference then.

I run f.lux or redshift, but I'm suspecting that it really doesn't do anything rather than reminding me by going totally red and inconvenient that it's about time to stop trying to read or watch every interesting thing on the Internet.

For me, it's the endless source of interesting things that keeps me awake, I guess because I've stressed out and turned into a total information junkie. My mind craves information. Unfortunately it thinks that recordings of air traffic controllers etc is more valuable than sleep.

4 comments

I always found color shifting annoying. Color is pretty important to me and I'd rather not see things through a dim tint. I always felt like most of the color adjustment tools were really gimmicky.
yup. absolutely hate it.
These days you don't even necessarily need a separate app like F.Lux or Redshift; Windows and Android have similar color-shifting features built-in to the OS. (Not sure about Mac or iOS.)
IDK about iOS, but Android's built-in night mode barely changes anything. Try Twilight.
If you have rooted, try f.lux on Android too. Personally, I can't stand Twilight's "orange tint over content".
There are also other night mode apps that offer other tones. I've been using Blue Light Filter on Android lately and appreciate the level of controls it offers (color temperature, intensity, and screen dim)
It's not a matter of choice of colour, the way f.lux removes the blue is different than just adding an overlay (like Twilight and such do), that's why it needs root.
It's adjustable. At the highest setting it is unbearably yellow.
By default, the night mode on my Samsung indeed barely changed anything. But it does have a slider, so I was able to make it much redder.
It might depend on the brand. On my Nokia, the default is yellow enough to be fairly noticeable.
The Android P developer preview has an automatic Night Light feature that works really well.
iOS does but is very subtle about the change. f.lux default settings are quite dramatic and turn the screen very red. Something in between seems right to me.

One day the weather app will get the outside colour temperature locally and match the OS to it. :)

Does anyone know of any way you can keep Night Shift on at all times on iOS or MacOS? It seems when I turn on Night Shift, it automatically turns off next morning when it's daylight time.

I think the same things applies to f.lux on MacOS. I would like for it to be at 1200K at all times but I guess that's not doable and it grinds my ears a bit because you can't do so.

Try setting a custom schedule from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM.
The change on my iPhone (on max temperature) is very noticeable.
ios does, not sure how good it is though
It's called Night Shift on MacOS.
Just speculating, but it could be that the levels don't matter as much since your pupils adjust to let in about the same amount of light regardless of the actual brightness.

Also, just an anecdote. But if flux is on I will get tired around 10pm. If it's off I won't get tired until well after midnight.

I personally think the "circadian" effects are overstated, but I remember being in a dimly lit sushi restaurant a couple years ago, and the cash register had a single blue LED on it. It was so bright that it illuminated the waiter, a piercing blue/white that was completely out of place in the room.

Bright LEDs have no place anywhere where lights are dim, especially on electronics. Someone found this problem irritating enough that they started selling stickers specifically for the use of covering the damn things. https://www.amazon.com/LightDims-Black-Out-Electronics-Appli...