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The number of simple, yet very cool ideas on HN just baffles me, no wonder HN is an addiction! Selling an add-on/accessory that clips onto any macbook or even

The number of simple, yet very cool ideas on HN just baffles me, no wonder HN is an addiction! Selling an add-on/accessory that clips onto any macbook or even any laptop with similar screen properties as the macbook pro used will be a nice little business!

the_arun 5y ago
I remember 2008 Prius had mirror to reflect Speedometer. Basically Speedometer is on the floor of the dashboard and a vertical mirror reflects the numbers. I assumed they made it this way to save space.
- jcrawfordor 5y ago
  This technique is often used to reduce eyestrain and refocusing by extending the optical distance to the display, making it.more similar in terms of vergence angle and focus distance to the view outside. I'm not sure if this was the motivation in the Prius but given the fairly advanced state of VFD displays at the time I'd guess so, there would have been options to avoid the complexity. It's further curious that the Prius used to use half mirrors to combine multiple display units for that dashboard, I'm less sure of the reason for that other than that perhaps the assembly was expensive and they saved money by doing it only for critical instruments like the speedometer.
- bluedino 5y ago
  Some GM cars had this back in the 80's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzVV8UUIu48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzVV8UUIu48
_Microft 5y ago
Since it is this time of the year again, here is an idea: try bouncing the view of the screen off of a metallized glass Christmas bauble for a makeshift curved mirror. Edit: an iPhone fails to focus on the reflections in a Christmas bauble, maybe the warped reflection throws something off in the auto-focus method. Edit 2: it works with a larger bauble, supposedly because the view is not as warped as in a small one that has a smaller radius of curvature.
illustrioussuit 5y ago
It seems it already exists! https://www.brightfingers.com/mirrormethis https://www.brightfingers.com/mirrormethis > MirrorMeThis is a specially-designed laptop mirror. Instead of your students seeing your face, they see the keyboard area where you can place anything you want to share and talk about. So it's designed for the classroom, but I don't see why it couldn't work here.
- jcun4128 5y ago
  That's neat... you could scan things with this. But I realize now your phone can do it too.
- sjs7007 5y ago
  Wow, this is pretty cool, thanks for sharing!
zoe4883 5y ago
Simple? Long time ago (2010?) there were ads PC vs Mac. PC had conference camera ductaped on his head, Mac had build in camera. This hack feels similar.
- Hnrobert42 5y ago
  You get that this was just some random person doing a hobby project, right?

the_arun 5y ago

I remember 2008 Prius had mirror to reflect Speedometer. Basically Speedometer is on the floor of the dashboard and a vertical mirror reflects the numbers. I assumed they made it this way to save space.

jcrawfordor 5y ago
This technique is often used to reduce eyestrain and refocusing by extending the optical distance to the display, making it.more similar in terms of vergence angle and focus distance to the view outside. I'm not sure if this was the motivation in the Prius but given the fairly advanced state of VFD displays at the time I'd guess so, there would have been options to avoid the complexity. It's further curious that the Prius used to use half mirrors to combine multiple display units for that dashboard, I'm less sure of the reason for that other than that perhaps the assembly was expensive and they saved money by doing it only for critical instruments like the speedometer.
bluedino 5y ago
Some GM cars had this back in the 80's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzVV8UUIu48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzVV8UUIu48

_Microft 5y ago

Since it is this time of the year again, here is an idea: try bouncing the view of the screen off of a metallized glass Christmas bauble for a makeshift curved mirror. Edit: an iPhone fails to focus on the reflections in a Christmas bauble, maybe the warped reflection throws something off in the auto-focus method. Edit 2: it works with a larger bauble, supposedly because the view is not as warped as in a small one that has a smaller radius of curvature.

illustrioussuit 5y ago

It seems it already exists! https://www.brightfingers.com/mirrormethis https://www.brightfingers.com/mirrormethis > MirrorMeThis is a specially-designed laptop mirror. Instead of your students seeing your face, they see the keyboard area where you can place anything you want to share and talk about. So it's designed for the classroom, but I don't see why it couldn't work here.

jcun4128 5y ago
That's neat... you could scan things with this. But I realize now your phone can do it too.
sjs7007 5y ago
Wow, this is pretty cool, thanks for sharing!

zoe4883 5y ago

Simple? Long time ago (2010?) there were ads PC vs Mac. PC had conference camera ductaped on his head, Mac had build in camera. This hack feels similar.

Hnrobert42 5y ago
You get that this was just some random person doing a hobby project, right?