Great Everyday use for lasers!

[BuddTX]

Other than using as a teaching tool, or annoying other people in a theater (I HATE when someon shines a laser in a movi!) I have often wondered what good use a laser would be used for.

WELL I FOUND A GREAT USE FOR A LASER!

At work, I am the "computer guy" for my large dept(over 200 people). My job is NOT general tech support, rather all aspects of the hardware and software and design and programming of very SPECIFIC software to run our dept.

HOWEVER, sometimes people call me instead of our instutition's help desk for problems, and I oblige, when I can.

Helping someone "second chair" in Windows can be a challenging situation, esp when describing mouse movement, or what button to click etc.

However, now with my laser keychain, I can sit in back of someone, and just say "click here" and use my laser to point to the screen or keyboard, and the user knows EXACTLY where to click or hit the next action!

No more getting frustrated over "NOT THAT BUTTON" or "NO NOT THERE, but HERE", or reaching over the person, and pointing to the screen, or the often waited for "Get out of the way, let me show you!".

Hope this might help some people!

 

[RevDavid]

That is an excellent use, and might be a help to me too!
I never thought of using one that way, but then I have never carried one. Now I have to think about it.

Thanks!

David <><

 

[Xrunner]

Interesting, is there any reflection on the beam back towards the user? Thanks

-Mike

 

[BuddTX]

The monitor seems to absorbe the beam, and the keyboard does not refect anythin.

 

[Doug Owen]

Very cool. Thanks.

Doug Owen

 

[Atomic6]

Great use indeed. Thanks.
A-6

 

[whiskypapa3]

Nice to see you young pups are catching up to this old geezer. Only problem I ever had was one young thing wasn't expecting the red dot and screeched, lept from her chair and fled her "Semi-private Jr. Executive office" (read: Cube). Wish I had my Greenie back then.

 

[TACTICAL WAREHOUSE]

Very cool idea! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I've been entertaining my cat with the new green laser - She runs all around the house and meows at it! I let her catch it before I turn in for the night! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Dan

 

[MR Bulk]

Bruce, did you get my e-mail?

 

[Bernhard]

Ordinary CRT seems to absorb the laser beam, while Plasma TV seems to reflect it...

 

[BF Hammer]

I've used a laser to do that in the past also. My pointer is an older 2AAA battery model, so I quit EDC due to it's bulkiness. I may just take it to work and leave it at my workstation to start using it again.

Another use for a laser pointer is to temporarily turn off an outdoor light that has a motion sensor and photo sensor. If you shine the laser directly on the photo sensor, the light will turn off for as long as the laser shines on it.

 

[The_LED_Museum]

I could probably use my 50mW green laser to shut off those asinine streetlights where I'm at, but I don't know where the sensors for them are. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

 

[BF Hammer]

Craig, I haven't tried it but I believe the street lights in my hometown have visible bump on the top of the light. Looks like a likely place for a photo sensor. Of course, the laser might have to be shining downward into it to turn it off... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

 

[The_LED_Museum]

The streetlights in my part of town consist of three big milky glass globes (one on top, and two to the lower left and right of it) with those awful sodium vapor bulbs in them, and I don't know where the photosensor on them is.

There are three of these I can easily get to with a laser.

Regular streetlights have the bulb & reflector aimed downward, with a "thingie" on top that contains the photocell. Those are probably easier to trigger, if the small window is somewhat facing your direction.

 

[RevDavid]

It seems to me that the laser would also be idea for pointing to components on a circuit board or in a computer tower, when explaining upgrades, etc... no chance of touching anything that way, minimizing ESD possibility.

David <><

 

[cannon50]

When my grandson was much younger and feeding was a problem for my wife I found that a lasar pointer spot on the ceiling brought instant calm and feeding became much easier. It was really funny. Infants face up and mouth open instantly.