Put a little light on the subject | Bangkok Post: tech

SLOANRANGER

There's a US keyboard being pitched mostly in TV adverts of a large-character device that glows in the dark, so when the sun goes down you can continue working and still see your keyboard.

The setup for f.lux is simple, using Google Maps to determine sunset and sunrise, and then give you examples of night-time lighting.

Isn't that a great idea?

No, not really. Most of us turn on the lights after the sun goes down, and seeing the keyboard isn't the real problem. What is a problem, however, is that the natural light of Mr Sun is replaced by the artificial and glaring light of Mr Egat, who is hard on the eyes.

Computer monitors _ and the TV and others _ are built most importantly tuned to work during the daytime. That is when people work, after all.

But you've undoubtedly walked down a street at night and glanced into the windows of people seated around their family televisions, or at the computer desk, and seen the blue glow? That's the sun, trying to get through at night.

A new family of truly excellent software changes all that. I am going to concentrate on what I think is the best Windows programme of this new trend as my good example, and then give a few examples for others.

bff.luxnf, however is almost universal. It has desktop and laptop versions for Windows, Mac and Linux, and it also has apps for iOS. I'm not sure that the iPhone really needs this, but the iPad certainly will look better.

The purpose of f.lux is to adjust your screen at sundown again at sunrise so that it is easier on your eyes. Specifically, it makes the nighttime setting on your screen like indoor lights.

Warning: This is going to sound a bit like a commercial, and I apologise but I'm not sure how else to say it. I have been using f.lux on my computers for quite a few months now, and I really don't know how I got along without it.

No, really. When the designated moment of sunset comes, I am often at the keyboard, pumping out more for the insatiable, deep-pocket editor. And it is a ''Whoa, what happened?'' moment as the screen goes from quite bright to muted brightness _ from sunlight to artificial light.

Within a few seconds, however, I am conscious that everything on the screen actually is easier to see. There's no more blue-infused squinting at the bright screen in the relatively darker room.

Now. Today's monitors make it possible for you to do everything f.lux does. You can right-click on a Windows desktop or go into the Control Panel, for example, and find the settings for the monitor that look good as the sun goes down. Then do it again when the sun comes up. And so on. f.lux does it automagically, plus it helps you get the right settings the first (and only) time you set it up.

First, tell f.lux where you live, by using a built-in Google Maps app. If the editor hasn't lost the screen shot again, you'll see I simply pointed to my eastern Bangkok area and f.lux did all the rest of determining, every day, when sunset and sunrise happen.

The software then will ask you what kind of lighting you have on at night, and show you some examples of settings that should be right in your home or office.

That's it. You're finished. The programme will run in the background, monitoring the time and gently making the right changes to your monitor each morning and early evening. It uses negligible memory and never _ by which I actually mean ''never'' _ intrudes in any way in your computing.

There is a system tray icon down near the clock in case you want to make further changes.

If this intrigues you at all, have a look at f.lux first of all _ for Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone and Linux. The home page is (stereopsis.com/flux)

There is a cruder application for the Mac only, called Shady. It provides keyboard controls so you can increase or decrease the brightness of your screen manually.

It's well designed, and dims the Dock and Menu bar as well as the screen area itself. You can get it at the iTunes store (goo.gl/dKmuE).

There are also numerous applications available which keep track of the time or even your keyboard activity and advise you to stop and rest your eyes for a while, and we will look at them another day.

Email: wandasloan@gmail.com