Type in Morse code by repeatedly slamming your laptop shut
A tongue‑in‑cheek open source project lets users type Morse code by repeatedly closing their laptop lid, treating the hinge sensor as an input device. Commenters applaud the creativity and “old‑school hacker” spirit while joking about destroyed hinges, reminiscing about ThinkPads and prior motion‑ or LED‑based hacks, and linking it to fictional covert Morse‑code input methods in books like *Cryptonomicon*. The overall sentiment is that it’s a gloriously impractical but well‑executed example of playful hardware experimentation.
Overall Reaction & Humor
- Many commenters find the project hilarious and emblematic of “classic hacker” spirit: clever, pointless, but well-executed.
- The absurdity of encoding Morse by slamming a laptop shut is celebrated as “peak” content and “what the internet is for.”
- Several riff on marketing copy like “battle-tested encoding,” enjoying how technically true yet deeply missing the point it is.
Hardware Durability & Practicality
- Strong skepticism about hinge and display-cable longevity; repeated slamming is expected to quickly destroy hinges and wiring.
- Some note that ThinkPad hinges are particularly robust and might fare better, though others say modern build quality in general makes this risky.
- A few argue actual slamming is unnecessary; a gentle “just-closed” tap would also trigger the sensor.
Related Hacks, Sensors & Nostalgia
- Comparisons to XKCD’s “spacebar heating,” HDD-slap gestures (Smackbook), and motion sensors originally meant to protect spinning disks.
- Mention of older ThinkPad accelerometer hacks like “knockage” and other lid/HDAPS tricks.
- Nostalgia for ThinkPad TrackPoints, with mixed views on modern implementations.
Morse Code, Covert Communication & Fiction
- Multiple references to Cryptonomicon: characters using Morse on keyboard keys and LEDs to evade screen/EM spying.
- This spawns a long subthread reviewing that novel and others by the same author: praised as witty, technical, and influential but often overlong, with divisive or weak endings.
- Readers trade recommendations for similar tech-heavy fiction and discuss which titles aged well or feel dated/clichéd now.
Alternative Input Methods & Extensions
- Suggestions to use microphones (detect taps), webcams (dark/light from lid), touchpads, or accelerometers instead of hinges.
- Jokes about nose-, forehead-, nipple-, or head-tap input; some people already use noses for watch/phone interaction.
- Ideas for Morse over car brakes or horns to express road rage or courtesy, highlighting the limits of current in-car signaling.
HN Meta & Thread Mechanics
- One subthread explains the “second-chance pool,” clarifying why the post appears with two different timestamps.
- Several commenters express appreciation for seeing an “old-style” hardware/novelty hack on the front page.