Type in Morse code by repeatedly slamming your laptop shut

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

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.