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IMorse Icon

 Pulsing Morse code icons for instant messengers
  (+5, -1)
(+5, -1) 		  [vote for,
against]

This idea is for a new feature, affecting the icons (and/or the toolbar boxes) of instant messenger programs like Yahoo Messenger.

If you've minimised or closed the main window, then when a new instant message is received, the 'smiley face' Yahoo Messenger icon on the right of your taskbar would start to flash out the message in Morse code. Before flashing the message itself, it would flash the user ID of the person sending the message.

This would be handy for people who like to chat via instant messages while at work. They can keep the program itself minimised, but still read incoming messages. Plus, learning Morse code might possibly help them if they later become lost at sea.

You can adjust the strength of the pulses (subtle or bright) and choose the speed to suit your Morse code reading speed. Even those who are terrible at reading Morse code could probably still recognise the pattern of flashes that corresponds to a particular friend, helping them decide whether or not to interrupt their work to read the message.

—imaginality, Oct 26 2006

Morse code beats text messaging http://www.signonsa...ws_mz1b27morse.html
Somewhat off-topic, but interesting [imaginality, Oct 26 2006]

Learn Morse code http://www.learnmorsecode.com/
An easy way to learn Morse code [imaginality, Oct 26 2006]

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       --- .-. / .--- ..- ... - / .... .- ...- . / - .... . / .. -.-. --- -. / -.. .. ... .--. .-.. .- -.-- / - .... . / -- . ... ... .- --. . / .. -. / ... -.-. .-. --- .-.. .-.. .. -. --. / - . -..- -
—omegatron, Oct 26 2006
   

       True, but that's altogether too simple and sensible. Also, this way, your boss looking over your shoulder might see the icon pulsing, but doesn't know you're reading the message while pretending to listen to his ramblings.
—imaginality, Oct 26 2006
   

       An interesting endeavour.
—calum, Oct 26 2006
   

       + Morse is so underutilized these days.
—Shz, Oct 26 2006
   

       I'm not sure I would ever be able to take in morse subliminally. Cute idea, though.
—st3f, Oct 26 2006
   

       Awesome idea!   

       This could even be extended to the simulation of apparent "dead pixels" on your screen, which in reality inform you of which friends are contacting you.
—phundug, Oct 26 2006
   

       Why restrict it to only an icon or some dead pixels? Let all the pixels on the screen send out information in Morse to you. Much more efficient use of your screen, no huge plasmatrons wasting our natural resources!   

       With this kind of information compression you can watch an entire feature film in a few minutes on the screen of your cell phone.   

       You just need some training in understanding Morse-code and translating it to ordinary colored pixels. But I am told the human brain is quite adaptive.
—rrr, Dec 12 2006
   

       If that guy in 'Matrix' can do it... ;-)
—imaginality, Dec 12 2006
   


 

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