This idea is largely unapplicable to most (since it is rare to find people who still process their own film (professionals aside)... however, for students who have to work in a "gang darkroom" or even a private darkroom, it is almost an absolute truth that you will receive a call as you are placing freshley exposed paper into developer... instinctively, you grab for the cell phone, flip it open, only to get the collective "UUUUUGGGHH." Groans all around, for fogging everyone's paper (including your own). I propose a filter to cover the face of the phone (similar to the coating of a safelight, it doesn't necessarily have to be red, either). It could look like one of those tacky cell- phone covers that were popular a year ago, only this one would go over the inside of your phone, and serve a functional purpose. Like I said, not for everyone, but I actually did this today and felt really bad, wishing I had a safelight installed onto the face of my phone. (Could everyone just ignore, if only for a little while, the obvious "don't pick up your phone in the darkroom" or "just hit the silent button" comments, let's think illogically, if only for a little while.-- iso400, Feb 09 2005 Wow. Talk about a niche market.-- bristolz, Feb 09 2005 Safe yellow LED backlighting?
I think I've seen some cellphones with interchangeable keypads which include the lighting. If those exist, maybe this would be easily done. I guess you might still have to deal with the display backlight separately though.-- half, Feb 09 2005 Logically, If you don't know (or forget) to not answer your phone, how are you going to know to buy a phone with a feature to keep you from causing the problem you don't know (forgot) about?
To me this just restates what I've always thought. Cell phones are the problem, not the lack of features on them. Strangely enough generations of students got through school without phones in their pockets.....-- Giblet, Feb 09 2005 ...And they walked to and from school, uphill both ways, barefoot and in the snow.-- bristolz, Feb 09 2005 [ resisted. ]-- changokun, Feb 09 2005 random, halfbakery