8 ms·

In college I had some back problems, so I improvised (an incredibly unwise) lay-down desk by putting my monitor face down on two chairs and just lying with my f

In college I had some back problems, so I improvised (an incredibly unwise) lay-down desk by putting my monitor face down on two chairs and just lying with my face underneath it. This was a heavy CRT, not a modern LCD monitor. (Did I mention this being incredibly unwise...?)

xuhu 6y ago
I suspended a kindle over my bed on two 2-meter rails used for reinforcing wall edges. Best reading I did while recovering from leg injuries, but risky as you mentioned.
- Topgamer7 6y ago
  I 3d printed the rather popular clamping system from thingiverse. Worked pretty well until it broke.
- emerongi 6y ago
  In a small apartment I used to rent, there was a rod for hanging clothes over the bed. I didn't use the rod, so I just hung a tablet from the rod and watched movies in bed. It's a very comfortable position to be in, don't have to strain your neck.
- finnh 6y ago
  If you miss that relaxation, try out some prism glasses. Great for zero-next-strain reading while supine.
- zwayhowder 6y ago
  I have a cantilevered tablet holder over my bed, it can hold a Kindle or iPad without effort and has both clamps and an elastic cord to retain them. Then for ultimate convenience (laziness) I connected a bluetooth presentation clicker to my iPad to turn the pages for me so I didn't have to keep reaching up or take my arms out from under the blanket on cold nights. In two years it's never dropped.
  - timeinput 6y ago
    That sounds amazing. Is there a way to use the clicker with the kindle?
    - xuhu 6y ago
      Yes, it's called KindleLazy.
  - aasasd 6y ago
    > or take my arms out from under the blanket on cold nights I keep thinking of assembling about the same thing, but missed the warm-blanket factor. Now I definitely must do it.
- AngryData 6y ago
  I just hang mine with a long string and adjustable friction knots for tilt. The downside is it can still spin but my non-ideal fix is to throw a heavier shoelace string off to the side and move it as needed.
ssully 6y ago
Did it ever drop? Sounds about 20 times worse then dropping your phone on your face when laying in bed.
- philipdavis 6y ago
  A phone is usually less than 200g, a CRT monitor can easily be >10kg, so at least 50 times worse
  - epidemian 6y ago
    And damage does not scale linearly. I'd much rather have 50 200g rocks falling on my head than a single 10kg rock :)
    - foobarian 6y ago
      And with a CRT you can also have the tube implode, and then you get 1000s of 1g sharp glass shards in your face.
      - natmaka 6y ago
        Then the EHT (extra-high tension, ~25kV) module lands in what was your face. 'Incredibly unwise' seems sound!
    - skrebbel 6y ago
      > And damage does not scale linearly. This must be today's "most HN" comment.
      - slingnow 6y ago
        Saying something obviously true makes it the "most HN" comment?
        zbentley 6y ago
        This may be today's "Most HN" reply...
mellavora 6y ago
Damocles, is that you?
- abakker 6y ago
  the CRT of Damocles just doesn't have the same ring to it.
- cma 6y ago
  Similar risks with this early VR headset: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sword_of_Damocles_(virtual_reality) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sword_of_Damocles_(virtual...
SilasX 6y ago
One thing that could make it easier to set these up is prism glasses, which have mirrors so that when you look forward, you're seeing your toes. I use them for reading in bed, although sites do everything in their power to make landscape mode on mobile phones unusable.
- mangamadaiyan 6y ago
  Interesting, are these like belay glasses, but with the prisms turned around?
  - SilasX 6y ago
    I had to look that up, but yes that looks correct. Except that, from the diagram, it bends your view by less than a right angle. Opposite vertical direction though. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belay_glasses https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belay_glasses
- finnh 6y ago
  me too! I've recommended them to so many people at this point (including another commenter upthread). kindle landscape mode is great for prism glasses, just at the upper bound of what their vertical FOV can hold.
ChrisMarshallNY 6y ago
Laying down is not a good thing for my back. I can't even sit with my feet up (AKA "in a recliner"). I have a standing desk that earns me a closed cyan ring every day. Cool project, but would not be one that I would use.
- colordrops 6y ago
  > closed cyan ring Is this referring to some tracking software?
  - LolWolf 6y ago
    My guess is an Apple Watch? (My girlfriend has one and iirc it has a cyan ring, but not 100% sure.)
    - ChrisMarshallNY 6y ago
      Yes. Apple Watch. The "Stand" ring is cyan.
saalweachter 6y ago
I used a recliner under a loft bed with some chains (connected by bolts) making a harness around my CRTs.

xuhu 6y ago

I suspended a kindle over my bed on two 2-meter rails used for reinforcing wall edges. Best reading I did while recovering from leg injuries, but risky as you mentioned.

Topgamer7 6y ago
I 3d printed the rather popular clamping system from thingiverse. Worked pretty well until it broke.
emerongi 6y ago
In a small apartment I used to rent, there was a rod for hanging clothes over the bed. I didn't use the rod, so I just hung a tablet from the rod and watched movies in bed. It's a very comfortable position to be in, don't have to strain your neck.
finnh 6y ago
If you miss that relaxation, try out some prism glasses. Great for zero-next-strain reading while supine.
zwayhowder 6y ago
I have a cantilevered tablet holder over my bed, it can hold a Kindle or iPad without effort and has both clamps and an elastic cord to retain them. Then for ultimate convenience (laziness) I connected a bluetooth presentation clicker to my iPad to turn the pages for me so I didn't have to keep reaching up or take my arms out from under the blanket on cold nights. In two years it's never dropped.
- timeinput 6y ago
  That sounds amazing. Is there a way to use the clicker with the kindle?
  - xuhu 6y ago
    Yes, it's called KindleLazy.
- aasasd 6y ago
  > or take my arms out from under the blanket on cold nights I keep thinking of assembling about the same thing, but missed the warm-blanket factor. Now I definitely must do it.
AngryData 6y ago
I just hang mine with a long string and adjustable friction knots for tilt. The downside is it can still spin but my non-ideal fix is to throw a heavier shoelace string off to the side and move it as needed.

ssully 6y ago

Did it ever drop? Sounds about 20 times worse then dropping your phone on your face when laying in bed.

philipdavis 6y ago
A phone is usually less than 200g, a CRT monitor can easily be >10kg, so at least 50 times worse
- epidemian 6y ago
  And damage does not scale linearly. I'd much rather have 50 200g rocks falling on my head than a single 10kg rock :)
  - foobarian 6y ago
    And with a CRT you can also have the tube implode, and then you get 1000s of 1g sharp glass shards in your face.
    - natmaka 6y ago
      Then the EHT (extra-high tension, ~25kV) module lands in what was your face. 'Incredibly unwise' seems sound!
  - skrebbel 6y ago
    > And damage does not scale linearly. This must be today's "most HN" comment.
    - slingnow 6y ago
      Saying something obviously true makes it the "most HN" comment?
      - zbentley 6y ago
        This may be today's "Most HN" reply...

mellavora 6y ago

Damocles, is that you?

abakker 6y ago
the CRT of Damocles just doesn't have the same ring to it.
cma 6y ago
Similar risks with this early VR headset: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sword_of_Damocles_(virtual_reality) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sword_of_Damocles_(virtual...

SilasX 6y ago

One thing that could make it easier to set these up is prism glasses, which have mirrors so that when you look forward, you're seeing your toes. I use them for reading in bed, although sites do everything in their power to make landscape mode on mobile phones unusable.

mangamadaiyan 6y ago
Interesting, are these like belay glasses, but with the prisms turned around?
- SilasX 6y ago
  I had to look that up, but yes that looks correct. Except that, from the diagram, it bends your view by less than a right angle. Opposite vertical direction though. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belay_glasses https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belay_glasses
finnh 6y ago
me too! I've recommended them to so many people at this point (including another commenter upthread). kindle landscape mode is great for prism glasses, just at the upper bound of what their vertical FOV can hold.

ChrisMarshallNY 6y ago

Laying down is not a good thing for my back. I can't even sit with my feet up (AKA "in a recliner"). I have a standing desk that earns me a closed cyan ring every day. Cool project, but would not be one that I would use.

colordrops 6y ago
> closed cyan ring Is this referring to some tracking software?
- LolWolf 6y ago
  My guess is an Apple Watch? (My girlfriend has one and iirc it has a cyan ring, but not 100% sure.)
  - ChrisMarshallNY 6y ago
    Yes. Apple Watch. The "Stand" ring is cyan.

saalweachter 6y ago

I used a recliner under a loft bed with some chains (connected by bolts) making a harness around my CRTs.