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It's not the luminance of the light that's a problem, it's the colour. White light contains a lot of blue, which is associated with melatonin suppression that i

It's not the luminance of the light that's a problem, it's the colour. White light contains a lot of blue, which is associated with melatonin suppression that in turn throws out sleeping patterns[1]. This problem remains even with very dim light sources. The alternative therefore is to use LEDs with a lower colour temperature[2], producing the kind of orange light associated with flames and traditional incandescent lights, which people have been using to read by for centuries. This isn't obscure or novel science, it's something the Amazon product team should know, or at least discover through basic research into their chosen field. The fact that they haven't backs the article author's suggestion that they're incompetent or uncaring about the quality of their product. [1] http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has... [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_temperature http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_temperature

cthalupa 12y ago
While the colour is the main factor, the lux probably matters as well. Your article there specifically mentions eight lux, or twice the brightness of a night light. Would a faint light at four lux also have an affect? The articles don't seem clear. I don't have a measurement handy for the lux on a kindle at the dimmest setting, nor can I find any details on if brighter lights have a more pronounced affect on melatonin suppression. The thing is no matter what, this is still assuming that your preferred method of reading is the right one. Some people do not like the look of orange lights - personally I hate incandescents, and have been using CFLs and LEDs putting out white light for a long time now. Perhaps using said lighting directly inside the kindle looks particularly bad. Perhaps they assumed people want to stay awake while reading. Making a design decision you don't agree with means they made a design decision you don't agree with - not that they don't care or are incompetent.
cwyers 12y ago
Considering that they have a model called the Kindle Paperwhite, I am assuming that the use of white light is a deliberate design decision on their part, not an accident.

cthalupa 12y ago

While the colour is the main factor, the lux probably matters as well. Your article there specifically mentions eight lux, or twice the brightness of a night light. Would a faint light at four lux also have an affect? The articles don't seem clear. I don't have a measurement handy for the lux on a kindle at the dimmest setting, nor can I find any details on if brighter lights have a more pronounced affect on melatonin suppression. The thing is no matter what, this is still assuming that your preferred method of reading is the right one. Some people do not like the look of orange lights - personally I hate incandescents, and have been using CFLs and LEDs putting out white light for a long time now. Perhaps using said lighting directly inside the kindle looks particularly bad. Perhaps they assumed people want to stay awake while reading. Making a design decision you don't agree with means they made a design decision you don't agree with - not that they don't care or are incompetent.

cwyers 12y ago

Considering that they have a model called the Kindle Paperwhite, I am assuming that the use of white light is a deliberate design decision on their part, not an accident.