f.lux is a medical NECESSITY...Why won't Apple approve?

[Patrick J]

1. Use plain red LED's for illumination at night. It'll surely won't cause insomnia but you'll still be able to move around even at night.

I've chosen red LED bulbs after careful examination so than I can be sure they don't flicker at twice the line frequency. (All my home lights are high-quality, expensive, high-CR LED's with no flicker and an absolutely beautiful light.)

2. Nevertheless, what I've written about CRT's vs. white LED backlit LCD's is right - it's the huge blue peak in the spectrum of these kinds of LCD's that causes the most problems, even compared to CRT's.

I make extensive use of Philip's LED bulbs, including lines of their home illumination series, because of the advantages of this system: ease of a remote control to control home lighting and a complete spectrum of "colors" (there are only 3 bulbs in the lamps, the resulting color being a mixture results in unsatisfactory Green and Violet colors): the pure red color is in use every evening after sunset. I just wonder what the neighbors think

F.lux is on my laptop, and until recently on both my iOS6 devices. I upgraded due to the attractive new features, but a temperate adjustment for iOS 7 as provided by f.lux app is sorely missing in my opinion.

 

[Menneisyys2]

I make extensive use of Philip's LED bulbs, including lines of their home illumination series, because of the advantages of this system: ease of a remote control to control home lighting and a complete spectrum of "colors" (there are only 3 bulbs in the lamps, the resulting color being a mixture results in unsatisfactory Green and Violet colors): the pure red color is in use every evening after sunset. I just wonder what the neighbors think

Cool I've "only" tested their "yellow, huge bulb" series (the EnduraLED series). They turned out to be pretty poor for my taste, CRI-wise, as they don't have a separate red emitter to make them emit strongly in the red spectrum area too. (Unfortunately, their latest 22/100W model, SKU 423525, still only has a CRI of 80... It's just not warm enough for me because of the lack in the red spectrum.)

Finally, for generic lighting, I've went for LedON's (an Austrian company; their products are generally only sold in Europe) dimmable, CRI > 90 bulbs. These have separate, additional red LED's and, consequently, their light is gorgeous - the closest to incandescent bulbs. They don't flicker, unlike many other LED bulbs (particularly the non-dimmable and/or cheaper ones). For additional, remote controllable lights I only switch on when needing as much light as possible, I use $20 / each Chinese bulbs. These don't flicker either (at max. brightness) but, of course, have a significantly lower CRI. (You get what you pay for.)

Here's a shot of some of these in action at home, as overhead light, with the three remote controllable bulbs also switched on; from my "Exposure Compensation and Bracketing Bible" at https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1621351/ :

(original image on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33448355@N07/9480149445/in/set-72157635018646118 )

This shot, BTW, also shows the LedON bulb (the biggest one in the background) has a significantly more red light than the other three (warm) bulbs, thanks to the separate red emitter.

 

[MBHockey]

I have flux, a light filter app only available in Cydia, installed on my jailbroken iPhone and iPad. This app is literally a life saver for me because I suffer from a sleep disorder that has previously wreaked havoc on my health. My job requires me to work long hours, and before f.lux I was only able to sleep 3-5 hours every night. Now I'm getting 7-8 hours of sleep thanks to this amazing little app.

What I do not understand is why Apple won't allow such an app in their App Store. This app is a medical necessity for the many people out there with sleep disorders (many undiagnosed). Is there a way we can petition Apple to approve this App? Apple's App Store rules are draconian, and it's time for change.

Until then, I'm stuck using iOS 6...and donating large sums of money to the jailbreaking community!


more on dangers of light pollution:

http://www.ama-assn.org/resources/doc/csaph/a12-csaph4-lightpollution-summary.pdf

flux website:
http://justgetflux.com/research.html

Holy uninformed overgeneralization batman!

 

[joejoejoe]

At first I kind of scoffed at your post. Flux uses APIs that are dangerous to let loose on developers, and goes against all the rules that make the app store smooth, easy and safe.

All that said, I checked out Flux's website, downloaded the app on my work iMac and love it. Really makes a great difference. Thank you!

 

[Menneisyys2]

Holy uninformed overgeneralization batman!

Please read the entire thread, particularly my posts on the spectrum of white LED's, before making such uninformed posts.

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Flux uses APIs that are dangerous to let loose on developers, and goes against all the rules that make the app store smooth, easy and safe.

It MAY do when not in the right hands. In practice, however, f.lux has been working flawlessly on all my JB'n iPads. I've even thoroughly tested its CPU usage (via "ps" and "top", see THIS) and found it doesn't have excess CPU usage, not even with auto-setting enabled. That is, it certainly doesn't slow down the device.

All in all, it'd be Apple's task to give us something similar baked into iOS. f.lux has long (for years) been one of the most popular JB tweaks so they're surely aware of its importance.

 

[Alundra]

One of the main reasons I jailbreak my ipads is because of f.lux. ios 7 needs it asap

 

[Unhyper]

I love Flux. My eyes love Flux.

 

[dontpannic]

Yes yes, I completely agree. Due to health concerns, people should be punished by not using electronics, because the alternative - opening up an API - would inconvenience Apple more than it would inconvenience the user. Uh huh. Gotta love how Apple is always looking out for the consumer, right?

So because a minority of users have trouble with screens you expect Apple to break convention to put this in? It's not a simple API.

If you have genuine health concerns which have been backed up and verified by a competent doctor, then the advice will be to not look at screens at all to go along with guidance. No doctor is going to recommend on medical advice that you need to install this particular application because it helps. They'd recommend to not use the device at all. flux isn't a cure, it's an aid.

And screens have changed immensely in the past couple years, from CCLF backlit LCD's to LED backlit LCD's to AMOLED and IGZO. The 20 years prior, you have CRT monitors that could easily be dimmed or color adjusted to whatever you wanted.

So? The advice would always be the same, it doesn't matter if you're using a CRT or a Google Glass. If you're having problems with sleep directly related to using gadgets before bed, you shouldn't be using them. End of.

And explain to me why 2 wrongs make a right? Besides, it's not like Microsoft even supports Windows Mobile anymore, and Android has something similar to F.lux.

Android has something similar to flux yes, but it's crap. It doesn't work, and isn't recommended for certain types of screen. Microsoft does support Windows Phone at the moment.

Two wrongs certainly don't make a right, however if it truly is a medical necessity, we'd see it on all three platforms, under advice from the medical profession - not someone upset that they can't have an unjailbroken device and use it before bed.

 

[gotluck]

Apple should make an exception for f.lux or integrate it into the OS

 

[C DM]

So because a minority of users have trouble with screens you expect Apple to break convention to put this in? It's not a simple API.

If you have genuine health concerns which have been backed up and verified by a competent doctor, then the advice will be to not look at screens at all to go along with guidance. No doctor is going to recommend on medical advice that you need to install this particular application because it helps. They'd recommend to not use the device at all. flux isn't a cure, it's an aid.

It would be an accessibility option. The overall number of blind, deaf, or users with some other things that affect them is also a minority compared to all those who don't need any accessibility assistance, yet there are dozens of accessibility options that are present. Heck, even those experiencing vertigo-like effects from more pronounced default animations in iOS 7 are likely a tiny minority and yet Apple released an update to address their needs. Certainly shoots that "argument" completely out of the water.

And, of course doctors recommend various tips and aids quite often rather than simply saying cut something out entirely. It's not always the case, but when practical and when not dealing with something exactly life-threatening, it happens fairly often.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

C DM pretty much said what I would have said, and in a more elegant way, so I'll leave it at that. But I do want to address one point.

If you have genuine health concerns which have been backed up and verified by a competent doctor, then the advice will be to not look at screens at all to go along with guidance. No doctor is going to recommend on medical advice that you need to install this particular application because it helps. They'd recommend to not use the device at all. flux isn't a cure, it's an aid.

Blind people can use screen readers, so there's definitely a precedent for specific applications for specific medical issues.

More importantly though, there are studies that demonstrate that seeing a blue tinted light for mere seconds can prevent even a perfectly healthy person from having as restful of a sleep as they otherwise would have. If you are overly sensitive to blue light before bedtime, a doctor would tell you to do 1 of 2 things: 1) don't use a screen a few hours before bed, or 2) don't use a screen with any blue in it. In this circumstance, f.lux is in fact a cure, not an aid.

 

[PNutts]

I assumed there was a third party solution and did a quick Google and found SleepShield screen filters. US$19 for an iPhone 5.

And of course Amazon.

After more research I'm not comfortable with the Sleep Shield claims and the glasses may be more for UV. A later post in this thread has a Amazon link for a better product and for iPhones here's a link to a better product at lowbluelights.com.

Edit: This post is OT and simply an effort to immediately help anyone affected by this. I am not defending Apple's decision to not allow f.lux nor include a similar feature in iOS.

 

[MBHockey]

Please read the entire thread, particularly my posts on the spectrum of white LED's, before making such uninformed posts.

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It MAY do when not in the right hands. In practice, however, f.lux has been working flawlessly on all my JB'n iPads. I've even thoroughly tested its CPU usage (via "ps" and "top", see THIS) and found it doesn't have excess CPU usage, not even with auto-setting enabled. That is, it certainly doesn't slow down the device.

All in all, it'd be Apple's task to give us something similar baked into iOS. f.lux has long (for years) been one of the most popular JB tweaks so they're surely aware of its importance.

I read your OP. You are not a medical professional. Stop it. You may very well like this application but that doesn't make it a "medical necessity".

 

[Menneisyys2]

So because a minority of users have trouble with screens you expect Apple to break convention to put this in? It's not a simple API.

1, how do you know it's only a minority of users that are adversely affected by intense blue light? Again, we're speaking of white LED's, which, as I've proved in #48, have a very strong peak in the blue region of the spectrum, making this problem hugely acute with all white LED-backlit screens, including all iDevices.

2, I guarantee you the more people try f.lux, the more people demand it. It's so great and really helps in avoiding insomnia. Ordinary people just don't know of f.lux (or similar solutions); this is why there isn't an even bigger demand for it.

No doctor is going to recommend on medical advice that you need to install this particular application because it helps. They'd recommend to not use the device at all. flux isn't a cure, it's an aid.

BS. Does f.lux, by applying a low-pass filter to the entire screen, make the spectrum almost fully devoid of blue light components? It does, and by this, it does help avoiding insomnia. That is, your entire point is false.

Android has something similar to flux yes, but it's crap. It doesn't work, and isn't recommended for certain types of screen.

Uninformed BS. As I've explained in #46, there are many working (!!), root-less (!!!!!) f.lux-alikes in Google Play. On my non-rooted Nexus 7 2013 running unmodified, stock Android 4.3, both "EasyEyez" and "Good Sleep" work just fine.


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I assumed there was a third party solution and did a quick Google and found SleepShield screen filters. US$19 for an iPhone 5.

And of course Amazon.

Well, as a last resort, they'd work. They're pretty awkward compared to a "clean", software-only solution, though.

 

[C DM]

I read your OP. You are not a medical professional. Stop it. You may very well like this application but that doesn't make it a "medical necessity".

For some, something like what the app provides might make it pretty much a necessity based on their physiology/lifestyle/etc. Is there any point to arguing that given that no one can speak for anyone else aside from that person themselves? And especially when already existing and fairly straightforward solutions exist, just basically not allowed simply for business/policy reasons, and aren't provided natively even though they could be (perhaps if people talk about it all some more). Those who don't need it, or don't even care about it (or don't even know about it) simply won't need to use it, like many don't use screen readers, or zoom abilities, or color inverting, despite all of that being available to everyone natively.

 

[Parise]

The amount of people in here bashing those asking for this to be included as a feature is mind boggling.

I really would like to know, how exactly does this feature negatively affect you? Good lord this crowd is quite hateful at times.

 

[Menneisyys2]

The amount of people in here bashing those asking for this to be included as a feature is mind boggling.

I really would like to know, how exactly does this feature negatively affect you? Good lord this crowd is quite hateful at times.

Their behaviour is typical for Apple fanboys. They'd also be the first to praise Apple, should the latter allow for / themselves implement f.lux.

We've seen this many times during the existence of iPhone OS / iOS - see for example the history of copy/paste. Exactly the same happened: a lot of die-hard fanboys claiming copy/paste isn't at all necessary and, then, taking a 180 degree turn when Apple, finally, introduced it to the OS.

 

[dontpannic]

And, of course doctors recommend various tips and aids quite often rather than simply saying cut something out entirely. It's not always the case, but when practical and when not dealing with something exactly life-threatening, it happens fairly often.

Just going to leave this here.

There's plenty of advice out there, along these lines:
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Health_Letter/2012/May/blue-light-has-a-dark-side/

What you can do

Use dim red lights for night lights. Red light has the least power to shift circadian rhythm and suppress melatonin.

Avoid looking at bright screens beginning two to three hours before bed.

If you work a night shift or use a lot of electronic devices at night, consider wearing blue-blocking glasses.

Expose yourself to lots of bright light during the day, which will boost your ability to sleep at night, as well as your mood and alertness during daylight.

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Their behaviour is typical for Apple fanboys. They'd also be the first to praise Apple, should the latter allow for / themselves implement f.lux.

We've seen this many times during the existence of iPhone OS / iOS - see for example the history of copy/paste. Exactly the same happened: a lot of die-hard fanboys claiming copy/paste isn't at all necessary and, then, taking a 180 degree turn when Apple, finally, introduced it to the OS.

Not quite, I use a Galaxy S4. I traded in my iPhone a few months back. I just don't think its as big a problem as the OP is making out, and instead of installing software on the devices affecting you, there are medical glasses which are specifically designed to help with this problem for ALL situations.

 

[dejo]

We've seen this many times during the existence of iPhone OS / iOS - see for example the history of copy/paste. Exactly the same happened: a lot of die-hard fanboys claiming copy/paste isn't at all necessary and, then, taking a 180 degree turn when Apple, finally, introduced it to the OS.

If you can cite one example of a member that flip-flopped over copy/paste (or any other previously-decried feature), please do so. Otherwise, you are just conflating two different groups of people.

P.S. I agree. Adding this feature to the Accessibility settings would be reasonable. Given how much Apple taunts Accessibility, it would seem like the proper response.

 

[hafr]

Just going to leave this here.

There's plenty of advice out there, along these lines:
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Health_Letter/2012/May/blue-light-has-a-dark-side/



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Not quite, I use a Galaxy S4. I traded in my iPhone a few months back. I just don't think its as big a problem as the OP is making out, and instead of installing software on the devices affecting you, there are medical glasses which are specifically designed to help with this problem for ALL situations.

"You're holding it wrong" became "you're using it at the wrong time"...

The thing is, this affects EVERYONE who uses these screens close to bedtime, some more than others, and most people under say 50 will be so used to it they don't even notice anymore. It has become the new normal.

The creators of f.lux have proven that there is a super simple solution to a very widespread problem that has a negative effect on a lot of people (yes, even you). To defend Apple's choice not to implement this by suggesting that one could purchase special glasses or not use iDevices after 8pm is simply ridiculous.

What you're saying makes me believe you've never even tried f.lux either on iDevices or your computer. Why don't you install it and give it a few days? See what you think.

(I'm currently on 3 600 K and the computer screen looks normal to me. I'm in a fully lit room. When switching back to normal, 6 500 K which I'm working with all day, every day, it literally hurts my eyes because it's so sharp.)

 

[Menneisyys2]

instead of installing software on the devices affecting you, there are medical glasses which are specifically designed to help with this problem for ALL situations.

It's, as with always putting on a yellow filter in the evening / night on the screen, is a much-much more awkward solution than installing an app that can even be configured to automatically make the screen yellower (=filter out the blue components). There is simply no comparison between the awkwardness of the two approaches.

Let me point out again: f.lux has long been one of the top JB tools for years. It has always been in every single "Top 10 JB tools" type of article / roundup / voting for more than one year. Given that every single white (non-RGB) LED-backlit screen (=all iDevice screens) suffer from the same problem as all other white LED-backlit screens (the major blue component peak in the spectrum) and the insomnia problem being commonly known, Apple

- should have added this function to the stock OS, in Accessibility

- or, alternatively, should have provided a way to do this from a third-party app without any kind of JB'ing / rooting / hacking, as has Google.

It's infuriating to know that if I purchase a new Air now / Mini 2 when it becomes available, I may end up having to wait for a JB for months (if it's ever released) in order to be able to use it as conveniently as my JB'n, f.lux'ed iPad 4. I may even stick with the iPad 4 until (if...) the JB becomes available because I just couldn't use anything in the evening / night when I could have a much nicer screen, even if in a somewhat slower and heavier device (the iPad4).

Apple should understand the fact that Android has perfectly working f.lux-alikes out of the box and so do Windows Pro 8 (with those extremely low-priced, new Atom tablets) while Apple continuusly refuses to provide us with something similar and also make it almost impossible for us to JB, more and more people will leave iOS for those two other OS'es. (I'm also contemplating purchasing the Dell Venue 11 Pro when it's released so that I have f.lux (and the whole arsenal of x86 apps, even with decent, true digitizer and microSD support - the two are also sorely missing from iPads) right after unpacking the device.)

 

[asleep]

Apple should make an exception for f.lux or integrate it into the OS

Yeah, just integrate it. No biggie, and it helps people who live in front of screens.

 

[dejo]

Let me point out again: f.lux has long been one of the top JB tools for years. It has always been in every single "Top 10 JB tools" type of article / roundup / voting for more than one year.

How come it's not on this list then?: The best jailbreak apps in Cydia

There's really no need for excessive hyperbole in order to make your point.

 

[Menneisyys2]

How come it's not on this list then?: The best jailbreak apps in Cydia

There's really no need for excessive hyperbole in order to make your point.

OK, you have a point there - not "every single". "Most", then.

BTW, I'm not sure the GizMag folks know as much about jailbreak tweaks as regulars here at the Hacks forum of MR. I'm pretty sure they aren't as avid tweakers as, say, BumpyFlatline, dhlizard (some of the most known Hacks forum regulars) etc.

Just run a search for "f.lux" at https://forums.macrumors.com/forums/105/

Just an example:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1621169/

It's worth counting how many times f.lux is described as essential. And that was only one of the many "list your fav tweaks" threads.

EDIT: I've just realized the above thread also has a post by BumpyFlatline himself:

"Flux is arguably my all time favorite tweak. Whenever I use a device without flux late at night, I am quickly reminded of flux's greatness. It's easy to forget its impact. "

(link)

 

[dejo]

2. Even in the non-tweaker community (that is, regular websites) f.lux has several times been included in top 10 lists.

That's a different argument than your previous "has always been in every single" argument. I think you should've started with that.