Summer is magical. You get plenty of sunlight, vitamin D, and positive vibes. However, it’s not all just pros in summer—the season has some cons, too. Like the fact that… you get plenty of sunlight. And that messes up your ability to work outdoors on your laptop (just like magic messes up electronics at Hogwarts).

Fortunately, someone came up with an easy and obvious solution to the issue that’s mucking up some people’s ability to work in nature while some of us are still working away from the office. LinkedIn user Tom Wood shared his cardboard box hack in a tongue-in-cheek post and people loved it so much, they shared photos of themselves applying the hack, too. A lot of people came up with this hack independently of Tom as well. You take your laptop and you put it into any cardboard box which creates cover from sunlight. And… [drumroll] no more squinting. It’s really as simple as that! But who said that the best solutions have to be ultra-complicated, right, dear Pandas?

Tom told Bored Panda about what inspired him to make the post in the first place. “I was enjoying the beautiful sunshine and didn’t want to waste it by sitting inside, so I was trying to work out a way of being able to sit in the sun and work at the same time. I didn’t want to sit under an umbrella or in the shade, so I thought… I know, I’ll put the laptop in the shade. I found the perfect sized box and the rest is history.” Read on down for the rest of our interview with Tom and to hear his thoughts about what lessons the pandemic has taught us about working from home.

More info: LinkedIn | EvansDenham.com

Tom Wood posted a tongue-in-cheek hack for how to shield your laptop from the sun when you’re working outside

Image credits: Tom Wood

Tom told us that he never expected his post to get so much attention online. “I thought a few people might enjoy, definitely not 2.3 million.”

We were also interested to find out what Tom though the coronavirus quarantine taught us all about working from home. “Coronavirus has taught us that working from home is absolutely possible and has actually forced the hand of a lot of businesses who resisted the move. With the modern technology we have available and a focus on happiness at work and work-life balance, working from home should be much more common and much more accepted.”

He continued: “It amazed me how so many companies weren’t set up for this and didn’t have the solutions in place. There has definitely been an increase in productivity and I am sure a decrease in work-related stresses over the last 3 months, not to mention the decrease in pollution in relation to fewer people traveling.”

Tom believes that a lot of companies are rushing to get their employees back to the office because a lot of them are “stuck in the dark ages and are run by narcissistic controlling managers who cannot bear to not be in charge.”

He added that a lot of companies and owners need to feel in control and have power over their employees. “When they are remote, they lose this power and they hate it. Companies that manage by input and not output are the ones that will want their people back in the office.”

People loved the hack so much, they posted photos of themselves using the cardboard box hack

Some people said that they came up with the idea all on their own

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Some people got creative and had to think outside the box to shield their electronics from sunlight

Tom’s funny LinkedIn post about the “latest technological breakthrough” got more than 49k reactions and received over 3.4k comments. The post also went viral on other platforms and plenty of media outlets covered the simple but enjoyable story. It just goes to show that a bit of comedy goes a long way in grabbing people’s attention.

Some ‘critics’ asked about thermal ventilators so that the laptop doesn’t overheat. Tom was quick to point out that he works in the shade and that there are openings in the sides of the box for proper ventilation.

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While others wondered whether putting your laptop in a box makes it harder to type. Tom then admitted that it’s all just for show. However, one LinkedIn user joked that typing could be easier if you put your hands through the slits on the sides of the box first. Which could work but needs some testing!

Our team at Bored Panda has yet to try out Tom’s DIY hack but rest assured, dear Readers—we’ll test it out. And if you’ve tried it, dear Pandas, share your photos in the comments below!

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