# Oh, so THAT'S what that button's for! Your "Duh" techno moments

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-so-thats-what-that-buttons-for-your-duh-techno-moments/593600>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 22, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-so-thats-what-that-buttons-for-your-duh-techno-moments/593600 "2011-08-22T01:41:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 7

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**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-so-thats-what-that-buttons-for-your-duh-techno-moments/593600/121 "2011-09-15T15:02:29Z")

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> [@K364](#):
>
> I had bought a Murano in 2006, and my friend bought the newer model about a year later. He said it’s nice to have a car with heated seats, and I said that unfortunately I bought the basic model which didn’t come with that option. He said yes it does. I said no it doesn’t. He said I’m pretty sure it does… he was right, which was really embarrassing because the buttons for the heated seats are in a prominent position in the middle console. And the worst thing was that I had gone through a complete Edmonton winter without using them 'cause of my dumbness :smack:
> 
> I managed to redeem myself in a small way by knowing an arcane function: Nissan owners (and maybe other cars as well) try this…
> 
> If you unlock your car with the key fob, keep holding the unlock button down - what will happen?
> 
> the windows roll down

Didn’t work on my Versa, but since that’s the lowest-budget model, perhaps it doesn’t come with all the fancy gee-gaws. 😉

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**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-so-thats-what-that-buttons-for-your-duh-techno-moments/593600/122 "2011-09-15T17:31:08Z")

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> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#):
>
> Sorry. My best one that I recall is the fact that I was using Ctrl-Alt-Del to call up task manager on my computer and then using that to lock my computer at work for 9 years before I learned I could hit the “microsoft flag” key and L at the same time to lock it. :smack:
> 
> Not real exciting. I’ll see what else I can think of.

\*\* tries it \*\*

Well. Holy shit. I learn a lot of human-body medical-type stuff from you, **QtheM** and today, you taught me a computer thing too! Thanks for sharing - I’m excited, even if you’re not.

The real trick? Remembering it!

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**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-so-thats-what-that-buttons-for-your-duh-techno-moments/593600/123 "2011-09-15T17:50:21Z")

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> [@Dag\_Otto](#):
>
> Not high tech, but I bought my first Swiss Army Knife when I was 16.
> 
> I finally realized it had tweezers when I was about 23.

Has it got a corkscrew? On some models, when you lift the corkscrew up you’ll find that there’s a straight pin stuck into a hole inside of the notch, where the aforementioned folds back into. One more question, does it have one of those little things that fold down from the middle of the knife (like the corkscrew does) that looks like a blunt hook? For years, I wondered \*what in the Hell \*that could _ **possibly** _ be used for! My best guess, was that it was a carryover from the old days, when certain articles of clothing required a button hook to fasten them up.  
(Hey, it **sounded** good!:D)  
I eventually learned that it’s supposed to be used to facilitate the carrying of a ‘string bag’. (Whatever _ **that** _ is! 😕)

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**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-so-thats-what-that-buttons-for-your-duh-techno-moments/593600/124 "2011-09-15T17:55:15Z")

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> [@JBDivmstr](#):
>
> One more question, does it have one of those little things that fold down from the middle of the knife (like the corkscrew does) that looks like a blunt hook? For years, I wondered \*what in the Hell \*that could _ **possibly** _ be used for! My best guess, was that it was a carryover from the old days, when certain articles of clothing required a button hook to fasten them up.

Nope, wasn’t added to [SAKs until 1991](http://www.smartknives.com/Swiss-Army-Knife-Tools/Victorinox-Hook.htm).

> [@](#):
>
> It’s a good, sturdy hook. The official use is as a package hook, to turn your knife into a handle that will help you to carry a parcel that is wrapped in string.
> 
> You can also attach a string to the hook, and turn your Swiss Army knife into a plumb bob or a fishing lure, or use it to pull a thread or line through a tight spot.

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**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-so-thats-what-that-buttons-for-your-duh-techno-moments/593600/125 "2011-09-15T19:07:57Z")

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> [@nashiitashii](#):
>
> [I sincerely hope you don’t live in Florida](http://www.clarkmartino.com/hazard-lights.html). When driving around and folks start turning on their hazard lights in a storm, then dropping down to 20mph when it isn’t needed\*, I roll my eyes and try to get around them. For the reasons listed in the link, it’s a lot more dangerous to put on your hazard lights than to turn on your headlights and signal carefully before considering any lane changes while driving through a storm. It’s almost always those who have no idea how to drive in rainy conditions that cause accidents and cause traffic to go to a standstill down here. Thing is, it rains almost every day for several months, so learning to drive in the rain is something one needs to do in Florida. …

Interesting. A number of us were driving that way during the torrent last week (the massive rain in the DC area)… and if I nearly got into an accident, it was because of the idiots who did NOT drop to a crawl. Those were the ones who drove by me at 50+ mph, throwing up such a rooster-tail of water that my windshield was completely blinded for 2-3 seconds. If I’d been going faster, I’d have gone off the road during the several seconds I was blind. I’ll have to read about the flashing lights though - I put mine on, but wasn’t sure if it was helpful or not.

My d’oh moment: that little button in the middle of the mouse. Didn’t seem to do anything when I clicked it, rolling it didn’t seem to do anything either… then I found out about using it for scrolling. I guess some of the programs I was using didn’t support that. I wouldn’t do without it, now.

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