Issue 142 / Week 44 / 2023
This is a hand-picked selection of last week's content from a keyboard enthusiast's perspective. Posts that may teach you something, make you think and contribute to the common knowledge of the DIY builder community.
There are 6+6 entries in this issue:
Editorial
Behind the scenes #142
Giveaway and advent calendar update, quick news, in the mailbox, meetups, vendor updates, new discount.
Switch trends
Top switches of October, 2023
Milktooth's Kevin helps us to capture the zeitgeist and identify October's most popular switches for mechanical keyboards.
Review
8BitDo Retro keyboard
Here are my thoughts about the fun 8BitDo Retro Keyboard, a wireless TKL, hotswap, with dials and super buttons for the win! :D
Projects
JB69
Jbam9 shared a case for the JB69, a handwired ortho with a solenoid.
Storyboard
Cbskii's Storyboard is a 5x12 hotswap ortholinear keyboard with an e-ink display.
Tips & Tricks
CMY keycap profile
CMY (Cylindrical Minimal Y) is a new open-source keycap profile by Sadek Baroudi for both MX and low-profile switches.
Quick news
Community: the swansong of MKUltra is over. Read Thomas Baart's PSA for more details.
Lukas Bloznelis (EnergyCreator) published kbt 2.0.0, a terminal keyboard tester.
Keystackers/kapstackers are the new trend. After the first one by Midgetforsale (etsy) and then by KeebKrafters (etsy), here is an open-source keycap stacker by vprinting.
ElBartoME shared a Keychron Q6 OLED module with a tutorial on how to replace the macro keys with an OLED screen.
Just pics: a nice 44-key handwired by daaaaaaave, and another one called gvlsplit by FrostingHopeful.
Inspiration: @fairladyxy teased a prototype of a trackball with an integrated keyboard ("just for the sake of it").
splitkb.com, MoErgo Glove80, ZSA Technology Labs, u/chad3814, Aiksplace, @keebio, Upgrade Keyboards, Cyboard, Sean Grady, @kaleid1990, Jacob Mikesell, Jason Hazel, KEEBD, kiyejoco, littlemer-the-second, ghsear.ch, u/motfalcon, Christian Lo, Bob Cotton, FFKeebs, @therick0996, Richard Sutherland, Joel Simpson, Lev Popov, Christian Mladenov, Daniel Nikolov, u/eighty58five, Schnoor Typography, Caleb Rand, Skyler Thuss, Spencer Blackwood, Yuan Liu, Mats Faugli, TurtleKeebs, Benjamin Bell, James McCleese, Ben M, Matthias Goffette, Davidjohn Gerena, Spencer Dabell, zzeneg, Hating TheFruit, anonymous, Anatolii Smolianinov, Penk Chen, Clacky, Felicitas
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