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

• Giveaway and advent calendar update, quick news, in the mailbox, meetups, vendor updates.

• Milktooth's Kevin helps us to capture the zeitgeist and identify October's most popular switches for mechanical keyboards.

• Here are my thoughts about the fun 8BitDo Retro Keyboard, a wireless TKL, hotswap, with dials and super buttons for the win! :D

• Jbam9 shared a case for the JB69, a handwired ortho with a solenoid. (source)
• Cbskii's Storyboard is a 5x12 hotswap ortholinear keyboard with an e-ink display. (source)

• CMY (Cylindrical Minimal Y) is a new open-source keycap profile by Sadek Baroudi for both MX and low-profile switches. (source)
• 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").

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