Issue 166 / Week 19 / 2024
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 10+17 entries in this issue:
Editorial
Behind the scenes #166
Keyboard projects, quick news, in the mailbox, meetups, new vendors and discount codes!
Review
Kemove K87 & K87SE 1980 review
I tested the Kemove K87 1980, a fully built three-mode wireless hotswap mechanical TKL keyboard, and its $28(!) budget companion, the K87SE.
Ergohaven K:03 review
I tested Ergohaven's K:03, a 60% true split, the latest member in the ever growing family of keyboard models offered by the team.
Projects
Pimple Smile
Protieusz keeps updating keyboard models with trackballs. His latest project is the Pimple Smile.
Osprey remix
Vladimir Glushkov released his remix of the Osprey – with a daughterboard instead of on-board MCU.
Leveret v2 & lever keycaps
Leveret is a wireless split keyboard by dohn-joh, featuring thumb clusters with custom lever keycaps.
WinSplit
Alejandro Cámara published his Winsplit, a true split compatible with normal keysets.
OmegaISO
An all-ISO Enter board, anyone? Of course it exists: OmegaISO with 94 ISO Enter keycaps.
Dedekind
A reversible split PCB by Dmitry Belousov: Dedekind.
Tips & Tricks
Kada 0110
Emil shared Kada 0110, a 3D case inspired by the Apple M0110 and Apple II.
Quick news
Jack Pikatea launched a new service: Instant Keyboard Quoter is a parametric custom keyboard designer interface, with the RubySea 1800 as the first board manufactured.
FRCE Mk. 2 by SupaOscar51 aka BayneSolo – this input device is the author's solution to flying in space games. With a nice monoblock split keyboard after the ortho one of his Mk. 1.
WIP: Iyada by Outrageous-Half.
A handwired prototype by VanFlyhight with a layout resembling the Datalux SpaceSaver.
Weekly Diderot effect: Play Tray V2 (source) – a solid aluminum trinket / screw tray for your desk, inspired by the infamous ball-on-a-track cat toy. Another run after two years.
Something similar to my age-old cardboard prototyping approach strikes back – AlbertoAru turnes splits into unibodies via some cardboard.
Bauns teased a handwired split.
TIL: Ergo split IBM patent from the '60s. While browsing comments to r-castle's question about retro ergo inspirations (and the result).
ngrrram by Gleb_T/winterveil is a CLI tool to practice typing ngrams. Free cat included! Similar to ngram-type but supports multiple layouts.
ngrrram by Gleb_T/winterveil is a CLI tool to practice typing ngrams. Free cat included! Similar to ngram-type but supports multiple layouts.
Peter Theobald shared a simple Python keylogger he's using to count keystrokes and bigrams.
Fellow redditor rafaelromaro keeps improving his Magic Key, behaving depending on the context (e.g. previous keystroke).
dafku_'s cute Apricot – not real stone but GMK Modern Materials (Stone) keycaps and light sand/chocolate brown cerakote.
Beach keyboard by AffectionateWin.
An MSX/C64 hybrid concept by TacticusThrowaway/AndroidArts, who also designed some keyboard layouts.
Stacked acrylic art: "Our Favorite Neighbor… Gray Rat!" Totoro-like keyboards by pattywong of Cafege (source).
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