I love, love, love Saturn by [Rain2], which comes in two versions. The first, which is notably more complex, is shown here with its rings-of-Saturn thumb clusters.

So what was the impetus for this keyboard? It’s simple: a friend mentioned that ergo keyboards are a no-go if you need a num pad really bad.

Saturn has one built right in. The basic idea was to add a num pad while keeping the total number of keys to a minimum. Thanks to a mod key, this area can be many things, including but not limited to a num pad.

As far as the far-out shape goes, and I love that the curvature covers the thumb cluster and the index finger, [Rain2] wanted to get away from the traditional thumb cluster design. Be sure to check out the back of the boards in the image gallery.

Unfortunately, this version is too complicated to make, so v2 does not have the cool collision shapes going for it. But it is still an excellent keyboard, and perhaps will be open source someday.

Phanny Kicks Butt

Say hello to Phanny, a custom 52-key wireless split from [SfBattleBeagle]. This interestingly-named board has a custom splay that they designed from the ground up along with PCBWay, who sponsored the PCBs in the first place.

I personally think the thumb keys go a little too far inward for my taste, but I’m certain that [SfBattleBeagle]’s hands must be different. Probably doesn’t have these stubby little thumbs.

While Ergogen is all the rage, [SfBattleBeagle] still opts to use Fusion and KiCad, preferring the UI of the average CAD program. If you’re wondering about the lack of palm rests, the main reason is that [SfBattleBeagle] tends to bounce between screens, as well as moving between the split and the num pad. To that end, they are currently designing a pair of sliding wrist skates that I would love to hear more about.

Be sure to check out the GitHub repo for all the details and a nice build guide. [SfBattleBeagle] says this is a fun project and results in a very comfy board.

The Centerfold: Mantis WIP is Captivating

I love it when I can provide a lovely centerfold that’s also got a lot of story behind it. This is Mantis, a work-in-progress by [luckybipedal] aka [Felix Kühling]. You can read a lot more on GitHub, and the reasoning behind the design choices in [Felix]’s write-up over on KBD News. [Felix] expects to build the first prototypes in March or April, and publish a final design and build guide later this spring.

Via reddit

Do you rock a sweet set of peripherals on a screamin’ desk pad? Send me a picture along with your handle and all the gory details, and you could be featured here!

Historical Clackers: the Masspro

I must say, the Antikey Chop doesn’t have much to say about the Masspro typewriter, and for good reason.

But here’s what we know: the Masspro was invented by a George Francis Rose, who was the son of Frank S. Rose, inventor of the Standard Folding Typewriter. That machine was the predecessor to the Corona No. 3.

Frank died right as the Rose Typewriter Co. was starting to get somewhere. George took over, but then it needed financing pretty badly.

Angel investor and congressman Bill Conger took over the company, relocated, and renamed it the Standard Folding Typewriter Co. According to the Antikey Chop, “selling his father’s company was arguably George’s greatest contribution to typewriter history”.

George Rose was an engineer like his father, but he was not very original when it came to typewriters. The Masspro is familiar yet foreign, and resembles the Corona Four. Although the patent was issued in 1925, production didn’t begin until 1932, and likely ended within to years.

Why? It was the wrong machine at the wrong time. Plus, it was poorly built, and bore a double-shift keyboard which was outdated by this time. And, oh yeah, the company was started during the Depression.

But I like the Masspro. I think my favorite part, aside from the open keyboard, is the logo, which looks either like hieroglyphics or letters chiseled into a stone tablet.

I also like the textured firewall area where the logo is stamped. The Antikey Chop calls this a crinkle finish. Apparently, they came in black, blue, green, and red. The red isn’t candy apple, it’s more of an ox-blood red, and that’s just fine with me. I’d love to see the blue and green, though. Oh, here’s the green.

Finally, a Trackball Mouse With Nice Switches

Okay, so Keychron’s new Nape Pro mouse is pretty darn cool, and this is the best picture I could find that actually shows how you’re supposed to implement this thing on your desk. Otherwise, it looks like some kind of presentation remote.

So the idea here is to never take your hands off the keyboard to mouse, although you can use it off to the side like a regular trackball if you want. I say the ability to leave your fingers on the home row is even better.

There are plenty of keyboards with trackpads and other mousing functions that let you do this. But maybe you’re not ready to go that far. This mouse is a nice, easy first step.

The ball is pretty small at 25 mm. For comparison, the M575 uses a 34 mm ball, which is pretty common for trackball mice. Under those six buttons are quiet Huano micro switches, which makes sense, but I personally think loud-ish mice are nice enough.

I’ve never given it much thought, but the switches on my Logitech M575 are nice and clicky. I wonder how these compare, but I don’t see a sound sample. If the Nape Pro switches sound anything like this, then wowsers, that is quiet.

The super-cool part here is the software and orientation system, which they call OctaShift. The thing knows how it’s positioned and can remap its functions to match. M1 and M2 are meant to be your primary mouse buttons, and they are reported to be comfortable to reach in any position.

Inside you’ll find a Realtek chip with a 1 kHz polling rate along with a PixArt PAW3222 sensor, which puts this mouse in the realm of decent wireless gaming mice. But the connectivity choice is yours between dongle, Bluetooth, and USB-C cable.

And check this out: the firmware is ZMK, and Keychron plans to release the case STLs. Finally, it seems the mouse world is catching up with the keyboard world a bit.

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Got a hot tip that has like, anything to do with keyboards? Help me out by sending in a link or two. Don’t want all the Hackaday scribes to see it? Feel free to email me directly.

Few things rival the usability and speed of a full-sized keyboard for text input. For decades, though, keyboards were mostly wired, which can limit where you use your favorite one. To address this, [KoStard]’s latest project uses an ESP32 to bridge a USB keyboard to BLE devices.

The ESP32-S3 packs a ton of fantastic functionality into its small size and low price—including USB-OTG support, which is key here. Taking advantage of this, [KoStard] programmed an ESP32-S3 to host a keyboard over its USB port while connecting via BLE to devices like cellphones.

There are some slick tricks baked in, too: you can pair with up to three devices and switch between them using a key combo. Some of you might be wondering how you can just plug a microcontroller into a keyboard and have it work. The truth is, it doesn’t without extra hardware. Both the keyboard and ESP32-S3 need power. The simplest fix is a powered USB hub: it can be battery-powered for a truly mobile setup, or use a wired 5V supply so you never have to charge batteries.

We love seeing a simple, affordable microcontroller extend the usefulness of gear you already have. Let us know in the comments about other hacks you’ve used to connect keyboards to devices never designed for them.

Get a handle on this bad boy! Okay, so those voids are really more for airing out your palms, I’d imagine, because palm sweat sure is real — you should see the pads of my Kinesis. This kind of looks like two sawed-off machine guns kissing, and I mean that in the best possible and non-violent way.

So, [ntc490] has been on Team Special Keyboard for eight years now and decided it was time to design one. The goal was to make something semi-portable, super ergo, and as easy/cheap to build as possible, which, honestly, that sounds like one of those pick-two situations.

And yet, pricing (oh yeah, this is gonna be A Thing You Can Buy) will be around $115-155, depending upon whether you want the base kit, or the add-ons, too, minus switches and key caps.

So let’s get into the particulars here. As you can see, there are key wells and thumb clusters, inspired by other keyboards including your bog standard Maltrons, Kinesis Advantages and more modern, open-source takes like the Dactyl. [ntc490] loves the key well-thumb cluster combination, and I do, too (hello from the Glove80). And miraculously, the keys are hot-swappable via sockets.

That novel tenting mechanism is adjustable, rugged, and portable. You can tent it near-vertical, lay it flat, or take it apart if you wish. The thing is modular for future expansion options such as wrist rests and displays.

Inside, you’d find direct wiring to the GPIOs, so I’m gonna guess that those are RP2040 clones in there. There’s no PCB, no diodes, no matrices to debug.

So please do go visit the thread if this keyboard appeals to you at this price point. I love it, but I would need more rows of keys, personally. The top reddit comment mentions this as well, and [ntc490] says that because the thing is modular, it can easily accommodate more keys in both the wells and the thumb clusters. I seriously want one of these. Just with a few more keys.

Open-Sourcing the Ultimate Portable Split

Remember [kleshwong]’s PSKEEB5 from a couple of Keebins ago, right before Christmas? He was going to open-source it if there was enough interest? Well, it seems that [kleshwong] decided to do it anyway and has since provided some new videos if you want to build one for yourself.

The first one covers the reasoning behind the reconsideration as well as the BOM and the case. The next video is the complete soldering tutorial, which clocks in at a very watchable fifteen minutes. Finally, [kleshwong] spends another fifteen on assembly and flashing the thing.

As a refresher, this thing has some really neat features like swing-out tenting feet, a pair of trackpoints, rotary encoders, and a carrying case that doubles as a laptop stand.

For the internals, any nice!nano-compatible boards will do. You’ll also need Kailh hot-swap sockets, among other things, naturally. If you have any trouble sourcing like the trackpoints for instance, you’re in luck, because [kleshwong] recently opened an online store. Go forth and build the ultimate portable split!

The Centerfold: Glove80 Looks Good In Wood

I’m using my MoErgo Glove80 pretty hardcore these days, driving them all crazy down at the library. But hey, it’s quieter than the big, echo-y Kinesis Advantage, even though they both have browns.

Once I saw the upcoming Go60 by MoErgo, though, I knew I simply needed wooden palm rests for the Glove80. So, over the course of two days, my father-in-law and I fabricated these fetching zebrawood rests, first from pink foam, then from poplar, and finally from book-matched zebra. I think we have a real conversation piece here.

Do you rock a sweet set of peripherals on a screamin’ desk pad? Send me a picture along with your handle and all the gory details, and you could be featured here!

Historical Clackers: a 3D-Printed Index Typewriter!

I was sorry to hear that [Keenan Finucan] had to submit this twice in order to get my attention. But here we are, with what is probably the world’s first 3D-printed index typewriter. So, why is this filed under Historical Clackers? Because I said so, and because it’s based on a real antique index typewriter, the AEG Mignon Model 4. This first model of Mignon was designed between 1901-1903 by German company AEG. Mignons were produced until 1932.

I suppose I don’t have to explain what an index typewriter is at this point. Besides, it seems pretty obvious in this design, but maybe I’m biased. Essentially it’s like a label maker, the old ka-chunk kind. You squeeze out one character at a time, then you move the index to the next character.

I think this looks fabulous overall, and I rather like the way the index is laid out, which is decidedly non-alphabetical and, surprisingly, does not mirror the AEG index.

[Keenan] reports that thanks to months of work and revisions, this project is as accessible and repeatable as possible. You don’t even need any glue, and non-printed items are at a minimum. You will need a minimum XYZ build volume of 250 x 210 220 mm, TPU or other flexible filament, some springs, a bit of coat hanger wire, and a universal 1/2″ typewriter ribbon, which is pretty widely available.

Finally, $2K Keyboard Computer Is a Return to Form

Alright coders, designers, and engineers: this elegant hunk of metal is for you. What we’ve got here is Caligra’s c100 Developer Terminal. Described as a “computer for experts”, this is not meant for scrolling social media, although what developer can get through the day without a reddit break or three?

Let’s talk about that body. It’s entirely CNC-milled from a solid block of aluminium, which makes me think of the Icebreaker keyboard we saw here almost exactly a year ago. Both double as handy bludgeoning devices, but this one is decidedly more attractive. The bead-blasted finish of the c100 does simultaneously evoke modern and industrial design, so I’ll agree with Yanko on that note.

The coolest part is half-evident in the picture I chose. There’s a central magnetic pivot structure, and this lets you detach and fold the thing up even smaller, without any external hinges.

I thought the storage compartment gimmicky at first, but I’ve grown to like the idea of having a place for pens and whatnot. Yanko almost threatens to call it subversive in the face of what tech companies probably do not want you doing: opening the thing up. You are supposed to tinker with this one.

For some reason, the num pad is on the left, though I suppose this solves the distance-to-mouse problem. Yanko says the design uses Fitts’ law to accelerate task management, and this is supposed to explain why the keys are clustered the way they are. Basically, the placement of each key has been optimized for both speed an minimal hand movement. The wired mouse looks a bit uncomfortable, however.

This thing ships with Workbench OS, which is Linux-based and built specifically for technical work. There are no pop-ups in Workbench OS, which sounds amazing. So I would think that c100 is for writers, too, provided the keyboard clacks nicely.

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Got a hot tip that has like, anything to do with keyboards? Help me out by sending in a link or two. Don’t want all the Hackaday scribes to see it? Feel free to email me directly.

Although arguably redundant on a typical computer keyboard, the idea of embedding small screens into the buttons on devices like audio production gear that often have so many buttons can make a lot of sense. As exemplified by devices with a UX that regularly degrades into scrolling through options on a tiny screen. This was basically the impetus for [Craig J Bishop] a few years ago to set out on a design project called the SoundSlab audio sequencer/sampler/synthesizer and slab that would make those buttons much more functional.

Obviously, the right way to start the project is to bulk buy hundreds of 0.85″ 128×128 LCDs so that you’re firmly locked into that choice. Fortunately, it turned out that the most annoying part of this LCD was the non-standard 0.7 mm pitch on its flat flex cable (FFC). This was worked around with an PCB adapter milled out of some copper-clad FR-1, which gave it a convenient PMOD interface for straightforward hook-up to a Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA board.

The buttons themselves were designed as 3D printed key caps for the LCDs that clipped onto typical Cherry MX-style mechanical keys. This also revealed that the original FFCs were too short, so they had to be replaced with new FFCs, that also adapted it to a standard 0.5 mm pitch. With this a 4×4 button prototype board could be constructed for testing.

Since that prototype [Craig] has built a full-sized SoundSlab grid, with a custom FPGA board and HDMI input, of which a preview can be seen in the post, along with a promise by [Craig] to soon post the rest of the SoundSlab development.

Thanks to [JohnS_AZ] for the tip.

For those of you desperate for a high-quality, premium keyboard smartphone made for the modern age, this could be your holy grail.

The post I held the Clicks Communicator, and it blends the QWERTY past with modern tech like no other phone appeared first on Digital Trends.

Everybody loves a little personalized smartphone and keyboard are no exception to that, users can opt from different Android keyboard apps on play store to personalize their keyboard and typing routines. The cool Keyboard apps express our thoughts and feelings flow, and keeping this to our comfort will help users for easy typing.  In this […]

The post 10 Best Android Keyboard Apps for Android Users in 2026 appeared first on GBHackers Security | #1 Globally Trusted Cyber Security News Platform.

All right, I’ll cut to the chase: Cheap03xD is mainly so cheap because the PCB falls within a 10 x 10 cm footprint. The point was to make a very affordable keyboard — all the parts come to ~40 Euro (~$47). So it would seem that [Lander03xD_] succeeded.

Cheap03xD is all the things — 36-key, split, column-staggered, wireless, hot-swappable, and uses ZMK. The batteries are easily replaceable, and no they don’t get in the way.

Those are MMD Princess silent switches, which I wouldn’t choose, but [Lander03xD_] is taking this board to the office, so I get it. They sure are a nice shade of pink, anyway, and they go really well with the pastels of the DSA keycaps and the bezel.

One cool thing to note is that the PCBs are reversible, like the ErgoDox. This isn’t [Lander03xD_]’s first board, and it won’t be the last.

Now, let’s talk batteries. [Saixos] pointed out that the design doesn’t appear to include a protection circuit. In case you can’t tell from where you’re sitting, those are nice!nano clones that [Lander03xD_] is using, and they expect a protection circuit.

[Lander03xD_] is going to look through the docs and see what’s what. The goal is not to have any daughter boards, so this may take some rethinking.

Via reddit

Arc Raiders Keyboard Looks the Part

So Arc Raiders is this cool-looking, stripe-logoed, multiplayer extraction shooter that just came out a couple of months ago for all the platforms. It’s not something I could personally play as it’s way too immersive (read: time-consuming), but it definitely looks good, much like this keyboard that [RunRunAndyRun] designed to play it.

Having enjoyed the game with a game pad for a couple of weeks, [RunRunAndyRun] longed for the precision of a keyboard and mouse. The only problem was that his stock of split keyboards all lack a number row.

No matter; just make a new one. Why not? This rustic beauty runs on the Waveshare RP2040 Zero. The case was 3D printed on a Prusa Mk4, which you’d never know unless you blew up the picture. And then [RunRunAndyRun] gave it that nice patina using Panduro hobby acrylics and a bit of weathering powder.

For now, it’s working pretty well, though [RunRunAndyRun] is still perfecting the keymap. If you’d like to build one yourself, the STLs are available here, and the firmware is on GitHub.

Thanks for the tip, [John]!

The Centerfold: Witch’s Brew

This stunning beauty, Witch’s Brew, was created by [CaptLynx] with the Cosmos keyboard configurator. Doesn’t sound familiar? It’s the one that uses a scan of your hand to create your ultimate comfort. This keyboard is a custom build for a commission. I must say, as much as I dislike the work of Jackson Pollock, I do absolutely love the spatter on those keycaps.

Do you rock a sweet set of peripherals on a screamin’ desk pad? Send me a picture along with your handle and all the gory details, and you could be featured here!

Historical Clackers: the Keystone

This spartan beauty was named after the state in which it was made, Pennsylvania. Manufactured between 1898 and 1903, the Keystone was invented by William Prehn Quentell.

Quentell was living in Kansas City, MO when he first applied for a patent, and later moved to the east coast. At the time, the machine was nameless. The patent looks nothing like the finished product pictured here, but the genesis of the key feature of this “poor man’s Hammond” is there — the swinging type sector.

What this means is that the Keystone has its type on a half wagon wheel, which is evident in the patent drawing. The glyphs are molded around the outside edge of the wheel, which gets rotated into the correct position with each keystroke. This type wheel could be easily changed out for different fonts.

To imprint the paper, a spring-driven hammer strikes from behind, pushing the paper and ribbon against the type wheel. The paper is loaded into a cylindrical holder in the rear, and unfurls as one types.

So, why was it a poor man’s Hammond? Well, for one, the patent image looks like a Hammond. But the poor part is felt the hardest in the makeup of the typewriter.

In the early Keystone examples, the carriage rails were made of pig iron. Why? It’s a simple case of lateral integration. The factory that was retrofitted to manufacture the machine had previously been the Lochiel iron mill, a producer of pig iron. They were just using up old stock, I imagine.

The Keystone featured two Shift keys on the left, one for Caps and one for Figures. It was a comparatively inexpensive at $40, and then later, $35 (around $1,200 today).

Production was supposed to begin in May of 1898. But by June of ’99, “the company has been unable to fill the orders which are piling up at the works.” Sounds like your average Kickstarter. Quentell was already working on his next project by 1902, the Postal typewriter.

Finally, a Keyboard That Charges Your Phone

So this article mainly centers on the new little Blackberry-esque number from Clicks which might just be my next phone, except that it doesn’t actually telephone. Clicks is meant to be your second phone, the one you use for emailing and such. You can pre-order it for $399 if you put a $199 deposit down before February 27th. If you decide to drop the full four hundo as an early bird, you’ll get two additional back covers, which slightly change the look of the phone.

But I’d like to talk about the add-on Power Keyboard for smart phones that Clicks is also dropping at CES this year. Do you miss your Sidekick? Well, here’s a sliding keyboard with multiple positions for differently-sized smart phones, tablets, and even smart TVs. (Because forget typing with the remote control.)

It uses a 2,150 mAh battery and attaches via MagSafe or Qi2, but it also can be used with the case on. When paired with a smart TV, you just use it by itself. Honestly, it looks kind of hard to type on without the phone for support. But I don’t use the smart features of my TV, so whatever.

Honestly, I will probably start by getting the keyboard, which is $79 for early birds through their site, and $109 later on. Pre-orders started a week ago, so I guess I should get on that.

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Got a hot tip that has like, anything to do with keyboards? Help me out by sending in a link or two. Don’t want all the Hackaday scribes to see it? Feel free to email me directly.

Sometimes simple things require complex solutions. Today’s article is sponsored by Right Control key.

Funny situation… some time ago I bought another keyboard, this time Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard.