Tag Archives: keyboard

OnePlus goes beyond mobile with a stylish mechanical keyboard

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OnePlus may have started out as an upstart that challenged the status quo of the smartphone industry, but it has long moved beyond making phones only. Never mind related accessories like earbuds and wearables, the company has also launched its self-branded TV in a few of its key markets. Then again, a smart TV might not be that far removed from the mobile ecosystem, especially one that’s running Android TV. A mechanical keyboard, on the other hand, could be stretching the association a bit, but that is apparently what OnePlus’s community has been thirsting for. As a company that prides itself on listening to strong community feedback, that is exactly what OnePlus will be doing, presenting a customizable mechanical keyboard that admittedly looks elegant and very much a OnePlus product, at least based on teasers.

Designer: OnePlus

You might find it strange that OnePlus users would be clamoring for a keyboard accessory, mechanical or otherwise, at least until you realize that these very same people often have to spend hours every day in front of a computer. If that’s the case, it makes sense that they’d want a tool that not only makes their lives easier but also reflects their lifestyle choices. A mechanical keyboard definitely addresses the first part, but one that is branded and designed like a OnePlus product definitely checks all the right boxes.

Responding to this resounding desire for a OnePlus mechanical keyboard, the company partnered with the famed keyboard maker Keychron to lay the foundations for such a product. Of course, the highlight isn’t just the mechanical keyboard itself, which you can also get from a pure Keychron keyboard, but the way it is designed to match OnePlus’s aesthetics and design philosophy. For example, unlike typical flashy mechanical keyboards, this upcoming OnePlus peripheral embraces a very minimalist design, using tones of gray with some red accents in the Escape key and the switches.

There are also a few design highlights that give the keyboard a unique OnePlus flair. The slider that switches between Wireless and Wired (USB) mode, for example, looks quite similar to the Alert Slider on OnePlus phones. There is also a visually stunning glass knob in the upper right corner, which could probably be programmed for different functions. OnePlus is also quite proud of its double gasket design and the use of “ultra-precise” CNC aluminum manufacturing that covers the sight, sound, and tactile experiences of using a sophisticated mechanical keyboard.

OnePlus also talks about the customization options available for the keyboard, from hot-swappable switches to highly configurable software. It doesn’t go into detail about how far those options go, however, and they will most likely be limited to switches and key caps on the hardware side. A lot of information about the keyboard is still unavailable at this point, but the scheduled February 7th launch is just two weeks away anyway.

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Ergonomic mouse designed after a Stingray is functional without compromising comfort, productivity, and style

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In my time, I have been through various iterations of a mouse and keyboard: used a few dozens and written about some hundred. If there is one thing that I have found common to all of them, it is that every other mouse or keyboard – independently or in combo – vouches to be more ergonomic than the other.

The objective of each new peripheral is to give users a better tying and writing position; eliminate the use of an external mouse altogether; or offer a unique shape that makes typing on a keyboard/clicking a mouse more natural to minimize chronic postural pain or severe conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome.

Designer: Waia

As I sit behind my computer with one hand on the keyboard and the other on the mouse, I cannot help but reflect; despite all the investment I have made, there is still scope for a peripheral combo that better supports the hands and fingers in a relaxed position.

I do not use a standard keyboard, which is uncomfortable and can account to risk of stressed wrists or finger injury over an extended period of time. My choice has taken me through an advanced Bluetooth enabled keyboard/mouse from Logitech to a small stint with a two-piece keyboard. These have saved me the discomfort in their own sweet ways, but my ergonomic convenience lies at a Logi keyboard with writs rest and a combination mouse featuring a low profile.

In the same league, I have come across Neo – mouse and keyboard combo – which is still a design on paper but it does have the idea to provide user comfort, usability, productivity, and style. Designed in five colors, the mouse draws its design inspiration from a Stingray, which has circular fins around the body to reduce friction and help it move smoothly.

The mouse thus has additional parts on the sides that raise the parts of the hand and signal the brain to change position frequently. The narrow borders and curved design of the mouse make for a seamless experience, while the accompanying keyboard is also designed to match the low, sleek profile. For this, the keyboard features low-profile keys that help reduce strain on the hands during long working hours, but are still comfortable and ensure speed and accuracy. And if you have security issues, you can use a fingerprint scanner onboard to lock your peripherals.

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Asus releases mechanical keyboard at CES with ROG NX switches you can swap for your choice

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Custom keyboard enthusiasts may have a reason to switch loyalties for a near fully-customizable Asus ROG keyboard revealed at CES 2023. Pricing and availability details are scanty at the moment but that doesn’t stop us for luring over this premium mechanical keyboard with a three-layer insulated design for sound dampening.

Called the Asus ROG Azoth, the keyboard released alongside a range of gaming hardware – including a Wi-Fi router and a gaming chair – comes with a premium aluminum finish. Azoth feels refined and durable on the outside, but within it has been designed softly, way up, in three layers of foam cushioning so the peripheral delivers a more satisfying sound on every click.

Designer: Asus

The look of a keyboard is secondary anyway. The heart of a mechanical keyboard is the switches and that’s where Asus has put in a lot of genius to get it desirably right. These hot-swappable switches – customizable with your personal choice – are pre-lubed ROG NX mechanical switches.

Switches are provided in linear NX Red, tactile NX Brown, or clicky NX Blue: red meant for fast response, brown and blue, however, requiring slightly more pressure. For user convenience, Asus has trimmed the stem height of the keycaps to give them a Cherry keycaps profile for utmost typing comfort. But if that’s not enough for you, you can also swap out the original switches and replace them with your choice, effortlessly. Asus provides a lube kit with the keyboard for swapping convenience.

Beyond the switches and its aluminum layout, the ROG Azoth even convinces with a utility OLED display on the top right. The screen displays system information and notifications for you, which is also customizable with a three-way knob on the side.

Courtesy of the ROG SpeedNova wireless technology, the Azoth can connect wirelessly at 2.4GHz. The keyboard offers up to 2,000 hours of backup if RGB and OLED screen is turned off.  For quicker on-the-go connectivity, you can sync up via Bluetooth and allow the Aura Sync function to tailor the built-in RGB backlighting to flaunt your style.

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Customizable spilt keyboard with a mousepad, joystick, and 3D navigator onboard declutters your desk beyond expectation

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Keyboard is a form of self-expression for most of us. We prefer our choice of acoustics, touch, and form factor when selecting a keyboard. Whether you like to settle for a spilt option or a traditional design; you cannot but help make hand movements back and forth from the keyboard to your mouse.

For a negligent creator, gamer, or a writer (like me); the time wasted in the to and fro is negligible, but otherwise, if you sit down to contemplate, you’ll want to settle for a keyboard that lets you do everything on it without you having to move the hands away. This is where the Naya Create keyboard makes a heroic entry with its all-in-one modular split design.

Designer: Naya

Naya has designed Create as the ultimate keyboard that won’t leave you wanting an additional peripheral. This convenience is offered in abundance on the Create, which is highly customizable to meet an individual’s self-expression. The split keyboard with customizable form factor and various configurable modules onboard can seamlessly fit into any workflow. Thus, it intends to become a go-to option for casual keyboard enthusiasts and serious creative professionals.

The Naya Create bids adieu to a cluttered desk by eliminating the requirement of and the need to switch between multiple peripherals. To bring everything to your fingertips on the mainframe itself, the modular keyboard features four modules: the dial, mousepad, a joystick-esque trackball, and a 3D navigator.

The dial is an intuitive and more tactile way to adjust settings or access (customizable) keyboard shortcuts, the mousepad onboard saves the time and effort to stretch beyond the keyboard space. The integrated joystick is a comfortable and precise way to control the computer, and when you’re working in 3D, the creator in you can leverage the convenience of 9 degrees of freedom with the 3D navigator.

The split design of the Naya Create aligns better with the wrist and hand position for ease of typing, made more convenient by hot-swappable. So, you can customize the keyboard layout to your preference and even opt for sculpted keycaps if that’s a better fit for your requirement. To make the full-fledged keyboard more portable, the two halves of the split design can magnetically stack on each other for easy transportation. You can carry it in a backpack or a handbag without worrying about the two sections getting separated or misplaced.

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1% transparent mechanical keyboard presents itself in original purity to stand out from the best

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There are some computer peripheral manufacturers that work in the parallel lane, they offer aesthetically appealing and durable products, but the limelight is usually hogged by a select few. One name in the former brands that deserve more recognition than they already garner is Lofree.

Lofree, if you are unaware, is a manufacturer of state-of-the-art mechanical keyboards and other peripherals that deserve attention. If you want to invest in a good quality mechanical keyboard, with a two-part design, you have a handful of options, per se the interesting AM AFA by Angry Miao. However, if your selection gets you to a single board form factor, which is more durable and tactical, Lofree 1% Transparent Mechanical Keyboard is a great bet.

Designer: Lofree

Click Here to Buy Now!

If you’re a Lofree user, or have been following the brand’s development, you’d relate with the 1% moniker. The company runs a product series under the 1% product line that offers minimalist design. Staying true to the form factor of its siblings, the new ergonomic keyboard takes a slight aesthetic detour.

The 1% Lost in Desire Mechanical Keyboard is fully transparent: the chassis, keys, just about every bit of it has a misty appearance to it. The bubble wrap-like keycaps are highlighted by use of black letters while the keyboard has a solid bezel – on all four sides – that gives the predominantly white peripheral a robust look and feel.

For workaholics like myself, soft acoustics and typing convenience are of paramount importance. This ensure typing for hours is relaxing. Lofree has aced this aspect in the new keyboard, which understandably the brand’s escalating to a new high with the use of cotton pad layer between the PCB and bottom plate that absorbs typing pressure to offer smooth typing and sweet sound of the keystrokes. Delivered with hot-swappable sockets to allow the user to replace switches when required, the Bluetooth keyboard is available now for $240.

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LED lit AM AFA keyboard generates hypnotizing notes and an eye-catching form decisive for everyday usage

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My work requires me to type endlessly for hours. Thus, my keyboard is very personal to me. I like the touch, the keystroke sound, and of course the overall feel of working on it. It would take something out of the norm to get me from not working on this peach I’m typing on right now, and the look of this crazy peripheral, which they call the AM AFA Keyboard, is spoiling me now!

Like most of you, the keyboard means more to me than just a medium of thumping my fingers on. It is a percussion instrument playing hypnotizing notes to go with the words I churn out. But suddenly the entrancing clicks of my keyboard feel immensely shadowed in the crystal-clear notes of the AM AFA by Angry Miao.

Designer: Angry Miao

The mechanical keyboard unlike any other on the market right now is designed for workaholics demanding the highest levels of typing comfort and performance. For this, the Angry Miao – Adjustable Flex Alice (AM AFA in full) features an adjustable three-stage leaf-spring mount providing up to 18 different typing combinations.

Inspired by VF-19 fighter from Macross, the designer’s favorite mecha animes, this Alice keyboard has hot swap keys and it even lets you accommodate your choice of switches to match the key softness or hardness to your preferences. Additionally, it is offered in four styles to choose from. The keyboard, for more interest, is designed using a hollow metal frame that is manufactured with high-precision 5-axis CNC machinery and ships in a solid suitcase.

This frame provides the Bluetooth keyboard with an angular form factor that adds to typing comfort and the romance with harmony the keystrokes produce on this one. The keys are LED light to charming precision, which along with the angular ergonomic design of the keyboard gives it an eye-catching form decisive for everyday usage.

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Google Gboard Bar is a ridiculous keyboard that you can actually build yourself

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The computer keyboard hasn’t changed its design significantly ever since it was first invented. Its layout, in particular, has remained the same typewriter arrangement with just a few variations. It’s definitely not the most ergonomic, nor is it the most efficient. Fortunately, there have been a few attempts to substantially reinvent the keyboard, though they remain niche and, at times, a bit expensive. With today’s technologies, however, it is certainly easier to create your own keyboard, which is what a few lovely Googlers in Japan have attempted to do. But rather than a simple reorganization of the keys, this Gboard Bar, named after the virtual keyboard on Android and iOS, reimagines the venerable keyboard from the ground up, leading to a design that’s just out of this world and, perhaps, even out of your desk.

Designer: Google

If you haven’t caught on to it yet, we’ll save you the trouble of figuring out that this Gboard Bar is pretty much an April Fools’ joke out of time. It’s sort of a pun that plays on how “bar” is the next syllable in the Japanese word for “keyboard.” So rather than focusing on the “key” part as they’ve always done for years, Google designers and engineers opted to move on to the next level. The result is a keyboard that’s 1650mm long or just under 65 inches or 5 feet 5 inches.

Of course, they have reasonable justifications for such an absurdly long keyboard. It saves you time from having to search for the right key in two dimensions (up and down) like on a traditional keyboard. With the Gboard Bar, you only need to search sideways to hit the right key. As long as you have a desk that’s wide enough, which most office workers have, you can save space by having a keyboard that sits neatly below stacks of papers and folders littering your desk. Pair programming, where two programmers share a single computer, becomes even easier with this keyboard. Who says only pianists can do a duet on keyboards?

There are also practical benefits to this design outside of actual typing, according to its designers. No longer will you have to fight with your cat over the keyboard because there’s nothing for it to lie on. The keyboard can also be a practical tool to reach for a distant switch or push items from underneath a couch. With the proper add-on, the keyboard can be used to catch real bugs rather than just programming bugs.

It’s definitely a ludicrous idea that will never work in real life, but that’s not going to stop anyone from having fun with it. These Googlers have even generously made the schematics and even the firmware for the Gboard Bar available for everyone to use in case they want to recreate this absurd device to their hearts’ delight. Who knows, maybe someone will actually find it more usable and invent new keyboard designs that will really turn the computing world upside-down.

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The MelGeek Pixel, A LEGO-Compatible Computer Keyboard

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The MelGeek Pixel, at least according to the company that makes it, is the world’s first LEGO-compatible keyboard. And I’m inclined to believe them. Mainly because who would have thought to make a LEGO-compatible keyboard? I don’t want painful stud imprints on my hands and arms all day; I’m trying to type here.

The $199 keyboard (early-bird special, retail $269) features a fully customizable front and back with hot-swappable keys, RGB Lights, and both wired and wireless modes. Get creative with your building! Build so much stuff on your keyboard that you can’t even type anymore, then blame it for your low work productivity. That’s what I plan to do. Yes, I know I didn’t meet my deadline, but there was a LEGO spaceship in the way.

Just what I need on my desk, another distraction to keep me from getting my work done. Not that my work was going to get done anyways because of all the other distractions, but still, here’s another one. I only wish they made a LEGO-compatible mouse and monitor too.

[via Gizmodo]

Roccat Vulcan II Mini gaming keyboard gets world’s first dual LED smart keys

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If you are on the lookout for a compact gaming keyboard with unique features, then Roccat has got your wish granted. The German computer accessories manufacturer has released the first small gaming keyboard in the Vulcan series with some features that have never been seen on a keyboard before.

The small size of the Vulcan II Mini brings big innovation to the fore that people who are creative, perform editing or professional gamers are going to find ultra-resourceful. The robust accessory is definitely going to set a new precedence for the compact gaming keyboard market.

Designer: ROCCAT

Click Here to Buy Now!

The demand for compact TKL (Tenkeyless) keyboards sans the numeric keypad is high – for example the likes of Logitech G915 TKL or Razer V2 TKL boards. Smaller keyboards in the 65 or 60 percent class are also gaining popularity like the Cooler Master SK622, K70 Pro Mini Wireless Razer Blackwidow V3 Mini or the Huntsman Mini. The Roccat Vulcan II Mini in the 65 percent form factor retains the arrow keys and weighs just 500 grams.

On top of everything else gamers cherish, the keyboard has the first ever Dual LED Smart Key technology. This brings 30 multi-function Smart Keys having Dual LEDs to keep a tab on the active status of secondary functions. This way, users can program a secondary function layer on the mini keyboard to retain the functionality of a standard-sized keyboard.

The Vulcan II Mini also gets the brand’s new TITAN II Optical Switches which is an evolution of the optical switch. That means the keyboard gets the light speed actuation and 100 million keystroke durability rating. It will also make the accessory compatible with third-party keycaps, so you can pair it with you old gaming keyboard’s keycaps too.

The mini keyboard is crafted out of anodized aluminum, thereby making it very durable. That 1.8 m long USB-C to USB-A 2.0 cable is detachable too. The keyboard can store up to 5 profiles with custom RGB lighting and button assignments which is great for geeks. Roccat Vulcan II Mini is available for pre-order at a price tag of $149.99 in two color options – Ash Black or Arctic White. The look can be further customized by adding third-party cross-mount keycaps or colorful USB-C cables. The mini keyboard is all set to launch on September 29, 2022, and it’s going to ship worldwide after that time.

 

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MelGeek Pixel lets you customize your keyboard using LEGO-like bricks and minifigs

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There are dozens of keyboard designs available in the market targeting different audiences, from the suave professional to the chic influencer. Almost all of these keyboards come with a fixed design, and all but the most expensive mechanical keyboards for gamers let you customize their appearances. Even then, however, you’re still limited to the parts and designs that the manufacturer provides rather than having free reign on how you want your keyboard to look. When it comes to creative freedom, there is probably nothing that beats LEGO blocks, and this mechanical keyboard tries to bring that same system so that you can customize your own keyboard to match your style and mood without locking you into a single design.

Designer: MelGeek

The most customizable keyboards offer is the freedom to change keycaps. Many gaming keyboards have RGB lights that you can also personalize through software. Other than that, however, you’re mostly stuck with the color and design of the keyboard chassis, and you only get to choose from a selection of pre-made keycap designs anyway.

That’s what makes the MelGeek Pixel mechanical keyboard quite liberating. It uses a “LEGO-inspired” system that lets you customize almost every part of the keyboard. Both the front and the back of the keyboard are like blank slates, and you can create any blocky design you want. You can even set up mini-figures on top to give the keyboard a unique flair. Of course, you’ll have to make sure those don’t get in the way of your typing.

The customization options go beyond just the chassis, though. All the keys are studded, and you can remove them to customize the keys underneath. This way, you don’t have to settle for a single color and mix and match patterns to your heart’s content. MelGeek doesn’t mention which mechanical keycaps are used, only that it uses a gasket mount design. The keyboard’s LEGO theme continues even to its USB connectors, making sure that no piece looks out of place.

The Pixel Keyboard isn’t just all looks, of course. It has the standard features of a pro mechanical keyboard, including customizable RGB lights and both wireless and wired connections. Of course, its real appeal is its retro 8-bit aesthetic, thanks to its blocky design, which you can customize over and over again. If one day you decide you no longer like what you made, you can simply just start all over again. Your imagination and patience are the only limits.

The keyboard isn’t that expensive either, at least for a highly customizable mechanical keyboard, though it only has a pre-order price at the moment. The Pixel’s LEGO-like design will definitely not appeal to everyone, but it’s probably the next best thing to having a fully customizable keyboard you can change to suit your tastes and whims.

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