Tag Archives: wireless keyboard

Logitech G launches its tiniest wireless keyboard – The first with a 60% layout

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If you’re anywhere near a laptop, spend a second looking at the keyboard it contains. Chances are, the keyboard you’re looking at has a 65% layout, featuring the QWERTY keys, the number row above it, and function keys. Not all laptops have num-pads on the side (unless they’re 15-inch laptops or more), so what you’re left with is perhaps the most condensed keyboard layout ever. However, you CAN go smaller. Remove the function row from the top, and you’re now left with a bare-basics 60% keyboard layout. It gets the job done, it’s compact, and is ideal for portability – all of which are the Pro X 60’s most prized features. Debuted as Logitech’s first 60% wireless keyboard, the Pro X 60 Lightspeed is deviously tiny, but doesn’t trade size for functionality. It’s still got great mechanical travel at its heart, making the keyboard perfect for pretty much everyone, but ideal for gamers, who revere that mechanical feel.

Designer: Logitech

Click Here to Pre-Order Now

At a glance, the $179 Pro X 60 Lightspeed is a study in meticulous design and technological advancement. Offering a choice between tactile or linear GX optical switches, and available in three colors—black, white, or pink, the keyboard seeks to envelop gamers in a bespoke gaming experience. The keyboard’s compact size is a deliberate choice, offering ease of transportation without compromising on the essential features that gamers have come to expect from Logitech’s G Pro X series.

Unlike its predecessor, the G Pro X TKL Lightspeed, the Pro X 60 Lightspeed opts for optical switches over mechanical ones, offering a distinct feel with a 1.8mm actuation point and a travel distance of 4mm. This choice underscores Logitech’s pursuit of providing gamers with precision and responsiveness in a form factor that defies convention. The keyboard’s versatility extends to its connectivity options—wired via a USB-C cable, or wireless through Bluetooth or Logitech’s proprietary Lightspeed dongle, ensuring a seamless gaming experience with a 1000Hz polling rate.

Gamers can customize the keyboard and assign macro shortcuts, adjust lighting, and tweak audio effects to their liking, with each key capable of performing up to 15 different functions through Logitech’s G Hub software and the new Keycontrol tool. The inclusion of Lightsync RGB lighting, pre-set to a static blue to minimize distractions, further enhances the gaming atmosphere, allowing for a personalized color palette and lighting sequences to radiate through the keyboard’s dual-shot PBT keycaps.

Beyond its technical prowess, the Logitech G Pro X 60 Lightspeed is designed with quality-of-life improvements that cater to the gaming lifestyle. A strategically placed volume roller, a Game Mode switch that disables potentially distracting keys, and a carry case for easy transport all contribute to a gaming keyboard that understands the rhythm of competitive play and travel. For gamers for whom every second and every key press can make the difference between victory and defeat, the Pro X 60 Lightspeed is a mobile command center that bridges the gap between performance and portability. The Pro X 60 Lightspeed is available for preorder, with deliveries starting April 17th.

Click Here to Pre-Order Now

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Wireless Keyboard Inside An Altoids Tin Is Perfect For People Missing Their Blackberry Phones

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Remember the Clicks Keyboard from earlier this year? What if you could somehow build your own and carry it around in an Altoids tin??

YouTuber ‘Flurples’ decided the Altoids tin was honestly the perfect vehicle for this miniature keyboard. It was roughly the width of your standard Blackberry phone, which means the keys would be perfectly thumb-sized, and it had the added benefit of coming with its own metal case and lid that made carrying it around incredibly easy. The only thing left was to actually build the keyboard.

Designer: Flurples

Dubbed the Mint Board, this tiny keyboard is quite the tactile dream come true. It fits in your pocket, has an on/off switch, and wirelessly connects to any Bluetooth-capable device to turn into a keyboard. While it’s incredibly small, it’s perfectly usable (even more so than those godawful touchscreen keyboards) although most people will sorely miss the presence of a number row on top. The Mint Board also charges via USB-C, although Flurples didn’t mention what the battery life of the keyboard is on a full charge.

The Mint Board works with an iPad, allowing you to type on a tactile surface and have the letters appear on screen

Initially conceptualized as a 60% layout keyboard, the Mint Board’s design journey was marked by meticulous planning and adaptation to spatial constraints, ultimately settling for a 40% layout that would only feature the essential Qwerty and special keys (no numbers either). Key spacing and switch selection were pivotal considerations when it came to choosing this layout, ensuring optimal utilization of the limited space within the tin.

At the core of the Mint Board lies a meticulously crafted PCB, meticulously designed to accommodate switches, diodes, a microcontroller, and an on/off switch. Firmware development was a strategic endeavor, with Flurples opting for a Nice Nano microcontroller and ZMK firmware to enable Bluetooth connectivity. Despite the transition from the familiar QMK firmware, Flurples found solace in the shared conceptual framework, facilitating a seamless integration process. The assembly process proved to be both a challenge and a triumph, as Flurples meticulously soldered each component, including the microcontroller and battery, with precision and finesse. However, unforeseen challenges arose, such as tight keycaps, prompting Flurples to undertake a redesign.

Once the inner workings were ready, Flurples built the outer housing, relying on a 3D printer to make the upper and lower halves of the keyboard body, as well as the 41 individual keys. The keyboard was secured together using four screws that sandwiched the PCB in between the plastic components, and glued into the Altoids tin, whose sides had cutouts made to coincide with the ports and switches on the Mint Board’s PCB.

Yet, the true pièce de résistance of the Mint Board lies in its personalized keycaps, each painstakingly crafted with legends created in Illustrator, cut using a Cricut Machine, and finished with a layer of clear-coat resin to give it its signature domed shape. Using the keyboard proved to be gorgeously tactile too, with satisfying click sounds that most Blackberry users will fondly remember. The best part, the entire keyboard could wirelessly connect to pretty much any device, giving you a familiar typing experience on everything from your smartphone to even your iPad.

Flurples should seriously consider building a screen into the lid and turning this into a miniature laptop!

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Logitech Wave Keys Wireless Keyboard Hands-On: Comfortable and Compact, both in Size and Price

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The average human makes roughly 1 million keystrokes each year… marking a major area for an ergonomic intervention. Unveiled today, the Logitech Wave Keys wireless keyboard joins the company’s Ergo line-up as a budget-friendly ergonomic keyboard to create a comfortable, reliable, and tactile typing experience. Designed to pair perfectly with the Lift Vertical mouse, the $59.99 Wave Keys offers a budget-friendly alternative Logitech’s $119.99 Ergo K860 split ergonomic keyboard launched back in 2020. Adopting a similar form factor, the Wave Keys gets its name from the unique wave-shaped form factor that’s a cross between traditional flat keyboards and those ergonomic spherical keyboards from the 1970s. This unique curved shape, along with the padded palm rest allows your hands to rest more naturally on the keyboard, enabling a comfortable experience for your fingers, wrists, and your palms… and I say this with a certain degree of confidence as I type this article out on the Wave Keys myself!

Designer: Logitech

The first impression you get with the Wave Keys is how comfortably petite it is. The keyboard measures less than 13 inches across (375.97mm), occupying the same horizontal space as a conventional 15.6″ laptop, but has a 96% layout, putting it in compact full-sized territory. That means the keyboard sports a num-pad along with a function row, giving you every key you could need. The function row is also feature-optimized to do useful things like take screenshots, toggle the emoji menu, mute/unmute your microphone during audio/video calls, and even play-pause actively playing content.

The keyboard’s biggest highlight is its wave-shaped design, a feature it borrows (and refines) from its predecessor, the Ergo K860. Unlike the K860’s split-key format, the Wave Keys has a continuous key layout and features larger mechanical keycaps that offer a comfortably tactile experience. It’s not as quiet as the K860’s chiclet-style keycap, but it isn’t as noisy as some other mechanical keyboards either.

The wave-shaped hump at the center of the keyboard is something the Logitech design team arrived at after years of designing, prototyping, and refining. The keyboard was carefully crafted with multiple rounds of user testing including at Logitech’s Ergo Lab and has a stamp of approval from US Ergonomics.

Other ergonomic considerations are the padded palm-rest along with height-adjustable tilt-legs that give the keyboard up to 4° of elevation for easier typing over longer periods of time. The palm rest (yet another feature extended from the K860 line) does make the keyboard wider than most, measuring 8.6 inches (218.9 mm) from top to bottom, but it vastly enhances the keyboard’s comfort levels, allowing it to live up to its ergonomic character.

The Wave Keys runs on Bluetooth as well as Logitech’s Bolt receiver, which additionally supports the Lift Vertical mouse.

The Wave Keys supports connections to up to 3 devices at the same time, allowing you to switch between them using the first three buttons on the function row. The keyboard connects to different devices using BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), supporting operating systems like Windows, MacOS, iPadOS, Chrome OS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Alternatively, it ships with the Logi Bolt USB receiver that plugs into a USB-A port, letting you connect using Logitech’s more secure wireless protocol. Additionally, the free Logi Options+ app lets you customize your keyboard experience by changing what the function buttons do, adding software/program-specific shortcuts, or even enabling Smart Actions that allow you to automate multiple tasks with a single keystroke so you can streamline your workflow. The Wave Keys runs on two AAA batteries, and Logitech touts an impressive 3-year lifespan before the batteries need to be replaced.

Sustainability also forms a core part of Logitech’s design and innovation approach. The company has touted using PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastics in their products and the Wave Keys is no different, with up to 61% of recycled plastic in its Graphite version, and 46% in its off-white version. The Wave Keys are also certified carbon-neutral and ship with zero-plastic packaging.

The Logitech Wave Keys launches today in two colorways – Graphite and Off White, with a third option named Rose launching in the spring of 2024. The Wave Keys starts at a retail price of $59.99 in North America and €79.99 in Europe, making it a perfect budget pick for individuals as well as for businesses. Visit the Logitech website to learn more.

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8bitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard turns an old iconic console design into a fun-looking keyboard

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When you talk about video games, most people will probably think of game controllers immediately, even if a large chunk of these aren’t played that way. Even disregarding mobile games that only use touch screens, many are actually played with good, “old-fashioned” keyboard and mouse. There are, of course, keyboards made for gaming, with noisy mechanical switches and bright RBG lights, but most of these are designed to match the aesthetics of most computers, which is to say they almost always come in black, a few in off-white. Nothing screams “gaming,” however, more than a keyboard that’s designed to look like a gaming console. Ever the masters of making old things new, 8bitDo is coming out with its very first keyboard, one that pays homage to a gaming classic in an endearing and tasteful way.

Designer: 8bitDo

8bitDo is a brand best known for its multitude of game controllers catering not just to console owners but also to PC gamers. Although many of these look like your typical gamepads, the company has a penchant for applying the design language of past gaming controllers to present products, giving an ode to the rich history of video games. Its portfolio, however, has been growing recently to cover other accessories and gadgets, including a wireless charging pad, a wireless speaker, and a computer mouse. For the first time, it’s dipping its toes into keyboard territory, and what better way to start that venture than with one of the most iconic consoles in history?

Launched in the 80s, the Nintendo Entertainment System or NES, which was called the Family Computer or Famicom in Japan, kickstarted Nintendo’s own journey from making playing cards to the gaming giant it is today. Although it is hardly the first home gaming console to be launched to the masses, it is one of the few to have gained worldwide acclaim to the point of being an icon. The new 8bitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard pays tribute to this landmark gaming device but does more than just get a paint job to match the gray or red themes of the NES and Famicom, respectively.

The retro keyboard is filled to the brim with details that will really give you that old-school vibe, from the fonts used on the keycaps to the analogy dials for volume and for switching between Bluetooth or Wireless modes. There’s even a classic power light that thankfully uses a more modern LED. The package also includes two giant programmable red buttons in the style of the A and B buttons of the original NES controller. You can connect up to four of these pairs via a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is a pretty old-school connector by now.

As for the keyboard itself, it’s a tenkeyless keyboard, which means you don’t get a numeric keypad on the side. Like with many mechanical keyboards, you have the option to change not only the keycaps but even the switches to your liking. It can connect via Bluetooth, the included wireless RF receiver, or a USB cable. Unlike most gaming keyboards, however, there is no backlighting at all. The 8bitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard costs $99.99 and will ship starting in September. If you really dig the NES motif, you might be tempted to also grab the brand’s N30 wireless mouse which was also inspired by the classic console.

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World’s first ‘wearable PC keyboard’ comes with a design that you can grab and use like a controller

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The Grab Shell’s completely bonkers design was made as a response to the phrase “You can text, call, video chat, and play games while you walk. Why can’t you write code while you walk?” As bizarre as that ask is, it was the genesis of what became the Grab Shell keyboard – the only PC keyboard designed to be used in a handheld manner, like a massive wearable. The reason? Well, a software engineer behind the Grab Shell insisted that “walking around while typing is the most efficient way to collaborate when looking at the same shared screen.”

Designer: dotBravo

We’ve covered ergonomic keyboards, split keyboards, touchscreen keyboards, and even the odd spherical keyboard, but even for us, a portable, handheld keyboard controller is a first. Sure, you could say that most Blackberries had handheld QWERTY keyboards, and so do touchscreen phones today… but do they have mechanical switches, joysticks, scroll wheels, AND handles?

Meet Grab Shell, a new kind of keyboard that’s looking at a genre of productivity that sort of goes unnoticed – the moving kind. Most PC keyboards require you to be tethered to a tabletop surface (where the keyboard rests), but not the Grab Shell. Hold it in your hands like a Nintendo Switch and type on it in a natural manner. The keyboard features keys on both sides – QWERTY keys on the back for your fingers, and dedicated function keys and navigation controls on the front for your thumbs. Use it in a handheld manner while you work, or fold the keyboard open and type like you would on a conventional split keyboard. The Grab Shell empowers both kinds of use.

“The next generation will undoubtedly be a virtual native generation. In that case, it should be available for use in the virtual world,” say the designers behind the Grab Shell. “In other words, just as VR and AR devices are wearable, keyboards should also be wearable.”

Can’t argue with that logic.

As is evident from the images, the GrabShell can be used in two ways – as a handheld controller in its ‘shut’ mode, and as a semi-conventional keyboard when opened out. I say semi-conventional just for the fact that the GrabShell opens into a rather odd shape with a split design that puts special keys like the enter button, the num-pad, and the arrow keys in the center. The center also features unique navigation controls like a scroll wheel, joystick, trackball, and a toggle switch that helps offset the need for a mouse with the keyboard. Dedicated Left and Right click buttons also feature on the keyboard’s design, along with layer keys, which are definitely a new addition. Designed by and for coders, who can sometimes be a fickle bunch, the entire keyboard is customizable too, with the ability to program different keystrokes, shortcuts, and macros to suit your needs. Also in the spirit of user freedom and absolute customizability, the Grab Shell connects wirelessly to both Windows and macOS devices too, with the ability to toggle between them, should you choose. A USB-C port lets you charge the keyboard or use it in wired mode, and a 2000mAh battery powers the Grab Shell for months without needing to be charged, so you can keep walking around as you code, type emails, play games, or just browse the internet.

Its strange format aside, the Grab Shell has all the trimmings of an actually satisfying mechanical keyboard. It uses the original layout for the QWERTY keys, albeit in a split-keyboard design, employing Cherry MX1A switches and ABS keycaps to create a keyboard experience that gamers, coders, and tech-geeks will absolutely love. Going above and beyond, the Grab Shell also comes with a toggle switch, joystick, scroll wheel, track-ball, left and right-click buttons, and literal handles that let you grab your keyboard and work without being bound to a desk. Moreover, the Grab Shell’s keys are completely backlit too, giving you the ability to work not just from anywhere but also pretty much at any time you feel productive! Don’t let anything get in the way of those all-night coding sessions!

The Grab Shell is available in two colors – Onyx Black and Moon White. Priced at a discounted $299, the Grab Shell is up for pre-order on its website, with deliveries beginning in June 2023.

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Logitech designed the perfect wireless keyboard for Gen-Z, complete with removable emoji keys!

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For a generation that prefers TikTok over Typing…

Modeled on the quirky design of Lofree’s keyboard, Logitech just announced the Pop Keys, a wireless keyboard with mechanical keys and a massive catch… the presence of dedicated emoji keys for the first time ever on a mechanical keyboard. Doused in incredibly spunky colors, the Pop Keys is clearly made for the younger generation, and it cleverly ditches the Numpad (something rarely used by Gen Z unless they’re serious gamers) for a row of removable, programmable emoji keys that immediately trigger an emoji on touch.

Designer: Logitech

Click Here to Buy Now

Available in three audaciously vibrant color combos (our hearts are firmly set on the ‘Blast Yellow’ variant), the Logitech Emo Keys is for the mobile generation, pairing seamlessly with phones, tablets, and even laptops, and allowing you to alternate between 3 devices just by pressing 3 hotkeys. The keyboard runs off 2 AA batteries, and comes with a mind-boggling 3-year battery life. On the inside are mechanical TTC Brown scissor-switch keys, designed to give the touchscreen-loving Gen-Z a taste of some tactile action, with a life of 50 million strokes that’s perhaps the highest of any Logitech keyboard. It’s nice to see Logitech invested in building durable products for a generation raised on single-day deliveries and use-and-throw cultures. In their defense, gadgets today aren’t particularly repairable either, so a durable keyboard is quite the treat.

The highlight of the Pop Keys, aside from its absolute splash of color, are the 5 quick-access emoji keys on the right. Designed to be customized/replaced, the keys pop off and can be swapped for other emoji keys (available in the box). The keyboard comes with 8 swappable emoji keys (comprising mostly the popularly used emojis) and one dedicated emoji menu key that lets you access the more niche emojis. The keyboard works seamlessly across different devices (with iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac compatibility), and while it pairs via Bluetooth, it also comes with the signature Logi Bolt USB connector/receiver.

Click Here to Buy Now

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This Adobe wireless keyboard puts its entire creative software suite right under your fingertips

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If I’m paying thousands of dollars a year for Adobe’s creative suite, it would make sense to have a hardware device that ties them all together too.

Meet the 101Keyboard, a wireless keyboard concept that puts the Touchbar from Apple’s MacBook Pro laptops to much better use. It comes with 65 membrane keys, but its piece-de-resistance is that slick horizontal touchscreen on the top that gives you one-tap access to every single Adobe software you need. The bar houses the entire suite of Adobe’s apps, allowing you to keep your taskbar clean yet still be able to summon any Adobe app within a second.

The Touchbar always seemed like it was looking for a real problem to solve. The 101Keyboard, on the other hand, is perfectly positioned to solve one problem and solve it well. Designed to be a keyboard specifically for digital creatives, the wireless peripheral empowers and expedites your workflow. You can switch between apps in seconds, and even directly access recent or active files within apps by simply touching the 101Keyboard’s dedicated screen. Want to take things to the next level? A new type of button right above the backspace key lets you even toggle brush sizes or zoom while within certain apps. Everything you need is pretty much under your fingertips!

Needless to say, the 101Keyboard has a very specific purpose. Sure, it’s a keyboard you could use for regular day-to-day tasks, but its true power is unleashed when you’re working within Adobe’s ecosystem of apps. That’s why it makes sense for Adobe to really bundle this keyboard right in with its Creative Cloud subscription service. It keeps the creatives happy and locks them right into the ecosystem by making it so convenient to use and alternate between different Adobe software.

The 101Keyboard comes with a slick, minimal design. It relies on a slim metal stand that allows you to angle it towards you for easier typing… and no, the keyboard doesn’t come with a numpad, so gamers (and accountants) might not really find this one appealing. As I said, it has a laser-like focus on the creative professional. In fact, it even comes in colors that graphic designers will appreciate. There’s a classic White, but there’s also Magenta, Cyan, and Black. Just wish there was a Yellow variant too, to complete the CMYK moodboard!

Designer:YIIY Design

This multifunctional keyboard is designed to switch from working to game with one click!

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Modern video games can be played on plenty of different platforms – PC, VR, handheld, streaming, to name just a few. However, gaming hardware that also accommodates computer keyboards is rare. Inspired by the Logitech K380, Elvin Aliyev designed his own gaming keyboard with a built-in controller called Switcheroo that he hopes will bring an entirely new experience for those of us who game as much as we surf the web.

The Switcheroo is the size of a regular QWERTY keyboard and comes with a built-in input control and direction pads in opposite corners, resembling a wider interface of the prototypical game controller. Along the keyboard’s topmost edge, users can find the RB button just above the input control pad and the LB button above the direction pad. Aliyev designed Switcheroo for the occasional gamer who also uses their keyboard for designing and artwork, ideal for those WFH lunch hours that could be spent playing video games instead. To make the keyboard completely portable, Aliyev designed Switcheroo to be battery-operated and Bluetooth-compatible. Enhancing the keyboard’s portable and ergonomic features, Aliyev integrated finger notches on Switcheroo’s backside for easy carrying. While Switcheroo is not a replacement for a full-sized keyboard, it can still be used as one when it is connected to your gaming platform. When using Switcheroo as either a keyboard or game controller, users simply slide a tiny knob, located to the left of and below the input control pad, to indicate their preference and the keyboard adapts accordingly.

Aliyev also incorporated an empty key that designers and 3D software engineers can program themselves to create shortcuts or access hidden features. Situated in the bottom-left part of Switcheroo, Aliyev repositioned the ESC key so that it’s conveniently located next to other frequently used keys for designers and engineers, like the ALT key and his new empty key. Bridging work and play, Aliyev designed a keyboard for the gamer in all of us.

Designer: Elvin Aliyev

HP’s fall gaming lineup includes a new lag-free wireless headset

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HP’s fall gaming lineup is built on wireless accessories, including a new lag-free wireless headset, fast-charging wireless mouse and wireless keyboard. All of the gear is made with HP’s Warp Wireless Technology, which offers a fast, lag-free 2.4 GHz...

The work-from-home gear you should actually buy

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You may feel out of your element if you’re one of the millions of people that have recently transitioned to work-from-home life. Being productive when not in a typical office environment can be a challenge even in the best of times, but there are a n...