Found on Reddit:
Here’s a (terrible) picture of my work setup:
CABLES, CABLES EVERYWHERE
Ok, so this week I got the remaining parts, so here is the fully assembled Model qMk!
Nothing weird on the front, until we got to the back and…
It is running a new RP2040 based controller with QMK firmware. The old controller next to the new:
QMK is the same firmware that ergodox and other fancy keyboards run. Is capable of saving macros, having several layouts stored and other niceties. Right now it runs only the basic thing, and is meant to work as a drop-in replacement.
The new version is being developed, though
This one has a better expansion header and my plan is also to have switches on the back of the keyboard to be pushed with a paperclip. Still on the design phase and possible that this particular one won’t even be sent to manufacturing (still have to check if everything fits and that I have not missed anything significant).
After that objective is to open source it and maybe sell a small batch via tindie. Some of my friends already expressed interest so my “beta” batch is already sold; there were already controllers, but were designed a long time ago and have quite old controllers, some of them hard to source or pricier.
I have 5 monitors, multiple computers connected by a KVM, and multiple types of mobile devices everywhere. I don’t have time for cable management.
Plus the minute everything is made neat I either have to unplug something and mess it up, or I end up moving to a new office and have to start over.
a pity that as always it has poor ISO support. At least it has ISO-DE and ISO-NO…
WTF is nano coating, how is it making metal more durable, and what will it do to my health?
Great question. I do think that having a coating on the keys would be ideal but calling it nano coating is vague enough to sound like an obvious a marketing term
My guess for what “nano-coating” means is that there’s a Vapour Deposition process involved somewhere.
I can’t see any description of what they’re actually made from. Other keycap sets talk about being made from recycled metal, but these are copper/silver/gold-coloured. Maybe that means it’s still metal underneath, with a vapour deposition of a layer of metal, or maybe they’re all metal with the vapour depositing being the colouring and a protective resin layer to stop them oxidising.
In any case, I don’t think we ever see them from the back.
given the description is a bit hard to understand but I think the keys are die-cast zinc alloy with some kind of cover that could be electroplating or just paint.
This has been a classic for toys everywhere:
“nano coating” implies plating or vapour deposition to me.
I have a Wooting 2 HE which I love to bits. But I must admit, I rarely use its killer feature, the analogue keys (the HE stands for Hall Effect).
Unfortunately, a lot of modern games feature adaptive interfaces that expect you to either be using a mouse and keyboard or a controller, not effectively both at the same time.
Best case, on-screen prompts will constantly be flickering between one or the other; worst case, the game outright crashes 'cos it doesn’t understand what’s going on (as is the case with Cyberpunk 2077.)
Other oddities that can occur include games applying controller analogue curves to mouse movement, resulting in sluggish, unnatural response; the recent Hitman games particularly suffer from this.
Interestingly, the feature often plays best with older games which just take what they’re given rather than trying to predict what controller you’re using.
However, even without using that feature, it’s still a fantastic keyboard with excellent software, the niftily named “Wootility”
Also, for the longest time, I had tech-lust for Streamdecks, but couldn’t justify buying one as I couldn’t envision a scenario where I would use it at home.
Then I discovered the Streamdeck + with its context sensitive dynamic dials, and was sold.
It does exactly what I need it to, and can act as a controller for individually adjusting the volume of apps.
I also have a Philips Hue setup in my flat, with motion sensors controlling lighting, but a neat additional feature is that I can sync lights to on-screen action. I haven’t synced the keyboard to it, as I use the keyboard’s RGB to denote different keys, but I could do!
Here’s a video after I’d set up the lighting, but before I bought my Streamdeck +:
As noted in the description, I’ve since tweaked the lights to more accurately map what’s on screen, but that video still serves to demonstrate how the desk and ceiling lights sync up.
or it could just be gobbledygock
oh wow. I would love to try something like that!
It’s great, and Philips’ desktop app supports every game I’ve chucked at it.
I’ve gotten so used to it, I immediately notice when I start playing a game that I haven’t added to the app.
You’d think it would be distracting, but it honestly just adds to the immersion.
I even use it with Dwarf Fortress!
If you’re not already in the Hue ecosystem (or even if you are), it may be worth considering SignalRGB:
I’ve not tried it myself, but the flexibility is there to use various options like WLED, which I’m rather fond of.
There’s also a follow-up video that adds some cheap Govee floor lamps and shows how they can be integrated:
In general, this channel is great for these types of projects.
I use Govee with my Sony telly, 'cos the Hue Sync Box is STOOPID expensive, and only works with external media centers.
Good stuff!