Xah keyboard Blog
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See also Xah Emacs Blog
Keychron Keyboard minor update
Typing Tutorial, Speed Test, Typing Games. added a section on typing score.
new photo and video.
Trackballs That Can Spin added more videos.
new photos and updates.
add to page OneOdio A70 Bluetooth Headphone Buy at amazon
- very light and comfortable
- good sound
- two audio input jacks
Rode Wireless Lavalier Microphone Transmitter/Receiver Buy at amazon
updated.
- How to Program Number Keypad as Function Keys
- Difference Between Apple and PC keyboards
- Roccat Vulcan Keyboard
minor updates.
some update. only 10 or so keys in the middle is reprogramable. This is pretty bad.
宮保拼音 Combo Pinyin, Chinese Input System by Chording
put in somewhere https://github.com/rime/home/wiki/ComboPinyin
【宮保拼音】 (Combo Pinyin)，是一種利用標準美式鍵盤 並擊 輸入漢字的方法。 所謂「並擊」(chord-typing)，即數指並行、同時擊鍵，以擊出的按鍵組合表達要輸入的編碼。形式類似於在鋼琴上彈奏和絃。
new photo, and updates
Bought headset and mic and bare finger shoe.
new recommendation from a music/audio expert friend
new. Cooler Master ControlPad. Added to Programable Keypad
- minor update Using a Second Keyboard as Programable Keypad
posting old articles.
Realforce Keyboard
Added video and more photo.
- Elecom HUGE Trackball
- Elecom Bitra Finger Trackball
- Elecom Bitra Thumb Trackball
- Elecom EX-G Pro Trackball
- Elecom EX-G Trackball
- Kensington Orbit Trackball with Scroll Ring
- Kensington Orbit Fusion Trackball
- Kensington Orbit Trackball
- Kensington TurboRing Trackball
- Microsoft Trackball Explorer
- Logitech Cordless Optical Trackman trackball
- Kensington Pro Fit Trackball
- Kensington Orbit Trackball, 1999
new photos
mechanical switch vs keyboard ergonomic shape
If the question is, mechanical switch is more important or ergonomic shape, and if one can only pick one. I used to think ergo, but now i think it depends on a lot factors per the person. do you touch type, how much you type per day, do you already have Repetitive Strain Injury, how bad is your current rubber dome keyboard, etc. I'd say they are equally important. Key switch matters significantly because finger pressing keys is the main movement. Ergo shape is also super important because bad position puts stress on wrist, shoulder.
comment at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b20q0NOr2yQ
new photos.
Linux: Keyboard Software Guide
added xKeySnail
XahTV 2021-03-13 Ergonomics, Mechanical Keyboard. and Artificial Intelligence
Keyboard Layout Design vs Input System Design
If one rely on QMK or keyboard firmware features to design layout, then that kinda is a different beast. Cuz it's not just a letter layout, but require certain hardware features. So, we might have letter layouts as a class of layout, then, keyboard layout with firmware feature consideration. With the latter, it's essentially unexplored territory. (beginning to be explored)
For example, one of the practical problem of typing is is typing bracket pairs and place cursor in middle. With plain keyboard letter layout, that's out of the question. But with keyboard firmware considered, it's trivial. But now we have a ton of variations.
For example, to type matched bracket and place cursor in middle, one most basic way with firmware based input is simply press whatever key is the left bracket perhaps plus a modifier and it'll insert bracket pair and move cursor inbetween. Another way, is say with a key sequence, say 【thumb t】. Another way, is say with a extra thumb key say named T1, one single key. So, when we consider keyboard firmware based layout (the first one of such is probably Maltron Keyboard with letter E on thumb ), then we got pretty much unbridled variations and possibilities in designing input system. Instead of thinking of it as layout, it more becomes a input system.
The issue with taking in keyboard firmware in, is that then we also need to take in the physical layout in, and that became almost unrestricted. Because we no longer have a standard design constraints as the standard PC keyboard. As we know in diy scene, there's already a ton of physical layout variations, some drastically diff. E.g. 8 thumb keys plus 2 palm keys in keyboard io, vs say atreus or other only has 40 keys, vs kinesis or dactyle with curved surface, or hyper 7 with over 2 hundred keys. Here, the measure of ergonomics is also out of whack. Because when u have a keyboard with 200 keys, then lots input can become a single key press, albeit you have to move hand all over. So, one of the ergonomic metric or efficiency metric becomes whether finger stay home and type 10 keys is better or is it better move arm across a river and hit 1 single key. My point being, if we consider keyboard firmware as part of layout design, the issue quickly becomes input system design, and almost unbounded complexity or judgement complexity.
One commonly asked need related to this is input of emoji. As the USB protocol for keyboard is designed (HIB), it's impossible for keyboard to send emoji, because the keyboard interface send keycodes, out of only 200 or so possible keycodes. Keyboard cannot actually characters or arbitrary code. Another very common need is app dependent shortcuts. No normal keyboard protocol lets the OS tell keyboard which is the current app. So, here we also venture into the comp/keyboard interface.
History of Kensington Expert Mouse
new photos and pics.
- 2.4G USB Wireless
- Bluetooth
- Rechargeable USB-C Port
- 3 DPI
- 2021-04-29 work in progress Bigram Calculator
- 2021-04-08 add Thresh (gamer) History of Emacs and vi Keys
- 2021-03-20
- http://mineko.fc2web.com/box/tb-room/
- https://twitter.com/nekotrackball/status/1368182682992185352/photo/2
- https://twitter.com/nekotrackball/status/1372745096341295109
- https://twitter.com/nekotrackball/status/1373121454368157696/photo/1
- https://twitter.com/nekotrackball/status/1373301854755426307
- https://twitter.com/a_ono/status/1368861295693287424/photo/1
Ergonomic Keyboard Layouts
added engram layout.
new photo.
Left column top to bottom:
Right column top to bottom:
and new page Why Programable Keypad
Copy Filepath in IrfanView
to copy filepath of current image in IrfanView, press i to show info, press Tab 3 times to goto the filepath field, then copy.
Mouse with Spin Wheel
major update
updated
updated.
Why You Need 10 Buttons Mouse
updated
Why Programable Keyboards Are Better Than Software Key Remap
on a page of its own.
updates.
Logitech G502 Mouse minor update
looks like the dpi war winner is currently logitech. What's Mouse DPI? Does DPI Matter?
new linux key tool: ydotool. Linux: Keyboard Software Guide
Windows Keyboard Shortcuts Tutorial
new index.
AutoHotkey Tutorial
updated.
Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard 2019
stiff spacebar problem.
one thing annoying about Windows 10 is that, a keyboard shortcut does not always work, due to focus widget. For example, in folder view Explorer, Ctrl+w can close a window, but if you have pressed Tab or Alt+h before so that your focus is on navigation pane or the ribbon bar, then it won't work.
new photos and video.
X No Chord Keyboard
minor update, repost
What's Mouse DPI? Does DPI Matter?
minor update, repost
Do It Yourself big trackball with gyro sensor mechanism
Jan 27, 2021
Jacek Fedoryński
The ball is a standalone Bluetooth mouse. All the electronics are inside the ball. The keyboard is a separate USB device that is only used for mouse clicks.
[Bluetooth trackball Mark II By Jacek Fedoryński. At https://blog.jfedor.org/2021/01/bluetooth-trackball-mark-ii.html ]
Drawing Software Krita so pretty.
updated many photos in
Trackball Reviews.
basically, replacing those professional photos by real-life photos.
I always prefer real life photos. Professional photos looks fake.
Best Computer Desk
repost
windows key shortcuts for maximize window is annoying
There is no key to max window. F11 does toggle fullscreen, but the concept of fullscreen is annoying, you can't see tabs, and not supported by all apps. Fullscreen is useful only about watching movies or games. It's a idea of 90s when dislay are small.
Then, there are max window idea. It's not a toggle. You have to max then restore. Then there's minimize window idea, which is completely different, more like hiding current window.
then, the keys for max/restor/min window adds to the helpless situation. First of all, there are multiple keys doing the same.
- Alt+Space+x
- Max window size.
- Alt+Space+m
- Minimize (hide) window
- Alt+Space+r
- “restore” window size.
- ❖ Window+↑
- Max window size.
- ❖ Window+↓
- Restore window size if it's maxed, else, minimize (hide)
No single key to toggle max window. You have to use brain cycle then decide on the rigt key.
worse is that, you might think that you'll just settle for ❖ Window+↑ and ❖ Window+↓. but if you pressed the latter one more time by mistake, whoops, your window is gone hidden.
using programable keypad for mouse click
Now on windows, am using hover activate window , but it doesn't have hover click. So i've been clicking a lot and starting to feel the strain. So, Ultimate Hacking Keyboard comes to the rescue. Programed the key to act as mouse click. See the left side, left hand fist sit on the click.
See:
mouse finger pain saver. Windows: Mouse Hover to Activate Window
NEC PC-8801-KI Keyboard (1983)
added a video.
Microsoft surface tablet charger
My Microsoft surface tablet charger broke. Cable bend damage at the magnetic connector. This cable should be replaceable but is merged into the charging brick, i suppose on purpose, so that if it broke, one has to buy the whole thing. Fuck these commercial corps. (Apple is worst)
See also Microsoft Surface Pro 4, 2015
photos of my new computer and monitor
Drawing Tablet
This thing now works fantastically in Windows. Sucks on the Mac.
Now you can use this instead of the mouse.
It is because Microsoft Windows support touch screen, Mac doesn't.
So you can use a drawing tablet as mouse on Windows.
added photos.
Windows Keyboard Shortcuts
minor update
Kinesis Advantage2 Keyboard with silent red switch
Bought a new Kinesis Advantage2 Keyboard with Silent Cherry MX Red switches. My old one is cherry mx brown switch. Love the new one. Gonna sell my old. See pic at the link.
why i bought another same? i talked about this many times. in my XahTV 📺 and in Xah Emacs Blog and here.
Basically, if you have Repetitive Strain Injury, you want light linear switch. I'd say cherry mx red or blue are good. Anything above 45g activation is no good.
also updated:
- patreon me $5
- amazon egift card to xah@xahlee.org , $20 is nice.
- paypal to xah@xahlee.org , $20 is nice.
- bitcoin me 19dfoa3Q7oehm9MwCULQzBG8vqfCaeMazH
If you have a question, put $5 at patreon and message me.