Xah Keyboard Blog Archive 2021-03

new index pages

Big fat nice gaming machine. Skytech Siege 3.0 Gaming PC Desktop. AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 3.8GHz, AMD 6900 XT 16G GDDR6, 16GB DDR4 3200, 1TB Gen4 SSD, X570 Motherboard, 750W Gold PSU, 360mm AIO, AC WiFi Buy at amazon

new photos.

things bought. Writing review soon, possibly.

amazon phone holder 2021-05-28
• phone holder goose neck Buy at amazon
• WATERFLY Fanny Pack Buy at amazon
• Ampper Blind Spot Mirror Buy at amazon

updated or new page.

AutoHotkey: Toggle Maximize Window (Fullscreen)

Keyboard Menu Key
minor update

no longer recommend Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard. The keys are too stiff. updated. Best Ergonomic Keyboards, Xah Pick

Japan Thumb-Shift Keyboard (NICOLA layout)
new photo

Dvorak Keyboard Layout minor update.

Windows: Set Chinese Pinyin to Dvorak Layout

holy. new expensive flat keyboard Buy at amazon

Drop ALT High-Profile Mechanical Keyboard — 65% (67 Key) Gaming Keyboard, Hot-Swap Switches, Programmable Macros, RGB LED Backlighting, USB-C, Doubleshot PBT, Aluminum Frame (Halo Clear, Gray)

new trackball from Sanwa. SANWA Wired Trackball. Silent Noiseless Buttons, 34 mm Trackball, 600/800/1200/1600 DPI. Buy at amazon

new or updated.

Ergonomic Keyboard History ⌨

minor updates

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.

Trackball History 🖲

Keyboard History ⌨

xtodo add to page. OneOdio A70 Bluetooth Headphone Buy at amazon

DJI Pocket 2 Camera 2021 X526x
DJI Pocket 2, 3 Axis Gimbal Stabilizer 4K Camera, 1/1.7″ CMOS, 64MP Photo Buy at amazon

Rode Wireless Lavalier Microphone Transmitter/Receiver Buy at amazon

updated.

minor updates.

Keyboard Technology, It's Hack All the Way

Dual-Function Keys (Home Row Mods)

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

xtodo 宮保拼音 Combo Pinyin 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.

xahlee bought 2021-04-14 Gqt9w
xahlee bought 2021-04-14

How to Solve Audio Ground Loop Hum

new recommendation from a music/audio expert friend

new. Cooler Master ControlPad. Added to Programable Keypad

History of Kensington Expert Mouse

posting old articles.

Realforce Keyboard
Added video and more photo.

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

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 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.

xtodo 2021-04-08 Jelly Comb Trackball
Jelly Comb Trackball sWTNP
Jelly Comb Trackball Buy at amazon

Ergonomic Keyboard Layouts
added engram layout.

new photo.

Typing Tutorial, Speed Test, Typing Games
updated

and new page Why Programable Keypad

Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard

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.

Apple m1 chip