mechanical keyboard newswire

MID.1, a folded stainless steel 40% board I’ve been building for a long time

Showcase of the MID.1, a folded stainless steel 40% board by A.Okay!, now open for reservations.

Happy Topre Tuesday!

Showcase of a JustSystems 91U with 86U internals.

Oh no, I became the guy with two of the same board

User shares their two Mode Tempos and the reasoning behind the duplicate purchase.

[GB] DCS Grass Valley | Live now till June 1st

DCS Grass Valley group buy is live, hitting MOQ with price drops at higher tiers.

New to keyboards!

OP found a vintage Cortron terminal keyboard (possibly from the USS Lexington) and is seeking info.

Finally bought new switches

Review of BSUN Strawberry Cheesecake R2 switches on a Rainy 75 Pro, noting quieter/muffled sound.

Akko has good after sales support

Positive experience with Akko's support regarding a Bluetooth connectivity issue on the Mineral board.

QK80 Brown in 2026

Showcase of a second-hand QK80 with PBTFans Retro 100 caps and HMX Orange Grape switches.

I admit I've become dependent on this little guy.

Long-term review of the Geonix Rev.2 compact keyboard, praising its weight and portability.

Glitter Q4

Showcase of a Keychron Q4 with PC plate, PBTfans Neon R2 Glitter caps, and Gateron Oil King switches.

Baionyee

Showcase of Baion boards, including a Raw Gehirn with Neo Oat Linears and Jieum V2 mods.

Flat keyboard or go all in?

Discussion on choosing between Glove80, Charbydis MK2, ZSA Voyager, and Sofle for an ergonomic setup.

“Casual”/“Non-Typing” ergonomics

Discussion on ergonomic keyboards for developers who use hands for navigation/mouse tasks more than typing.

[US-WI] [H] Ataraxia wireless trackball keyboard [W] PayPal, Venmo

Sale of a pre-programmed Ataraxia with ZMK Studio firmware support.

Trackpads! Who’s got the deets?

Seeking advice on wiring and sourcing trackpad modules for a KLOR Polydactyl build.

Keychron Q9 Plus - is it dead? Split space suggestions

Concerns about the future of the Q9 Plus split space model and suggestions for alternatives.

Anyone know about this kit? Good? Bad?

Inquiry about a specific split board kit for gaming/macro pad use.

ZMK - Double Tap Hold for momentary layer

Discussion on implementing complex double-tap-hold behavior for momentary layers in ZMK, specifically for the Night layout.

Recent Ergodox Infinity keymap example?

User seeking a modern Ergodox Infinity keymap example with `visualizer.c` support after updating QMK.

Keychron J2 HE stuck in a 'bootloader mode'.

Troubleshooting a Keychron J2 HE stuck in bootloader mode after a firmware glitch.

I can't find the AJAZZ AK980 V2 Pro Software

User unable to find official software for the AJAZZ AK980 V2 Pro keyboard.

Keyboard and switch compatibility

Question about compatibility between Keychron C3 Pro and Akko Penguin Silent switches.

Double typing characters on keyboard

Troubleshooting double-typing issue on a Legion S7 laptop keyboard.

There is an update to the Galaxy XR firmware as of today, May 5, 2026

Major Android XR update rolling out with auto-spatialization and improved hand/eye tracking.

Mx mechanical mini qmk

User shares a GitHub repo with working QMK code and individually addressable backlighting for the MX Mechanical Mini.

Inline hardware device for host-independent remaps/macros: useful niche, or useless?

Discussion on validating a hardware USB device concept for host-independent remapping, comparing it to software solutions like QMK/VIA/Kanata.

If you had to choose between Home Row Mods or Auto Shift, which one would you choose?

Debate on input method preferences (HRM vs Auto Shift) among ergonomic keyboard users.

Omnitype restocks Dualshot Substance Deskpad and GMK Dualshot Accent kit

Omnitype has restocked the Dualshot Substance Deskpad and GMK Dualshot 2 keycap accent kit.

NuPhy releases WH80 wireless 8K magnetic gaming keyboard

NuPhy launched the WH80, a wireless gaming keyboard featuring 8K polling rate and Hall-effect magnetic switches.

Kanata brings firmware-level remapping to any keyboard—even laptops (I made a UI for it)

Author highlights Kanata's cross-platform capabilities and layers/tap-hold features as an alternative to flashing firmware.

It's all wired up. Now all I have to do is learn to code.

OP is a complete beginner who just finished their first build and is now tackling the firmware coding aspect. High engagement due to the "journey" narrative.

HoldTap software only to re-create ZMK/QMK on Mac

Creator of "HoldTap" announces a new macOS application designed to bring layer/hold-tap functionality to standard keyboards without flashing firmware. Relevant for Mac users who want ZMK-like features.

Finally designed my own shell, PCB and top plate!

Custom build running KMK (Kaleidosaurus Microkernel) on an RP2040. Interesting technical discussion on the design process and sound test.

Free your minds! DIY no-stabs build.

DIY ortholinear build using a Pi Pico running ZMK. Discusses the challenges of a no-stabilizer layout and the "jank" involved in the build.

Keytogo, yet another keyboard navigation tool for macos (open-source)

New open-source, Rust-based macOS daemon for keyboard-driven mouse navigation. Alternative to Mouseless/Warpd for users who prefer CLI/menu-bar tools.

Mechvibes: Mechanical-Keyboard Sound Effects

Karabiner-Elements 16.0.0

List prices on many websites are borderline false advertising

Community discussion on Shopify configuration issues causing misleading kit pricing.

Levels54 is now fully open source!

Creator released all files for the split 54-key dual-trackball board, including PCBs.

macOS Utilities for Identifying Apps Hijacking Global Keyboard Shortcuts?

Tooling discussion for debugging global shortcut conflicts — relevant for remapping software users.

How to use QMK's matrix implementation as a custom lite matrix?

Technical discussion on leveraging QMK's matrix scanning code for custom firmware.

No Code Reviews by Default

Raycast on shipping without mandatory code review — adjacent to keyboard-tools workflow culture.

ScottoAcademy enrollment closes May 3rd

Joe from ScottoKeebs is offering 3 spots for a live, handwired macad build session to support his channel.

Keyreative Santa Llum keyboard now in stock

Keyreative announces the Santa Llum keyboard is available for purchase in two colors.

ZSA releases Zapp CLI tool and Classic Books mode for typ.ing

ZSA introduces Zapp, an open-source terminal tool for flashing firmware, and a new Classic Books mode on typ.ing for typing practice.

Treasure announces TYPE-9 Series IV and 3 new projects

Treasure is launching the TYPE-9 Series IV along with three additional new keyboard projects.

Omnitype Firsty Thursday: GMK Dracula under $88

Omnitype is selling a GMK Dracula keycap set for Firsty Thursday at a price under $88.

Omnitype releases GMK Burgundy keycap set

Omnitype has released the GMK (CYL) Burgundy keycap set, coinciding with the end of the Bauer 65 preorder.

Keyboard Builders Digest #210: IQUNIX EV63 HE, Laika, MMOrtho, Alatus, Krteq, and more

Newsletter highlights IQUNIX EV63 HE review and open-source projects including Laika, MMOrtho, Alatus, Krteq, Leonardo KeycapRio, Lemonshark, and PISIC.

Omnitype Bauer 65 groupbuy ends soon

The Bauer 65 groupbuy is closing in one day, with the Dune colorway available.

ScottoAcademy live workshop: build a 3x3 macropad

ScottoKeebs is hosting a live workshop to build a direct-wired 3x3 macropad from scratch, with enrollment closing May 3rd.

Mode Designs announces 2026 Encore with Crown Mounting System

Mode Designs released the 2026 Encore keyboard featuring a new Crown Mounting System, with pre-orders open and fulfillment starting in July.

Keyreative KAP Capo Soda keycap group buy

Keyreative has opened a group buy for the KAP Capo Soda keycap set.

Keyboard Sounds Pro – Now Available on macOS

No Code Reviews by Default

You may not like it, but THIS is peak split keyboard

High-engagement photo/post showcasing an eye-catching split build — good visibility in the community.

Built the keyboard — what do you use for a pointing device?

Active discussion about pointing devices for split/ZMK setups — practical community input on peripherals and workflow.

Self designed ISO MX PCB to fit Holy80

Small couple-designed ISO PCB that uses QMK — notable because it’s a custom ISO PCB + full RGB and shows a DIY ISO QMK build that others may reuse.

New Geonix teaser photo

Teaser image for a new Geonix—looks like a PC case variant; sparks discussion about a new revision/production.

Show HN: Code on the Go, an IDE for Android with On-Device Debugging (GPLv3)

March in Servo: keyboard navigation, better debugging, FreeBSD support, and more

LAN-mouse – mouse and keyboard sharing via LAN for Linux, macOS and Windows

My first split keyboard: Keyball61

High-engagement photo/build post of DIY split board using Remap for keymaps — good signal for ergonomic board interest.

Krteq (Open source)

New open-source 61-key unibody using Raspberry Pi Pico and QMK/VIA — notable for Gateron LP 3.0 compatibility and hotswap support.

Krteq 5x12 (+2)

Same Krteq board cross-posted to r/MechanicalKeyboards (build pics) — community attention on PCB/switch choice.

Thumb-Shift Keyboard

Copilot Key on My Keyboard

If you'd like, I can expand to broader HN searches (remove the 24h filter) or run this again tomorrow.

Connecting Issues

First-build connectivity problems (Supermini MCU + ZMK) — several troubleshooting replies (worthwatch if ZMK USB/bluetooth fixes emerge).

Marshmellow UI goes wireless!

Marshmellow UI adds wireless/Bluetooth support (v0.6.4 required) and mobile support — notable tooling/firmware UI update.

Is it possible to make holding space shift and I want to rebind my ctrl with alt

User asks about remapping (mentions Kanata) and where to learn Kanata — kept for Kanata monitoring.

Keycap.app – Generate and visualize keycap models

I Made a Keyboard Nobody Asked For: My Experience Making TapType

Hydration Narc – A keyboard-locking water reminder for macOS

I Made a Keyboard Nobody Asked For

Open-sourced My Corne Eclipse Design w/Dual Encoder & nice!view

Custom Corne MX build with dual encoders, dual nice!view screens, ZMK firmware, and ZMK Studio support now open-sourced on GitHub.

Binepad BNK-16 - Review and issues

Detailed review of BNK-16 with VIA/QMK issues — JSON save/load breaks layer switching, modifier+mousewheel combos don't work, poor vendor support.

kanata backtick shows as "§" and tilde as "±"

Solved issue with kanata on macOS where backtick/tilde keys displayed wrong characters — fixed by changing keyboard type in settings.