Keyboards

Today I learned that after Google stopped doing April Fools’ jokes in 2021 — a change we lauded — its Japan division started revealing zany keyboards on October 1st (because 10/1 = 101 keys) instead. Find the latest below; previous entries include the Gboard Teacup, Gboard Stick and Gboard Cap.

The Apple IIGS (graphics and sound) debuted in 1986 with enhanced multimedia capabilities, but software developer Matt Chesters remembers it best for the sleek mechanical keyboard the computer shipped with.

In a 15-minute YouTube video they detail how they revived a used Apple Desktop Bus Keyboard and upgraded it with wireless Bluetooth connectivity, a rechargeable battery, a tiny OLED screen, and a dedicated volume control wheel.

I believe the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is only the company’s second-ever to let you swap out switches, after last year’s non-Pro version. It’s also got a cool screen, dial, and connects wirelessly. But at $300, I’d wait until the mech keyboard community weighs in!

Wonder if Razer has considered selling BYO-switch keyboard kits?

If you think Apple’s new iPhone lineup needs even more buttons, on October 7th you can preorder iPhone 16 versions of Clicks’ BlackBerry-like keyboard case, with shipping expected in November.

The cases will be available in three colors: surf, spice, and onyx, and will be $139 for the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, or $159 for the iPhone 16 Plus and 16 Pro Max.

Apple could release a new keyboard accessory for “an entry-level iPad or the new iPad Airs” by mid-2025, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in today’s Power On newsletter.

The keyboard won’t have glitzier iPad Pro Magic Keyboard features like a metal palm rest, but could come with a function row, he writes.

Among Asus’ peripherals announced at Gamescom is a new $199.99 ROG Falchion Ace HFX keyboard. It has Hall effect switches, 8,000Hz polling, and a “Speed Tap mode,” which sounds like the Razer and Wooting features freshly banned in Counter-Strike 2.

Thanks for showing up with the beer after the party’s been raided, Asus.

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I don’t need a lot in a folding Bluetooth keyboard. It just needs to support multiple wireless devices, plus USB-C direct connect, and not get all floppy on my lap! Would you believe there aren’t a lot of keyboards like that? 

Un Kyu Lee’s Micro Journal Rev.6 is a purpose-built writing tool that trades the polish of Astrohaus’ Freewright devices for a cheaper price tag. The $169 kit pairs a hot-swappable keyboard with a monochromatic LCD display, a 30-hour battery, and wireless Google Drive syncing. The design files are also available through GitHub, eventually letting anyone 3D print and build their own.

Slim and light and globally available in June for $79.99 / €89.99.

Keys-To-Go 2, available in Lilac, Pale Grey and Graphite, features scissor keys for a comfortable, efficient and more precise typing experience. Connect via Bluetooth with up to three devices via the Easy-Switch keys, and type seamlessly across tablets, phones and laptops. This compact keyboard is available in two layouts, Universal (Android, ChromeOS, Windows, iPadOS, iOS and MacOS) and dedicated Apple layout (iPadOS, iOS and macOS).

Ryan Norbauer wanted the perfect stabilizer for his upcoming Seneca keyboard, which will start at $3,400 (not a typo). And so, armed only with impossibly high standards, an unbelievable tenacity, and a “cash bazooka,” he set out to invent it.