Awesome Keyboards

GLASYS has perfected the art of performing music which also is a drawing. This time, he used his own likeness as the subject for a musical portrait. The tune sounds like the soundtrack from an underground level of an 8-bit platform game. His composition Spectro Dragon is also quite special.

We swear by our Keychron mechanical keyboard’s build quality and clicky Gateron G Pro switches. The Q11 QMK offers an adjustable split keyboard design with hot-swappable keys, a hefty machined aluminum body, and a rotary encoder knob. There’s support for MacOS and Windows, and QMK/VIA programmability.

The 1980s gave us computers that shared a case with their keyboard. Pentaform’s Abacus returns to that by attaching a tiny Windows computer to its keyboard. It has an Intel Cherry Trail CPU with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0/3.0, Micro SD, and HDMI 2.0 outputs, as well as a trackpad and a 40-pin GPIO connector.

This unique macro keypad features an aluminum and acrylic case based on the shape of the Nintendo Gameboy Advance. It has nine programmable keys, six triggers that look like a D-pad and start/select buttons, along with two clickable scroll knobs. It’s also got RGB backlighting. Available in five color combos.

Designer, writer, and engineer Marcin Wichary created this extensive visual history of keyboards and the people who use them. The two-volume set is packed with 1300 photos and numerous stories about the amazing mechanical device that changed the world in so many ways.

The Air75 is the slimmest mechanical keyboard we’ve seen to date. It features a 75% ANSI layout, low-profile PBT keycaps, hot-swappable switches, RGB lighting, and an aluminum frame. It supports 2.4Ghz, Bluetooth, and wired connections, and is compatible with the NuFolio V2, a carrying case, tablet, and phone stand.

We’ve seen a handful of keycaps made from wood or metal, but most of them are made from plastic. Cerakey is making the first production ceramic keycaps. They’re designed for a smooth feel, pleasant sound, and durability, thanks to their alumina ceramic construction. They come in a variety of artful glazes.

This 83-key mechanical keyboard from KnewKey looks just like a vintage typewriter. It offers both wired (USB-C) and wireless (Bluetooth) connectivity and has a built-in tablet stand that mimics the design of a typewriter’s carriage. It also has blue LED backlighting, and its side knob can bye be used as a volume controller.

Performance gaming accessory maker Finalmouse is teasing a visually stunning keyboard. The Centerpiece has a screen behind its see-through keys, and can display interactive skins which change with each keypress. It has custom Gateron mechanical switches and an on-board CPU/GPU. Drops in early 2023 for $349.

This wireless keypad is the perfect add-on for iPad artists who use Procreate. It provides quick access to 23 shortcuts so you can focus on drawing instead of fumbling through menus. It has buttons for switching brushes, changing pen tip sizes, sampling and selecting colors, changing layers, undo/redo, and more.

The latest of Elgato’s programmable desktop controllers combines screens, buttons, and knobs for greater versatility. It has eight LCD-backed buttons, four push-button analog dials, and a touch-sensitive LCD information screen. It’s a great tool for controlling podcasts, live streams, and audio and video editing tools.

If you’re like us and eat at your desk, you’ve got crumbs between your keycaps. The KeebMonkey Air Duster is a high-power blower designed for cleaning keyboards. Its long nozzle and brush tips get between keys, and blast debris away in seconds. It’s 6000 mAh battery provides up to 30 minutes of cleaning per charge.

This unique keyboard has LEGO-compatible studs all over it so that you can attach building blocks and Minifigures. Even its mechanical keys are studded, so you can mix and match its 8-bit style keycaps or LEGO parts. It’s got RGB backlighting and both wired and wireless modes. Early bird pre-orders can save $70 off the MSRP.

Adafruit Industries shows off a fun DIY project using oversize Kailh key switches to build three ginormous macro keys. The keys work just like the keys on a regular keyboard, only 64 times larger in volume. We want to see someone build an entire QWERTY keyboard with these things.

Logitech’s compact keyboard features mechanical keys in a Mac-specific layout. Unlike some more flashy models on the market, this 75%-layout keyboard features a clean, purposeful design, devoid of gaudy RGB lighting or extraneous knobs. It connects wirelessly via Bluetooth and comes in either Pale Gray or Space Gray.

The latest LUMI keyboard controller from Roli offers more musical expression than ever. It has per-key pitch-bending, polyphonic aftertouch, and each key has colorful LED illumination. Each one has magnetic connectors on its sides, so you can join multiple 24-key modules into a 48, 72, or 96-key keyboard.

The Lunar 01 is a customizable 87%-size mechanical keyboard inspired by spaceship design. It has hot-swappable keys, a colorful LED light bar, a volume knob, and detachable fidget spinners that look like rockets. It supports wired and wireless connections and is available with a variety of keycap designs and color schemes.

The Shrimp is a minimal gaming keyboard from Nordic Game Supply. It includes only the 25 keys most used in FPS gaming, using Gateron G Pro mechanical switches. It has assignable multimedia dials at the top, RGB backlighting, and a detachable magnetic wrist rest.

The Flight of the Bumblebee is one of the most notoriously fast pieces of music you can play. Despite performing just a 1-minute excerpt of the classic, Vinheteiro spent 36 hours editing this video to make it look like his keyboard is doing all of the work, and his finger is standing still.

This upgraded version of the Cyberboard keyboard has a new RGB LED light grid with 256 brightness levels, a higher refresh rate, and bolder colors. It has a hot-swappable circuit set into a CNC-machined aluminum case. Choose from a psychedelic or Jet Black mirrored PVD finish. Key switches and caps sold separately.

This desktop control deck has 16 hot-swappable mechanical keys, along with three programmable knobs. The two small and one large knob are also clickable, and you can switch between four function layers visible on its display. It has an anodized aluminum case and built-in RGB backlighting behind the keys.

Jody Del Bianco’s award-winning design for a dedicated typing device pays homage to the cylindrical platens of vintage typewriters, while embracing modern technology. As you type on its round keys, words appear on a high-contrast, curved E-Ink display. To scroll backwards, turn the knob like on a classic typewriter.

Worklouder’s ortholinear grid keyboard is designed for digital content creators. Its modular design lets you install a mix of keys and rotary dials. It has a compact 60% footprint, is fully programmable, and has four key layers so you can switch between 236 different keys. They also make a mini version called the Creator Micro.