Latest news with #keyboard
CNET
5 days ago
- CNET
This Keychron Keyboard Combines One of the Best Technologies in Gaming With a Gorgeous Premium Design
If you've paid any attention to gaming accessories the past few years you've likely heard something about the benefits of Hall Effect joysticks and triggers. Essentially, instead of using a physical connection to sense movement, Hall Effect sensors use magnets. The idea is to reduce wear and tear on components to give you more durability as well as improve the controller's response time. Most gamers probably won't notice the difference between a standard and Hall Effect controller, but for the hardcore gamers, where every millisecond counts, it can make a big difference. Hall Effect controllers have exploded in popularity over the past few years, so I suppose it was only a matter of time before companies started using this same technology in keyboards. Behold the Keychron K4 HE: It's a 96%-sized wireless keyboard from the world-renowned company. As you probably guessed from the intro, it uses uses Hall Effect switches instead of traditional mechanical switches. The result is a combination of superlatives like impressive, enjoyable, annoying and ridiculous overkill, all in one package. What I like about the Keychron K4 HE For starters, the build quality is exceptional, as I've come to expect from Keychron. The K4 HE has a good bit of weight to it, which gives it a premium feel, and the wood sides of the Special Edition version I reviewed add a touch of luxury as well. It's available with either black or white keycaps with slightly different wood tones for each. There's also a Standard version, which has Cherry-profile keycaps instead of OSA-profile and loses the wood side rails, knocking about $10 off the price. CNET/Jason Cockerham The most important feature of the K4 HE, however, is the Hall Effect switches. The use of magnets enables a 0.2 to 3.8mm actuation range with a minimal 0.1 mm sensitivity. The Nebula Gateron switches that came with my K4 HE have a start and end actuation force of 40 gram-force and 60 gram-force, respectively, but you can get other Hall Effect switches with smaller or larger actuation forces. It's worth noting that the K4 HE is only compatible with double-rail magnetic switches. So while you can hot-swap the switches, you cannot use traditional mechanical switches. What's really nuts is the insane levels of software customization available. You can set different actions for different actuation points within each keypress, meaning a shallow, 0.2mm keypress could trigger one action while a deeper, 3.8mm keypress could trigger a different action. There's also Last Key Prioritization, which prioritizes the last key pressed, and Snap Click, where deeper keypresses take precedence when you press two keys at the same time. Basically, this allows you to trigger multiple actions in a game without having to lift your fingers for multiple keypresses. In games that require speed and fast reaction times, this can be huge. CNET/Jason Cockerham The Rapid Trigger feature also gets a speed boost because each keypress is reset the moment the key travel reverses, meaning you can keep firing or moving literally as fast as your finger can move. Honestly, the most surprising thing to me is that you can have up to four distinct actions per key based on how hard you press it. As in, you can program up to four stages per key, which triggers a keypress at each stage. This is my first experience with Hall Effect magnetic keyboard switches and the typing experience is… interesting. Fully aware of the irony, I immediately noticed how firm and tactile the typing experience felt when I first started using it. The design engineers at Keychron deserve a lot of credit for tuning the magnetic resistance so superbly. It feels amazing to type on. The acoustics are also enjoyable. While they don't quite have the crispiness of a traditional mechanical keyboard "thock," they still sound great. I personally enjoy the noise of a mechanical keyboard and the K4 HE sounds nice to my ears. The only exceptions are the spacebar and other longer keys. It's not unusual for these specific keys to sound different than the rest of the keyboard, but it's still annoying when they do, at least for me. CNET/Jason Cockerham HE not for everyone? I never quite got used to the typing experience over my several weeks with it, so I never got back up to my normal typing speed and accuracy while using it. I still haven't decided if I'm going to press on (sorry) and see if I fully adjust or go back to my standard mechanical switches. Part of my frustration lies with the compact layout. It's literally one solid rectangle with no space between the main keyboard and the arrow keys, numpad, or function keys. I personally found it annoying and don't know if I'll get used to it. Also, if you're a big fan of RGB, I'd probably get the Standard edition over the Special Edition because the RGB is much harder to see with the keycaps from the Special Edition. Overall, the Keychron K4 HE is an impressive keyboard. If you are a hard-core FPS player, there's no doubt you can take full advantage of the customization options to up your gameplay, and the solid build quality and wood rails look great on any desk. If you don't need a numpad, I'd probably recommend going for the K2, as the layout is likely closer to what you're used to. Either way, for $135 to $145, depending on if you want the OBS keycaps and wood rails, there's not a lot wrong with the K4 HE. That's a good price for a keyboard this good, and if it sounds interesting to you, you won't be disappointed.
The Verge
7 days ago
- The Verge
How to build the best keyboard in the world
The term 'endgame,' among keyboard enthusiasts, is sort of a running gag. Endgame is when you finally dial in your perfect layout, case, features, switches, and keycaps, so you can stop noodling around with parts and get on with whatever it is you actually use the keyboard for — work, presumably. Then a few months later you see something shiny and start over. In the search for endgame, most of us have to compromise somewhere — usually time or money. Sometimes the thing you're looking for just doesn't exist. But what if you didn't have to compromise? What if you had the time, the patience, the creative vision, and the cash to create your endgame keyboard from scratch? And I mean really from scratch, from the cable to the switches and stabilizers. This is how you get the Seneca, the first keyboard from Norbauer & Co. It has a plasma-oxide-finished milled aluminum chassis, a solid brass switchplate, custom capacitive switches, the best stabilizers in the world (also custom), spherical-profile keycaps with appropriately retro-looking centered legends, zero backlighting, and a completely flat typing angle. It weighs seven pounds and costs $3,600. You might have some questions, like: Why is it $3,600? Who would make a keyboard that's that expensive? And is it even any good? I've spent the last couple of months typing on an early Seneca, and the answer to the last question is the easiest. Yes. It's incredible. It's certainly the nicest keyboard you can buy. The build quality is astonishing, the Topre-style switches are better than Topre's, the stabilizers are better than anyone's, and the keyboard is beautiful and a joy to type on. The Seneca is a genuine technical accomplishment. The answer to the first two questions is Ryan Norbauer. Ryan Norbauer is well known in the keyboard community for his aftermarket housings, but the Seneca is his first ready-to-type board. To hear him tell it, it's the latest logical step in a decadelong process to build his own endgame keyboard, of which the business — Norbauer & Co. — is an almost accidental byproduct. Norbauer grew up in West Virginia in the 1990s, watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and absorbing both its retro-modern aesthetic and its vision of an egalitarian, post-scarcity world. It was also the beginning of the personal computing era and the dawn of the internet. The computer represented an escape from the world as it is, a window into the future of Star Trek, of Epcot, of the idea that a more connected world would be a better one. The Seneca represents Norbauer's attempt to make the best possible computer keyboard, to his own standards and tastes, without worrying about cost — the kind of keyboard that looks and feels like we remember keyboards feeling, back when we thought computers were a good idea. 'A big part for me of the allure of keyboards is the connection to my childhood nostalgia about being really excited about computing,' Norbauer tells me via video chat. So the Seneca is big, chunky, and has a standard tenkeyless layout, rather than something more compact or exotic, because that's what he's always used, and what brings back that feeling. 'I feel like I can more authentically make an optimal keyboard if the first one I make is exactly the one that I want.' Norbauer has a habit of wanting things that don't exist, then figuring out how to build them from scratch. About 20 years ago, he got an idea for a dating website. 'I didn't have any money at all. I dropped out of a PhD program and I just had this idea for a company I wanted to start and I couldn't hire anyone to code it for me. So I'm like, 'Okay, I guess I just have to learn how to code.'' He spent six months coding for 14 hours a day; this got him a website, a startup, and tendonitis. Fixing the tendonitis involved adopting proper typing form (wrists straight, hands hovering over the keyboard like a pianist's). Searching for a more comfortable keyboard eventually sent him down the path of an obsession. The dating website led to two more startups. Selling all three startups in 2010 gave him the time and money to explore new interests: at first, learning some industrial design skills so he could make Star Trek prop replicas. It also led him to Topre keyboards. Topre switches Topre switches — most famously found in the Happy Hacking Keyboard — have a rubber dome under each key, instead of a physical switch. Pushing the key collapses the dome, which compresses a conical spring; a capacitive circuit under each key senses the change in capacitance and, at a certain threshold, registers a keypress. Releasing the switch snaps the dome back into place. Topre keyboards are rare compared to mechanical keyboards using Cherry MX-style switches. Only a few companies ever made them, so there aren't many layout options, and they tend to be more expensive, with fewer features for the money. They're also harder to customize, with only a few different dome options; they also aren't compatible with most aftermarket keycaps out of the box. And while metal cases are common in enthusiast mechanical keyboards, Topre keyboards only come in plastic. But Topre boards have a dedicated fan base because the domes give Topre switches a snappy tactility you can't otherwise replicate. By 2014, he was using a modified Topre Realforce 87u keyboard in an aftermarket aluminum housing. He was also designing a Star Trek -inspired keycap set. Like most aftermarket keycaps, it worked with Cherry MX-style mechanical switches; Topre boards have a different keycap mount. So he couldn't use his Star Trek keycaps on his favorite keyboard. But then Cooler Master came out with the NovaTouch, which had Topre switches but worked with regular keycaps. Norbauer got one, but its cheap plastic housing didn't feel right. He couldn't find anyone to make him an aluminum housing for it. 'So I just said, 'Fuck it, I'll figure it out myself.'' He designed a housing and learned enough machining to make a prototype on a WWII-era milling machine. Once he was satisfied with the design, he found a manufacturer and launched a small group buy on a keyboard forum and asked if any other Topre diehards wanted one, to cover the costs of making one for himself. He figured it was a one-time thing. 'It was never intended to be a business, but people just kept asking me to make more and more, and the thing kind of snowballed on its own.' He did a few more rounds of the case eventually dubbed the Norbatouch, in a few new colors, including a beige to go with his now officially licensed Star Trek keycaps. Then, because people kept asking, he started making housings for other Topre keyboards. There was the Norbaforce, for Realforce tenkeyless keyboards, and the Heavy-6 and Heavy-9, for the Leopold FC660C and FC980C, respectively. And in 2020, there was the Heavy Grail, his most popular housing, for the Happy Hacking Keyboard. Each was a chance to refine his aesthetic and his manufacturing capability, and to experiment with different materials (steel, titanium, milled polycarbonate, copper) and finishes (polishing, bead-blasting, anodizing, powdercoating, cerakote, electroplating, even verdigris). But they're still only housings, not the keyboards themselves; to complete them, you still have to shuck a $200-plus keyboard from its plastic shell and stick it into the Norbauer housing. Making housings for other companies' keyboards put him at the mercy of their supply chains and design decisions. The NovaTouch was discontinued several months before his first batch of casings was ready; supply of Leopold's keyboards was unpredictable even before the company stopped making them. He also wanted more control over the other aspects of the board, and he wanted something to offer people who like the Norbauer aesthetic but aren't up for buying a keyboard, cracking it open, voiding the warranty, and transplanting the guts into a new case. When I first emailed Norbauer in late 2018, he was already talking about building a ready-to-type keyboard — something people could pick up and enjoy right away. 'I didn't know exactly what that would look like, and I certainly didn't know how hard it would be to get to that point. If I did, I probably never would have undertaken it.' He made a prototype using off-the-shelf parts — standard MX-compatible switches and stabilizers — then scrapped it. There are already dozens of companies making custom keyboards. Instead, he decided to create the thing he's wanted all along: a keyboard with a heavy metal chassis and his own retrofuturistic aesthetic, with the snappy tactile feedback of a Topre-like capacitive dome switch and compatibility with the wide world of aftermarket keycaps. 'It was one of those things where my ambitions just kind of spiraled out of control.' He hired an electrical engineering firm to design the PCB, which he figured would be the hardest part, since Topre switch clones are pretty easy to come by. That took about a year, on and off. 'And then I realized, 'Shit, I guess I have to make all the other stuff that goes with it.' And that took about five years.' Somewhere along the line, the project turned into a deliberate exercise in making the best keyboard he possibly can, regardless of cost. 'It was one of those things where my ambitions just kind of spiraled out of control.' For example: Topre switches feel great to type on, but they tend to be wobbly at the top — understandable for something sitting on top of a rubber dome — and keycaps often end up slightly crooked. He wanted a slightly deeper typing sound, and he wanted proper compatibility with MX-style keycaps. It's not enough to swap the slider for one with the plus-sign -shaped MX stem, like other companies do; you also have to redesign the housings, or the keycaps just end up slamming into them. He figured he could do better. His first prototypes sounded great, but they were just as wobbly as Topre. His second design had tighter tolerances, so it wobbled less, but it sounded worse. He added more material to get a deeper sound. Each revision required another (expensive) round of injection-molded tooling as he searched for the best combination of feel and sound. By the fourth revision — the ones in the Seneca — the switches don't look much like Topre. He redesigned the housings to avoid interference with MX-style keycaps, and added a third alignment leg to the sliders; they don't rotate as easily in the housings, so the keycaps aren't crooked. They have the high tactile bump and smooth downstroke of Topre switches, with a deeper sound. There's a silicone ring for upstroke damping, and a gasket where they press against the underside of the brass switchplate. While he was working on the switches, he tackled the stabilizer problem. Stabilizers are the mechanisms that connect to long keys, like the space bar, shift, enter, and backspace, and make sure the whole key moves downward at the same rate regardless of where it's pressed. They work, but they sound terrible, unless you find some way to stop the wire from rattling in the housing, the slider from slamming into the PCB, and the various plastic parts from rubbing together. Usually this involves some combination of lubes, greases, and physical damping. Tuning the stabilizers is the most time-consuming and tricky part of most keyboard builds. 'The original plan was to use hand-lubed MX stabilizers because it's such a standard thing, right? But I thought it just would be interesting to see if there was some way to solve this problem without requiring it all to be based on lubrication to dissipate the sound.' Norbauer wants the Seneca to be the best keyboard in the world, so he has no choice. He has to make the best stabilizers in the world. Developing the Seneca's stabilizers took several years, a bunch of false starts, and, in his words, a 'personal cash bazooka.' His first attempt, mostly on his own, resulted in what he considered a '90 percent solution' — better than anything on the market, without lube. But 90 percent there is 10 percent not there. He started over. He worked with a firm that specializes in kinematics to develop a totally new stabilizer mechanism. Actually, they came up with two new stabilizer mechanisms. The first is a compliant-beam design that's significantly better than existing stabilizers as well as his first prototype. It's much less prone to rattle or tick. It's as close to perfect as you can get without totally rethinking how stabilizers work. The second design is a complicated series of pin-joint hinges with five times as many parts as a standard stabilizer. It's hideously expensive to produce and both time consuming and fiddly to assemble, but it's better. The Seneca uses the second design. This is illustrative of Norbauer's general approach, which is that solving technical problems is much more interesting than trying to minimize production costs. On the Seneca, that's taken to a deliberate extreme. 'Our goal is just to make this good, and that's all that matters. And so whenever there was a branch, I was like, 'Let's go with the rightest way to do it and damn the costs.' And that has been the philosophy of this board.' The Seneca's case is milled from solid aluminum, with an MAO plasma-oxide finish; he had to set up a company in China in order to source it. There's a warm gray option called travertine, which has a matte, slightly speckled stonelike look, and a lighter gray called oxide, which looks a bit like concrete. They're both smooth to the touch. (There's also a matte black version, which I haven't seen in person, and a nearly $8,000 titanium option, which ditto.) The switchplate is milled from solid brass, for the acoustic properties, and then chrome-plated for aesthetics. Aluminum would have been cheaper, lighter, and easier to mill, but brass absorbs sound better, so brass it is. The PCB contains a galvanic isolation chip to mitigate the incredibly unlikely event that a rogue power supply sends a blast of electricity from the computer's USB port into the keyboard. The cable has an obscenely expensive Lemo connector on the keyboard side. Lemo connectors are more secure than USB and Norbauer thinks they're cool, and cool is better, and it's his keyboard. The keycaps are the least custom part of the board. Not that he wouldn't have designed a new keycap profile for the Seneca, you understand. He looked into it, but in the meantime MTNU came out. MTNU 's spherical top surfaces and centered legends have exactly the aesthetic Norbauer was looking for, and it's more comfortable to type on than other retro-looking keycap profiles like SA or MT3. All he had to do was pick the colors. Each Seneca is assembled by hand in Norbauer's garage in Los Angeles, at a rate of one or two per day, by either Norbauer or Taeha Kim — aka Taeha Types, keyboard influencer and bespoke keyboard builder turned Norbauer & Co. employee/investor. The stabilizers alone take Taeha an hour or two per keyboard, including a step where he takes a tiny reamer to each set to make the pin holes large enough for the (precision-ground) pins to fit in, these tolerances being tighter than can be managed with injection molding alone. (I'm referring to Norbauer by his last name and Taeha by his first because that's how they're each known in the keyboard community.) 'Sometimes, if it's not reamed quite enough, you'll get a little bit of sluggishness in the fit between those parts. And the friction across the whole system is cumulative. So if you have a little bit of sluggishness in a few places, you don't know until you've put the whole thing together that the stabilizer itself is a little bit sluggish,' says Norbauer. When that happens, they have to disassemble the keyboard, fix the stabilizer, and start over. Photo: Taeha Kim / Norbauer & Co Photo: Taeha Kim / Norbauer & Co The cumulative effect of all those choices is a keyboard that has both incredibly high upfront costs and high per-unit costs. Actually, it sounds so expensive I ask Norbauer if he's making money on the Seneca, even at $3,600 a pop. The response is an immediate 'Not yet! Oh God.' 'I mean, definitely when I sell this first batch, and probably the second batch, and well into the third or fourth, I would not have recouped my R&D costs on it. And it's an interesting question. So, I'm bad at business.' For most of the time he was making aftermarket housings, he says, the business wasn't particularly profitable. 'My goal has always been basically to break even while also doing really cool R&D stuff. I'm not personally losing a ton of money. But the Heavy Grail, for example, was a very popular offering. People really loved it and it sold way more than I ever thought it would. And that helped bootstrap and fund the Seneca, but 100 percent of what would have been profit went into that.' Even as he was transitioning Norbauer & Co. from a company that sells housings to one that sells keyboards, he kept running into the fact that he does not like most aspects of running a business. This is not a huge problem when you're selling a few dozen DIY housings at a time to Topre enthusiasts as a self-funding hobby. If you're trying to build a business that sells fully custom luxury keyboards, it might become a problem. Last year, when the Seneca was mostly developed and he was staring down a mountain of logistical tasks, he sold just under half the company to the investment firm Tiny, run by an old acquaintance. The arrangement leaves Norbauer with a majority stake and total creative control — he's still the CEO — and lets him focus on developing keyboards while other people take care of the 'making money' part of it. Other people, in this case, is Caleb Bernabe, Norbauer & Co.'s executive in residence. In a 12,000-word blog post announcing the sale, Norbauer writes, 'He acts essentially as our COO, but his job description is basically doing all the things that I hate — a skillset at which he inexplicably but admirably excels.' The Seneca won't make you a better writer — or a faster one, to my chagrin (ask me how many deadlines I blew writing this piece). I, personally, cannot justify spending $3,600 on a keyboard; I don't know too many people who could. But after spending a couple months with the Seneca, I can see why someone would. This is a keyboard nerd's luxury keyboard. That Norbauer spent half a decade and hundreds of thousands of dollars developing it is wild; that he actually pulled it off is even wilder. The switches and stabilizers alone are a tremendous achievement, and right now the Seneca is the only place they live. Norbauer has spent a decade building credibility in the keyboard community and amassing a loyal (and well-heeled) fan base. He can make a $3,600 keyboard and be pretty sure that enough people will buy it that he can make it make sense. Not that he wants to sell a lot of keyboards. In fact, not selling a lot of keyboards is part of the plan. He sold 50 of them last summer, sight unseen, in a private preorder for a group of previous clients — paying beta testers, essentially. Right now he's selling another 150 or so 'First Edition' keyboards, to be delivered in late summer. Then he'll probably do another batch. And another one after that. But he's not going to sell a million. 'I think about my long-term vision for what we're doing as being kind of like Leica, the camera company. They do crazy things that just wouldn't exist otherwise, like their monochrome camera. I think it's a very technically interesting thing. There's obviously a tiny audience for it. And so in order to make it in any reasonable way, you have to charge a ton for it, because how many people on Earth are going to buy it? But I'm happier that that exists in the world.' 'In order to make it in any reasonable way, you have to charge a ton for it.' As wild as it would be to reinvent the stabilizer and the switch just to make a few hundred seven-pound keyboards for rich coders, Norbauer plans to make other keyboards, now that he has the 'full stack' of switches, stabilizers, and firmware and isn't constrained by the handful of layouts available in Topre keyboards. 'The Seneca is meant to be this very dense sound-absorbing keyboard, a more deep thocky kind of thing that's a permanent installation on your desk. And so the next thing is to go as far to the other end of the spectrum on those things as possible.' It will probably be a 60-key HHKB-layout keyboard. It might have Bluetooth. And he's thinking of doing it in either milled polycarbonate or forged carbon fiber, if he can pull that off. 'The sound signature will be radically different. The weight will be radically different. And we'll optimize for the opposite of everything we optimize for on the Seneca.' There are so many more interesting problems for Norbauer to tackle. He's having the firmware rewritten to make it open-source and add hardware remapping. There's the next keyboard to design. New materials to experiment with. And there's that other stabilizer design, the less complicated one — a few companies have approached him about getting it into production, but it needs a bit more R&D first. Just don't ask for a timeline. It'll be done when it's done.
Forbes
14-06-2025
- Forbes
Syntech's New Chronos 68 Elite Gaming Keyboard Has An Astonishing 8K Polling Rate
The new Chronos 68 elite gaming keyboard uses magnetic-axis switches with a polling rate of 8000Hz. Gamers have some of the fastest fingers on the planet along with lightning-fast reflexes. They are always pushing the boundaries of what is technically, physically and mentally possible when playing at the highest professional and tournament level esports. Syntech is a manufacture that makes keyboards suitable for elite esports champions and the brand's latest keyboard, the new Chronos 68, is a gaming keyboard with a 68-key layout and super-fast responses with a level of accuracy that can be honed to suit the gamer thanks to the use of magnetic-axis switches. For elite gaming or demanding office tasks, Syntech says its new keyboard is about as fast as it gets. The Chronos 68 features an ultra-fast 8000Hz polling rate. That means it can capture every key input without any delay or latency. Whether you are executing split-second moves in an esport tournament or fine-tuning a piece of creative work, the Chronos 68 promises seamless and lag-free performance. The Chronos 68 has hot-swappable magnetic-axis switches. Currently it ships with Outemu switches but ... More there will be an option for Gateron Magnetic Jade Pro switches. To achieve such a low latency level, the Chronos 68 is a wired-only keyboard. For top-level gaming, Bluetooth simply isn't fast enough. because every millisecond counts. Even a 2.4GHz RF dongle may not be fast enough. To achieve a polling rate of 8000Hz, Syntech uses a USB-C connection which also provides plenty of power to illuminate the RGB backlights that are behind each of the Chronos 68 keycaps. The secret to the performance achieved by the Chronos 68 is the Outemu magnetic-axis switches which have individually adjustable actuation distances that can be set anywhere between 0.1mm to 3.5mm, providing ultimate control. Shorter actuation distances can be selected for rapid reactions or longer distances for deliberate keystrokes. Each key can be programmed and set up to match the user's playing style or preferences. The Syntech Chronos 68 keyboard is available in Black, White and Yellow colorways. Unlike traditional types, magnetic switches have a rapid trigger that resets as soon as the key is released. This action eliminates any delay. By setting an actuation distance as low as 0.1mm, the user can experience exceptional speed, ensuring every action is registered by the keyboard the moment it's needed. The magnetic-sensing technology built into the sealed switches used in the Chronos 68 provides contactless triggering. This non-mechanical method also eliminates wear and ensures an ultra-fast response with a switch lifespan that could run to tens of millions of keystrokes. The Chronos 68 is designed for precise movement with Snap Tap prioritizing the user's most recent directional input, even in a situation where conflicting keys may have been pressed. This clever function provides smooth and uninterrupted transitions during gameplay. The Chronos 68 keyboard from Synetch comes with an ergonomic wrist rest. Each keycap has an RGB ... More backlight with a choice of lighting effects, brightness levels and colors. The keyboard's functionality can be expanded using Super Tap. The feature enables the assignment of up to four separate actions per key in the form of a long press, double tap, or alternate functions. For example, pressing "1" can act as "F1" when held for longer. More actions mean fewer key binds. The switches used in the keyboard are pre-lubricated and installed alongside Poron and PET foam layers which provide smooth keystrokes and a pleasant sound. The key action on this compact keyboard has a postive tactiel feedback that touch typists will appreciate. To fine-tune the customization of the Chronos 68, you can press Function and Home to fire up a web-based interface. Other key presses can quickly switch between different game profiles. Users can even fine-tune key mappings and actuation settings by using the keyboard app or web interface. The new keyboard is made from eco-friendly and renewable aluminum. The Chronos 68 is manufactured with longevity in mind as we as being sustainable thanks to its reduced environmental impact. The keypresses on the Chronos 68 provide a good balance between tactile feedback and a pleasing sound. Each press feels definite and the sound is described by Syntech as having a Pebble Cavity Tone. In language the rest of us can understand that means a slightly softer and more mellow click that's quieter and less harsh than teh average mechanical keyboard. The Syntech Chronos 68 keyboard is available now from with prices starting at $139.99. The Chronos 68 keyboard comes with wrist rest, dust cover, spare switches, tools and cable.
CNN
13-06-2025
- CNN
The tiny Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 keyboard let me get work done almost anywhere
When I recently tested the new iPad 11, I found myself fortunate enough to have the Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 keyboard on hand. Even though you can type on a tablet, its giant on-screen keyboard isn't perfect for writing more than a spare sentence or two. Yes, we love Apple's iPads, but nobody actually wants to tap out a whole paragraph – much less an email – on even the best tablet's glass screen. But when most iPad keyboard cases cost $199 and up, some might just accept that typing comfortably with a tablet is too rich for your digits. That's where the Keys-To-Go 2 fits in, as this affordable keyboard is sized to fit in practically any bag that has room for a tablet. But since plenty of keyboards look much better on paper than they feel in hand, I've been using the Keys-To-Go 2 for months to discover what I like (and dislike) about it. Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 Keyboard This ultra-portable keyboard comes with its own protective cover and lets you quickly switch between three connected devices over Bluetooth. It supports iPads, iPhones and Androids, as well as Chromebooks, Macs and Windows computers. Amazingly portable design The Keys-To-Go 2's ultimate feature is its slim dimensions, as Logitech's basically figured out the minimum viable size needed for a keyboard. Yes, bigger portable options exist, but not everyone needs their keyboard to also be their tablet's touchpad and case. Instead, you could simply keep this keyboard in whatever bag you always throw your iPad or other tablet in, as its 7.8-ounce weight is so light you'll never realize it's in there. Packing the Keys-To-Go 2 in my bag meant I could take journaling breaks everywhere from the gym to my local coffee house, without packing my laptop and ensuring a lighter bag. That weight and its slender measurements (think about a magazine cut in half from the top side) include the Keys-To-Go 2's keyboard cover flap, a necessary perk for everyone who actually wants to keep this thing safe — and may have traveled with snacks that turned into crumbs. While the Keys-To-Go 2's hard and soft materials feel durable, I am definitely happy it comes with the cover for added protection, as I've rarely vacuumed my backpacks. Oh, and speaking of this keyboard's materials, this is one of Logitech's many sustainable devices. The company proudly boasts that the Keys-To-Go 2 includes certified post-consumer recycled plastic, and that the Graphite model I tested is made of 36% of recycled materials. A good typing experience and a better price While there was a slight learning curve created by the Keys-To-Go 2's smaller size and some of its very small keys (the half-width dash and equals keys in particular), I'm amazed by how easy it has been to type on this miniature keyboard. Each key has 1 millimeter of travel, the vertical space a key moves before it sends the signal to your computer, which is just enough in my experience. I've known people who think the best keyboards should be built for 1.5mm of travel to ensure comfortable typing. And while I still agree with that, I've found that Keys-To-Go 2 typing experience is good enough — even for a whole day's work when I switched out the ergonomically-friendly Logitech Wave Keys so I could write this review at my home office. I'd say this makes it perfect for shorter bursts of typing, say if you're at a coffee shop or waiting for your plane at the airport terminal. But don't think you're skimping on special features, as the top row of the Keys-To-Go 2 provides volume, brightness, pause/play and other controls. Logitech also provides its standard device-switching F1, F2 and F3 keys, so you can easily jump between up to three different iOS, Android, Windows or ChromeOS devices. It also supports Logitech's Smart Actions software for custom-created tricks; check out my Logitech Pop Icon Keys keyboard review for more details on that. The quality of typing on the Keys-To-Go 2 feels perfectly aligned with its price, which has been marked down from $80 to $65 last I saw. In my time testing various keyboard cases and folios from the top manufacturers, I've noticed they often hit triple digits. For example, Apple's least-expensive keyboard case is a whopping $249. Sure, it's also a protective case and includes a touchpad, but you could buy three Keys-To-Go 2 for that much. And if you want a super-portable and affordable mouse to pair with it, check out the Logitech Pop mouse. If you're OK with a pricier solution than the Keys-To-Go 2, Logitech just revealed a new keyboard case for Apple's iPad Air and iPad Pro called the Flip Folio. Available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, the Flip Folio packs a magnetically-attaching keyboard and can adjust between multiple angles. And at $160 for the 11-inch model and $180 for the 13-inch counterpart, it's still more affordable than most other premium keyboard cases. Logitech Flip Folio Designed for the iPad Air and iPad Pro, this folding case allows you to angle your iPad at the angle you prefer, and you can rotate your iPad into portrait orientation so you can use your tablet and iPhone side-by-side and switch between them with the press of a button. Practically unbelievable battery life In my decade of writing product reviews, I don't know if I've ever seen anything with an advertised battery life of 'up to' three years, but I have now. Yes, Logitech says the Keys-To-Go 2 will outlast practically all of the other battery-powered electronics in your house, even some smoke detectors. That said, a Logitech representative confirmed to CNN Underscored that this estimate is based on two hours of 'continuous typing' per day. You'll want to make sure to flip the power switch off when throwing the Keys-To-Go 2 in a bag, because using the built-in cover doesn't turn the keyboard off, and that flap isn't stiff enough to prevent accidental actuation. I've had my Keys-To-Go 2 since January and used it intermittently without paying attention to the power switch, and it's currently still got a full battery according to the Logitech Options+ app. Smaller size creates a slight learning curve and possible problem The downside of the Keys-To-Go 2's portability is that this keyboard isn't exactly built for bigger hands. Everything's a bit tight and compact here, so you might find that the keys are slightly smaller than you're used to on a regular keyboard. Those who know their hands are a bit larger than most should probably think twice before buying in. This hasn't been a huge problem for me, as I've got what I'd call relatively medium-sized hands. Touch-typing wasn't as natural for me at first, but I adapted to it in mere hours. An awkward design choice The Keys-To-Go 2 doesn't recharge like your average keyboard or mouse. Instead, it's powered by a pair of CR2032 coin cell batteries that are only accessible with a T5 screwdriver. Maybe you have that 0.055-inch screwdriver, maybe you don't. Three years is enough time to find one, just keep an eye out for when the little light indicator above the delete key turns red — that's your warning sign its battery is down to 5% or less. To check its battery life beforehand, connect the Keys-To-Go 2 to a laptop or desktop, and download the Logitech Options+ app. It will show you the keyboard's current battery charge amount in the bottom left corner. And remember: that low battery light might blink red earlier than expected if you're not being smart about the power switch. Flip it off whenever you're throwing it in a bag to go as long as you can without having to learn what CR2032 batteries and T5 screwdrivers look like. I've become a big fan of the Keys-To-Go 2 in my months testing it, to the point where I've actually caught myself singing 'L-O-G-I, Keys, To Go!' to the tune of Chappell Roan's 'Hot To Go!' Not only is it a great portable keyboard for the iPad, but it also worked well for me when it was time to write the majority of this review at home. That said, much like the iPad itself, it's not for everyone. Those with bigger hands should definitely look elsewhere, and those who would rather get the convenience of a self-charging case should consider one of Apple's many options. But for the vast majority of tablet owners, the Keys-To-Go 2 might be the perfect keyboard accessory that works great both at home and, yes, on the go. What colors does the Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 keyboard come in? What colors does the Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 keyboard come in? Logitech sells the Keys-To-Go 2 keyboard in three color options. I tested the Graphite model, which is mostly black and gray. There's also a Pale Gray model that you might call white, and the third option is a purple design Logitech calls Lilac. What devices is the Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 keyboard compatible with? What devices is the Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 keyboard compatible with? Nearly every kind of computing device that you can think of that supports Bluetooth. Logitech lists iPads, iPhones, Android phones and tablets, Macs, PCs, Chromebooks and Windows devices. That said, I'd bet it also works with Linux machines as well. How thin is the Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 keyboard? How thin is the Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 keyboard? The Keys-To-Go 2 features a tapered design that is 0.17 inches on the front of the keyboard and 0.35 inches at the rear. CNN Underscored editors thoroughly test all the products in our testing guides, and we take keyboards just as seriously as we do laptops and all other tech. Without keyboards, we couldn't get anything done, so we know you need a great one. We're made up of a skilled team of editors and writers who provide full transparency about our testing methodology for our product reviews. Electronics writer Henry T. Casey has been testing gadgets, including tablets and laptops, for more than a decade, having tried everything from the chunkiest kids' tablet to the priciest iPad Pro.
Phone Arena
12-06-2025
- Phone Arena
Design first, function later: Apple's stock iOS keyboard still fails basic usability
Search the web high and low, scour Apple's manual pages, and go ask on forums and in as many subreddits as you'd like, there's something you won't be able to do with your iPhone, no matter how hard you try. While it was busy developing its complex ecosystem and laying the foundation for the next decade in design aesthetics with iOS 26's Liquid Glass, Apple has somehow forgotten about the small features that have been missing from the company's software. We are rapidly closing in on the 20th anniversary of the iPhone and iOS itself, which will be a rare achievement that few other phone makers can pride themselves with. It could also mark the 20th anniversary of the iPhone's keyboard lacking a dedicated number row. That's right, Android users, the standard iOS keyboard still lacks this essential functionality. There's no hidden setting that could enable that feature, there's no hidden tip or trick that can brute-force iOS to display the essential Arabic digits above the QWERTY keypad, nada. You have to hit the dedicated "123" button on the bottom right to access the symbol keys and the numerical row with all 10 digits. The only way to get a number row on the iPhone is if you download a third-party keyboard, like Gboard or SwiftKey, but the fact that the stock keyboard that ships with your iPhone lacks this functionality is honestly embarrassing. But what if I would rather not use a third-party keyboard? That's a completely valid concern that most iOS users would be partial to. Well, if you look for workarounds, you will find some, listed here for your convenience: You can hold the "123" key, quickly swipe up towards the number you wish to type in, and release your finger to quickly input the number and return to the QWERTY layout. Sounds good on paper, but is a usability nightmare in real-life and is the polar opposite of convenience and intuitiveness. You can hold the "123" key with one finger and quickly tap the numbers from the row to input them. This method uses two hands and is even less convenient. None of those two tricks ever felt natural to me. It was Apple's subtle way of trying to break your will and force you to do things the Cupertino way, a.k.a. "You're typing wrong" -type of situation. The omission of such a basic feature is inexcusable to me, and no matter how much I usually enjoy the Apple ecosystem, the patience of this one is growing thin with the gaping holes in the iOS functionality. The once-in-a-decade Liquid Glass redesign gave Apple grounds for a total revamp of iOS, rethinking the ways in which the user experience could be vastly improved. The potential was there to get rid of features and oddities that have been criticized for years, while finally showing some excellence in design and UX that has been lacking for a while. What did Apple do instead? A simple coat of paint that's not even that good and goes against Apple's own design and accessibility guidelines. What would it cost for Apple to add a simple toggle that adds a persistent numerical row on top of the stock iOS keyboard? Leave it disabled by default, I don't care, just give us the option to add a functional row at the top. Would that ruin the aesthetics or take up too much of the wasted on-screen space when using the stock iOS keyboard? I can see how that could have been a concern back when iPhones prided themselves with their compact sizes and small screens, but those days are over. Devices like the iPhone 16 Pro Max or the iPhone 16 Plus and their predecessors have acres of screen real estate available, not to mention that the regular iPhone and the smaller Pro models are also steadily growing in size and wouldn't really suffer from one extra button row. There's still two major iOS updates until Apple celebrates two decades of iPhone, so there's still time to iron out all the small kinks of iOS. But hey, enjoy the parallax wallpapers, everyone.
