"Shortcuts that make you feel like you have superpowers" I'm a low-key keyboard enthusiast, but my god it's a keyboard. Let's not get carried away here.
"Shortcuts that make you feel like you have superpowers"
I'm a low-key keyboard enthusiast, but my god it's a keyboard. Let's not get carried away here.
Yeah it's pretty low effort pandering but that's because you're not the target audience. So many people nowadays forgo even laptops in favour of mobile devices and don't even know what keyboard...
Yeah it's pretty low effort pandering but that's because you're not the target audience.
So many people nowadays forgo even laptops in favour of mobile devices and don't even know what keyboard shortcuts are. Clicks seems to try and target those people.
Seems like an attempt to recreate Blackberry experience. While it looks interesting, the use case is not as appealing, and it is really expensive! For context, Apple Magic Keyboard for PCs cost...
Seems like an attempt to recreate Blackberry experience. While it looks interesting, the use case is not as appealing, and it is really expensive! For context, Apple Magic Keyboard for PCs cost less than this, which in itself is a much pricier product.
It makes the phone so long! My first smartphone was a Palm Centro and I enjoyed the little chiclet keyboard. After 10+ yrs of using touchscreen keyboards, and I still find myself messing up typing...
It makes the phone so long! My first smartphone was a Palm Centro and I enjoyed the little chiclet keyboard. After 10+ yrs of using touchscreen keyboards, and I still find myself messing up typing with some frequency. I definitely see the appeal of something like this, but I also can't imagine adding another 1 inch (2.54cm) to my phone. I also don't use my phone that much. If I need to seriously type out anything more than a long text, I'll just jump on a computer.
And yeah, that price certainly doesn't help. Cool idea though.
In the same boat. I enjoyed having a physical keyboard back when I had a Blackberry and would like to have one now, but I don't want to give up screen size for it and I certainly don't want an...
In the same boat. I enjoyed having a physical keyboard back when I had a Blackberry and would like to have one now, but I don't want to give up screen size for it and I certainly don't want an even longer phone. I just got a new phone and specifically went with one with a slightly smaller screen because the "upgraded" version was just too long and turned pulling down the notification bar from a one handed operation to a two handed one.
Through the wonders of technology any message I need to send can be done from my computer as well, so I just use it for anything longer than a few lines at a time.
FYI iPhones have a one-handed mode that I find pretty easy to trigger temporarily: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/use-reachability-iph145eba8e9/ios I think Android has a similar feature,...
I had seen one handed mode, but didn't like the way it worked. Looking further I see that it has a "notifications only" version which is all I'd really want. Thanks for the tip. When my wife...
I had seen one handed mode, but didn't like the way it worked. Looking further I see that it has a "notifications only" version which is all I'd really want. Thanks for the tip. When my wife decides to upgrade her phone I may give her mine and get the larger Pixel 8 Pro and use that.
Phone becomes longer, keyboard looks a bit uncomfortable to use, honestly. I will be very happy if someone managed to recreate nokia c6 sliding keyboard... https://m.gsmarena.com/nokia_c6-3229.php
Phone becomes longer, keyboard looks a bit uncomfortable to use, honestly.
Yeah, saw that. It's a... choice. It makes sense in that it's when the IndieGoGo campaign that funded it ended, but even the subreddit for the phone shows a post from 7 months ago with a "new...
Yeah, saw that. It's a... choice.
It makes sense in that it's when the IndieGoGo campaign that funded it ended, but even the subreddit for the phone shows a post from 7 months ago with a "new update" still using Android 11.
Yeah, that keyboard looks wonderful. If it wasn't for the whole unknown manufacturer selling very expensive phone running a 4 year out of date OS and many a person in the subreddit says the phone...
Yeah, that keyboard looks wonderful. If it wasn't for the whole unknown manufacturer selling very expensive phone running a 4 year out of date OS and many a person in the subreddit says the phone is crap, I'd possibly consider it.
I'm with you, certainly could be a fun bit of outdated tech when picking it up on eBay in a decade though.
FWIW I explored this idea here on Tildes a while back and landed on the Lilygo bluetooth keyboard The hardware is okay, but the software wasn't great. so I did a complete rewrite of the firmware...
The hardware is okay, but the software wasn't great. so I did a complete rewrite of the firmware (yay, open source). I got it to the point where it was functional, but realized (as others have pointed out) that making the phone extra long is bad ergonomically.
Based on trying to use the Lilygo, I think the actual answer is a split keyboard that sandwiches the phone in the middle, and ideally would work in portrait or landscape mode. I also think it would be better with keys that are a bit larger than the lilygo. The use case is not something you keep on the phone all the time, but something you clip on when you know you're going to be doing more text entry.
I had to shelve the project before I could get any further, especially because of the hardware aspect. I'm not sure it would be enough of a win to follow through on it.
Darn. I'd been wondering if you had made any progress on that. I still think the best solution would be some sort of sliding or fold-out keyboard attached to a case. Depending on how it's...
Darn. I'd been wondering if you had made any progress on that.
I still think the best solution would be some sort of sliding or fold-out keyboard attached to a case. Depending on how it's designed, it may not even need to be split (since phones are currently too long to comfortably use a keyboard in landscape). For example, have the keyboard be a reasonable size for typing and built to slide out separately from the rest of the case.
Like you said, it's the hardware aspect that's the biggest roadblock. There are no keyboards that are the right size or shape. I have zero experience working with hardware or circuit boards beyond switching out the joysticks on my joycons, but I'm tempted to start learning purely so I can try to make a decent keyboard for this.
I think there's a lesson to be learned from the folks doing custom desktop keyboards, namely that customizeability is a path to building a community around something where there are going to be...
I think there's a lesson to be learned from the folks doing custom desktop keyboards, namely that customizeability is a path to building a community around something where there are going to be lots of different ideas of what is good. I'm not suggesting anyone fab micro versions of the many varieties of key switches, but that a two-part board with a way to reconfigure the key layouts would let people explore split and not-split form factors and customize things for a variety of mobile devices.
I actually do have an EE bachelor's degree, but haven't designed a circuit in probably 20 years. I'm sure it's easier to do now than it was back then, but I'd have to climb the hill on the smd designs. I could certainly do the firmware though. I'd love to collaborate on a project if we can find the right people.
I feel like there must be people involved with the open hardware movement that have access to the parts and fabrication in a place like Shenzen to bring the hardware idea to reality. I think Hackaday forums might be a place to start finding people like that, but I have not really had the time to delve into it.
Crackberry Kevin. Now there's a name I haven't heard in some time. Pretty cool they managed to get blackberry design and engineering alumni on the project as well. Like others here, I'm...
Crackberry Kevin. Now there's a name I haven't heard in some time. Pretty cool they managed to get blackberry design and engineering alumni on the project as well. Like others here, I'm pessimistic about seeing a wide adoption of these. But looks like a positive addition to the niche
This thing looks ridiculous, but I kind of love that it exists. While it’s not a fit for me since I use a lot of swiping on the software keyboard and would be irked with what must be a top-heavy...
This thing looks ridiculous, but I kind of love that it exists. While it’s not a fit for me since I use a lot of swiping on the software keyboard and would be irked with what must be a top-heavy weight distribution, I could see this thing being useful for power users who value the tactility of hardware buttons. It’s pricey and looks awkward, but I actually think there’s enough of a market to justify its existence.
I really like this idea. Price doesn't bother me too much, however making my phone longer does. Haha I would really need to test this out in person. I'm also glad to see Mr. Mobile having some fun...
I really like this idea. Price doesn't bother me too much, however making my phone longer does. Haha I would really need to test this out in person.
I'm also glad to see Mr. Mobile having some fun with tech. I share his love of tactile buttons and switches.
Can’t imagine anyone who has been using smart phones for the last decade to switch back to a physical keyboard. If you want to live in nostalgia, do it. But physical keyboards are so slow and...
Can’t imagine anyone who has been using smart phones for the last decade to switch back to a physical keyboard. If you want to live in nostalgia, do it. But physical keyboards are so slow and clunky compared to modern iOS/Android digital keyboards.
I make many more misspelling errors on a smart phone than I did with my BlackBerry though. I'm always redoing what I just typed because of my clumsy fingers and also aggressive autocorrect.
I make many more misspelling errors on a smart phone than I did with my BlackBerry though. I'm always redoing what I just typed because of my clumsy fingers and also aggressive autocorrect.
Ugh, the marketing made me throw up a bit in my mouth. "Be a good creator, see more content". Lovely.
"Shortcuts that make you feel like you have superpowers"
I'm a low-key keyboard enthusiast, but my god it's a keyboard. Let's not get carried away here.
Yeah it's pretty low effort pandering but that's because you're not the target audience.
So many people nowadays forgo even laptops in favour of mobile devices and don't even know what keyboard shortcuts are. Clicks seems to try and target those people.
Seems like an attempt to recreate Blackberry experience. While it looks interesting, the use case is not as appealing, and it is really expensive! For context, Apple Magic Keyboard for PCs cost less than this, which in itself is a much pricier product.
It makes the phone so long! My first smartphone was a Palm Centro and I enjoyed the little chiclet keyboard. After 10+ yrs of using touchscreen keyboards, and I still find myself messing up typing with some frequency. I definitely see the appeal of something like this, but I also can't imagine adding another 1 inch (2.54cm) to my phone. I also don't use my phone that much. If I need to seriously type out anything more than a long text, I'll just jump on a computer.
And yeah, that price certainly doesn't help. Cool idea though.
In the same boat. I enjoyed having a physical keyboard back when I had a Blackberry and would like to have one now, but I don't want to give up screen size for it and I certainly don't want an even longer phone. I just got a new phone and specifically went with one with a slightly smaller screen because the "upgraded" version was just too long and turned pulling down the notification bar from a one handed operation to a two handed one.
Through the wonders of technology any message I need to send can be done from my computer as well, so I just use it for anything longer than a few lines at a time.
FYI iPhones have a one-handed mode that I find pretty easy to trigger temporarily: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/use-reachability-iph145eba8e9/ios
I think Android has a similar feature, though I haven’t used it myself. https://support.google.com/accessibility/android/answer/12652418?hl=en
I had seen one handed mode, but didn't like the way it worked. Looking further I see that it has a "notifications only" version which is all I'd really want. Thanks for the tip. When my wife decides to upgrade her phone I may give her mine and get the larger Pixel 8 Pro and use that.
Phone becomes longer, keyboard looks a bit uncomfortable to use, honestly.
I will be very happy if someone managed to recreate nokia c6 sliding keyboard...
https://m.gsmarena.com/nokia_c6-3229.php
You're in luck! For the low, low price of $1,100 you can get the Astro Slide.
They’re shipping a brand new computer in 2024 with Android 11 on it…that’s an OS that launched in 2020.
Yeah, saw that. It's a... choice.
It makes sense in that it's when the IndieGoGo campaign that funded it ended, but even the subreddit for the phone shows a post from 7 months ago with a "new update" still using Android 11.
Oh, that keyboard actually looks terrific.
Hrm. I might try and pick one up in ~10 years or so once the price has dropped.
Yeah, that keyboard looks wonderful. If it wasn't for the whole unknown manufacturer selling very expensive phone running a 4 year out of date OS and many a person in the subreddit says the phone is crap, I'd possibly consider it.
I'm with you, certainly could be a fun bit of outdated tech when picking it up on eBay in a decade though.
FWIW I explored this idea here on Tildes a while back and landed on the Lilygo bluetooth keyboard
The hardware is okay, but the software wasn't great. so I did a complete rewrite of the firmware (yay, open source). I got it to the point where it was functional, but realized (as others have pointed out) that making the phone extra long is bad ergonomically.
Based on trying to use the Lilygo, I think the actual answer is a split keyboard that sandwiches the phone in the middle, and ideally would work in portrait or landscape mode. I also think it would be better with keys that are a bit larger than the lilygo. The use case is not something you keep on the phone all the time, but something you clip on when you know you're going to be doing more text entry.
I had to shelve the project before I could get any further, especially because of the hardware aspect. I'm not sure it would be enough of a win to follow through on it.
Darn. I'd been wondering if you had made any progress on that.
I still think the best solution would be some sort of sliding or fold-out keyboard attached to a case. Depending on how it's designed, it may not even need to be split (since phones are currently too long to comfortably use a keyboard in landscape). For example, have the keyboard be a reasonable size for typing and built to slide out separately from the rest of the case.
Like you said, it's the hardware aspect that's the biggest roadblock. There are no keyboards that are the right size or shape. I have zero experience working with hardware or circuit boards beyond switching out the joysticks on my joycons, but I'm tempted to start learning purely so I can try to make a decent keyboard for this.
I think there's a lesson to be learned from the folks doing custom desktop keyboards, namely that customizeability is a path to building a community around something where there are going to be lots of different ideas of what is good. I'm not suggesting anyone fab micro versions of the many varieties of key switches, but that a two-part board with a way to reconfigure the key layouts would let people explore split and not-split form factors and customize things for a variety of mobile devices.
I actually do have an EE bachelor's degree, but haven't designed a circuit in probably 20 years. I'm sure it's easier to do now than it was back then, but I'd have to climb the hill on the smd designs. I could certainly do the firmware though. I'd love to collaborate on a project if we can find the right people.
I feel like there must be people involved with the open hardware movement that have access to the parts and fabrication in a place like Shenzen to bring the hardware idea to reality. I think Hackaday forums might be a place to start finding people like that, but I have not really had the time to delve into it.
Crackberry Kevin. Now there's a name I haven't heard in some time. Pretty cool they managed to get blackberry design and engineering alumni on the project as well. Like others here, I'm pessimistic about seeing a wide adoption of these. But looks like a positive addition to the niche
This thing looks ridiculous, but I kind of love that it exists. While it’s not a fit for me since I use a lot of swiping on the software keyboard and would be irked with what must be a top-heavy weight distribution, I could see this thing being useful for power users who value the tactility of hardware buttons. It’s pricey and looks awkward, but I actually think there’s enough of a market to justify its existence.
Cool idea, not worth $130+ tho. Hope they manage to find success regardless.
I really like this idea. Price doesn't bother me too much, however making my phone longer does. Haha I would really need to test this out in person.
I'm also glad to see Mr. Mobile having some fun with tech. I share his love of tactile buttons and switches.
Can’t imagine anyone who has been using smart phones for the last decade to switch back to a physical keyboard. If you want to live in nostalgia, do it. But physical keyboards are so slow and clunky compared to modern iOS/Android digital keyboards.
I make many more misspelling errors on a smart phone than I did with my BlackBerry though. I'm always redoing what I just typed because of my clumsy fingers and also aggressive autocorrect.
Blackberry Thumb is back babyyyyy