Keebin’ with Kristina: the One with the H.R. Giger Keyboard

I had to bust out Brain Salad Surgery to write this one, folks. It was that, or put on some Ministry or something. Just look at all the industrial-ness dripping from [heinn_dev]’s creation.

Apparently [heinn_dev] wasn’t completely satisfied with his Chocofi case, and instead of requesting a full refund, just went ahead and made a prettier one. It took a lot of printing and even more sanding, but here we are. And it looks fantastic.

The only downside, if you can call it one, is that adjusting the tenting is a slow operatiJKon. But then again that’s one of those things that you usually set and forget.

Oh, and those keycaps are printed, too. As one commenter said, those homing nipples look painful, but I think it’s part of the charm. I just hope that hand grime doesn’t end up clogging the holes under the palm area. Clean your keyboards, people.

Serenity Now!

Maybe it’s the marshmallow keycaps, or the dreamy-white exposed dual trackballs, but I really dig the Serenity from [MKBR]. Is it endgame? Time will tell.

This is a 4-, 5-, or 6-column Corne layout, which is achieved with breakaway tabs on the PCBs. It uses an integrated RP2040 programmed with QMK/Vial and has hot-swappable MX switches.

Curious about the trackballs? I was, too — the left one is for scrolling, while the right is for regular trackballing around the screen.

The fact that it took around 85 tries to get AI to generate a good image for the back sounds about right, and looks to me like it was worth it. Go check it out in the gallery.

[MKBR] is a custom builder who has recently made a number of dystopian-themed boards, and although they’re all quite nice, Serenity is a refreshing alternative.

The Centerfold: LEGO My Tenting Setup

Tenting is such a personal thing, and getting just the right angle can take some doing. So why not give it a go with LEGO? That’s what [koehr] did, inspired by [spiritual-toe-2025] who did something similar about a week and a half ago.

So anyway, this is [koehr]’s Sofle RGB Choc, which has — you guessed it — Kailh choc switches. One of [koehr]’s priorities is to have the halves locked in place, which is easily achievable with bricks. Check out the third picture in the gallery and you’ll see a gap which allows the keyboard’s outer edges to rest on that cool desk mat.

Do you rock a sweet set of peripherals on a screamin’ desk pad? Send me a picture along with your handle and all the gory details, and you could be featured here!

Historical Clackers: Elliot-Fisher Book Typewriter

When we think of typewriters, no matter the type, we usually envision a single sheet of substrate moving through it, and usually against a platen.

Well, what if you needed to type in a ledger or other sort of already-bound book? Then you’d need a different beast entirely. You’d need the Elliot-Fisher Book Typewriter.

This machine debuted in 1903, although the design originated with the Elliot-Hatch Company around 1897. Unlike a traditional typewriter where the paper moves past a fixed point, the paper here is fixed, and the point of printing moves.

How is this done? With a set of rails. The typing mechanism moved along these rails to be positioned over the paper, effectively plotting the type. The typebars themselves were arranged vertically in a typebasket under the keyboard, and they rotated downward in order to strike the ribbon and paper.

As one typed, the entire keyboard and typebasket advanced along the rails. To do the next line, the machine move along another set of Y rails at right angles to the X rails. It’s unclear to me whether the book was fed through somehow, or one simply hefted the machine on top of it.

Finally, Cherry Unveils New Switches, Technology

At Computex 2025, Cherry announced “a bold new chapter” and debuted a total of four new switches: the IK, MX Honey, MX Blossom, and MX Falcon.

First and foremost is the new IK inductive switch, which uses their patented inductive sensing technology. Basically, it uses electromagnetic field detection and allows for contactless actuation, which means no mechanical wear, “even after millions of keystrokes”.

These IK switches are touted to consume 50% less power than standard magnetic switches and only 5% of the power that Hall-effect switches use. If that’s not enough for you, these IK switches have RGB and customizable actuation. They come out in Fall 2025.

Can’t wait for the IK switches? The MX Honey comes out in June and is Cherry’s first silent tactile MX switch, which sounds interesting (or doesn’t, I suppose). They allegedly have a newfangled spring and are pre-lubed at the factory.

Also coming in June is the Cherry MX Blossom, which will be their lightest linear switch ever with an actuation force of 35 cN. Finally, my favorite — the Cherry MX Falcon — will come out next month as well. This one is a tactile switch inspired by the community, and is reportedly for heavy typists and enthusiasts. It’s got a long-pole stem and has a sharper bottom-out and a richer sound. All three MX switches should be available as 36-switch kits soon. I can’t wait to get some!

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Got a hot tip that has like, anything to do with keyboards? Help me out by sending in a link or two. Don’t want all the Hackaday scribes to see it? Feel free to email me directly.