I just want The Wheel.
this post was submitted on 28 Mar 2025
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Here's what I want: tiny, one handed bluetooth chord keyboard.
For typing on my phone. Can someone make one?
Aren't there hundreds? Like this one? Or maybe I don't know what you mean by "chord" keyboard, or you want more tiny?
(tangent to your question because someone already answered) I think that courtroom stenographers (people who type up what's said) use special chording keyboards. I've also been to a few events where there has been someone transcribing things in real time for accessibility purposes, and they also use a cool looking chording keyboard. It takes some learning, but the max typing speed is way faster than any conventional keyboard could manage — which is why skilled people use them for transcribing stuff
A brand that I'm aware of that does them is Charachorder.
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A chord keyboard uses combinations of keys, like chords on a piano. You have fewer keys so you can type with one hand. I'm not 100% serious about it, learning curve would be horrendous. But it would be interesting to try. I used blackberry for a long time and I hate screen keyboards.
And yes, looks like I found one while looking for examples :) It's $175 on ebay, bit expensive.
you can make a ferris sweep. you would just choose which side you'd want and setup your layout with QMK. If you want Bluetooth, just use the nice! Nano controller. A coworker built one. It's tiny, about the size of your hand. He would also carry it around in his pockets and connect through USB to his phone for emails.
The only problem is he customized the hell out of the layout. I think he used Colemak. His layers kinda looked like this:
He said he had trouble using regular keyboards after getting used to it. He always had to carry it around with him.
Yeah, that's a lot of work with tools I have no idea with. Definitely a fun project but I don't have the time.
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I built and configured an Arkenswoop some time in 2023. It's really nice. However... I have gotten quite fast on a conventional keyboard just by using it over the years, and re-learning that is just so tedious. Every time I try, something with a deadline comes up, and I switch back "temporarily".
Anyone have experience overcoming this?
I switched to a new key layout and was slowed down for like a month, and almost every day I could literally feel myself speeding back up. It was such a cool experience, and one that I imagine has beneficial like neural effects, that sometimes I think about switching it up just for fun.
I'd suggest just sticking with it. I now use English, German, and my custom Workman layout at home without any issue switching between them. Practice makes perfect and cause a bunch of work and fun things encourage typing a lot, practice comes easy and getting back to your normal speed happens quickly.
Picking a new layout like Workman or Dvorak where you can feel the benefits, plus a split keyboard's ergonomic benefits, and I think anyone would struggle to go back (assuming they do it for a month and give it a fair shake).
That sounds great. I think I've given it more than a month overall, but probably never longer than a week at a time. Guess I'll have to have my SO hide my normal keyboard lol
Ya, I personally didn't swap between two different ones during that time and I remember the first time u went back to a single board qwerty keyboard I struggled for less than an hour and then the muscle memory kicked in. I think my wires get crossed when I jumped between the two while learning and I decided to just stick with the one until I had "recovered" and that really helped.
Good luck!
Will do! Thank you!
I have had to use swedish (various), english, american, french and german keyboards, I have to look at the keyboard when I type :-/
Maybe I should just go DVORAK or something and always carry one with me...
As somebody who fully switched to Dvorak about 10 years ago, it has its benefits, but man oh man, does it bring out the shitty programmers who don’t realize that anything other than US QWERTY exists.
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Where's the rest of the keys? Also these things give off Nintendo Power Glove vibes.
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Hear me out, take the optic sensor from a mouse and put it on the bottom of one of those boards. Then you wouldn't have to move your hand to use a mouse.
Bruh what are you doing posting million dollar ideas like this on a public forum?!
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I find the topic interesting and want to both experiment with the ortholinear and split concepts. But the main thing holding me back is the same reason I am using zsh and not fish: compatibility. I don’t want to confuse myself with two ways of typing when I need to work on another pc and I will not be using a split keyboard on my laptop for example.
I've used plenty of ergo keyboards and fancy layouts, but as soon as I try to use a regular keyboard I have to re-learn how to type and it really halts any productivity.
This sort of thing may be nice if you only ever use one computer or you're willing to pack around your keyboard.
Even still, I never liked ergo boards enough to think it's worth the effort, especially considering being useless on other keyboards once I'm used to ergo.
Now I just stick to a 75% or TKL. Keeps me versatile.
TKL FTW BTW!
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Both of mine died lately and I want to get them working again, but qmk is a nightmare I don't want to have to touch again.
Imagine playing Dwarf Fortress in a recliner with a pair of these.
Hmmm... I see a balding fat dude wearing a lot of Cheeto dust on his shirt
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I was the lucky owner of a rare FingerWorks Touchstream keyboard for many years. If you don't know it, it's the precursor to the keyboards used in Star Trek Enterprise.
It's a keyless keyboard. Two large flat mousepads with a keyboard layout printed on top, and you type by pure touch. There's no mouse; the surface just cleverly detects when you are doing mouse gestures. Or a lot of other gestures.
Trekkie joke aside, it's actually the magic tech that made the iPhone possible. Of course Apple didn't invent anything, they bought existing future tech.
I miss that keyboard. They still sell on ebay, for 1400$!
That sounds awful though. There's a reason why touch pads are so unpopular in cars, there's no tactile feedback to the buttons. Part of learning to type is getting a feel for the keys.
Many, many moons ago (must have been around 2006?) I managed to procure a FingerWorks. It was magic, like holding a piece of computing history!
It allowed a lot of the gestures we take for granted, to switch applications or workspaces, to go back a page, etc. But it also had really cool stuff. You could bind gestures like twisting your fingers clockwise to open a file (just like opening a jar!) or counterclockwise to close it. Pinch and zoom for copy and paste.
I was only able to get a hold on a Dvorak copy. And because the key labels were printed on the board, you couldn't really change the layout. Getting used to a split layout, no keys and Dvorak at the same time was too much and I had to sell it again. But I've been using split keyboards ever since!
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There is a guy out there developing a mouse less solution so you never have to take your fingers off the keyboard too called mouseless.click I'm just waiting for him to release the Windows version. Only on apple atm
IDK, a mousetrapper (or similar) effectively does the same but doesn't require retraining your entire workflow and still allows for precision mouse work.
Ah, doesn't work with my tented split key setup. But it's a cool idea.
Oh thanks. I'll look into it!
I googled mousetrapper but dont understand what it is? Looks like an old school trackpad?
It's just a mouse-device that enables full regular mouse control without taking your hands off the keyboard as well. It's not actually a trackpad, it's a mechanical two dimensional scrolling plate (or bar) which is much nicer to use because it provides better feedback than a trackpad.
Fuck, I don't want to be a keyboard pervert, but these are some good points
There's a dude developing out a neat split keyboard that's ergo but you are typing in like chunks of words or something.
Looks like your fast af once used to it.
Each finger goes up down left right i believe. Can't remember the name!
It's quite refined looking.
Do you mean the CharaChorder? I thought about getting one in the past bit it looks like a super steep learn curve and I'm not sure if I'm willing to subject myself to it.
YES, thank you.
My brain was stuck on chroma, which made no sense, lol.
I thought the exact same thing, but the thing is, i switched to a trackball mouse and I will never go back...
So some times it's worth it.
Pretty sure you're talking about the Svalboard. I don't think it uses chunks of words though. Each finger has access to 5 keys and you can map any layout. https://svalboard.com/
But maybe you're thinking of stenography where you have fewer keys but you press them in combinations (chords) instead of individually. That looks crazy fast. https://youtu.be/7jVXrX5TDk4 https://www.artofchording.com/introduction/#stenography
I kinda like using a split keyboard sitting in an arm chair. Put one side on the left arm rest, the other on the right. Feels like I'm in the captain's chair of the Enterprise.
You will encounter this man at work.
They will ask for your help with something on their workstation, and it would be faster for you to drive with them watching over your shoulder, but this cryptic thing is their keyboard.
Instead, you will be forced to sit behind them like Patrick Swayze guiding Demi Moore at a throwing wheel. You will eventually take your shirt off, launch Unchained Melody in Spotify, then slowly guide them through a system setting panel.
You will notice how soft their hands feel. The hyper-ergonomic keyboard has allowed their fingers to move with minimal effort, allowing the skin to remain supple, smooth - almost unused.
You will ask yourself, “Is he right?” How could a keyboard be so aggressive and wrong, and yet, support something so gentile.
You try to deny the feeling. Your friends and family will mock you like your uncle Dvorak. Maybe you start with a trackball and see if being naughty feels right.
Jesus
This is coiling my cable just thinking about it.
Ergorotic literature.
I thought that was rowing machine porn.
Nice
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A good tool improves the way you work. A great tool improves the way you think.
May I introduce to you, the Banana Board. A keyboard that works by squeezing a banana shaped device.
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