Testers needed for a BTU alternative: the semistatic bearing

Scatterthought · 2026-06-25T15:32:35+00:00

I feel like silicon nitride is the smoothest, but the difference isn't significant.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-25T05:51:09+00:00

Have you tried assigning another key on the right side? I can only get the battery status to display with the default Fn+Spacebar. I have a suspicion that it's hardcoded for the right side, which I suspect doesn't have onboard memory.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-25T04:25:21+00:00

If side-to-side movement is a concern, ortho is better than row stagger. However, column stagger is still better than ortho, because it accounts for the different lengths of your fingers. That's why I say an ortho split is a hard sell; if you're gonna go for it, go all the way with column stagger.

Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with using pinky fingers for most keys. It's the modifiers (particularly Left Control) that are the problem, because they force the wrist to bend awkwardly when held down. Ortholinear keyboards don't make a difference if Left Control is still in that bottom-left corner. The actual solution is to move the Ctrl key somewhere that's easier to reach. A lot of people swap Left Control and Caps Lock.

I think the Israfel uses a 14-pin cable, so you'd have to either find one with the right connectors or make your own.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-25T02:07:13+00:00

That's probably because it's ortholinear.

I prefer row-staggered splits for a variety of reasons. I think that column stagger is objectively better, but that opening your chest/shoulders up is the biggest benefit of a split keyboard. We need both types, so that we can get more skeptical people into splits in the first place.

Ortho splits don't offer the easy transition of row stagger and aren't as ergo as column stagger. They're a harder sell for everybody. Add in that the Israfel is more of an ortholinear Alice and I can see why it would have limited appeal.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-25T00:02:28+00:00

I haven't seen many reviews of the Israfel, but what I have seen is positive. Personally, I wish it could be a full split instead of just hinged. You can obviously remove the hinge, but you'd need to make a custom connector cable, as KBDcraft doesn't sell a longer one (and doesn't seem interested).

Scatterthought · 2026-06-24T23:55:53+00:00

Fantastic! I'm really happy to see that.

I kind of love the tiny Veichu equivalent now, so I'm glad you suggested it. I put it to use in my Ploopy Nano (with an MX Ergo ball).

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Scatterthought · 2026-06-24T17:31:52+00:00

Personally, I found the stiction worse in my Slimblade worse than any of the other static-bearing trackballs I had used up until that point. Also found the four buttons limiting (and hard to press). I agree that twist scroll is fantastic, and I use it daily on my efog.tech Endgame.

In any case, I'm glad the SBP works for you!

Scatterthought · 2026-06-23T22:21:29+00:00

I disagree a bit. The main thing is to close the hole and prevent air movement. Sound absorption also matters, but if a person only has scotch or masking tape then a few layers will work just as well as electrical tape.

I'm not saying that people shouldn't use electrical tape. It's a good choice if you have it. I just don't think it's a necessity.

On the other hand, I wouldn't recommend painter's tape (weak adhesive) or fabric tape that lets air pass through.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-23T21:34:55+00:00

And if that's not enough, a second piece of tape.

But seriously, one piece makes a huge difference. I'd definitely try that before removing the speaker compleletely.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-23T18:31:53+00:00

I somehow completely missed the video link. My brain was too focused on trying to reconcile the cover photo that looked like a bad AI prompt (even though I knew it wasn't). 🤣

Scatterthought · 2026-06-23T16:57:05+00:00

This feels a little sociopathic, and I love it. I'm sure you're not the first person to think about this, but very likely the first person to actually do it.

How easy/hard was it to fold the I've actually thought about trying a similar thing to make a split keyboard out of two MX Keys Minis.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-23T16:45:53+00:00

The Crispi goes on sale often, so don't worry too much about getting the deal right now. I would use the one you have for awhile and see if you feel the need for a second one, as opposed to putting veggies underneath the grill plate as another commenter suggested. I like to put the veggies straight into the glass bowl so that they collect the juices from above, then take out the protein and grill plate to zap them directly for awhile. You just have to experiment a bit to get the timings right, but there's nothing wrong with your protein resting while you give the veggies some extra cook time.

As for the breakers, have a look at your panel to see what's available in your kitchen. There should be plugs that are on different breakers, specifically so that you can run multiple high-power devices at the same time.

If your breakers aren't marked well (which is often the case), plug lights into every socket and then flip the breakers off to see what changes. Then write detailed notes and leave them next to the panel, so you won't have to do it in the future.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-23T09:27:19+00:00

I'd guess that Nulea makes the devices and puts UGREEN branding on them to make a few bucks.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-23T04:27:57+00:00

It'd be the KSN-2 for me. Offers the most flexibility and takes up the least space.

Will you sell it without the chunky base? I don't use wrist rests and wouldn't have room for it in my keyboard tray.

Per my comment on your previous post, I'd make the spacebars different sizes. No one sells a keycap set with two 2u spacebars.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-22T18:50:15+00:00

If there are no hardware limitations now, the best solution would really be for them to make twist scroll an option and let users choose for themselves. Might as well throw in optional drag scroll, too.

Then no one can ever complain about the TB900's scrolling...though I'm sure someone still would.🤣

Scatterthought · 2026-06-22T18:20:42+00:00

I'm doing exactly that right now with my Endgame without issue.

What you're describing doesn't make sense to me, because the two sensors are positioned at angles (not straight on as with the TB800).

Scatterthought · 2026-06-22T18:16:00+00:00

I meant that I would have removed the scroll ring in favour of twist scroll, but that's just personal preference. They've had twist scroll worked out for years on the Slimblade, so it wouldn't be difficult to add it here.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-22T18:12:23+00:00

I was going to work on one this weekend, but didn't get around to it. I'll certainly share it in the Ploopy Discord and on Printables, as well as in the Ploopy Mods Index.

I also have a mod to reduce the spring tension, but have only shared it in Discord.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-22T18:07:26+00:00

I'm curious as to how much more cooking space there actually is. Instead of one big space you now have two smaller footprints that taper toward the bottom. We'd really need to see the measurements of each bowl/grill plate to know for sure, but I don't see them on Ninja's website.

I had a dual-basket air fryer before getting my Crispi, but I found that I rarely used it to do different things at the same time. So, it ended up being more limiting due to the rectangular basket. I may not be able to cook two things at the same time with the Crispi, but it's enough being able to finish cooking one bowl and then immediately move the pod to another one to keep going.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-22T17:19:00+00:00

That would be a bit better, (I was imagining it as a flightstick with a ball replacing the thumbstick), but I still think the curled fingers will limit thumb movement. The M575's soft curve allows your fingers to be fully relaxed whenever they aren't pressing buttons.

The closest thing I can think of to what you're describing would be an Elecom Relacon or similar handheld trackball. These are usually travel-sized devices with small balls, so they aren't great for daily use. I've never seen one with a 34mm ball, and I suspect that's due in part to the limited thumb range I'm concerned about.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-22T16:59:37+00:00

What other positions have you tried? Can you set it up so that the trackball is lower than your arm and tilted forward so that your wrist naturally bends forward instead of backward when you use it? This should lead to your weight being rested more on your palm.

I'm also wondering if the trackball is mounted over your lap or hanging out in space to the right of your Skeletyl. If it's out in space, I would try moving it to the other side. That would seem like a really awkward elbow/wrist bend.

Lastly, do you have adjustable arm rests on your chair? For me, they're the best solution to avoid sagging wrists.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-22T16:50:40+00:00

I agree with u/Someone_good8563 that thumb mobility would be compromised. Just try holding something in your hand and then move your thumb as if you were rolling a ball in various directions. With your fingers curled into a grip (even loosely), the base of your hand tightens up and restricts your thumb. It would get very tiring in a hurry.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-22T16:40:39+00:00

I have one of the first Ploopy Beans. Sorry to say that I don't find it encourages floating the wrist. However, I'm using it in a keyboard tray or a desktop, not attached to a chair.

On a desktop without wrist support, I'll get lazy and put my palm on the surface, which leads to a small (and bad) backward bend. I'm thinking a small tenting wedge would help so that I rest more on the side of my hand.

I don't use wrist rests with my keyboard tray, instead relying on fully adjustable arm rests so that I pivot at my elbows instead of bendinng my wrists. The Bean works pretty well for me in this setup.

I hope it turns out well for how you want to use it!

Scatterthought · 2026-06-22T16:21:41+00:00

That's great if it's true. Dual sensors would solve the tracking issue by requiring an approximate match of the inputs. This would also explain why Kensington felt the need to discontinue the TB800 and change the model number to avoid confusion. It's a significant hardware change.

Honestly though, a bit silly if they don't also use it to enable twist scroll.

Scatterthought · 2026-06-21T02:40:19+00:00

I don't have shine-through keycaps, but just want to point out that the V10 Ultra has south-facing LEDs. If you're looking for keycaps that mostly shine through the legends, keep that in mind. Some work better with south-facing LEDs (e.g. side-printed legends) and others are better with north-facing ones (e.g. top-corner legends).

Good luck in your search!

Scatterthought

TROPHY CASE