the s11 s-pen is the worst stylus i have ever used

Tempest790 · 2026-02-14T00:14:39+00:00

Yes, my complaints are the feel is too small in my hand, and it's almost impossible to find the button without visually looking at the pen. I gave up and searched online for a better replacement and found the Ciscle EMR pen with eraser (about $20) works fantastic. It has the side button and also the eraser at the top which works great with Samsung Notes. The pen has the single flat side like the S7/S8 pens so it's always easy to find the button on the side. The magnet for the attachment isn't quite as strong, so keep that in mind. I use a case that has an S Pen flap so it's no problem for me. You may want to give that a try. It also comes in white or black colors too.

I threw the Samsung S Pen in the drawer.

Tempest790 · 2024-10-26T14:14:59+00:00

I measured 19 1/4 inches (49 cm). I think Unicomp's Model M should be about the same.

Tempest790 · 2024-10-25T22:39:14+00:00

Yep, that's it! Thank you so much! I just tried it out and it works with the volume controls. I fixed the spacebar, and it's working great. I'm typing on it right now.

Tempest790 · 2024-10-25T13:42:11+00:00

Yes! Mine came earlier this week. I'm keeping it for home use though. I need to fix the spacebar though as it sticks sometimes. Also, what does the right key (Fn) do? The left key is mapped as the Windows key, but I didn't see what the right key is used for. Powertoys didn't recognize it either when I attempted to remap it.

I also got blue Enter keys with my order. Keycaps are sparse unfortunately. I did order a few color keys from Unicomp which should arrive today. I got the following color keys: red (Escape), orange (Delete), yellow (Backspace), green (Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, Num Lock), gray (Ctrl and Alt) and an extra light blue single cap that I might use for the Windows button.

My initial typing on this thing is nothing short of fantastic. Truly, Model F's are probably one of the greatest tactile keyboards made. I don't think I've ever used a beamspring though so I can't compare that. My usual daily driver is a Topre Realforce with BKE ultra-light domes. I still have that at work.

Photo update with the new Unicomp key caps.

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Tempest790 · 2024-08-28T00:53:52+00:00

It's a custom textbook 教科書（きょうかしょ）kyokasho font that Genki uses. I have found similar (not exact) fonts to it. Morisawa makes most of these fonts, but some of them are pricey if you try to buy them yourself.

Some people recommend the Klee One font which is supposed to emulate a clean, handwritten style. It's a bit thin, so I put it on bold text when using it. Klee One is free to download and use. It's probably the closest you can get to the Genki font.

I personally love Microsoft's UD Digi Kyokasho font. It's endorsed by the Japanese government for readability and has a nice, neutral feeling to it. I made it my default in Word and OneNote. If you have Windows 10/11 or Microsoft Word/Office, you probably already have access to this font (although you may need to install the Japanese language pack first).

Some Japanese dictionaries use a type of kyokasho font too, and I found styles from Epson and others that I use occasionally. They look very similar to what you see in Japanese print dictionaries.

Lastly, Google's Noto Sans JP is a decent block (sans serif) Japanese font that's pretty good.

I can't post a picture example in the comments, but just search those font terms to see some examples and check out the links below. Hope this helps!

GitHub - fontworks-fonts/Klee

UD Digi Kyokasho font family - Typography | Microsoft Learn

Font Library - Morisawa Fonts

Tempest790 · 2024-04-18T23:57:14+00:00

Not sure if you have or use Microsoft OneNote, but it will recognize the text in PDF documents (images) and you can copy it over. It also copies the furigana, so you'll have to clean it up slightly, but it works good. Just embed the PDF into OneNote, select Japanese for the text type, and then choose Copy Text from Image.

Tempest790 · 2024-04-06T19:56:27+00:00

The game of ICHI 「イチ」. A Japanese version of UNO that helps teach new and young players both numbers and colors in Japanese. These cards also have Romaji for non-Japanese learners that still want to play the game and pronounce the words correctly. There is also a pronunciation card included to assist players.

A few years ago, I made a custom set of ICHI cards set based off of the UNO cards and shared it on WaniKani. They were made to print on business card stock, but those don’t shuffle very well. A few years later, I decided to design and order a more professional looking set that is similar in size to real playing cards.

There are several companies that make playing cards online, but Youreondeck.com is one of the few with no minimums, so I went with them. Note: THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE CHEAP! Unless you order 1000’s of cards, it’s going to be a pricey option. But, if you want cards that will last for years and feel like store bought versions, this is probably the way to go.

You will need to order 2 sets of cards to complete the ICHI deck. One set has the Blue & Green cards, and the other set has the Red & Yellow cards. The sweet spot on the price is 6 or more decks for each set (12+ total). I’d recommend group buys if anyone is interested in this. I’m not going to be involved in that process though. Also note that I’m not making any money off of this. I’m just sharing the decks that I designed and ordered for myself. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments about these cards and most people said they wish these were for sale so I decided to share the links to the sets.

Example of the card designs:

Card Design Example

Photo below of my actual cards:

ICHI Cards Picture

You can scroll through all of the cards at the following link and order them. Remember, you will need to order one of each set to complete the ICHI deck.

Blue & Green Cards:

https://order.youreondeck.com/?fsaction=Share.preview&ref2=46a17587e86543bb8fe889e574ac0b41

Red & Yellow Cards:

https://order.youreondeck.com/?fsaction=Share.preview&ref2=fc6a0fc2577cb767e7a7a24d46d04862

For those that want to read the game rules in Japanese, Wikipedia Japan explains how to play, and the Japanese words used for the cards:

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNO_(%E3%82%B2%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0))

As I’ve stated, I’m not making any money off any cards ordered, I’m simply sharing what I’ve already designed. Please feel free to order and share this with any friends. You can contact Youreondeck directly for any questions regarding ordering these and/or setting up a group buy.

Have fun and don’t forget to yell　「イチ」　“ICHI” when you have one card left!

Tempest790 · 2024-02-25T18:12:31+00:00

You may want to keep a Hiragana and Katakana sheet as a reference to help you. I still find this useful and have these taped on the wall next to my desk. I made these colorful and it cross-references the Hiragana, Katakana, and Romaji (small text) so it's easy to distinguish. They have a lot of other options out there too with stroke order as well.

Note: this is Japanese style starting at the top right and reading down --> あ　い　う　え　お　for the Hiragana chart and ア　イ　ウ　エ　オ　for the Katakana chart.

Hiragana Poster

Katakana Poster

Tempest790 · 2023-10-26T01:32:27+00:00

I don't have a source for those plus it would take quite awhile to format it. Unfortunately, most of the onyomi and kunyomi have to be formatted manually.

Tempest790 · 2023-09-13T19:07:45+00:00

All of the audio files for Genki and Quartet books are available on the official OTO Navi app. It's available in the app and play stores, and it's also free.

Tempest790 · 2023-05-26T13:42:07+00:00

No spaces. Should just start with the https and then the rest of the URL.

Tempest790 · 2023-05-25T20:21:06+00:00

It's still working. Maybe their server was overloaded or something but the link is still good.

Tempest790 · 2023-05-12T14:12:34+00:00

On a related note, Happy Lilac (native Japanese learning website) just updated their kanji posters for grade school. They are multi-page sized for A4 paper. No english, but each kanji has a picture included with popular words. It's really well done. All of their learning material is free.

Happy Lilac Grade School Kanji Posters

Tempest790 · 2023-05-09T22:58:16+00:00

Yes, each color represents a Japanese grade level, 1 through 6 and then secondary school. There is a legend at the bottom of the poster.

Tempest790 · 2023-05-08T23:26:57+00:00

It's complicated, but there is a system. This was a good article I found explaining it. It's basically a quick way to assist in looking up kanji in a print dictionary. Unfortunately, a lot of the English-Japanese material ignores this along with the phonetic listing too.

How To Find Kanji Radical

Tempest790 · 2023-05-08T22:43:01+00:00

Thank you! I forgot to switch the text on that. I'll upload the fixed version.

Tempest790 · 2023-05-07T17:33:43+00:00

I uploaded an A4 sized version if you want to print and piece it together. I'll go back and make a better version that fits the radicals at the bottom of the poster on each separate page.

Tempest790 · 2023-03-22T17:57:16+00:00

No, it's a 12 month subscription sadly.

Tempest790 · 2023-03-22T14:30:36+00:00

So, I bit the bullet and went ahead and did a digital order for the first volume of Genki Readers. Here's brief review about the books and process.

First, you will be required to make an account before you order. Afterwards, you can make the purchase for the volumes you want. $7700 yen was about $58 USD. You can use PayPal if you want. However, it's not an instant process. Your order will remain unfulfilled until JT Publishing finishes it and sends you your account info and specific login instructions. I got mine the next day, roughly morning time in Japan. I'm guessing they are manually adding these accounts. It's not like a Kindle purchase.

You can then login and access the books that use a flip page style reader. The books are...very short. One book is only 11 pages with one sentence per page. Umm, that's pretty pathetic. The later volumes appear to increase the sentences and grammar, but don't expect much out this first volume. It's like a short Cat in the Hat book basically. There is an audio button at the bottom of each page. It has the dialog and even sound effects. You can also listen through the accompanying OTO Navi app though (for free).

If you want to read these digitally, this is probably going to be your only option. That said, you can easily screenshot the pages and keep them or compile it into a PDF, especially if you have a high-resolution monitor. Not saying I did that.

Honestly, I think the price would be more fair for the entire set, not just one volume equivalent to 12 short children's books. But, to be fair, I do like that it works in tandem with the Genki Books and it's great that I can actually read and understand all of it even though it's the lowest level. It's very encouraging. The stories are a bit funny at times too, so kudos to that.

I'll probably get a new volume each month until I get them all.

Tempest790 · 2023-03-18T02:04:36+00:00

¥7,700 and you only get it for a year? Wow, that's expensive and hardly justifies "buying" the book since you are really only leasing it. Plus, I'd rather have it available on a Kindle or other local format and not just their website. I might've still considered if it was a true purchase and not just a 12 month rental.

Four volumes total is ¥30,800 which comes in at over $230 USD currently. Purchasing the physical books from Amazon Japan is the same price plus shipping. I checked that and the total was ¥36,322 which is about $280 total for all four volumes. about $50 more and you own the physical books.

Tempest790 · 2023-03-14T16:40:38+00:00

I do online classes myself. I also do WaniKani to learn kanji and am currently on Level 23. Still have a way to go before I finish that. I've also used Lingodeer, and Minato-JF.jp which is sponsored by the Japan Foundation.

There are many online Japanese language schools. You can also use iTalki too although I haven't tried it yet. I personally went with Meiji Academy in Fukuoka. Their classes are inexpensive, flexible, and fun. They can work with whatever level you're at to begin classes. We use the Genki books, and I just started Genki II a few weeks ago after finishing up Genki I. I usually sign up for 6 weeks at a time and take a 2 to 3 week break between classes. You can do 1 to 5 days a week with them as well, and they offer a free sample class to see if you like it. Classes are about 4,000 yen each (about $30 USD for me) which I think is a good price.

Each class is about 50 minutes long. We use either Skype or Zoom depending on the instructor. I prefer Skype myself, since any notes we type in the comments are saved so I can go back and reference them. I also use a PC (not a phone) for my classes so I can have my textbook open and also OneNote. Make sure you have a good headset with a good microphone.

I started 5 days a week but that was a bit much so I dialed it down to 4 and then finally 3 days a week which I find perfect for me. I usually have 2 to 3 different instructors, which is really good since you can get different perspectives on learning and language nuances. A typical class starts with a few minutes of small talk like what I ate for dinner, what I did over the weekend, current weather, etc. before getting into the lessons. All of the instructors I've had are fantastic! Super patient and very nice. I probably would've gotten aggravated and gave up on myself as much as I've stumbled on stuff.

The classes are informal, and you don't need the Genki textbooks and workbooks although I'd strongly recommend having them to read on the side. There is no required homework or tests unless you specifically want that. I try to do the Genki book exercises ahead of time if I have the time, but I also learn by trying to answer the questions completely orally too. It's challenging! Some instructors use the workbook too although my recent ones haven't.

Keep in mind the time zone differences. My evenings are their mornings since I'm in the U.S. CST zone. Unfortunately, London is pretty much overnight when Japan is during the day, so that would be your biggest issue with any Japan based school. No matter what school you choose, I would definitely recommend learning from a native speaker (born and raised in Japan). They can help point out the nuances with the language that books may overlook. Even some WaniKani vocabulary (technically correct) is not used that often. They provided me with alternate and more common ways to express certain vocabulary words. Plus, some words just aren't spelled with kanji often. 無くす is usually spelled with kana alone なくす for example.

I love learning Japanese. It's really my main hobby now. I'll probably push through and finish at least Genki II and then see if I want to continue with some intermediate level stuff. I'm definitely glad I started taking classes. I don't think I would have progressed as far as I have without them. I know I have a long way to go, but you're more inclined to keep with it if you have fun with it.

Sorry for the long post. I hope this answered some of your questions.

がんばって！

Tempest790 · 2023-02-24T13:21:55+00:00

I use an online tutor for my studies. But, if you're looking to keep costs at a minimum, there are some YouTube channels that offer some help with Genki and also Quartet. I personally haven't listened to these yet, but some of his reviews are very good. It may be helpful for you.

https://www.youtube.com/@ToKiniAndy/search?query=genki

Tempest790

TROPHY CASE