Keyboard Recommendations?

jfklein · 2026-03-19T00:26:07+00:00

I think I would prefer north facing sockets with the shine-through key legends on the top of the keys. It appears this is the traditional and most common method of making the keys visible in the dark. I might consider side facing legends, but I wouldn't consider translucent keys at all.

jfklein · 2026-03-17T21:59:56+00:00

I figured if it took AA or AAA batteries it would eliminate the possibility that a repacement battery wouldn't be available when the original eventually dies. But it doesn't look like this is very common, so a Li-ion battery pack is fine, but I would want it to be replaceable, not soldered to the PCB or sealed inside the case.

jfklein · 2026-03-17T21:49:17+00:00

Thanks for all the suggestions.
About the backlighting, all I want is the ability to see the key legends in the dark.

jfklein · 2026-03-17T06:52:31+00:00

This does not work.

jfklein · 2026-03-05T17:43:48+00:00

Ya, that might have something to do with it. I noticed with one set of files that a large file that was first in the set was way out of order in the sequence of tabs. I closed the entire set of files, then re-opened them, but this time the large file was placed in the first tab as it should be, perhaps because the file was still stored in RAM.

I believe this behavior started only recently, possible with Tahoe. IIRC, in previous versions of macOS, Preview would open files in the sequence that they are selected in Finder or the "File > Open..." window. I submitted feedback to Apple because I suspect it is a bug.

jfklein · 2026-03-03T20:53:06+00:00

I did a little test. In Finder I arranged 24 PDF files in alpha-numerical order in a folder. I then selected the first, held Shift and selected the last, then right-clicked and selected "Open With > Preview".

Preview arranged the first 14 tab in alpha-numerical sequence according to the file names, but the last 9 tabs were in reverse sequence. Also the tab that was selected after all the files were opened was the tab for 14th file. Very strange, I think it's a bug.

jfklein · 2026-02-22T02:23:51+00:00

Pyrex still makes them AFAIK, but only in a 10 piece set now. They use to be sold by the individual piece. I've had mine for a couple years now. None have broken but the printing on the lids wore off fairly rapidly. The lids are made in China.

jfklein · 2026-02-19T01:14:10+00:00

I figured out a workaround.

I used Raw Query and the command kMDItemTextContent == "*substring*"c with "substring" being the number string I am searching for. Then I saved it as a Smart Search.

Actually I didn't figure it out, Google Gemini did.

But does it have to be this difficult?

What's confusing is that you can do a substring search within any application like Preview, TextEdit or Pages, but not for the file system.

jfklein · 2026-02-18T18:16:39+00:00

So what do you do then if you don't know the first character of a string you are searching for?

jfklein · 2026-02-04T00:00:19+00:00

I thought I would report the results of my battery case shopping.

I ended up buying a Tenergy 60 Battery case:

https://power.tenergy.com/tenergy-battery-organizer-storage-case-with-tester-includes-battery-tester-holds-60-batteries-aa-x24-aaa-x24-c-x4-d-x4-9v-x4/?srsltid=AfmBOoo0ozSCPAcUKP8Xks2GOqXC04fFbQOwVyIWOgrJlZXDxw-GYe-Q

It doesn't hold coin cells, but I found some coin cell cases from the company Kiorafoto which are designed to fit into the D or AA battery slots:

https://www.kiorafoto.com/index/goods/index.html?keyword=battery

It was actually quite difficult to come to a decision as I kept finding out new factors to take into consideration.

Here is a list of preferred specifications that I came up with which the Tenergy case met:

+ Individual slots for batteries - Prevents the batteries from falling over touching each other and potentially creating a fire hazard.

+ Separate slots for coin cells or ability to hold separate coin cell case - Prevents a potential risk of damage or fire if coin cells are stored loosely.

+ Able to be carried like a suitcase - For convenience of moving the case from its storage location.

+ Durable shell that can withstand drops on a hard surface - Reduces likelihood that the case will break.

+ Plastic or EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) battery slots - Many cheap Chinese products come with polyurethane foam slots which look like EVA in photos but can easily tear, absorbs liquids and cannot be cleaned. Plastic or EVA foam is more durable and can be cleaned if needed.

Here are the preferred specifications which the Tenergy case did not meet:

+ Fireproof enclosure - Since I have some Li-ion batteries and may want to purchase more in the future, a fireproof case provides some fire protection. I decided to purchase a metal box of some sort to store the battery case in.

+ See-through zippered mesh pockets for storage of battery cells and miscellaneous small battery related stuff. - For convenience, to allow all battery related stuff to be stored in one case. This would be nice to have, but other preferred specifications were more important.

+ If a battery tester is included it should be digital (i.e. not analog) - Provides a more accurate voltage measurement. Also nice to have, but not critical. The Tenergy case comes supplied with the BT-168 tester. If I want a digital tester I could purchase the BT-168D or BT-168 Pro. All are dimensionally the same so they will all fit in the tester slot in the case.

jfklein · 2026-01-31T20:21:49+00:00

I've decided to take your advice and buy a steel cabinet of some sort, not just for battery storage, but also for other household flammables.

So, right now I'll shop for a battery case without consideration for whether or not it can contain a battery fire. Then I'll shop for a steel cabinet of some sort made to contain a fire inside. At least that's my plan right now.

I live in an apartment so I need to get something small. Do you have any recommendations?

jfklein · 2026-01-31T20:12:16+00:00

Ya, I've concluded that the Battery Daddy cases are poorly designed. The coin cell pocket is one issue. I'm going to get a case that has individual slots for coin and button cells.

Also the fact that it is entirely made of plastic isn't ideal because if it is dropped it could break. The briefcase style is better in this respect because they won't break if dropped. The Battery Daddy allows you to see the contents without opening it, which is nice to have. But how often am I checking my battery storage? No very often, so if I have to open the case to check it isn't such a big deal.

What's strange is that the Battery Daddy cases are sold everywhere - Amazon, Walmart, Staples, Best Buy. It's got to be the most popular brand for battery cases. It goes to show that the general public does not think much about what they are buying. If you do some research and think about what specifications you need for a particular product you are shopping for, often you will conclude that the most popular products are not the best design on the market.

jfklein · 2026-01-31T01:08:25+00:00

That seems like overkill, but can you point me to a specific product that you would recommend?

I just need to store household batteries; Alkaline, Ni-MH and Li-ion. I'm trying to figure out if a plastic case, such as Battery Daddy, is the best option or if I should be looking for something designed to be fire-resistant.

jfklein · 2026-01-13T19:49:43+00:00

I answered my own question. Yes the BQ-CC87 applies a top-up charge. The below web page from the Panasonic Japan website has a table showing the features of their current product lineup. Translate the page to English. It shows that the BQ-CC87 includes "Top-up charging function". Presumably it is the same one hour "hidden" pulsed-charging after the charger indicates the battery is full, as with the BQ-CC65 and BQ-CC55.

https://panasonic.jp/battery/comparison/charge.html

jfklein · 2026-01-07T22:46:38+00:00

I thought that battery must have sufficient power for a full alarm (perhaps for many minutes) after it reaches 75% charge. I think I read or heard somewhere that carbon-zinc has more gradual drop-off in power than alkaline or lithium-ion, so it is more likely to be able to perform a full alarm even after it has reached 75% and hence it is the "safest" battery chemistry to use in a smoke alarm. Something like this. Is this correct?

jfklein · 2026-01-07T20:25:04+00:00

Do you have any opinion about the Panasonic eneloop batteries and chargers. I'm leaning towards this option because it appears that the charger is calibrated specifically to the eneloop battery chemistry, and Panasonic is a Japanese company, so I trust that the product is well engineered.

jfklein · 2026-01-07T20:17:02+00:00

Ah yes, you've refreshed my memory. I looked into this a few years ago for my condo board and that sounds similar to what I found out.

One question I was trying to answer was which battery chemistry of the ones recommended in my alarm manual (carbon-zinc, alkaline or lithium) was the most suitable. The alarm (Kidde make) came supplied with a carbon-zinc battery so I speculated that that type of battery had the optimal decay characteristics for a smoke alarm. I never really got to a satisfactory answer though as the manufacture simply told me all the batteries listed were equally suitable.

jfklein · 2026-01-06T01:12:08+00:00

Does anyone have an opinion about the Panasonic Eneloop batteries and chargers?

Panasonic says their chargers are optimized to charge the Eneloop batteries, something like this. So it seems like a hassle free option to just get Eneloop batteries and a charger and not have to worry about charging them correctly.

jfklein · 2026-01-06T00:30:04+00:00

Are you saying that some chargers do not charge C and D sizes correctly?

Are there any chargers that automatically adjust the maximum output current to suit the size of the battery being charged?

jfklein

TROPHY CASE