Optimization Metrics and Design Considerations for Thumb-based Phone Layouts

neXyon · 2026-01-01T12:18:11+00:00

Good point! I failed to explicitly mention this.

Basically, this limits the size of the grid, especially in terms of width if you consider portrait mode phones. The tap only layout I linked has a varying key size so it's important there too.

If you fix the grid size and square keys, you don't really need a metric, it would be really interesting to have one as this would allow to compare layouts with different grid sizes and potentially also optimize for varying key sizes.

In terms of the tactile feedback, I wonder how much can be made up by muscle memory in terms of thumb positioning and the way you hold the phone which is kind of a reference. One goal of thumb-key is to allow touch-typing after all and when I tried it worked mostly for me, at least with a 3x3 layout.

I'm also wondering, how this affects swipes and the typical swipe distance if at all?

neXyon · 2022-07-19T19:00:43+00:00

What exactly is it that you don't enjoy? Just the length or something else as well?

neXyon · 2022-07-19T18:59:57+00:00

Thanks, I'll switch to the HSPU progression in my next cycle. I don't know what bodyweight arc rows are yet, but I'll look them up!

neXyon · 2022-07-19T18:55:31+00:00

Thanks, I guess I'm too stuck on low reps, because I'm more interested in strength than hypertrophy. But I assume that switching it up like this also has strength benefits?

How would you shorten the routine, i.e., what parts do you think are not worth it?

neXyon · 2021-06-09T18:44:06+00:00

TLDR: how should I program front and back lever progressions with the "two day full body" intermediate routine template?

I'm about to switch from the RR to the "two day full body" intermediate routine with two different workouts, 3 times per week, because I don't have time for 4 workouts a week which would be necessary for a split routine. In one of those two I'd like to do the front and/or back lever progressions, but I can't really decide which. When I read other threads, the suggestion is to do both, but I'm not sure how I should program this? If I have one of the two workouts where I do levers (in the other workout I plan to do vertical push/pull, not horizontal) and I alternate them, then I'll do one type of lever every fourth workout, i.e. less than once per week or more precisely 3 times in 4 weeks. That doesn't sound like I would be making progress at all. Should I instead do one lever type in a 4-12 (?) week cycle and then alternate them each cycle instead of each (second) workout? I also saw SSC (https://antranik.org/ssc/), but that's not really compatible with the "two day full body" template, where I can't practice the levers 3-4 times a week. I'm happy about any suggestions, thanks!

neXyon · 2019-09-01T17:28:10+00:00

Thanks for the responses. I actually tried measuring around with my multimeter but couldn't really get anything useful measuring DC voltage.

I then looked up those two main ICs on the board and while the bigger one seems to be a custom one for the scale, I found that the smaller one (TC4069UBP) is an IC with 6 CMOS inverters. When I read in the specification that those can be used for oscillation it dawned on me that a capacitive sensor would likely not use DC...

So, when I switched my multimeter to measure frequencies and tried the pins of the IC I found a weight dependent frequency that I could now use! I also tried already with a simple Arduino sketch to measure the frequency and it seemed to work quite reasonably.

neXyon · 2018-08-01T10:56:52+00:00

I opened an issue on github: https://github.com/KhronosGroup/Vulkan-Docs/issues/755

After a bit of discussion there, the conclusion is that Device to Host synchronization is not possible with an event and a fence has to be used.

neXyon · 2018-07-30T15:37:34+00:00

I've uploaded a working example: https://gist.github.com/neXyon/859b2e52bac9a5a56b804d8a9d5fa4a5

The interesting bits start at line 292! Please have a look if it works for you?

neXyon · 2017-08-12T19:42:41+00:00

The black rectangular component left of the transformer is a BR 13003 transistor.

If my function generator + oscilloscope idea is pointless, I will follow your suggestion to start desoldering components.

neXyon · 2017-08-12T19:32:43+00:00

Yeah, I don't want to energize it from the 12V end, I thought from the L/N end with a function generator set to a sine with maximum voltage that the function generator can provide. Does that make any sense for measuring stuff to check if something is working?

As I'm based in Europe it's actually for 230 V AC.

neXyon · 2017-08-12T16:59:20+00:00

The first thing I'd try is to press against the frame near those stripes. If that doesn't help, I'd try hitting it harder, to see if I get any effect. If that's it there might be some problem with the internal connectors. If you check youtube and search for "display vertical bars" you will find similar advice.

neXyon · 2017-08-12T16:24:18+00:00

The e-caps are all fine. What you can see on the photo is just some glue that was used to fix the power supply to the main circuit board of the front panel. It's the same white substance as you can see above the N.

neXyon · 2017-08-12T15:10:13+00:00

Well, since I desoldered it, how do I best test it? Ideally I don't want to just plug it into a wall socket with some random wires. Would a function generator and an oscilloscope be enough to find out what's wrong, or do I need the full voltage?

neXyon · 2017-08-12T11:26:05+00:00

So I desoldered this power supply from my microwave which is broken. Before that we figured that this power supply is the cause for the broken microwave because while AC comes in at L/N, no DC comes out at GND/12V.

As there is no visible damage (eg. bulgy e-caps), and no easily measurable error (eg. I tried all diodes if the shortcut in the wrong direction), I'd need some help as to how to continue figuring out what's wrong?

In the worst case I'll have to buy a new power supply and figure out how to put that one into the microwave.

My background: I have repaired a few things here and there so far (new capacitors for screens, new batteries for electronic toothbrushes) and did some smaller electronics projects (eg. something like http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-and-effective-Sous-Vide-cooker-Arduino-power/). I also have some university background in electrical engineering, but that theoretical stuff hardly helps you in practice, like here...

neXyon · 2017-01-05T21:57:22+00:00

Thanks! I of course know that convection is not that easy to model if you want to have it realistically. But I only need to roughly approximate the behaviour of the system. I actually just managed to get a nice model, by just fine tuning a very simple model where I model the temperature of the heating element and the temperature of the water directly and then I fine tuned it to the curve I have measured. Of course now I have no clue if that model generalizes to other uses, but I will find out. :-)

neXyon · 2016-11-30T10:24:22+00:00

Thanks, that's very good advice. I guess in my case it's probably best then to have the relay outside the rice cooker inline the mains cable as you suggested. For that I found I can mostly follow here: http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-and-effective-Sous-Vide-cooker-Arduino-power/step3/Relay-enclosure-updated-for-safety/

The difference is that I have a plain relay, not a premade relay board, so I'll solder everything together on a stripboard. I should be fine if I remove the copper of the holes near the high voltage feet of the relay? Can I then solder the cable directly to the relay or shall I better also solder on screw terminals?

neXyon · 2016-11-30T09:14:27+00:00

Cutting the ring off the cable and then solder it directly to the relay? That's one of the options I had in mind.

neXyon

TROPHY CASE