Introducing Kontroll

Hi |FNAME|,

This month I was thinking about how when you buy a ZSA keyboard, it is actually yours. Like, my smartphone is "mine" but I can't even open it up. Or when I buy a book on the Kindle it's "mine" but Amazon can take it back if they decide to (look it up!). It feels like over time, the concept of "owning" a thing became narrower and narrower. "It's technically yours, but…"

And so we find ourselves having to design our products from the ground up to be truly yours when you buy them. Easy to open, easy to 3D print accessories for, easy to hack on the firmware. And that's not a one-time thing: We are constantly investing in helping you do more with the keyboard you already have. In that spirit, this month we are releasing a power tool that lets everyone (including Linux users) control Keymapp (and thus their keyboard layer and lighting) using the command line, from scripts, etc.

This is also the spirit behind this month's Robin's Repairs post which shows you exactly how you can lube and film keyswitches to customize their sound. This is a great guide for any mechanical keyboard user, not applicable just for ZSA.

And speaking of "constantly investing" — we are coming out with a major update for ErgoDox EZ! It'll have the same chip as the Moonlander and the Voyager. We've been working on this one for a year now, and I'm excited to finally release it (and there's a very-rare coupon for the existing units, while supplies last).

As always, thank you for reading, and thanks to everyone who emails me after the newsletter! Got some great breathing-related recommendations last month. I'm at ez@zsa.io. :)

All the best,
Erez

Kontroll is here

Extra automation for Keymapp

Kontroll is an open-source command line utility that lets you control your ZSA keyboard via Keymapp. This one's for power users: Switch layers or lighting patterns based on system events, active windows, and more. Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Lubing and filming switches

Goodbye switch ping

In this latest instalment of Robin's Repairs, Robin shares two techniques that let you soften the sound of your MX-style switches, and can also be combined. Lots of pics – this one goes deep.

Featured User Interview

Misty Sudtelgte

Accountant

Misty's interview is one of the most unique interviews we've ever published. She opens up about the challenges of parenting, her career choices, and everything from ADHD to HD (that is, Home Depot).

"At the heart of my universe, I’m a full-time single mom, hand-in-hand with my nine-year-old son on our shared adventure through neurodiversity."

Layout of the month

Ronini

Hi, I'm Ronini! I'm a Senior software engineer, and what follows is my dual OS layout focused on reduced finger travel and comfort for coding and gaming! I've been heavily inspired by layouts such as Miryoku and have been on somewhat of a journey to improve my ergonomics and layout efficiency.

Things we liked

Bean Heads →

Randomly generated characters

This is pitched as a developer tool, but I’m featuring it because it’s just plain fun. A ton of cute little random avatars, and if you refresh the page you get a different bunch of avatars. The style is consistent, each one feels complete, and the variety is endless. Click an avatar to customize it. Open-source, too.

Magic Color Picker →

Describe a hue and get it

I’m colorblind and I like words, so this is right up my alley. It’s a color picker that lets you describe a color in a few words, and then spits out a shade. Yes, you can just do this with ChatGPT (this probably sits on top of ChatGPT, really) but the UI works. Plus, this is free and (as of this writing) has no ads.

Pn0gstr0m →

Pong TNG

It’s a browser-based take on Pong, but every time the paddle hits the “ball” it multiplies. It gets crazy fast. Try it on a computer, not a phone.

Instant recipe search →

Clean, free, fast

Type an ingredient or a name, and lots of recipes come up instantly. It lets you filter by ingredient, and read cooking directions directly on the site (though you can also click through to go to the source, of course). This is a marketing project for an open-source search tool, and it’s actually good.

One Shot Awards →

Beautiful photos

Black and white. These are just lovely. You can view entries both by pro and “non-professional” photographers (the link goes to the default, which is the gallery of pro photographers, but you shouldn’t miss the non-pros). There are several categories; my favorites are abstract and architecture. Click through each photo for a bio of the artist, which then leads to their other submissions.