Thread

Show HN: I spent 2 years designing a mechanical Magic Keyboard

252 points · 211 comments · aemerson_

charrondev · 1786030762 · focus · HN ↗
I’m assuming it’s not possible for it to include a fingerprint sensor?
As much as I’d like a mechanical keyboard for my Mac that’s always the part that gets me. I end up using the one my Magic Keyboard 20+ times per workday.
Otherwise it looks beautiful.
1. cafebeen · 1786031270 · focus · HN ↗
  Yes, agreed. Beautiful keyboard, but when I heard "magic" I hoped to find a touch ID. That sensor so useful that even though I use a mechanical keyboard, I keep an apple magic keyboard off to the side of my desk just for the touch ID sensor.
  What I'd love to have is a standalone touch ID sensor that I could attach anywhere -- mechanical keyboard, side of the monitor, under my desk, etc. I guess this is bottlenecked by Apple's IP on the device, so I've considered just hacking one together by deconstructing and extracting an Apple keyboard...
  1. dbalatero · 1786040671 · focus · HN ↗
    I've built a few boxes:
    <a href="https://www.printables.com/model/355924-clickable-touch-id-box-tkl-board-wired" rel="nofollow">https://www.printables.com/model/355924-clickable-touch-id-b...
    <a href="https://gist.github.com/KhaosT/1406a6b6bea38f59e059c2afcb39d545" rel="nofollow">https://gist.github.com/KhaosT/1406a6b6bea38f59e059c2afcb39d...
    You have to carefully tear down and extract the touch id sensor, and then remount it in a box. I went the battery route so it could stay wireless. The tradeoff is the box is bigger.
    cafebeen · 1786046429 · focus · HN ↗
    Thank you, just what I was imagining! I would prefer a bigger wireless box as well.

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