AUG.09.2025 - #36

Hi all 👋, this week while writing clicks 'n clacks I've been reading about Christian Selig's adventure and findings for GIF-size reduction. This could have been really useful a few issues ago when I was attempting to embed a GIF as the clicks/clacks main image here—but I'll just keep this in my back pocket for later. I've also been customizing my Obsidian vault with a new theme called Baseline and obsessing over it's main font. I won't have time to participate, but this weekend is the Battlefield 6 open-beta which has garnered quite a bit of hype online—here's to hoping this instalment is closer to older predecessors rather than recent iterations (cough, cough, Battlefield 2042).

In keyboard land, vendor Kinetic Labs is having an extra 20% off sale on already reduced sale items—I used this opportunity to grab some of their switch containers which I was in desperate need of for some desk organization. And finally, a blast from the not-so-far-past, previous clack feature the Photon (#09) from Cannon Keys is back as an in-stock item so grab it while it's here!

Sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's edition!

clicks 🔗

Dream on

→ I previously kept a dream journal by my bed to write down any unhinged, fun, or memorable dreams that occurred during the sleepiest hours of the night. Often, I would either forget the dreams too quickly, couldn't be bothered to focus on writing them down, or a mix of the two. Enter Yume—a simple, private, and aesthetic dream journal built to quickly capture your dreams/sleepy ramblings and store them to re-live later. It's made by friends Dennis and Lorant who have crafted Yume with some fantastically fun interaction design, smooth/pretty animations, and simple flow. I love using it to jot down my dreams before they disappear from memory. Two of my favourite features are the ability to record voice notes (along with typing of course), and the fact that Yume's content is all kept on device and encrypted—which can be imported or exported at any time.

Liquid legacy

→ This brand new iPhone icon set by Lokki combines two of Apple's translucent design languages together in a splendid union—Aqua and Liquid Glass. Aqua initially debuted in 2000 with Max OS X and this pack revitalizes its bright colours, visual depth, and retro-appeal with the modern refraction, fluidity, and awe of the yet-to-be released Liquid Glass iOS 26 interface. Lokki is a powerhouse in the icon making scene—I've been a big fan for quite some time, and their VisionOS inspired icons were a mainstay on my homescreen for a majority of last year. This new set is being actively developed (a new matching widget was already released) and if it's anything like VisionOS's development (1,400+ icons), many more icons/widgets are coming soon.

Real time audio sharing

→ Become a part-time radio broadcaster with Macrowave, a simple macOS tool to share system audio with friends over a peer-to-peer connection in real-time. Start listening, push the very amusing skeuomorphic “On Air” button, and share the link to anyone who wants to listen in! The link works in any web browser, but you can also connect with the Mac or iPhone app. It's made by Lucas and Neco—first-time collaborators, long-time friends—who created this as a fun way to listen to some music or chill-out together when co-working, even when far apart! Even if you don't have someone to share your tunes with, I'd give this a download just to fiddle with all the playful buttons and sounds included in the design.

clacks ⌨️

Sound 🤝 style

→ Available in a group buy from August 1st to September 1st is a long awaited project from Alexotos and Bowl Keyboards. Dubbed the Manta, this 65% board focuses on premium materials and delivers a unique sound profile with internal acoustic cuts/ridges in the bottom case. Its signature look comes from the copper/brass pillars that prop up the keyboard, which blend into the bottom wavy fin-like weight (which also acts as the tent that sets the board's typing angle) giving it the Manta name. This fin also allows the board to have some space between the case and weight, giving the Manta more acoustic resonance. It's available in a few gorgeous colourways mixing different weight options like stainless steel, raw copper, or sandblasted copper with different top cases including acrylic and aluminum. My top choice has to be the “Tangerine SE”, mixing a frosted acrylic top case with the sandblasted copper base and stainless steel weight—love the see-through acrylic vibe. The US vendor is linked above and you can check out the Canadian vendor here as well.

Magic carpet throwbacks

→ This popular deskmat, Busy Town, is coming back for a third and final round after its initial debut a few years ago. The mat is inspired by the infamous carpet design that infiltrated our childhoods—not sure where this design originated but I remember seeing it almost everywhere (friends' homes, dentists' offices, you name it). Designer nostyle is bringing it back in two sizing options and a new colour this time around. Size one—the classic oversized deskmat style 900mm x 400mm, and size two—a new mini “TKL” version 385mm x 171mm, perfect for precisely holding your tenkeyless-sized board. The new colour is a monochromatic beige if you're feeling a more muted vibe for your setup.

iPad Mini keeb companion

→ Discovered this board through a random Instagram post after noticing it was rocking Akuko Labs' AP-1 caps (flashback to issue #05). After some more digging, I found it to be the Dressthing DIY folding iPad mini board by soo_suke. You can purchase this board as an assemble-it-yourself kit at the link above, but be warned, there are a fair number of detailed steps to follow—definitely not for beginners. Nonetheless, I loved discovering soo_suke's exploration with mini boards and their videos showcasing different iPad Mini setups as well. Fun to find others that are just as obsessed with their iPad Mini as myself—gave me some inspiration to tinker with my own mini setups.

That’s all for this week! I hope you enjoyed it, and now it’s time to hear from YOU 🫵. I want to know your opinion—what you liked, what you loved, what you didn’t like, what you skipped. Reach out at mail.clicksnclacks.com (or reply to this email!) and have a great weekend!!