Hi all 👋, this week while writing clicks 'n clacks I've been itching to replay Skyrim (this time as an IKEA shelf), waiting for a watch drop from the mysterious Donut Watch Co, reading about underground film preservation, waiting to play Control: Resonant (while already listening to its soundtrack on repeat), and testing out my Clicks Power Keyboard after its arrival last week.
Previous feature Clink also hit some milestones recently, including a public launch on Product Hunt, and an Android version that is coming very soon. As we settle into slightly cooler weather and spooky vibes, keyboards sites like Akko and Nuphy are also starting up their Fall sales!
Let's dive into this week's finds!
clicks 🔗
Courtesy of sudo.music
→ New Matter Inc just announced this little music box, Sudo, that's already stirring up a lot of buzz and discourse on my feeds. Looking almost identical to the classic iPod, the Sudo is looking to recapture that feeling, haptic click wheel and all. There are still so many questions to be answered here, but I think the most important one is about the audio quality itself. If this is going to have any chance at competing with anything else in the portable music player space — like what Fiio or Sony already have on offer — New Matter needs to publish some more details, and quick. As of now, all we have for audio details are “3.5mm + Bluetooth” which means essentially nothing to even an entry-level audio enthusiast. However, considering this information is omitted, I have a feeling that's not the crowd they are aiming for. Regardless, I'll be keeping a close eye on Sudo to see how it all unfolds.
Courtesy of Elvis Mederos on apps.apple.com
→ I'm always on the lookout for ways to spruce up my phone's homescreen and I've always turned to apps like Widgy or Koco Widgets to get the job done. Sometimes, however, apps like that require a lot of time and effort to create the perfect setup. I found Backtick by Elvis Mederos to be the perfect blend of widget options and simplicity in the setup process. It's loaded with 35+ widgets of different sizes that can fit on your lock screen, home screen, or even in Standby mode. They all fit a specific terminal-esque aesthetic that I love, and I am very impressed by how interactive the widgets are, even at the smaller sizes. For example, the small weather widget (my favourite) packs all the forecast information needed by rotating through three different screens on tap, while also being able to open up the full weather app upon tapping the main temperature display. Setting something up like this in Widgy — which I've struggled with before in the past — could take hours to fine tune. But here it just works, and looks great too.
clacks 🔗
Courtesy of imdression.online
→ Revisiting the Dressthing split keyboard from over a year ago now that v2 has been released to the public! Many small changes over the last few months have drawn my attention to this DIY board once again. More layout options (integrated, split, and folding), detailed build guides, new case materials, and a PCB that supports hot-swapping of 3 popular switch styles — MX, Choc V1, and V2. Overall, it's been refined and even the website/purchasing process seems much more streamlined, making it clearer what you need to grab in order to complete your kit. Love seeing this grow from a passion project into a fully fledged product that is still going strong a year on.
Courtesy of bowlkeyboards.com
→ This keycap set is based off of a children's keyboard from the 90's that is barely internet-traceable (could only find a few people talking about it and a sound test here). Dinokidz (with a “z” cuz it's cool 😎), brought back to life by mcmcmc offers up a nostalgic pastel colour palette that will add a playful splash to any keyboard setup it's a part of. GMK is the manufacturer here and this set just entered its group buy phase on the Bowl Keyboards website. The only thing missing from the original keyboard is the dinosaur tail that doubled as a carrying handle — maybe one day.
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. Email [email protected] (or reply to this issue!) and have a great weekend!!
