OCT.25.2025 - #46

Hi all 👋, this week while writing clicks 'n clacks I've been disappointed that there are even more reasons to switch away from Spotify but happy that it is easier than ever. I made the switch months ago to Apple Music and couldn't be happier. I am feeling very seen after watching NekoMichi's video on iOS 26 keyboard lag and being validated by many similar stories in the comments. I admit my 13 Pro is feeling its age after the new update (especially in battery life) and typos do seem to occur more often. In my downtime, I have been continuing to play-through Astro Bot and trying out Marvel Rivals' new PvE game mode inspired by the Marvel Zombies animated TV show.

Not much in the way of keyboard news, but the upcoming Toronto meetup (now sold out) can't come soon enough after seeing some wonderful pictures and stories from local events that happened just south of the border this week.

On to the features!

clicks 🔗

Trendy digicams

→ Creatives everywhere (I think it's mostly Gen Z'ers) are ditching high-quality, over-processed, modern phone photography and instead opting to use 2000's era digital cameras. This digicam trend has seen a sharp increase in popularity in recent years—I've noticed a lot of new companies (CampSnap, Lola, Flashback…just to name a few) scattered throughout my feed in the form of targeted ads. Often I don't pay them much attention, usually they are 90% advertising and have no real care about the product, but one company—Manual Photo—stood out to me. They are based out of New York, capitalize on this retro-resurgence, yet also offer other products/services like disposable cams, original film stocks, photo processing, and even have their own creative studio. I prefer this approach, it comes off as more genuine and not just trend-hopping, but Manual also started selling their own digicam, the Holo. In my opinion you'd be better off buying a used digicam actually from the era these cams are trying to emulate—don't fall victim to all the marketing.

SSD + Hub combo

→ Sharge Tech's latest release, the Disk Pro, seems to be an interesting blend of their previous devices—combining an ultra-fast portable SSD with an HDMI/USB hub. Their usual shtick is adding “active cooling” (like a mini fan) to their devices, which is again present here. But I particularly like that the Pro is pocketable, has a MagSafe-like magnetic attachment system, and rocks a cool clear case design (staying on trend here with transparent tech). I was tempted to pick up Sharge's original Disk when it released, but I am glad I waited, as this Pro model fits my needs more suitably than its predecessor. Sharge offers a variety of other power-banks, data-storage devices, and cables/accessories—plus they have a Halloween Sale going on right now!

You just got back-hacked 😎

→ Hacktivate is a new “hack the box” type app developed by Paul Hudson that helps you learn, practice, and develop cybersecurity skills. In case you weren't aware, before I changed gears and shifted into a more product-focused career, I was a cybersecurity professional. The over 240 puzzles and challenges that Hacktivate offers fondly reminds me of my pentesting days in university. I had a blast using this app, and even if you're not into cybersecurity, Hacktivate does a fantastic job of walking you through the basics, and regardless of your tech-savviness, I would give the tutorial a go.

clacks ⌨️

Holy keyboards Batman!

→ Holykeebs is a specialty keyboard vendor and build service to help you step into the wonderfully weird and sometimes complicated world of split-ergo keebs. They have fantastically detailed documentation here to help explain and outline all their offerings. What made them stand out to me, however, was the wide variety of options and flexibility of build services. You could pick up a fully pre-built kit (their Keyball38 is my fave), order a soldered PCB + case, or just purchase individual parts. I've never fully dove into assembling a kit like this myself but their buyer's guide is a treasure trove for further understanding this keeb niche.

Neon jacket keycaps

→ What started off as an April Fools' joke 4 years ago has finally become a reality. Flashback to 2021, keycap designer and enthusiast Phillip Wade posted about GMK Windbreaker—a strikingly vibrant, neon, and totally-not-real keycap set inspired by “80s/90s ugly-ass windbreaker jackets”. The hype and demand for this set was immediate, and after lots of community pressure and tweaks to make the set actually usable, a group buy was launched just over a year later. One caveat though—it was using Signature Plastics DCS profile, not GMK. Due to some complicated logistics and COVID, the attempt at using GMK was abandoned…but not to fret, Windbreaker has returned in GMK CYL form with a group buy currently live! The buy runs until November 5th, the main link above is to the international vendor proto[Typist], and you can check out all the regional vendors on the main Geekhack page.

New sounds with every click

→ Made by Kenny Wong, KeyClicker is a small macOS utility to add authentic keyboard and typewriter sounds to your computer. It's similar to Klack, which I featured way back in #06, but has more flexible customization and comes with a few more fun features. You can assign individual keys to different sounds, upload custom sounds, or omit certain keys from making any noise at all. I played around with it and found it very amusing to have only certain keys make silly sounds, like delete being an explosion vaporizing every word, or enter satisfyingly sliding back a carriage return. KeyClicker is free for basic customization and sounds, and has a small one-time purchase of $2.99 for all features.

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!!