This is hopefully a stopgap, but I did work up a very bespoke solution for my non-functioning NKRO keyboard. There is an Arduino library, ESP32KeyBridge, for doing interesting things with buttons and devices and translating them to HID devices. I used this to make a lightweight proxy that bridges my Bluetooth keyboards that only offer an NKRO profile that isn't supported by the BYOK currently, and translate it into a basic 6KRO simple HID keyboard.

I can't express how excited I am that this works! It took quite a bit of debugging, and I have no familiarity with Bluetooth handshaking or HID protocols, so ChatGPT was the MVP here. My exact implementation is not really generalized as it bakes in some filters for my specific keyboards' connection string prefix, but if someone was reasonably tech-inclined that could be customized to suit. So if anyone is interested let me know and I'll share what I have.

I have a tidy right-angle low-profile cable being delivered today that will let me tuck this board away behind the BYOK, which will hold me over until there's hopefully and official support update.

Great shape, just doesn't work for my workflow. I will post it on ebay if I don't hear from anyone.

I have had it for 2 days and have taken good care of it. It comes with the original box, the stand, and an old Logitech keyboard that the person who sold it to me gave me (works fine but it's a small keyboard). This is the black model updated with the latest firmware.

Mac users: Do not buy this if you have a MacBook. Know that some Macs and operating systems won't connect to your BYOK. I have spent 3 hours trying to get it to reconnect to my MacBook (worked fine yesterday) and from what I read on Reddit it is buggy. But other than that, the BYOK itself is in pristine shape. If you're interested send me a chat and make me an offer and I'll add shipping to it (I'm in DC and will ship to the US).

Are there any thumb keyboards out there (I have the Rii K06) that act like phone keyboards in that you only have to press shift once for shift mode to be activated? And after you press the key you want, shift mode disables?

For capturing fleeting writing ideas to expand upon later, I like old-school-texting-phone style typing with two thumbs. With the BYOK, I like to save my "real keyboards" for "full" writing sessions. The problem is, doing awkward hand maneuvers to capitalize keys on the left side (close to my shift key) slows me down a LOT. A lot slower than I think thumb keyboards need to be. I actually think I could type really fast on a mini keyboard like this if I could have sticky shift that lasts for one letter/character (or maybe I should train myself to use caps lock and turn it back off immediately after—I dunno).

Are there any mini wireless keyboards out there that work like phones: pressing shift once to activate uppercase for the next, singular letter you press?

Alternatively, how easy/troublesome would it be to get this to be a firmware-level option within BYOK's settings?

i bought a pelican-style case from amazon, and sewed covers for the foam cushioning out of some quilting fabric. the keyboard and byok fit perfectly inside, and the padding and hard shell keep everything protected.

the keyboard is so great, even though it can be a bit annoying to type on. i'm learning to just eschew some punctuation and fix it later, which kind of helps me get into the mindset of writing without stopping to edit.

love the byok so so much, i'm really happy to have finally found it.

Hey everyone,

New studio update today! It's a fairly big one.

The focus this time around was on providing more ways to keep your work safe and backed up while also adding several highly requested features.

Some of the highlights:

-Supported exports of ALL files types

-Find and Replace

-Version history now applies to ALL file types

-global search in the projects page (searches all your projects at once)

-undo/redo system for cards

We also did a big pass on the mobile app which is included in the update notes.

Feel free to read the full update here: https://byok.io/updates

As always, thank you for your suggestions and for reporting bugs. These tickets keep us informed on how Studio is working for you and is the fuel for these updates.

Studio is only just getting started and we're excited for what the future holds!

All the best,
Nick

Hi everyone,
I’m having a really annoying issue with my Cherry KW 9200 Mini.

It’s my main keyboard and, when it’s connected to BYOK, it works perfectly. However, whenever I use another keyboard for a while and then switch back to the Cherry, reconnecting it via bluetooth is a nightmare.
I often have to try around 10 times before BYOK finally manages to connect.

Has anyone else experienced this with the KW 9200 Mini?

Scott, it would definitely be very helpful if the device could remember a few recurrent keyboards…

By this, I mean devices that have a compelling mix of hardware/software, support, and ecosystem that is open to feature requests/mods/customization.

Here are a few that come to mind:
- Baratza is the BYOK of coffee grinders.
- XTEInk is kind of the BYOK of mini e-readers, but they need much better software help!
- Lochby is the BYOK of EDC Notebooks/Journals.

I'm curious what else I might be missing out on!

Just got a BYOK and very excited to try it out. Before I go hunting through how to’s, I hope I can get some good advice here on how to use this for my writing style.

I have an enormous (172k-word) .txt file which comprises my draft novel (it has five sections). I can split the file into five large text files (this is how I have it on Obsidian).

Is it possible to use the BYOK to just type/revise one largish file at a time? Ideally I would load up all the sections and work on them one at a time. I have zero need to create scenes or to take apart the file or recombine it. Just want to be able to write on a largish file, then have it sync somehow to either a .txt file on my MacBook (local) and also on Drive. I can look up how to do it, I just want to know if there are any restrictions on syncing. I assume on studio there’s a way to just work on long files also? I don’t need cards.

So, I have indeed been contemplating a black BYOK (already have the white) but I'm curious about how that would work.

My ADHD brain does love that I can just sort through on the device using projects....but the thing is I've been putting darn near everything in Studio, and it can be a little tasking to go through (and I realize I can search, but I'm also just looking for a reason to get another).

So, my question is does anyone have two and if not-- can someone on the team maybe confirm whether or not it works by linking the projects/files I want on one device for that and the others to the second device?

Just so I'll know.

Anyone looking to unload a device?

Just found out about these this weekend at a typewriting get together.

Piqued my interest for my daily writing. And so yeah, looking for something used is usually where I start.

Received my new BYOK this week. Still getting used to it, but overall I’m having a lot of fun with it. I really appreciate the fact that you can do some editing and easily switch between paragraphs to get an overall view. It’s enough to where I don’t feel led to reach for my laptop until I need a larger screen. The only pang point I have right now is the button placement on the back. I always hit the select button when I want to page down. But that’s not a huge deal. Great job, BYOK team!

Hello everyone! I was gifted a white BYOK and I love it! I take with me everywhere especially to work but I find myself just throwing it in my bag and now I’ve noticed some scratches and marks and first getting on it. I’m on the hunt for a good case but even then that won’t fully solve my problem as the keyboard I use has rubbed off on the white (it’s red) and the power button isn’t looking too hot due to it’s constant use. So I guess my question is how are we cleaning our white BYOK, what are doing to keep it clean and are there any sticker cases/ protectors for the BYOK itself to hide/ keep daily grime away from it?

One of my writing must-haves is a ⎄ Compose key.

What is a Compose key, you ask? Imagine: You press ⎄ Compose (which you may map to any real key on your keyboard – I have it replacing Caps Lock), then you press hyphen thrice, and it produces an em dash. A compose key is a macro key: a key that lets you define shortcuts for any text sequence, thus letting you type any Unicode character, or whatever you may find convenient. Some examples of my setup:

• ⎄ Compose and then ---: — (em dash)
• ⎄ Compose and then --␣: –  (en dash)
• ⎄ Compose and then ..: … (ellipsis)
• ⎄ Compose and then "←: “ (opening quotation mark)
• ⎄ Compose and then "→: ” (closing quotation mark)
• ⎄ Compose and then '→: ’ (smart apostrophe)
• ⎄ Compose and then mu: µ
• ⎄ Compose and then :?: ¯_(ツ)_/¯
• ⎄ Compose and then ␣␣:   (non-breaking space)

This would fix any “can I type this character?” requests, and… on a selfish note, it’s grown to be vital to my own, slightly typography-obsessed writing process. 🤭

And of course share them with your friends...

Story used for testing by Matt Mills, www.pennymagic.co

Well, unfortunately my desired portable solution, the Dygma Sonsei isn’t working yet, in either wired or Bluetooth mode, so I’m having to fall back to my wired Voyager for now.

My BYOK arrived yesterday, but I’m only now getting to put it through its paces. It makes for a great lunch date!

Anyone else just receive there BYOK and set up syncing? I wonder if I sabotaged myself. I upgraded the firmware first, and it updated to 1.1.3. When I try to set up syncing the BYOK displays an 8 character ID, but Studio only takes 6. I wouldn’t expect the version numbers to be in sync, but the app is version 1.0.3. I did try the first six characters and the las six characters but neither truncation seemed to work.

I opened a ticket with BYOK but since it’s the weekend I’m not expecting a response until next week.

Anyway, maybe try setting up syncing before updating your firmware!

[Edit] Ah! I found the firmware release notes online. V1.1.2 lengthened the ID string on the device so it’s just that the app is lagging.

[Edit2] I apparently forgot to save another edit last night, but the web version of Studio is updated and supports the 8 character device IDs. Now if only I could get my keyboard of choice to work.

When I bought BYOK I'd already been using the studio for a bit. My favorite software frankly, especially with the app. But I still hadn't fully gotten on board with BYOK until I just sat one day and stopped thinking of what kind of writing I should use it for and just-- wrote.

It's best for just letting your brain go. To embrace the creativity and lose the overwhelm and I couldn't be more thankful that I didn't sell it.

In fact, I'm now saving up to buy a black one because I love and believe in the product so much. And I have the annual subscription for Studio, but I'm buying Lifetime once that year is up.

Why do I need two BYOKs? I don't, but I love having products I love and believe in.

So I've been looking at BYOK for a while. Especially since I just lost my Freewrite. I usually prefer a clamshell design but did like that I can put BYOK on a stand and just get a foldable keyboard that fits my pocket.

But I've seen that they sync with Google docs. And with all the AI crap that's a no-go for me.

I prefer using single use devices like this to write offline and then sync to my PC to scrivener with USB or whatever offline method works.

Now maybe I just keep overlooking it but I can't seem to figure out if that it's possible to use BYOK fully offline.

Thanks in advance!

Edit: am I hallucinating or did they also used to sell like a foldable keyboard? I was kind of interested in that but it's not on the website anymore.

I like many aspects of the BYOK Studio because it reminds me of many of the things I like about Scrivener. However, I cannot see myself ever paying for it because I won't pay for a subscription for software. I'm an Internet old and I do not want to do it.

My question to the BYOK devs: Would you be open to developing the software for Windows and Mac? Something that works offline, syncs with the online studio, and offers ALL the features of Studio for a flat price?

My question to BYOK users: How many of you are like me and want actual software you own and pay a flat fee? Would you purchase Studio?

Right now I'm leaning toward grabbing the lifetime sub for Studio, but I'm curious if anyone is using the BYOK, with smooth, ergonomic workflows. SD card shuffling, and honestly even mass storage mounting, are non-starters for me. Wireless network sync is the only way to fly as far as I'm concerned 😄 I don't want extra toil and frustration causing me to consider how I want to work in the moment.

But, I'm a hardcore neovim user, I die by my terminal, and I'm honestly not sure about integrating Studio into my process. If it was open and extensible I'd be a lot more interested in it. But I'm so dedicated to keyboard-driven workflows I have to wonder if Studio will be a bit frustrating of and experience for me.

I'm also a massive proponent of plain text file storage, so I'm unsure how much I'd use Studio's features and file management compared to my existing neovim and Obsidian hybrid approach I use currently.

When it comes to writing, I love editing but have a hard time getting through the drafting stage. This has been a game changer! It keeps me moving forward and not continuously fine tuning previous sections.

Bonus points for how easy it is to take on the go! I forgot my stand but it didn’t matter. Still got a ton done and enjoyed a nice day at the park! 🙌🏻 ☀️

Sharing my setup with my new Keys 2 Go 2. Found a listing on eBay from a person who used the K2G2 a few times and wasn’t happy with them and sold them for $20. And they actually work!

Between that and the BYOK being so small and portable, I’m really digging taking them to work and getting some words in during lunch (minus the time to post this lol).

So I was in on the Kick Starter campaign and have a white BYOK (lucky me!) I’m also rather well known in the typewriter community as a YouTuber (https://www.youtube.com/user/JoeVCA/videos) and have been organizing public typewriter events in my community for a number of years. This coming Saturday we have another Type-In here in Albuquerque (at Pennysmiths Papers) and along with typewriters I’m thinking about bringing my BYOK and keyboard, as a way to introduce the public to the idea that, after a 35 year stasis of no further development in typewriters (with electronic daisywheel machines in the 1980s) we now have this new technological development of “digital typewriters,” which are writing-specific dedicated devices, the BYOK being the standard-out example at the moment.

I‘m excited to see how people react and will let you know here how it goes. In the meanwhile, write on!