While it is a great time to be a mechanical keyboard fan, the inclusion of lithium-ion batteries in most prebuilts is a trend I loathe. I get it, wireless connectivity is a feature people want, and I'm probably in the minority here, but I never use it, and the idea of dealing with a swollen battery down the line genuinely irritates me.

I've been really happy with the OG87 I bought last month, and I recently swapped the switches for Akko V3 Cream Black Pros, a slightly heavier version of the Akko V3 Cream Yellow Pros I've been using in a couple other boards for a year or so.

But the knowledge that there was a lithium-ion battery right under my fingertips finally got the best of me, so I cracked open the keyboard and finally removed it (two of them, as it turns out!).

The process wasn't complicated, but it was a bit rough on my fingers. I poured some isopropyl alcohol to help soften the adhesive foam tape behind the batteries, then used dental floss to “saw” through the layer. With enough pressure, I was able to free each battery, and now they're sitting in a metal bucket in my garage until I figure out where to dispose of them properly.

There was one minor issue. Because the batteries are no longer connected, the keyboard thinks it is always charging, and so, the red charging indicator remains on. Luckily, I had some black out stickers and simply covered the LED.

Not a whole lot going on lately. I've mostly been focused on writing a video rendering engine in Python the last week or so. I'm not sure when or if I'll have anything to share, but I'm having a lot of fun. Today I also received some new keyscaps in the mail. I love how they look, though, the Cyrillic may be too much of a larp for me haha. I'll probably switch to the Latin only characters later.

Collecting records no longer brings me the joy it once did, so I am working to sell off most or all of my collection.

I've had a new piece artwork of Utsuho created by lemora! Please enjoy the awesome, nostalgic charm.

I'm excited to share some new art of bero's OC, Buivolyasha! First up are two fantastic and experimental pieces by the talented livv.

But wait, there's more! The wonderful riri also created a beautiful rendition of Buivolyasha.

Hope you all enjoy these new artworks as much as I do!